OWINGS MILLS ~ The Ravens are getting healthier, upgrading cornerback Jimmy Smith and outside linebacker Jarret Johnson to full participating on the injury report.

Smith is dealing with a left high ankle sprain that has sidelined him since getting hurt during the first game of the season.

Smith was limited in practice Thursday. Although his lateral movement is still a bit limited, there’s a chance he could be active for Monday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“The mental part of it, he did a great job,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “He looks pretty good. Like anything, it’s like starting over. You’ve got to knock the rust off a little bit and trust the ankle, that it is healed. Playing the position that he plays, there’s a lot of starting and stopping and cutting and those types of things. So, he looks good.

“It’ll be tough again. Throw him out there, and we’ll see where he’s at and see how he continues to progress throughout the weekend and see Monday night where he’s at. He’ll be OK. He’ll do a good job.”

Although Johnson didn’t practice Thursday, he has played in a franchise record 118 games in a row.

Offensive guard Ben Grubbs (right turf toe), wide receiver Lee Evans (left ankle) and strong safety Tom Zbikowski (concussion) didn't practice Friday.

Cornerback Chris Carr (left hamstring) was limited again, but is improving.

Carr is nearing his return after missing two consecutive games with a recurring that has bothered him since training camp.

“It's feeling pretty good,” Carr said. “So, I'm preparing like I'm going to play on Monday. If I don't feel like I'm going to be 100 percent, then I'm not going to go. If I'm up for this game, then I'm going to be ready. There's going to be no 90 percent anymore. But I'm feeling pretty good.”

Carr returned to practice Thursday.

“It felt good,” Carr said. “It felt kind of strange. To be out there in cleats and a helmet and be out there with the guys and catching some balls, it definitely felt a little foreign. It was fine. It just felt really good to be out there and be able to run.”

Carr said he'll err on the side of caution as far as whether he'll return this week.

“I'm definitely going to be on the safer side of things,” Carr said. “Before, I would have a little pain in practice and be 90 or 95 percent. I'm not going to do that anymore.

“With the way we're playing, it's not like our defense is last in the NFL and we need a savior and nobody is playing well. Everybody is playing well. So, I'm definitely going to be smart about it.”

Once the Ravens get Smith and Carr back to work in with starters Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams, this shapes up as a deep secondary.

“Hopefully, me and him stay out there for a long time because we have a lot of depth in the secondary,” Carr said. “When we all got hurt and [Domonique] Foxworth got put on IR, all our depth went out the window. Hopefully, we can keep our depth, and we’ll be fine for the rest of the season.”

The Ravens have previously ruled out inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstrings, groin) and rookie running back Anthony Allen (thigh).

Jaguars offensive tackle Eben Britton (back) and safety Courtney Greene (hamstring) didn’t’ practice again.

Former Ravens safety Dawan Landry (thigh) was added to the injury report Friday and was limited.

A dozen Jaguars were upgraded to full participation, including running back Maurice Jones-Drew, defensive end Aaron Kampman, cornerback Rashean Mathis and fullback Greg Jones after they were limited Thursday for non-injury reasons.

Also participating fully: offensive tackles Eugene Monroe (shoulder) and Guy Whimper (hip), defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (knee) and linebacker Clint Session (elbow).

STRONG BOND: Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is set to square off with his former player, Ravens All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Monday night.

Del Rio coached the Ravens’ linebackers for three years, including their Super Bowl winning squad.

“Jack was always just a true man’s man, a true professional, and I think it truly comes from his experience of playing in the game himself,” Lewis said. “That’s kind of the way he approached work. He made work truly something that you wanted to come to every day. He’s one of those coaches that’s really motivating. Jack was always Jack.”

Del Rio still keeps a picture of Lewis and linebackers Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper in his office in Jacksonville.

“It was an awesome three years that I spent there in Baltimore,” Del Rio said. “It was a good group, guys worked hard, had a lot of passion, and it was a treat to coach a group like that.”

Lewis was reminded about the photograph on Del Rio’s wall.

“We took that picture years ago, and, honestly, anytime you win a championship with somebody, you’re going to always have those memories,” Lewis said. “So, that group was special.”

40 WINS: Flacco has reached the 40-win milestone in only 60 starts, including the playoffs.

He’s won 36 of 53 regular-season games.

“That’s pretty good,” Cameron said. “That kind of stuff Joe kind of expects. He is a winner. You don’t bring a guy into your organization unless you think he is a winner. It’s about winning.

“Then, the stats come. It’s not about stats first and winning second. That’s what makes this guy a great young quarterback and a guy who is going to win, I think, for a long time.”

WIDE OPEN?: The Ravens have said that Bryan McCann and David Reed will compete for the primary kick returner job.

McCann returned two kickoffs for a 26.5 average against the Texans as Reed was still coming off a left shoulder injury that has sidelined him since the second game of the year.

However, Reed had a 77-yard kickoff return in that game against the Tennessee Titans and led the NFL with a 29.3 kickoff return average as a rookie last season.

Now that he’s back from the injury, Reed is expected to reassume those duties.

However, the Ravens insist that Reed won’t necessarily be reinstalled immediate.

“It’s exactly what it is: it’s a kick return competition,” special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg said. “We brought Bryan McCann in here and one of the reasons we brought him in here is because he had experience and success returning kicks and punts. So far, we’ve seen that there’s a reason why he’s had success.

“He runs hard, he’s got good vision, and we also have on our team others that do the same punts and kick returns. We’ve got competition every day in practice. It’s healthy, it’s good. David Reed feels it’s healthy and good.”

How will the Ravens determine their decision?

“We make that decision every week based on how they practice, what the scheme sets up like, who the opponent is and how they kick the ball,” Rosburg said. “There are a lot of different things that go into it, but those are the key factors.”

NO ROOKIE HAZING: Smith said the Ravens haven’t hazed him beyond older teammates like outside linebacker Terrell Suggs teasing him about being on Twitter so much.

“The funny thing is guys say I’m always on Twitter, but how do they know unless they’re always watching me on Twitter,” Smith said.

There hasn’t been any kind of hazing, though.

“Our team is not like that at all,” Smith said.

He hasn’t even had to buy the veterans a fancy dinner yet.

“Just Popeye’s on Fridays,” Smith said. “That’s easy.”