Ravens rookie WR Rashod Bateman could miss start of season with groin injury?

The Baltimore Ravens added veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins via free agency and then used a first-round draft pick to acquire Minnesota Golden Gophers star Rashod Bateman. 

Bateman's start to his NFL career is not going as planned. 

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo (h/t Kevin Patra) reported Tuesday that Bateman suffered a groin injury during practice while running a slant pattern against cornerback Marcus Peters. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport added Bateman has no structural damage, and Garafolo said the first-year pro is considered week to week. 

It's too early to know Bateman's status for Baltimore's regular-season opener at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 13, but it seems likely he'll be a spectator for all three of the club's preseason games this month. 

As Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun noted, fellow Ravens receivers Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin have missed time during training camp because of hamstring injuries. Watkins, meanwhile, has a lengthy and concerning injury history that goes all the way back to his collegiate career a decade ago. 

Such explosive weapons can only help quarterback Lamar Jackson this fall if they can remain in the lineup for more than a handful of weeks at a time.