Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement:"Good to see everybody here. Second OTA practice of, I guess we call it our first passing camp. I'm very pleased with the work. I thought guys got after it; it was fast. Young guys, you know they're trying to figure it out on the run, but they're practicing fast. They're making their share of mistakes, but they get a little bit better every day. I think you can see the ability with [the young guys]. And I think as a group, the guys that are here, that's our team today. And our team today got a little bit better with the guys who were here, so we're excited about it."
On whether CB Lardarius Webb is further along with his injury than initially believed to be: "Yeah, well Lardarius – according to the doctors – is ahead of schedule significantly. So, he looks like he's moving around well. Fabian [Washington] is also ahead of schedule, but Lardarius has been here every single day – holidays, weekends. You know, he's been really doing, I'd say, beyond what you'd expect a guy to do to get back. He's done a great job."
On how rookie TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta are doing thus far into the offseason: "Both of the two young tight ends have done well, and I'd throw Davon Drew into that category. But Ed and Dennis have shown us why we drafted them. I mean, they're both very talented. You saw them make plays today downfield. They've got catch radius, they've got range, they've got good hands, [and] they're picking things up quickly. So, they've been a real plus so far."
On what differences he sees between those two tight ends:"They're a little bit different body-type-wise, but in the end, I think they both bring a lot to the table in the passing game. Ed is probably faster, Dennis is probably longer. They both have good hands, they both get in and out of routes really well, so from a receiving standpoint, [they're] everything we expected. Once we get the pads on, we'll find out about that, but also about the blocking. So, in shorts, you see what you see, but they've looked good so far."
On his early impressions of rookie WR David Reed:"Probably in the same category as those other two guys [Pitta and Dickson]. Again, it's shorts, but he's done a nice job. He's adjusted to the tempo of our level, and he catches everything. He gets in and out of his routes well. He's just got to learn what he's doing."
On how T Jared Gaither is doing: "He went to the doctor, foot specialist, Bob Anderson. He's got some bruising on the bottom of his foot, nothing major. They've worked on some orthotics. Yesterday, they worked on some orthotics. He wasn't comfortable with them. So, he's going to get a cortisone shot, which basically speeds up the healing process. [We'll] let it settle down for a couple more days, and he should be back here quickly."
On what the absent players are missing: "Well, I think it's football practice. I said that before. It's an opportunity. Everybody gets better. So, that's the thing. It's always important to a coach to have your team here. And it's like I said, the team is the guys who are here today. That's all we can work with. Those are the guys getting better, and I'd want to have every single guy here every single day, if we could, because that would max out our ability to get better as a football team. But we got better today."
On how WR Donte' Stallworth looks: "Donte' has looked good. Donte has been explosive. He catches the ball well. Had a chance to make… I'm thinking of the one play across the middle here he almost made. It would have been a great grab. But, he's worked really hard. I mean, this guy's been here every day, working every drill, just like Anquan [Boldin]. He's done a great job. I think he's looked good."
On how much former Ravens DE Michael McCrary is helping the defensive line: "Mike's thinking about coaching right now. He's been kind of learning, I guess. He's not working with our guys right now, but I think he just wants to get a feel for the profession. He's a Raven. He knows we want him around and get him a chance to do that. I'm sure he's had conversations with guys, just like all the guys do, so it's good to have Mike around a little bit. He's been here on a semi-regular basis."
On why QB Troy Smith was absent: "Troy got his tonsils out. I think it's about a two-week process. He's eating a bowl of ice cream as we speak, I would guess, right now. But, it's something he had to do. Obviously, he had some issues before. I don't know if it's really related [to his illness in 2008] exactly or not, but it probably is, I guess, because he's had some strep throat issues and stuff. So, that's what he's doing."
TE Ed Dickson
On how much different the conditioning is at the professional level:"Oh, it's a lot more [conditioning]. It's a lot more, because you're moving faster. It's as fast as you can [go] every play. Nobody is out there taking it easy. We're out to be a great team this year; we're working hard. The defense is giving us great looks, and we're giving the defense a great look."
On what he feels his strengths have been early on in the offseason:"Just getting vertically up the field. I'm using what I do best, and they're utilizing me in that aspect. And whatever they give me, I'm going out there and doing it 100 percent."
On whether he's had his "welcome to the NFL" moment:"Not yet. I mean, I see the great guys in front of me – Todd Heap is teaching us everything – and I'm just learning on the go, training to be a great player one day."
On what the learning curve is when stepping into the NFL: "Well, just the speed. You need to pick up on the speed a little bit and everything else. If you play fast, play hard, everything else will come naturally."
On whether it's exciting to be a part of a downfield-style offensive team: "This is very exciting, just thinking about the things we can do on the field. Having Joe [Flacco], having all the great receivers we've got, and Todd Heap, and to input myself in there, we can do a lot of great things."
On how comfortable he is right away with the offense:"I'm very comfortable. The mini-camp I was out there, I was spinning. I didn't know what to think. But now, I get the chance to be at the OTAs and concentrate, learning things I need to know, study a lot more and go out there and play full speed."
QB Joe Flacco
On his playing weight compared to last season: "I'm about the same weight – I think a little leaner, but about the same weight, right around 240, 238, 239, 240, somewhere around there depending on what time of the day it is. I think these guys might want me a little bit above 240, but the bottom line is, I'm going to play somewhere right around high 230s, 240, and that's what I'm going to play at."
On his early impressions of the rookie tight ends: "I think they're doing great. They're big, they're athletic, and they can catch the ball. As long as they continue to keep track with the offense, on the pace that they're doing, then we're going to be good. They're learning it and they're picking it up quick. If they keep doing it, and they keep working hard, then we're going to be expecting something out of them."
On if the extra practice with the receivers is paying off: "Definitely, I think so. That's the most important thing is just to get on the same page with some of the guys who haven't been around too long. These guys are doing a great job of going out there, competing and, at the same time, learning the new offense."
On his relationship with QBs coach Jim Zorn: "He's great. He's been great from the first day he got here. We have a great relationship already, and hopefully, it just continues to grow. He's an awesome coach. Hopefully our relationship continues to grow, and we'll see what happens from here."
On the competition between young wide receivers: "I think the main thing is you've got to come out here, you've got to compete full speed, you've got to catch the football, first of all, and I think that's the most important thing. Just getting in your playbook so that when you get out here at practice, lining up and knowing the right routes, nothing is going to hold you back. I think they're going to do a good job of that. They're going to catch on eventually, so right now, it's just a matter of catching the football and keeping it to yourself."
On if some receivers are catching on faster than others: "I don't know. I think they're all doing a good job. I think, obviously, in a few practices from now, we'll probably see guys jump out at you a little bit. I think they're all doing a great job so far."
On what he expects from Michael Oher at left tackle: "I feel great with all my guys. When I'm dropping back, I'm not paying attention to who's blocking for me. I just have confidence that they're going to get the job done. Mike did a great job last year, and I don't predict anything else is going to happen this year. I think he's going to get better. It doesn't matter which side he's playing. I think he's going to get better and he's going to be a big part of why we're going to be successful."
