Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening Statement: "Second day is in, and we've gotten through the period where we'll be in soft shells, as we call them, and we'll be in pads tomorrow. We'll have three days of that, and we'll have a night practice on Monday, and then they'll have a day off. That's our schedule for the next couple of days."
Three days in pads? (Jerry Coleman) "Yes."
Is there any message to the team when you put pads on? Obviously the physicality will increase. (Garrett Downing) "The biggest message when you put the pads on is, 'You've been in pads before. Don't overreact. It's going to be fine.' What happens sometimes, whenever you transition into the next phase of what you do, you kind of forget about what they're doing. Snap count, technique – they kind of lose that and have to get acclimated a little bit and get a feel for the game again. I'd rather not go through that tomorrow. I want to get right into executing and keep building on what we've done the last two days. That's just what I told them out here. I said: 'You've been in pads before. It's not going to be much different from what we've been doing. You just sit a little firmer and punch a little more stoutly.' That's really the only difference. We're not going to be out here tackling too much – especially the veteran guys. Let's just go play football."
You mentioned about the wide receivers and some of the numbers are down. Is it nice to see a rookie like WR Chris Moore seize those opportunities like he did today? (Jamison Hensley) "Chris made some plays today. We had a little snafu in the secondary there. I was really happy that the offense took advantage of it, and I was really ticked off that the defense let it happen. Such is the nature of training camp. But we did pick up two wide receivers today. They passed the conditioning test, so we had a little more help."
It looked like you may have gotten ticked off with some of the pass protection, and it seemed like you guys went into a drill right after that. Is that a point of emphasis with the running backs and pass protection? (Jerry Coleman) "It's always a point of emphasis. That's what you do. I thought the third pass protection didn't look very good in those two drills, and that just ruins everything. If you can't get in front of somebody and know who you're blocking, that's going to be a problem. If you're a young player, you better figure it out quick."
Is there any update on T Jake Long (Jeff Zrebiec & Luke Jones) "Is there an echo here? *(laughter) *I don't have an update on Jake. I haven't heard. I'm waiting to talk to Ozzie [Newsome], actually, and see where we're at with that."
RB Javorius "Buck" Allen and ILB Patrick Onwuasor had a little dust-up. I don't know if you saw, but is that the kind of action you want to see a little bit of in camp? (Bill West) "I didn't even see it. If it was a drill I wasn't at, I didn't even see it. It must not have been too big of a deal. What happened? Did you see it?"
**So everyone has passed their conditioning test, except CB Jerraud Powers? *(Jerry Coleman) *"Correct."
CB Tavon Young is obviously a rookie and has a lot to learn. How do you think he's progressing? He seems to be making some plays. (Cliff Brown) "Tavon is progressing well. He has a good feel for the game. He's quick, he has good ball skills, and he's fast, too. I like him. We'll just have to see tomorrow and see with each passing day how he continues to grow."
WR/RS Michael Campanaro also had some nice catches. Does he look good to you? (Todd Karpovich) "Yes, he did. 'Camp' made some good plays. He made a critical third-down conversion there. Defense was speculating that they would have gotten him down, but you never know until we start tackling. He's looked good."
Are you happy to have lot of different options and versatility with younger pass rushers like OLB Kamalei Correa, who can line up in different places? (Jeff Zrebiec)"That's a big part of our plan. I just think we're trying to figure that out right now. We want everybody on our defense to be a pass rusher. We are working really hard at that to try to train all of our guys to be pass rushers. With that, the pass rushers – that's what they do for a living – to be able to move them around in different spots and have them coming from different places is something that we want to do."
Is that silver lining with OLB Terrell Suggs and OLB Elvis Dumervil not being on the field that these guys can get more reps? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Sure. Absolutely. That's not a bad thing. I don't think Terrell and Elvis particularly are going to be hurt too much by not being out here right now. They just have to get healthy and get right. Like you said, all of these guys are getting reps, which is a good thing."
**Tell me what you see from TE Dennis Pitta. Do you see small steps? Big steps? *(Don Markus) *"I think big steps. If you want to look all the way back to the fact that he wasn't playing, I would say big steps. He looks to me like he looks like a big player. I'm sure … It's hard to just say apples-to-apples to three years ago, but he looks like a really good football player out there right now. The next step will be pads, and we'll see how he looks tomorrow in that."
Tight Ends Coach Richard Angulo
On if it is unusual having so many tight ends on a team: "It is a little unusual. I had that situation when I was a player in Minnesota. For me as coach, they are all good players, so I'm licking my chops when I see it. I'm blessed to have it."
On if the amount of tight ends makes his job tougher:"As far as reps, it can be. But like I said, each guy has their different strengths. Whatever they need to do, there is a guy for it. At least the way I look at it now, it is just all good things. I don't see any kind of negative."
On how many tight ends he can get on the field at one time: "Well, if it was up to me, it would be the quarterback and all tight ends. *(laughter) *You can get up to three. We have a giant package."
On how TE Dennis Pitta looks: "He looks great – looks great, feels great. I'm happy for him, proud of him."
On if they are limiting Pitta or if he's practicing in full:"He is a full-go."
On TE Crockett Gilmore leaving practice and if he's alright: "I don't know. We will wait to see what they say."
On if he knows what Gilmore's injury was: "I have no idea."
On moving TE Daniel Brown to tight end: "Dan Brown is a great athlete. Obviously, his speed and things like that are a big attribute at the tight end position. We like Dan Brown, and wherever he can help us is what we are going to do."
On if he would like a tight end to separate himself from the competition: "Potentially. What I just want to see is each guy pushing each other. From the top of the depth chart to the bottom, they are all good players. I just want to see this group take off."
On what he wants to see Gilmore improve on:"He's just got to improve on everything, really – execution of the small things. Really, for him and all the other guys, I just want them to be great at all the little things. To me, stats and touchdowns are just byproducts of what you do with all the details, so that is what I'm looking for."
TE Dennis Pitta
On how his hip feels:"My hair or my… *(laughter) *My hip feels good. I'm two days in and not worried about it at all. I'm moving like I want to and just continue to stay the course. Everything is on track so far."
On if practicing with pads will be a hurdle for him: "No, it's not much different from what we're doing out here. As you can see, it's not half-speed out here right now, its full-speed. We're still hitting pretty good even though we don't have shoulder pads on. There will be a little bit more contact at the point of attack – the line of scrimmage. Apart from that, it's not going to be much different. I don't anticipate tomorrow being a big hurdle for me to clear. It's just another practice for me."
On if he is surprised by how normal his hip feels so quickly: "I'm surprised. I wouldn't say 'how quickly.' (laughter) it's been a couple of … Last year when I was trying to come of PUP (Physically Unable to Perform list), it still didn't quite feel right. We knew we needed to give it more time. Rightfully so, I'm at this point and feel good and don't have any lingering issues or thoughts about it. I think we played it smart last year and did what we needed to do. I'm in a good position now and feel good."
On if there are more mental hurdles than physical for him now: "I went through all of the offseason. That was a big step for me just getting back acclimated and feeling comfortable on the field. Training camp is brutal mentally and physically whether you're injured or not. It's about just getting through that and getting ready for the season."
On if he feels completely different now than he felt coming off of the Physically Unable to Perform list last year: "I wouldn't say night and day, because I probably could have forced it last year, but it just didn't quite feel right. Now it does. That's really the difference. I was running and I practiced for three weeks coming off PUP. By my own standards, I felt like I looked pretty good and was running well, but the feel and what I was experiencing post-practice wasn't exactly what I wanted. That's why we were hesitant in coming back. Now I don't have any of those issues."
On if the true test of his recovery will be after his third-straight day of practice: "No. You guys keep wanting to point to some hurdle that I'm looking for. I've practiced three straight days in OTAs. I practiced in minicamp. This is no different. I'm not going to feel more sore after … I will feel sore overall, but not in my hip after the next three days. In my opinion, I've cleared every hurdle to this point that I need to. I'm just focused on football. As much as you guys ask about my hip, I'm not thinking about my hip, until I stand up to the podium."
On the competition in the tight end group: "That's a good question. There's a lot of competition. It's a deep group of tight ends. We've got a lot of studs in this group. It's exciting, because you get a little more rest at practice, but you get pushed every time you're out there. You have to play well and show that you can add some value to this group and find a way onto the field. That's, I think, all of our focus right now."
On if he and QB Joe Flacco have the same chemistry they did before their injuries: "Yeah, it doesn't feel any different than it did a couple of years ago when we were out there throwing the ball around. I don't think those kinds of things go away. He knows what I'm thinking. He knows where I'm going to be on certain routes and vice versa. I think we're both comfortable with each other, and now it's just about getting our legs under us and making sure we're comfortable within the offense. That's a little bit different than what we've been doing."
On how hard it was to stay patient through his injuries: "It was really tough, because I didn't get to play at all last year and I really wanted to. I made a big effort and pushed to get on the field after those weeks I sat on the PUP. But like I said, I think we played it smart. As much as I wanted to be out there, I think we made an intelligent decision right there so I could be ready for right now. I think it paid off."
On his desire to get back to being the leading TE on the roster: "That's my mentality. I don't feel like I've lost a step. I don't feel like I'm any slower or do anything different than I did a couple of years ago, in my opinion. That's my goal. I want to be the lead guy. Like I said, we've got a lot of good players. There's going to be a few guys that are going to be on the field and see some reps. I think we all have that mentality going in. We all want to be the lead guy. We don't want to sit behind somebody else. That's my mentality, and as long as I can continue playing the way I have, I feel confident in that."
On if any specific body motions tweak his hip: "This guy is really worried about my hip right here. (laughter) No, honestly, there's nothing I do on the field that I worry about or even think about it, or it gives me a different feeling bending this way or twisting that way. Like I said, it's not something throughout the course of a practice that I'm even thinking about one bit – which is good, which is really positive."
DT Brandon Williams
On what it means to be considered one of the most underrated players in the NFL by the media: "It means I've got to get to work. I've got to do more things. It really doesn't mean much. It is what it is. I've just got to do my job on the field and do whatever to get it done. I'm not really worried about what the media says; it is more about what I do on the field."
On if earning a Pro Bowl nod is high on his to-do list: "Oh yeah, for sure. If it's not, you would be crazy. You have to want that for yourself, but the biggest thing is winning games. Being a team player, winning games and coming together with your teammates, that is the biggest thing. Whatever happens, happens afterwards."
On if there is a desire to be "highly-rated" as opposed to underrated during a contract season: "Definitely, you want to be a highly-rated guy, but my biggest thing is going out on the field, giving my teammates everything I've got, and whatever happens at the end of the season, happens at the end of the season. As long as I know at the end of every practice and every game that I've given my all, that is all that my matters."
On if he has had any contract discussions with the Ravens: "I'm just worried about football. They can worry about whatever they need to worry about, but that is above my pay grade. I'm just going to do what I need to do on the field."
G Marshal Yanda
On how his leadership role has evolved over his time with the Ravens: "I just feel like the young guys … I try to help them along and talk to them about playing football and certain pass sets, run blocking. If they have questions on it, I try to help them out [and] let them know my experience. I just have the experience to help them out, and I try to help them out in any way I can. Definitely talking to them in between practice and between blocks if I see something, I'll help them out. Just helping the young guys out, doing my part and being an older player."
On the continuity of the offensive line and the open LG position: "It's the second day. I'd say we are all working hard. I think that Ozzie [Newsome] and the guys have brought in the right guys to fight for the job, and the guy that takes that left guard spot will be the guy that has earned it. Obviously, we have a lot of camp left and a lot of ball to play. Everybody is working hard, and we have a good group of guys. I like the room. I feel confident that the guy that is going to take that job is going to do well."
On how a veteran player such as himself goes about finding his groove:"I just feel like you have to sharpen your tools again. We haven't played football in a long time, and you have to constantly keep sharpening tools and stay on top of your game. You're either getting better or getting worse, and I feel like if I'm not continuing to strive to get better, I'm going to go the other way. I come out here and attack each day like I'm a young guy and try to get better. There is stuff that I can improve on in my game that I haven't mastered. I've never graded out at 100 percent in a game in my career yet, but I'm still striving to do that. [I'm] just competing. I'm a competitive guy, and I love to compete. When I step on the grass, I want to win and be great. It is one of those things that you just have that mindset and have that attitude from a young age that you want to compete and get better. That never stops the older you get. I feel like I have it more now. As I get older, I want to be better and be a role model for the young guys."
On if he thinks about his legacy:"Not yet. You try to keep that out [of your mind], because you take the [Ravens' motto], 'What's Important Now?' and right now, it is practice and to get better at my fundamentals and sharpen my tools. My tools, I haven't used them in a while, so my pass sets, my run blocking, my hands [and] the timing of an offensive lineman's game [are what I'm working on]. You will worry about that stuff [his legacy] when you get done playing. I feel like if guys worry about that, you miss out on what is important now. What is important now is practicing hard and getting ready to play football and getting ready to play 16 games-plus. That is what is important."
On how it feels to have QB Joe Flacco back:"I love it. I've already told him three or four times, it is just great to see him out there – back out there leading our offense.* *Obviously, Joe has done so many great things for us. He is our leader, he is our guy. It's good to see him; made a nice bomb today, and it is just great to see him out there."
On if the offensive line has to keep QB Joe Flacco's injury out of its mind:"We haven't really talked about it specifically. But obviously, you know as an offensive line, we talk about it, and you coach it. You're going to keep your guys as far away from the quarterback as possible. Obviously, there is probably more of an emphasis this year with his knee. But he's going to have to make his read. We have certain plays where he is going to be on the move, no matter what. We know about it; it is conscious in my mind; it is conscious in the offensive line's mind and in his mind, too. I feel like he just has to play through that. I had a knee [injury] once before, and he just has to get reps and get comfortable with the way it is feeling now. It will always feel a little different. That is just normal. It will continue to get normal as he keeps playing."
On the amount of pressure on rookie T Ronnie Stanley: "There is a lot of pressure. He's coming in and he is going to play left tackle for us. Left tackle in the NFL is a hell of a job. He's going to have the best pass rushers on Sunday, but we haven't put the pads on yet, so it is tough to gauge right now. Right now, he has done everything right up until this point. He has the right mindset. He is a hard worker and keeps his head down, and I love a rookie like that. I love a rookie that stays quiet and does his job and just produces on the field. Just do what you do on the field. I don't need to hear anything else, but you doing your job and keeping your mouth quiet. He's done that. He is doing everything the right way, so we will see."
On how much Stanley has leaned on him:"We are talking a little bit more and more each day. He has just asked me about certain stuff, and I can definitely help him. Like I said – the earlier question of watching certain guys or asking about how you do things – he plays tackle, but I played right tackle, so I can help him out with a little bit of his stance. We are talking more and more. He seems like a good kid – level-headed, hard-working dude. I like him so far."
On his thoughts on rookie T Alex Lewis: "Alex seems like a good guy, too. He is a hard-working guy. Obviously, the Ravens brought him in here, and he's got that good, tough pedigree. He is doing some good things as well. He is playing guard now, so the timing is different for him rather than playing tackle. The three-techniques are on him faster. He is adjusting to that. Every rep that he takes are important reps for him, too. Just getting those guard reps down. It's different playing guard; everything happens a lot faster. That three-technique is on you a lot faster – way faster than [when playing] tackle. That timing is different."
