Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement:"OK, a couple things. Obviously, we practiced against the Jaguars, and I'm sure you have a lot of questions about that, but it was great. Coach [Doug] Marrone, Coach [Tom] Coughlin and the entire organization – first-class. And, I think we both got a lot out of it, so it was a very positive day.
"We opened up the practice and the day with a prayer and a moment of silence for the families who were affected in El Paso and Dayton, and that was a really powerful thing. We all took a knee together and held hands and wanted to honor the people involved there. It's just a tragedy.
"Don Banks. Don has been here every year. I probably talked to him multiple times every year when he was at Sports Illustrated, and now he was going to go to Las Vegas and work. Just a shock. Just a big surprise. Good man, honorable, hardworking, fun guy to be around, and just one of the very best at what he does. So, condolences to his family."
There was a report out there that you guys have traded G Alex Lewis for a conditional pick. Does that sound right? (Childs Walker) "I've been on the practice field, and I think 4 o'clock is when that stuff gets turned in, so I think I'd probably be wrong if I made a statement about that. So, we'll just wait and let it be announced, but thanks."
How do you feel your guys competed going up against new competition? (Luke Jones) "They competed well. The biggest thing you try to do here [is compete]. It wasn't a physical practice. It was tag-off, so you don't see a lot of that, which is good. It's fine. That's how we did it. It was good that way. It was a good, fast practice. We're going to look at the details – the footwork, the angles, the hand placement, the assignments, the eyes, the communication – all those things when you're going against another team that you're not used to. The plays are different, the tempo is different, everything is different, and you just see how you respond to it. It felt good. I was on the offensive field for the day, except for the team period, and I thought the offense had a good day."
They probably liked hitting some other people for a change, too, right? (Bruce Cunningham) "They do, and again, it wasn't the most physical practice. We'll have more physical practices against ourselves, but that's the way it was designed, and that's good. But, I think going against another player, how they strike, how they move their feet, what they do … For our tackles going against their pass rushers, their moves are going to be different. Those are really good things for us."
How do you think QB Lamar Jackson looked today? (Ken Weinman) "I thought he looked good. I thought he looked really good. I was very impressed. We'll see the tape and see if it's justified or not."
It looked like he's really good in that short, quick-stop throw. He just looks very comfortable when he's doing that stuff. Is that what you're seeing? (Ryan Mink) "I'm seeing it look good in the short, quick stuff, the deep stuff, the intermediate stuff, the screens, all of it."
Is it fair to say that these practices probably reveal more about the rookie guys who have never faced NFL competition? (Mark Viviano) "From an evaluation standpoint? I would agree with that, yes. That's the first time they've gone against another team. To see how they respond to that, it will be fun to watch the tape."
WR Miles Boykin left practice for a bit. Were you briefed on what happened to him? (Shawn Stepner) "Yes, he got tangled up on a one-on-one, and they went in and looked at his leg, and he looks good. You can see him right there. I was happy. I said a prayer, and it was answered with a 'yes.' (laughter) It was good."
We're talking to T Orlando Brown Jr. later. Are you happy with the way he has come along physically? I know at the very beginning he missed the first practice. (Childs Walker) "I have. Orlando has worked hard at it, and it wasn't like he was in bad shape. He was just heavy, and he's done a really good job to knock that weight off, and he still has a ways to go, not too far, but he's moving his feet a lot better than he did early in camp. It's a result of being lighter, and he's doing a good job so far."
Speaking of conditioning and being in better shape, have you seen that pay off with RB Kenneth Dixon? He looks like he's in better shape than he's been in in the past few summers. (Jeff Zrebiec) "I would agree exactly with that. I think he's about 221, 222. It seems to be a really good weight for him. His quickness, lateral movement – he's always going to have the power – but the quickness looks better."
DE Chris Wormley, he's going to be on the field a lot this year. What have you seen from him during camp? (Cliff Brown) "Chris Wormley, I guess the best word I could use, the most accurate word, would be very steady, very consistent. What you see is what you get every day, and it's good, and that's what you look for at that position."
The Ravens have a history of signing undrafted free agents to the 53-man roster. Is anybody sticking out to you as of right now? (Kyle Barber) "Yes, there are. I don't know. I'm never good if I don't have a list in front of me, but I think it's too early to really say. When the games happen and that confirms what you see in practice, you start kind of getting excited about them. But, there are candidates for sure."
Defensive line coach Joe Cullen was talking about the leadership from OLB Pernell McPhee and the power on the edge. I know you've talked about those things, too, but is he kind of giving you exactly what you thought you were signing up for? (Childs Walker) "I would say so. He's giving us exactly what we expected. He's a physical player, and he's a great leader. He's a no-nonsense, tells-it-like-it-is guy, and we appreciate that, and our guys do. And, our young guys need that. He's a guy who's been around, and he knows what it takes. It's not all sunshine and daisies out there, and McPhee reminds them of that. That's an Al McGuire reference." (laughter)
What did you see from FB/DL Patrick Ricard today, after overcoming everything he dealt with at the end of last season? (Jonas Shaffer)"I don't even know what you're talking about, as far as what he dealt with, but I do know that he's blocking people really well, and then he made a touchdown catch. A team came out last year and practiced against us, and they basically told their guys not to cover him, that they'll never throw it to him, and then he caught a touchdown pass against them. He caught one today, and they did cover him. He had some really good blocks today. He's doing a really good job. Everything is positive."
Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen
Opening statement: "I'll tell you, what an atmosphere out here. It was great competing against the Jaguars. It was a great practice [for] both sides. Everything went well to start. Just to give you a brief overview on the D-line, I think we have a deep group. We're working hard through camp. We lost a couple of guys, as you know, but Brandon Williams is having a great camp. Michael Pierce is having a great camp. Michael came back a little heavier than we wanted him, but he has really worked hard to get to where he is today, right now. He's about close to where we need him, but he's still not there, but he's really practicing hard. With him and Brandon in there, those are two of the stoutest and best nose tackles in the NFL. We're going to keep improving there. You will see them playing some together in certain packages, and rotating as nose tackles, as I told you. The other defensive tackle is Willie Henry. He's back healthy. Willie is having a great camp. [He is] doing some great things, not only in the pass rush, but in the run game as well. Chris Wormley, who we line up in our base defense, in our base package, he's our strong side defensive end, but he'll work inside, as well as a three-technique. Those four guys really make up what I'd call our core starters, and they all do certain things well. Some are better at some things than others, but really, it's a good core group to have."
"Backing those guys up, Zach Sieler has really picked it up, our second-year defensive end. The last week, he's probably had his best practices, and he did some good things today. He'll be challenging not only Chris Wormley in the base package, but inside in our penny package as well. We drafted Daylon Mack. He's another prototype nose tackle from Texas A&M. He's done a really good job. He's done some good things. He did some good things today. He's pushing those guys. We have Brandon, we have Mike [Michael Pierce], and Daylon is fighting to really get a spot on this team. Then we have some undrafted free agents. Gerald Willis from Miami, we were really excited about getting him. He's really flashed in the pass rush, and he has to continue to get better in our overall techniques, but he's doing well there. That makes up our interior guys. On the edge, we lost a couple of guys, as you know, but we really feel like with Matt Judon … Matt has been real steady, not only in the run game setting edges, but the last three years, he's had 8.5 [sacks], he's had seven [sacks], and we're expecting big things this year in the sack productivity. He's been a leader for us, and he'll only continue to get better. Pernell McPhee, we brought back – you guys are familiar with Pernell – for some leadership. He's done a great job there. He's really a tone-setter, in terms of the run game. He's strong. He's powerful, setting edges. He's also going to work inside in some sub-situations, as you have seen before."
"The next two guys, Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser, we're really expecting to take a big leap. Both of them have done some really good things this camp. Timmy has rushed well. He's done some good things in the run game, but he has to continue to develop there. Tyus probably had his best week of practice, in terms of rushing the passer, but they're battling neck and neck. And Shane Ray, former first-round pick from Denver, we brought him in here in the offseason. He's doing some really good things at all four spots rushing the passer. And then we have Jaylon Ferguson, who we drafted out of Louisiana Tech, doing some really good things. I just have to do a good job of slowing the game down for him and continuing to develop [him], not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Then we have a couple of undrafted free agents that are really working well. Michael Onuoha, 'Michael O,' we call him, is doing a great job, from Texas A&M Commerce, to fight and get a spot. And then 'Double A' [Aaron Adeoye], who, really, was a basketball player from 'SeMo' [Southeast Missouri State] but worked in the new AAF league that just folded, was on a tryout. He's done some great things. Overall, it's a deep group. We have to continue to get better and develop."
You mentioned DT Gerald Willis. Does he bring an unusual set of tools for an undrafted guy? He looks very aggressive, physically, out there. (Childs Walker)"He's a quick, off-the-snap-type of guy, a slashing-type of guy that gives you rush skills, similar to like Willie [Henry] does, in terms of that. When you go from being big and powerful in our base scheme and can bring a guy like that in, that's why we have him here. He does have those traits."
Could you explain what the penny package is? (Jonas Shaffer)"Penny is like a sub-package. That's where we take a defensive lineman out, you bring a nickel in the game, and you have, basically, a four-three sub-package."
How do you think your pass rush looked today? (Mike Preston)"Some was good, some was bad. We have to continue to develop there. In the team situations, we had a couple of good rushes. One-on-one started well. Some guys really showed up. Tyus Bowser showed up. Zach Sieler showed up. A couple of guys lost their edge. Shane [Ray], inside, was good. Michael [Pierce] and Brandon [Williams] were a little bit down the middle, but they're powerful getting guys locked back. It's never as good as you want, and we have to continue to develop. They have to get better with their hands."
Who do you see as your best edge-setter? (Childs Walker) "[Pernell] McPhee and [Matthew] Judon."
You mentioned you're expecting OLBs Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser to take a step up this year. Is it fair to say that, as relatively high draft picks, the clock is ticking? Is there a reality there that they face? (Mark Viviano)"They have to do it right now. The clock has ticked, and it's ready to explode. They have to do it in these games."
Do you see guys under pressure, in that case? (Mark Viviano) "Pressure is you going out … If you know your job and you do your job at full-speed, then there really is not much pressure."
Is OLB Tyus Bowser someone you would use in the coverage game because of his athleticism, or do you see him more utilized in the pass rush? _(Kyle Barber) _"That's a good question, but all of our guys have to do both. They have to drop back into coverage sometimes, and obviously, rush the passer."
Where are you seeing DE Chris Wormley make the biggest strides? (Ryan Mink) "Chris, last year, made the best strides of playing the run game. He kind of got thrown into the fire, having to play three-technique, but I think he's really made strides in his pass rush. I thought he had two really good power rushes inside, one inside and one in the one-on-ones."
T Orlando Brown Jr.
On the opportunity to play against another team in joint practices: "It definitely felt good. Obviously, it's the NFL. We all play in this league for a reason. To be able to go against the top talent from a different team, it was a lot of fun."
On his matchup against Jaguars DE Calais Campbell:"It's not often I get to face someone who is similar to my height. It's a little bit more awkward for me, just because of leverage. I'm used to blocking smaller people, and there aren't many guys that I've blocked who are his size. Maybe [former Baylor DE] Shawn Oakman, he might have been the only guy close, and [Bengals DE] Carlos Dunlap. It's pretty awkward blocking both of them."
On if he expects Day Two of joint practices to be more intense than Day One: "Absolutely. I understand that we all have a job to do. The first day, we're all just feeling it out, getting a feel for each other. Tomorrow, I'm sure, understanding the tempo and all of that different stuff, we'll come in here and both sides will be competing at a higher level tomorrow."
On if the practice intensity was higher today against the Jaguars:"Most definitely. After inside drills, we were all out there as a team. It was similar to a game setting. Everybody was super excited about that."
On if he took his reps on the second team earlier in training camp as motivation:"Yes. I use everything in my life as motivation, good or bad. I'm happy to be out there right now, and I'm going to continue to work."
On how different Year Two is compared to his rookie year: "It's very different, just knowing the playbook, understanding my skillset a lot better. A year in the weight room with [head strength & conditioning coach] Steve [Saunders], the system under 'G-Ro' [offensive coordinator Greg Roman] – he's going to put me in the best position to go out there and do what I do best. I'm very comfortable in the system and the setting now, and I'm continuing to grow with my fundamentals."
On how he feels the offensive line is coming together: "We have great chemistry in that room. That goes for any man that comes in or goes out of there. I like to think of us as one of the tightest groups on the team. We're all riding behind Marshal [Yanda]. He has a lot of play in who we are and what we do and our consistency. The chemistry is there in the O-line room."
On if he is happy with his physical abilities:"Yes. It's a grind. At the end of the day, I understand that long-term, I want to get to a certain level. It's going to take a lot of hard work."
DT Michael Pierce
On if practice is more physical when facing a different team:"Yes, anytime you go against another opponent, you want to set the tone for what they want to expect on Thursday, and they want to do the same. It's a little bit more intense. You get tired going against your own guys, but I think we did pretty well today. We have some work to do, but it was fun."
On what he liked most about the day's practice:"We just got a different look, so I got to go against different centers. [Brandon] Linder is an amazing player. [Andrew] Norwell is one of the highest-paid guards in the league, so we got some different looks and got to go against some different guys. Yes, it will help us come Thursday and come the season, too."
On if he is where he wants to be with fitness: "I think I'm good, man. I'm right around close to what I played at last year. As far as me not wearing down in drives and stuff, I'm coming along really well. I feel really good."
On his chasing down QB Lamar Jackson:"Lamar? No, no, no! (laughter) That was [Trace] McSorley. No disrespect to him, of course. I feel like I feel good, my wheels are turning really well at this point. What do we have, 35 days until Miami? Somewhere around there, so the countdown is on, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be ready for sure."
On if he senses the defense being a fast defense:"Oh yes, most definitely. From our edges, Shane Ray is explosive, Tim Williams is explosive, Tyus Bowser, everybody knows who Earl [Thomas III] is. So, I think we have a lot of speed, and me and Brandon [Williams] are running pretty well at this point, so I feel like we're doing well, and we'll show you guys what we have on Thursday."
On what experience going against running quarterbacks prepares him for:"Especially with Lamar [Jackson], he's just as fast, if not faster, than a lot of running backs. So with that, you just want to make sure your pursuit angles are good. And, that's about all you can hope for when you get guys my size. You want to make sure your pursuit angle is good and you're bending your knees when you get to the ball. It's just fundamentals at that point, and effort, of course."
On the goal and mindset for Thursday's game:"You want to set the tone for what teams will expect to see from our defense and myself. We want to come out physical, we want to come out fast, and we want to start fast and set the tone for the season. That's exactly what we're working on."
On if there is excitement with playing in the preseason:"Oh yes, I approach every game the same. Like I said in my Instagram post, if you're out there, you might as well make it count. That's how we approach it."
