Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement:"Good to see you. Thanks for coming out. A great day – got a little warn, here, towards the second half of practice. I felt like the guys handled it well. Big challenge, but we need that, so I'm pleased with the day, and now we move on to the rest of the day with weightlifting, meetings, walk-throughs and all the things to help us get better.
"Couple of roster moves: We released Jordan Lasley. I'm sure you saw that. We'll give him a chance to move on and make it somewhere else. We appreciate all of Jordan's efforts. I had a great conversation with him. Going forward, he's very motivated to get to the next place and prove himself, so I wish him the best of luck.
"What were our other roster moves? We brought in Joe Callahan, quarterback. I thought he looked good today. He has a good arm. He's won games in the preseason in Green Bay. He's been in Cleveland. He's an experienced guy. I think it's really an interesting story, as you know, with [offensive coordinator] Greg Roman, right? Being his high school coach that year, his sophomore year when he first started playing quarterback? Greg takes full credit for his career, by the way. (laughter) Not really. He moved him from safety to quarterback! He said, 'This kid can really throw. Let's give him a shot.' They won the state championship that year in New Jersey, so that was a good one.
"Jimmy Smith had a personal day today, taking care of a family-business situation, so that was why Jimmy wasn't out there. There you have it. What else do you have? What questions?"
Your first-round pick, WR Marquise Brown, I know you didn't have him do too much, but how does it feel to have him out on the field? (Jamison Hensley) "It's great. It's the first step. Until they're out there and cleared, you don't have them. Once they get out there, they start that trek. He's been working hard, but now he gets to get out there in the individual and the walk-throughs and run the plays in the walk-throughs, and hopefully, his progression to practice will be pretty fast. We'll see. We don't want any setbacks. We don't have to over-rush him now, but I am looking forward to seeing him out there with other guys in real situations and seeing how he does."
Going back to that wide receiver group, you still have a pretty deep unit there. Is that one of the positions that might go down to the last week, not just as far as what players but how many guys you keep? (Todd Karpovich) "I think that's really a good observation, exactly right. Whether we keep five or six, and who they are, is going to be a battle."
With WR Jordan Lasley, was it just that a change of scenery was necessary? Did the incident at practice have any effect on that? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It did not, and he asked me the same thing. It absolutely did not. To me, I don't even consider it a fight, per se, and we've never cut somebody for fighting anyway. It's been over a year now. I think just from a fit perspective, in terms of what we're trying to do with our offense, other guys are going to be a better fit. I feel like Eric [DeCosta] gave him an opportunity to get out with another team right now, rather than wait. That's what I told [Lasley], 'We wait until the last cut, it's better for us, but it's not better for you.' He wanted to be here, and he's a good guy, but this gives him an opportunity to step out and get a chance with somebody else."
We saw the pick-six by S Earl Thomas III today. Playing against that defense, how much does that help QB Lamar Jackson day-in and day-out to go against guys like that? In that one sequence, Earl Thomas III, CB Marlon Humphrey, DB/LB Anthony Levine Sr. all made plays. (Bo Smolka) "It's really a good point, and I would like to think that it's something that you just couldn't replicate. [Jackson] is seeing so many different looks, coverages, fronts and blitzes that you couldn't put on a card, and yet, he sees them every day just as a matter of course and has to deal with them. So, you're going to have plays like that. Our defense is going to make plays, and he's going to be surprised, and there's no game-planning going on or anything like that. But, to have to deal with those guys back there on the other side has to be a plus for a developing quarterback, for all those guys." (Reporter: "Does that play also show that Earl is getting more confident on defense and more able to read and react faster to make a play like that?") "It might. It might. It would be a great question for him. I do see that. I think the communication has been smoother and better. Hey, he's in this defense for the first time. These are new calls for him, but they're also football. They're football calls, and he understands football, so he's picking it up really quickly and doing a great job."
With WR Marquise Brown, how important is it to have a coach like assistant head coach/pass coordinator/wide receivers coach David Culley – his temperament and knowledge, to be there with Brown every step of the way? (Jonas Shaffer) "I do think it's a plus. David Culley is one of the best in the business; he's probably the best in the business at what he does. I don't know of a better coach in terms of the passing game – all facets of the passing game, and then particularly the receivers part of it. The coaching [Brown] is getting out here is second to none, right? That's what we want. We should have the best. We're the Ravens. We got David Culley. Good for Marquise, good for all those guys."
Right now, T Orlando Brown Jr. and G/T James Hurst have been battling for that right tackle spot. Do you see either one of those as the starter right now? Are you going to continue the competition throughout the preseason.? (Kyle Barber) "I think we'll let them battle it out right now. And, James also has a role inside, and he'll have some reps in there, too, and he's not out of that competition yet, either. It's a little interesting as far as how we distribute the reps. It's a battle there, and it's a battle at left guard. I'd say less so about the center, but [Bradley] Bozeman thinks it's a competition, so maybe he'll make it a battle, and we'll see what happens."
What did you like about today's practice? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "I like the fact that the guys came off five days in a row, they were tired, had the day off, and came back rested and ready to go. So, they took yesterday and recovered, and they weren't coming out here dragging. They were out here on time, and they had enthusiasm for the practice, and they practiced fast. We had no backslide, no step-back at all. We were going forward today."
What's the significance of the "Chasing the Lion" shirt? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "There you go! Thank you! (laughter) You better not hesitate if you're chasing a lion – or if you're running from one. (laughter)But we like to chase lions, so thanks."
Nick Buoniconti passed away earlier today. Any thoughts? (Kirk McEwen) "Very sad, and that's the first I've heard that. Condolences to the Buoniconti family, and I know he's been out front of a number of issues with he and his son, and all the different things that they've dealt with. That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that. I remember the first time I saw Nick Buoniconti play; I was a Browns fan. It was the '72 season, the undefeated season, and they were playing Cleveland. I think Cleveland was down there. I remember, the middle linebacker was making all these plays, but it was a really close game, and the Browns almost knocked them off. It's the first NFL game I watched on TV. I think I was 9. Nick Buoniconti. (Reporter: "76.")"76? No, the undefeated season was not '76, anybody?" (Reporter: "No, he was 76.") "Oh, he was 76, thank you, thank you."
This weekend, S Ed Reed is going into the Hall of Fame. Ed and LB Ray Lewis, very different personalities. Ray, a very vocal leader, Ed, less so. Was it important to have a balance that those two guys weren't both the super "rah-rah" guys, and one guy is a little more introspective? (Peter Schmuck) "Wow, that's a really interesting insight. I would have to say, I never thought about that before, because it just was, and when I came here, they were here, and they had kind of worked out their balance, as you put it. But, I would have to say, yes, I don't know that you could have two of the iconic players in the history of the game if they were competing with one another in that sense. They were kind of the perfect fit in that sense, and I don't know if that was planned. I think it just worked that way. I know it wasn't planned, but I found it that way in 2008, and obviously, what an amazing tandem."
Is tomorrow big for WR Marquise Brown in terms of how he feels or are you pretty confident, and how do you go forward with him? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Right, I'm confident he's going to be fine. A lot of the stuff he did today, he's been doing, so I think the trainers will just give him a little more each day until they feel like they see him out there and he'll be taking reps in games. It will just be that way, but I'm sure they'll see if he's sore tomorrow, and hopefully he won't be." (Reporter: "So you still want him to be monitored?) "I believe so, yes."
We've heard a lot of talk about the new-look offense and the scheme. How have you seen the offensive line progress with it? (Kyle Barber) "The offensive line has a lot on their plate, because we're doing a lot of different things, so we have to really spread out our work, and that takes a lot of good planning. I think we keep working on it every single day. We're attacking all fronts. It's not like 'here,' and then we go to 'that.' We're working on everything across the board all the time, and that will just be our process."
What have you seen from QB Lamar Jackson in terms of his leadership in practice? (Zach Parnes) "Lamar doesn't try to be a leader, but he is a leader. I think it's something that comes naturally to him. He has a really effective personality. The guys love him. But, I think Lamar's thought of practices is to compete, to be a competitor. He wants to win the practice, but that's what leaders do, right? So, it works."
WR Marquise Brown
On his first day of practice: "It was fun. It was great to be back out there; I enjoyed it."
On his eagerness to be back on the practice field: "I was very excited. I've been waiting on this. Being out here made me realize I have to work even harder."
On if it was difficult for him to wait to get back to practice:"At times, but it's a great organization. They put the people around you to keep your mental [health] up and keep you focused."
On how he feels physically:"I feel great. The training staff here is great. I give them all the credit. I just followed what I had to do."
On what his next step will be in practice:"I really don't know. I'm just taking it day by day. Whatever they tell me to do, I'm going to do it."
On if he feels like he needs to catch up to the rest of the receivers:"Catch up as far as field play, but as far as mentally, I feel like I'm there with those guys. I'm in every meeting paying attention, so I feel like I'm up to speed."
On if he feels as fast as he had before his injury: "I don't know. I really haven't gotten to flat-out run yet, but as far as just moving around, I feel like I'm moving pretty good."
On if he could run as fast as possible now: "I'd beat you folks." (laughter)
On what it is like to be on the field with QB Lamar Jackson: "I played against him [in pee-wee football]. It feels great. We've been working. He's been throwing me the ball stationary. Now that I'm able to move and catch the ball from him, it's felt pretty good."
On how his connection with QB Lamar Jackson will be this season:"I think it's going to be pretty good. Off the field, we're real tight, real cool. On the field, it'll be like that."
On how his relationship with QB Lamar Jackson has grown off the field:"It [has] moved. He would make me take him home and stuff. I have to do rookie duties." (laughter)
On how difficult it is to make the transition to an NFL playbook:"At first, when I got here, it was just learning the different formations and concepts. I'm pretty caught up on that."
On if he can sense the anticipation on his return to the practice field in his teammates and fans: "I'm probably my hardest critic. It doesn't bother me what other people think. For myself, there has been anticipation."
On what is included in his rookie duties: "Getting food, just little stuff."
On how often he drives QB Lamar Jackson home:"Whenever he tells me to." (laughter)
On what his drives with QB Lamar Jackson are like:"We listen to Kodak Black. We grab some food, talk about life, football, whatever."
On how important extra reps are in terms of building chemistry with QB Lamar Jackson:"I feel like it's going to be good. When I get on the field, we're not trying to just learn everything. He has a sense of how fast I run, and I have a sense of how he's going to throw things."
On if WR Miles Boykin's performance in training camp has made him want to get back on the field:"Oh yeah, most definitely. Miles is my roommate, so every day I hype him up, talk him up. He's been doing a great job. I'm trying to feed off of what he's doing, and once I'm on the field, complement him as best I can."
On his schedule the rest of the day: "What our schedule is – just get in, do our meetings, treatment, stuff like that."
On fans approaching him around Baltimore:"I love the people here. If they come up to me, I'm going to speak to them, talk to them, take pictures with them. I embrace all of that."
On if he had furniture or weights in his apartment, based on a video he posted on social media: "Those were one of the first things I bought; I bought weights. Furniture, I'm not trying to sit down anyway." (laughter)
On if he sits on his bench press as a sofa:"No, that was my basement. I don't have much down there except weights."
On if he has been trying to bulk up: "Not really. I just focus on my strength and my speed."
CB Marlon Humphrey
On how S Earl Thomas III's INT-TD felt:"It felt good for everybody. (laughter) We ended the period. He caught it so in-stride, I thought he was a receiver at first. But I think that's going to be the story this year – Earl making plays, the whole secondary just flying to the ball. That got me going. I said on Twitter the other day, the energy he brings, I can just already tell, I cannot wait to be on the field with him."
On how the strength of the secondary helps QB Lamar Jackson develop, with the example of his PD in practice:"I think it helps a lot. That ball was thrown so well. I thought I was going to be able to intercept it, but [Jackson] dropped it right in the bucket, and I barely got there, and I barely just jarred it out last minute. I think just from my perspective, from OTAs and minicamp to the first day of training camp, Lamar has made … I don't know what he was doing throughout the break, but he made some serious strides, and it has really shown. At first, it was during OTAs, I felt like they weren't really giving us many fits with the different things on offense, but since training camp has started, there have been some pretty good battles, as you guys saw in the stadium. And, they won that day in the little point system. Lamar has been doing well, and I think our pretty good secondary is definitely helping him out."
On what he has seen from rookie WR Miles Boykin:"He's been looking good. I think now that he's healthy, he's really going to make some big plays for us. He's so long. He's just able to stack guys really well, I think. That's a thing that a lot of guys can't do that aren't as strong. He can stack guys really well, that a lot of guys can't do, so I'm really excited for the plays he'll make this year."
On if he feels stronger than last season and where he has improved:"I just feel more comfortable. When I'm out there, I just feel like we're all on one accord, and that's the biggest thing. Everybody out there is all on one accord. Everybody trusts each other to do their job. But, as far as me, I just feel comfortable around the building, I feel comfortable on the field. I just feel really, really comfortable. That's the main thing with me."
On how the depth of the secondary can challenge quarterbacks:"I think that the depth is something that's pretty key. Jimmy [Smith] last year, he wasn't with us the first four games. We'll all be together, playing at the same time in training camp, and we'll just get those things going. With Earl [Thomas III], I'm asking him, 'How do you like this being played? How do you like this being played?' So, as I get to understand him, as we get to understand each other, I think we'll all mesh really well, and when the time comes in 30, or whatever, days for Miami, we'll be ready to go."
On how the new offense looks to him:"It looks good. Like I said, I feel like OTAs and minicamp, they were kind of still getting adjusted themselves, and now I think they kind of hit the ground rolling, and they've been looking really good."
On if he has seen more running on the team: "The passing attack has really come on strong. I'll nickname it right now, the 'three-headed monster' with [Nick] Boyle, [Mark] Andrews and Hayden [Hurst]. I think that's really going to … I don't think other teams have three tight ends that can really get things done like that, so I'm liking the way that we've been using them in different sets and packages, and they've been doing well. They've been looking really good."
On if there's a different energy with WR Marquise Brown's first practice:"I saw him today in the pads. He looked good! I was excited to see him in the pads. I was a little hurt the other day. I was talking to Sam [Rosengarten, coaching analyst – performance], the guy with the Catapult GPS tracking. I was like, 'They say the 'Hollywood' kid [Brown] is pretty fast.' He said, 'Yes, he was doing some rehab running and hit 21 miles per hour.' And I go, 'I just ran 20 miles per hour the other day, and I was running full-speed.' (laughter) So, I was a little hurt when he told me that, but that will be good for other teams when the season comes."
On if he has goals laid out for the season:"Yes, on my mirror I have a quote from Eric Weddle, I have a quote from 'T-Sizzle' [Terrell Suggs], I have some personal goals ... Of course, Pro Bowl, but I can't tell you all those other goals unless you're at my house, which hopefully you won't be. (laughter) But I have them on my mirror – Eric Weddle, Terrell Suggs, things those guys have said in the past. They left a lasting impact on me, and every time I brush my teeth in the morning, I see those quotes."
On becoming part of the conversation as a top corner in the league:"Conversation is conversation. I'm more of a results guy, so you can have a lot of conversations, but it's kind of like taking a test. You're like, 'I did really well on that test,' then you get an F, then you're like, 'Dang!' (laughter) I'm really more of a results guy, but conversations, I guess, don't hurt."
On the receivers he'll face in the division, especially in Cleveland:"I haven't really thought about them, but the newspaper in our hotel, it's Baker Mayfield and Odell [Beckham Jr.], and they won't change the newspaper, so I keep seeing them every day. I don't think about them, but when that time comes, they'll definitely be on my mind probably a week early."
G Marshal Yanda
On his memories of S Ed Reed: "Being with Ed, you always took it for granted how special of a player he was. You almost thought it was normal to get those turnovers and interceptions, taking them to the house or completely flipping the field almost every single time. When I was a young player, I really took that for granted and didn't realize how special that was and how uncommon he was as a player. I definitely recognize it now and appreciate [him]. I had six years with him. [He is] one of those great players that you learn from and you feel fortunate to be a part of [things with] and do some special things [with]. Winning a Super Bowl with him was awesome."
On S Ed Reed's leadership: "Ed showed up on Sundays and led on Sundays. He led in the locker room as well. The guys listened to him. He was a voice in the locker room. He was your overall guy. He was the leader of our team. Young guys listened to him. He made big plays on Sundays. We loved him. He's awesome."
On what wisdom he can impart to younger offensive linemen: "Training camp is all about grinding and getting better every single day. It's hard to do that when you get fatigued physically and mentally – it's mainly physically – because you're going every single day. So, you have to dig deep and grind down, and figure out a way to get better every single day when it's hot, when it's hard to practice, when you're physically exhausted. You have to work on your craft every single day. You can't just be going through the motions out here. It's hard to do that, and that's the biggest thing you have to fight through as a young player, is figure out how to get better every single day through the grind of training camp."
On his good health entering this season: "It's been great. I'm healthy. I'm strong. I got to lift all offseason, do maintenance more than rehab. That's definitely helped my progression. Things are going to be a little bit quicker for me. I'm going to be a little faster sharpening up my craft. That's important."
On if there is a time in the preseason when he finds it important to have a solidified offensive line: "Yes and no. Obviously, you want to get guys out there as fast as you can, but you want to find the right guy. There's a happy medium there of shuffling guys in there, giving them their chance and their opportunity. You just take it one day at a time. You let the coaches handle that, and trust in them that when it comes time, by Week One, that's really when it needs to be ironed out."
On G Ben Powers: "It's early, but I like the kid's attitude. I like his approach. He seems like a smart kid. His head is in the playbook, and he has the plays down. Now he's just adjusting to the physicality of the game at this level. I like what I see so far, but it's early yet. We have to continue to stack days, but I like what I've seen so far."
On QB Lamar Jackson's improvement:"He's calmer and more poised in the huddle. A guy in his second year, you want to see him take those steps. He has room to grow, just like all of us. But you can see a little more confidence in him in the huddle and understanding that he's the guy now. Last year at this time, he was the backup, and now he's the guy. I think he's embracing that role. We're all hoping … You gain a lot of ground in your second year in the NFL, and we're all hoping he's going to do that."
On how he likes the new offense: "It's a change of pace, for sure, but it's a run-heavy offense. Any offensive lineman is going to sign up every day on Sunday for a run-heavy offense, so you can count me in."
On how different the new offense is compared to what he is used to with past offensive schemes: "When it gets down to it, we're going to have to pass the ball when we need to, and pass the ball a lot to win football games. You just focus on running the play that's called to the best of your ability. Run or pass, read-option or not, tight zone, wide zone, whatever, you just get good at your craft to make every single block that you have to make. You try not to worry. That's Greg's [offensive coordinator Greg Roman] job. He's going to give us the play. My job is to block the three-technique as best as I can. I can control what I can control and not worry about that. Once the play comes in, I'm rocking and rolling with what's called."
On if he felt like he had to learn a new offensive system this offseason: "No, because a lot of those read-option plays are tight zone plays. It's stuff that we've run before. Obviously, on the back side, the reading, there is some adjusting. There are some wrinkles in there, but it's not like night and day difference, no. There are just little wrinkles there."
On if the offensive line has progressed or regressed over the offseason: "It's early yet. Guys can have good days and then a not-so-good day. It's tough to be consistent every single day when you're really stressing our body, physically, every day. Normally during the season, you have a couple days of practice and then you get a little bit of rest. [In training camp] it's bang-to-bang-to bang, so it's tough to be consistent. You just want to see that mental toughness every single day. If they get beat but they get right back up to the line and work hard the next play, mental [focus] is as important right now as anything."
On RB Mark Ingram II:"Getting to know him, I like him so far. I like his attitude. He's excited to come to work every single day. He looks like he's a grinder, like he's worked hard for what he has. We're excited to have him. Like I said, it's early, but I like what I see from him, too."
