HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Thanks for being here. [It was] good day [and] we're working hard."
TE Mark Andrews was back out there. Just from what you were seeing, how did he look out there? (Jamison Hensley) "Mark [Andrews] looked good. He looked good [and] had a good practice."
WR Tylan Wallace had a really good training camp. He's a hard worker at practice. He's going to get more opportunities in the offense this season. Do you envision him getting more opportunities? (Todd Karpovich) "I do. I do. I think Tylan [Wallace] is going to get opportunities everywhere – offense and special teams. He has looked good; [he] had a couple of nice plays out there today, of course, like he does really every day. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does this year."
We're going to talk to S Beau Brade today. He's undrafted obviously. He's from here and getting a lot of hype. How cool has that been for you to watch? And also, what in particular stood out about him? (Melissa Kim) "Just for him, I think it's kind of cool that he's from here and he's close by. Growing up here in Maryland and everything, that's a big deal. We appreciate the 'Terps' [Maryland Terrapins], we appreciate the program over there [and] all of the programs over there. That's big. More than that, individually, you're really happy for these guys that make it. He's an undrafted free agent who just made an NFL football team. That's a big deal. And he did it the hard way, he earned it. He made plays, and he's very diligent, and he's going to get his opportunity this season to play some NFL football, and I think he's going to do very well."
You have a list of undrafted free agents that you've had over the years, including defensive coordinator Zach Orr. What do you think having a legacy like that infuses into the culture of this team? It just seems like every year you have a guy come out of the undrafted free agent pile and make a difference. (Kyle Goon) "Well, it's a meritocracy. There are eras in football. There's no crowns. [Former Ravens special teams coordinator] Jerry Rosburg used to say it best, 'There is no royalty in football.' You have to go out, and you have to earn everything every week. Ray Lewis used to say, 'This biggest challenge is the fact that you've got to go do it the next day,' especially when you're at that level. Because, at that point in time, everybody wants to put you up on their mantle, so to speak, as a Ray Lewis-type of player. The more accomplished you become, the tougher it becomes to live off that meritocracy. You have to do it, so that's the beautiful thing about it."
There's so much build up to the season and with everything going on in the offseason, camps and everything, are you getting to a point where you're kind of ready to see what your team looks like this year? (Cordell Woodland) "Of course. This is what you look forward to. You do all of that work in the offseason, and [in the] preseason, and even during the season for the games. As challenging as they, as much tension as there is, you're excited to go compete, and that's what we're looking forward to."
I know you guys have had the Chiefs on your mind and so forth. They're a very good football team. What's the challenge they present of playing a team like that in Week 1 versus last time you saw them at the end of the season? Is there a different kind of challenge involved in that? (Brian Wacker) "That's a good question. I don't really know, because it's really not something I've really thought about. [The AFC Championship game] was a challenge, and this is a challenge [in] this game. There's a lot of similarities. It's the same team. But it's a different place, and it's a different setting. Of course, they've changed as a team, [and] we've changed as a team, so that will be different, just like every year. Every game is different. Even when you play the Steelers, or the Browns, or the Bengals [in the] first game or second game, it's still different. Every game stands on its own."
Is there anything you can share on OL Patrick Mekari, S Eddie Jackson and OLB Adisa Isaac not practicing today? (Jonas Shaffer) "Eddie [Jackson] didn't make a flight. They had flights cancelled. That was his deal. [Patrick Mekari and Adisa Isaac] are just standard operating stuff."
TE MARK ANDREWS
On how he feels: "Really good. I'm feeling really good. I'm excited. My body feels good, and I can't wait for this first game in the season."
On how scary it was to be involved in a car accident: "It's extremely scary. It was definitely a serious thing, and it kind of ... For me, it puts things in perspective; tell the people that you're around that you love them, and wear your seatbelt. You never know what's going to happen on the road. You never know what things might be thrown at you, what things might come at you, and I'm very blessed and fortunate to – one – have God on my side and to be wearing my seatbelt. And yes, it was a scary moment. It puts things in perspective, but I'm feeling good. I'm excited about the season."
On how the car accident affected him: "Yes, like I said, there's still stuff going on with insurance and stuff like that, but for me, I'm moving forward, and like I said, I feel really good. I'm excited. I'm excited for this game. It's a big game. The guys have been working hard, and my body feels great. And for me, I'm moving forward."
On having a game in front of him to put his head down and work toward: "Yes, I've always kind of had that mindset of being resilient [and] moving forward. You can't take things for granted, and for me, that definitely showed me that. Yes, [I'm] just moving forward, having a big picture in mind, and that's the team, that's winning games and trying to be the best player and best teammate that I can be for this team moving forward.
On overcoming the accident from a mental standpoint: "At first, it's a pretty big shock, but I was in meetings probably about an hour later, and people were like, 'What are you doing here?'" (laughter) "But yes, for sure."
On his mindset and sense of urgency heading into the season: "[We're] just focused. I think every year, it's focused, and every year, it's determined, but just [with] the guys that we have this year, it's really fun. It's a fun group. It's a group that ... We fly around, we work together, we're always on the same page, and that's been the best thing about it – is the communication, the open communication of making sure we're all on the same page and moving towards the same goal, and I think this is probably the best year we've had of that. I'm excited to see us get tested, and we will get tested, and our first test is this Thursday, and yes, I'm excited for that challenge."
On what he's noticed about QB Lamar Jackson this summer: "Well, I think even you guys see it. [Lamar Jackson] is the GOAT [greatest of all time] in every way to me, and he's proven that just about every year, and he's always finding a way to elevate himself and his game. It's just a complete package of taking control of this offense [and] telling everybody what he wants to be done. He's been extremely vocal about that, which I think has been amazing for everybody, and that goes back to all of us being on the same page. He's got that down really, really well right now, and guys are bought in. So, like I said, we're going to be tested [next Thursday], and I hope it shows."
On how excited he is to be healthy going into the season and start off playing against the Kansas City Chiefs again: "It's big. It's big, and having the last game being played against them and not really feeling like myself just yet [at that time]. [My] body feels healthy. I've worked really hard this offseason, had a good camp. Obviously, it's time to go put the work in this season and just take it play by play, day by day and game by game. If we do that, we're going to have a lot of success."
On how he balances his goals for the end of the year with not skipping steps to get there and if he talks to younger players about that: "Yes. We have such a great team at this point and guys that have been here long enough, where they can see it in our demeanor, how we practice [and] how we carry ourselves. You can't look too far forward; just be in the now [and] be in the present, and if you do that, good things are going to happen. If we play each day [and] each play how we're supposed to play, we're going to get to where we need to be at the end of the year. At the end of the day, it's just praying to God for health and safety."
On how he prepares for QB Lamar Jackson's unpredictability as a route runner and target: "[Lamar Jackson has] a really good flow of the game and feel for the game. He makes it easy on us guys. If you're working to get open, you're finding a way, [and] you're being creative, usually good things will happen when you have a guy like Lamar. So for us, it's just [about] working for him, being there for him, and if we do that, he's going to put us in a good spot."
On what kind of matchup problems a two-tight-end-set with him and TE Isaiah Likely would be for opponents: "It's going to be tough. We're both very versatile players, and obviously, 'Likes' [Isaiah Likely] had an incredible camp, and we're going to be able to do a lot of things together. That's kind of 'to be determined' to see how that goes and see how we can work off each other, but there are a lot of ... it's just a dynamic duo, I think."
On if the team recognizes that they don't have a winning record against the Kansas City Chiefs and if that bothers them: "For us, it's the first game of the year. We're trying to work towards a goal – and that's to be the best team in the NFL – and it starts with this weekend. We don't look too far into this thing. It's our first game. It is what it is. They're an incredible organization – and incredible team – and we have to be ready for the fight."
On how much their game prep has involved watching tape on last year's AFC Championship game or if it's more about their preseason footage: "It's still early on in the week, but there is carryover with anything. There are [the] same guys – same players – and so for us, being able to diagnose that, know what's to come and be able to do our job to the best of our ability and see what's coming, we're going to do that."
On if he uses the previous season as motivation: "It's a little bit of everything. When you look back at things, you kind of have to look back to go forward. For me, it's also [about] being in the now. I'm an extremely driven person, I've always wanted to win, [I've always been] focused – all that stuff – but knowing your past is always a good thing, and you can use that as fuel."
On how the pre-snap stuff that the team has been focusing on can help them in a game: "It just gives Lamar [Jackson] and 'Monk' [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] the tools to diagnose and assess things, and when you're able to do that and get yourself in a good play and a good situation, [you can] move forward from there."
On if his absence in practice was not a byproduct of his car accident: "Yes. Like I said, for me ... I feel good, I'm ready to move on from everything that happened and yes, my body feels great."
S BEAU BRADE
On when he learned he had made the 53-man roster: "Actually, I learned out here. It was during practice – our practice after the Green Bay game. [Executive Vice President & General Manager] Eric [DeCosta] came up to me, and he was like, 'You had a pretty good preseason.' And I was like, 'Yes sir, thank you. I'm still a bit nervous – I haven't made the team yet.' And then he just broke the news [to me]. He was like, 'Congratulations, you made the 53-man roster.' I thanked him [and said,] 'I appreciate it.' Then, I gave him a hug, and of course when I got home, I had to tell the parents. That was a great experience – they started crying, but that was a nice experience."
On if he thought he would make the final 53-man roster: "Obviously, I'm hoping I'm making it, but my mindset going into it was not to get too high on it; I might make it; I might not, so I didn't want to have any expectations. That was my mindset; I was like, 'Whatever happens, happens. In the preseason I played the best I could've played.' So I left everything out there, and I was totally fine with that. So not knowing what the future had for me I went into next practice happy just to get the opportunity and show myself and came out on the other side."
On if he thought playing for the Ravens was ever a possibility growing up in the area and following the team: "It was a dream. It was a dream. Every kid around here, if you were a Ravens fan, you dreamed to be on the Ravens. I grew up watching Ray Lewis [and] Ed Reed. I was watching the Super Bowl [in 2012]. I was born in 2002, so after 2009 to now, I've just been watching the Ravens; I've been a fan of them. It's been a dream. When I used to play Madden, I used to put myself at running back, so it was my dream to play running back. I dreamed of it, but couldn't really imagine it, so this has been amazing – an amazing experience. It's been better than I could have ever expected, and [it's] just a dream come true, so I've got to make the most of it."
On how he was able to reset himself before the preseason began: "I just stay level-headed. Going into the [2024 NFL] Draft I thought I was going to get drafted; [I] didn't really think there was a doubt about that. So, putting those expectations on myself and [that] it was going to happen was me not being fair to myself, so after that didn't happen, I just had to move on right away. When I chose to come here, I knew I had to prove myself to everybody in the league, and that's what I'm trying to do. Coming out here – we have the best secondary in the nation, and being able to play with these guys and competing for a job, but not trying to play against them – I'm really trying to learn from them. We have a lot of veterans, and we have All-Pros – Eddie Jackson came in later on, and I just try to learn as much I can from those guys. They've made a great career for themselves, and so I'm just trying to figure out how to do the same for myself."
On what it's like getting to meet Ravens players he once looked up to: "It's been great. It's been a great experience. All those guys are amazing. I've learned a lot from them. I'll say my sophomore through my senior year at [the University of] Maryland, I had to kind of separate from the [Ravens] fandom. I had [to] – [having] been a Ravens [fan] and not really knowing where I was going to be. When I see those guys that I heard of with the big names, and I really meet them in person, and they're just other people, and they really help me – that means the world to me. [I] couldn't have asked to be in a better place. A lot of times, veteran guys or older guys that are in the same position might shy away from helping you, trying to help just themselves and help their chances of staying on the roster, but that hasn't been the case at all here. They've been helpful 100%, and [they've] just been trying to help me be the best that I can be."
On how his story can inspire other athletes: "I feel like it shows them that dreams can come true, but I think that also shows them that you have to put the work in. You can't dodge it or just hope and pray for it to happen and not put any work towards it – you have to try your hardest. And whatever happens, does happen, but I feel like I've never seen someone try their absolute hardest at something and not be able to accomplish it. That's what I did. Sometimes you have to give up something to get another thing. If you want to get here, and this is your dream, then put everything towards it. I feel like that's what I did, and every day, I try to tell people that and show people that, especially that are at Maryland – my old teammates – or even at River Hill [High School] where I'm from. I still go out there to some practices and talk to some of the players there."
On if he learned anything about himself this summer: "I learned that I was mentally tougher than I thought I was, which is a great thing to find out. It wasn't the path that I thought it was going to be to go in the NFL. I definitely feel like everything happens for a reason. I feel like this was God's plan. I feel like God made everything happen for a reason, and that reason was to make me more mentally strong and just to keep me at home, mentally, and I feel like that happened. It's been a great experience."
On his first time at M&T Bank Stadium: "I can't remember my first time, but I will say when I was in high school, my school did one of those halftime [high school football] showcases. At the time, we had the fastest time for the halftime [event], so that was pretty cool."
