HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement:"[It's] good to see everybody here. [I] really appreciate it. You can tell fans are excited, and it's really been a great day. [There's been] a lot of good work. I appreciate the way guys push through it. They worked really hard on a humid day. Now, we're kind of pointed towards Saturday night, and we're looking forward to it, when the Eagles come down [to Baltimore]. What questions do you have?"
Is there any excitement to see the guys in game action? _(Jamison Hensley) _"[There is] a lot of excitement about that. We've gone against each other – we've probably done about enough for now – we'll get back at it next week, but then we have the Commanders coming in, so we're looking forward to those practices and that game. The next step is to get on the field and play a game with the guys that are going to play and see how they do."
How good is it to have WR Rashod Bateman back on the field? (Rocco DiSangro) "He's doing a great job, but we'll see as we go, but it's very promising right now. He looked good to me, and I'm excited to see him out there. Obviously, it's big for us."
How gratifying was it to see DT Broderick Washington receive a contract knowing he was drafted late and seeing his development? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It really is. To see him become the player he's become. The person, the leader he's become, then get to get rewarded like that, it's great for him [and] his family, obviously. It's also great as a message. It's great as a message, in terms of what it takes to be successful in this league."
How has this offense reacted to the growing pains of a new offense? (Melissa Kim) "[That's a] really good question. How has the offense reacted to the growing pains of a new offense going in? I think they've done great. We're better every day. It becomes sharper and crisper every day. We will find out when we play games, and obviously that's more of a telltale than practice is. I feel good where we are in practice, and I am looking forward to seeing what it looks like [in a game situation]."
What is it like seeing this reaction from fans when WR Odell Beckham Jr. walks out? (Ryan Mink) "It's just exciting for the guys. Every player that walks up there does a great job. You saw [Justin] Tucker, Lamar [Jackson], all the other guys walking down here. [There's] so many kids here. It's amazing to me how many kids come to our training camp. It has to be kids like 4:1, 5:1. It's really fun, and they're into it. You have to love Ravens Flock. You know, The Flock, Ravens Nation. All of the different things that we call it. I heard we're doing the Ravens … the R-A-V-E-N-S, Ravens now. We're doing that now. I like it. I like it, we'll take it. We'll use it. Eagles can have their E-A-G-L-E-S. We'll take our R-A-V-E-N-S. Two different words."
TE Mark Andrews has always been so competitive. He's always been on the first team, and he's still heavily involved, he shows frustration when he doesn't make a play. How do you celebrate that, and do you have to wrangle that in with 14 days in camp, and he's still going a million miles an hour? (Kyle Barber)
"What you said speaks volume. That really honestly says it all. That's who he is. He wants to make plays. He wants the ball. He wants to be perfect in his routes. He wants to block people. That's just who Mark is. I think he sets the tone for our whole team."
With CB Jalyn Armour-Davis not here today, and CB Damarion Williams went in early, is cornerback depth getting to be a little bit difficult since I don't think Marlon Humphrey will be playing much in this Saturday's game? (Jeff Zrebiec) "No, Marlon [Humphrey] is not going to play in the game, but it's an issue. There's no question. We've had those guys … they've kind of been in and out. You know 'Pepe' [Damarion Williams] is coming back. It's not a new injury or anything like that, but he's got to bring it back and get up to speed. Then these little tweaky things that keep happening to the guys, they're annoying, there's no doubt about it, and the players are annoyed by it, too. Yes, we have to look at that for sure."
What have you seen in WRs Tylan Wallace and James Proche II this training camp? (Cliff Brown) "Tylan [Wallace] and James [Proche II], both are having great camps. [They're] making a lot of plays, and I would also add 'Tread' [Laquon Treadwell] has done a great job. [He's] made a bunch of plays. Tarik Black has made a bunch of plays. Shemar [Bridges] made a nice play out there today. Young receivers are doing a great job. I mean really all the way through the group, those guys have really showed up. Not just the top five guys we talk about. The top five guys have done well, too. [Devin] Duvernay had a couple of big plays today. It was good to see the deep balls today. We connected on a number of deep balls today, which was good to see. [I'm] happy with those guys."
As far as QB Lamar Jackson, is he going to play on Saturday? (Jamison Hensley) "No Lamar [Jackson] for Saturday."
Did you get a chance to talk to DE Jadeveon Clowney? Is the door still open? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, I think so. I haven't heard otherwise. So, you're saying we still have a chance. We have a chance, and we're looking at other guys, too, that have visited in the past. So, I don't think the door is closed on any of those guys. He had a really good visit. As far as the game, to [answer] your question, you won't be seeing any of the established starters in this game. If the guy is a real young starter, maybe he'll get a few reps, but none of the established starters."
How much has the volume of practices and the way the coaching staff teaches has contributed to the preparation for preseason game?_ (Jonas Shaffer)_ "That's a great question. We do believe in our process. We do trust it. It has evolved over the years, to your point. It's different than it was 15 years ago, 10 years ago, [and] five years ago. It will probably change in the next five years as well. I don't mean to say it's [starting to] become less. I think a lot of it is smart. You talk to these guys, and you look at the analytics on it, they're expending a lot of energy out there. They're working hard. You try to do it in ways to keep them safe, but also get them ready to play as best as we can. I don't think those are necessarily conflicting goals. You want it to go together as much as you can make it happen. They've done a great job. Plus, our guys have taken care of each other within the plays really well, so I'm really proud of that. I expect us to be in really good shape. They're not coming off of much rest. They're going to go into that game not completely recovered, because that's how training camp is, so I'm looking forward to seeing how we play and how we execute Saturday night [against the Eagles]."
Do you think the preseason will help decide who's the No. 2 quarterback? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Absolutely. I think the games will go a long way of deciding that pecking order there. I would say this, all of those guys have shown that they're capable of being that guy. All of the three quarterbacks after Lamar [Jackson] have proven that they are capable of being the backup quarterback here and doing a great job. Now, we just have to see who separates."
Is WR Zay Flowers a guy you would like to see in preseason? (Jeff Zrebiec)"It's a possibility. It's a possibility. We would like to see him out there in terms of just having a sense of the game before the first regular season game. We'll have to how healthy he is and where we're at."
QUARTERBACKS COACH TEE MARTIN
What have you seen from QB Tyler Huntley so far in training camp this year?_ (Ryan Mink) _"[Tyler Huntley] has developed so much and progressed in our system from being here during the offseason, football school [and] OTAs [organized team activities] – from learning everything that we talk about in the playbook, operating at the line of scrimmage, taking control and command at the line of scrimmage when he's changing plays [and] doctoring protections. And then from a technique standpoint, he's come a long way. There were some things that we wanted to focus on, in terms of his throwing motion, in terms of his base, when he gets moved in the pocket, to allow him to be more accurate downfield [and] allow him to have more steam on throws – intermediate throws – accuracy on short throws. He took it upon himself to listen and take the individual work that we do onto the field, and we've seen a tremendous amount of growth in him. So, I'm happy about how far he's come from where we started."
Did you narrow QB Tyler Huntley's base a little bit?_ (Ryan Mink) _"Narrowed the base, shortened the stride and kind of quickened up the release a little bit. A lot of it has to do with knowing where you're going with the ball – pre and post snap – as well, to where you can get aligned and anticipate things; that has a lot to do with it. But those were some of the things that we focused on."
As far as the other quarterbacks, how have you seen that competition go in training camp?_ (Jamison Hensley) _"It's been a healthy competition with three guys behind Lamar [Jackson] – with Anthony [Brown], Josh [Johnson] and 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley]. They're all having good days, and it's good to say we have four guys who are competing and playing at a high level. We're still not there yet in terms of deciding on who will be [No.] 2; that will continue on throughout camp. But I think 'Snoop' has come a long way. Josh, being [the] veteran that he is, there are things that he has in his game, where you're going, 'Yes, I see why he's played 16 years in the league.' And then Anthony is super talented, as well, and had an opportunity to play some last year – on the road in Pittsburgh; [he] had a good performance at Cincinnati – so we know that he can play in games, as well. So, we have a really good room. They're competing right now and doing a good job."
What are some specific things you're seeing with QBs Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson? _(Brian Wacker) _"I think both [Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson] are running our system the way we want it to be ran. [Offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] and myself, we're doing a good job of allowing them to have freedom at the line of scrimmage to change things, and when they do, to know why they're doing it and doing it for the right reasons. I think they're both making great decisions within the system. Outside of that, Josh, with his leadership and experience, his anticipation and knowing what's coming, reading defenses and things of that nature – that's kind of where he's at, and that's where his experience kind of shows. And then 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] is doing the same. He's played a lot of football around here, and his athleticism shows, as we all know. But both of them are kind of neck and neck, in terms of what they're doing for us within the system, and we'll just continue on with the competition. But, I just want them to stay consistent. I want Josh to continue to be consistent in the things that he's doing, and [I want] 'Snoop' [to continue] consistently doing things that he's doing – taking care of the football, making good decisions and putting the balls in the hands of the guys that … We have so many weapons around us now to distribute the ball to."
What is QB Lamar Jackson's process of getting to know the nuances of his new weapons, Nelson Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers, and how is that going?_ (Cliff Brown) _"It's going really good. What's great about it is they're communicating and talking so much with Lamar [Jackson] and talking to him about what they like, what they don't like; Lamar is talking about how he thinks, and where he's going to place the ball. A lot of it … You catch up with guys who haven't been around all of them together during the offseason; they did get together some on their own before they came to training camp. But what we've seen, and what I've seen is the communication. When they're in, when they're not in, [when] they miss one, they get right to it and talk about what happened, and that's improvement from the years I've been here and having coached the wide receivers. That speaks to the veteran leadership of Odell [Beckham Jr. and] Nelson [Agholor]. Zay [Flowers], being young and kind of watching those guys, it's a good room to come into as a rookie wide receiver. And then Rashod [Bateman] – all of those guys, right? So, I think Lamar is doing a better job of communicating and talking about what he thinks and how he sees things to them, and that's a step up from years past."
How has the chemistry been with QB Lamar Jackson and WR Odell Beckham Jr. throughout camp?_ (Jamison Hensley) _"I think the trust is building. When you have someone as talented as [Odell Beckham Jr.] is … Some guys may get covered in certain situations, [but] he has a little nuance at the top of his route to where he can still win. And even when he's covered, his catch radius and the strength of his hands allows you, as a quarterback, to still trust him. And you may hang on that route a little longer with Odell, and you may get off of it with someone else, and that's what I've seen with just his skillset – of strong hands, in and out of breaks, strength, jumping ability. He's unique, in terms of his size, but [also with] how explosive he can still play."
What have you seen from QB Lamar Jackson as he grows more comfortable in offensive coordinator Todd Monken's offense? (Ryan Mink) "It's just [Lamar Jackson's] anticipation of coverage, blitzes and his understanding of the concepts and playing within our system and not getting bored with being disciplined – not getting bored with being disciplined. Sometimes, it can be [a] bore to check it down to the back, but that's better than throwing a pick. We saw that last Saturday [when] we had nine of them [interceptions], but since then, we've only had one. And that just speaks to those guys making corrections and knowing, 'I kind of got out of the system a little bit. Let's get back within a system. Sometimes my competitive nature can take over, but this is not the time.' And that's where I've seen him grow. He's very competitive – very competitive – and he's so skilled, and sometimes, he can make those plays, but within the confines of what we're trying to do, situationally, and what we're asking of that play."
QB Lamar Jackson was accurate throwing downfield today and has natural arm talent. Does that make it easy to diagnose when he misses on deep balls?_ (Jonas Shaffer) _"Well, that's something that we talked about. After each week, I go over stats, and where we've been accurate and where we can improve, as a group and then individually, and we spoke of that after the first week. He [Lamar Jackson] was like, 'OK.' When Lamar is getting motivated about something, he kind of looks into the sky, like, 'Alright, we're going to see about that.' And so, he spends the time with the guys to do it, and we stress it as coaches – about ball placement, about trust, about wideouts being at their spot and us trusting them to be there and putting the ball there – so it's a two-way street. But I think that the main thing about it was he took it upon himself to really focus on that part the last week or so to be better at it. And you saw a throw yesterday where he really looked the safeties off, didn't see Odell [Beckham Jr.] at all, and threw it to a spot, and it was [a] perfect throw; we got a 'P.I.' [pass interference]. But that's growth – that's growth – and we want to continue to do that throughout camp and throughout the season."
QB JOSH JOHNSON
On how his experience has been at this training camp so far: "It's been going well. It's a process. For me, [I've been] just enjoying one day at a time. The older I get, I guess you could say the more wiser I've gotten. It's truly a one-day journey. It's a one-period journey, a one play journey and as for me, I just try and focus on going out there and being right for that right play. It's not always going to be … There's going to be things you need to work on daily. It's been a lot of good for us considering we all are learning a new language – all getting to know each other and getting to know Coach [Todd] Monken's offense."
On how the competition for the No. 2 quarterback job is going: "I mean, 'Snoop's' [Tyler Huntley] a [heck] of a quarterback. I feel like I'm a [heck] of a quarterback. Anthony's [Brown] a [heck] of a quarterback. Obviously, Lamar [Jackson] has proven to be the top quarterback in the league. For us, it's just about getting better each day and making each other better each day. We have a great camaraderie in the [quarterback] room. We don't really worry about competition from that standpoint. We're competing against the defense. I think that's the most important thing for us is just go out there and try to execute and move the offense and put up points on the board."
On if he is aware of the Ravens' preseason winning streak and if he has that in mind during the preseason:"The goal is to win every game you step on the field. So, I'm aware of it because I've been a part of preseason here, but I've also been in other places. To my knowledge, it's a pretty long winning streak but the focus is when you go out and step on the field no matter what the situation is it's to win football games. That's what we're all evaluated upon. That's the most important thing, and that's what makes this organization great, because everything is about winning."
On how different this offense is compared to the last offense when he was previously with the Ravens in 2021:"It's a different approach how we're going about the game. Lamar [Jackson] and 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] were a lot younger then. The approach now is to put more onus on the quarterback, and I feel like all the guys are handling it well. Coach [Todd] Monken's been great, Tee [Martin]'s been great. Kerry [Dixon]'s been great just in communicating to us [and] giving us that freedom to be able to operate how we see the game. We all have different skill sets, and it's just been a fun process that we all collectively have been taking on daily as a group. We're enjoying it."
On what sticks out to him about Ravens training camp after being in many other NFL training camps before:"Coach [John] Harbaugh gives everybody an opportunity. I would say, a player that, if you don't like to work, you're going to see it as a hard training camp. But, if you appreciate the work and understand what reps do for you, you'll be very grateful for that. That's what I remembered the last time I was here for training camp – same situation here. We all get an opportunity. In each rep, you're bank them, and when you bank them, that's an opportunity for you to see where you're at in the system, so you can go out there and play as comfortably as possible."
On if the reps and the length of practice are hard:"No, I don't see it as hard. I'm 37 [years old]. I'm one of the oldest guys on the team, and just for me, it's more of a testament to where my routine is, my mental fortitude, the grind of it all. For me, I went through a season last year [with the 49ers], [and] I went to the NFC Championship, so I understand what it takes. I think all of this stuff is building that process to where once you get to the season, it's on autopilot, which I think, as an organization, we want to be on that because we have big aspirations."
On what keeps him motivated in this point in his career:"Personally, I have goals. I have goals just like any player, and until I accomplish those goals, I'm going to pursue them. But for me, I'm very grateful to be able to do something that most people get to dream of. I've been on the outside looking in in some of my years. I've been on the team that went to the NFC Championship. I've been on a team for two days. My journey is my journey, and it's very unique, but one thing that's consistent … I just feel it's just a representation of what life is for most of us. I think it's hard for all of us. We can respectively say that, but I think for me it's about, how do I appreciate what I have and what I've been given and being able to continue to maximize that. And as long as God gives me the physical ability to continue to go out here and love to play football, I'm going to continue to pursue it."
On if can share any of his goals: "No, I'll keep those to the chest. I'm not … I feel like where I'm at in my career, it's not about talking about it. I just have to go out there and prove it. And that to me is what I focus on, just going out there and getting the job done, because what I say doesn't really matter if we don't take care of business. And if we go take care of business, it will be ... It will speak for itself."
On what 23 consecutive preseason wins says about the level of depth on this team:"It speaks a lot to how [the Ravens] develop the team. Just what I know about preseason and how you never … You plan for your team that you've on, but obviously there's only 53 spots, and you're always playing for another team as well. The goal is for us to all go out and perform well to make it hard on this organization [to select the final roster]. And then, obviously, the people that can't make it here, they go make it somewhere and they're able to have a career. That's what it's about in the NFL, just being able to make sure you get to that next opportunity."
On if his cousin Marshawn Lynch who visited practice today will stick around and watch him play Saturday night:(laughter)"Yes, I think so. Yes, I think so. Yes."
