ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/PASS GAME COORDINATOR CHRIS HEWITT
How many interceptions did you guys have today? (*Jamison Hensley)* "I wasn't counting. But anytime they [can] get their hands on a ball, that's pretty good. How much was it?" (Media Members respond). "We've got six today? Yes, [it was a] good day."
It's been a good week; What do you see with...? (*Kyle Goon)* "Hopefully a lot of those [interceptions]." (laughter). "To answer your question, right there, hopefully [we will] get a lot of those [interceptions]."
Do you feel like that reflects the energy of these guys? Do you feel like this energy reflects what we'll see a lot over the season? (*Kyle Goon)* "Well, I'll tell you this. I give a lot of credit to [executive vice president & general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and his staff for putting this roster together. We've got a lot of talented guys back there [in the secondary]. We've got length, we've got speed, we've got guys who [are] pit bulls. We've got it all. [We have] guys who come up and tackle, we're a very talented group back there."
This is a deep defensive back group – Kyle Hamilton mentioned there would be a lot of different packages – so how does that change the calculus for you when you have that many guys? (*Brian Wacker)* "I don't really think that it changes anything more than what we've been doing over the last couple [of] years, [we have] a lot more talent and a lot more depth so that we can do some things, but as far as changing this or that, I really don't see that. Kyle [Hamilton]'s going to be who he is. He's going to be the guy who's a Swiss Army knife. We're going to continue to keep on moving him around. I don't see that changing much. But again – to what you were talking about – we do have a lot [of] more depth where we can do a little bit more, but I don't see it changing drastically."
Concerning Kyle Hamilton – I can go all the way back – when Cal Ripken played shortstop, before he came along, people said he was too big, people say Kyle Hamilton is too tall to play safety. Do you think he's going to change the perception of what a safety can be, or is he just one of one? (*Bo Smolka)* "I think Kyle [Hamilton] is a unicorn. He's a one of one. There are not many guys who [can] come along like that. He's like a generational-type player. You don't see many guys who are six-foot-four, who can run and change direction the way he does. He still plays with violence; he's not a finesse player. He's got it all. He's a different player, and he is very unique. There are not many players in the league or coming into the league that I see that look like that."
We know he's a smart guy, but how much does Kyle Hamilton's football intelligence show up? (*Jamison Hensley)* "Well, I mean this is his third year in the system, [his] third year knowing it. So, he knows the ins and outs of the entire system. Just being ... Put it this way – he's a junior, [either] in high school [or] in college – he knows what's going on, he knows how to operate, and his I.Q. was already a high I.Q. football player. But now, knowing everything that's going on within the defense [since it's] his third year going through it, it's not much that he doesn't know. [He still needs to] continue to be coached in all those things, but as far as knowing what to do and how to do it and unlocking things back there, he's really good. He knows it."
I heard you were really excited about CB Nate Wiggins. I remember talking to you about the Draft, what have you seen out of him that has been surprising so far? (Nikhil Mehta) "I kind of knew already, but just going out there and just working with him – he is extremely competitive, more competitive than I thought that he was. He's got the whole mentality; he's got the whole thing. He's still a young guy. This guy is only 20 years old. He's not even old enough to drink [alcohol] yet. He's still learning, still learning how to be in the NFL, but his competitiveness is the thing that really sticks out to me."
Do you like all of those nicknames for him, 'Nasty Nate?' (Nikhil Mehta) "His name is Deuce. He's No. 2. We're not calling him 'Nasty Nate.'" (laughter)
We saw DB Christian Matthew coming out a couple times with his helmet off. (*Ken McKusick)* "It's football. Stuff happens."
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
Opening Statement: "[It's] good to see everyone today. I hope you guys are all doing well. It's been a good four days for our guys. We came out here; we're just kind of getting back into the swing of things. We've hit four different phases over the four days, and it's really just time for us to see where we left off, our recall, and then just get our guys out there so we can continue to work and continue to get better. And that's what we're looking forward to do throughout this training camp as we go forward and get ready. We know we have the preseason game coming up, so we're just trying to build to that. [We're trying to] get our guys in the best possible position so we can go play well when that time comes."
How much fun has this offseason been with such a radically changed kickoff, and you can just coach it in a lot of different ways and kind of just get in the lab and figure out what to do? (Pete Gilbert*)* "It actually has been pretty fun, just watching something different and trying to come up with the best plan of what fits what we do; taking from [the UFL] game and with what those players did. What are we going to pull from it that's going to benefit us, and just trying to figure out how to gain an advantage. I think over time, we're going to figure those things out, but it's fun just up there grinding it out, putting together different schemes. We had six days this Spring to kind of work [on] those things – that's not a lot of time. [And that was with the players in] shorts and t-shirts. As the pads start to come on, we'll start to find out a little bit more about the play."
K Justin Tucker talked about the new kickoff. He said that watching the old XFL, it looked like kickers were more involved in some of the tackling part of it. Do you agree with that? Are there any thoughts that if the kicker is more involved, then not using Justin in those situations? (Jamison Hensley) "We have guys. We have the benefit of having two guys that can kick off. But as far as kickers being more involved in the tackle, I watched all of those plays, too. I think the guys that wanted to be involved, got involved. I think the kickers that didn't want to get involved, they didn't get involved. It's always going to come back down to, 'Well, how well are the other 10 guys covering the kick?' Are they doing things to gain an advantage? And if that's the case, then I can guarantee the kicker will not be involved in making the play. The kicker has to run a long way in order to go make a play between the 30- and the 35-yard line. That's probably where he's making the play at. He really has to be trying to get involved in the play – in my opinion – to go make a play."
I know it's early, but what kind of potential does WR Deonte Harty bring in the return game, especially with the new rules? (Todd Karpovich) "Deonte [Harty] is a special player. He's here for a reason. He's because of his pedigree and what he's done in this league. We all know what he can do with the ball in his hands, and this play fits him well. It's a lot of space. It's a big-fill play. We're just looking forward to, really with all of our returners back there, and just seeing how they develop. What do they do well within the schemes that we're going to put out there?"
When you look at the timeline of camp and the preseason games, are you going to be testing different approaches in kickoff and kickoff return, or do you feel like you have the strategy in place, and you're just going to be fine tuning it? (Kyle Goon) "I wouldn't say right now that we have the strategy in [place]. I don't know that anyone can really say that after a Spring of football. But, as we go through this thing, we'll start to come up with ideas. And we'll see again, what works, what can we truly do when the pads are on, [with] blocking and angles and things like that. We have a pretty good idea of what we're going to do, but, if we're going to do it, then we need to practice these things against other opponents. Those things will carry over, and as the season goes on, we'll probably continue to be tweaking things. Oh, 'We like this. We can actually do this. We haven't shown it, but we've seen it. Let's do this.' So, we're going to have options."
Along those lines, are the preseason games going to be the tests, cases, examples, trial and error things for you guys? (Brian Wacker) "I think it's going to be a little bit of both. It's going to be, 'What do we do well in practice? And let's go run this against the opponent.' If we do that well, then we can put that in our back pocket, and say, 'OK, let's expand on what we did well and then practice more. And then, when we go play the next opponent, let's try to incorporate this.' That's how I see it. That's the only well to get better. That's the only way you to know who, and what you're truly going to be when you line up on Thursday night against Kansas City."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
We saw a brief appearance from QB Lamar [Jackson] today; it seemed to inject some fusion onto the field. It felt good to see him back out there with you guys. (Pete Gilbert) "It was great – it's great having him there. I'm not tied into where he's at at this moment, but it was great to have him back in meetings and on the field."
We saw QB Lamar Jackson go into the back, was that kind of expected? (Jamison Hensley) "I don't know, you'll have to ask Coach [John Harbaugh] or the medical staff. I know he was in meetings, and I know he was out there at the start."
I know you can't control it, but with QB Lamar Jackson out, does that change what you have to do, and do you feel behind not having him out there? (Morgan Adsit) "No, I mean we had all offseason – Lamar [Jackson] was a part of that in our offseason. But it was great for the other quarterbacks to get the work. That's a part of it, so it's great having him back today, but I don't feel behind. We didn't stop – we still installed, we're still going through the installs."
How do you incorporate the Ravens analytics department into your gameplan and your offensive schemes? (Nikhil Mehta) "They're a huge part of it. In terms of where it's gone over the last few years in terms of information – the power of information that's out there. I think information's unbelievably useful – what you do with it is up to you. Whether the situation arises, whether it be by personnel, whether it be by game situations. We've got some really really smart people in those departments that I think give us an edge."
Assuming you are going to work QB Lamar Jackson back in, how did he look? (Shawn Stepner) "[Lamar Jackson] looked great. In the meetings he was great – and we are going to work him back in, for sure. I know I'm being kind of a smart ass now, but he's going to get worked back in. He was great in the meetings, he was great. You'll have to ask him how he feels, but he was great. He was great in the meetings, and when were on the field at the start [of practice] he said he was feeling good."
It seems like some of the best catches from so far have come from WR Rashod Bateman. How important do you think that is for him, especially given how he started camp late last year to get the confidence going? (Kyle Goon) "Well, you'd have to ask him in terms of for him. I think he's always had a belief in himself as a player. I think it's good for all of us; quarterbacks, [as well as] collectively as a team. We're expecting a big year from Rashod [Bateman]. Once he got fully healthy, which wasn't for a while last year – he was hurt, got healthy, got nicked up again, came on. We're expecting great things from him, and he is from himself."
WR Zay Flowers last year obviously was such a big part of the offense. How do you see him growing in Year Two in this system? (Brian Wacker) "Well you could see it over the year – you could see it thought the year: his development, his confidence, his ability to be engaged. I think that's the biggest thing. You can see that with players as they gain experience – they're confident to be engaged on the field and in meetings, ask questions, have ideas, have thoughts. Like, 'Can we do it this way? What about this? What about this?' When you're younger, you're just trying to learn it – it's hard to be engaged when you're not sure yourself. That's where he's really come a long way. You can really see that – [we] saw it this offseason really being engaged in the offense."
Talking about RB Derrick Henry's work ethic, how does he set an example to other players with how he works so hard? (Todd Karpovich) "You see it every day. It's just one of those things you hear about – you hear about why he's been able to sustain for so long; keep himself in great shape, be able to make it through the year. You just see it every day. You see it in the weight room, you see it in meetings, in his engagement, [and] you see it on the field. I don't know the routine that he has off the field, [and] what he does to take care of his body, but it must be elite – it must be off the chart. Because I've only seen a guy that works hard every day and prepares himself to be the best."
With WR Nelson Agholor being the older guy in the receivers room this year. How have you seen his work ethic, or his leadership kind of take over and have an impact on the younger guys in the room? (Timothy Dashiell) "It really hasn't changed per se, [Nelson Agholor] was like that last year. Obviously, with Odell [Beckham Jr.] moving on, that changes a little bit, in terms of 'Nelly' [Nelson Agholor] being back. The way that I see it, because I'm not in the receiver room, is the same that I said about some older guys – he's engaged. In all of the meetings, he's engaged. If he doesn't understand, he asks. If he has a better way of doing it, he talks about it. That, to me, is the number one part of leadership, or being an older player, is seeing the big picture and then relaying that rest of the players."
Three offensive linemen potentially having to be replaced. Is it your preference to kind of set a first unit and build through that, and how much will offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris' voice help dictate what that all looks like? (Bo Smolka) "Joe [D'Alessandris] has a big voice in that, and we've got talent, otherwise we wouldn't have made the moves we did. We are still in the business of winning, so the part of that, is that we think those guys can play. We just need to let them go play, and they're going to continue to develop and get better. All of those young players that have been draft picks that eventually get that opportunity; every player at one time that happens. Whether it was Tyler [Linderbaum] at center or Ronnie [Stanley], other players, they just need the opportunity. We're excited to let those guys go play and continue to develop. They're only going to get better, and we're going to get better with them."
With your background as a receivers coach, what have you seen from WR Malik Cunningham as he transitions to a new position this year? (Nikhil Mehta*)* "[Malik Cunningham's] done a great job. [He's] further along than what I would have thought. When we moved him there, we're like, 'OK, here's a really good athlete, really smart, gets football, smile on his face every day, going to get better in the meetings,' but really had some natural route-running instincts, balance and body control that I really didn't think he had. He's really done a great job. He really has. We're excited for him and for us. Because, when you move [a player into a new position], there is some anxiety, 'What's next?' He's done a great job."
TE Mark Andrews, every time he's at practice, it's always game speed for him. How much does that help a player in that, and do you think sometimes it might hurt him even because he's always going full speed? (Jamison Hensley) "It's hard to find a more competitive player than Mark [Andrews], not only winning, but contributing, catching the ball, playing hard, holding others accountable – he's in a rare category of that. To me, that's what makes him the player that he is. Sure, he's athletic. Sure, he's got great ball skills. Sure, he's football savvy, but the guy loves playing football. You see it; he competes every day. He's full speed, he wants the ball every play, sometimes to a fault, but he wants it every play. [He] holds himself to a really high standard. Again, he's in an elite category."
With what you guys are now doing before the snap, how much more is on C Tyler Linderbaum's plate, and how well-suited is he to handle that responsibility? (Jonas Shaffer*)* "We were doing some of that [last year], but just not as often. The quarterbacks and Tyler [Linderbaum] have been great [in the] offseason, and we have to be elite at snap count, that's a part of it. We have to be good at [the] cadence, and we're going to make sure that we are. We continue that throughout the year. It's been a great offseason; it really has been, in terms of where we want to go from Year 1 to Year 2 as an offense. [It was] a really good first year, it has a chance to be even better this year."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
You look like a guy whose defense got six picks today or something. (Kyle Goon) (laughter) "Yes, it was a good day. It was a good day. I think the great thing about it [is there's] a lot to improve on, and we can't wait to attack the tape, look at the things that we did well and correct the things that we've got to get better at. But I'm just proud of how the guys came out the last four days and attacked training camp. We're nowhere near where we need to be at, nowhere near where we're going to be at, but it's a good start."
What kind of boost does it give the defense when QB Lamar Jackson is out there for the first time? I know he only participated in a little bit of team stuff, but what kind of boost does the defense get? (Shawn Stepner) "I mean, we get a boost every single day. Like, I tell people all the time ... I tell our defense all the time that our offense is one of the best offenses in the National Football League, so we get great work every single day, and I know they feel the same way. So, we definitely get a boost. Obviously, when you're a defender, and you see Lamar Jackson opposed from you – the reigning MVP [Most Valuable Player], it definitely gets you going a little bit more. But our guys are fired up every single day, no matter who's out here."
ILB Roquan Smith and a few other defenders have said, "Last year's defense was really good, but we think we can get better." Have you seen that kind of mindset already? (Jamison Hensley) "Definitely. I definitely see that mindset. We always say, 'You're either getting better, or you're getting worse, and you set a standard, then you try to set a new standard and raise the bar.' So, the guys have taken that on [with a] full head of steam, and like I said, their approach these last four days has been great, and they've shown that."
What does S Eddie Jackson bring to this secondary? (Todd Karpovich) "You can see [that Eddie Jackson] has played a lot of football, and he's made a lot of plays. I think [in] his first day, he had a pick-six. He's a really smart player, he still can play, he can still move at a high level, and he's picking up the defense pretty well so far. So, I think, just like a lot of guys in that room, he's going to be able to help us."
What have you seen out of DT Travis Jones? I know that NT Michael Pierce played at a really high level last year, but do you think there's an opportunity for Travis to take a little bit more off Michael's plate? (Ryan Mink) "I think both of those guys [Travis Jones and Michael Pierce] are heck of players. Obviously, Travis [Jones] is going into Year Three; I mean, we expect big things out of 'Big Trav.' With the D-Line [defensive line], it's great to have guys who can rotate there in and out [and] keep those guys fresh. I think our D-Line is one of the best in the National Football League, and Michael Pierce and Travis are a big part of that. I think both of those guys are going to play a lot of great football for us this year."
S Kyle Hamilton mentioned yesterday that you give your players a lot of autonomy and freedom out there. I'm curious why that's the case and how it manifests itself. (Brian Wacker) "We've got a lot of smart guys. We've got a lot of high-I.Q. football players, so the more you can do, the better, [and] we talk about that for every position. If you're a linebacker, you need to know both spots; if you're a DB [defensive back], you need to know every spot in the secondary; if you're up front, you need to know every spot up front. So, the more you can do, the better you can do. And it's a credit to those guys; the higher I.Q. they have, the more they can handle. [If] you can move guys in different spots based off of who you're going against, it just helps everybody out. So, we're getting good work at that right now in training camp – of trying guys in different spots and seeing how it all fits together."
With so many guys who can do so many things well, do you run the risk of maybe doing too many things and not doing certain things really, really well? Do you try to balance that at all? (Pete Gilbert) "Yes, you definitely try to balance it. And once we start getting into game week and game planning, the menu is going to be tightened down, and guys are going to know exactly what they're going to do at that particular spot. But that's why you do it early; you kind of stress them early, so they can get used to playing at different spots, and then, when the regular season comes, and the gameplan is tight, it's just second nature for them."
What are your initial thoughts at nickel? You have a lot of talented options there, between S Kyle Hamilton, CB Arthur Maulet, CB Nate Wiggins and others. Do you see a healthy competition forming in that spot? (Kyle Phoenix) "Yes, it's great competition, [and] it's a great problem to have. I mean, all those guys [Kyle Hamilton, Arthur Maulet and Nate Wiggins] can play in there, and all those guys probably will play in there. You've seen that the last couple years for us – that different guys have been at that nickel spot – so it really just depends on what the gameplan is for that specific situation or that specific game."
What have you seen from OLB Malik Hamm? I know he was dealing with injuries last year, but what have you seen from him out there so far? (Alex Glaze) "I mean, man, Malik Hamm is one of the hardest workers in the building, and he's come in since Day One as a UDFA [undrafted free agent] last year ... Obviously, he made the team, [and] it was an unfortunate injury that he had, but he looks just like he picked up where he left off last year. He looks explosive, he looks strong, [and] I'm excited to see him once we get the pads on here next practice and then in the preseason games. But Malik Hamm, he's a real dude."
OLB Odafe Oweh has had a strong start to camp. How big is it for this defense to get a big season from Odafe? (Jamison Hensley) "It will be big, man. It will be big. I think 'Daf' [Odafe Oweh] has continued to get better every single year, and when you watch the film, there are a lot of people in this league who cannot do what he can do on the edge. That guy is so talented, and he made a lot of plays last year, so we expect him to make even more plays this year. The better 'Daf' is, the better we're going to be as a [defense], and he knows that, and he's been putting in the work. So, he's looking better than he did last year so far, and I'm excited to see where he's going to take it."
You came into the league as a three-down weakside linebacker. Do you see a place for the dime package in this defense? (Ken McKusick) "Yes, I see a place for dime, [and] I see a place for nickel. Like I said, all that stuff depends on who we're going against, what the situation is, and what we have to accomplish as a defense to help our team win games."
You lose 9.5 sacks without OLB Jadeveon Clowney. Who do you think is going to make up for that production on the edge this year? (Todd Karpovich) "I think the production can be made by a lot of those guys. [There are] a lot of candidates in that room, specifically. Obviously, you've got David Ojabo, and we've got Kyle Van Noy back, which helps out. 'Daf' [Odafe Oweh] – we expect him to have a big year. 'T-Rob' [Tavius Robinson], Malik Hamm ... I mean, [there are] a lot of guys. But I don't think the production just has to come from that room. You mentioned Travis Jones earlier. [Justin] Madubuike, Michael Pierce, 'Broddy' [Broderick] Washington ... That whole front, the [linebackers], blitzes ... I think we can make that production up in a lot of different ways."
Has anybody surprised you so far? (Brian Wacker) "No, I think it's a talented roster, so, me, honestly, I'm not really surprised in any type of way. Now, once we start getting the pads on and really start getting to some real, real football, I think guys will start to maybe separate themselves, and we'll be able to see."
Obviously, you have high standards for Baltimore's linebacker play. Do you feel like ILB Trenton Simpson is ready to hit the ground running in Week 1 as a starting linebacker next to ILB Roquan Smith? (Nikhil Mehta) "I think [Trenton Simpson] is ready, along with a lot of the guys. [Executive vice president & general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and those guys have done a great job of building depth and building playmakers in that room. Trenton has done a great job in training camp, so has Malik Harrison, so has Josh Ross, so has Chris Board, so I think any of those guys ... We're confident with any of those guys in there. Obviously, Trenton, he showed a lot last year, and we're excited about him, but that's a talented room."
