HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Hey everybody. [It's] great to see you here; [I] appreciate you being here. [Today was] a big day. [It was] the second day in pads, and also a celebration of Jacoby Jones. We dedicated the practice today to Jacoby Jones, because we had a chance to come out here and do what he loved to do so much. And it really couldn't have been any more fitting than to have almost 50 youth football teams – including girls flag teams here – yelling all practice, and you heard them. It was pretty loud there. [We] had little substitution issues because of the crowd noise; so that was fun. In honor of Jacoby and his amazing energy, smile, love for the game and love for life – we'll dedicate that effort to him."
QB Lamar Jackson was out there today. From your viewpoint, how did he make it out of practice today? (Jamison Hensley) "I thought he did really well, especially considering the fact that he's had to come back from being sick. I thought he looked good; he had a lot of energy. I know he worked really hard to get out here and worked really hard to make sure he was ready to put his best foot forward as best as he could. I thought he did, and even as practice went on, you could see him kind of finding himself more and more. I was really happy about it."
What difference does it make when QB Lamar Jackson is out there outside the obvious? (Brian Wacker) "Well, I think it's a good point, and it probably is the obvious. I don't know if I can say anything other than the fact that that's your starting quarterback. He's the best quarterback in football – we believe, and we're determined to prove it. He's out there today working with the guys. It makes a big difference."
It looked like on one of the drills was being able to drive the length of the field, scoring the touchdown. It looked like you guys were simulating being down by a certain amount of points drill. Can you talk about what that kind of performance in general just speaks to when you come back out here, Day 1 for Lamar Jackson, and do s*omething like that?* (Kyle Phoenix) "It does say a lot to come out like that. Two-minute drill, end of the game, a minute and 20 [seconds] left, one timeout, needed a touchdown, down by five [points], and look fantastic. It's always been a strength of Lamar's [Jackson]. I thought the whole offense executed well. [The] defense executed well, too, the offense just made the plays."
We saw CB Trayvon Mullen have an injury. Can you share his status? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes. He fell on it, his shoulder, so we'll have to see where we're at when we get back in [the building]."
We didn't see WR Zay Flowers out there. Is everything alright with him? (Jonas Shaffer) "Zay [Flowers] had a personal thing that I excused him for. A celebration – it was actually a wedding that was really important to him."
When you get into these padded practices – you can't do them all the time – but what are you most looking forward to, because you're still not being completely physical, right? I saw LB Roquan Smith back off of hitting a couple of guys. What are you looking for when they get into pads? (Bo Smolka) "To protect each other in those situations like that where you might put the other player in danger; we really try to do a good job with our guys, and I think our guys do a great job of respecting one another in those situations, yet, when both players have a chance to protect themselves, you're going. You have to be going, trying to win the battle. And now you have a physical contest. Remember when we said before, 'There were no physical contests to win.' Now there are physical contests to win, and the guys want to win them."
You seem to have a lot better pass blocking out there today. A lot more time in the pocket for all the quarterbacks. Can you speak to that? (Ken McKusick) "Yes. I thought the O-line did a good job yesterday and today with that. Whether it's the pads coming out or not, but they just were really physical in terms of moving their feet laterally and stopping some of the penetrations, especially in some of the games and twists. It was an improvement for sure."
What prompted the exchange between defensive coordinator Zach Orr and CB Arthur Maulet, and what was the gist of that conversation? (Brian Wacker) "We try to be, we say 'obnoxious in our communication, overzealous in our communication.' We're talking about a leverage there on the goal line, whether we want the defender to be inside or outside in his coverage. How much help does he really have in that coverage, and that's what we were talking about. Where do we want to put him? And we want to have those conversations all the way through [training] camp, about all of our football [details], all the time. We want to be quality-controlling ourselves all the time. What's the best way to do it? 'Oh, there's a line not drawn right under that drawing up there.' Whatever it might be, we want to chase perfection in our shared understanding and our vision of we're going to play the game – that's the most important thing. We're here for football. That's what we do. We have to be on the same page on everything we do, so that's part of that, and we have those conversations all the time, and I love it. I just love it. To me, it's what makes it fun to me – that we're willing to do that and able to do that with our guys. Coaches and players are in a partnership. We are partners in this thing. We work together in this thing. We're trying to be the best we can be together as a football team."
CB Marlon Humphrey mentioned a couple days ago that he lost a little bit of weight. He seems sharp. I'm sure you weren't worried about him coming in, but can you just talk about how he's looked during these first five days? (Cliff Brown) "[Marlon Humphrey's] moving super [well]. [He's] moving super [well]. He looks great to me. We had another conversation that was a spirited conversation – Marlon and I – about ... He asked me about the first step in press coverage – what I thought – and we talked about that. That's what we should be talking about all the time."
We haven't asked you about it. Being that it's the end of the first week, three of the rookies we haven't seen out here – OLB Adisa Isaac, CB T.J. Tampa and ILB Yvandy Rigby – are any of those guys close? What is Yvandy Rigby's story? (Jeff Zrebiec) "[With Yvandy] Rigby, those guys are [working through a] soft tissue, lower leg [injury] – the typical things that happen to rookies sometimes coming off the combine and all that. Adisa [Isaac] has been struggling with that since before the Combine. [For] Rigby, [it's been] since right around getting here – the Combine or whatever. [T.J.] Tampa [Jr.] had the sports hernia surgery, so those are all not unusual [injuries]. [It's] certainly frustrating for those guys. They want to be out here, but you can't bring them out too soon, or they do it again, and then you have [to wait] another five to six weeks. So, we're trying to do right by those guys, and honestly, hold them back just a little bit, so when they come back, they're ready to go."
How'd you manage the approach for wanting the competition and the intensity that you wanted in practice with making sure that guys are not going overboard, especially now that the pads are on? (Carita Parks) "That's exactly right. That, to me, is the craft; that's the art of it all. We try to say, 'The right to hit somebody stops where the other player is in jeopardy,' so guys generally know when it's a compromising situation for the player, and you try to pull up in that type of situation."
TIGHT ENDS COACH GEORGE GODSEY
Opening statement: "How [are] we doing? Nice day out here."
When you look at TE Mark Andrews and what he's done throughout his career – always been very constant production. Since you've been around him what do you think makes TE Mark Andrews so great? (Jamison Hensley) "He gets it, and he works hard, and he's capable of a lot of things – he's really a positionless player, and that's what we [say] about the [tight ends] room, really, because we can play outside, we play inside in the slot, [and] we play attached – we have a lot of different roles. All [of] those guys are capable, and Mark leads the group – him and Pat [Ricard]."
We've seen WR Qadir Ismail lining up with the tight ends and working out with the tight ends – he made a couple plays in practice today. What's the vision for him positionally? (*Nikhil Mehta)* "Same type of deal [as the other tight ends]. He's a big body, he can run, he can catch, [and] he's learning the position. He's flexible; he's played quarterback, [so] he knows kind of what the quarterback is looking at. He's young, he's learning, he's eager and he has a big capacity to learn, too, so [I'm] excited about him."
We've seen some kind of intense battles between someone like TE Charlie Kolar and DE Brent Urban, who's obviously very, very tough to dislodge when he's battling on a tight end. What is kind of the learning curve for Kolar as he transitions to more of an o-line role and potentially a bigger role in this offense? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think you're going to see a big jump from him. He's made a huge [stride] from, not only just Year One to [Year] Two, but now [Year] Two to [Year] Three. I think you're going to see a big jump – he's working extra, again he's another guy that's capable of taking in a lot of information – both in the run game and the pass game. He's going to make his mark physically at the line of scrimmage controlling the defender. I'm excited about what he's doing."
We saw, particularly when TE Mark Andrews went out, TE Isaiah Likely went through a stretch where he broke out in terms of records. Have you seen him build off that [and] carry that kind of momentum into the offseason and early in camp? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Isaiah [Likely]? Yes, he's a guy that goes out there, [and] he challenges safeties, he challenges corners – he's inside obviously working against our [linebackers]. We've got a good group, defensively, that we're going against every day, so we're getting challenged, but Isaiah's so flexible – you saw it last year, and that's going to continue to improve. Our group that we have is so versatile, and [I'm] really excited about the group; really from top down."
Where has TE Isaiah Likely made the biggest leap – is it play recognition – where is the biggest strides you've seen him make? (Brian Wacker) "Well, it's the chemistry with him and Lamar [Jackson], and you know again, he's a guy that we're moving all over the place, so he gets one or two reps with something and then later on in the week, he's got to execute it again – so he's getting the extra work, [and] he's asking the good questions, [so] the chemistry is there. The communication – it's been wonderful listening to him and Lamar work together, so I love it."
We talked with offensive coordinator Todd Monken a lot about how you essentially have two starting-caliber tight ends. What have those conversations been like when you're planning how you want to use both these guys? (Giana Han) "Game-planning? It's been very fun. I mean [we've] got four guys that we think we can put out there at any point, at any position – including Pat [Ricard]. It's a versatile group – it's exciting, we're physical, we catch the ball, [and] we run – we're going to be moved around in the offense, and that's the role that we want. We want to be put in a position to succeed, so whoever's out there, we feel like we'll do that."
You mentioned having four guys, but there's a limited number of tight ends and fullbacks you can have on the field in a given play. With these four guys, how do you console them about none of them getting the snap count that they would want? (*Ken McKusick)* "We're trying to get as many reps as we can, and opportunities that present itself – same thing the [wide] receivers are doing. The point that we made about being positionless – we may be in the tight end room, but we're out there extended doing the same things that maybe [the] receivers are doing and vice versa. The blocking is one thing for us in line, and we feel like we can take as many roles as possible. We saw that unfold last year, and we've seen that unfold ... we're going to need everybody to succeed."
With the addition of RB Derrick Henry, run-blocking is more important entering this season. What have you seen from TE Isaiah Likely and TE Charlie Kolar being able to be end-line blockers? (Kyle Phoenix) "You know, the good thing about Derrick [Henry] [is that] he can run with a lot of bodies in there, or [he can] run with not a lot of bodies in space. We'll do both of it, and everybody's going to have their role. We're going to block for him, and he's going to block for us in the passing game, so it's going to be a good cohesive unit to work together to get yards."
Do you think that the defensive trend of guys getting smaller and faster has maybe made it easier for tight ends, not necessarily [having] to be a smash-mouth style, to have that physical advantage – with linebackers weighing like 230-240 pounds, edge-setters potentially being lighter than back in the day – is that easier to maybe have an advantage? (Jonas Shaffer) "There's so many different variations that we go against – some are lighter, some are bigger. I think when we present what our challenges are offensively for someone to defend, I think it creates a lot of problems, and that's what we're after. We have big guys; we have physical guys; we have end-line guys; we have guys who can extend, and really that's what we're trying to do is create as many mismatches as possible."
TE ISAIAH LIKELY
On what stands out to him the most from the first week of training camp: "I'd say, really, competition. Everybody is really getting back into the football mentality; everybody is attacking their one-on-ones [and] making sure the offense-defense is iron sharpening iron and making sure everybody is in tune with that they've got going on."
On how his productivity at the end of last season affected his mentality this offseason: "Really, just wiping the slate clean. I mean, knowing, obviously, the pros and cons of what I did to end off the year, but understanding that, obviously, what I did wasn't enough to get the ultimate goal. So, coming back with the mentality of 'job not finished' and attacking everything I did – from the little details to, obviously, the things I do well – even harder than before and trying to be that piece, that leader on the offense to get everybody going."
On if there's another level of chemistry that he and QB Lamar Jackson can get to and how he feels about reaching it: "Oh, for sure. I feel like there are still plays on the field that me and Lamar [Jackson] just might have just missed, or I was off, and he expected me somewhere, or I expected it a certain way. So, [we're] just harping on those things in practice. [I'm] hearing it from his perspective, whether he's taking the rep with me or just watching from the sideline. He's always in tune to watching – either when you're on, or when you're off – and always going to the iPad and letting you know, 'Hey, if you look here, I'm going to hit you,' or, 'If you do this, this way, expect it right now' and stuff like that."
On how he's developed such a strong chemistry with QB Lamar Jackson: "I'll say, really, just harping on the little things in practice. Everybody brings up the Texans game, when I told [Lamar Jackson] to throw it up; I mean, that was just what we do in practice. Like, I'll be in practice and say, 'Man, Lamar, put some more air on it; I promise you, I won't make you wrong.' So, having those situations in practice where he trusts me – where he does that in practice – so in [the] game, it's not the first time. So, in [the] game, when I'd say, 'Lamar, throw it up. Throw it up. I've got you. I promise you,' he nods his head and lets me know, 'I've got you next time. I've got it,' and when it's completed, it's always a good thing."
On if having QB Lamar Jackson out there lifts everybody up: "Yes, for sure. You guys see, not only from your guys' point of view from seeing him – 'Wow, Quarterback 1 is back out here' – but the kids' energy, and then you finally get to see him ... Lamar [Jackson] brings, obviously, that leader role, but obviously, that smile, it's infectious, not only [for] the offense, but for the team – knowing that your leader is here [and] knowing that he's going to give every play [all] he's got."
On having friendly competition with S Kyle Hamilton: "It's fantastic. I've been going up against Kyle [Hamilton] since [our] rookie year. I mean, you guys [have] been here all the time; me and Kyle went from, [in our] rookie year, getting seven straight one-on-ones every day, to now, where it's like, when we see each other, we know, 'OK, this might be the only one I get, so I can't have him talking in the locker room about it, or when we get on the sidelines.' So, whether I win one, or whether he wins one, we always want to talk and say, 'Hey, why'd you do that, that certain way, or why'd you do that, that certain way?' And even today, me and Kyle got [together] a little bit after practice, so we could work on some technique stuff with me and him and going from there. But I'll say, Kyle always gets me better. Win, lose or draw on my rep, I feel like I always got better."
On if those little one-on-one moments get him through the challenges of training camp: "Yes, for sure. Obviously, if you can spot your one-on-one before the play happens, you're already like, 'OK, it's me versus you.' But most of the time, our defense does a great job disguising who has who or what does what, so when you finetune your rep and know who you've got and [are] able to attack it competitively, that's always a blessing, at the end of the day."
On how excited he is for his versatile role, and how much extra work he's put in to make sure he's on top of his assignments: "I'm very excited. I feel like I finally get to show everybody my football knowledge – understanding [and] being that 'chess piece,' as I say it. From inline to off the ball to in the slot to out wide to in the backfield, showing [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] that as long as I know where I am for that specific play and that specific design, [attacking] that matchup, I can be the nightmare that everybody wants me to be. And showing that I can study the playbook – [that] I know the playbook in and out – to be able to tell, not only receivers where to go, but [also] where the running back has to go, and we can play as fast ball as possible."
On how important it was for him this offseason to build upon his run-blocking ability: "I felt like, obviously, [I] want to get better with in-line blocking. That's definitely going to keep me on the field a lot more, but really, just working on that first step, that hand placement and really just strain. That's the one thing that I felt like ... As a blocker, it's more [about] your willingness. 'How much do you want it more for your person not to make the tackle, rather than him make the play? So, I feel like that's more of your want and your drive, at the end of the day, in the play, and I feel like that's something I'm going to show a lot more this year."
On why the offense was so productive when targeting tight ends last year, and who was most responsible for that: "I'd say it really comes [down] to, 'How bad do you want the ball, again?' And from a quarterback's perspective, if they throw an interception, and it goes to you, more than likely, if they have the same opportunity again, they're probably not going to throw the ball again. That's how I think, at least. Obviously, there's that next-play mentality, [and] things happen, obviously, but in my mind, it's my ball and nobody [else's]. I try to make it 100 versus DB [defensive back] to nothing. That's the way I take the ball, whether it's a good ball, bad ball – anything. If I feel like I can put my hand on the ball, I can catch anything. So, just going up to the ball [with] the mentality of, 'It's mine or nobody's,' and I feel like if I have that mentality, then I can give my quarterback any type of window to throw the ball and always make them right."
NT MICHAEL PIERCE
On having QB Lamar Jackson back practicing: "From a defensive perspective, it's been a lot more challenging. Josh [Johnson] and [the other quarterbacks] have done a great job, but anytime you can bring a two-time MVP back, things especially get a little more hectic. It's been great, [and] it gives everybody good energy. [I'm] glad to see he's healthy [and] doing well. It makes our job as a defense a lot harder, but we enjoy it."
On if he is excited about DE Brent Urban's return: "[It was] awesome. He texted me before he had [to] make his decision. Coach 'Weave' [Anthony Weaver] named us the 'fun bunch'. That's a brother to me, [and he's] one of my best friends in the league. [I'm] super, super excited, and I'm glad he did shoot me a text and let me know [that] 'Weave' and Coach Mike [Macdonald] were trying to poach him. [I'm] glad to have him back, for sure."
On if bringing back the same defensive line is beneficial: "I would believe so. Anytime you can have continuity, more so, bringing back guys who actually impact winning. We brought back 'Beeks' [Justin Madubuike] – one of the best D-tackles in the league [and] obviously [an NFL] Top 100 kind of guy. [As far as] myself I played well, obviously Broddy [DE / DT Broderick Washington] will be here again, and Travis [Jones] here again; they've taken tremendous steps. [The Ravens] bringing back 'Urb' [Brent Urban who is a] solid five[-technique]. They don't have a lot of those around the league, so [I'm] glad to have him back." [Additionally] adding a lot of guys like [Deadrin] Senat and Josh [Tupou] and all those guys. Anytime you want to have a great defense, you bring back guys throughout the secondary and in front that I just spoke on. [But] having continuity, having guys who contribute to winning and understand how things go and how things fit together is important."
On DT Travis Jones potentially making a leap in Year Three: "I don't think you would be asking me if you didn't feel the same way. He's made a tremendous amount of strides. I'm just trying to be what Brandon [Williams] was for me. [I want to be] a big brother to him, but Brandon gave me a lot of room to grow, figure things out and play next to him and with him. That's something that I've seen a lot of growth in 'Trav' [Travis Jones]. He's been making a lot of plays. I don't mind splitting reps with him; as I get older, obviously. To see him grow and make those strides; I believe he will have an amazing year this year, for sure."
On communication to be the best defensive line: "That's what we train for. Every year, we come out – we've got bigger guys we don't always have – well, we have Justin Madubuike now. But we don't have those flashy names, if you will. We end up in probably [ranking] 10th or so; we play good defense here, but we don't have those star quality names on the inside. Each and every year we tend to rise throughout the year. That's something we train for [and] that's something we expect. [With us] just being a dominant D-line [defensive line]. We all don't have the gaudy numbers that some teams have. I think we're measured by the collective group, and how everything goes. When 'Ro' [Roquan Smith] has success, when 'PQ' [Patrick Queen] had success, Trenton [Trenton Simpson] will have success, [and] obviously 'Beeks' [Justin Madubuike] will come along. We all have a part in this thing. At some point, we'll get there."
On watching the offensive line come into its own: "It's been a joy. [Andrew] Vorhees is going to be really good. He's just learning and getting back. Ben [Cleveland] has been here, 'Sala' [Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu] as well. I think it's the first few days of [training] camp. But [when you] fill in that role; it takes a while. But also, when you go up against guys like myself, 'Trav' [Travis Jones] and 'Broddy' [Broderick Washington] and get those different looks and get those opportunities that they never had before, I think they'll grow a lot. We're all enthusiastic, and we have to see how it all fills out. They're hungry to make a name for themselves, so that's the most important thing."
On what he remembers about defensive coordinator Zach Orr as a player that signaled he could be a coach: "I would say the thing that always stuck out about [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] is just how team oriented he was, [how] selfless he was, and then, when he got the opportunity, he became an All-Pro. So, not many people can have that trajectory, especially [for] being an undrafted guy. So, just [to] see how he worked and how he was diligent and waited patiently, just like his coaching career – I know his [playing] career was cut short due to something that he couldn't control – but to see him rise through the ranks ... Like I said, he was a brother of mine on the field eight years ago, so to see how he's rising is awesome. That makes me want to play for him that much harder. I definitely enjoy to see him rise, and I think he's doing a great job. I think we'll play really hard for him."
On if there was a difference in conditioning for the defensive line between the 2022 and 2023 season: "I wouldn't say so. [Strength and conditioning coordinator] Scott [Elliott] has always done a great job, even when we had [former strength and conditioning coach] Steve [Saunders] prior. It's just more so [about] 'Coach Weave' [former defensive line coach Anthony Weaver] and now [defensive line] Coach Dennis [Johnson]'s trust in our inside guys to make a lot more [of an] effect on the passer [when he's] expecting it. So, guys train for it throughout the offseason, but traditionally, we've had bigger, bulkier guys like ourselves, who just blast through A gaps, and that kind of was it. As our defense has evolved, as they've started to expect different things – and obviously, we're in a passing league now – those things of pass rushing and affecting the passer have been what's required now. So, no. I'm grateful that Coach 'Weave' allowed us to grow into that role, but like we see, we have myself, we have 'Trav' [Travis Jones and] 'Broddy' [Broderick Washington]. All of us can not only stop the run, but make a great effect on the passer. It may not be sacks, but [it's] pressures and all those kinds of things. It's good when you have big bodies and mix in those guys, like bring down 'Urb' [Brent Urban] or bring down 'Dafe' [Odafe Oweh] and play him at three-technique and get some one-on-ones. No, it's definitely something that's expected now. I think it's something we train for."
On what it's like rushing the A gap when RB Derrick Henry is on the other side: "It's not fun. Normally, I get a double team, and then by the time the double team comes off, there is a guy [in Derrick Henry] who's taller than me running through the hole, really, really fast. So, it's good to have him on my side. As of right now, it's not fun for camp, but I've been on the other side of playing against him a few times. One went terribly wrong, so I know what he's capable of. It's not fun, but also, I'm glad he'll be doing that for us instead of against us now."
Closing Statement: "Rest in peace, Jacoby Jones."
