COURTESY OF BALTIMORE RAVENS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Opening statement: “Good to see everybody again on Zoom – I appreciate it. You guys are looking good, nice backgrounds. It’s funny how we kind of evaluate everybody’s background now, you know, ‘What do they have going on back there?’ But we had a good day, I appreciate the guys. Second day in pads – you evaluate that a little bit just to figure out how guys respond from the first day in pads, and our guys did a good job. We actually got a couple guys back for practice and I thought we had a really good day. We’re ready to roll for tomorrow.”
We’re talking to QB Lamar Jackson in a little bit. I know it’s early, but has anything stood out about Lamar so far [from] what we haven’t seen and then the first two days that we’ve seen today? (Jamison Hensley) “You’ve seen it. I think what stands out about Lamar [Jackson] is just Lamar. He’s the whole package in terms of who he is and how he plays. He’s been that. He’s been very consistent in what he’s been doing, but he’s also really focusing on improving across the board on specific areas, and he’s worked hard at that. So, as we go, we’ll just kind of see where that goes. It’s just a matter of it’s a process, it’s repetition. He’s working really hard at it, like always, and that’s what you appreciate about Lamar.”
Do you think QB Lamar Jackson likes the idea that he’s got a lot of responsibilities as the guy who everyone is looking at? OLB Matthew Judon called him the franchise player yesterday. Do you think he embraces that responsibility? (David Ginsburg) “I do, he loves it. He loves that, because he’s in the middle of it. He wants to be in the middle of things. He loves the guys, he loves practice, he loves meetings. I mean, he likes to be in the middle of stuff. He’s always in … If there’s something going on, Lamar’s [Jackson] probably in the middle of it. That’s just his personality and the way he lives. Sure – he’s a competitor, he’s fun to be around, and he wants to win. Those are all good things.”
DE Calais Campbell, he’s an even more imposing figure when you see him in person. He seems to be exuberant with the guys. How do you see him fitting in early during the practice and sort of taking over a leadership role? It seems like he’s really embracing that veteran presence. (Todd Karpovich) “That’s a perfect observation, that’s exactly right. Everything you just said is spot on. He is more imposing in person, as just the size of who he is physically, but sort of as a personality as well, in a real positive and good-natured way. He has a big personality. He’s a really caring guy. He’s a great leader. [He] cares about his teammates and [he’s a] family man. He’s just the total package, for sure. But you know the thing about these guys is – you don’t realize it until you stand there on the field – is how big they are. Calais [Campbell] looks big on the … And then you see him in person. It kind of gives you a sense of how big everybody is. So, it definitely is a big person’s game.”
We’ve seen S Earl Thomas III for two days. He’s typically business-like, just going about his business, but he looks like he’s moving even better than he was at this time last year. What have you seen from him thus far early in camp? (Jeff Zrebiec) “I would agree with that 100 percent. He’s 100 percent ready to go. He’s worked very hard in the offseason – you can see that. He’s in excellent shape; quick, fast, has a good burst, good acceleration, he’s strong. He just looks really good. I think this is … I don’t know the comparisons to the past and stuff like that, but I just know the now. And, right now, I see a guy that’s ready to roll – he’s in great shape.”
WR Miles Boykin, the steps as a rookie … He showed flashes and the consistencies where most rookie receivers have issues. It looks like he’s just making every play, every ball that comes to him, not just running the right routes but making all the catches. Is that what you’re seeing? Are you pleased with the progress you’ve seen out of him so far? (Pete Gilbert) “Sure. The same thing you’re seeing, we’re seeing. He has a mindset where he wants to dominate at the catch point – that’s something he’s taken very personally. Obviously, he’s worked really hard. You can see the physical aspect of it, but he has to stack those plays, stack those days and make those plays. So, that’s what he’s trying to do. We appreciate it and I think he’s off to a very good start.”
It’s been said that your working relationship with executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta is the best in football. What do you attribute that to?(Kirk McEwen) (laughing) “I saw that. I’ll tell you; I’ll attribute that to Eric [DeCosta]. He’s a really humble guy and a very hard-working guy; very determined, very creative. He’s taken the number of years he’s been here … He’s been here his whole career. He’s been with [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] and all the other … [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] and the great people in this organization. He’s soaked everything up, to the point where I think he has it all in terms of leadership, in terms of organization, in terms of ability to evaluate. He understands the [salary] cap inside and out. He understands the rules. He understands how it operates in terms of finding players, and how the NFL operates. I just think he’s done a great job getting himself ready for this. I mean, he’s been ready for years, but he wanted to be here. He wanted to be with the Ravens and Steve and Ozzie. I know he loves Ozzie and what he’s learned from Ozzie. I just think he’s top-notch. He’s done a great job, and hopefully, we can keep building on it.”
Has there been any cases, and it’s early, of maybe you’ve had to say to some guys, ‘You’ve got to dial it back a little bit. You’re a little too aggressive here at the early portion with the padded practice?’ It’s the first-time you guys have been in pads here now for two days. Has that been the case or has it been pretty controlled? (Jerry Coleman) “It’s been controlled, I would say. But there’s always those moments where it’s pass rush or something in terms of staying off the ground or a catch point or whatever. You have to try to just keep emphasizing to guys the balance of preparing and getting ourselves ready to play an NFL football game and taking care of each other at the same time at practice. So, those are the things that you work on, but I do feel that our guys have done a really good job of that. I’m very excited about their understanding of both aspects of that walk, and they’ve done a good job so far.”
I know that you like speed. How do you rate the speed of this year’s team? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) “I don’t know if we can rate it, exactly. I don’t think you really … You don’t just know exactly where you’re at until you play the games. That’s the thing that’s going to be so interesting this year – it’s going to be a year like none other. The opening game will be like no other opening game in the history of NFL football. I don’t know that there’s ever been an opener without preseason games, without a sense of where a team is at. So, that first weekend is going to be wild and exciting, and we’re all going to be seeing it for the first time. It’s going to be pretty exciting.”
How do you think the rest of the quarterback room is coming along? Certainly, you’ve had a long time to watch QB Trace McSorley, but it seems like QB Tyler Huntley has done some nice things out there so far. What have you seen from those guys? (Childs Walker) “They’re all doing a good job. [Tyler] Huntley is just who we thought he would be; he’s a sponge, he works hard. Trace [McSorley] looks good. ‘RGIII’ [Robert Griffin III] is having the best camp that he’s had since he’s been here. He’s really playing well. He’s throwing the ball well, really, up until yesterday, and then back again today. He’s just been hot. I just feel like they’re all doing well and it’s a good room.”
