COURTESY OF BALTIMORE RAVENS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Obviously, he wasn’t out there today, but with QB Lamar Jackson, how is this year different for you working with him in training camp than in Year One and Year Two?(Aaron Kasinitz) “We started, basically … Go back to the beginning with everything. That’s kind of how I’ve always done it. So, in terms of fundamentals … Literally, start with the stance every year. And that way, it’s like riding a bike. Third year with him, what I have noticed is he is much further along and was much faster to get up to speed in terms of the body, mechanically and throwing and accuracy, and those things. He looks like he’s going into his third year of playing.”
How do you see the speed during this training camp? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) “The one thing that I’ve seen … And this is going into my 17th year in this league, is … And this is the strangest training camp I’ve had, in terms of guys getting up to speed and doing things the right way. This acclimation period that we went through is very interesting to me, because by the time we got to football, it made up time. Whether it was the NFLPA or the league as they joined together … That acclimation period I thought was very productive for us. And once we got the pads on, it’s been, pretty much, football as normal. Once we get out on the field, it’s been football.”
QB Lamar Jackson had one of the best quarterback seasons that a quarterback has had. He’s a young quarterback. What specifically would you like to see him improve on in this next year? (Jamison Hensley) “Here’s what we talk about all the time; like all of the high-end, great players – whether it’s basketball or football – you talk about Brett Favre and Joe Montana and those guys. It’s always [about] putting more tricks in your bag. Basketball – they learn [how] to shoot a jump shot. Then, they learn the fadeaway. But they never lose the ability to drive the lane. So, we’re never going to lose the ability for him to take the ball and run, like he does, and that great natural ability. We don’t want to coach him out of that, but we do want to improve the pocket passing consistency. Certainly, he had great flashes of it and the accuracy is there. We just want to always chase perfection. We know this is not a game of perfect, but that’s what we’re chasing. So, the improvement of certain types of throws, and then becoming more consistent with making those types of throws.”
What can you tell us about your role with QB Lamar Jackson this offseason? This is a guy who didn’t exactly have your typical offseason for an NFL player. He was in the limelight, but at the same time, he seems to take it in stride. How do you see his offseason going? What was your role with him during it? (Bobby Trosset) “Lamar [Jackson] and I communicate frequently. This year was a lot of doing it like this [virtually]. Listen, Lamar is mature beyond his years. You guys have heard that, you’ve seen it. His ability to handle those things and stay focused on what his goals are, which is to win a Super Bowl, many Super Bowls … That’s the goal; that’s everybody’s goal … But that’s, really, what he lives. All the other stuff … He and I have this conversation – at some point, when he’s old and gray, and he’s sitting sipping some lemonade with the grandkids running around, maybe he’ll remember these things. But right now, now is not the time for reflection. Now, [it’s] 2020 and we’re moving on and we’re trying to get that big prize at the end.”
Speaking of that – you work with a lot of really motivated players who want to win the big game [Super Bowl]. QB Lamar Jackson talks about it all the time. How is he different from other players, or special in that regard, in his desire to win a Super Bowl? (Ryan Mink) “It’s unceasing, it’s burning – there is no Lamar [Jackson] … If you took that away from Lamar Jackson, he would not be the person that you see every day, that we see every day. It is short of an obsession, but it’s an obsession – if you get what I’m saying. This is what his goal is – to lead this franchise to a Super Bowl. That’s the way he views it. That’s just what he wants to do.”
This is, obviously, a really challenging offseason that I think hurt the young players more than anyone else. Wanted to get your thoughts on what you’re seeing from QB Trace McSorley, and even QB Tyler Huntley coming in as a rookie? (Luke Jones)”Listen, all three of those guys – Robert [Griffin III], and Trace [McSorley] and Tyler Huntley have really been working hard. They were all diligent through the offseason. And the one thing that we gained, is we probably did more football ‘Xs’ and ‘Os,’ theory, studying of our passing game, studying of defenses, than we’ve ever done, because we weren’t getting ready to go on the practice field. We just didn’t have that opportunity. We still had all the meeting time without watching practice film or preparing for practice. So, we gained something there. I would say that Trace is having a really good camp. He looks good; he’s worked very, very hard. And all signs are pointing up for Tyler Huntley. It’s not too big for him. He’s done the work, the mental work. And then when he has the opportunity to make throws, he’s making some really good throws. I’m just really happy with the room and the guys that I get to work with every day.”
