OLB Elvis Dumervil
On his thoughts regarding Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and his battle with Alzheimer's:"Anytime anybody has to deal with something like that, it's a tough situation – I'm sure for his family. It's a very delicate situation."
On his relationship with Bowlen:"He gave me my first start in the NFL, obviously, being the leader there. [He] rewarded me a second contract, so I'll be forever grateful. He helped impact my life [and] my family for generations to come. He was a great guy. He always asked about my health, and when I was out for the year, we talked a bit. He was always great to me, and I was always grateful for that. When I heard about the news, it was a sad day for that."
On if he will be reaching out to the Bowlen family or team:"I haven't gotten to that. I just found out this morning, actually. With training camp, a lot's going on, but any way that I can help in trying to support what he's done – his legacy there as an owner – [I will try]. Everything was run first-class, and he took care of his players well. It was a great experience with my first seven years there."
WR Steve Smith, Sr.
On how he feels about his first training camp with the Ravens: "It's good. I passed my conditioning test on Monday, drove up Sunday, so it's good."
On how tough his conditioning test was: "It was pretty tough. It was pretty tough, but that's the whole purpose of it. I think Coach [John Harbaugh] uses that as an opportunity to see which guys are all in, which guys are really ready, prepared, which guy is taking that opportunity to take the time away from there to relax, de-stress, but also get in that work. So for me, I always have used that time to connect with my family, but also use that time to kind of get a head start and prepare for training camp, because I know training camp is a grind."
On what he has learned about the way the Ravens practice compared to the Carolina Panthers: "Honestly, as far as comparison, it's going to be very hard, especially with every week. I don't really want to compare. I had a great career there and that time has passed, but I think playing and being in the Ravens organization, facility, the Raven way, I think I fit in very perfectly compared to probably where I was prior. So, I'm happy where I'm at, and I'm happy I got the opportunity to be here. I think I'm going to fit in perfectly."
On how he thinks about the Ravens' personality: "I love the personality. It's not really about how you say it; it's about what you do, and that's the part I love about it. I'm not really concerned more about the perception. It's more about what's going on. So, that's the thing that I love about it – what's really going on, what are we doing, how are we improving. That's really, at the end of the day, that's really what people really care about – it's the wins and losses. It's not all the stuff and the fancy get-up that goes on during the week."
On how he describes his mindset before training camp: "My mindset, honestly, is just get acclimated to my teammates, get an opportunity at training camp to get to know them a little bit better. Obviously, a lot of guys stayed here in Baltimore, and I went back to Charlotte and kind of enjoyed some family time. So it gives me the opportunity at night when we're sitting around, to get the opportunity to have some one-on-one time with guys that I didn't have the opportunity to in OTAs and minicamp."
On how his early impressions of the Ravens compare to the Panthers: "The truth is, I wouldn't be able to appreciate where I am today if I didn't have the opportunity and experience in Carolina. So I appreciate what I experienced in Carolina, and it makes me more appreciative to be here, especially at the age I'm at. I'm lucky to even be here. After you hit 35, you should be with a walker and all that stuff (laughter). I'm just happy to be playing ball and have the opportunity to play and play in a conference where it's smash-mouth football, and I'm going to fit in perfectly about that."
On if the Ravens' offense suits his abilities: "I think I fit in any offense once you learn it, understand what the routes are, understand what they're trying to get. I understand there are going to be times when I'm the premier receiver, and there are times that I need to clear through for Torrey [Smith] or Jacoby [Jones] or Marlon [Brown]. You have to be able to be efficient in any offense; you've got to understand in every play what your role is, and if you don't understand what your role is, that's where you have veterans that become frustrated, and things start to unravel. I understand my role. My role is one, to make plays, but two, also understand the concept, understand what my job is on this play, and I understand that. And each week is going to be a different challenge, and I'm ready for that."
On his chemistry with QB Joe Flacco: "Do you want me to lie to you or tell you the truth?" *(Reporter says: "You can do both. But it's probably the truth.") *"The truth, honestly, for me, I've been catching passes for quarterbacks for a lot of years, and I've been running routes for a lot of years. If you throw me the ball, there's no chemistry; you throw me the ball. [If] it's catchable, I'm going to snag it. That's what practice is going to be there for. Practice is there to make mistakes, to understand what I need to do and how Joe operates. Then, my job at the end of the day is to make him look good."
On how he meshes with the other wideouts:"I met Torrey [Smith] four years ago or around his rookie year, so I met him when we were actually both at Anquan [Boldin's charity event] in Florida. I met him and LaQuan [Williams]. I've known Jacoby [Jones] here and there, and me and Marlon [Brown] actually have the same agent. At the end of the day, I'm here to do a job. I'm not here to worry about [if] we're friends or not friends. We have to do a job. We could be the best of friends, but if we're not connecting and doing our jobs, we're going to be two friends that are unemployed. The bottom line in football, which I believe, is it's about making plays. People get hired and fired not based on relationships, but about your ability. And that's what I thought I was brought here for, for my ability and not my friendships. But I will [make] friends and get to know [my teammates]. They'll get to know my family; I'll get to know their family."* *
On how strong of a unit the Ravens' wideouts could be this season:"I think we could be pretty good – better than last year."* *
On the type of combo he and WR Torrey Smith make:"I think you can call us, 'The Law Firm: Smith, Smith & Associates.'"* *
On if he just came up with that nickname for himself and WR Torrey Smith:"I'm pretty quick-witted, so I did actually come up with that." (laughter)
On how he would describe his motivation:"Honestly, when everything went down [in Carolina during his release], there was a part of [me] that felt offended. But at the end of the day, I sat there and thought about it. Everybody makes decisions based on whatever it is, and it's not my place to say it's justified or unjustified. For me, my motivation is to go out here, make plays, have fun and really enjoy the journey. I'm only going to play a couple more years; I want to enjoy the journey, I want to have fun, I just want to go out there and laugh, [and] obviously win games. [I want to] just have fun and really see a guy like Torrey [Smith], Marlon [Brown] … I'm going to be sitting on my couch sooner than those guys will. And so when I'm sitting on my couch with my boys, and we're watching on Sundays when I can become a fan, I don't want to say, 'Hey, I know that football player.' I want to say, 'I know that man.' That's my [objective] and that's what I want to do [during] my time here – to be able to get to know these men and say, 'I know that man that's catching the football.' Because a lot of times as fans, we think we know someone, but you can't really know them by seeing them two hours of the day watching them [do] their job. I get the unique opportunity to have that relationship with them, but [I] also get to know them when I'm done playing. 'Hey, you remember Mr. Torrey?' 'Yeah! He's doing well, but do you remember when he did this?' Yesterday, down at my event in Curtis Bay, I had the opportunity to hang out with Torrey and show him some of the things that I do outside of football, which he got to experience. It was pretty cool."
On the biggest key for him at this point in his career:"You can never perform at as high a level at 35 that you did at 25. My job is to go out there and catch what's catchable and have fun doing it. [I don't want to] really concern myself too much on the 'what-ifs' and 'Should I be here?' or 'Should I be there?' The things that I've experienced in my career, honestly, they're not going to get any better, and the reason why is because my perspective is different. Hopefully, I will accomplish better things statistically, but I'm living the dream. I'm a knucklehead from L.A., and I've been in the league for 14 years. I beat statistics, so I'm happy and I'm having fun. I've beaten a lot of statistics – of where I grew up, of my culture and also of the NFL itself with guys and their longevity."
On if the intensity and combativeness ever really goes away:"The competitiveness doesn't mellow out; your focus is just a little different. The things that maybe riled you up don't rile you up as much, but it's hard for you guys [to understand], because you really don't know me. You see a push, and then that's a fight. So you just kind of see that, but we're here to play football. We're not out here to exchange cookie recipes. It's combative. When we play the Pittsburgh Steelers, [former Carolina teammate] Mike Mitchell is not going to come up and say, 'Hey, Steve, I've got this great chocolate-chip cookie recipe,' and I walk up [and say], 'I've got a great brownie recipe.' (laughter) No. [If] I go across the middle, he's going to try and hit me. We're not on the same team anymore, so I'm going to try and knock his block off, too. And when I get up, I'm going to spin [the football], go back to the huddle and do it again."* *
On if altercations, such as his previous one with Indianapolis CB Vontae Davis in a preseason game, linger:"We'll talk about that when we play Indianapolis." (laughter)
On why he tweeted that he feels more motivated now than ever before:"Honestly, I was just driving up going the opposite way of where I went for 13 years. It's a different objective; it's a different place; it's a different time. I'm not more motivated – I'm just … First, I'm on social media more than I've ever been. But I'm still going to play football. I've always had anxiety. I've always looked at training camp as a measuring stick of where I am, mentally and physically, and I think these coaches evaluate that as well. That doesn't change."
OLB Terrell Suggs
On how it feels to be back kicking off training camp:"Everybody will tell you it's not our favorite part of the [year], because we really enjoy our time off, but it's good for everybody. Everybody loves football. Once we get over the process of moving everything back and getting back into the flow of things, it becomes very repetitious for us. It's good. Everybody is excited. Everybody is really happy to have football back. We're all big kids [who] can't wait to get out there. I had to check myself, because we don't hit until Saturday, but I was like, 'Man, I can't wait to get into pads.' And I was like, 'Wait, I'm going to need to slow down because I'm going to have them on more than I really want to.' It's just really exciting and it's good to have football back."
On it being the first time in a while that the Ravens aren't coming off of a playoff season:"I think it's more of a 'get after it' [feeling], so to say. We have a bad taste in our mouth. It's been the first time since Coach [John Harbaugh] got here, since 2008, that we didn't make the playoffs. It is clear how something like that can be taken for granted. When you make the playoffs the whole time that the coach has been here, it's like, 'OK, yeah. We're going to go to the playoffs [again].' When we missed it once, it was definitely a rude awakening. It sucks. It sucked to watch teams compete and teams that you played get the opportunity to win a championship. It sucks. It sucks, and it's definitely something we don't want to feel again."
On what head coach John Harbaugh's theme of being "All In" and what that message means to the team:"Last year, we had a lot of new parts. We had a lot of new parts. And even this year, we brought in some more new parts. I think, in the key areas, [that's] where we addressed last year in the offseason. Now we have a lot of guys with a year under their belt, and now we just want to bring all the other new guys all in. We know what our mission is, we know our goals, and we're here to achieve some good things. Some great things, excuse me, so we just have to all buy in."
On being one of the oldest players on the Ravens' roster:"It's deceptive, because yes, I'm going into my 12th year, but all of you forget I walked up in here when I was 20. You all are trying to say, 'Oh, he's a vet!' I'm still fairly young though. I don't even think I'm the oldest guy on the team. After we get going, it all becomes repetitious, like riding a bike – you never really forget how to do that. We're going to come out here to work. The No. 1 thing [for us] to do is appreciate this time that we have. We were all looking forward to [finding] a chance to go back out there, and we're going to try and pick up where we left off and show that we didn't miss a beat after losing two of our big brothers [Ed Reed and Ray Lewis]. We got a rude awakening in the first week. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of training camp and actually get some serious work done."
On if the sense of it feeling like a different training camp comes from his teammates:"When we all left, a lot of the time we were all together. I'm not talking about in June; I'm talking about in January. When we all left, we all felt like we let each other down. Like, 'This isn't how we carry on and we take care of each other.' [If] we know we're supposed to meet next week, [then] all right, 'This is our objective, this is who we have to stop, this is who we've got,' and we had exit physicals. We didn't like that feeling. Just [from] talking to the guys this offseason and [with the] things that happened, it was like, 'You know what? We need to rededicate ourselves to our purpose and to the standard and the things that we're used to achieving around here.'"
On if he needs to take on a singular voice like Ray Lewis as a leader of the defense:"I don't think so, for the simple fact that [Ray is] one of the greatest leaders ever. There will probably never be another Ray Lewis. There will never be another leader like that on the football field. You shouldn't even try to replicate that. I've said it from the jump: We have a lot of leaders on this team. I'm really looking forward to seeing Joe Flacco come into his own, just being one of those premier, elite quarterbacks. He talks to his team. We're definitely all going to stand behind Joe, we're going to stand behind Haloti [Ngata], and hopefully they all stand behind me. We're going to use this training camp to take advantage of this opportunity to get some work done."
On what QB Joe Flacco has to do to "come into his own":"Joe is just 'Cool Joe,' and not all the time. He's not the most vocal, but sometimes we may need that. He may have to cuss somebody out; he may have to cuss me out. (laughter) It's good to hear your quarterback get after somebody sometimes. I think it'd be a good thing. At the end of the day, we still love 'Cool Joe' though."
On if trash talk between him and QB Joe Flacco should be expected on the practice field:"I guess we'll have to see."
On if QB Joe Flacco ever cussed him out before:"He has! (laughter) *He has cussed me out before, but Joe knows how to do his little subliminal slick shots. *(laughter) We're looking forward to [him being a] little bit more direct."
On what impresses him about OLB Courtney Upshaw:"I like Courtney's toughness. He fits that Raven persona. I like his physicality. I just love the way the kid plays. Anytime you have guys like that on your front line, obviously you have a very good defense, and I love a lot about Courtney, too. He's one of those guys who speaks softly, but [is a] carries-a-big-stick-type of guy. He doesn't do much talking, but his play speaks volumes."
On what stands out about rookie LB C.J. Mosley:"[He's] very lean, very quick. Just from the little bit I caught in minicamp, he can catch on really fast. He caught on to the defense really fast. His attention to detail is very intriguing. It took me two years, three years, to really feel like I got the grasp of NFL football, and it looks like C.J. is not going to have a problem with that."
On the Ravens' need to be more aggressive on defense:"The coaches take the longest [and hardest] look at the team like, 'All right, this is what we're doing; this is what we need to do better.' So if the coach said it, that's probably what it is. I trust John [Harbaugh], definitely. When we're in the heat of the moment, we've gotten accustomed to and we've been playing a certain defense, a certain style, for so long, then maybe we may start to do some of those things – reacting too much to personnel groups or personnel – and let's just get back to the basics. We forget sometimes that [teams] have to stop us. We've always been a very fast and violent defense, and we need to get back to that."
On what WR Steve Smith, Sr. brings to the team:"He's definitely going to be a competitor. I mean, he got into a fight the last day of [minicamp]. (laughter) He's still a little fired up about it. We get another defensive guy playing offense with Steve coming over. This is one guy last year [who] Dean Pees told us not to anger, and it was a preseason game. The goal was to do our time and get out of there. It's great to have him on our team. It's good that Joe [has] another target to throw to, to complement Torrey [Smith] and the white tight end [Dennis Pitta]. (laughter) It's great."
On if he enters the season with the perspective of not having much time left in his career:"No, because like I said, this is my 12th year walking in here at 20. Some guys will be in their 12th year and they didn't start playing until they were 24, 23, and they're 35; I'm 31 years old. I haven't really thought about it, but now you put it [in my mind]. I'm just going to enjoy my 12th year, and as the years continue to go, I'll think about it then. But right now, there's nothing more important than now."
