DAILY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "Good to see everybody here inside. We were knocked in here because of the thunder. It's nice to have these facilities, so it worked out well for us."
On what the team would have done in the event of bad weather in Westminster:"We would have had to go into the gym and have a walk-through practice. So, one of the advantages to having the practices here is that we have this facility."
On WR Lee Evans' first day at practice:"He was quick today – fast, quick and he made some plays. He really didn't… He and Joe [Flacco] and Anquan [Boldin] were all talking together getting routes right, but he didn't miss a beat. He acted like he knew exactly what we were doing, and he had only been in the meetings for about 10 minutes. It's not like he knew any of the plays – it was just kind of backyard communication— so that's a credit to him. It's also a credit to the guys who were telling him what to do, so that's a positive."
On having an experienced wide receiver on the team:"It kind of takes some of the pressure off the young guys a little bit. It allows them to grow at the pace that you would want them to grow. Developing players is really important, and there's a certain pace to that that you would like to adhere to if you could. Bringing in Lee [Evans] helps us do that. Plus, he's fast, he's made plays, and he's a big yards-per-catch guy. That helps a lot."
On whether there's an advantage to having an experienced player who has never been to the playoffs:"I don't know if there's an advantage to it or not, but I know that he's excited about it. He really is excited to be a Raven. You know, it's tough leaving [an organization you've spent your entire career at]. He's been there a long time. He has friends there, and he did a great job for the Bills. But at the same time, I think he's excited to be a Raven and he wants to compete for a championship."
On whether Evans will change WR Torrey Smith's position:"No, not really. He's not really moving to a new position. Torrey [Smith] has to learn both sides anyway. Torrey will still be over there at X; Lee will play X and Z. Those guys have to move around and play different spots. I think Torrey just continues to progress and move forward."
On previous experience preparing to play against Evans:"I remember the success he had as a bad memory. We couldn't cover him, obviously. It was one of those games where he really shined and he really matched up well against our guys, I guess. He's a deep threat every play, plus he's quick. He can run routes well. He's got good hands. He's a good receiver."
On NT Terrence Cody and G Marshal Yanda not being at practice:"Cody's got an ankle that he's dealing with. It shouldn't be a major thing. Yanda's got back spasms he's dealing with, so I'd rather not have those guys out here pushing it."
On if he thinks there are areas in the pass protection to improve upon:"Of course, it sure can. It will, it has to. If you look around the league, you're going to see those kinds of issues all through training camp early on and even as we get into the season. So, you know we've just got to get better at what we're doing. I think some of the one-on-one stuff, we can correct that stuff really quickly. Some of those 'twos' are young guys, and that's developmental stuff right there. We've got to go to work, and we're still looking to add players, too, so that's a big part of it. It all goes hand in hand."
On T Oniel Cousins playing at guard:"There may be a position that he's more suited for. I think we talked in the off season about moving him to guard, but with [Marshal] Yanda coming back, we decided to give him a shot at the right tackle spot. Maybe he is suited for that position. That's what we'll find out. That's one of the great things about training camp: You have a chance to look at guys and see how they do."
On what he saw from T Jah Reid in Thursday's game:"I saw a guy that's going to be a really good player; it's just a matter of when. It's going to take a certain amount of time. Hopefully, it doesn't take more than about four weeks. That would be our goal to get him ready in four weeks. But he's really smart, he's a quick learner. I think the most improvement always comes between the first and second game, so it'll be fun to watch. The Chiefs have a nice pass rusher in Tamba Hali. It's an odd front; it will be a big challenge. So, it'll be a good chance to evaluate how fast he's coming along between last week and this week."
WR Lee Evans
On if his first day as a member of the Ravens lived up to expectations:"Absolutely. I was very excited to come here and be a part of something special. Obviously, this has been a very historic franchise – a winning organization – and I just want to come in and do my part and do anything I can do to help them win."
On if he will wear No. 85 permanently:"No, I will probably change it. It will probably change. This was the only available one right now, so it will probably change."
On if he will offer TE Ed Dickson compensation to wear No. 83:"I don't know, we'll see. I haven't really thought about it. There are a lot more things going on right now."
On if he thought the Ravens gave him a better shot to get to the playoffs: "Absolutely. I have been in the league for eight years now, and I haven't been there yet. Coming to a franchise like this, I was excited about it and as fired up as I could be. I just want to do anything I can to do my part to help them get there."
On if he told the Bills he wanted to be traded to a team such as the Ravens:"Like you said, I didn't have any control over it. On their part, I think they were trying to get me to a good organization, and I thank them for that."
On what the past day has been like since he found out about he was traded:"It was a hectic day. I got in last night and came over, did the physical this morning. I met with [offensive coordinator] Cam [Cameron], [wide receivers coach] 'Hoss' [Jim Hostler] and [head coach] John [Harbaugh]. They said we were going to have you out at practice, so I just suited up. Some of the terms are familiar, but some aren't. Joe Flacco did a great job of trying to keep me in the loop with what is going on so I didn't mess up too much. It was kind of a whirlwind. I just wanted to come out here and get acclimated to how they do things here."
On what he can bring to the offense:"Obviously, one of my biggest attributes is speed, so being able to get down the field and stretch the defense… 'Q' [Anquan Boldin] is as dynamic as they come, so [I want to] open some things up for him and let him control it."
On if it is nice to know that there is a stable quarterback situation with the Ravens, as opposed to the Bills:"Absolutely. Absolutely. You hit it right on the head. It has been a whirlwind in Buffalo with different coordinators and quarterbacks. To come into a stable situation, it builds confidence in me that I can just continue to get better every day."
On if he was surprised by the trade talks:"I never got wind of anything, but it didn't surprise me by the way things were going and the direction they wanted to go. It really didn't surprise me. It's just one of those things that just happens. You just have to roll with it."
On how he heard that he had been traded:"I was on my way to Buffalo. We were in Rochester. I was on my way to Buffalo, and I got the call, and they let me know. It just happened quick, and then I was on a flight here at 7. It was quick."
On if he thought that it was a good time for a fresh start: "I never really thought about it like that. The main goal when you bring in young guys is to try to help them out as much as you can, developing, and try to win. That was more so the mindset. You never know when they bring in a new regime of coaches and GMs, what their mindset is going to be. You understand what the risks are with that and you just have to go with it."
On what he is going to do to prove that he still has a lot of football left in him:"Just play ball. Like you said, it is pretty stable here, so [I will] just do whatever I can to get better and do what I can to help them win."
On his former Bills teammates' reactions to the trade:"I have been with those guys for a long time. It was tough to go. Obviously, you build some real good relationships, deep relationships with guys, but that is part of it. I got a lot of texts, a lot of messages on the way out. I know they support me, and I support them. But this is a new situation for me. I am happy to be here."
