HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
How has your experience been here for your first NFL Owner's Meetings here? (Jamison Hensley) "It's been great. It's a great opportunity to connect with people, meet a lot of people [and] see how the league operates. You see why it's such a successful operation. So, yes, it's been great."
Big picture, where you guys are as a coaching staff right now as players are coming back right around the corner? (Garrett Downing) "We are, I think, where we want to be. It's been a sprint. I think since we hired the staff, this April 6th date has kind of been what we've been aiming for to get the guys back in the building and really start to lay the foundation of how we want to operate. So, we've done a lot of work on our systems in all three phases. Now we're ready to start teaching, ready to start connecting, ready to start being around these guys. And so, I think we're in a good place."
What was your Orioles Opening Day experience like? (Garrett Downing) "It was cool. The 'Splash Zone' – it was neat. Baltimore is such a great sports town. The Orioles are an awesome organization. The way they do Opening Day is a huge deal. So, it was really fun to be a part of it."
The Orioles kept it low scoring for a defensive coach. (Jamison Hensley) "That's right. Yes, that's right."
What was your reaction to the Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby situation? "I have so much respect for Maxx [Crosby]. I think we were obviously excited about it and then disappointed about it. [I am] not going to speak to many of the details about it, but [I have] tons of respect for him as a player and the Raiders as an organization."
Is there anything in terms of adjusting the process for trades, whether it's more communication with doctors, whether it's rethinking when and how physicals are conducted – is there something that the league and teams can do? "I think it's just all part of a process. When you make a trade, you go through the process, you get all the information. Sometimes those things happen, and it just happened; again, I think maybe on a smaller scale, but [it happened with] another team. And so, I'm not going to speak too much to that process."
Speaking of processes, what's it been like with QB Lamar Jackson as you guys point toward this offseason program and dialogue you guys have had? You talked a little bit about that, but where kind of do things stand in that? Do you get a sense that he'll be here for some of the offseason? (Brian Wacker) "I think we're excited about the offseason program. I know Lamar [Jackson]'s excited. I think he is excited about some of the changes. We've had a lot of good connection points, but the offseason program is voluntary, and we're excited to get a chance to work with all of the guys, whoever wants to show up. We feel confident that a lot of guys will be there. And then again, like I've said this before, it's our job to make it an environment and an opportunity for them to really feel like they're getting a lot out of it. And so, I'm excited about that process, the way the staff has put in the work to be ready, to make it a worthwhile offseason program. So, I just look forward to getting all the guys there."
Can you describe what are some of the main things you want to accomplish with the players from the time they get in to the building all the way to training camp? (Cliff Brown) "It starts with the relationships, getting a chance to be around the guys, working together, [and] them starting to understand my personality and how we want to operate, the standards that we want to create for ourselves. And then just like, you have to learn. There's a lot to learn. There's new systems. There's really all three phases. There's a lot of new things. There's new coordinators. There's new coaches, and so that's a process. The offseason could be a great advantage if you put in the time, if you put in the work to learn. So that way when you get to training camp, you can kind of hit the ground running from a scheme standpoint and for how you operate. So, I am just really excited about it and just really excited to connect with these guys, get around each other, spend time together, and it's going to be a big offseason for us."
Have you thought at all if you want to have joint practices or not? The past couple of years have had afternoon practices – about what time of day, anything like that. Is that too far ahead? (Cliff Brown) "No, it's all being thought through thoroughly right now about what's the best for us, what's the best for our players, what's the best for health, what's the best for getting the team ready to play in the season. So, all those things, there's hopefully a couple opportunities for some joint practices. I don't think anything's truly final yet, but we look forward to having a couple of those opportunities. And I think in training camp, sometimes moving around the practice time can be beneficial. It might not be the same exact time every day, maybe a little bit different. You play at all these different times during the season, and so I think training camp's an opportunity to get your team ready to play."
As you hit the ground running with free agency, the Draft, all of the above, is there anything you do outside of football to bring this new coaching staff together? (Giana Han) "I think you just spend time together, whether it's hanging out in the evenings, doing dinners together, and just like how you want the players to connect, the coaches need to be really connected. We need to be like the – how we operate needs to be how the players can see how we are. So, it's been great to get to know a lot of these guys. Obviously, I knew some of them; I got to know them a lot more throughout the interview process and the hiring process, and so far so good. It's been a great staff."
What makes New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh a great coach? "[Giants head coach] John [Harbaugh]'s great. He has a knack of building a team. I think he has standards. He has principles that his teams stand on. He's a great communicator, and there's a reason he's always been so successful."
For Washington Commanders DE Odafe Oweh, what clicked for him once he got to Los Angeles? "I think No. 1, [Odafe Oweh] knew that it was kind of the clock was ticking. It's a contract year for him. He gets traded. There was a little bit of that fresh start; it kind of gave him a new life, I would say, just going to a new place. We connected really well, and I think we had a lot of confidence in how we were trying to use him. We tried to breed confidence into him and his ability as a pass rusher and his ability to impact the game. I am very happy for him, very proud of him, and I think Washington got a good player."
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh over the years sort of didn't play starting players in the preseason. I know you probably don't have to plan for it yet, but what is your thought process on playing veterans in preseason? How do you plan to approach that? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I think it's a little bit more individually based maybe than just full on whatever, starters or non-starters. I think there's guys that are young that can benefit from getting out there a little bit. To me, it's all about trying to be ready for that first game. And so, I just think there's things football-wise that you need to do to be ready to hit the ground running in that first game. So, everything will be geared towards that, about getting the team healthy, fast and fresh into that first game. So, all decisions made will point towards that."
With DT Nnamdi Madubuike, I know – it sounds like that is still very up in the air, I guess from your standpoint, do you guys have sort of a contingency plan one way or the other, whether he's back or whether he's not back? (Brian Wacker) "For everything, I think you always try to have a plan in case something happens. I know that [Nnamdi Madubuike] is in a great place mentally. He's doing a lot of stuff. That's still a kind of a 'to be determined' thing, I would say. And so, we certainly – as an organization – you certainly have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and all the way down the line. And so, we'll be excited whichever way that goes."
Is there optimism there, would you say, with DT Nnamdi Madubuike's situation? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I'll leave that up to [Nnamdi Madubuike]. I love him as a player, love him as a person. I've seen some of the videos [on social media] of him doing things. I know he just feels good being back – working out and doing things like that, but I'll leave all that up to him."
Do you know when there might be a decision made? (Jamison Hensley) "I don't know that there's a hard timeline on that."
The offseason program starts next week. The whole entire preparation process, I'm sure, has been a lot. Can you just share a bit about getting ready for that? (Candi Waller) "That's kind of like the thing we've been most excited about, is getting to that point. All the work has been geared towards being ready for that day that the guys walk in the door. We need to capture that. We want to create an environment where we capture the players, and they feel like they're getting a lot out of it. And so, we put a lot of time and energy into that, and we're excited for it to get started."
Do you have any other injury updates, like RB Justice Hill or any of the other players that had season-ending injuries? (Giana Han) "I will probably have more updates later on throughout the offseason program."
The offensive line was a big point of contention last season. I know it's a long way away, decisions and things like that, but how do you view what you guys will do there, particularly at center and the two guards? (Brian Wacker) "We added John [Simpson], and I think there's a lot of time between now and September to continue to add pieces. There are a multitude of ways that you can still add pieces with free agency and the draft, obviously. I know [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] always said, 'It's a long time between now and the early part of September when you're playing.' And so, I am super confident in the group that we have in place right now. I am super confident that those guys will work really hard this offseason, that we'll put together a good offensive line and that we'll continue to add pieces throughout the roster that we feel will help us become the best team we can be."
Since he arrived, what have you learned about or from run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford? How has that shaped your decisions about the offensive line? (Giana Han) "I love Coach [Dwayne] Ledford. He was actually – I want to say – maybe the first or second coach hired. I have a lot of confidence in him. I think he has a really strong way of connecting with those guys, getting them to play a certain way, a certain style, with a certain play demeanor. And so yes, like anything, I think the guys are excited to connect with him. He's already built a lot of relationships with the guys returning. And then, again, there's a lot of time between now and then to add more pieces, but I have a lot of confidence in him to get our offensive line right."
In talking to QB Lamar Jackson, I'm sure you've probably asked him, what would he like to see out of the coaching staff or anything. What has kind of has been his response about what he would like to see out of you guys? (Jamison Hensley) "Again, a lot of that stuff I will probably keep between Lamar [Jackson] and I, but I just think that he's excited for us to connect, for us to build a relationship, for us to trust each other, for us to be able to talk through things and for us to take his input on things, but also being willing to talk through it and not just go with something. And so, I'm just excited about him. You don't become the level of player that he has without a great work ethic, without being a great teammate and without being a leader. And so, I am just excited for him to continue to grow, evolve and become an even better version of Lamar."
RB Derrick Henry has had two great seasons in Baltimore. What is your vision for what he will continue to do this season? (Garrett Downing) "I'm so excited about Derrick [Henry]. Having a running back like that, getting downhill, running the football, being able to control the clock, being able to control the offense through the running game, I think is very powerful. If you look at the teams again that have done it the last few years, having a really strong running game has been a huge part of that – the last two Super Bowl champions [had very strong run games]. And so, we feel like he's a major, major piece of how we operate and how we're going to operate. And I could not be more excited to have him. He's had an unbelievable career, and then even more so the last two years. The way that he works – there are some guys that get better with age, and I would say that he kind of fits into that category."
To that point about the running game, the tight ends would generally be part of that. You just have TE Mark Andrews, in terms of experienced guys. What's been the conversation and how important is adding to that going to be for you guys? (Brian Wacker) "Certainly, it's a major part of any offense, I would say. Being able to control the edges in the run game and being able to, obviously, be receiving threats. We think Mark [Andrews] is one of the best players in the league at that position. And we'll certainly – again, there is a lot of time between now and September to continue to add pieces there. It's a major focal point of our offense. And so, we'll certainly look to keep adding there."
What's your outlook, draft-wise, in terms of your involvement process and working with the scouts and executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta? (Garrett Downing) "It's very collaborative. That's what I remember from being here the first time is, I think they do a great job of kind of bringing the coaches into that process so they get a feel for what type of players we really like and things like that. I think we're on the same page. I really learned how to evaluate players here [when I was here] the first time. And so, I think we see a lot of that the same way. We just look forward to kind of being involved in that process, talking about the guys that we like and helping [executive vice president and general] Eric [DeCosta] to make the best decisions possible for the organization."
Have you evaluated offensive guys before? (Garrett Downing) "No, that's been fun. That's been a neat thing to do, is to really expand on that. I've always taken pride in being a good evaluator on the defensive side. And so, it's been really cool to evaluate offensive linemen and wide receivers and just kind of get the feel for what you're looking for; what are the traits, what makes them really good players? And so, that's been a fun part of the process."
How different is it from when you evaluate guys that you're playing against? How do you apply what you know? (Giana Han) "I think there's just qualities of a player at certain positions that you're looking for. Athletic traits, obviously the size and speed component, but then you're really also looking for a play style and how they operate, how they play. When you're talking about offensive linemen, what do you want that to look like? And so, it's been really just a fun, fun thing to dive into that. You use like – maybe you're watching a really good D-lineman, and now you're watching the offensive lineman try to block him. It's been a fun part of the process."
I don't think we've talked to you since you guys added S Jaylinn Hawkins. How much can he bring, and how excited are you as a defensive guy to get him? (Brian Wacker) "I am very excited about Jaylinn [Hawkins]. Obviously, he had a great year. [Going to the] Super Bowl, all the way there. He was basically was a full-time starter the whole season and played, I think, over 85% of the snaps for New England. And so, again, that safety position for us – we have a chess piece in Kyle [Hamilton]. And so, when you have a couple other guys there, similar to what they did last year when they brought in Alohi [Gilman], that allows you to do a lot of different things with Kyle. Jaylinn is a great player, and I think he and Malaki [Starks] will operate really well together. I think that'll allow us to do a lot of cool things with Kyle. And I was telling Kyle the other day, [with] those three guys on the field together, it's going to be fun to come up with things to utilize those three guys."
Do you plan to use three safeties a lot? (Garrett Downing) "Yes. If you just look at what I've done the last couple of years with the guy like Derwin James and the safeties [in Los Angeles], I think we want to be really versatile, and we want to have a lot of different types of pieces, but again, it's like taking those guys and putting them in the position to most impact the game. So, we'll figure out what that looks like, but certainly we want to be able to move those guys around."
Acknowledging the depth charts and players starts don't mean anything just yet, do you view yourself as having a starting center on the roster, and who would that guy be right here? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Again, you just said it at the beginning, like depth charts right now – it's pretty irrelevant. We're excited about a couple of the guys that we've added. We're excited about some of the guys on the roster. We're going to let that sort itself out through competition, all the way into training camp. We're going to use the offseason program, not to be overly competitive, but really just to teach our offense and our defense and our special teams and get reps at the things that we need to get reps at. Then the real competition will be in training camp, and I'm sure by then we'll have even more pieces added into that competition."
G/T Emery Jones Jr. has a lot of versatility but dealt with a lot of injuries. Do you have a position for him yet, or is that something you're still deciding? (Giana Han) "I'm excited about [Emery Jones Jr.]. I think he came on late in the year, did some good things. He was very highly thought of in the draft process, even though he was coming off the injury. And so, again, I am excited for him just to have that opportunity to be healthy, go into an offseason, really learn a new offense and compete for jobs. I am very excited about his future."
You mentioned, basically, all three phases kind of being different. How important is it that you guys are able to get players to learn things quickly, so we can go into the next thing? How do you go about doing that? (Cliff Brown) "I think you have to be careful, honestly. I think the most important thing is creating the foundation of each [of the] three phases first. So, the way that the phase of the offseason program works, in my mind, it gives you that opportunity to build a foundation through the first couple phases before you're really out there doing a lot of reps. So, we have to be really cognizant of not trying to go too fast and making sure that they understand the foundational pieces, the foundational structures that we operate in. So, yes, I'm stoked about that process."
I am guessing you probably looked at OLB Mike Green as he was coming out of the draft, and you saw some flashes of him this past season. What are you excited about to see from him this season? (Garrett Downing) "I have a lot of confidence in Mike Green. I loved him coming out [of the draft]. He was high on our board [with the Los Angeles Chargers last year]. And so, I was joking with him, [the Chargers] had brought him in, I think for a [Top] 30 visit last year, and so it was meant to be now that we're together, and so I am very excited. I think now he'll have a guy in the room with Trey [Hendrickson] that he can really learn from, that he can learn some of the nuances of rushing the passer. Those guys will work well together. Oftentimes, when you have a guy on one side, it creates even more opportunities for the guy on the other side. And so, Mike should be very excited, because I feel like he's going to have a lot of opportunities to impact the game, and we're excited about him. Just like anybody, I think your first year to your second year is often a big jump and just understanding the level that it takes, the preparation that it takes, and I am so excited about Mike."
When you look at your special teams unit and how they impact the game, can you share about what you want to see there from that unit? (Candi Waller) "I want a group on special teams that's innovative, that changes the game for us in a positive way and that we're not just trying to 'hang on' on special teams. We want to be aggressive. We want that to be a weapon for us. So, we just want our players to really play with that 'one-shot mentality' on special teams. Offense and defense, it's often three-play drives, six-play drives, nine-play drives. The beauty of special teams, it's really a one-shot play. And so, for us to have that mindset, I am super confident in the players that we have and the coaches that we have that special teams will be a weapon for us."
With everything that's gone on this offseason and kind of the adjustment for you, what's it kind of been like just working with executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta as far as there's been some high-profile stuff that's been going on. How would you kind of manage the ups and the downs of losing players, adding guys, controversies, just dealing through that, because I imagine you were part of some of that with the Chargers, but not to this extent where you are talking with the GM regularly. (Jeff Zrebiec) "I think when you go through things together, you learn a lot about each other. I think [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and I have only strengthened our relationship through the things that we've gone through. I think both of us stay pretty levelheaded. I think I'm an optimist and so I'm always – I just think Eric does such a great job. So, when all the decisions that you make are collaborative and thought out in the best interest of the organization, it's easy to work with people like that. So, it's been a great process working with everybody in the organization. We've learned a lot about each other, like you said, sometimes through the things that have happened, and most of the time it's about how you respond to those types of things. So, we've responded well; we're in a good place; we'll continue to build the roster between now and September, but it's been a great process to work with Eric."
With the Wide Receivers room, you have established veteran and two-time Pro Bowler in WR Zay Flowers, but can you talk about what you've seen on film from WR Devontez Walker coming off of Year 2? Also, with WR Rashod Bateman, coming off of a year where he didn't have the kind of year he had the previous year, what have you seen from him? (Cliff Brown) "I have a lot of confidence in Rashod Bateman. When you look at what he's done in his career, he's been a really productive player. He's coming off of a year, like a lot of guys ... Sometimes when you're coming off of a year [where] he's disappointed in how the year went. And so, I know he's hungry; he's ready to get back to what he is. So, I have a lot of confidence in him, and I have a lot of confidence in that whole room just to continue to grow [and provide] opportunities for young players. I'm really excited about them, and I think they'll be a big part of our offense. And then Zay [Flowers] has proven to be, I think, one of the best players in the league at his position. I love Zay. He's what you want in a guy. When he walks in the room, he lights up the room. He has leadership skills, [and] he brings everybody with him, so I love Zay, and I'm very excited about that room overall."
We saw how you connected with WR Zay Flowers at Opening Day. How's the process going in building a relationship with him? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, [it's the] same. Again, those opportunities to be around each other outside of football are so valuable. You can kind of see who I am outside of the building, [and I can] see who [Zay Flowers] is outside of the building. It was a great opportunity. We had a lot of fun that day, and I look forward to being able to do that with a lot of the guys."
I know there's limits to what you can do, but how much time have you spent in getting to know the players? Has that been more of a focal point for you? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, it is, but at the same time, there's a good amount of guys that come through the building, and some of them train [and there, and some of them pop in and out. So, it's been great. I think in-person [communication] is the best way to really build a relationship. So, I certainly have exchanged a lot of messages, some phone calls and all that with a lot of different guys. But again, as these guys start coming back in on a regular basis, that'll be a major focal point for the whole coaching staff."
What do you feel is kind of the main thread to the foundation for having a great defense? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes. There's just a style of play that you need to play. And so, I think it's not really scheme related. There's what you play, and then there's how you play. And how we play, how we teach the fundamentals of the game, how we teach how we take on blocks, tackling, the angles that we take to the ball and how we try to affect the football. Those things are the foundational pieces I think of how we play. And then, I think the scheme, to me, you always have to be evolving. And so, there are things that we did last year that we won't do this year and vice versa. It's evolved so much every year, and I think that's how you try to stay ahead of it. The respect that I have for the offensive coaches that you're going against; you know the work that they're putting in, the time that they're putting in. So, to ever think that you've figured it out, and you don't need to continue to evolve is crazy. It's a constant evolvement, but the foundational piece of how you play, I think, is really what allows you to continue to evolve, scheme-wise."
What does it feel like so far working with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver? What is the process of figuring out that relationship and how responsibilities will work? (Giana Han) "Yes, 'Weave' [defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver] is awesome to work with. The great thing is that he's been a coordinator, and he's called defenses for the last couple years. He did a really good job in Miami, and I know that he can lead the room. I know that he can lead the coaches. I know that he can lead the players. I know that I don't have to be there all the time. We have a great working relationship. We're figuring each other out, scheme-wise, and how all that's going to fit together, but I know this – there's not a leader any better than Anthony Weaver. So, I'm super excited to work with him."
What impressed you about offensive coordinator Declan Doyle in Chicago? "Man, everything. I think [offensive coordinator Declan Doyle] is just wise beyond his years. He's really smart. He's innovative. He's always evolving and always trying to find a better way to do things, but has these standards of how the offense is going to play from an effort [standpoint] and from a blocking standpoint. So, I'm just really excited about him and what he's going to do with our offense."
Are you planning on naming full-time captains? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That's an ongoing conversation right now. I think there are benefits to doing it both ways, and so we're trying to figure out which direction of that will best benefit the 2026 Ravens."
K Tyler Loop had a solid rookie season, but obviously, it didn't end the way he wanted it to. For you, is Tyler Loop the kicker for you? Or do you plan to bring in competition? (Jamison Hensley) "I have a lot of confidence in [Tyler] Loop. He had a great rookie year, and obviously you're judged by what happens, but we have a lot of confidence in him. He's having a great offseason. He's putting a lot of time trying to improve, like everybody, so I have a lot of confidence in him going forward."
Is the plan to bring in competition? Or is he going to be the starting kicker? (Jamison Hensley) "Truthfully, we'll see how it goes. I think you could certainly add another guy there to have another guy in training camp, but again, I just have a lot of confidence in [Tyler Loop] going forward."
How are you preparing for the game management aspect of things? "It's ongoing. There are a lot of conversations. We hired [game management coordinator and defensive assistant] Charlie [Gelman] from Indianapolis to be kind of in the game management role. And so, we have these weekly meetings, and we're already kind of talking through that and how we see that going. We'll develop how we want to have a strategy going into games and how we want to operate, also knowing that things can change in the middle of a game. And so, I think I'm a guy [where I] love numbers, and I love data, but at the end of the day, you have to make the best human decision in that moment. And so, I'm just excited about the opportunity to be in those positions."
With offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, as far as his experience goes, how young he is, and that it's not your side of the ball. To throw him the car keys, how much of a leap of faith was there? "I think with whoever was in that position, it was going to be a leap of faith knowing my involvement on the other side of the ball, as you mentioned. But, [after] going through a really thorough interview process with Declan [Doyle], [and after] talking to a lot of people, especially now being around him even more, I have a lot of confidence in Declan that he's going to do a great job. There's going to be ups and downs, and he's going to be really steady managing ups and downs. He's going to have a great relationship with the players. I think we have a great staff around him to really help him out on our offensive side of the ball. So, we're just very, very excited about Declan and the entire offensive staff."
The Ravens have recently been very aggressive on fourth-down plays, and I know every situation is different, but do you kind of view yourself as an aggressive play-caller in key moments and situations? (Cliff Brown) "I think when you have really good players, you trust your players. And when you have a player like Lamar [Jackson], who's a fourth-down weapon at quarterback [who] can do a lot of different things. And so, I think a reason for the aggression is oftentimes the types of players that you have. And in those moments, the ability for the quarterback to make off-schedule plays and get key conversions is critical. So, we feel like we have one of the best fourth-down weapons in the league, and so we'll continue to use him and be aggressive in those situations."
You've been asked about this before, that there have been a lot of mistakes in critical moments. Now that you've gotten to know the guys better, do you have a sense of why that happened and how to attack it? (Giana Han) "I think we're going to focus on going forward. I think you can learn from the past. Everything that happens is a learning opportunity, so we want to use things that have happened here as tools, as teaching tools and as lessons, but we want to pour confidence into these guys and operate in a way that, when we're in the fourth quarter of a game, the moment's not bigger than what it is, and that we're at our best when our best is needed. Everything that we're going to try to do is to create a mindset for us to be able to do that. It's going to be a process. It's not going to be perfect, but I think we're going to just work really hard to be at our best in those situations, train that way and do everything that way with the idea that we want to be the best when our best is needed. So, I look forward to that."
How do you pour confidence into guys as a coach? (Giana Han) Coaching is trying to take a player, have a vision for them of what they can be. So, it's sometimes even seeing things that they might not even see in themselves and trying to pull that out of them. I think telling guys when they do a great job and just instilling confidence in them and never being reactive to the other team, but [expressing], 'Man, this is what we're going to do. They have to play against us.' And trying to create that mindset and that confidence is something I've always tried to do with guys. I always try to get guys to play at a level and not overachieve, but really, if you can overachieve with the caliber of players we have, we'll be really good."
One of the weird things last year that the Ravens had a better record on the road than at home. How do you hope to re-establish that home dominance at M&T Bank Stadium this year? (Cliff Brown) "Yes, that's at the forefront – I would say – of being a really good team is being able to win at home. So, it's definitely an ongoing thing in our process of trying to figure out the day before the game, the day of the game, all those things that we can build the best schedule to have a team that's really connected, that's really ready to play. So, that's definitely at the forefront of our mind. We understand that we need to win at home. We have an unbelievable fanbase, and we have an unbelievable home-field advantage when 'The Bank' is rocking, so we need to put a product out there that allows our fans to continue to impact the game. And so, a lot of our process is looking at how we can best play at home. And I think it's everything leading up to it that we need to make sure ties in with how we want to play on gameday."
As you prepared for head coaching interviews and you thought about what the staff might look like, regardless of where you ended up, what did you learn about going through the process that maybe you didn't expect as you went through the coaching ranks and you thought, "The day I get to put my staff together, this is what I want." "I think it's really interesting because you're going through your own season, and you always have a list of guys that you maybe have interest in, but there's so many things, contractually, where [coaches] that are under contract with other teams, that it's hard to know exactly how it's going to take shape. And I think you may have a staff on paper, and then, at the end of the day, it probably looks a lot different by the time you get it done. And so, I think just going through that process, having an open mind and having a backup plan – I think contingency plans for every spot was really important because you're not often able to get the guys out of other teams or whatever. And so that was definitely a lot I learned about in that process."
What's the first time you thought about what you'd envision as a head coach? "I would say there was a time younger in my career where I thought about going the college route, and so I was thinking about becoming a college head coach at different times. That kind of switched when I came here the first time. I would say a couple years ago, I really, really started to put thoughts into that. And so, I think it's like, 'Hey, these couple people, these are going to be the first people I'm calling.' I ended up with a couple of those guys, and yes, it was definitely a fun process."
We asked you about QB Lamar Jackson's participation in the voluntary program. Would you say that's still just up in the air? (Jamison Hensley) "I think Lamar [Jackson] is really excited about what we have going on. I think he's excited about opportunities in the offseason program, and again, we'll see on April 6. We'll see who all walks in the door."
