HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "All right, [it's an] exciting day for us. [We will] travel up there to Minnesota this afternoon. [We have] a couple of good opportunities again for joint practice the next couple days, and a lot of time to spend together with the team. We are excited about it. [I'll] open it up for questions."
We'll be talking to DL Calais Campbell in a little bit, and obviously he's coming off the family tragedy. What have you seen from him so far in camp? (Jamison Hensley) "I have seen exactly – especially over the last couple weeks as [Calais Campbell]'s kind of ramped up — what I thought we'd be getting, which is a tremendous leader, but a really good football player that will add a lot in our normal downs, add a lot on our third downs, brings great versatility along the D-line, [and] is an unbelievable leader and mentor in that room, in the defensive room and with the team. So, it has been really good. The timing of it, obviously, was really tough for him and his family, but allowed the first week or two of [Training] Camp for him to really kind of work himself to get ready, as it affected his summer preparation, obviously. And so, [we are] just really happy with Calais and really happy that we have him."
OL Jovaughn Gwyn had a fantastic game it looked like in the first preseason game. Does this change at all some opportunity sets he'll have going forward? (Ken McKusick) "Yes, it is about how you play, and I thought [Jovaughn Gwyn] played really well. He will continue to get some opportunities. And so, I thought that was a really good showing for him, and kind of what we thought he would be — and it showed up on tape. So, a big week for that whole position, I would say, this week with the joint practices and also another game, so I look forward to that competition continuing."
I was wondering in the last 24 hours if you've had any particular memories of O.J. Brigance that have kind of come up, maybe from your earlier tenure here? (Kyle Goon) "Yes, to me, the biggest impact — like when I first got hired here the first time, [O.J. Brigance] sent me an email, and then we sort of started exchanging some emails every so often about different things throughout the season. Just the wisdom, the strength that that guy showed — I mean, he is like everything that you want this organization to be about. He means a lot to this place; he means a lot to everybody that has been here. He has impacted this place, maybe as much as anybody, just with what he has brought to the building. And certainly, just send our thoughts, prayers, [and] everything to his family [and] the whole organization. [There's] so, so many cool memories — and there are videos that are out now that just show how much he has touched this place, and those are really cool to see."
How important was O.J. Brigance as a constant reminder of just kind of perspective in life, and with these young players especially? (Morgan Adsit) "Yes, that is a great point. It is just like when you feel like you are having a bad day or you feel like you are dealing with something, just take a look, you know? Take a look at the mindset that [O.J. Brigance] really attacked his adversity with, and probably 'adversity' might not even be the right word — I don't think he looked at it like that. But just kind of the mentality that he went about his business — getting diagnosed with [ALS], especially when it was happening, it was very early, [and] a lot of people [had] all these expectancy things — and then for this guy to live the life that he has lived, the time that he was able to impact the organization still. [It's] really cool."
Do you expect the guys who have come back from injuries in recent days — say, CB Nate Wiggins, CB Marlon Humphrey — to be able to be at full go for the joint practices? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I expect most of those guys to be [participating]. They may be on a little bit of a rep count, but they will be out there getting really good work in."
In terms of the timelines for some of the guys who have been working back from injuries and are still working back from injuries, do you have sort of a cutoff day in mind where you say they need to be involved at this level if they have a shot at Week 1, or is it that hard to pin down? (Childs Walker) "I think it is a little bit individual-based. But I do think that there is a real... Coming off of something where you missed a lot of a season or a lot of time — to really be able to get back into the football part and the plays and the reps and the physicality of the game. We will look at that individually, but I think right now the timeline is still pretty open with the time left between now and Week 1. But, a couple weeks from now that might be a little different."
Can you talk a little bit about any work you've done in your career, whether it's with run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford or with other offensive line coaches, about how to identify and break protection schemes of opposing offenses? (Nikhil Mehta) "I think protections are a major part of the game from both sides. So, I think it is always something — you are always trying to be really good on offense and be able to ID things and be able to work together, and then on defense you are trying to crack the code. It is different, it is hard, everybody has their own rules. Most of the O-line coaches in this league do an unbelievable job, and you have to really, really work to try to figure out ways to attack the protections. [I'll] kind of leave it at that."
I think you said in your interview with the SiriusXM guys a couple weekends ago that with C Ethan Pocic, you guys weren't going to rush him back, and that really what was most crucial for you was like the final 10 days or so of your evaluation period. Is this a situation where you'd want to throw him into the fire in these next two preseason games? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think that timeline is right about coming up, so [there will be] opportunities in these joint practices, opportunities in the next two games. I really think that will shake itself out over the next 10 days to two weeks with all those guys getting a really good opportunity to play against really good players both in practice and in the games. So, I look forward to that."
How do you compare what you can get from the evaluations in the joint practices versus the evaluations in the preseason games? Obviously, it's a different set of players, but how do you compare those? (Childs Walker) "I think the evaluations are evaluations. I think any chance that guys go out there to play — the film is their resume, whether it is in practice or a game. I think these are really important for the guys that — not that we are not evaluating them, but some of the guys that we kind of know where their roles are [and] know what their standing is. I think the joint practices are probably most important for them to get that type of work, especially because of the decision not to play them in the preseason. And then the other guys — they may or may not get quite as many reps — but then they have to be ready to play, and then Saturday becomes, again, their second major evaluation. So, I think it is a little bit different based on kind of where you are at."
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH LOU ESPOSITO
Opening Statement: "First, I want to thank [head] coach [Jesse] Minter and [owner] Mr. [Steve] Bisciotti and the Ravens organization. It is my first time being in front of you guys. I think it is important to thank them for bringing me on here, [allowing me to be] a part of the family — [I'm] super excited. Lou Esposito, let's roll."
We are about to talk to DL Calais Campbell in a minute, but just having somebody of that stature who has done what he has done in the league, what has that meant to the younger guys in the group? (Kyle Goon) "Well first, when you say stature, you mean his size? Because he is massive — he is unbelievable. The knowledge that the young guys get — and not even just the young guys, everyone in the room gets from him — is priceless. He is consistently trying to pay it forward, consistently trying to help guys out, consistently [saying], 'Hey, what do you think about this? What happens if you tweak this stance? What happens if you line up like that? In this call, this is where the stress is.' So, he has been awesome, and at the same time, getting his body right, he is a master of his craft, and that is why he has played for so long in the NFL."
DL Calais Campbell is obviously coming off that family tragedy. I know the defensive line is a very close-knit group, but as a family, how can you go about supporting him? (Jamison Hensley) "I think the biggest thing is you let guys do their own way of mourning. Know that, 'Hey, we are here to support you, whatever you need.' That has been the message from Day 1. You want to come around in and talk, we talk. You want to go to work, we will go to work. I think guys, sometimes routine and being around people like them is a great way to take your mind off of things. It has been awesome for us, so whatever he needs, we are there for him."
Remind me of the timeline — were you under head coach Jesse Minter when he was at Michigan?
(Kyle Goon) "I was not. He left and I came right after him. Now, I have known — we have crossed paths, coaching and talking. I actually was a player when his dad was the head [coach] — I played at Memphis and his dad was the head coach of Cincinnati, so I knew his dad a little bit better early on. But, [we are] Midwest guys, been there around the same area, kind of worked our way up, so kind of the same path."
When that defensive legacy at Michigan was trying to kind of come back after that national championship, what was that like and how did people talk about head coach Jesse Minter at Michigan? (Kyle Goon) "It is crazy because what they said, you sit in a room and you listen and you are like, 'Oh, yeah, that is pretty good, that is pretty good,' but you never really know. Then, I was in a meeting with him for a week and I am like, 'Yeah, it is exactly what they said.' He is super smart. He has an unbelievable football mind — not only coverage-wise, but front-wise. Where guys should be lined up, where guys should step, how they should place their hands, and he sees the whole picture. He is really, really good, and he has an unbelievable memory. He can recite plays from games four, five, six years ago — 'Hey, they did this, so we had to do this.' So, I mean, he is awesome. He is a wizard, and I am a better coach being with him."
We also have defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver in the mix. Tell us what he is like to work with. (Childs Walker) "Unbelievable. He has been like glue to me since I got here. I have not known him long. I met him a few times, had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him, and when you talk defensive line play, especially with 'Coach Weave' [defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver], he is elite — like, one of the best of all time. Then you listen to him talk about coverage and then you realize why he has been such a great coordinator, because he sees the whole picture. He is a connector, right? Like with people, he is a connector. Same thing with [head coach] Jesse [Minter] — they are connectors, and when you have a bunch of connectors, you have a chance to be really, really good, and that is what we are talking about. It is not the defensive call, it is how we do it and the talons and what we talk about — how we play — and what you see on film is what you are. So, we keep talking about that with the guys, and when you surround the guys with a bunch of connectors, the next thing you know you have a bunch of people working in the same direction, going the same way, and good things happen for us on defense."
One of the things that people pointed out when head coach Jesse Minter compiled this staff — especially on the defensive side — was the number of coaches like yourself who did not have any kind of NFL experience. Is there anything that you have had to learn about going from the college game to the NFL game that you have really absorbed over the past however many months you have been here? (Jonas Shaffer) "I don't know if there is anything I had to learn, yet. I feel like I have to learn more of the NFL schedule — halftime was way shorter than anything I have ever been involved in. As far as the football stuff, not really. It is just [that] everything is faster. You have guys that have been in a system, grown men — they have more time to just do football. This is their job. This is how they feed their families. So, that part is great. You are not chasing guys to go to class. You are not talking about guys and study hall. The part here [is] that everyone is such a professional, and everyone is so pinpoint accurate in their job, and the great players are doing it all the time and the consistency is there. As a coach, you have to make sure you are adapting to that and keep giving them different things and keep feeding them more information, which is great."
When you showed up, it would have been kind of really in that question-mark area of DL Nnamdi Madubuike — you know he has a lot of talent but did not know his future. What was it like getting to know him and seeing him as he tries to progress back onto the field? (Giana Han) "Unbelievable. [Nnamdi Madubuike] is a worker — not only physically, but mentally. He is a guy texting me either at 9 o'clock at night, 'Can we meet at six in the morning?' He is texting me at 5 o'clock in the morning, 'Hey, can we meet at six in the morning?' So, he has been great. He has been one of these guys that is just a sponge, and he knows he is maximizing what he can do when he can do it. That is how you know he is going to be a special player. You guys have all seen him play. We have all seen him play. I think he is really stepping it up in all the other things that he can control. We talk about it all the time — control the controllables — and everything he can control, he is 100 miles an hour doing it the best he can."
Working under head coach Jesse Minter, how would you describe his coaching style as a first-year head coach? (Jamison Hensley) "I think he is upfront and honest with the guys. He is very intelligent. So he is, like I said, a connector. He has a knack to talk to guys, get guys to believe in his system, tell them the why, and then have a relationship with those guys, so they run through a wall for him, and that is what he has been great at. The coaches feel the same way. We have been blessed, and it is awesome — [I'm] excited to see it go."
Going back to DL Calais Campbell and his value as a leader, was there anyone in your career — whether it was as a player or as a coach — that played the same role as Calais is now, and if so, what was their impact on you? (Quentin Corpuel) "I don't know if I have been around a guy like [Calais Campbell], that is a great player that has played that long. In college, [I] have guys that are seniors — like the Mason Grahams and the Kenneth Grants, the Braden Fiskes — they were all good players, but different, because they had not had the experience that he has. He just goes back on things that have happened to him. There is not one scenario, not one block, not one scheme that he has not seen. I think that is what makes him different. Not [only] that he has just seen that — he is literally the best person I have ever met in my life. How he pays it forward — my 10-year-old twins came to a practice, and he walked off the field for 15 minutes with my son Anthony, and my son Anthony is like, 'Hey dad, that big guy is my favorite player of all time.' He didn't have to do that. He just does it. If you watch him from afar, he does it with everybody. He always pays it forward, and I truly believe that is what makes him special."
DL CALAIS CAMPBELL
Opening Statement: "I just wanted to say these last couple of months have been pretty hard, pretty tough for me and my family, but we are working through it. I really appreciate all the love and support and the prayers that have been coming from all over — really from all the NFL community, all the fan bases and you guys as well. I appreciate the prayers. Continue praying for us because we need it. [I'm] happy to answer any football questions you guys have for me."
After dealing with what you have had to deal with coming into this, was there any point that you thought you might not play this year, or was playing always in your mind? (Jamison Hensley) "I love the game of football a lot, and it just brings me joy. [In regard to] me playing football — yes, the training was adjusted a little bit. It was a little harder to train. But as far as football goes, I love this game a lot, and this is a very fun place for me to be. Playing football has been great for me."
Do you feel good about where you are in terms of preparing for the season at this point? (Childs Walker) "Oh, yes. I work really hard. I feel really good about where I am at. Practices have been going well. I think I only have, like, five practices under my belt — not even five, maybe four real, full practices. I really like where I am at right now. The coaches did a really good job of letting me kind of ease in and really kind of get myself where I need to be. But, I feel really good [about] where I am at. September cannot come soon enough."
Are there any teammates or coaches who have been especially helpful for you as you kind of get back in the swing of things here? (Kyle Goon) "Yes, a number of guys. In this business, you cannot do it by yourself. You have to do it with people. [I have] a great support system here, and [they] just allow me to kind of play my game and do it the right way. I could go down a long list of guys, but this is a great organization, and it was really cool to come back into the building and see some of the guys that were my young players now become the superstars and the leaders of the team. [To see] the evolution and the growth of guys like [Nnamdi] Madubuike and Kyle Hamilton — Ronnie [Stanley] was already kind of a leader [having been] around for a while. Seeing Lamar [Jackson]'s development, Broderick Washington. You go down the list of guys that have been here when I was here before, and coming back and just seeing their development has been really cool. It is the next step of being able to help a guy like Madubuike, who is already a premier player, but we are just starting to have deeper conversations about just the philosophy of pass rushing and just football as a whole. It is like, man, it is cool to be able to have different conversations now with a guy like him. But, it has been great."
What about DL Nnamdi Madubuike? It seemed like for a while his career was kind of up in the air, and now he is back and slowly progressing. What do you kind of say to a guy who has kind of gone through that and is kind of working his way back to being the player he used to be? (Kyle Goon) "We have had a lot of conversations, quite a bit. But, the main thing is that only you really know yourself. [You need to] trust yourself, push yourself, put yourself in position so that when the time comes, you are prepared and ready, and you know what to expect and what you can handle. It is going to be a journey. It is a process, and [you have to] give yourself some grace and go along with the process. But, that is my brother. We have a great relationship. We talked even before I came back during the process in this journey, and I am just always going to be there for him."
What is it like being back, but having it be kind of different with head coach Jesse Minter now having taken over? (Morgan Adsit) "[Head coach] Jesse [Minter] is a phenomenal coach. The messaging has been incredible. I think as a player — especially an old, wise player — a lot of times you kind of have things you want to hear from a coaching staff. This coaching staff has kind of been hitting on everything that I felt like, as players, we needed to hear. I think it is kind of a small thing, but it is huge in the football world knowing that players are getting the information they need for us to go out there and be the best players we can be. Even just the mindset of trying to be the best version of us and that is all we can ever be as players, whatever that is for us. We are all here for a particular reason, we all have something to offer this team, and if we could all be the best version of ourselves — what they saw in us — we could be a pretty good team."
You talked about your relationship with some of the younger players here, and we heard from defensive line coach Lou Esposito about how you pay it forward. Can you talk about DL David Olajiga and DL C.J. Okoye and DL Rayshaun Benny and DL Nnamdi Madubuike? (Ken McKusick) "We have a really talented group of young guys. It is competitive. In this business, at this time of year, guys are fighting for their livelihood, to play the game they love. A guy like C.J. [Okoye] and David [Olajiga], they have not had a lot of football experience, having just started, four or five years ago. It is just kind of unique to see them in the position that they are, and they are both extremely talented. I have been working with all the guys, trying to help them in different ways and essentially being just an open book and letting them ask questions. This is definitely the most questions I have gotten [in] all my years. It is kind of cool because I have a lot of information to give, and I love to give it. Sometimes you have to chase guys around to kind of help them a little bit, but no, not right now. There have been a lot of guys coming to me asking me how they can be better, how they can do things for their body, how they can prepare better on the football field and how they can even play better and stuff. It has been a journey. But, I am very grateful that guys still value my opinions and things I have to offer. I have a team of people that work with me on my body, and one of my massage [therapists] works with me every day during Training Camp. I sent her a couple of guys, and now she has, like, 10 people trying to use her services, but she is really good. But it is kind of funny to me because I only told, like, two people, but when you do good work, obviously, people want to use your services, and she does a phenomenal job. But I also think that a lot of guys, they understand if it works for me, it is probably going to work for them, too. I have been doing a lot of sharing of the things that help me, and it is kind of cool that there are people there that can pick it up."
For different reasons, you and DL Travis Jones and DL Nnamdi Madubuike have not really had a lot of reps together during Training Camp. If you guys can all get together and be healthy at some point during the season, with the size and experience of that defensive line, how excited are you about the potential of this year's defensive line? (Cliff Brown) "[I'm] very [excited]. Travis Jones is getting a couple of reps in practice. You notice him when he is out there. You do not miss him because he is just so gifted. He moves so well for his size. I only had one year with him before, and just to see the player he is today, it is just like, wow — I saw it in him, and I was hard on him honestly when he was a rookie, but he is a phenomenal player, and you just notice him when he is out there. I do think that when we are full strength on this defense it is going to be fun. It is going to be a lot of fun. I am trying to get away from making predictions and expectations and all that stuff — it is like, we are going to have fun playing football, and whatever happens, happens. This team can be, especially this defense, in the way that [head coach] Jesse [Minter] calls it and some of the variations in the scheme, it can be really, really good."
One of those young guys, DL Rayshaun Benny — obviously he has the familiarity with defensive line coach Lou Esposito — but what have you seen from him, and what are the kind of messages to him, a guy battling for one of those final roster spots? (Jonas Shaffer) "I sit next to [Rayshaun Benny] in meetings, and he is always asking questions. You could tell he is a technician, really good with his hands, low pad level, runs his feet. He is already kind of advanced for most rookies because he has had really good technical teaching. But, I just try to really push him on just challenging himself to try different things in his pass rush and really working the edges and doing some of the stuff that [is best for] his body and his skill set. Because, not all people are going to do the same thing, right? We all have different skill sets, different talents and stuff. [It's just about] helping him understand and identify what his are."
You mentioned that head coach Jesse Minter and the coaching staff have hit on everything you wanted to hear. CB Marlon Humphrey said he has been really impressed with how Jesse addresses issues before they fester. What has impressed you about how he addresses the team and takes on challenges? (Giana Han) "Yes, he is very clear and concise and gets right to the point. It is not a lot of fluff, which I think all players appreciate because we value our time. He does hit on things that are important, and he kind of has the foresight to see what needs to be addressed, and so he does a phenomenal job with that. I think it is really good that we have a variety of people that have been in different places that have a lot of experience. So, [head coach] Jesse [Minter] has been phenomenal, but also [defensive coordinator] Anthony Weaver has been really good for the defense. I was not sure how it was going to work with [head coach] Jesse [Minter] calling the plays and 'Weave' [defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver] having been a play caller himself, you know, but it has been a great marriage so far, and they kind of feed off each other and it allows for them both to be better and do more. From a football standpoint, it is just — I mean, usually when the play caller is the head coach, they do not get a chance to do a lot of things that made them successful, like connecting with players and stuff like that. But with [defensive coordinator] Anthony Weaver being able to run the meetings and be able to do all the stuff that Jesse would normally have to do in that space, it gives him a little more time to connect with guys. The same thing with 'Weave' [Anthony Weaver] — like, when 'Weave' is a play caller, it is a lot harder for him to do that same part. So, when he does not have to call plays, he gets a little more time to interact and connect with guys and really perfect techniques and stuff. So, it is a perfect marriage, and they have a really good relationship so far — it has been great. You also have on the other side, I have been around both our offensive line coaches, and they have been doing a great job of helping the young guys really grow fast. Our first-round pick [Vega Ioane] has been making big strides every day, and I have been trying to compete against him and work with him and all that good stuff. But you can see when you have good coaching like that — guys that have experience and who have had a lot of success other places and stuff — I feel like overall our coaching staff has had really good messaging. Even on the field, like the excitement, the energy we practice with, it has been fun. Honestly, I really hope that it is what I think it is, because it could be very, very special. Obviously, you have to go out there and do it though. This is a business of results — that is the only thing that matters, right? You can have all the expectations and try hard all you want, but you have to go out there and do it. I feel like this team is poised to be able to do so."
