HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "It's a great day for us. It sort of ends our — obviously, ends kind of training camp and Week Zero. It gives these guys a four-day break, which they will start obviously tomorrow and get their four days off. We will come back on Tuesday. We will kind of try to get a day ahead of a normal week and build in a little shorter day towards the end of the week so that we are going into [Indianapolis] feeling great about ourselves. We had a vote for team captains, for permanent captains: Calais [Campbell], Derrick [Henry], Roquan [Smith], Lamar [Jackson] and Kyle [Hamilton] — those five guys. I think it is the biggest honor when your teammates vote [for] you to be the leaders, to be the captains. So, I love the fact that those guys were all picked. They all got a very high percentage of the votes from the whole team. Then we had another five guys that were sort of in the next wave: Trey Hendrickson, Ronnie Stanley, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers and Nick Moore that will constitute our 10-member leadership [team] as we just kind of navigate the season together [and] make decisions on what is best for the team. So, major shoutout to those guys. With that, we are excited to get a couple days and then roll into the season. So, [I will open it up for] questions."
What went into the decision to have the season-long captains? Previously, here, it was more like that rotational type. (Jamison Hensley) "I have seen it work every which way, and that is the key thing — it has worked all the different ways. I really just felt like we did have a pretty veteran team with what I felt like may be established leaders, and I want those guys to feel the responsibility of having a 'C' on their chest and being a team captain. So, I think there is a lot to it. But again, [I am] just excited. We have a great group of guys. There is a lot more outside of those 10. There are a lot of young guys I think that are on the come [up] for the future. But again, really excited about those five guys."
What went into the decision, sort of on that note, to have a leadership team in addition to your five team captains? (Quentin Corpuel) "You sort of just get a mixture of guys. Sometimes when a guy has not been here long enough and everybody might not know him as well, but I kind of want the input of some of those guys. Again, these guys were kind of the next in line from the voting standpoint. It was a pretty clear indication that these 10 players overall have the respect of their teammates. We want them to be voices in the locker room. So, I think it was just a great opportunity to go beyond just five guys and really share the leadership and share the ownership of the team with those 10 guys."
Do you have a better sense of where DL Nnamdi Madubuike is from a health standpoint late this week than you have had? Executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta said what he said yesterday. (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, [Nnamdi Madubuike] is progressing really well. He has been in a few team reps and done some things. What that looks like for Week 1, I think it is still a day-to-day thing, I would say. But to his credit — we have wanted this to be a really smart and proactive approach to get him ready to play football after dealing with what he went through, and also the surgery that he went through. And so again, we just feel good about where it is at today. It is still a day-to-day process. But, we certainly have seen some things that indicate great things ahead for Nnamdi."
As you prepare to sort of flip the switch from this whole long build-up phase to a game week, do you feel like this was what you thought it was going to be? Like, you got what you wanted out of everything to this point. (Childs Walker) "I do not know that you ever really know that. I have always been somebody kind of trusts the preparation and trusts the process. I feel good about where we are at. But, you are always laying in bed at night wondering about things and thinking about maybe next time what you might do a little bit different. I think that is the key to evolving, but I like where the team is at. I really appreciate the mindset and the work that they have put in since training camp began. Obviously, then you make your roster and then the week that they put in this week in Week Zero. I think it is a major week for teams — and some teams have their eyes on the break, and some teams have their eyes on what they are trying to accomplish, and these guys have stayed really focused this week. We had a really good week. Again, so I like where we are at, but we will find out when the game starts."
Have you decided on a starting center? And if not, do you have a date where you want to have that figured out by? (Cordell Woodland) "I think when we come back after this break, we will probably be pretty close to that. So, we will look at things again over this break and talk it through with 'Led' [run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford] and 'Dec' [offensive coordinator Declan Doyle] and the offensive guys. But, I feel confident that we will go into game week with that pecking order for Week 1."
A lot of first-year head coaches are going into a situation where it is kind of more of a rebuilding thing. You are coming into a situation where it is Super Bowl aspirations. As a first-year coach, how do you kind of handle that type of expectation? (Jamison Hensley) "I think it is really just about what the guys in the building — the players — I know what they want to accomplish, I know what we have kind of set out as our goals. It is really not about anything else. And so, I think you go to work every day to try to put the team and put the guys and put the staff in position to be able to achieve those things. We do not shy away from it. We know what the standards around this place have been and where we want to go. So, I think we have a great group of guys that are hungry, that are excited to start the season and excited to play. It is really just more about how we feel about it than anything else."
DL Nnamdi Madubuike was able to do some team drills, but is ILB Teddye Buchanan coming along any further than the last time we saw him? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I would say [Teddye Buchanan] is in a similar situation where — again, like — [it's a] remarkable time frame in recovery for him and the work that he has put in. He has been in some reps as well. And again, [we will] kind of get a feel for it over the next week, whether that might be Week 1, Week 2, whatever that might be — but he is definitely close."
Have you made a decision as far as the red challenge flag? Is that going to be in your pocket? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes, I will have the red challenge flag right here in the hooded sweatshirt pocket, just in case. And, yes, [I am] excited about that."
G VEGA IOANE
We saw you taking some third-team snaps at center out there. Is that part of your extended skillset? (Childs Walker) "I'm just staying ready. Coach 'Flats' [assistant offensive line coach Shawn Flaherty] came up to me yesterday saying, 'Get a couple in. You never know what can happen.'"
How ready do you feel heading into your first NFL regular season? (Garrett Downing) "I feel ready to go. For me, there are a lot of things I have to fix in my game, [and] a lot of things to learn. We still have a little over a week until we play, so, [I'm] using that time to my advantage to get ready for it as much as possible, but I feel pretty good."
What is the biggest thing you have learned from preseason? (Garrett Downing) "I would say the speed of the game. Coming from college to the league, it is a lot faster. Players are a lot better, [and] things like that, but [I'm] just going out there and building more confidence in myself and playing those snaps that I was blessed enough to have."
How do you evaluate how your training camp went? (Ryan Mink) "I would say pretty well. Come in — like I said before — a lot of players in the room were good vets to me [and] helped me learn the playbook as I went [and] as I came in. [There are] a lot of little things that I learned from each and every single guy in the room. Ronnie [Stanley] — 'old head' — he has taught me a lot about the game. Roger [Rosengarten], playing next to him. Danny [Pinter], unfortunately, before he went down, me and him had a good connection going. He taught me a lot [about] playing center and guard, things like that. So, I would say [it] went pretty well, but again, a lot of things to learn, a lot of things to fix."
You made an impression on run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford before the draft by trying to knock him over. What has it been like working with him? What is he like as a coach? (Giana Han) "It has been great. Coach 'Led' [run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford] is a phenomenal coach. Like I have said before, I will keep praising that throughout my time playing, for sure. I have learned a lot from him. He is a great coach. [He's a] hands-on type of coach. [He has] taught me a lot of things going into the league. There are a lot of things I did not know about the game of football, so he has been teaching me a lot in the meeting room — talking nonstop about ball, and then one of my favorite things is that he randomly just cuts football out, and [we will] have life talks [and] things like that randomly, and then we lock right back in."
How do you handle going into the season with the expectations that come with being a first-round pick? (Garrett Downing) "As everybody knows, it is definitely a lot of pressure. [There are] a lot of expectations and things like that, but it is out of my control. All I can do is go out there, play ball [and] make the guys I play next to trust me, knowing that I will be out there doing the best I can [and] knowing what I am doing. But at the end of the day, it is just playing ball."
You have seen plenty of talented interior defensive linemen in practice every day, but to know that Week 1 you will probably be matched up a couple of times against Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner, who is one of the highest-paid interior linemen in the league. How much does that excite you as kind of a benchmark to test yourself against? (Jonas Shaffer) "Absolutely. That is the whole part of playing this game. You go against guys who have been in the league for 10 years, 10-plus [years], things like that, but going against an opponent like that is going to be a good thing for me. [It is] going to be a challenge throughout the entire game, but I am a first-round pick. The team trusted me to be their first pick, so I just have to go out there and perform and prove the team right."
What are your nerves like a little over a week out from your NFL debut, and how do you expect to handle those as you ramp up into the game? (Ryan Mink) "For me, going into game week, I do my best to not worry about the game until we get to that day. [I'm] keeping the nerves calm throughout the entire week. [I'll] focus on what I can control. There is no point in worrying about a game that is seven days away when you are trying to focus on practice [and] getting these little things right. So, for me, it is just focusing on what is in front of me right then and there."
QB Lamar Jackson is obviously one of the best play extenders in the league. Is blocking for a guy like that when the play does break down something you can work on in practice, or is that something you kind of just have to get used to as the game rolls on? (Cordell Woodland) "I think the coaches here and the staff make practice as best as possible [by implementing] game-like [situations] and things like that. So, we have been working on it in practice. When things go bad and [Lamar Jackson] is rolling out, I just have to keep in mind that I have to roll out with him. That is my job — to protect the QB. So, [I] do my best."
You talked about early in camp when RB Derrick Henry knocked you over — that was kind of your welcome-to-the-NFL moment. A couple weeks later, what has been kind of a fun challenge of blocking for someone like him, knowing that he could knock you over at any point, but also creating holes for him? (Sam Cohn) "For me, like you said, [Derrick Henry] can knock anybody over, including me. So, what I focus on is getting to my blocks, getting to my landmarks [and] focusing on those little things so that he can just get a little piece of a gap to hit, and then he is gone. The biggest thing for me is just making a block and giving him somewhere to go."
CB KEYON MARTIN
Obviously, we're a week before the season. Do you feel any differently this year going into it as opposed to last year, as far as personally and your role and preparation for the season? (Cliff Brown) "Not really. [I have the] same confidence I had last year going into this year knowing that I just have to do my role on the team, whether that's defense [or] special teams. So, [I have] about the same confidence level that I had last year going into this year."
What about this defense? Obviously, it's a new system and the first time we'll really see it unveiled in a real game. How excited are you to see that and how confident are you that this defense is going to be one of the best in the league? (Cliff Brown) "I'd say confidence and excitement are through the roof. I am excited for everybody to see the defense that we put together throughout this training camp, the defense that [head coach] Jesse Minter is going to run for us and call. So, next week will be the first time for everybody to see this defense, and I'd say it's a statement for this defense."
You guys were dominant in the preseason statistically. You were out there, and a lot of the starters weren't. But, was that reassuring in a way? Was it kind of proof of concept a little bit? (Childs Walker) "Yes, by far. We go out there and set the tone during the preseason. The performance that we did on defense, that just set the tone for the regular season, because I mean, a lot of these guys — a lot of the guys that play in the preseason — we're playing under the guys that are not really playing. So, everybody knows the starters are setting the tone for the regular season, but for us to do that in the preseason — [and] just the energy [we provide] — the starters, they even feed off of that. So, the energy that we played with [in] the last three games, it's going to translate into next week for Week 1."
You making the team last year as an undrafted guy, how did that impact you this training camp as you tried to do the same thing all over again? (Cordell Woodland) "Last year really went out the window. I really didn't think about last year. Last year was last year, and I came in with the same mindset that I am a rookie, and I have to make the team all over again. [There are] 90 guys on the team again; they drafted again. So, I felt like I was in the same position [as] last year. I probably wasn't, but in my head I was. So, I came with the same mindset that I have something to prove, and I need to make this team again."
What's stood out to you about head coach Jesse Minter as a coach a few months into his time here? (Brian Wacker) "I'd say the attention to detail and the back-and-forth relationship [and] conversations with the players. I'd say that's stood out to me the most, because a lot of questions go on in the meeting rooms with the position coaches and the players, and then once [head coach Jesse Minter] gets ear of it, he will come run the meeting himself and clear up any gray area or any holes that we had. So, that's big for us because we want to be on the same page as the guy calling the plays, because we want to know why he's calling the plays, and it just allows us to play a lot faster."
Head coach Jesse Minter and pass game coordinator/secondary coach Mike Mickens have this reputation for getting the most out of players, particularly defensive backs. Why do you feel like that's been the case in the past, and do you feel like they're helping you reach a new level? (Giana Han) "I think it's just the defense that Jesse [Minter] built. I think it's just a defense built for DBs to thrive because he is very hands-on with the corners and the safeties, and throughout his defense, he plays a lot of DBs. So, a lot of DBs are allowed to make plays, and I just think [when] you put a lot of defensive backs in the position to make plays, it just allows your defense to thrive. It allows us to go out there and play confident, make a lot of plays and turn us into big-name players."
When head coach Jesse Minter corrects something, will he tear into you? Is he more sort of quiet and businesslike? What's his style when he's trying to fix something? (Childs Walker) "No, I think it's more conversational. Like the conversation we're having now, it's more conversational. There isn't [any] different [or] devious tone or anything towards anybody. It's just a regular conversation. We see it this way, and he sees it that way, so how can we get on the same page to allow us to see it the same way?"
OLB TAVIUS ROBINSON
We heard about the captain voting process today. Can you take us through what that process was like and what it's like to have five guys on that list? (Jonas Shaffer) "We voted on the captains, and I think we have a great group of guys that are going to lead us. I am thinking of Calais [Campbell], who has been in this league for so long, and just the knowledge I have learned from him — he is one of them. Over this [training] camp, just getting to know him and learn from him has been great. I think it is going to be good."
When did you guys have those votes? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think it was yesterday. Yesterday we did it."
Where would you say the defense is going into the season with this new system? (Garrett Downing) "I think we are at a great spot. Day by day, we are just getting smoother with it, getting better, and building off of each other. I think as we keep growing, we are going to peak at the perfect time. It has been fun. It has been a good [training] camp, for sure."
Has there been anything that's really stood out to you about either the system or the install process of it? (Garrett Downing) "We are really going into detail with everything, and you can see it on the field. I think we are all very connected and know each other's jobs. It has been showing in practice."
What do you think makes OLB Trey Hendrickson such a good pass rusher? What about his process stands out? (Ryan Mink) "Honestly, how hard [Trey Hendrickson] works and how seriously he takes it. I think I told you guys before, I spent six weeks training with him, and just seeing his process, his mindset, and the way he approaches pass rush, life and just football is what makes him an elite pass rusher."
What differences do you see in the pass rush when you add OLB Trey Hendrickson to the mix, along with what head coach Jesse Minter is doing? (Brian Wacker) "We are just way more connected. We are working off each other and working games off each other. Having both rooms on the same page is so important in pass rush. I think it is going to be a good year."
OLB Ethan Burke made the team as an undrafted free agent. What impressed you about his summer, and what was your reaction when you heard he made it? (Giana Han) "I was so happy that [Ethan] Burke made it. He is a guy who came in, put his head down, and worked every day. [He is a] very detailed guy, knows what he is doing, and again, works hard. I was super happy to see that."
Going back to OLB Trey Hendrickson, it seems like you guys have really connected off the field too. Can you talk about the relationship you guys have formed? (Garrett Downing) "We became pretty good friends pretty quick, and I am grateful that [Trey Hendrickson] is here and that I got to learn from him over this time. I think we are just going to continue to grow and continue to learn to rush off each other. When you have a player of that caliber, I would be wrong to not take as much information as I can from him. It has been great."
Are you to the point now where you're kind of chomping at the bit and ready to get on the field and play games that count? (Cordell Woodland) "100 percent. I think we all are. We have this little break, but it is like I do not really want to go anywhere. I am going to stay here and get ready to roll into the season."
What kind of lift does it give you and the defense as a whole to see DL Nnamdi Madubuike out there and building towards a return to the field? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It has been great to have [Nnamdi Madubuike] out there. He is a guy who again just brings so much energy and who has done it. Having him out there on the field has been great, and we are excited for him."
As someone who spends as much time in the weight room as you do, does your body feel different after one camp with this regime compared to maybe what it was like at the end of last year's camp? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think I feel great. I think just every year, over the four years, I have gotten better and better and better — strength-wise, body-wise, and speed-wise. I think just as I progress through the league, my body just keeps feeling better. I feel the best I have ever felt."
We were talking to executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta yesterday, and he was extremely complimentary of DL Calais Campbell. He said he wished he had more Calais Campbells on the team. What has his impact been on you all, both on and off the field? (Quentin Corpuel) "Calais [Campbell] is the ultimate leader. From the first day he got here, [I've] just [been] learning little things about him — again, being in the league for so long, being 40 years old, and still playing this game at the level he is playing at is amazing. To have a guy like that, I would be wrong to not learn and be a sponge to as much information as I could get from him. He has been great."
Do you feel like you guys have a really good blend of veteran guys and youth up front? (Ryan Mink) "100 percent. Yes, and I think this is the closest we have been as a unit, up front especially. I think we are bonding, and it has been great."
You're in the final year of your contract. Have you thought at all about the future? Do you leave that to the offseason, or how are you kind of handling it? (Brian Wacker) "I just leave it to my agents and the Ravens. At the end of the day, I love this place, I love everything about the Ravens. I want to be a Raven for the rest of my life, of course. But, I am just focused on coming in here and being the best version of myself every day, and that is playing football. That is what I am focused on."
