HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Good seeing everybody here. [I] appreciate you being here. [There was] crazy weather outside; well, now it's nice, but it wasn't before, and so we came inside, and I thought we had an excellent practice. [The] guys are really locked in, trying to do everything right, so you appreciate that as a coach. It was fast, and it was pretty sharp, so that's it for this phase. I kind of look at minicamp like the start a training camp. It's the first mandatory type of deal. We'll pick this up then in a few weeks, and we'll start training camp when the rookies come back in. The rookies will have one more week here of conditioning – strength and conditioning. So, they'll get that done, and we'll be moving on into the season. Guys will get away a little bit, take care of their job, and they'll come back in the best shape of their life, take care of their family, whatever their family's needs [are] and take care of their own needs and then be ready to go. What questions do you have?"
With the addition of CB Jaire Alexander, what kind of impact do you think he can make? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, [I'm] just really excited about [him being here]. I had a chance to sit down with him today, which was an awesome time, and he's excited to be here. We're excited to have him. It had been kind of behind the scenes, in the works for a little bit, and I know he wanted to be here, and we wanted him here. So, for it to work out the way it did, it made Lamar [Jackson] happy. I think it made everybody happy. It's just an opportunity to become a better team, in that sense, today, so we're really excited about it."
Was it just a coincidence that after QB Lamar Jackson said he wanted him here, and he was here within hours? (Jerry Coleman) "It was good timing. It was good timing."
You talked a bit about – over the last couple of sessions – about what the new kickers are seeing, how they would approach the mental side [and] the scrutiny of [the job]. Now that they're a few sessions in, how have you kind of seen that now that uncertainty has started to come to fruition? (Matt Cohen) "Well, I think the biggest thing is to try to put them in tough situations as much as we can. There is the idea of repetition and being able to replicate the swing, and [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] works on that with those guys all the time. They're down there, [and] just putting the numbers up, and those are all charted and graphed and everything else. And then, you get into the situations, and the team situation is one thing, then the game scenarios are the next thing where they have to run out and make it like a game. Then they're working on some other things. I mean, both those guys [Tyler Loop and John Hoyland] are working on some trajectory things that you don't really know about, but they're trying to change the trajectory of the ball a little bit from what they've done, so we [can] get it where we want it to be, so it's a little more consistent in certain conditions, and they've been working on that. So, all those things I think add up, and then the end result with all that going on has been really good. So, a good, solid job. And again, we'll pick it up in training camp."
Does your specialty in the background help as you talk to them in those moments as rookies? (Matt Cohen) "Yes, I'm the guy that pats them on the shoulder and kicks them in the butt at the same time, so that's my job."
You've dealt a lot with kickers in the past. With K Tyler Loop, I've heard something about his leg consistency and his swing. Have you noticed that in what you've seen from him? (Jamison Hensley) "[Tyler Loop] is a really good athlete. He has body control, and he can make adjustments from a coaching standpoint and so can John [Hoyland]. They're both doing a good job with that and actually pick it up really quickly. [Tyler] is just kind of a natural athlete, so he's picking it up quick. Now it's just a matter of doing it over and over again, and yes, he's done a good job of that."
You've added lot of these veterans that come in on one-year deals, some of them even taking pay cuts. How easy for you, as a coach, is it to have those guys who have had experience, guys like WR DeAndre Hopkins, former Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr., now CB Jaire Alexander; that really just come in and assimilate themselves into the culture? What's the key similarity you've seen amongst the veterans that come here? (Sam Jane) "Well, all the guys who've come in here have wanted to be here. That's the number one thing, I think. I believe that guys understand kind of what we're about [as an] the organization [and] the culture of the program, and they're the kind of guys that see themselves in that. That's how they see themselves, as a Raven, so to speak. And you see DeAndre [Hopkins] and how he's been [doing] with [the adjustment] – he's been phenomenal. You guys have watched him in practice, I would say [to] expect the same thing from Jaire [Alexander]. That's kind of the conversation that we had today. And if it's the right guy – it's like, if you like football, and you love everything about football, you're going to like it here, and you're going to be happy. If a guy doesn't really feel that way, it's probably best if he's somewhere else. So, these guys have all been those kind of guys."
You've gotten to see more of S Sanoussi Kane on the defense with some of the injuries you guys have had in the secondary. What have you seen from him going into Year Two? (Cordell Woodland) "I think he's had a really good offseason. The OTAs have been really good, [and] he's gotten better every day. The last two practices have been very good. So, you watch him out here, I think you see it, he's looked really good."
WR Devontez Walker, he looks like he has been making some strides during OTAs and minicamp. What are you seeing from him? (Carita Parks) "Well, I saw a catch on the sideline [today] that was spectacular. That was pretty awesome. Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour. We did get him to talk today, because it's his birthday tomorrow, so we have birthday wisdom, birthday 'Wise Words,' and so he gave us a wise word. I made him stand up to do it, so he loved that." (laughter) "But yes, he's got a chance to be really good."
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr is a guy who, obviously, you were very confident in when you named him defensive coordinator a little over a year ago. I'm curious about your perspective, how you've seen him grow from then to now, and maybe what is the biggest difference when a guy is in that role going from Year One to Year Two? (Brian Wacker) "Well, Zach is a guy that – I watch him every day. I know he is doing a great job day to day with coaching [and] with all the aspects of that job. It's a big job, being the defensive coordinator, and he does it really well every day. And I watch him every day, and so, I'm not surprised at all by it. I kind of expected it. I definitely expected it. But we all grow, [and we] get better. [As you] see things, you learn from successes and failures, and Zach's great about that. He is very humble, [he is a] good combination of humility and confidence. [He is a] very, very, very charismatic guy, really smart [and a] good teacher. All those things that I knew, and you see it every day."
CB Jaire Alexander was suspended a couple years ago because he inserted himself into a coin toss. The Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst talked about how nobody is bigger than the team. Did you talk about that at all during the signing? Do you remember that, and how do you expect him to fit into culture [here]? (Sam Jane) "I really don't remember it. I guess now that you've mentioned it, now I remember it. I had forgotten about it. And no, it was not a part of our conversation at all."
When you add a guy like Jaire Alexander, especially at that position, at corner, I know you need everybody on defense to play well, but when you have corners, how important is that as a building block for defense? (Jamison Hensley) "Well yes, when you've got corners, you don't have to worry about your corners. And it's kind of a big deal because a lot of plays are made out there on that red line – on that outside third part of the field. That's an area of the field that really needs to be defended. And then, when you play man [coverage], they'll run all those crossing routes and all those pick routes, and you need guys that can keep up with that stuff. So, [it] just gives you more options with your defensive play calls. So yes, that's a good thing. I'm really, really fired up about that. I thought we had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday, and we added one more excellent corner today, so it's that much better."
Do you guys already have a plan in place for helping him get past some of the injury woes that he's dealt with? I know that's something that you guys take a lot of pride in; helping guys be in a position to succeed, even with some injuries in their past. (Jonas Shaffer) "Definitely, [we're] just [going to do the] same thing we do with our guys. 'Chido' [Chidobe Awuzie] has been the same [way], we've had that same conversation – the same question – when he came in. It's very similar, those two guys. They're highly talented guys that have had to unfortunately deal with some injury woes and obviously, that's the upside for us – that we want to get those guys healthy and rolling."
You guys have the Commanders joint practice coming up later in the summer. How much are you guys, as a team, looking forward to that? Obviously, that franchise is very different from what it was two years ago, the last time you guys met up here, so how much are you guys looking forward to that? (Alex Flum) "Right now, we're probably not looking forward to it [because it is] so far away and there's so much to go between then and now. Actually, we'll have the Colts here before that. So, I would say first things first. Now [looking] long-term, I'm excited about it. I'm excited to go down there to their place. I've never seen it. I have so much respect for [Washington Commanders head] Coach [Dan] Quinn and the whole organization, the team and everything. We played them last year, so we know what kind of team they are, so it'll help us be a better team."
Is T Emery Jones Jr. still on track to participate in training camp? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, in training camp, I think, [he'll practice] at some point. I couldn't promise to start training camp. The timeline of that, I wouldn't say [at] the start of training camp unless [Emery Jones Jr.] does something miraculous. But, I'm hopeful at some point in time in training camp we'll see him."
Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin was talking about ways that QB Lamar Jackson has still improved despite having one of the best seasons by a quarterback last year. In the two days that you've seen him here, what have you seen differently from him, and what would you like to see him improve? (Giana Han) "Yes, again, it's just that across the board growth that [Lamar Jackson] probably would talk about as well. I see him, and he's throwing the ball great. He really has a really good grasp of the offense, and that's only going to get better [with] the more reps he gets. But, when he comes out here, and he's practicing the last two days, I'm really glad he is our quarterback. It makes me really happy. It makes me smile inside, and I think it's a good room. Those guys have done a great job. All three of those guys with Tee [Martin] and [director of football strategy/assistant quarterbacks coach] Daniel [Stern]. So, we've just got to go to work and just keep improving. It's really not so much about Lamar or any individual player; they work on their craft, but for me as a coach, it's how it all fits together so that the whole offense, the whole defense, the whole special teams, the whole team, you kind of see that moving forward."
As you look at the offensive line going into training camp, do you see both of the guard positions as open competitions to start or more on one side than the other? (Childs Walker) "I don't know. You're kind of asking me to put it on the scale. In one sense, every job is open. You never know what's going to happen the next day. You've got to be ready for every possibility, and competition is what the NFL is all about. It's what sports are all about, competition. So, everybody is always competing every day. But those are two of the positions that I kind of think I've got a pretty good idea that the guys that you saw out there today are in the lead, especially Daniel [Faalele]. He had the most experience last year. So, he did a nice job and really played well as the season went on, and then when [Andrew] Voorhees got his chance, he looked really good, too, in that one game, the Browns game. But they both know they've got to play well. The standard will be very high, but we expect them to play up to it."
You guys have been tabbed as Super Bowl favorites. How did you send off this team after the conclusion of minicamp, and how do you want them to approach the expectations and the pressure up around as you guys have this hiatus? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, what do they say? 'Pressure is a privilege.' I think [it was] the U.S. Open, right? Who said that? Was it Billie Jean King? Who said that? Anybody? I'm pretty sure it was Billie Jean King."
It wasn't Ted Lasso, was it? (Jonas Shaffer) "No, but it could have been Ted Lasso, you're right. We are locked in on doing everything we can possibly do to be the very best football team we can be with intentionality and with purpose. That is what we are doing, and I see it. Did you guys watch practice? You should be seeing it out there. I see it in practice. So, where that leads us is going to be where it leads us, and we've got to take care of the process, and it's our job to make it happen. It's not what you say, it's not anything other than what you do, and I see the guys doing it every day, and I can't wait for the next day."
Has that focus been consistent each time during this season with this group and with QB Lamar Jackson the past couple of seasons? Or is it rare to feel that way at this point that you are so locked in before training camp begins? (Morgan Adsit) "Yes, that's a great question. It's a consistent principle for us. It's what we believe in, and it's what we emphasize. But I do see it in this group. I can't really compare it. You kind of forget. But I see it right now in this group at a really, really high level. And that's what you want to see as a coach."
S KYLE HAMILTON
On how he feels about the new acquisition of CB Jaire Alexander: "Yes, [it is] kind of crazy how fast that news broke ... Shoutout to Anthony Miller – he just requested that. We were at lunch, and literally, Lamar told us, and five seconds later, we see it on [the] Pat McAfee show. So, that's crazy, but [he's a] great addition. I mean he's been one of the best in this league since he got in it, and to have anybody like that, no matter what position room is, especially as the DB, it's super valuable. I'm super out of breath, because we literally just finished practice, but [I am] excited to have him. [I've] been talking to him a lot. [He's a] cool dude."
On how signing CB Jaire Alexander helps with flexibility in the secondary: "I think it might've been Ozzie [Newsome], I think he said, 'You can never have too many DBs.' I feel like for every team at some point in the year, it seems like everybody's thin at DB, and to just add a guy like that into a room, not only his play, but his energy, his charisma, his leadership and ball knowledge – it's going to be great to have him in the room. [I'm] excited to get him acclimated and everything, and he seems super eager to get in the playbook and stuff. So, I think we're all excited to have him going into [training] camp."
On how he feels about the roster that seemingly doesn't have any holes heading into Training Camp: "I think people kind of play into it. Every offseason, there's some moves made, and I think people read a little bit too much into it. I think we still have our guys here, and we've got a lot of talent that we retained and brought in. Obviously, we just got Jaire [Alexander], but I was just talking to Coach [John] Harbaugh ... Just these two days [of minicamp], you can kind of see the trajectory that we think we're on. [There's] still a lot of work to be done, obviously, and [it's] going to continue throughout the season. But I mean, we're off to a great start. It seems like we're playing 12-on-11 out there sometimes – no offense to the offense, and they'll probably have a different answer to that – but I think we're clicking really well right now. [We] just [need to] clean up the little mistakes."
On how rookie S Malaki Starks has impressed him so far: "No, not at all. [Malaki Starks] is a Georgia boy, so it was in him when he was born – not [because of the] Bulldogs, but he was born in the state [of Georgia]; We don't care about the Bulldogs. But he's super eager to learn, and [he's] very mature for his age. I can tell he is a great dude, a great football player, and I'm excited for you all to see it on display this season. Obviously, [I am] sick about what happened to 'A.D.' [Ar'Darius Washington], and [I am] thinking about him, [sending] prayers for him, but I mean, that allows Malaki [Starks] to grow up quicker now, but I think he's just the right guy for it. I'm excited for him. He's going to do very well with the opportunity, and he's going to have a great career."
On his thoughts about having five former first-round draft picks in the secondary: "I think that kind of comes with an added expectation that we welcome. Obviously, like you said, nobody really cares that much on our side [about] what round you were taken. Obviously, there's undrafted dudes in the League that make a big splash every year, but to have everybody back there [who] is talented, smart and a hard worker. We really have no excuses to not go out there and do what we need to do. So, it's on us at the end of the day, and pressure is a privilege. [I'm] excited for us to have that privilege."
On the impressions that he has of defensive coordinator Zach Orr going into Year Two: "I think it's different being a position coach – I mean I'm speaking for him right now – but, being a position coach and a D.C. [is different]. Obviously, we had some tough losses in the past when he was the LBs coach, but as a D.C., I feel like you take those losses more on your back, on your shoulders. So, I think he's come back this year with a great outlook. We have that scar tissue from last year, and it's going to be good for us going into this year. Just the way he commands the room, you can tell there's a difference in the confidence in him and everybody in the room, and he puts that confidence in us. So, we follow his lead, and he has done a great job so far."
On if he has done extra work with S Malaki Starks to help build a partnership: "I feel like in [training] camp, it's going to be a big thing, because there is so much you're doing every day. Everybody's messing up every day, [and] everybody's making good plays every day. So, watching that stuff on a daily basis, it's kind of hard now [with] people in and out, and [with] only two days of minicamp, but I'll probably talk to him. We'll do, not just me and Malaki [Starks], but everybody in the DB room [and] defense. We'll have group stuff going on so we can all be on the same page."
On his impressions of senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Chuck Pagano: "I think every time he says something in the meeting room with all the DBs, it's like he's just dropping knowledge. He's forgotten more football than a lot of people know. So, to have somebody in the room like that and [defensive backs coach] Donald [D'Alesio], too, who's been doing a great job. Honestly, he gets through those installs like a pro. It's impressive. But they're both doing a great job so far. But back to Chuck [Pagano], I think he's accomplished everything in this game besides winning the Super Bowl. He's voiced that, and we want to get that not only for us, but for him, too – guys like him who haven't been able to reach that pinnacle. So, he's just a great guy to have, and [I am] really happy about the room right now."
CB MARLON HUMPHREY
On his initial reaction to the addition of CB Jaire Alexander: "I like it. I asked [Jaire Alexander] if he deleted Instagram because I was going to [direct message] him. We talked a little last year when we had the joint practice, but then I couldn't find him on Instagram, so I asked him if he deleted his Instagram, and he said, 'Yes.' But yes, I like it a lot. I think we did kind of speak on teaming up last year, but obviously, he was like, 'I'm [in Green Bay],' and I was like, 'Oh, I'm probably not leaving [Baltimore] either.' So, it ended up working out, but I'm really excited. A quote that's never been said and probably will never be said in NFL history is, 'We've got too many corners that can cover,' so I think that's a great problem to have, and I'm really excited for that addition."
On if playing more in the slot last year was something he enjoyed and wanted to do: "When I first got out there – I think maybe my second or third year – it was something I really wasn't very comfortable with, but ever since I redshirted at Alabama, that offseason, I went into spring training, and my thought process was it doesn't really matter what position I'm asked to do, whether it is special teams. No matter what it is, I'll always be excited to get on the field, whatever the coaches ask me to do, and fast forward to when they first asked me to do that. That third year, I was thinking in my head, 'I don't think this is going to work too well, but they think I can do it, so I'll try it out,' and it ended up working pretty well. Now, I've come to like it, because [playing cornerback], there's only so much aggression you can have when you've got to cover Ja'Marr Chase. You can't be too aggressive, but [as a] nickel, you get to get in there, get in the mix and get in 'the trenches,' as the big guys call it. I feel like I'm a smaller guy when I'm dealing with the 300-pound guy, but I try to put on my big-boy pads and do my thing. So yes, I've enjoyed it. It's been fun. I've taken notes from a lot of different guys across the league that have a lot of success blitzing, [such as] Mike Hilton and, obviously, Kyle Hamilton, some of those guys that show a lot of just different finesse and different ways to get in there. But yes, to answer your question, I've started to enjoy the position."
On how much flexibility the defenses is provided by having a player like CB Jaire Alexander: "Before 'A.D.' [Ar'Darius Washington] got hurt, obviously, there was going to be a ton of flexibility. Then, we added 'Chido' [Chidobe Awuzie] and it's like, 'Wow, we can get even more flexibility.' Then, 'A.D.' goes down, so we've still got some spots, and then now we add Jaire [Alexander], and I think the options are endless. With me playing a little safety, even Malaki [Starks] in college, he played some of that nickel position, so it's going to be a fun secondary, and just guys can kind of play wherever. The addition of Jaire, along with the other guys we've got, it can be a serious matchup. If there's a guy that we feel that this guy can cover this guy better, we can match him up with him, and we can all pick who we want. We can have four first round corners out there. There's just so much that we can do. It's really exciting. It's really exciting to add him."
On how he would describe his thought process from a mental perspective going into this year: "I think as I've gotten older – older might not be the word – as I decided to get married, I realized I was moving a little fast, and I felt that in order to get that wife that I wanted, I needed to slow down some, and that's kind of the approach I really took to my life – my family life and my football life – and that was the biggest thing: to just slow down, take your time and get to work early. You might not have a meeting for another hour, but get to work early, and you'll find something to do. If the plane leaves at two [o'clock], get to the plane at two [o'clock] and sit on there. I don't ever like to rush, and I've really focused in and taken that approach to football. I think the year before, I was hurt a lot, and I realized I'm just going to take every day like this could be my last year playing. This could be my last day living, and that's the approach I took last year. That's the approach I take now. I'm usually one of the last guys to leave. I'm basically here every single day, off day or not. Me and Broderick Washington ... That's one guy I usually run into on every off day. We are here, very unnecessarily, just here. 'Broddy' is usually actually working out. I'm usually just wasting my time here a lot of times, but I just like to really slow down and enjoy where I'm at because, the reality is, with 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr] being our coach, you really never know when your snap of football is going to be. That's just a true reality. You never know when your last breath is going to be, and that's just the biggest thing I took to last season. Obviously, I knew the things coming into the season. My performance was very dependent on if I would be playing for this team or not, and my thought process was [that] if this is my last year, I really want to enjoy it. As I'm getting older, so they say, that's kind of just the reality. You just never know what a team wants to do. This place is love, this place is great, but at the end of the day, the NFL is a business, and I'm not getting [any] younger. Plays can still get made, but that's just the reality of how I approach it, and that's worked well for me."
On his impressions of WR DeAndre Hopkins: "I like 'D-Hop' [DeAndre Hopkins]. I've gotten to have some conversations with him. He is 'Mr. Contested Catch.' That is for sure. Just having a conversation with him, I thought it was really humbling. We asked him, me and one of the strength coaches, 'What do you think about the team from the outside looking in since you've been on other teams?' And he said, 'It seems like there's been a piece that's been missing. I could be that addition. I could not be that addition.' To hear a veteran guy, All-Pro guy and Pro Bowl guy say he could be, or he could not be [the piece that's missing], to me, that was extremely humbling. I feel that he fits the Ravens mold, and I think he'll fit right in."
On if the team has the mindset that they are one of the best few teams and everything has to be about achieving their final goal: "Yes. Obviously, we ended last year [with a] loss to the Bills. I think every window opens, and every window closes as far as that championship ability, and I feel that ... I'm not going to say we've underperformed, but I feel that we've had championship-caliber rosters. I feel that we've prepared like a championship team, and there's just been something we have to do, but I don't feel that we're far off. I can only speak on the defense; I feel that when I first came to the Ravens, it was all about the Ravens defense. It was all about the Ravens defense. It was all about the Ravens defense, and I feel like I've let that standard – being here, I think [I'm] the longest [tenured] defensive guy – I feel like I've let that standard kind of slip, and that's something that I want to get back. Obviously, we love Lamar Jackson. He's a great player, but I want the Ravens' identity to be defense like it was when I first got here, so that's something that we're chirping in our room. That's something 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr] is leading the front with. We have to get the football. I was unaware of how elite that 2000 Ravens defense was, and when I was watching some of those playoff games, you didn't really need an offense, honestly. They were just making so many plays [and forcing] turnovers. The regular season is very important, but that is something that we are not doing, and it kind of starts in practice. We've got a very detailed-out grading system of ... It's so much. Honestly it's pretty new, but it's really going to tell, and it's showed on our walls, on the video boards in our defensive room. Everything is graded. Literally every single thing that you can possibly grade is graded, and I think it'll ultimately help us be the defense that I feel like Baltimore deserves, so that's the biggest thing. We have to get that back. I think that's crucial to get that standard back, and that's all I'm thinking about as I go on this break as you're training. When you come back, it's go time, and it's all about the ball. It's all about the ball. It's all about the ball, and I think that's what our defense is going to be focused on, and that's what we're going to do this season."
On if he found himself asking why the team isn't getting the results they are looking for in the postseason: "This is my first full offseason living here, and so the season ended, and for probably a solid two weeks, me and some of the staff – most of the guys kind of got out of town, some of the guys stuck around – we were trying to figure out those same answers. We never really came to anything, just because being on the inside, it just felt like we were preparing the way we should. It really seemed like everything was kind of where you wanted it, and the answer never truly came, but I do know the very simple answer – the one that [we] did come [up with] – is the Bills had three [forced] turnovers; the Ravens had zero [takeaways], and that right there is just the tale of the story. The percentages ... Three [forced] turnovers are more than likely going to win the game. Two [forced] turnovers, you're more than likely going to win the game. Even [if you force] one turnover, you're more than likely going to win the game if the other team has zero, so that's the one thing that's pretty evident. It doesn't really matter how good you play defensively. If you can't get the football, you're not playing good enough, and so that's the biggest thing to harp on. Like I said, that's got to be our identity. That's got to be every ... All 11 guys that's on the field, [that has to be the] identity – get the ball, get the ball, get the ball, get the ball. And I feel like when I first got here, once again, the Raven Flu was a real thing. All of a sudden, the guy with the hamstring [was] like 'Ah, he'll be playing next week.' There was a fear of when you stepped on the field. There was a fear to throw a screen, because you've got four D-linemen coming that are retracing, and that standard is just ... We're chasing to get it back. It's an urgency to get it back. Minicamp was cool. I felt like we got a lot of good work in OTAs, and honestly, OTAs looked crazy, because it's just usually 'Ro' [Roquan Smith]. You know 'Ro' is coming, but [now] you've got 300-pound guys coming on the outside. You better tackle the guy, or you've got a lot of guys coming to hit you and their defender. I think the OTA was a good glimpse of what we're preaching, putting it to practice, and then [when] training camp comes, season comes, everybody's got to be rolling."
On how he feels CB Jaire Alexander fits in with how the secondary plays and with the defense's culture: "Pretty good. Just talking to [Jaire Alexander], he is excited to work. I know Lamar [Jackson] loves him. My college DB coach coached him at Green Bay, so he had talked to [me]. He said we're very similar, which I don't think I've ever heard that before – someone being similar to me – so I think he'll fit in well. I don't think it's hard to fit in here. It's a very easy place to fit in with the team camaraderie. One of the first questions he asked was, 'Do you guys hang out,' which is always a great thing, so the culture, the chemistry ... I wanted him to put on some cleats today and get out there, but obviously, he just got off the plane. I'm super excited to add him. I think he'll mesh really well with the team, and it'll be a good secondary."
On how he feels defensive coordinator responded to criticism and what has stood out to him about Zach Orr going into his second year: "The defensive coaches, it seemed like they took a pretty hard study on what we did well last year, and what we did bad. I think some of that grading system is some of the notes they took from it. [Forcing more] turnovers was something they took from it. We just have to get the ball more, especially when it matters the most, but as far as 'Z.O.' [Zach Orr] as a coordinator, I felt that sadly, there's a lot of things that were being coached that were coached correctly, and when he put it out there for us – [when he] called it – we weren't clicking, as far as [the players] on the field. It actually held us back as a defense from what we could call if we couldn't execute what was called, so some of the things had to get a lot more simple until we could show that we could execute these things, and I think this offseason, it's just jelling. Like I said, there were just so many plays when just one guy wasn't doing the right thing, and it went across every single position. Every single player was somebody not doing what they were supposed to do in those first however many weeks, and I think the biggest change was just all 11 guys [were] doing their job. It's kind of what turned our defense around, putting 'AD' [Ar'Darius Washington] out there and different things. I like how 'Z.O.' is preaching. He said, 'The best guy is going to play, and the best guy is whoever's playing the best.' Last year, he brought some energy, but this year, if you're not ready to go, if you're not ready to play, you will not be grabbing your helmet on Sunday, and that's kind of what he's preaching. I think we're all listening, but I know when we come back [for training] camp, he's going to be ready to rock. He's going to be ready to push us. He's going to be ready to take us, I think, to where the Ravens defense once used to be, and I'm excited to be a part of it, and I'm excited for the journey."
