OFFENSIVE LINE COACH GEORGE WARHOP
Last year, there was a wonderful reduction in penalties from the offensive line. Can you talk about some of that? I also wanted to ask you about the connection between pre-snap fouls and the decline of the post-snap penalties? (Ken McCusick) "Oh my gosh." (Laughter) "This last year [there] was an emphasis from [head coach] John [Harbaugh] on down, in particular, with the holdings, right? Number one, with the holdings. And then, as an offense, with the pre-snap penalties. So, it was just a point of emphasis. OK, the rest of it, you need to talk to the head coach about that. I don't pay that close attention to that stuff, so if they want to decline it, they can decline it. If they don't, they don't. Outside of that, we just don't need to be causing them. That's my mindset."
How have you seen T Roger Rosengarten change from his rookie year into this year? (Nikhil Mehta)
"So far, there [were] certain things [that] we wanted him to work on, that we talked about at the end of the season last year and coming into this year, and so far, he's doing that. It is helpful to him. He still has some stuff to work on, but the stuff we've talked about that was a major [point of] emphasis, he has definitely embraced that and has changed."
Can you tell us what he's been working on specifically? (Nikhil Mehta) "No."
George, we saw you were very much a part of the Ravens Wired with your advocacy for T Carson Vinson. How did he kind of catch your eye, and what do you envision for him over next few years? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "Carson [Vinson] is interesting. He played at a smaller school. The talent level that he was playing against wasn't that great. And he was really just OK on his college tape. But when he went to the Senior Bowl and he was playing against better players, I liked how he competed. You got to see him going against guys his size, his talent level. He wasn't perfect, but he competed, right? And so, that's what we need to see. We need to see guys with his size, his range, his length and his ability [to] compete and not back down. So, once I saw that and how God made him – and there's not that many guys like that – [so] I was like, 'If we have a chance, we need to draft him.' I just thought I needed to push as much as I could for him every time he came up."
With T Emery Jones Jr.'s injury, what have you been able to do with him to make sure he gets up to speed? (Giana Han) "I'll tell you one thing about Emery [Jones Jr.] – both of the guys, 'Delli' [OL Garrett Dellinger] from LSU, both of those guys, this is probably the fifth or sixth kid I've had from [LSU's] offensive line coach, and they all come in well prepared. Emery is very smart; he's very engaged; he's plugged in. He'll get off to the side and try to do the stuff we're doing. He can't do what we're doing, but he can mimic it on his own. I've been most impressed with him, and with 'Delli,' in the meeting rooms. Just [their] understanding [of] what we're doing, and they're very, very, very close to being really good pro players, in that regard."
Do you feel like you've been encouraged by what you've seen in OTAs so far? (Sam Cohn) "Too many false starts, so no. We've got to be better."
There's a lot of discussion about the left guards with Jacksonville Jaguars T Patrick Mekari being gone. Do you want one player to take that job, or how do you envision that competition playing out? (Bo Smolka) "I believe in a starter. I don't like playing two guys. So, we [have] two veteran guys here with Andrew [Vorhees] and Ben [Cleveland]. [We'll] let them fight it out. If one of the young guys comes up, and they can add competition to that, we'll let that happen. But, I prefer to have a starter and a backup. I don't like going in with [a] combination [of] guys, so that's my hope."
What do you like about Andrew Vorhees? (Bo Smolka) "He's continued on from [where] he started at the end of the year last year. I thought the fact that he got to sit when 'Pat' [Patrick Mekari] took over, being a first-year player, it allowed him to kind of develop [throughout] the year. And when he had to play against Cleveland, I thought he played very, very well. And so far this spring, he's done a nice job. So, I'm impressed with what he's done."
What way does a guy, or does Andrew Vorhees in this case, develop when they get to sit and watch? (Brian Wacker) "Well, there's no pressure, right? People don't understand how much pressure there is to be a starter in this league. And then, when you're really, in essence, a rookie, right? [Andrew Vorhees] was here his first year, but he was on IR. So, in essence, he's a rookie, and he's going out there, [it's his] first time in this environment [and he's] fighting his ass off to be successful, there's a ton of pressure. And if you have one bad play, it depends on the guy, you don't know how long that's going to linger for him. So, when you're able to sit back and watch veterans do it, watch how they handle those situations, it kind of calms you down, so [that] when you go play you know [that] one play is not the end all. 'I can overcome that and still play well in the game,' and I think that's where he got to at the end of the year."
Carson Vinson kind of said how he likes the way you're coaching, kind of a tough love type of situation with him sometimes. How have you seen him develop, even over the past few weeks? (Jamison Hensley) "He's come a long way the past couple of weeks. One thing about Carson [Vinson] that's really impressive is, number one, he wants to be the best version of himself every day. So, when he comes out here, he's trying to get better from what he did yesterday. And then I can crawl right up his stuff, and he does not ever blink. He does not blink. You see him out there, he just kind of looks at me, [he says] 'Yes sir,' he goes on, and he does what he's supposed to do. But, he's a young kid, so we're trying to get him up to speed as fast as possible. So, it's [by any] means necessary to get that done. But I am really – this whole rookie class we have here that they brought in, all these guys really do a nice job. They work; they try to get better. They're all at different stages, they [are] all from different spots, but I'm really, really impressed with the group [the personnel department] brought in. [Executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] did a great job with that."
Is Garrett Dellinger a guy who could be in the mix at center next year? (Ken McCusick) "We're starting to work [Garrett Dellinger] and Reid [Holskey] both at center. I don't know if they'll get team reps at it, but 'Delli' played center at LSU. So, both of those guys, eventually, will be pulling the ball in practice."
T ROGER ROSENGARTEN
On his goals heading into his second NFL season: "Yes, after last season, I know I wanted to immediately take a little time off, but it was immediately hitting the gates for me. Personally, physically getting in the weight room, getting faster, bigger, faster, stronger, and just building onto Year Two, because now I know, I've got the ropes [down] to everything, and this is where my confidence and my play starts to really take its next level step."
On how he's changed physically: "Yes, I think it was a couple of dieting things when I went back to offseason [mode], and compounding that with really good workouts and staying strict and disciplined for myself, and I came back to phase one and phase two of the offseason [the] best [that] I've felt."
On if he's put on weight in the offseason: "I kind of lost a little bit of weight just to get myself a little bit healthier after the season. I had some nicks and bruises, but then, kind of slowly, I started to put it on the way I wanted to. So, I'm back to where I've been playing at."
On when he stops being a "nobody" in reference to his viral moment with Browns DE Myles Garrett at the end of last season: "Actually, I think last year, 'nobody' was kind of a harsh word for myself. I'd much rather [have said], 'I know I'm a rookie,' but just going into this year, I'm going to play with way more confidence. We're going to go against a lot of good teams, and a lot of good players, so I'm excited for it."
On if the response from Browns DE Myles Garrett gave him a feeling that he belongs here: "Oh yes, absolutely. It wasn't only just [Myles] Garrett, it was a lot of the other players that didn't get caught on film that I just had interactions with, so fellow offensive linemen and other defensive linemen throughout the last season. Just [some] stuff to build on."
On his progression from Week 1 of last season to now: "I think my first play in the NFL is not how you want it to go, but just building on starting from the bottom, it only could get better. So, I just wanted to build off that, and I thought I did a really good job for myself, and bringing others with me [and] making myself better each day, day in and day out and just [keep] stacking days."
On if he's had to deal with negativity or abuse from fans on social media: "Yes, I think it was more [during] college. I had a situation in the [CFP] National Championship; it was actually pretty funny. A lot of the bettors would find my Venmo and Venmo request me saying things like, 'You lost me [money],' and I got a laugh out of it, but at the end of the day, you never want that stuff to happen. So, you've just got to make sure you're on your 'A-game' at all times."
On if that can be a helpless feeling dealing with negativity on social media: "Yes. That's what you sign up for when you're playing on the biggest stage, [and] when you're getting televised week in and week out, it happens to everyone. So, that's a part of it and it's a different era, as my dad says, that I play in, and they didn't have the cell phones back in the day, but now we're in the modern era of where [if] you play bad, you're probably going to hear about it."
On being able to focus on playing right tackle this upcoming season: "Yes. I remember, I took a small vacation with my family, and I was texting Ronnie [Stanley] and calling him every day. I was like, 'Hey man, the left side's looking really good!' Just because I thought we had a really good dynamic duo of me and him and just bouncing off each other from left to right. So, I think it all played out at the end of the day, but I'm glad he is back, for sure."
On what he said to T Ronnie Stanley when he signed his new contract: "It was more so like a 'finally.' It wasn't like a 'thank you,' it was more like a 'finally' because I was bugging [Ronnie Stanley] so much. I was trying to bring other guys in the offensive line. I was like, 'Come on Ronnie.' I was like, 'You've got to get something done here.' So, it ended up working out."
On how much his coaches are trusting him to leave him one-on-one against some of the top pass rushers in the league heading into his second season: "Yes. I think trust is a big thing, especially game planning. The coaches have a plan within each game and each matchup, but whatever the gameplan is –whether that's me one-on-one or a chip block on the right or left side – I'm going to build my gameplan towards it and just roll with it."
On what he's seen from OLBs Odafe Oweh and Mike Green so far: "Yes, I know 'Dafe' [Odafe Oweh] and Mike [Green]. Mike's a newer guy, but 'Dafe' has been one of the better edge players, in my opinion, in the NFL, and he's definitely showed it [during] these OTAs. He came back bigger, faster and stronger. So, that's just as a testament to myself and [how] I've got to raise my level as these guys get better, too. And Mike's doing good, too. He's picking up where he [left] off in college. So yes, they're both doing a really good job."
On if there's an area in his game where he felt like he can improve heading into Year Two: "Yes, there's too many to list. I'm super critical of myself in being my own coach, and I went back, and through this offseason phase, I've been watching every single game [from last season], and I'm taking notes on where I want to improve my game. So, I wouldn't say there's one specific thing; there's probably 10 or 11 things that I can list off."
G ANDREW VORHEES
On how watching former Ravens OL Patrick Mekari last season has helped his 2025 approach: "Yes, last year was obviously an interesting situation. Personally, I went out there every day just looking to make the best of my opportunities. So, obviously early on in the season, that role looked different than it did later on in the season. But having a guy like Patrick Mekari [to have] me to look forward to and to lean on in terms of just maturity and expertise out on the field was huge for my growth and development."
On his mental difficulties after becoming injured last season: "It definitely was not favorable or something that you dream of as a football player, but going through what I went through my redshirt year, as a lot of people refer to it as, I felt like it gave me a lot of perspective and [it] really gave me the opportunity to take a step back and look at things from a bigger picture. So, I was able to lean back onto that adversity as just kind of a cornerstone last year, and I felt like I was in a good spot mentally throughout the whole process. [I am] really thankful for that opportunity."
On if his time at the end of last season proved his development: "Absolutely. Go prove to myself. Go prove to you guys. Go prove to my teammates, my coaches, everything and just show that even though I wasn't necessarily playing on Sundays at the time, I was still developing at practice, being a great scout/team player, giving our defense opportunity to get ready for the games and all that. So, I was proud of my performance in that last game that I got to play in Cleveland [during] the last week of the regular season. [I] just look forward to building off of that and just proving what I could do."
On his feelings about going into camp this year compared to last year: "Yes, just physically more mature, mentally more mature, [and] just more opportunity in the playbook. So, [we have a] great group of guys in this room right now, and we all push each other to be the best that we can be, the best versions of ourselves. So, that's something that's super awesome that we have going on."
On how he overcame mental hurdles to get back on the field last season: "I would say just leaning on the other guys in the room. I said that I commended them and the special bond that we have. I really do believe it's something special and unique about us, specifically."
On what it means to have T Ronnie Stanely back: "[Ronnie Stanley is a] tremendous player and an even better dude. You guys don't get the opportunity to spend as much time as we do, but Ronnie is an awesome dude. When you get the opportunity to play next to an All-Pro player, [it] kind of makes your life a little easier at times. [I am] really stoked to see what he does. [I am] excited to have him back and looking forward to [being with] him this year."
On if he has noticed the abuse of athletes online: "No, nothing. [I] kind of stay out of that world, but thankfully I'm not subject to it. I haven't been involved."
On if his experience helps with the competition of starting lineups: "[It's] good either way, right? I always just want to go out there and be the best football player that you could be. [From] my perspective, it's just an open position out there for grabs, and it's up to somebody. So, why not me? Why not anybody else for that sake? [I] just kind of take it day-by-day. We'll just see what happens when this all settles down, and we get ready for [our] Week 1 opener."
On his feelings toward being coached in pulling aspects of the offensive line: "Just [a] shoutout to Coach 'Monk' [Todd Monken], honestly, for the design that he has put together for us in terms of our offense and stuff. [And] Coach [George] Warhop, just coaching us, [I] definitely feel like he prepares me, and they put us in good positions to succeed out there. So, [I] definitely feel confident in that aspect of offensive line play."
