SATURDAY (8/4) TRAINING CAMP TRANSCRIPTS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "Good to see everybody. I appreciate you guys being here. A good practice, back at it, so we're moving on to the next thing. It's always good to get a game under your belt, get a feel for where you're at and move forward from there. Obviously, [it's] a big week this week. We're very excited to have the Rams coming in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then play the game on Thursday. We appreciate Sean [McVay] and the Rams organization for coming in to practice. Couldn't have a better foe – very talented football team, very well-coached team, great organization. We're really happy about that. Couple things: Plans for Canton, we're going to go out a little bit later today – a few of the guys who either played with Ray [Lewis], or in C.J.'s [Mosley] case, in his position, along with Don Martindale. So C.J. will be going. Marshal [Yanda], Terrell [Suggs], Joe [Flacco], Justin [Tucker], Sam [Koch] and Morgan [Cox] will make the trip out. Then, we'll come back tonight and be practicing again tomorrow morning. Some guys returned to practice, you saw that. Those guys, as we said, I think there are four guys, had minor-type things that they were working them through. And they didn't practice the whole practice either. We're working them back in – but hopefully, as we go, they'll practice more. Some guys weren't practicing. Same issues, either they're PUP guys who were out, or they had small things from the game that we just didn't think they were quite ready to practice today on. Marshal Yanda, he's off PUP, so he's starting to work his way in. That's a huge plus for us. We're excited about that. I don't expect him to play in this game, but we'll just start bringing him along."
After you've had a chance to look at the film, I know when they were asking you after the game, you hadn't had a chance. But you've looked at the film. Did you use this to correct mistakes? Is that basically what today is for? (Jerry Coleman)"That's part of it. No, it wasn't what today is for, because you're moving forward with your installs and your plans, but we do take a period and make the corrections. We have meetings and watch the tape and make the corrections, which we'll do the rest of the day. And then, you just have a feel. The old saying, 'It's never as good, it's never as bad,' pretty much applies. But, there are certain areas that lit up as red flags for us that we need to really go to work at and make sure we improve on."
To follow up: Was there, I don't want to say a new revelation, but things maybe that you saw the second time around? (Jerry Coleman)"I wouldn't say a new revelation – nothing that we didn't know going in could be issues. Some guys did some extremely good things in some areas. I can give you an example: Our defense ran to the ball really well, and that's the No. 1 priority. Offensively, our quarterbacks operated very well. That was a priority for us. Then after that, you find the areas where you need to get better. It's all very specific. Generally, if you look at it – you're asking me the question – we have to be better up front with the young offensive lineman. We don't want a sack. Our quarterbacks don't need to be under that kind of duress, and we need to block the run game better. So, we expect more out of those guys. We're capable of making more plays in the passing game, and we want to see that as well."
John, in regards to G Marshal Yanda, could he be back out at practice as early as tomorrow? And how encouraging is it that he's off the PUP list? (Ed Lee)"He's going to work through individual [drills], and then he'll expand into group. Then he'll expand into team stuff, then he'll expand into game stuff. That will be about a two-week process, probably."
How encouraging is it that G Marshal Yanda is off the PUP list? (Ed Lee)"Very encouraging. This was the target date, so he's right on schedule."
John, upon review, do you have any more clarity on the helmet rule? You said that you wanted to watch on those plays. (Bo Smolka)"What I meant by the big-picture clarity was, and I think this has been said by many people, is that we're going to have to see how it's officiated. And, the officials are going to have to learn how to officiate it in real time. The officials on the field, they expressed [that] it's tough. It's a new rule for them, and all these rules always kind of get worked out in the preseason and though the season. So, we just have to see what they can actually see and can't see. And, like I told our guys, there are going to be some called that they're going to come back and say shouldn't have been. There are going to be others not called that they're going to say should have been. We just have to tackle the right way: with our heads up, see what we tackle, and use our shoulders and not use our head as a weapon. That's what we're striving to do."
TE Hayden Hurst had a touchdown. Has he impressed you with his adjusting to the pro game? (David Ginsburg) _"He has. The first game, it was good to see Hayden play well in the first game. That's the first test. Now, the next test is you come back and you have a good week of practice and take it to the next game." _(Reporter: "He made a nice catch today, so maybe?") "Right. We just keep pushing."
How encouraging was it to see TE Mark Andrews come out here in his first practice in a little while and make a number of plays? (Ryan Mink)"Yes, high on the encouraging scale, to see Mark Andrews out here. As you said, he showed a little knack for route running today, which is what we thought we drafted, so I was happy to see it."
Coach, what do you think of the new kickoff rule? You got your first live look the other day. (Kyle Barber)"I felt like the kickoff rule went pretty much as expected, and it went well. It accomplished the goals in the first game there, and it played out well."
John, you talk about the play of the offensive line. Can you assess T Orlando Brown Jr. getting his first starting reps there? (Bo Smolka)"Orlando was bright spot for the young offensive lineman. He played well. Hey, he played almost a whole game. There are probably 10 plays in there, that – I'm just throwing the number out offhand – that he would say, 'I could do a lot better on.' But, there are probably 40 to 45 plays where you'd say, 'Oh, he looked really good.' He's just what we thought he was, and as he continues to work on technique, he's only going to get better."
LB Kenny Young played some first-team reps today. What's he done to separate himself? (Aaron Kasinitz)"He's just playing fast. He's playing fast. Patrick [Onwuasor] is playing fast. Chris Board is playing fast. All the linebackers are playing fast, so we're going to roll those guys in there and let the chips fly."
John, with S Tony Jefferson being limited, what have you seen from guys like S Chuck Clark and S DeShon Elliott? _(Ed Lee) _"Chuck and DeShon have played well. Chuck is very steady. Chuck and I talked; he had a very sturdy game. Then again, I think he played it a little bit safe, which is OK. The next step for him is, 'Let's go make a few of those plays,' and he will. [He is a] very smart player. DeShon cut it loose. He got the turnover and played fast. Now, play within your technique. Play within your assignment just a smidge more and keep getting better."
When you went back and watched the tape, was there anything that stuck out about QB Lamar Jackson's performance that you didn't realize before? _(Aaron Kasinitz) _"No, he played pretty much the way you would have expected, and he'll only get better. He did the things that I asked him to do, and that was operate the offense and get everybody lined up and be under control. That's really hard to do. He showed a lot doing that. So now, you take that. You build off that, which is never easy, because the game plans always change. And then, the playmaking, and the throwing and all the things that go with it just keep growing from there. [We'll] see where it goes."
Did it feel different playing in Canton than just a typical first preseason game? _(Bo Smolka) _"It really did. It felt different playing in Canton. You knew it was going to be special, but it was even more special, probably, than I thought it was going to be. When we lined up single file on the 45- [yard lines] and they introduced the inductees, that was really strong. That was exciting. It was great. And the national anthem and the way they did it, I felt like the whole thing was just great."
I know you talked about LB Kamalei Correa after the game, but with a chance to look at the film and see what he did, good and bad, how valuable was that experience for him? (Jonas Shaffer)"[It was a] big step for him. The thing we've been talking about with Kamalei the whole time was the idea of taking how well he's practicing to the game, and that's exactly what he did. He's been practicing like that all through the OTAs, so to take that to the game was a big step for him. What is [next] now, obviously? Take it to the next practice, take it to the next game, and keep building on it."
TE Hayden Hurst
On his first NFL game experience:"It was good. It was a good first impression. I still have a lot to learn in this offense; I have to perfect both the 'Y' and the 'U' position in our offense. It was a good start."
On working with TE Mark Andrews and playing off each other:"It's fun. Mark is an extremely dynamic player, and he goes down the field and makes plays. It's really exciting for both of us to be on the field and the same time [to] stretch the defense vertically. I'm excited to get in there and learn with him, because we're both first-year players. It'll be a fun time with Mark."
On if he could tell that TE Mark Andrews was eager to return to practice:"Definitely. I know it's been tough on him with the injury bug. Mark is a competitor and wants to be out there, just like everyone else. I could tell he was pretty excited to be out there."
On his intended touchdown celebration with QB Lamar Jackson:"We're both big fans of LIL UZI Vert. He does kind of the shoulder [shimmy]. We both practiced that a little bit, but I got too excited and … Well, we did it a little bit, but I went with the spike."(Reporter: "He's been practicing play-calling in the mirror. Did you practice the celebration in the mirror?") "We did! We did it when we went to the [NFLPA] Rookie Premiere and did it on the field. We've done it a few times."
On how the grind of training camp differs from collegiate preseason: "They're both pretty similar. They're just long days, and you have to be mentally focused with meetings and walkthroughs and things like that. Practices here are probably a little bit more difficult. You're on the field here for about an hour longer than you are in college. But both are pretty taxing, both mentally and physically."
On if he could tell that TE Mark Andrews was eager to return to practice:"I could definitely tell. The whole past couple weeks … Mark has been frustrated with the injury bug and all that, but I could tell he was excited to get back out there. He looked good."
On if there's anything from the Bears game he wants to work on specifically:"Just to reiterate it: For me, it's just understanding the playbook. I made some mental errors today. I just have to be able to understand both spots – both tight end spots. Just further understanding that will help me play faster."
On OLB Kamalei Correa: "He's just so quick off the ball. He's extremely talented with his hands. If you don't get your hands on him first, he's going to make you miss. He's going to pull you, he's going to swat your hands down, and he's going to get by you. I think he proved that the other night."
On if the comparisons to Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski are premature: "I'll take it as I can get it. I'm not calling myself anybody just yet. I have a lot to learn. It was only my first preseason game. Again, I'll take it, but I have to prove who Hayden Hurst is first."
On his blocking skills:"It's coming along well. For me again, I've said it a few times up here, the more I understand the offense and understand the playbook, the faster I'm going to be able to play. Just knowing my assignments and not second-guessing myself – that comes with experience. The more I get out there and understand it and get the experience, [the better I'll be]."
LB Kenny Young
On taking first-team reps today: "It felt good! It felt good to get back in practice after a win, after a day off, getting back in the groove, running to the ball, working on your technique."
On seeing his idol LB Ray Lewis at the Hall of Fame game:"Pre-game felt like a movie. When I was a kid running around in Louisiana, I would put on his speech and just run for hours. He just inspired me. I tried to take one or two things from his games growing up as a kid. And just to see him hit that dance one last time gave me the goosebumps. I had another reason to play for."
On if he has a bedtime tonight: "Nine o'clock."(Reporter: "Ray Lewis is probably going to speak after that, so are you catching that tomorrow?") "Oh – I'm so sorry! Today feels like a Monday. I'm getting mixed up with my days. No – I'll watch it. I'll watch it. I'll eat and watch it. I have to!"
On if it was stressed to him that he needs to play fast and if they complimented him on his ability to do that from the start:"It's a compliment to the coaches; they know what they're doing. They're professionals. They know how to coach you; they know how to push you and get you to where you need to be – for you individually and for you to help them and transform it to the team and as a defense. I think it just happens I'm trying to create [plays]. There's nothing magical, there's no blueprint. It's just me running to the ball, working on the things that I need to become a great player."
On if he takes pride in agitating offensive linemen like T Ronnie Stanley, with whom he had a little skirmish in practice: "That wasn't me! Nah man, we're just out here competing. Stanley is a great guy. It was just an issue where [there's] a passion for the game, it may get out of hands sometimes, but we loved it up after practice."
