HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Alright, good seeing everybody. I appreciate you being here. We had a great day for football, especially it being the first day in pads, that's always a kind of a momentous day, and our guys really took to it. I think they were excited for it, they were looking forward to it. A couple guys told me they couldn't sleep last night. A couple of other guys said they slept like a baby. They woke up every night crying. No, but they were excited, and I thought we had a good day. But, it takes a little bit of adjustment to get your pads, kind of, set. Taking a hit, giving a hit, bracing yourself, those things are things that you only really can do by doing. So, I thought that was part of it today. So, we had a good day, and we're onto the next day tomorrow."
What have you seen from CB Nate Wiggins so far in his second year? (Jamison Hensley) "Nate [Wiggins] has had a couple really good practices. [He's had] two [or] three really good practices in a row, both playing press and off and coverage. He's also reacted nicely to underneath throws in zone and made some nice tackles, too. Today, he actually had a chance to front those guys up. So, so far so good."
I don't want to ask you about false starts directly, but I have noticed there have been a fair number so far in camp. But today, did the first day in pads limit some of the things you were doing with cadence or changes to try to make it easier to get off plays? (Ken McKusick) "No. You've got to keep pushing that. Over the years, people that didn't want – and I've had coordinators like that here that didn't really want to do cadence or didn't really want take a chance at having the issues – will say, 'Well we'll get into that later,' but we want to get these plays off early. And what happens is, you never have cadence the whole season. You can't just bring it out two weeks from now, or three weeks from now or four weeks from now. It looks the same, it looks bad, and it always looks bad early. Look at the [Kansas City] Chiefs' practice two days ago. I saw them talking about that. So, you have to do it from the get-go, you have to push through it, you have to practice it, and you've got to practice it under the toughest conditions – heat, pads, whatever it is, and try to get really good at it."
We didn't see CB Jaire Alexander today. Are you easing him back in based on the reps he had last week? (Bo Smolka) "[Jaire Alexander] had a little swelling, and we drained his knee today, so he should be back tomorrow."
Five years ago, today, the city of Baltimore lost Mo Gaba. I know he was involved here in the building. Can you recall any positive memories of him? (Kevin McNelis) "Oh, man. What a reminder. Thanks for that. Yes, Mo Gaba. When I always think about Mo Gaba, I felt like when I was talking to Mo, I felt like I was talking to the Holy Spirit shining through somebody. That's what I felt like. He was kind of the epitome of 'enthusiasm unknown to mankind.' Mo Gaba, he is the living, breathing epitome of 'an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.' So happy birthday, Mo. Happy birthday. You're not forgotten."
What's your first memory putting on pads during practice or camp? (Sam Jane) "You mean Little League football or high school or college? College, to me, was a big one because that's another level. You go to college, and you're 17 years old and you're going against these guys who are – you see them walking in the cafeteria beforehand – and it's like, 'Oh, my god.' And that's when you were in pads twice a day, by the way. And we actually literally had to walk a half a mile of practice, just for the record, at Miami [of Ohio] – back in those days – and back. But no, I remember bouncing off the running back one time early on and being like, 'Wow, this is different.'"
Are the pads an adjustment for kickers as well? (Morgan Adsit) "That's a good question, because Tyler [Loop] mentioned that yesterday. He goes, 'Oh, it feels different.' So, I do think it's different. They probably should come out here every day in pads, because that's how they do it in the game, so it makes sense."
On one of K Tyler Loop's kicks, he couldn't really tell. It looked like it was called "no good," but only one referee said that, and it looked like P Jordan Stout said it was "good." Did you see what happened? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, I don't know. I don't know. The one [referee] ruled it not good, so we'll say not good."
When you've got young players sometimes making hits as these padded practices start, how much do you police that and tell guys to go back on the roughness? How much do you rely on your veterans on the field to monitor that? (Nikhil Mehta) "We have specific protocols for what we want to see in the contact. We're not tackling to the ground, [but] we do wrap up and then we release the tackle. So, that's what we do. We want everybody to the ball as much as we can. We want to stay on our feet as much as we can, until we go live, which we'll do at some point, especially with the younger players, and then it's regular tackling."
But what about during practice, when players are crossing that line? (Nikhil Mehta) "We haven't really had too many guys cross [that line]. I don't think we've had anybody cross the line. They understand it. They'll say something to each other. If I need to, I'll say something. But it's pro football, rarely do you really have to say anything. If something gets out of hand, I've got the videotape, I can show it in [our] team meeting the next day. We do a lot of that. But I'm not going to run around there like a chicken with my head cut off. I think these are pros – they practice like pros – and the rookies have done a great job. I mean [it was their] first time ever trying to figure out how to [navigate a] padded practice as a pro, and I thought they did a good job."
We're talking to WR Zay Flowers shortly, how are you looking for him to improve his game? (Jamison Hensley) "I'm looking for [Zay Flowers] to be the best. [I want him to] go out there and just make explosive play after explosive play. But really, [I want to see him] just take a deep breath, keep it simple and just try to do your job, one play at a time. Because when you work as hard as he does, and you have the talent that he has, good things are going to happen, if you keep it simple, which I think he does a great job of."
When we last spoke with defensive coordinator Zach Orr, he talked about OLB Mike Green, and he said, "He looks great, but let's see when the pads come on." And I know it's only been one practice, but specifically with Mike Green, what are you looking for when the pads come on? (Bo Smolka) "Well [with] all of those guys who play off the edge, it comes down to taking on tight end-run blocks, it comes down to guards kicking you out or Pat Ricard kicking you out on run plays. Can you close and be physical, take those on with good technique, get off blocks, go make tackles? Can you rush the passer the same way? Now, it's not just kind of trying to get around tackles, now you have a chance to run through tackles, too, and they've got to hold up against the bull rush, so what's the bull rush look like? So, the next step is actually definitely the physicality, which is football, it's a physical game. The game is played in pads. So, [we're looking to see] how well they respond to that is really – it's all done in steps, right? So, he's looked good so far, we'll see how he looks in the next step."
We didn't see WR Rashod Bateman out at practice today. Is there an update on him? (Sam Cohn) "Rashod [Bateman] was sent home because he was sick, and he was not happy [to leave], but we didn't want him getting everybody else sick."
Can you talk about the young cornerbacks that went out early, CB Bilal Kone and CB Jalyn Armour-Davis that went out during practice? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, "[Jalyn] Armour-Davis, we'll find out about. I don't think it's too serious, but we'll find out. He's going to get an MRI. We think it's OK. [Bilhal] Kone landed on his shoulder yesterday. I expect him to be back very, very soon. It's going to just kind of be a pain tolerance thing."
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH GREG LEWIS
WR Zay Flowers had a big 1,000-yard and Pro Bowl season for over a year. What about his game that you see out here makes you think he's going to be even better this year? (*Ryan Mink)* "Just the way [Zay Flowers] came back and continued to try to develop, hone in on his skills and build off what he did from last year. At times some guys can get complacent with what they've done, read the press clippings and different things. That's not him. He's hungry for more information, hungry for more knowledge, and then trying to put it to test when we get out here at practice and get better. So, it's only going to help him when the season and game situations come up for him to be doing bigger and better things."
Two things I want to ask you. First, is run blocking. What's your general message to wide receivers in terms of run blocking? The second one is do you have any message for receivers that come here, particularly after what happened last year in terms of unselfishness in sharing plays? (*Ken McKusick)* "So [with] run blocking, if you don't want to block, then you're not going to be a part of what we're doing. Because the guys up front – the tight ends, the O-line, the running backs – when we're throwing the long passes down the field, they are holding up, protecting and giving us opportunities to get down field. So we're returning the favor, and that's what the team is – unselfishness. When we have run plays, we try to cover people up, run our feet and give them a two-way go, so running backs or whoever has the ball can get an opportunity to get positive yards. We are always looking to move the ball forward and puncture through the defense. So that's a big thing. Just in general with [head coach] 'Harbs' [John Harbaugh], [general manager] 'EDC' [Eric DeCosta] and just this organization, it is a top-notch organization. It's all about unselfish people and unselfish players. That's every facet of the organization. Receivers are no different. When somebody comes in here, it is all about the team, and 'What I can do to help us be successful?' When we don't have that, then we don't want you to be a part of what we are doing. It is what it is, and I love it. It's a big accountability deal here. We get guys that want to be here, that want to be part of doing what we want to do, making plays, blocking, doing different things, and we go out, and we play football, and we love it."
What are going to be some keys for WR Devontez Walker to take another step? (*Giana Han)* "'Tez' [Devontez Walker] is just continuing to do what he's been doing. He's a young player. He showed some potential last year towards the end of the season, getting in and making a few plays. He had a touchdown against the Giants and we're just trying to build off that. He's a fast guy. He can make plays down the field, and he can make plays across the field. Also, special teams comes into that part of it. If you're not out there first, alright, you have to be doing something to help the team. That goes back to the unselfish stuff that we talk about with [head coach] 'Harbs' [John Harbaugh] and [general manager] 'EDC' [Eric DeCosta] and the top-down type of stuff. So 'Tez' is working his tail off as far as receiver and trying to hone his craft there. Also with the special teams – I'll let [special teams coordinator] 'Hort' [Chris Horton] talk about that – but he's doing a tremendous job of just being in the playbook, understanding what he's supposed to do and then going out and trying to make plays each and every opportunity that he gets."
When talking about the unselfishness that is needed in the wide receivers room, how much has how that room is built and the different skillsets in WR Rashod Bateman – how he performs in deep passes – WR Zay Flowers – sort of all over the field – and WR DeAndre Hopkins – with his ability to make contested catches – does that diversity of skillsets kind of make it a little easier for you guys to define each of their niche? (*Kyle Goon)* "You have to find your niche to get on the field and find out what you do well. We find out what you do well, and we try to get you in those situations, but at the end of the day, they're still all receivers, and we expect all of them to go out there, catch, block, tackle if necessary, whatever's called upon. So, I wouldn't say that the diversity of the group is a big deal. It's about being out there and making plays when you get opportunities and being unselfish and an unselfish football player."
You guys moved WR Zay Flowers inside a lot compared to his rookie season. What did you like from him when he was in the slot, and what are you looking for him to do there? (*Same Jane)* "Well Zay [Flowers] is a matchup problem anywhere on the field. If you can get him the ball, something special is going to happen. So, [I am] just trying to give him different opportunities, make the defense try to find different players, not just come out and be at the same spot. In order to do that, you have to be versatile. You have to be in the playbook and understand these different spots that you need to get to. He's done a tremendous job. For me, as a coach, that's the way I want to coach. I don't want to coach a position, I want to coach a totality of the play and everybody understand it. So, if things get haywire or whatnot, if some chaos happens, we don't fold under that chaos, we know what to do in the heat of the moment and we able to execute at a high level."
WR Zay Flowers says he feels faster and more explosive out there. Have you seen that from him? (*Jamison Hensley)* "He's not faster than me. No, I'm just kidding." (laughter) "Zay [Flowers] has done a great job of coming back from last year and then getting back out of here. He does look explosive. We see it on the numbers in all the metrics that we get of 'decel' [deceleration] and 'accel' [acceleration]. He's doing a [heck] of a job with all that type of stuff. A lot of the guys are doing that, and that's a testament to the training staff and the weight room staff. Those guys are well putting in the work in the off season of coming back bigger, faster, stronger, ready to go. You see it, and it has been fantastic."
We've seen WR LaJohntay Wester get a lot of work in the special teams game. Just from the receiving standpoint, what have you seen in his development so far? (*Kevin McNelis)* "He has great movement skills, great quickness and able to separate and uncover. As a receiver – I don't care how big you are, how short you are or how fast you are – receivers are about uncovering and separating from different people, and he has a knack for being able to do that. He's a smart kid. He does a good job in the playbook. He understands what we're asking him to do, and he's able to go out and put that on tape each and every practice. We are looking forward to it as we continue to go and to see it in game situations as we move forward."
Going back to the metrics for a second, you have so many numbers. WR Zay Flowers said he's not totally wrapped up in them. When you get some of this data, do you kind of present it all to the guys, or do you kind of use it to tell them what they need to do? (*Kyle Goon)* "Now, I'm not knocking football players, because I was one of them, alright, but we [aren't] numbers guys, we [aren't ]like, 'Oh man, this is a metric of minus seven or something.' I don't know what half of that means. Sometimes [director of high performance] Sam [Rosengarten] breaks it down, and he does a good job with that stuff and putting it in layman's terms for me to understand. Then I can get it to my guys so we all can understand the gist of what we're trying to get accomplished and what those numbers do mean. Now, if you want to get analytically, then you need to be talking to Sam, not me."
With Joh Harbaugh implementing the grading of the players, how does it affect how you do your job as an assistant coach? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "It doesn't change what I do as a coach. I'm coming to grade all the information, regardless, every day, so I can help my guys get better as receivers. I'm grading their blocking; I'm grading their route running; I'm grading drops and catches and whatnot. So, all that stuff is getting graded. It is just bigger. It's just a little bit bigger for totality for everybody."
What has WR DeAndre Hopkins added to this room? (*Tim Barbalace)* "He's a great veteran leader. He's done a great job of coming in. He is going on his 13th year in the league. To make it in the NFL for 13 years, you have to be doing something right. Obviously, we all have seen him, he's had a Hall of Fame career, but taking care of his body, how to do that. Study habits, how to do that. These younger guys are picking up that information, how he goes about his work and understanding that. They're taking it to heart and hopefully we get those guys 13 years in the league and doing different things. As far as on the field, he's done the stuff that we've seen throughout his career. He's great in one-on-one matchups, making contested catches. He still has speed across the field and running away from guys. So, I love what he's bought to the group, and he's been a great addition for us as we move forward."
WR Zay Flowers also said that he wants to continue grow, as a leader and he mentioned learning from guys like WR DeAndre Hopkins and WR Rashod Bateman. How have you seen him embrace that? (*Carita Parks)* "Well, he [Zay Flowers] has embraced it. He's become more vocal in meetings, asking questions and then talking to the other guys. The younger guys, when I'm up there talking about something, he may have another insight, so he'll give that information and whatnot. When you see him, [there's been] is more communication with Zay being more vocal and being able to talk to the guys because this is going on his third year in this offense. So, he understands the offense. Now, the nuances he can help some of the younger guys with and he's done a great job with it. He's not shying away from being a leader, which I commend him for that."
WR ZAY FLOWERS
On not playing in the postseason last year and if that motivates him: "Definitely. It sucked to miss that time and miss the playoffs, because you work all season, then you get hurt [in the] last game. It definitely motivated me to get back on the field, push my rehab, my therapy, and get back right to where I was, but I feel better than before."
On working out with WR Rashod Bateman in the offseason and if there was anything they were focusing on: "It wasn't a lot of specific stuff that we [were] working on. It's just [that] we wanted to get better at everything, so we went out for a weekend and trained together that whole weekend and put a lot of stuff together. We're expecting it to translate to the [training] camp and to the season."
On the early morning breakfast club with CB Marlon Humphrey: "The thing is, me, 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] and 'Marlo' [Marlon Humphrey], we're usually the ones that I always see here first [thing] in the morning, but the whole offseason, I was getting up at five [or] six in the morning and going to do my workouts. I was just getting my schedule right for camp and just preparing myself. I know 'Bate' is an early guy, and 'Marlo' is an early guy, so I was expecting to see them in the morning."
On getting faster in the offseason: "You just work. You just work. I was running hills. I trained with my trainer on specific stuff that I wanted to get done, and we got it done. I felt like I got faster. I got stronger. I felt better than I did before I got hurt."
On if any of his teammates have said anything to him about being faster: "Yes, absolutely. A lot of people said that I got faster, that I got more explosive. I just put the work in, and [it was] just what I expected."
On where he likes to line up most on the line of scrimmage: "I play wherever they need me. Wherever Coach [Todd] Monken [and] 'G-Lew' [wide receivers coach Greg Lewis] say I have to go, that's where I feel I can make something happen. I'm not really paying attention to that if I'm being honest. I'm just playing ball and going."
On being a part of QB Lamar Jackson's Madden 99 Club reveal: "That man's supposed to be a 99 every year. He's supposed to have eight of those, so I don't know how he got two, but he's supposed to have eight. It was dope though, to give him a chain and get him ready. Me and 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] bought it to him, and we're just building chemistry with him. I think that's something to be a part of, and that's special."
On WR DeAndre Hopkins' helping the wide receivers: "I mean [DeAndre Hopkins] is a veteran, but 'D-Hop' has been doing this for 13 years. I was 11 years old when he started doing this," (laughter) "So, he's vetted. He knows what he's doing, and he knows how to get the younger guys going. He knows how to get himself going."
On why he enjoys and finds so much success in crossing routes: "I just know how to create separation going across the field or being explosive out of my routes and being able to separate. I would say that's the reason I'm good on crossing routes, because I'm explosive out of the breaks, and I get in and out of them."
On if the team analytics show that he's faster this year and how he trains to get faster: "I don't really check the speed. I don't really check the stuff. [Director of high performance] Sam [Rosengarten] usually comes back and gives it to us, but I was running hills. I was running hills with a weight vest, or I was cutting up the hill. I was just doing a lot of hill work, and then I'll go and work on the field and do a lot of straight-line stuff."
On if he thinks the team will hit more deep shots this year: "Oh yes, I think we're going to hit a lot more, way more than we did last year. We've been working on it, too, so I think it'll show throughout the season."
On if there have been conversations with pass catchers about sharing the wealth: "It's been that way since I've been here, so we'll figure it out."
On diversifying his route tree: "I feel like I could run every route in a route tree. I feel like I just got to detail the routes and just detail the little things. I feel like I could run everything, if I'm being honest."
On the changes he sees from the defense this year: "[They are] a lot more physical. [There's] a lot more talking, a lot more communication. Everybody is confident, especially Jaire [Alexander]. That's probably the most confident DB I've seen ever, if I'm being honest."
On fans saying 'quit trying to make moves and just get up field': "Sometimes they right. Alright, you got to run straight, you know what I mean? But sometimes, it moves fast out there, so I'll do what I do. I can't really say [anything] about it, but I'm going to work on that though. I'm going to keep on running straight."
On stepping up more as a leader and his personal goals for this training camp: "I really want to build off that, because every year since I've been here, I had a vet, and the vet kind of took the leadership role, and I've been learning from them. So, I just want to take a step towards that. I'm learning this from 'D-Hop' [DeAndre Hopkins] still, and I'm learning from 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman], too. I'm still just taking that step as a leader."
On what he's learned from CB Jaire Alexander: "[Jaire Alexander] plays unorthodox. He plays his own way, so just seeing somebody play like that and going against it in practice, it just helps me prepare in the game. You never know what he's going to do. You never know if he's going to jump jam. You never know if he's going to bail. You never know he going to speed turn or zone turn and play man [coverage]. The man could do anything. You never know."
On if it's hard to step away from football and if he feels like his success comes from outworking others: "It's my job, so I might as well do that. I love my job, so I love working. I love playing football. I've been playing football since I was four years old, so it's just something I wake up and naturally do and naturally just get fun out of it and get joy [from]."
