SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
What are some pluses and minuses that you have seen from WR LaJohntay Wester? (*Ken McKusick)* "Really, what I'm seeing from LaJohntay [Wester] every day is the consistency in the ball catching. He has great technique. He has great fundamentals in really how we want to field the ball. I know early on today, he had a ball that came off pretty funny, and the ball was on the ground. So, that's one we're going to be discussing. The kid's doing a heck of a job in what we're asking him to do: getting to the spot, making sure he secures the ball and gets vertical."
Since we last talked, K Tyler Loop had a tough week or just missed a couple of kicks. Is there anything we're seeing, any patterns you're seeing there? (*Sam Cohn)* "I'm not seeing any patterns. I think the one thing we need to do with both guys [Tyler Loop and John Hoyland], in particular, is that we just need to find that consistency. Tyler's kicking the ball great. The ball sounds awesome coming off his foot. But then, I think over the last eight days, there might be four [field goal] misses. We just have to find that consistency from the field that we're practicing on early in practice, [and then] when we go over as a team, and we're together, we are continuing to see the same swings and the same 'foot the ball.' Other than that, I think he's doing a heck of a job."
K Tyler Loop started out perfect in [kicks at] camp. How is he handling a little bit of that adversity? (*Sam Cohn)* "Every day [Tyler Loop]'s out here to get better. He knows there's going to be kicks that he misses it. And then we sit in those meeting rooms with [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown], and we just detail it out. We try to figure out, 'OK, what happened here, because you are kicking the ball great. Let's just try to find the consistency in what we do.'"
Are you going to be able to go to the stadium? Will that open up some possibilities for you guys in kicking? (*Childs Walker)* "Going to the stadium is a big benefit for us, because the winds in there are a lot different than what we see [at UAPC]. That's why we like kicking [here] on field three. It's a little bit similar to what we get [at the stadium]. The winds are crazy, right? And so, what the guys might see on field one and two ... [Practicing at the stadium] allows us to really get a real feel in the stadium and really dial these things in. But it all comes back to, 'Hey, are we kicking the ball straight?' That's the one thing [senior specials teams coach] Randy [Brown] is honing in on [with] these guys. No matter what the wind is doing, let's kick a straight ball, good 'foot the ball,' good contact, and we'll be fine."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
When we talked to QB Lamar Jackson, I think someone asked him about taking his game to another level, and he was like, "I'm only 28." How much room does he have for – arguably [he] should be a three-time MVP – how much growth can you see still in him? (Jamison Hensley) "I think there's a lot left there for him, in terms of growth. I think he sees the field better now than he did even two years ago. I can't speak before then. I can just speak to how he sees the field based on what we're doing offensively and the players that we have and the system. I really do, I think he's just getting started with his ability. He's always had the ability as a playmaker [and] to run with the ball, but his ability, yes, he's improved greatly in – which is a huge credit to him – his ability to throw the football to win at all times of the game, really, and in all phases of the game."
How have you seen quarterbacks coach Tee Martin help improve QB Lamar Jackson's game? (Giana Han) "Tee [Martin] does an unbelievable job; we're so lucky. When I came in as the coordinator – I said this to a group here in the building – when I came in as the coordinator, we were looking for a quarterback coach. We were looking, [and saying,] 'Hey, who do we think can get the most out of Lamar [Jackson]? And that's crazy to say, right? That's probably silly, like how can we take another step each year? Well, Tee was already here coaching wideouts, and I'll give him credit, he came up to 'Harbs' [John Harbaugh] and [me] and said, 'Hey, can I interview for the job?' And we interviewed Tee, and he killed it. And I think his personality, how smart he is, he's been a coordinator, he played the position. I think [he] has been invaluable. I get way, way, way too much credit for that part of Lamar's game. That goes to Tee Martin."
These last couple of days, we haven't seen a lot of WR Rashod Bateman and WR Zay Flowers obviously, so we've gotten to see a lot of the younger guys. What have you gotten to see from some of these younger receivers? (Cordell Woodland) "Well, it's great. You talk all the time about certain moments [or] opportunities that come up for the young players to be ready, and [those are] the expectations of the position. Lamar [Jackson] has that [expectation], we have that [expectation that] whoever steps in and plays certain positions has to play like a Raven, and you have to be able to execute and score points. And I was proud of them today, yesterday [was] a little tougher [of a] go, today [was] better. Guys made some plays. I think every day that the young players are intentional, they're going to get better. We've got really good kids. I think they're really working hard at it, and every day that they're intentional at a certain part of their craft, you can see them getting better."
How much of training camp is just determining what your identity is going to be for this season? (Garrett Downing) "Some of that true. Some of it is who are we going to be, based on the personnel that we have, the success we had last year, offseason studies. And then, as we move along, because you can't stay stagnant as an offense, you have to keep evolving. That's also with Lamar [Jackson], that's how do we take another step in certain concepts that we have, our ability at the line of scrimmage, his ability to get in and out of plays. So, that's all a part of training camp and a big part of the offseason, as well."
Now that the pads have been on for a few practices. What have you seen from the offensive line and specifically at left guard? (*Ryan Mink)* "I'm excited there. I think there's a great battle between Ben Cleveland and [Andrew] Vorhees. I think we've got talent there. That's why you draft O-Linemen. [You] draft and let them develop as they come along. And then, hopefully you have the ability that when you lose guys in free agency, which we have, that you've got guys ready to go in there and play and play at a really high level. And I like how we've played in pads the first couple of days. It's been hot, it's been hard on those guys. If it's hard on anybody, it's the big guys up front, but that's what we're here for. We are here to get ourselves in football shape. You only do that by playing football."
Having RB Keaton Mitchell at full speed and at full health, does that make you start thinking of different ways – you have a lot of talent in the backfield, but you can only have so many players to give the ball to. (Gerry Sandusky)
"I'm excited for him. I think any player that goes through the type of injury he did, where he was at, playing so well. It's not an injury in practice or someone who's not playing, but how explosive he was. And to be doing it on the field and then to have that setback, I don't know if he was full speed last year, but it's exciting for him. You see him smiling again, and I think it's only going to continue to come along with his trust in it and his ability to really hit it downhill. It's exciting for us, to have another weapon, another guy that can make explosive plays, because that's what the game is about."
We talked to TE Charlie Kolar yesterday, he might be a little more in the spotlight with TE Isaiah Likely dealing with his injury. Where did you see strides that you liked from him last year, and where do you think that he'll build this year? (Childs Walker) "Well, I have a lot of respect for Charlie [Kolar], I really do. My understanding is when he came out, he wasn't really known as a 'Y' [which is] a blocking tight end. That wasn't his forte. He was a really good matchup guy, ball-skill guy, red zone, tough catches, which he still is – but man, has he come a long way – special teams, at times, he's been a special teams captain for us. You talk about having a 'Y' when you want to be a C-gap-run team downhill [and] get under center. I think he put in 6,000 yards yesterday on the field [with] special teams, and he was still going. I have a lot of respect for Charlie, and it's grown over the two years [I've been here], and now going in third year, of me being here."
I think we're through eight practices now with this camp. How would you evaluate how your offense is going against this defense and where you are with the overall install and satisfaction? (Jonas Shaffer) "As usual, you have your ups and downs, you have some days [where] you're like, 'Boy, that's the way it should look.' And not even just days, [but] plays, series, moments of practice. The good news is, we get to go against an elite defense from personnel and staff. The tough thing is we get to go against an elite defense and staff, and that really stresses you. It really forces you to practice every day at a high level or you'll get exposed. But I like where we're at, I like the way we're practicing. But it's not always fun to go against our defense. It's a great challenge, but it's not always fun."
Todd, I'm sure when you see RB Derrick Henry, you've always seen him do the stiff arm. How strong of a weapon is that, and how tough is it for defenses to get around? (*Jamison Hensley)* "What am I going to say that you guys haven't already said? I was with the Jacksonville Jaguars when he was a freshman in high school, and he came over to the facility, and they said, 'This guy's a running back.' And I'm like, 'What?' And the guy is like 14 years old. He looks like he's 28. [It was] a lot like when I first saw Adrian Peterson, when you see somebody that's just different. That was like that. You see him, and then actually get a chance to coach him – a man that fast, that big, that powerful and keeps himself in that kind of shape. [He is] so prideful in getting it right. I mean, he was so happy today, because I was wrong. I accused him of something, and usually he's not right. So this time he was, but he was so fired up to tell me that I was wrong, because he is so prideful. When you say something to him, he's going to take it to heart, and he wants to get it right. So today he was right, and so I've got to eat that. But it's cool as hell. I don't know what to tell you. We're blessed, and he's blessed to have us. I'd say it like it is. It's pretty damn cool to be a Raven. And he's a Raven now with this organization and the players that are around him."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
You've played with a lot of good players. Does S Malaki Starks remind you of anybody you've played with? What's stuck out about him? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That's a good question. I would say [Malaki Starks] reminds me [of former Ravens LB] C.J. Mosley when we came in together as rookies. Obviously, [he was] a talented player, a highly decorated player at the college level, but C.J. came in, and you didn't think he was a rookie by the way he prepared and by the way he worked. And [he] got thrown into the fire early in the spring and in camp, practicing with the 'ones' and did a heck of a job. And that's the same thing we see from Malaki, man. His attention to detail is phenomenal. Obviously, he's a really talented player. He's shown that out here in camp through the first week and a half, and he's doing a great job for us. So, I'm excited about Malaki. We're excited about him. I think 'Double D' [defensive backs coach Donald D'Alesio] and [senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Chuck] Pagano and [defensive quality control coach] Brendan [Clark] are doing a great job with them. And the thing that you appreciate about him is that the pro game is different from the college game, but he picks up what you teach him in the classroom and what you do in walkthroughs really fast, and he rarely makes a mistake. And if he does make a mistake, he corrects it the next time. So, he's way beyond his years as a person and as a player. So, I'm excited to see him to continue to grow."
Zach, in that same position group, you guys end up needing to call in S Sanoussi Kane. It seems like he's had a good camp so far and is a guy who's not afraid of contact. Where do you think he'll make his imprint if he is called upon? (Childs Walker) "Oh, man. Sanoussi [Kane] has always been a really smart player and a physical player. I think he's moving better in the backend than what he did last year, so that's a credit to what he did in the offseason and [in] training. He's moving a lot better. He's comfortable with the system, so he's doing a heck of a job. I have full confidence in Sanoussi, so I'm excited for him. I'm excited to see him get out here in these games and really see how he's grown as a player, because we've seen it out here since the spring that he came back [a] different [player]."
What have you seen from ILB Teddye Buchanan? (Gerry Sandusky) "Teddye [Buchanan] [has] been...Shoot, he's another guy, man. These rookies are a good bunch of rookies. First and foremost, they're talented, but they work hard, man. These guys work hard, and they are really high football IQ players, and Teddye fits that mold. So, he's done a heck of a job. He's been physical when the pads come on. He's playing both positions – MIKE, WILL and dime – which is impressive for a rookie to come in and do. And he's doing a good job at both of them. He's vocal. So, I'm excited about him, man. I'm really excited about Teddye."
Every day, it seems there's a CB Nate Wiggins matchup against WR DeAndre Hopkins. What does he gain from that and what do you talk to him about in breaking those down afterwards? (Bo Smolka) "It's funny you say that, because I told [Nate Wiggins] the other day, I said, 'Just imagine you were on your visit to Clemson, and you'd [probably] seen 'D-Hop' [DeAndre Hopkins] on the walls, and now you're guarding him in practice,' and he just started laughing and smirked at me. But, 'D-Hop' has been one of the best receivers in league for a long time, man. What's this, his 13th year? I think he's still at the top of his game. So, now Nate's learning all of the little tricks that receivers do, the vet moves that they pull out there on the outside, and 'D-Hop' can still play at a high level. I've been impressed with him. So, it's good work for Nate, and he accepts the challenge. He's won a lot of battles, and 'D-Hop' has gotten him as well, so it's just going to make them better, man. We talk about [how] 'iron sharpens iron,' and it's good that we get the opportunity to do that with our own guys."
What have you seen from CBs Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam? (Giana Han) "They've been good. The two rookies, they've been good, as well. Like I said, this is a really impressive rookie group, so I'm excited to see what they're going to do in the game. We know they're talented. They just put their heads down and work. That's the whole rookie class. I can't say enough about them. So now it's just what they're going to do on the field when the lights get a little brighter in these preseason games, and we expect them to go out there and do great things."
I think it was S Kyle Hamilton who said that CB Nate Wiggins' year one to year two jump is as big of a jump as anybody on the whole team. What do you think is the difference between what you saw from Nate Wiggins last year and what you're expecting to see this year? (Sam Cohn) "[Nate Wiggins] is just more locked in on his technique and fundamentals. With Nate, everybody says that – we all know it; you guys know it – and he played great for us last year. He is one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks I've personally seen, and all he had to do was just continue to work on his technique, which he did last year. But now, with him coming in with that mindset and knowing the defense – he's a smart player – so now he understands the defense like the back of his hand. Now he can really lock in on his technique. He's been doing that since spring. He was here all spring. He's carried that over through training camp, and he's doing great things out there. So, I can't be even begin [to describe] how happy I am with Nate and his maturity and his growth."
How about you in Year Two? What do you know about being a defensive coordinator during this training camp that you couldn't have known last year? (Gerry Sandusky) "I would say really just honing in and focusing on the important things. I think in my first year, you've got so much going on in your mind. You've got fundamentals; you've got scheme, [and] you're trying to just keep your head above water on all the different responsibilities you have. So, now I'm used to that, and now I'm just focusing in on the guys [and] building that chemistry together, man, because what's important. As long as they're all on the same page, and we continue to drill it and talk about it in the classroom, the better we're going to be. So, I'm definitely better than what I was at this point last year."
Were there things looking back that you wish you'd have been more vigilant about? Just kind of looking back at my own memory, QB Lamar Jackson had a great camp, but I don't remember a huge amount of explosives plays, and then the season starts, so are there things looking back that you wish you had been more vigilant about? (Jonas Shaffer) "No, I wouldn't say that. I think that I didn't skip any steps. Personally, I don't think we skipped steps as a staff, but I think that we got better, and I think it starts with me. I got better, whether it's communication or whatever it is, but I don't live in the past. I think that experience last year was a good experience for me, and I just learned from it and grow from it."
Last year, when ILB Trenton Simpson's snap counts started to drop, you still spoke up about your belief in him. When you sent him into the offseason, what were some of things you wanted him to focus on, and how has he done? (Giana Han) "[I said] just focus on reading his keys and footwork. [Trenton Simpson's] stuff is just fundamental. Just when offense changes the picture, [asking,] 'Are my feet right? Are my eyes right?' And he's focused on that. He's in here all the time. [Inside linebackers coach Tyler] Santucci and [assistant linebackers coach] Matt Pees and [football analyst] Noah [Riley] have done a good job with him, so he's having a really good camp. Now, he just has to go put it together in these preseason games. Nobody is going to leave any stone unturned like Trenton Simpson. He's going to do everything he can to be the best player he could possibly be, so we'll see."
How have you seen S Beau Brade grow from his rookie season to now? (A.J. Gersh) "Similar to Sanoussi [Kane]. He's a heavy hitter, but he understands the defense now. A lot of times when you're a rookie, you're just trying to focus on what [you] have to do, and you can make plays doing what you're supposed to do, but when you understand how the whole scheme fits together – the person next to you, what his responsibility is – OK, now look at the formation. There are only so many things the offense can do out of that formation. 'Now, I can play faster, and I can make plays and shoot my shot.' So just like Sanoussi, he understands the scheme more, so now he's able to go play freely and cut it loose."
Is there anything that you've seen from the secondary under sr. defensive assistant/secondary coach Chuck Pagano that maybe you weren't sure of when Chuck came back? What have you seen now throughout training camp? (Ryan Mink) "I wouldn't say [there] would be anything that I was unsure of, just everything I've heard from players who've been coached by Chuck [Pagano], coaches who've coached with him and people who've known him as a person have all been great things. So, he's been great as a mentor for me, a mentor for us as a coaching staff. He's been great for the DB room, but what I see from the DB room is just ... I see ownership from everybody in that room. Everybody's taking ownership to being the best they can be, working as hard as they possibly can work and holding each other accountable. So, they're doing a great job, and I appreciate them."
Players took time to get position-specific training this offseason. I know everybody works out. When they play the game for a long time, you really don't need to, but which players would you cite as taking a lot of time on position-specific training? (Ken McKusick) "I think a lot of our guys do that. I feel like all the training now in the offseason is so position specific, but I think everybody has done that. I would say Tavius Robinson has been a guy that I've seen add more tools to his arsenal from a pass rush [standpoint]. He's still a sledgehammer in the run game, and I can say the same thing for Travis Jones. Travis Jones, he's pulled out a couple more pass rush moves, a couple more counter moves that I haven't seen from him before, so I think that's a testament to the coaches here and the work they've done in offseason, as well."
We've seen CB Jalyn Armour-Davis get some snaps inside, and he's looked pretty good there. Has that transition gone as smoothly as you expected or more smoothly than you expected? Obviously, it's a different world going from outside to inside. (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I think I said this in the spring; Jalyn [Armour-Davis], he's probably the smartest DB in the room, because he knows all positions and can play them all well. His thing is – just God willing – he stays healthy. If he stays healthy, I think that he's going to do really good things for us, so we hope he can stay healthy. I know he's working hard at it. He's in the weight room. He's in the training room. He's doing everything he can, so hopefully he can stay healthy and go out there and show everybody what he really can do."
QUARTERBACKS COACH TEE MARTIN
QB Lamar Jackson said last week that he does feel like his game can go to another level. In your mind, what is the 'next-level Lamar'? (Jamison Hensley) "The next level is just taking the things that already improved in and continuing to improve in those areas, but also consistently doing them every day, every rep. That's what you're chasing, finding the areas that you can improve in. 'OK, we've identified these areas. Let's attack it. OK, we've improved. Now, let's make that even better, and let's do it every day.' So, I think you could take any part of his game and say there's area to improve – at least I'm going to say that as a coach – but in his mind, he took a long time during the offseason to think about how he was going to come back and approach it. Mentally, he's in a different place. It's his third year in the system. He's playing with a lot of the same players – Derrick [Henry] is back, and the center, Tyler [Linderbaum] is back. Having the [good] communication of the guys who he has to communicate with the most, [Rashod] Bateman, Zay [Flowers], all the guys, Mark [Andrews]. It's time to take not only himself to the next level, but the whole unit. So, we're seeing that early on in training camp. We have a ways to go, but early on, I'm pretty pleased with the direction we're headed in, as far as all of those things we just discussed."
What kind of impact do you see that WR DeAndre Hopkins is making on QB Lamar Jackson? (Ryan Mink) "They made a play yesterday down in red zone seven-on-seven where Lamar [Jackson] and 'Nuk' [DeAndre Hopkins] just kind of said what they were going to do. It didn't go right, and Lamar just stuck with him, and it ended up being a touchdown. You usually don't see that kind of trust with a new face this early in training camp. So, I think DeAndre has a history of making quarterbacks feel good, because the outcome has been good most of the time. He makes plays. It may not be the way you may have coached it, but at the end of the day, the result is what you want, and it's touchdowns and first downs. So early on, I see Lamar really forcing the issue of really trying to develop that relationship and trust with him, particularly versus man-to-man [coverage], fade routes, go routes, things of that nature. Those type of routes will set up the other things that we want to do with him."
What obligations or responsibilities does a quarterback have when this team seems like they have so many skill players, and any one of them could incredibly be the No. 1 target-getter in any game. With those egos to manage like there are in a locker room, what falls to the quarterback in a situation like that? (Jonas Shaffer) "This is when leadership is tested. It's who you are as a man, yourself first, because regardless of who those faces are, who those people are and their talent and skill levels, they still look to you to be their leader. They not only listen to you; they look at how you go about your work and how you go about your business. So, No. 1, first and foremost, is [Lamar Jackson's] professionalism, how he prepares, how seriously he practices and how hard he goes at practice. He sets the tone. He sets the tempo. He leads by example. I think that's first, and then secondly, everyone having this shared understanding that we're all here to win. One game, Zay [Flowers] may have more receiving yards than Rashod [Bateman], or Derrick [Henry] may run the ball 30 times, and we win running the ball. It all depends on how Lamar presents to everyone that, 'At the end of the day, we're here to win, and I don't care how we do it. I can throw it 40 times a game and win. We can run it 40 times and win.' Ultimately for him, what's being tested is the leadership when you do have, like you said, a room full of excellent, skilled players and a running back that can also carry the load as well."
With QB Lamar Jackson being so good at improvisation, how has your experience with the wide receiver group helped you guys prepare them for when he does go off-script*?* (Giana Han) "Yes, that's funny. We were actually talking about that earlier today, just about how receivers think, and sometimes we see things from this viewpoint as a quarterback, but they see other things. I think the more and more we practice it ... We spend a lot of time practicing scramble drill. That was something that Coach [Todd] Monken made a huge point of in 2023 [and] 2024. We're going to continue to do that this year, finding space for Lamar. Lamar, when he's moving, can still make throws 50 yards down the field, and so you're never not open. All he's looking for is separation and to fill a void to where he can get a completion. So, to your point, just spending time with him and practicing things that don't always come up in practice but show up in games. [We're] trying to create that environment where we can get those results."
With QB Cooper Rush running the offense, what have you seen from him so far? (Carita Parks) "I'm so pleased with Cooper [Rush]. [He is] just a professional. [He has] taken every rep for the most part, was here every day during offseason. [He's] a student of the game, came into a new system, picked it up from a protection standpoint, the audibles, the checks, progressions in our passing game. [It is a] little different world than where he came from, but a lot of things carry over from a schematics standpoint. We do things just a little bit differently, and he loves it. He has good comments during meetings, good ideas where he's adding things to what we already do. I like having him around. It's good for the room. He and Lamar have a great relationship, and he's fun to be around."
With the amount of improvisation QB Lamar Jackson does, how much do you have to work with the offensive line coaches or with offensive coordinator Todd Monken*? Do you have different rules for the offensive linemen in terms of their release* downfield? (Ken McKusick) "We talk about having a two-play quarterback. That's something that we say all the time, that they have to strain to finish, and that play may be extended. That is what makes [Lamar Jackson] who he is. One of the things that makes him who he is the fact that if it's on time, if the progression presents itself to get the ball out on time, he's going to do that, and he's one of the best at it. But when the defense does a good job of covering down and matching up routes, he's one of the best, if not the best, at extending plays. And so, we practice that, not only just the wide receivers, but we practice it with the O-linemen. You have a quarterback that can be in a lot of places in the pocket, and as a tackle, that could be tough. But we just talked to them about straining the finish, not holding. If you feel the D-lineman pull away, just let them go. By that time, Lamar's probably gone anyway. But we talk about having a two-play quarterback, and in the quarterback room, we talk about being two-play quarterbacks. It all works together."
You tend to talk a lot about these practices in terms of, 'Is the offense sharp or is it not sharp?' You hear a lot of that kind of stuff. Can QB Lamar Jackson get as much out of the practice when the offense isn't clicking as one where it is? (Childs Walker) "Yes. I tell you what's beautiful right now, is our defense is playing really good. I don't want to jump the gun, but they're playing really good. They really improved personnel-wise. Schematically, there's another year in it, and they're kind of picking up where they left off towards the end of the season on defense. It's good for us, because we were able to exploit some things early on last year that's not being exploited right now. So, the diamonds are in the detail, and they're forcing us to be very, very detailed in everything that we do. So, you're going to have that. [With] championship teams, one side of the ball doesn't always win. It's some back-and-forth. Then, there are some butting heads. There are some good days and bad days for both sides, and you want to see that, especially in training camp. I like where we are as a team, but we like getting the looks that we are getting from our defense. They're challenging us. We're on install six already. About 90% of our offense is already in, which is an aggressive approach, but we'll put another coat of paint on it next week. Then, we'll start playing some games to see what we have."
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken mentioned how QB Lamar Jackson has really improved the last two years under the system, that he's truly improved in how he's seen the field. You've been with him longer. How have you seen him? I think he's always really had the vision, but where do you think he is improving? (Jamison Hensley) "I think [Lamar Jackson] has always had natural great field vision. Lamar can not only see things, but he can make calculations at a rate that's almost [not] human. Now, he's putting his eyes in the right places and seeing the right things. I think that's kind of how I can wrap that up. 'What are you seeing and why? Why did you start here? What did you see in that pressure that made you move the protection over there? What did you see in the run game that made you check that play?' So, I think he's always seen things well. He's always had great feedback and information on the sideline during games. Sometimes, you see stuff that we don't see until the next day when you're watching tape. You're like, 'How do you see that?' But he's gifted in that regard. Right now, with the experience in this system and how we do things, how people are going to work to defend him, having his eyes in the right places for the right reasons is where he's grown and where he's doing a really good job right now."
With QB Lamar Jackson going into his eighth season, he's still running out there. Does he look just as fast, if not faster than ever? Do you guys coach him with his running at all, or is he gifted that way? (*Ryan Mink)* "I think Miss Felicia [Jackson] and his father have a lot to do with that. [Lamar Jackson] is in great shape. He came in at a great weight, which he decided last year that, 'This is where I want to play.' He has his own workout regimen that he does during the offseason. All I can tell you is he is flying. He took off yesterday in the two-minute drill. I don't know if he got touched. He did a front flip in the end zone and all that kind of stuff. He's running really well. I can really see in his foot quickness and all of our footwork drills that we're doing in the quarterback room. [With] his escape ability in the pocket, they can't tackle him, but they're still having a hard time touching him, too. But I like where he is at. To go the long haul, we know is all the way to February [with] the mental condition, the physical conditioning that it takes to get to the Super Bowl. I think that that's what's on his mind, and he's looking really good."
How is QB Cooper Rush settling into the offense, and what are you seeing out of QB Devin Leary from Year One to Year Two? (*Nikhil Mehta)* "'Coop' [Cooper Rush] has been great. He'll be a solid backup for us. [He's a] veteran [who] won some games last year [and had] a lot of positive reps during the offseason, so I like where Cooper is. I like Devin [Leary]'s development. Devin is doing a really good job. [His] arm talent is not the question. He could throw it with the best of them in this league. He has an excellent arm, but when you're an inexperienced quarterback, and you're seeing a lot from the other side of the ball, you can be baited into turnovers and things of that nature. I think where he's improved is really taking care of the football and making good decisions underneath when the explosive play is not presented. That's the type of growth that I want to see, that we want to see, as the offensive staff, because arm talent is not the question with him. It's about taking care of the football, moving the football, getting the ball in the end zone and making great decisions, and he's on a good track right now."
When you guys go from 11-on-11 to seven-on-seven, does the emphasis for the quarterback change at all? (Jonas Shaffer) "I'll say this, team [drills are] real football, in my opinion. When you're good-on-good, that's football – the protections, the pressures and all of that. Seven-on-seven is more of, 'We've installed these routes, this is why you're working this way, and let's make sure that we have the discipline to do the right thing.' We talked about it versus Cover-2. We talked about it versus man [coverage]. 'You have man. You have cover two. Did you do the right thing or not?' And that's kind of like a ramping to 11-on-11. You walk through it during our walkthrough practices. You get individual drills to work on those routes. You do seven-on-seven to put, schematically, the timing together and where people are going to be. Now, you're playing real football against the team. So, to me, ultimately, you can't do enough 11-on-11. You can't do enough team ball, but there's a place for seven-on-seven. It is more about timing, precision and seeing where people are, so that when you do go [to] team [drills], you know where the guys are on time and things of that nature. But I value it. I value it."
