SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
Opening statement: "I hope everyone's doing well. It's been a really good four days of training camp with our guys, with this young group. I thought this spring, we got after the fundamentals. We started to build the standard and the expectations for what we want as Ravens special teams. We are just going to bring these guys along, and I'm looking forward to having each and every one of these guys develop and continue to grow as we continue this training camp and into those preseason games."
With the new kickoff rule on the 35-yard line, how do you expect that to impact how you guys coach returns and kicks? (*Ken McKusick)* "As a special teams coach and then thinking about the players in the game, this is how they make their living. [With] the ball going to the 35-yard line, I think we had a nice increase in returns last year. I think there were like 332 [returns], and then there were opportunities for more touchdowns and more big plays, right? I think there were almost 50 40-plus-[yard] returns. So, with the ball going to the 35-yard line, I don't think any defense is going to want that, right? So, it's going to allow your kickoff team to now go cover more kicks. I'm looking forward to putting a group out there that's going to be confident and feel pretty good about not allowing teams to get to the 35-yard line."
There's so much about the kickers, and it being one of the biggest storylines here. What have you seen and when do you want a winner in this competition? (*Bo Smolka)* "Going into it, you just let the guys that go out compete, and they work, and they get better every day. I think the idea is what [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] has these guys doing is going to prepare them for the game. When the winner shows, it's going to show. How soon is that going to be? I don't know, but I do know that these guys are going to be out here getting valuable work every day and in these preseason games. When it's showing and when it happens, whoever wins that job is going to be the guy that's right for the team."
What are you guys looking for in that? Is this just as simple as whoever makes the most kicks in the moments? (*Brian Wacker) "*I think it's a little bit more than that. I think it's all about consistency in everything that we do, and especially at that level, at that position – really at every position, but mainly at that position – we want to see kicks made. We want to see good foot-to-ball contact. There's a process about how these guys are going about it, where they're kicking from and what they're doing in practices. The things that [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] is talking to these guys about every day is going to allow for both these guys to have success out on the field."
Where are you seeing them make their improvements from the technical aspect? (*Ryan Mink)* "If you just think back to the spring, I think a lot of it is when [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] goes out, and he's looking for a certain type of guy that fits what we do and our type of teaching from a kicking and technical standpoint. It's all about foot to ball, kicking a straight ball and all those things, and the axis of the ball – if the ball is turning – but we want the ball to be straight every time. That's what we're working for. That's been a big improvement since the spring, and I think both guys have gotten a lot better at doing that."
RB Keaton Mitchell said, 'I want to be a kicker returner if I can.' Head coach John Harbaugh has said that he thinks the new rules really play to a running back being a kicker returner. Why do you think that would be, and what's your impression of Keaton Mitchell so far? (Bo Smolka) "Obviously, Keaton [Mitchell] has done a tremendous job for us when he has been back there, just the body type, the style of play. It took us a while to really figure out our identity and who we wanted to be as a kickoff return unit. As the season went on late in the year, those body types, those running back body types, they're used to bouncing off tacklers. So, it allowed for that type of player to really have success back there. I believe a guy with some toughness, a guy that's going to run with speed with vision, he's going to have success back there for us. Keaton, he's done a heck of a job, and it's really good to see him out here just rolling."
Punt returner was a point of contention last year. Do you view that as simply a wide-open competition at this point? (Brian Wacker) "Definitely. For us, I talk about this every year. Punt returning is about being efficient, and being efficient in a sense of if we end the game, and we catch every ball, that's a plus for us. If we get no returns, well we're going to figure out how to make that better. Maybe the punt was short, and we fair caught the ball, and we had to run up for it. Well, that's efficiency for me. How are we catching the ball? What I'm looking for, and what we as coaches and as a staff are looking for, are guys that are not going to put the ball on the ground even in practice. That's going to be the guy that's going to win the job when he goes out there, and he's making yards. He's catching the ball, fielding the ball and making great decisions. That's what we're looking for."
Obviously, kicking got all of the headlines last year, but with the key guys that you lost this offseason, what is kind of getting you back from that with the restoration of the 2025 Ravens special teams? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "We still have guys in the building that understand the standard, and that understand the expectations of what we're looking for. So, as long as you have a select few guys – and yes, we did lose some guys – but with young guys, they don't know any better. So, you've got an opportunity to really mold those guys into what you want them to be. If they listen, and they learn and they grow on the way, they're going to be playing at the standard faster than what we think. But they're young guys. They don't know the system. All they know is like, 'Alright, what is coach saying?' Then, we have video, and we have proof of what it looks like on tape from the past. So, we're just going to continue to do that. I feel really good about the guys we have. We went out; we got Jake [Hummel], so we got a veteran guy – a guy that's played in this league for four years, special teams and played at a high level – so we have some guys in there that could help these young guys and bring them along."
The players on the Ravens who play special teams and have long tenures in terms of special teams on this team also tend to have an offensive or defensive contribution. How invested are you, as a special teams coach, when you see somebody who might be playing good special teams – to pick a player, OLB Adisa Isaac – as you need him to be a good pass rusher because you need him for special teams kind of thing. (*Ken McKusick)* "It's the more-you-could-do factor. I tell the guys all the time; we're here to win. If you have a good football player, and youhave a guy that his mindset is to do whatever it takes to help the team win, he's going to give everything he's got on the defense, and he's going to give everything he's got on special teams or the offense. So, from a defensive standpoint, just to use [Adisa Isaac] as an example, I think the guy's going to be a really good pass rusher. I also think he's going to be a really good special teams player. It's our job to just get him to that point, to get him playing at a high level. Once he does that, and he starts to have success on special teams, all those things translate to the other side of the ball. The same thing with the offensive guys. I use Justice Hill for example. While he was waiting on his opportunity as a young guy, you know what he did? He played special teams, and he played at a high level. He played like a Raven, and that stuff translates to more opportunities on the other side of the ball."
You mentioned not feeling rushed to pick a kicker. Through four days, I am just curious what you've seen from each of the guys individually? (Sam Cohn) "Well, the kicks have been made, right? With Tyler [Loop], the thing we understand is when we brought him in, and we looked at him, the dude has a strong leg. Technically, he's sound. He kicks the ball the way we want to kick the ball, and he's been consistent. That's what we're looking for. John [Hoyland], when you look at him, he's been consistent, and when you watch him over his college career, he was consistent. He made kicks, and that was the kind of guy that we went out and said, 'OK, let's bring in two guys that are consistent in what they do.' One might look more powerful than the other one, but the kicks are going in, and that's ultimately what matters the most."
You've got three preseason games. Do you anticipate both of them kicking in all of them? One, getting a game. One getting a game, and both getting a game? Have you even thought about that? (Bo Smolka) "I haven't given thought to that, but I do know both guys will be out there, and both guys will be kicking."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
There's a lot of familiarity, a lot of returning players in this offense, how much do you feel like that lets you kind of take things to another level this year in terms of what you're installing? (Nikhil Mehta) "Well, it was great having – let's start off with the staff, [our] offensive staff [who we have back] back. So, this will be our third year together. Every year you're together with somebody, a group of people, I think the relationship grows. Knowing each other, not only individually as a person, but when it comes to game-planning, so that's been great. I think [it] allowed us in the offseason to really be comfortable uncovering things that we can get better at, because you really have to drill down and look at where we can get better, where can we be efficient in areas we weren't nearly as efficient as we wanted to be at the right times. And then having a good number of our players back to give us a chance to run it back one more time. It was an easy decision, in my mind, you'll have to ask Eric [DeCosta], but to get a lot of those guys back because they're still playing at a high, high level. This isn't like, 'Well, we've got a diminishing skillset.' No, our guys are still playing at a really high level, so it's exciting."
Head coach John Harbaugh has mentioned that a point of emphasis is pre-snap penalties. There seem to be several each day out here. Is there a common thread to those happening, and when you leave here and go inside to meet, what are you telling the players about those? (Bo Smolka) "Well, you're right, there is a common thread, and that is that we're going to continue to stress it and use cadence in practice. I've said this before, it's real easy to get frustrated, which I do. I'm the king of overreacting. But if you do that, then you'll just go on one all the time, and that doesn't help you either. So where is that sweet spot? Now is the time to do that. We're practicing some other things in the throw game and the run game to obviously try like heck to be on point when we play the first game. But obviously, we have a lot of work to do, but that's not the only thing, that's the only thing that's obvious to the naked eye, right? [That's the only thing where] you feel like, 'OK, we can see that,' [because the] play stops, there's a yellow hanky [penalty flag]. Okay, that's not very good. Well, there are a lot of things we need to work at, that just happens to be one of them that we'll continue to fight our rear ends off to be elite at it."
Do you feel like in Year Three – you've been through it twice – you know what you want to do, and it's not finding what you want to do but really perfecting what you do best? (Ryan Mink) "Some of that is true, and some of that is a part of having the same players, the same skillsets. How do we get the players that we have to stay at elite level at the areas they're elite at, if that makes sense. That's probably a crazy way of saying it. And then improve in the other areas where they can – whether it's pass protection or their ball skills or they're blocking on the perimeter, all those things. But it certainly helps when everybody is back, [so] you can kind of build off what we already know what they are and just try to get a little bit better in certain areas."
Just to follow up on the [pre-snap penalty questions], is it kind of [that there is] more variance in cadence than last year or just everyone getting used to it? (Jonas Shaffer) "No, there really isn't anything different other than we're starting back up again, and it's hot, and we have a number of guys going in the game. Sometimes it's the quarterback that takes a little bit of time at the line of scrimmage, more than he should, and then all of a sudden you're making calls at the line, and you may forget you're on a different cadence. All of those things are a part of it, but I'm not going to give in. We're going to fight like heck to be good at it. Why can't we be elite at cadence? Why can't we? Other teams can, [so] we sure as heck can be and should be."
How have you seen the communication between you and QB Lamar Jackson grow during your time here? (Cordell Woodland) "Oh, it grows daily with each of us, and it's not just Lamar [Jackson], it's every player. I think part of that too is, with each year, you're really on the same page. I think [Jackson] understands what we're trying to do, and I think he understands what we're trying to accomplish against what we're seeing every day, and I think every day he feels more comfortable voicing his pleasure [and] displeasure, in terms of what we do or how he wants to see [things done]. That's probably strong, but just being able to communicate, because everything goes through him. Everything goes through him. Everything we do starts with his confidence in what we do. He already has confidence himself, he's an elite player, but [also in] what we do to make sure that we're building it to where – when he gets ready to go on Sunday, he can perform at an elite level and let his talent shine that he's worked so hard to get to this point, which he really has. And he said it, I read it yesterday, he really is just – he's still coming. He's still a young player, really, at quarterback in my mind."
QB Lamar Jackson said he's been going off-script a bit at times, that sometimes you let him get away with it, sometimes you coach him up. How do you balance that, him seeing what he's seeing and doing his freelancing versus when it's time to follow exactly the play that you're on? (Giana Han) "Well, it's all of our offense, it's [about] collaboration. So, at the end of the day, I think you set the offense. He doesn't go AWOL, he doesn't go out of the blue. It's not all of a sudden, it's within the parameters of what we do, and now is the time to do that. Now's the time to work on those things; the rapport with the receivers, those things and getting us into a premium play – that's really what he should do. But it's all of our offense, and like anything, once he takes over that control, that's a good thing for the Ravens. The more he does that, the more he embraces that – which he does a lot of it – that's really good for the Ravens, because the elite players like him want that. They want the ability to do that and then you live with the end result. It's what you do, you live with the end result. And usually with him, it's pretty special."
The depth at the skilled position is the best probably in Ravens history, that's fair to say. When you look back at teams who've had that kind of depth, the New Orleans Saints around 2010 used a fresh-legs approach, where they'd be constantly running in oftentimes five eligible receivers per play. Do you see that as something you have in your toolkit this year? (Ken McKusick) "First of all, let's start off with this, the skill players that we have, I tell them, every year is a new year. So, the skill group that we've got, I don't know what that is this year. Our skill group can be elite, and they were elite in 2024, it remains to be seen what we'll be in 2025 as an offensive staff and as an offensive team. Now, do I anticipate that those guys will play at an elite level? I do. But that remains to be seen. We haven't played the 2025 season yet. [And in terms of the rotation piece], I would agree with that. I think that's great. I think I spoke about it in the offseason, you'd rather have too many players that want the ball than not enough or that deserve it. You want that. You want to be able to try and balance touches that they want as skill players, but without a doubt, we should be in a position to where we can keep guys fresh. We can vary personnel groups like we did last year and have a number of players. To me, that's balance. Balance is having enough players that it's not just run and pass, it's touches. That they're not just defending one player, that you're defending modes, you're defending formations, you're defending players, you're defending concepts [and] all the above. And we're very fortunate to have that, and we'll see because we have to do it this year."
Seeing RB Keaton Mitchell and how well he's running out here, do you anticipate that he's going to have a bigger role than he needed last year? (Ryan Mink) "Well, it's great to see him back. I think last year when he came back, he [was] still – in his own mind – I think he wanted to be ready [after returning from injury]. You'd have to ask him whether he felt that way, [if he] was confident in that when you don't practice for such a long time. I'm excited to see him every day out here, and I'm excited to see him when we play in the preseason because has to fight to get touches. Two years ago, we didn't have Derrick [Henry], let's just say it like it is. It's a fight to get touches in the backfield. Justice Hill is an established, outstanding football player. Now we have Derrick, so that third running back position is fighting for reps, fighting for touches, fighting for the ability to be really good as a pass protector, all of the above – a special teams player – just because we are in a different place than we were a year ago. But it's exciting to see him really kind of be up-to-speed in the first four days. "
Given last year, how much higher do you kind of view the ceiling. Secondly, what are the one or two, maybe the most glaring examples from the efficiency standpoint you're focused on? (Brian Wacker) "Well, we hit on it every time I get up here, which is penalties, so I'm sure I'll be up here in a couple of weeks, and we'll say the same thing again. But that's No. 1, is lost-yardage plays, that falls into that, getting backed up. I mean you're up against it when you have those. So obviously, that's a huge emphasis this offseason. Obviously starting fast this season. Two years ago, we beat Houston [in the opener], but we didn't play anywhere near our standard on offense. Last year, we didn't come out of the block [strongly]. So, starting faster [is a goal], how we prep for that, and how we game-plan for that. And then I think it's imperative amongst our players and our coaches to maintain that high level, is [that] we have to challenge each other, because it is human nature – as a player, an offense, human beings – to settle a little bit. Are we going to be good? I don't know. In 2025, we will decide that. We have plenty of talent, [but] talent alone doesn't get you there. All the things that [help you] win are [about] the work that you put and then play at a high level when it counts."
How do you start fast? (Brian Wacker) "It starts with coaching. ... We know each other better this year than we did last year. Starting with me, [knowing] who our personnel is, right, with Derrick [Henry], who we are, how we utilize our tight ends, how we utilize our wideouts. That's probably a better way of putting it. I've got to do a better job, but I know we have a better idea of who we are and what wins for us with the players that we have."
One of the areas of the passing game that wasn't elite was Lamar against man blitzes, and I know that's such a small thing, but is that just a thing where you think having consistency, time and continuity just kind of takes care of itself*, or is it something more structural that you have been focusing on this season? (Jonas Shaffer)* "I think there's some merit to that, but it doesn't make any sense, in some ways, because we have guys that can separate. So, against man [coverage], that isn't really an issue; It's doing a better job of myself helping us get into a better play, maybe better protection, concepts that we run [and] anticipating it. But for sure ... It's crazy – you look at the statistics, and you would be like, 'How we were not,' when there were so many other areas [that] we were elite at, and you're thinking, 'Wow, Lamar's ability to escape, [and] our guys can really separate. We've got a really good offensive line, we've got elite [running] backs,' so that doesn't make sense, but you're right, we need to be a lot better at it."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
Zach, what does CB Jaire Alexander bring to your defense? (Bo Smolka) "[Jaire Alexander] brings a lot. He brings, first and foremost, energy, confidence, hard work and then playmaking ability. We go against our offense every day, and they challenge our corners, especially on the outside, and he's done a great job, man. So, we've been happy and pleased with him. He's a great student of the game. I'm pleased with how fast he's picked up the system, and the vets and his teammates are helping him out. But he brings a lot, man. He can still play at a top level. He's everything that we thought he would be and even more. He's a great dude. I'm glad that we got him."
There's so much talent, especially in the secondary. You have five first-round picks. How does this year's unit, with all that talent, play up to that standard? (Ryan Mink) "I think it's putting the work in every single day in the classroom, out here on the field and even in walkthroughs. And that's not to say that that wasn't happening, but I see it at a whole new level this year. So, I'm happy with it. We're light years ahead of where we were at. We've still got a long where to go, but we're ahead of where we were at last year. So that's a credit to the guys who were here. We didn't like what we did last year, especially the first half of the season, and we made a vow that we wouldn't do that again. So, we know that's just words. We have to put action behind it. But so far, it's throughout the spring and this first week of training camp, the action's been real good, so I'm happy with the group."
With the talent that you have in the secondary, do you think that gives you more flexibility in terms of playing man coverage and is that something you want to do? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, it definitely does. It opens the possibilities of playing man coverage, blitzing more and playing different coverages. Our DBs, they can do everything, man, and it's a credit to 'Double D' [defensive backs coach Donald D'Alesio] and [senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Chuck] Pagano. You'll see these guys start rotating, playing different positions as we get going. They did a lot in the spring. So, when the offense lines up and you have multiple DBs, on the field and they don't know necessarily what coverage, what pressure or what position those guys are playing, it's an advantage for us. So, we'll start working that. But I'm excited about the possibility and it's just depth – depth and matchups for certain opponents. You might want to put certain guys on certain people, so it's definitely an advantage for us."
CB Marlon Humphrey can be very candid and he said, 'We didn't think that the Steelers feared our defense. We didn't think the Bengals feared our defense. What's your reaction when you hear that and how do you change it? (Bo Smolka) "I like that. I like that, man. We want to be the most feared unit in the league and it's time for us to get back to people being scared of playing us, and that's what we want to feel when we're out there. Obviously, [Marlon Humphrey] is out there; we trust him. He feels that way. I feel that way, too. So that's one of our goals this year is to be the most dominant, feared defense in the National Football League. So, let's go do it. And it is not just going to happen by us talking about it, we've got to come out here and put the work in, and then when Sunday or gameday comes, we've got to go do it."
Back along those lines, CB Marlon Humphrey also said turnovers creating turnovers is probably the biggest point of emphasis. There's a whole bunch of things that go into it, but from your standpoint, how do you go about coaching that and look to stress that? (Brian Wacker) "First thing, we just teach it. We're getting better at teaching it, teaching in the classroom, showing opportunities on film, showing how to get the football out and understanding how important it is. And I think Coach [John] Harbaugh has done a great job this spring of talking about what are really the 'impactfuls' that impact football games, and takeaways for defenses are at the top of the list. And when we take the ball away, we'll win. When we don't, we've got a good chance of winning, but why put ourselves in that position? So obviously we look at it, and last year, we didn't take the ball away enough. We had zero takeaways in the playoffs. And us as defensive coaches and players, we look at it as the reason why we didn't get to where we wanted to get to. So, we're talking about it every single day. We're teaching it, we're drilling it, and we're making our guys aware of how important it is. And it is not just me talking about it. Every coach is talking about it, even on the offensive side of the ball. So, I think that it is good that our players are mindful of it, and we understand as a defense, that's the most important thing. Just think about it, if we take the football away, and we keep giving our offense and 'L.J.' [Lamar Jackson] more opportunities to score, we will be in good shape."
The defense is overcoming a lot of turnover, both in coaching and on the field and with the players, too. Is there any more comfortability this year going into training camp? What's the difference now with not as much turnover? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, I think it was definitely more comfortable. I'm more experienced, so I know I'm better than what I was last year, especially this time of year. So, I think that's where some of the comfortability comes from. I think the players and the coaches that are here, they understand what we want to get accomplished, what we have to get accomplished, and they understand the action plan that we have to take to get that accomplished. So, it's great, man. Sometimes change is good, and I think that it has been good for us from a coaching and playing standpoint."
How do you feel like S Malaki Starks is fitting in so far? (*Giana Han)* "[Malaki Starks] is fitting in great. He's fitting in great. Every test that we've thrown at him since the spring up to now, his first week of training camp, he's passed with flying colors, which is expected. You saw him [do that] in college. You talk to his coaches, you talk to people who've known him, you know his makeup. The next step, we'll start getting in pads here next week, and we'll start having these preseason games and regular season games, and we'll see if he passes those tests, which we expect him to do, because he's a heck of a person and a heck of a player. And like I always say, when you are a talented player, and you work hard on and off the field, the chances of you being successful are dang near 100%. So, Malaki fits that mold."
What have you seen from OLB Mike Green this week, and what do you hope to see from him as we move forward? (Sam Cohn) "Mike [Green] just comes in and works. [He's a] smart player, works hard, hard [worker]. He doesn't really say much until we're out here on the field, and he has to communicate, which he does a great job of. But he's just a worker, man, just like all our rookies. So right now, as an outside [linebacker] and a front guy, right now we're in shorts and t-shirts with a helmet on. So, it's pretty much assignment sound, and he's been great with that. It's going to crank up next week, and I'm excited for him. We know what type of player we have, so now it's time for him just to go out here and do it in practice, which we believe he will."
John has already shouted out CB Reuben Lowery several times. Have you talked to Reuben about specific things he can do to put himself in that conversation at the end, given how many talented guys there are in that secondary? (Childs Walker) "Yes, we talk to all our guys like that. And Reuben [Lowery], he's made plays since he's been here, so [I give] credit to our personnel staff for finding him. They've done a great job finding all these rookies. This is one of the most competitive rosters that we've had since I've been here. So, you guys are going to get a chance to learn a lot about some of these guys that you might not know about. But, Reuben has made plays since he's been here, and we're upfront with our guys in the meeting rooms. We tell them, 'Hey, block out distractions. Don't count numbers, don't worry about who's in the room. All you do is show up, work hard, make plays and be consistent. That will lead to productivity. Now you put yourself in a great situation to do great things,' and so far, Reuben has done that, so he's playing all over the secondary for us. He's been really impressive. I'm excited to see him continue to grow and see what he does the rest of the summer."
Do you see CB Nate Wiggins growing into the kind of player that you're going to have follow opposing No. 1 WRs in certain situations in the future? (*Nikhil Mehta)* "That might be something that we do. That might be something that we do. Our guys, right now, they're playing left and right and rotating, so our guys are getting work on the right side, they're getting work on the left side, [and] they're getting work in the slot, which is good, but I think that that might be something we'll look into."
