HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statements: "Today was a good day. The guys worked hard, [I] felt like we really improved from yesterday to today. What questions do you have?
We saw TE Isaiah Likely carted off at the end of practice, do you have an update on him? (Giana Han) "Yes, we'll know more tomorrow. It's going to be a few weeks, though. He rolled his ankle – the foot area. So, we'll get an MRI tomorrow and see exactly what needs to be done, but it'll be a few weeks. It's good that it's this early in camp."
A question about OLB Tavius Robinson, just [on] the things you would like to see from him from Year Two to [Year] Three in his progress? (Dave Naylor) "Well, I'll tell you [this], Tavius is a pretty special person and really an amazing player. The guy makes the most of everything he does, every day. [In the] weight room, meeting room, practice field, every single rep, I see a very physical, good player who gets better every day. He's a big part of our team."
We didn't see many false starts today, are you still running the cadence at the full level? (Ken McKusick) "Yes, just like I said yesterday."
There is so much depth at the outside linebacker position. To keep five, yes, but to keep six [on the roster], is that realistic for edge rushers? And what are you guys seeing? (Morgan Adsit) "That's a few weeks away. Of course, I think about that every day. You could keep six, it's just a matter of how many D-Linemen you keep or how many inside [line] backers or defensive backs you keep. You can keep 25 or 26 defensive players, probably 24, 25 or 26. That's kind of how it could go. So, we'll have to see how it shakes out. We have a lot of days between now and then."
"You've gotten to see some of your young guys in pads [on] back-to-back days, what did you think after watching them the two practices? (Cordell Woodland) "I thought they really worked hard. I thought they were physical, didn't get overwhelmed by the fact that they were in pads at this level for the first time. A lot of the rookies, this is their first time doing this kind of thing, so I thought they did well."
The incident in New York [the shooting at the NFL league office], what was your reaction to that? (Jamison Hensley) "[I had] just gotten home last night and it was on the news and then they said it was where the NFL is [on] Park Avenue. I started texting to see [if] people were OK. It's just, our hearts go out to all the victims involved. It's just a horrific, sad thing, [I'm] very disappointed. Our prayers are with the people in New York and especially the people in that building last night, just going to work, trying to do their job and trying to live their life as best they can. [For people] to be taken away like that, or to be injured like that, is unbelievably tragic. And then for the police officer that that was killed, I just hope that we all respect and are grateful for all of our first responders, including our police. I hope that we understand what a sacrifice it is to put your life on the line every single day, which none of us do, other than driving to work and a lightning bolt might hit us. Our police officers go to work every single day under attack way too often. And if you don't support them, then I guess you have a right to do that, but not a right to be respected, at least not in my book. So, to [the police officer's] family, thank you for the sacrifice and for who he was and the commitment he made for all of us. We are very grateful."
When you see QB Lamar Jackson out there, and I know they're not supposed to tackle Lamar to the ground, but does it just show his speed again when he's able to hit that corner and take off like? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes, it does. It does. And it's good for our defense. I think sometimes they do – we do protect Lamar [Jackson]. Of course, you stay away from the quarterback; everybody does. But I wanted to get them a little closer, at least make it legitimate that he thinks he had a chance to get him. And I don't know if they would've gotten to him or not. We have to run to the ball, so it's good for our defense. You always have to run to the ball, every play, no matter what, especially if Lamar Jackson has the ball. But we're not going to be tackling Lamar, that's not going to be part of the plan. And I do think, obviously, those types of plays – he's had a lot of those plays in the last two days and those plays do show you what kind of a player he is."
John, how much of a want will be to have a consistent four-man pass rush, at least as pertains to getting the kind of turnover that you guys want this year? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "Yes, we'd love to have a great four-man pass rush, five-man pass rush, three-man pass rush, six-man pass rush and seven-man pass rush. because that's how we play. So, I don't think any Ravens fans want to see us rushing four all of the time. It's really not what we've ever been about, ever. We are a blitzing team, but we've also had great pass rushers here, a lot of guys who've gotten to the quarterback and done really well. A lot of Kyle [Van Noy]'s sacks were on four-man pass rushes last year and others. So, we want to be able to do the whole gamut, but it's always an advantage to be able to rush four. It's always an advantage to rush the four pass rushers, too, not just to simulate it, also."
Did you get any better sense of CB Jalyn Armour-Davis after his MRI? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "No, I haven't gotten that report yet. He did it today, so I haven't heard what the report on that is yet."
PASS RUSH COACH CHUCK SMITH
On if he plans to use OLB Odafe Oweh on the inside spot and in race car rush packages more this year after the weight that has added this offseason: "Yes, 'Daf' [Odafe Oweh] looks fantastic. He still maintains his speed, and we want to be multifunctional. We want to be able to put people all around the field, and 'Daf' fits that description as well as 'KV' [Kyle Van Noy]. All our inside guys can play outside. So, we want to be versatile, and I think [with defensive coordinator] Coach [Zach] Orr, that's one of the things that makes this defense [one that's] tough to go against, because we can do things like that. 'Daf' definitely can play at any position across the board when it comes to pass rush."
On his impressions of OLB Mike Green so far: "Mike [Green] is earning his stripes. Mike's a rookie, so Mike has to play his position, get in line like any other rookie. But Mike is going out there, he's competing at a high level. Mike can rush. Mike is strong at the point of attack on the run. What I like most about Mike, is he just gives great effort. When you think of some of the great players around the league, what defines them is great effort, and that may help you make a lot of plays within itself. He has a great grasp for the defense. [Outside linebacker coach] Matt Robinson's done a fantastic job teaching him in coverage and things like that. When we talk about pass rush, Mike is all in. Mike is everything he was advertised to be. I think the fans are going to like what they see."
On what the biggest thing was that got OLB Odafe Oweh to double-digit sacks last season: "The first thing is, I said this before, creating the pash rusher mindset and the pass rusher culture – that there's a way to get there – and it starts with developing high performance skill moves. One of the first things I said is, 'You will know what [Odafe Oweh]'s moves are,' but now, he's got multiple moves. So, I just think that Odafe was humble, he wanted to learn, and he just developed moves. Then when you put a guy with those kind of skills with a guy who naturally has athleticism and strength, it can be dangerous. I think a lot of people didn't think he would ever get to this point, but it takes different guys different time to develop. [It's] a credit to him and a credit to the organization [for] continuing to be behind him, and that's what the organization has always done – been behind 'Dafe' – and I'm happy for him. That was last year, so we're moving on to this year, and I have high expectations for 'Daf.'"
On the balance between the pressure rate versus sacks and how to coach that: "I like the fact that we are able to get quarterbacks down. There are a lot of different things that go into pressure rate and – just so I can just give you a little insight – in the National Football League, there's a new generation of running quarterbacks. So, as you look at a lot of teams – if you go back and really look at it – there are a lot of teams who had a lot of sacks and have pressure rate because a lot of times you have to do what we call 'crush rush'. So, 90% of the teams, you'll see us ... And a lot of people here might say, 'Man, they're stuck like glue.' I've seen some of you guys say that, but guess what? It's a technique that all NFL teams use, and we have to use it a lot, because look who we go against. We go against all these running quarterbacks, so that had something to do with it. But as far as continuing to have success, we have guys that can rush, and we have a coordinator that's coming into his own. But I really look at the pass rush numbers and look at what we do. As we continue to get opportunities and continue to develop, we'll be able to get sacks. I don't know exactly how to answer the pressure rate part, but I know it has a lot to do with the technique, and if you go do your research, you'll see that with the running quarterbacks if you just rush up field against Lamar [Jackson]. So, that's kind of it. Most teams bull rush him, too. So, when you play Lamar Jackson, the pressure rate's going to be down, too, because everybody is bull rushing and keeping him in front of him."
On if OLB Mike Green had a learning curve during the first week of practice: "There was a learning curve. [Mike Green] got out there and got after it, but there are a lot of things. You start going against guys that are seasoned, that have [gone] against a lot of different kinds of offensive linemen. He went against a lot of different offensive linemen, but Mike, he's learning. Mike is getting out there. He's taking his lumps, but he's also giving out his lumps. But no, I don't think he was overwhelmed or [anything] like that. Again, I just think it comes back to preparation. We put in some work. During the offseason, the OTAs and the minicamps, it's just a lot of work, so Mike is a part of what [head coach] John [Harbaugh] knows guys have created. This offseason, people really put their head down and are working. I'm not saying that didn't happen in the past. So, [with] Mike, when we got out here, he knew the defense. He understood what it was – all the guys – because of preparation from the coaches that John is really on us about that. I just think all of our rookies, when they come out here, they're already more ready because they've been prepared. This group, we're working hard, and it shows in these guys when they're out here."
On his thoughts on DT Aeneas Peebles from training camp and his pass rush ability: "I love 'Fub' [Aeneas Peebles]. He's got an incredible upside. He is lightning quick. He's 293 pounds or something – but then they say he's small, because he's short – but he's 293 [lbs.]. He's got a high skill level. He's quick. He has a great grasp of pass rush moves. He loves to pass rush. He has an aggressive mindset and a learning mindset. I love Aeneas. As he continues to learn [while] going against big guys and going against protection, he'll get better. But he's been doing a good job for us, and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow."
On what he wants to see from OLB Adisa Isaac this season: "This is technically Adisa [Isaac]'s first year, and he did some good stuff last year. [With] Adisa, what I want to see him doing is keep getting better. He got better today. He did some good stuff, got after it today, striking blocks and had some really good rushes in our competition. [During the] two-minute drill, [he] did a good job. So, the thing is continue to work with Adisa. The same way we talked about a little bit about 'Daf' [Odafe Oweh], just developing moves at this level. When you think of all the guys that can rush, you think of Maxx Crosby; he can spin. You think of the guy at Pittsburgh; he can ghost. I'm not going to say his name, because that's how we roll, but when you think about different guys, though, they've got skilled rushes. So, that's what Adisa is working on. That's one thing we want to implement. Guys are at different levels right now, and they'll continue to work to get better. Adisa is on the right path. I hope that he continues to work hard, and he'll get better."
On how he plans to work around other teams double-teaming DT Nnamdi Madubuike: "When you're a two-time Pro Bowler like 'Beeks' [Nnamdi Madubuike], everybody's going to look at you. But I think also being a game wrecker, I think anytime you get 13 sacks or whatever he had, and you come back and get that, people say, 'Oh, he had a bad year,' things like that. But you look at the benefits of what happened next to him. 'Beeks' actually created a lot of the havoc for us to have two double-digit sackers. We had two guys get 10 sacks, and what did 'Beeks' have? Six-and-a-half or something? We almost had three [players in double-digit sacks]. So, when you look at it from that perspective ... But he's a hard worker. He's working hard today. You want to continue to get better, and we are all learning together. We're all learning, understanding how protection works and how to put him in the proper position. But the good thing about having four guys in the front that can rush, when 'Beeks' isn't having his best day, Travis [Jones] could be up. When he's not having it, we have 'Daf' [Odafe Oweh]. We have 'KV' [Kyle Van Noy]. You'll have Mike [Green], and we've got other guys behind him. 'Brody' [Broderick Washington Jr.] can rush. Tavius Robinson's working hard. But I understand that, and I understand 'Beeks,' but I think from six-and-a-half [sacks] to 13 [sacks], I think it's overblown from that standpoint. We were No. 2 in sacks [and] No. 1 versus the run. I know that's not perfect, but I think 'Beeks' is a big part of all that."
On if there is a secret to getting pressure from the slot corner: "That's probably a little bit out of my pay grade, understanding from that standpoint, but when I do get a chance to work [with them] – because I work with the secondary, the linebackers, everybody with pass rush – our biggest thing is you don't want to be surprised. So, when you're coming off the corner [and] you're a cornerback, you're a safety, I shouldn't be surprised, because someone's going to be there. So, if you're not surprised, what's going to happen is you'll have a technique or something ready. We work really hard on that, and the guys really accept that. That's kind of where I come in on that part from dealing with the secondary."
OLB MIKE GREEN
On how training camp has been going: "I think it has been [going] well so far. There's always going to be room for improvement, but I think the last few days, it's been fun. It's been exciting, of course. We're all blessed to be out here and [to] be able to practice another day, so yes, it has been great so far."
On the excitement of putting on pads: "Yes, I would say throughout the whole pre-draft process, I was trying to prove that I can do power rushes, and I'm more of a power guy as well, on top of my speed game. So, I think finally coming out here, being able to put on the pads, I've been able to at least show what I'm capable of doing when it comes down to power rushing, setting the edge and things like that. Like I said, it has been good. [There] is always going to be room for improvement, but yes, it's been good so far."
On his personal goals for training camp: "I would just say fulfilling my role, regardless of what it is, if that's just special teams, if that's giving good looks, if that's being a dominant player on the defense. Regardless of what my role is, I'm just looking forward to fulfilling it to the fullest."
On if he's had a welcome to training camp moment: "I don't think I had a 'welcome to camp' moment. I did have a welcome to the NFL moment. We have a big Nigerian guy. His name is C.J. [Okoye]. We call him 'Big C.J.,' and he's huge. The dude is huge. I think it was [during] rookie minicamp, and I think we might've had helmets on. We're going into the huddle, and the dude was just towering over everybody. I was like, 'I'm really here.' So yes, I'll probably say I had a welcome to NFL moment."
On adjusting to learning from an NFL coach: "I feel like every phase of your career – whether that's going into high school, that's going into college, and that's going into the NFL – you're going to have things that you have to overcome and adjust to, of course. I feel like there's no shortcut to adjusting as well, so the only thing that's going to help you is time. I think the more time I spend here, the better I'm going to get and the more comfortable I'm going to be, so I think that I'll just let time take control of that, and everything should be working out fine."
On how much pride he takes in his run defense: "Probably a little bit more than I should." (laughter) "Only because like I said, when people think you have deficiencies, you're of course going to try to go out there and show them what you can do. That's something that I've been trying to do. [I'm] trying to show also that I'm not just a pass rusher, but I can also set the edge and do power rushes against these guys at the highest level. So yes, I'm looking forward to it more, and that's just something I'm just going to continue to get better at."
On playing on an NFL defense where he might not be "the guy" and how that might help his production: "Yes, you have to think about when you have these talented defensive ends, outside linebackers and defensive tackles on the front line, you can't just game plan for all four or five of the defensive linemen. You have to pick out certain ones that you can game plan against, and that opens up opportunities for other guys. I feel like you can kind of get an advantage, like a guy like me that teams don't really know about yet. So, I think it should be really interesting to see."
On if there is a veteran he has bonded with the most on the team: "Yes, 'T-Rob' [Tavius Robinson]. I'll say 'T-Rob' because just the way he goes about his day, just the way I see him work. He's out here flying around. He's being very destructive, and I will say he does a lot of things right, so just seeing him ... I didn't really know about him too much before I got here, but [during] my time being here, that's definitely a vet that I can look up to and I can follow behind, because he does the right things."
On the coverage changes from college to the NFL: "I think it's a little bit more complex, of course, simply because you're not just doing spot drops, but sometimes you can be man-on-man on a guy. I have different coverages and different ways I have to align, so it's a little bit more complex. But as I continue to cement myself in this defense, the better and better I'm going to get. So, I think that's just something that time can heal, so I'm just looking forward into that."
OLB ODAFE OWEH
On how many pass rush moves he has in his repertoire: "[I have] a good amount. We've been working on that; [on having] effective ones – that's all that matters and using them at the right time. But I try to pride myself on having good moves, a lot of moves, so when the time comes when I need to use them, I can just pop them out."
On how he's developing new pass rush moves and deciding which ones should be in the repertoire: "So, in the offseason, obviously you're going to train all of them, and then when we're in an in-season situation, we'll know an opponent [and say], OK, what does he struggle with?' And then you marry that up with what are you're actually good with. So, if he's light on his [butt], you're going to use power, you're going to try to slip and stuff like that. Or if you're faster than a guy, and he doesn't like to get low, he's a taller guy [and] slow his feet, we can use a ghost, a side scissors dip and stuff like that. So, it's just [about] using the right move at the right time."
On how big of a goal creating turnovers is to the pass rushers group: "Oh, that's big. I believe there was a play that I had in the Bengals game where I beat [my opponent] clean, but I went for the QB hit instead of just reaching out for the ball and getting the fumble. So, I feel like we had a minimum amount of [forced] fumbles and fumble recoveries. All these sacks that we've had these past few years, that's big. That's a part that we can play into it. It's not just interceptions. So, we're working on getting fumbles or raking the ball out so we can help the guys back there."
On what he's seen from OLB Mike Green so far: "Yes, [Mike Green] is a dog. He gets after it, and he turned it on even more when he had the pads on. So yes, he's good. [He's] a twitchy guy [who] just puts his head down and works, picks up things fast, does things within the defense, [does] what he's told to do and still makes flashy plays, and he's physical. So, the sky's the limit for him."
On what he's seen from OLB David Ojabo and how he has to go about taking the next step: "[David Ojabo] has gone through a lot of injuries and stuff like that, and obviously, we're a competitive team, so we're always bringing in guys or have guys that are trying to accomplish something. So, that's tough when you're rehabbing from an injury and stuff like that. So, I feel like he is doing a good job getting back to his prime self and he's looked really good out there. He just has to continue to compete, continue to believe in himself and know that we all believe in him, the coaching staff believes in him, and if he does that, he'll be right there with us. And I feel like he's really a 'wild card' for us. He can pop out and have a 10-sack season and come out with the strip sacks that you guys all remember that he got drafted for and just like that, we'll be talking about David Ojabo. So, he just has to keep his head down and keep working."
On how they're looking at their role as pass rushers in helping the secondary: "Just winning faster, not trying to have 'coverage sacks,' not trying to have 'cleanup sacks,' I guess, but just winning and beating our man faster. Whether that's games or taking a different angle in terms of trying to break the pocket of the O-line, I feel like that can help speed up the QB and then force them into bad decisions and our guys can come clean it up."
On his first memory of putting on pads during his early playing days: "I remember when I first started playing football, I was like 16 [at] Blair Academy, I had just put on pass for the first time, and my coach – he knew I could run – so he just put me on kickoff. I'm tall, so I was just running straight, tall and everything. And then some little guy, he ran right under my ribs and knocked me out, took the wind out of me. I had to go to the hospital. After that I was like, 'Alright, I know what I'm doing now.' Stay low and stuff like that. But after that, I was good; I was straight. But I always remember that when I'm out here and everything."
On how he's feeling after the first few days of padded practices after making it a goal to put on weight in the offseason: "Yes. Obviously, you got to get acclimated to the weight, and then the sun's out here with pads and everything. But I like how I'm feeling. I like how I can use it in my power rushes [and against] the run as well, so it's going good. It's going as planned."
On if it's frustrating at times to not be able to get after QB Lamar Jackson the way they want to during camp: "Yes. Because Coach [John Harbaugh], sometimes he'll be like, 'Stay away from Lamar [Jackson]. Don't touch Lamar. That's the money. That's our ticket.' Obviously, we want to go to the Super Bowl, but at the same time, we want to win our rushes and sometimes you want to fall off the edge as an edge rusher, but sometimes you can't get up as soon so that Lamar can move out of the way. So, a lot of times, he just takes off running, and we stop but Coach [Harbaugh] doesn't give it to them, so it's alright. It's whatever. He's fast, too, so not a lot of us want to run after him, too."
On if QB Lamar Jackson talks to them after making plays: "Yes, he's going to talk. He's going to talk, but he doesn't see [that Coach John Harbaugh asked us to stop]. He just sees everyone behind him and stuff like that."
On if he thinks QB Lamar Jackson would've broken off the run he did if he could hit: "I mean, I'm just saying Coach [John Harbaugh] is telling us to stay away from you. That's all I said. I was like, 'You've got it.'"
On his impressions of CB Jaire Alexander: "Yes. [Jaire Alexander] is a dog. He's always talking, whether it's to himself – I don't know who he's talking to – or to the opponent. He has a good energy, though. I like his celebration, but he brings that craziness. 'Marlo' [Marlon Humphrey] has this craziness where you don't know where he's from. [Jaire]'s got a craziness where he's trying to compete with himself, compete with the other person. 'Marlo' has that, too, but it's a different spectrum."
