Brian Flores – September 6, 2019
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Friday, September 6, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(The thinking in the T J’Marcus Webb signing and also just LB Andrew Van Ginkel to be able to play – he’s eligible obviously to come back in October.) – “J’Marcus Webb is somebody we visited with him earlier in the week, and we felt like he’s a guy who’s got some experience in the league and would help our team, and we decided to go ahead and make that move.”
(How important was it that T J’Marcus Webb is versatile enough to play both tackle spots?) – “I think that’s always important. Versatility is – as we’ve talked about many times – is very important, really across the board on the team offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. His ability to play both spots, that definitely helped him and gives him more value.”
(Do you feel like this team has a left tackle that can carry them for 16 games into the season?) – “I feel like we’ve got a lot of good players – guys who work hard and guys who work well together, so I’m excited about the group we have. We’ll be ready to go on Sunday.”
(Should LB Andrew Van Ginkel be able to play this year, physically do you think, will we see him on the field this season?) – “He had a good spring and a good start to training camp. Unfortunately, he had the injury. Right now for him, it’s just to try to improve and get better every day. Whatever happens – however many weeks from now – it’ll happen.”
(Is this an injury that progressed with LB Andrew Van Ginkel, or did it get worse this week during practice?) – “Injuries that occur for a player, we try to keep it private. It was enough that it was necessary to make the move we made. That’s where we’re at with Van Ginkel.”
(Will T J’Marcus Webb be ready for Sunday?) – “We’re going to try to get him as ready as we can. One day of practice – we’ll try to get him ready.”
(Have the captains been selected?) – “Yes, they’ve been selected. (Daniel) Kilgore on offense, Jerome Baker and Bobby McCain on defense and Walt Aikens on special teams.”
(What stood out to you for LB Jerome Baker, being a second-year player, being able to earn that captain spot?) – “It was voted on by his peers. He’s had a really good camp. He’s shown leadership. He’s improved. I’ve seen that, but obviously his peers have seen that, too; and that’s a testament to how he’s grown over the course of these two years – really, one year – and the time over the spring and the summer.”
(Are you ready? Is your team ready?) – “Yeah, we’ll be ready to play Sunday.”
(Do you think you have a good team on your hands?) – “Yes. I think I have a good team. I think I have a good team, but every week is hard in this league. There’s a lot of talent, really across the board. If you prepare the right way, if you take the steps necessary to put yourself in position to play well, that’s what you do and we go out there Sunday, we’ll see what happens.”
(In the past, this heat has been an advantage for the Dolphins at home. Do you guys plan anything game plan-wise for that to be used as an advantage?) – “Whatever the elements are, we’ve got to play in them. Heat, rain – aside from lightning – we’re going to go. These guys are motivated. They’re ready to go. We know we’ve got a great opponent in front of us. The Ravens are a good team. We know that. They’re tough. They’re physical. We’ve got to match their toughness and match their physicality and match their execution. That’s the goal Sunday.”
Christian Wilkins – September 5, 2019
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Wednesday, September 5, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(How excited are you for your first game?) – “I’m excited as I have been for every other game in my life, pretty much; but this one is obviously a little different, it being my first game – my first official NFL game. I’m just excited. I’ve just got to prepare every way I do for every game. I can’t get too overexcited or play too emotional or anything like that. I’ve got to play within myself, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
(You come from a national championship to a team that everybody saying is rebuilding and not expecting a lot – not you, though.) – “I feel like as a team, we can win. Outsiders or people who are not in this building create a narrative for us or create that rhetoric for us. It’s all with us and how we work and prepare every day. It’s hot as hell out there and we work every day hard in that sun and everything, too. Me, personally, just because everyone thinks we’re supposed to be this or that, I’m not rolling over for anybody. I’m trying to bring it in and be the best that I can be. I feel like guys around here are definitely trying to be great at what they do and be the best they can be. We’re all pros. We’ve all got a job to do, so if we come with that mindset, who knows where we’ll end up? I’m not promising anything. I just know that we work hard every day in that hot sun out there. Like I said, I don’t plan on rolling over for anybody because other people think something of us. As a team, we can’t allow outsiders to create that narrative for us.”
(You talked earlier – I remember early on – you said that you could bring that championship mentality here. I know you said that early as a rookie. Now that you’ve been through a training camp, that you’ve been through a preseason, how is that been going?) – “I just feel like I’ve got to bring the right mindset every day – just the mindset to get better and make those around me better as well because it’s not just me out there. It’s a team effort. Hopefully just some of my good energy, my positivity will rub off. Like I said, just make all of those around me better. That’s the biggest thing. I just always try to have a good mindset each and every day and get one percent better each and every day.”
(What are people going to see from this defense out there? Obviously, we haven’t seen everything in the preseason, like, you know what I’m saying?) – “I love our defense. I think we’ve got a lot of good guys – guys who work really hard. Just the group – there are good players at every position at every level, too. So just building that chemistry is huge for us and we are getting comfortable playing with one another and just creating a certain level of accountability for one another. That’s really important because that’s what allows the defense to be great.”
(You’ve faced Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson before. What are we in for here?) – “Oh yeah, several times. The kid’s pretty good. It’s weird. You don’t play too many guys like that. Just his ability to – obviously everyone talks about his ability to just run and how great he is with his feet and everything, but he can throw pretty well, too. That’s something that’s very underrated in his game. I think he can really throw the ball, too. He’s not just a runner. He’s definitely so dynamic. I played him twice in college. We thought we were doing well on him, and then all of a sudden, he’ll break a 40-yard run, break a 20-yard run here and there and just looking up, you’re like, ‘dang, he’s really moving the ball.’ He’s a really good player – competitive, wiry, strong. You think you can tackle him. You look at his frame like, ‘oh, he’s a skinny guy.’ But when you try to tackle him, he’s spinning and getting off and breaking tackles left and right. He’s definitely as good as advertised.”
(So your assignment against a guy like that – you’re in the middle. Do you take up guys, let other guys go to work?) – “Really, whatever I’m asked to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my abilities. Whatever the coaches want me to do, I’m going to try to do my best.”
(How are the abs coming? How’s the big-man body coming?) – “Come on, it’s South Florida. Beach body all year-round. I’m working on that. I’m working on it. It’s getting right. (laughter) I see two packs. I’m trying to get six. I’ve got two right now, so we’re working on the other four.”
(How do you feel about your progress since the start of training camp?) – “I feel pretty good, but I’m never satisfied. That’s just the mindset I try to bring every day. I just feel like I can always get better at something, but I definitely see the improvement which is good, which is encouraging. I’m definitely not where I want to be, not even close to being able to scratch the surface on my potential as a player. There’s just a lot of parts of my game I really want to clean up and get better at. I’m definitely happy with my progress, but still not satisfied.”
(What do you think the anticipation for you is going to be? Your first NFL game, walking out there. You were in a national championship game. Do you feel that same kind of feeling maybe just for the first game?) – “I don’t know. We’ll just have to see. I can’t tell you how I’m going to feel or what it’s going to be like before I get there, but typically you just go about it like any other game. At one point, you’re just like, ‘Okay, this is it. It’s go time.’ I don’t know. We’ll see how I feel, but I’m definitely – like I said, I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it. I’m just not trying to build it up too much. I just stay even-keeled throughout the week and just let it all out on Sunday.”
(You’re obviously going to play a big role in this defense right from the start of your NFL career. How much do you enjoy accepting that challenge and that responsibility?) – “I like it. Whatever is thrown at me, I just want to embrace it – the good, bad, the ugly, whatever it is. I just embrace everything that’s thrown my way, so if the team needs me to go out there and play a lot of snaps, I’m just going to embrace it and roll with it. If the team needs me to take fewer snaps – whatever it is – however I can help this team best, I’m all for that. The more I can do, the better, and the more responsibility that I have, I’m just going to embrace it and try to take it and roll with it.”
(Have you gotten used to seeing all those smaller fast guys around you around the defensive line and up in the box there on the defensive side? Have you gotten used to seeing a lot of linebackers and DBs up there with you?) – “Yeah. Shout out to those guys because they can do it, and they can do it pretty well. It’s fun when you can see a guy like Minkah (Fitzpatrick) who’s a safety, come down and lay. Bobby (McCain), too. Playing a lot of … just seeing how he runs around, how he gets after it, it’s great to see. That’s cool to know that you’ve got those kinds of guys behind you. Obviously, you’ve got to do your job and do your job well, but if anything happens to go wrong, it’s good to know we’ve got those boys to back you up.”
(Can you talk about the expectations that you started with at the very beginning here. You played on a championship team, what was the feeling going into that season? Did you know you were a championship-caliber team at that point?) – “Yeah. We knew we were going to be good but we didn’t know how good. We just knew if we got better each and every day and reset our mindset each week, we would be where we were supposed to be at the end of the year. Obviously that is in the past and that is what I was able to do in the past with my team, so I am trying to just keep that same mindset here individually and just get better at what I can control, work on my game and work on my craft. I will be as good of a player as much work I put into it.”
(Right now, we have seen a lot of change in the past few days in this locker room. Where is the confidence level and the expectation level of this team as a whole?) – “Again, I feel like we are all pros. We have jobs to do. We are going to bring it every day. We are going to try to be our best. We are all competitors too. Regardless of the expectations, regardless of no expectations, whatever people we’ve got – we have got great guys like Albert Wilson, who bring the right mindset. (laughter) I just definitely try to bring that mindset.”
(Have you allowed yourself to purchase any luxurious items this summer since you signed your rookie contract?) – “No. I do have a car now. But it’s nothing luxurious. I do have a car, though.”
(When did you get the car?) – “My baby. She’ll be three weeks old on Saturday. I named her Truth.”
(Your alma matter has their first big game this Saturday?) – “First big game? They are all big games. If you lose one and you see how big the games are. (laughter) So, yes I did see their first big game – well, I watched highlights of their first big game against Georgia Tech. So their second big game is against Texas A&M. I am looking forward to that because last week we played a game during (it). I was so mad because I wasn’t even playing in the game too, so I was like ‘Dang, I wish there was a TV in the locker room or something.’ (laughter) I got word at halftime of our game that Clemson was up 28-0, so I was like ‘Okay, my boys are doing good.’”
Charles Harris – September 5, 2019
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Thursday, September 5, 2019
DE Charles Harris
(Do you think this defense really fits well with what you do well as a player?) – “I think it fits everybody. Like I said before, I think the head coach (Brian Flores) and ‘D.C.’ (Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham) are geniuses at the game, and putting everybody in the right position to be successful. I think that’s all you can ask for as a player, so I think it fits everybody pretty well.”
(What’s your level of excitement heading into the start of a new season?) – “It’s always motivating. I’m ready to go, ready to get to it. Just trying to start it off right and get this thing going.”
(How much film have you looked at of QB Lamar Jackson over there, and the type of danger he could provide?) – “Yeah, we’ve watched plenty of film. We’ve been watching him for a while now. I’m ready to just put it all onto the field and let it all transition. He’s a great guy with his legs and everything. He’s got an arm on him as well. We’re just trying to do the best we can to stop him.”
(What are some of the challenges a quarterback as mobile as QB Lamar Jackson provides?) – “I think people that play the game or don’t play the game, you can just watch him. We all see we’re going to try to contain him and try keeping him in the box – that’s probably the hardest thing. (We have to) make sure we have good rush lanes and things like that. That’s probably the biggest challenge.”
(For a lot of people, their third year is probably their make or break year. How do you view this year for you taking that next step?) – “Doing the best thing I can every single day. I try to do everything the coach wants me to. I’m working hard on the field and try to do what I can.”
(Looking at your first two years, are you pleased with where they were and where you are now? How do you feel about your career just in total?) – “I feel pleased. I really do. I’m just getting better every day. That’s all I can ask for.”
Raekwon McMillan – September 5, 2019
Thursday, September 5, 2019
LB Raekwon McMillan
(What was the toughest part about sitting out and not being able to get out there with your teammates and being part of the grind as you are heading into the season?) – “You just are not out there with your guys. You come to work every day and want to go hard with them; but I wasn’t able to, so I had to sit back and get my body right. Now that I am back, I am going to go out there and try to make up for it.”
(Do you know yet if there are certain situations where you are going to be wearing the headset again with the linebackers?) – “No, I really don’t know yet. I don’t know what is going to happen; but whatever coach says – there is only one guy out there that can have it on so whatever happens, happens. I am all in for it.”
(What did you see from this front seven during the preseason, just getting to watch them? It seems like it is just preseason, but they were creating pressure a little bit more than you guys did last year – just the whole group.) – “I don’t want to speak on last year or anything that happened last year, but I think we definitely came together during the preseason. Game to game (we) progressed and rolling into the season, I think we are getting ready for it.”
(What does DE Charles Harris look like out there? I know they are moving him around, defensive end and playing a little linebacker.) – “Charles is looking real good. He is everything that everybody said he would be. I think he is going to go out there and make plays. He has a chance to be one of the best in the league if he puts it all together.”
Brian Flores – September 5, 2019
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Thursday, September 5, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(There was a report today about players saying that it’s been really tough around here and it could be mentally draining under you and your coaches. What do you say to that?) – “I can’t really speak to the accuracy of that report, to be honest with you. I think when these guys are in the building and we’re in meetings and walkthroughs and practice, I see a group that’s high-energy, that’s motivated. Their thoughts, their efforts – the direction is on Baltimore and trying to get prepared to play a tough, physical, well-disciplined team. I can’t really speak to the accuracy of that. What I see is a group that’s motivated, is working hard and trying to prepare for a tough contest on Sunday afternoon.”
(Would it matter to you if that was the case? Is it a deal of you either get on or get off?) – “It’s not something I’m thinking about at all. We could talk about what would matter or what wouldn’t matter. What matters to me right now is Baltimore and preparing for them. We can sit here and make things up all day and think about things – would this matter? Would that matter? The things that matter to me are that my wife is happy, which I think she is (laughter) and my kids are happy. Those things matter, and the Baltimore Ravens, and that’s kind of where I’m at.”
(On the field, how do you see WR Albert Wilson being used? I know you’re not going to give away strategy, but is he at the level where he can be a starter and play a full load?) – “I like where Albert is. He’s come a long way from where he was early in training camp. He’s worked day after day after day, and he’s gotten better. Again, we’re getting starters, backups – a lot of guys play. When you enter the game, you’re in there for a reason. When guys enter the game, whether they’re a starter or backup, we want to go in there and execute and have good communication, play with good fundamentals and technique and play fast and try to go out there and help us win.”
(How would you describe TE Mike Gesicki’s progress from spring throughout?) – “I think he’s definitely progressed. That’s another young, talented player. I think he’s gotten better in a lot of different areas: blocking, conditioning, catching the ball consistently, route running. The goal right now is for him to take it one play at a time and try to execute every play in practice, every play in walkthrough, every mental rep he takes in a meeting and try to get better. The big thing is execution on Sunday.”
(Have you decided on a starting offensive line for Sunday?) – “For the most part – yes, for the most part. Yesterday gave us a good look. (Our) practice in pads gave us a good look at the entire group. We have a starting lineup in mind, yeah. We feel good about it. We’ll work that group again today. That could change; but yeah, we have a group in mind.”
(How close to being able to play a lot do you think do you think T Julién Davenport is?) – “I think all of those guys are in good shape and good condition. I think all of those guys are good condition, and all of those guys are ready to play. We have a good group of guys who have played a good amount of football. From (Danny) Isidora to (Evan) Boehm to (Julién) Davenport to (Daniel) Kilgore to (Michael) Deiter to (Shaq) Calhoun, we’ve got a good group there. We’ll play the five best guys. We may play more. I thought we had a good practice today. We saw a lot. We learned a lot about the new guys. Again, today’s practice is important as well.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has a history of being a little bit of a gunslinger. Is that something that you want to embrace or for him to curb that?) – “I think every good quarterback has a little bit of a gunslinger mentality to him. That’s part of playing the position. The thing you want at every position is to make good decisions – smart decisions. You don’t want guys to sit back and just check it down on every snap. That’s not going to get it done. You’ve got to make good decisions. When the opportunities are there to throw the ball down the field and guys are open and you want to give a guy a chance, yeah. I think that’s the right way to play and not just for ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), but for any quarterback. We’ve got to make good decisions. We don’t want to throw the ball into traffic. We don’t want to force things that aren’t there. We’ve hit that hard. We never want to turn the ball over. We want to play a smart, tough, disciplined game. We don’t want to turn the ball over. We want to limit the penalties. Every team is saying the same thing this week, so hopefully we can execute.”
(How is QB Josh Rosen and his gunslinger mentality going with the second team and the backups this week at practice?) – “Josh – he’s doing well. He’s improving every day. He made some good throws yesterday. He made some good decisions yesterday. He just needs to continue that. As long as he does that and he keeps building, he’s moving in the right direction.”
(When you bring in a guy like CB Eric Rowe – obviously on the field what he does, but off the field, the culture stuff – how important was it to bring in a guy like that who knows what it takes to win at the highest level?) – “I think we’ve got a few guys. I think we’ve got a few guys who have that exact same mentality that brings some leadership and do the right things off the field – not just Eric (Rowe), but Bobby McCain, Reshad (Jones), Minkah (Fitzpatrick) – I think that entire group, they take it seriously. They’re in there meeting. They’re in there preparing. They’re practicing the right way. I could say that about a bunch of offensive guys, too – (Dan) Kilgore. They’re bringing some of these young guys along as well – (Michael) Deiter, Shaq (Calhoun). That’s part of growing as a team. Eric’s (Rowe) part of that. Obviously I’ve had some experience with him. I know what goes into his preparation, but these other guys – the guys here – they prepare well, also.”
(But to have a guy who’s actually won a Super Bowl. That has to go long way, no? Especially with such a young group.) – “I’m trying to win today. That’s the goal: to win today, have a good practice, have a good meeting. Hopefully they’re – which I know they are because I saw them yesterday – they’re meeting a little bit afterwards and trying to get a little bit more – trying to get prepared a little bit better on their own as groups. That’s where the focus is.”
(What’s your confidence level with how the front seven is shaping up for you on defense?) – “I’m confident. We’ve got some disruptive players in there. We’re preparing against a tough, physical team. The run game’s going to be a big part of this. We’ve got to do a good job with our fundamentals, our technique. We’ve got to set the edge. We’ve got to handle the quarterback. There’s a lot here. They’ve got backs, the quarterbacks, they’ve got receivers, they’ve got tight ends, they’ve got a big ole offensive line. It’s going to be a challenge. (laughter) It’s going to be a challenge.”
(I wanted to ask about T Julién Davenport’s progress. He started at left tackle for the Houston Texans against the New England Patriots, and the Patriots defense – you’re familiar with, I think – had two sacks against him and a bunch of hurries. How far has he progressed from that?) – “The first thing I’d say is what’s happened in the past is in the past. Our thing is – like everything – we’ve got to move on to the next play. That’s my message to the team on a daily basis. I think he came in these last few days, and he’s worked hard. It’s important to him. He’s got ability. He’s working really hard to get it right and improve and get better on a daily basis. That’s the conversation we had when he got here. I think that’s a good thing. Sometimes failure is a good thing. It’s something that, ‘Hey, look. I now this happened, and this is how you can correct it.’ That’s part of coaching, too. That’s kind of my feeling on that.”
(Brian, do you have a general philosophy on going for it on fourth down and how much do you imagine gut feeling coming into play?) – “Yes, I have a general philosophy on going for it. We will see how the game plays out. A lot of that is a feel, understanding the other team, a feel of where we are at offensively. Again defensively, we are always expecting them to go for it on fourth down. So, I am not going to give out any secrets today. (laughter)”
(When you have a quarterback like Lamar Jackson, and typically teams that just kind of use one player to kind of spy on that player, does that kind of get you out of the 11-on-11 and things that you have been working on during the preseason and the scheme that you want to run when you have to account for one player or have one player account for a guy like him?) – “Yeah, I mean look, when you play against a guy who can make that much of an impact, your scheme changes a little bit. Again, at the same time, you want to be aggressive. You don’t want to take the aggressiveness, the physicality, away from any player. Sometimes you’ve just got to let it rip and whatever happens, happens. I am not saying that is the game plan; but again, you don’t want to take the aggressiveness away from the team.”
(Talking about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – Finding that perfect balance between when to chuck it down field and when to check it down and play it safe. Based on what you have seen from him in the past, do you think he was at that right balance or do you think he needs to dial it back or dial it up?) – “Again, when we go into the past and what has gone on, really – Yes, there is some. We talk about it, we talk about some decisions that have been made. The hope is that the good decisions – you continue to make those decisions. The bad ones, hopefully we have learned from them. That is not just the case in quarterbacking. That is the case in life. I think a lot of us – hopefully you learn from your bad decisions and the good decisions you make, you continue to do those. So, I think that is the case with every player. I think with the quarterback position, that guy handles the ball on every snap. So, the decisions he makes affect the team on a holistic standpoint. Their decisions are very important. But yeah, decisions of the past – good and bad – are things we talk about and are things we say. We don’t just point out the bad. I don’t think that is how you coach it. You say ‘hey, you have done this, this, this, and this. Those are good decisions. Let’s keep doing those. This and this? Not so good. Let’s stay away from those. Here they are, you have seen them. Let’s try not to do those again.’ Hopefully, they make the right decision.”
(We have seen nickel, dime, sometimes seven and eight defensive backs. Will you need as many guys on the back end just to not only defend against pass but also catch QB Lamar Jackson?) – “Again, this is as dynamic of a player as there is in the league. So, whatever we feel like we need, we try to put it out there on the field. Again, if you put seven DBs out there and (they’ve got) Mark Ingram and they’ve got two tight ends, you probably don’t want to do that. So we will see. I think our coaching staff has worked hard to try to put a plan together to give us a chance to win and hopefully we execute it and we tackle well and play penalty free and play the game the right way and give ourselves a chance.”
(You have coached dozens and dozens of games in your career – This is the first time you are going into the regular season as the guy. What is your schedule going to be like and what is your preparation going to be like addressing the team, keeping a snack, things like that.=? What is your weekend going to look like?) – “Well, I spent a lot a time on that in particular. I kind of take it from the game back. So I have got a plan and schedule and I know when I am going to speak, and I have an idea of what I am going to say, but that changes. That changes based on what happened in practice, the pulse of the team, and you have to be fluid. I can’t just lock it in and say ‘I am going to say this on Saturday night.’ That may not apply at the time. I think that is part of being in this role is you have to be fluid. You have to have a little bit of a pulse of the team and try to give them the right words that will motivate them and put them in the right mindset to get them to play at their best on Sunday afternoon.”
Brian Flores – September 4, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(There’s been a lot of talk – not just around these parts, but around NFL-wide about the Ravens offense and what it could look like. You’ve played against Ravens teams before. Has this been a tough team to prepare for in that way, or is it always tough Week 1, no matter who you’re preparing for?) – “This is certainly a very tough opponent, really across the board. Offensively, obviously you start with the quarterback. (Lamar Jackson is) about as dynamic an athlete as there is in the league. I think as a pocket passer, (he is) much, much improved. That’s what I kind of noticed watching the preseason tape. This will be a very tough test for us – not just the quarterback, but really the entire offense. It’s a big offensive line, physical across the board. The tight end position – they’ve got a trio of guys there who are solid players. ‘Solid’ is probably not giving them enough credit. These are good players, and then the backs and receivers. All the way across the board, it’s a strong team.”
(Do you expect this Ravens offense to still be a team uses the run to set up the pass?) – “This is a team that has historically run the football very well. (Baltimore Ravens Offensive Coordinator) Greg Roman is very, very – he does a really good job of scheming up the run game. He has for a long, long time; but by no means are we sitting here saying that this is going to be a 9-on-7 run drill. They’ve got very, very capable receivers and tight ends. Willie Snead is one of my favorite players. He’s tough, he’s physical, he catches the football. He makes tough catches. He blocks. I really have a lot of respect for him and the two rookies they’ve got. We liked those guys coming out. And Chris Moore as a returner. I think they’ve got a lot of good players.”
(What went into the decision – and I’m sure you’ve talked to guys down there about it – what went into the decision to pick QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as your starter? A lot of guys here have said he’s a streaky player. How do you think you can get him to maybe be more consistent in his age-36 season?) – “I think for our team, we felt like he gave us the best chance to win. This is a guy who has started a lot of games in this league. He’s got really great leadership qualities. He knows how to handle an offense. At the end of the day, we just felt he gave us the best chance to win. We’re excited about this opportunity to play a really tough, well-coached, disciplined team. We’re going to have to really play lights-out to have a chance.”
(I know you’re not going to give away any secrets, but when you’re preparing for them offensively, do you go back and look where Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman’s been? Do you go back and look at college stuff for QB Lamar Jackson, or is just all across the board?) – “Yeah, I’m not going to give away any secrets. (laughter) We look at everything. I watched him coming out of college for sure; so yeah, we watch college tape. I’ve been a fan of Greg’s for a long time, so I’ve watched a lot of his film over the years. You do a little bit of everything. What they did last year, college tape – at the same time, you don’t want to watch too much and get to a point where – They do a lot. They really do. Greg’s done a great job for a long time. Lamar’s a really good player. They’ve got good players across the board, so we’ll just try to put our team in the best position to make some plays offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, and play hard, play with good fundamentals, technique, have good communication and try to play a good team game. Hopefully if we do that, hopefully we’ll be okay.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about you guys and some of the trades you’ve made and where you are as a franchise. Has it been challenging just to keep guys focused on the field, just preparing them for Week 1 and not worrying about any of the other stuff and all the questions you’re probably getting down there?) – “Not at all. I think we’re really worried about what’s going on inside the building in our meetings, at our walkthroughs, at practice. Our guys are motivated. They’re focused. I thought we had a strong practice today. We got off to a good start. Hopefully that continues over the course of the week. We’re going to need that. If our efforts, our attention or anything are anywhere else but the Ravens – they deserve all of our attention. I’ll tell you that much. This team is a team I have a lot of respect for. (Baltimore Ravens Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh is someone I have a great amount of respect for. I think they have a tough, disciplined style that I admire, so this will be a tough test for us. My guy Jerry Rosburg, I know he’s a consultant now, but we go back. We go way, way back. I met him back when I was at Boston College, so he’s a good friend and a great coach. I always look forward to seeing him.”
Jakeem Grant – September 4, 2019
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
WR Jakeem Grant
(With all the changes on this team, can you tell me how you’ve helped solidify when there’s a guy like QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who’s breaking records for, what, his 15th year here as quarterback?) – “It’s just great. I mean, just learning from him and just being able to ask him how is the defense going to play? How is this and that? And just piggybacking off of him and just having open ears. Just him telling me, ‘Hey, this blitz might come. I just need you to be ready for it. Just in case I don’t see it, you point it out and just give me a heads up because everything counts.’ Communication counts. We’re a young team. We’ve got a lot of talent, and I feel like we’re going to go out there and shock a lot of people.”
(What’s your best QB Ryan Fitzpatrick story so far?) – “He told us a little joke, but honestly, I couldn’t even repeat it if I wanted to. (laughter) There’s a lot.”
(What’s QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s demeanor like then?) – “He has a great personality. I would say he’s an easygoing guy. Don’t take his kindness for weakness. He’s a leader. He sets the tone. Whenever we’re out there on the field, he’s there to execute and make sure we get ready for game day, but he also likes to have fun. He loves to let people know, ‘the next play mentality.’ That’s what I love about him. He’s been around for a long time. He’s an old guy, but he’s still got a young soul. That’s what I love about him. His personality is outstanding.”
(Do you remember watching him in like sixth grade or something?) – “Man, I definitely did. It’s crazy because I remember watching him on TV. I would’ve thought he’d have been out of the league by now, and now he’s my quarterback and I’m catching balls from him. That’s kind of like a dream come true because it’s like, I watched him when I was in elementary (school), and now I’m playing alongside him. I’m like, ‘dang man, you’re still here?’ Like, come on. It’s exciting just to play with him.”
(I don’t know if you saw the depth chart, but you were listed as a starting receiver. What does that mean to you?) – “I would say just the message I’ve been trying to push and let people know that I’m a receiver and then a returner, so I’ve got to continue to push that message because I’m an undersized receiver. Nobody’s going to take me seriously, so I’ve got to go out there and put it on tape.”
Kenyan Drake – September 4, 2019
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
RB Kenyan Drake
(Head Coach Brian Flores said earlier today that he feels you are physically and mentally ready to have a lot of touches. How do you feel about all that?) – “I just go out there and make true to the sentiment. That is all I can do. Take everything a day at a time. Harness my routine, focus on the things I need to do from a daily basis standpoint, step by step and go out there and just handle my business.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said that he believes you are one of the most talented players on the roster. Talent – when you hear that, what goes through your mind?) – “My hard work needs to mirror that sentiment that he is trying to echo to me. Like I said, continuing to harness my process and making sure that I am healthy to go out there and have those touches to help this team win games.”
(What does it mean to you to be listed first on the depth chart which came out?) – “What matters to me is starting the season off 1-0, so my ultimate focus is Baltimore no matter what my role is. I keep trying to tell you all from the day I stepped foot on this team, especially with (Brian) Flores at the helm now, it is just about going out there and proving yourself every day that you can go out there and help this team win games and do from there.”
(How do you put into words, the level of excitement that the regular season is here and it starts for real?) – “Well I haven’t played for three weeks, so there is a different sentiment obviously for me to go out there and prove myself. I have one drive under my belt in four games. So, I obviously want to go out there and get started into this season in a fast way. I sound like a broken record, but continue to help this team win games no matter if it is special teams, catching the ball, running the ball or whatever.”
(What went through your mind when you learned that T Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills had been traded?) – “It is a hard-nosed business. I’ve got those guys in a group chat from earlier in this year, so I wish those guys nothing but the best of luck. I’ll try to keep in contact with them, through their career, and through this season, because it means a lot for me to see them have success. But what we can focus on right now is Baltimore and going out there and putting everybody in the best position to win these games no matter who steps up.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said earlier today he plans on giving you a lot of touches. As a running back, when you hear a coach say that, what goes through your mind?) – “Just making sure that I put myself in the best position to make the most of those touches and the opportunities. What I have learned mostly from being in the league is it doesn’t matter necessarily what you do with the ball in your hands, but there are another 50 or so times when you don’t have the ball in your hands – like plays in general. So it is all about going out there to make the most of those opportunities when you’re on the field to help this team win games no matter if you touch the ball, no matter if you are blocking somebody that is touching the ball. You can be the block that springs somebody for a touchdown or just set somebody up by having two people go to me because they think I am getting the ball on the play. So, however the coaches draw the game plan up, I am going out there to execute it to the best of my ability.”
(Do you feel fully healthy?) – “Yeah, I am good.”
(What excites you about this offense?) – “Just the opportunity to go out there and make plays. We have a multitude of athletes on the field that can touch the ball and go the distance. Per usual, we just all have to stay healthy and bring that culmination together and have a good season.”
(What is the calming effect that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has on the offense?) – “He has done this for 10-plus years and been with a multitude of teams. We are just the latest team that obviously sees he has the ability to go out there and lead an NFL organization. From me to the linemen to the defense to the coaching staff, we have the utmost trust and respect in his game and what he brings to this team, so we look forward to him going out there and leading the charge.”
(Considering the fact that you haven’t played in three weeks, are you looking forward to getting hit early to get yourself back into the feel of the game?) – “Yeah. If you all paid attention in camp, we were hitting a lot regardless, and it doesn’t really change with this season. Even today, we were out there in full pads. You can only have a certain amount of full-padded practices during the season; but regardless, we are all thudding out there and we have shoulder pads and there is a physical way that we kind of practice. So, I don’t really feel like I have to go out there and press the subject in terms of getting hit or trying to feel my way around the game. Just go out there and play ball like I always do.”
