Ryan Fitzpatrick – September 4, 2019
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Monday, August 5, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Now that Week 1 is here and you’re the starter, what is your main objective heading into this week?) – “I’m fired up. I’m really excited to be out there leading this team. The big thing for us this week is communication – getting everybody on the same page, making sure that we’re crisp and executing. I think so far, we’ve got a great plan in place, and we took a step in the right direction today with practice. (We had) good tempo, good energy and there was great communication out there, so we’ll continue to do that throughout the week. I think we’re trending in the right direction right now.”
(How did you find out that T Laremy Tunsil had been traded and what was your reaction?) – “With that stuff, (we) usually (find out) just like you guys or from you guys. You just kind of see it or get a text or a call from somebody. It’s just one of those things, you never know what’s going to happen in the NFL, and that’s probably the thing I’ve learned most. Expect the unexpected, and just go from there. The biggest thing right now is putting our focus and attention on Baltimore, who had the No. 1 defense in the NFL last year, and trying to figure out the pieces to that puzzle of how to do our best on offense and put ourselves in a position to win the game.”
(Do you know who is – I’m not asking you to tell us if you don’t want to – but who the starting left tackle will be on Sunday? Is that still being decided?) – “Yeah, that’s up to Coach (Flores).”
(Can you talk about from a personal standpoint what this means to you? You’re starting for your eighth team at your age. It must be a very rewarding, satisfying feeling. Can you put that into words?) – “You know what it is? It’s something that’s never been done before. Just in terms of who I am and the career that I’ve had and the different places that I’ve been, this means a lot to me. I think being able to do it here with a younger group where it’s going to rely so much on communication, and I’ve got to make sure that I’m at my best on every single play, whether it’s during the play, before or at the line of scrimmage, I’m going to put a lot on myself this week to make sure that everything goes smoothly. I think in terms of me being in this spot and this place right now, I think my career has led me to this, and I fit well in the role I’m being asked to play right now.”
(Is there an extra level of excitement for a season opener when it’s with a new team from the year before?) – “I think in general, just the fact that football’s back and opening day, it’s so much fun. There’s so much energy. We’ve worked so hard throughout the year for this. You work so hard for these games. The Sundays are why we do it. We love being out there, but opening day is always that much more special because of that added element – the energy and being the home opener and everything else is going to be pretty special.”
(You’ve been around for a long time. You know what it should look like from very many different perspectives, so the 2019 Miami Dolphins are going to look like what?) – “I’ve got to do my best (Head Coach Brian) Flores impression, I guess: tough, disciplined, hard-nosed, smart. (laughter) Yeah, smart, tough, disciplined. But, you know what? I think we do. We have to be a smart team, but we’ve got to – the communication part of it. All the stuff – especially offensively – there’s so much in this offense. It’s worked, and you’ve seen it work in so many different places, in so many different ways and the communication between players is so key. A lot of that falls on the quarterback, and that’s why I enjoy playing the position.”
(You all are all competitors, so I know that you want to win. Do you think this is a good team?) – “The Ravens? Yeah, I think they’re…”
(No.) – “Look, here’s the deal. We do (want to win). We’re all professional athletes, and we all love playing. That’s the reason I made the decision to come here because I wanted to be out on the field playing. Some guys either don’t want to do that or pass on that; but that’s who I am, and I think the group that we have in our locker room – we’re all competitors, and we’re here for a reason. We’re ready to go out there and fight.”
(When you were making that decision to sign here, I’m sure you had asked about the vision of this franchise…) – “No.”
(You didn’t?) – “No. I saw it as a job – a chance to get out there and play, and I love playing football. So that was all I needed: a chance to compete.”
(What, if anything, have you or can you tell the very young players on this youngest roster in the NFL about…) – “Gosh, that makes me feel really old. (laughter)”
(About the business side of things and how it may or may not be possible to get past that and like you said, focus on Sunday?) – “I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is no one is going to feel sorry for you on Sunday. No other team is going to come in and say, ‘Man, they don’t have this,’ or, ‘they have this,’ or, ‘they look different from last year.’ Nobody is going to feel sorry for you in this league, so that’s where all our energy and focus has to be put on: going out there and putting on the best performance that we can. There was great energy at practice today, so I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
(Have you had a chance to meet all 13 new players?) – “Maybe. I don’t know. (laughter) I’m trying.”
(What do you see as the biggest challenge this Ravens defense presents?) – “They’re stout up front. They’ve got a great secondary. A lot of playmakers back there and guys that have done it for a long time. They’ve got very fast linebackers – guys that make plays. There’s not really a weakness on their defense. They’re very multiple in what they do, so that makes it tough, too, on a quarterback. They were No. 1 in the league for a reason last year, and they’ve shuffled some guys in and out, but the core of it is the same. They’ve obviously got to replace a few guys – big name guys – but, it’s impressive to watch. Being in Tampa last year, (Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB) Jameis (Winston) started that game, but I got to see firsthand how talented they are, so it’ll be a huge challenge for us, and nothing but respect for those guys.”
(In other words, seeing that defense without LB Terrell Suggs?) – “I played against Suggs in high school. He was a tailback. (laughter) He was a tailback at Hamilton High School. He’s a year older than I was, and ever since then, I’ve been in awe of him and what he does; but yeah, I’m glad he’s on the Cardinals now.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – September 4, 2019
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Is getting ready for the first game of the season different than before or is it about the same?) – “No. It’s still football, we’re still focusing on Baltimore, doing what we’ve got to do. We just keep getting better every single day, and obviously keeping the focus on Baltimore.”
(They have you moving around a lot.) – “Yeah. Like I said, wherever they need me, that’s where I’m going to be at. We’ve got a lot of people going in and out. There are a lot of different needs and a lot of different holes and stuff. Like I said, wherever they need me, that’s where I’m going to be at.”
(You were pretty outspoken during training camp about those who don’t believe in this team. There has been a lot of moves. What do you still say to those people that look at this team figuring with all of those moves, how good can they be?) – “It doesn’t really matter. (Head Coach Brian Flores) tries to express that a lot to the team. It doesn’t really matter what anybody says outside of this building. Whether it be the fans or other teams, coaches, players – it doesn’t matter what anybody else says outside of this locker room because nobody else is working, nobody else is doing what we are doing, nobody knows what we are doing and nobody knows the focus that we have or the intensity that we have. All the focus is on the negatives and everything else like that. I think we have great potential even though we have a bunch of new pieces. There is still a lot of talent in the room – defensively, offensively and special teams. We have a real high ceiling.”
(You talked about the potential. What are your expectations for this defense this season?) – “My expectations are high. I said this earlier, I think we have a whole lot of talent. Whether it be the secondary, linebackers or d-line, we have a whole lot of talent. (We have) a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. I think that the expectations are always going to be high no matter where we are or what we are doing. We’re going to make sure that standard of play, of practice, of physicality, discipline, is high.”
Brian Flores – September 4, 2019
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know you’re getting ready for the Ravens this week, but what would your first NFL win mean to you as a head coach?) – “It would mean a lot. It’s going to take a lot to get that done against a really good team. We’re going to have to prepare at a high level, and we’re going to have to practice at a high level. There’s a lot that goes into that. This is a really good team we’re playing that’s physical, that’s tough, that’s well-coached, that’s disciplined. We’re going to have to play well against this team.”
(How physically and mentally ready do you think RB Kenyan Drake is for the start of the season?) – “I think he’s both physically and mentally ready. This is a guy who has as much talent as we have on our team. He’s fast. He’s physical. He’s explosive. He makes a lot of plays, and we’re looking forward to getting him a lot of touches this week.”
(You’ve had so many players coming and going in the past several days. How hard is to incorporate all these new faces into the team and get them up to speed for Sunday?) – “We have had some turnover here. The one thing I’d like to say is I like that we’ve been aggressive trying to bring in players that we feel will help this team and better the roster. I like that aggressive approach. As far as getting them ready, we’ve got to coach them. That’s part of our job. We’ve got a good staff. It’s something we talk about as a staff and finding the best way to get these new guys up to speed in roles where they can play fast.”
(Does that mean for some of those guys you’ve had to simplify things as far as game plan, so they know what’s going on?) – “I think every week it’s a little bit different. Some guys, could – you’ve got to see how much a guy can handle. Sometimes there’s – conceptually, football, it’s the same, pretty much. Cover 3 in Pop Warner is Cover 3 in college, is Cover 3 in the NFL. You can have a few exotic forms of Cover 3; but at the end of the day, it’s three deep. I think conceptually, there’s some things that some guys can get both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. If they can understand the concepts, that kind of tells you how much we can or how far we can go as far as how exotic we can get with looks and schemes both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.”
(Have you had any players in the last few days – looking at all the turnover you’ve had – and say, “What’s the vision here? I’ve lost a lot of teammates, a lot of friends. What’s going to happen here?” LB Jerome Baker was kidding but said he’d like to ask you, but he’d be afraid that he’s next. Have you had any of those interactions with your players, and what was your message?) – “I think these guys are focused on Baltimore. That’s what I see. I think the attentiveness, the preparation – guys were in here yesterday watching film. It’s their day off; but they’re in here, and they’re in here lifting and watching film and getting a workout in. I think that’s where the focus is, and I think that’s where it should be. Again, this is a tough team. This is a physical team. This is a well-coached team. We’re going to have to play well in all three phases in this game to have a chance, so I think that’s where their focus is – not on anything else, not on turnover. I don’t think it’s on that, so no, I haven’t had any conversations that way.”
(Can you give us your impressions of Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and the challenges he presents?) – “He presents a lot of challenges. (laughter) He’s an explosive player. (He’s) dynamic. I think he’s throwing the ball a lot better than – I think he’s improved in that area. This is not a one-trick pony. Let’s put that out there right now. This guy has had a good preseason. He’s throwing the ball well. Obviously, we know what he can do. If he gets outside of the pocket, he’s as explosive a playmaker as they have on their team. We’ve got our work cut out for us against this particular player and the entire team. They’ve got a really good offensive line. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got good receivers. They’ve got tight ends who block and are good pass-catchers, so we’ve got our work cut out for us defensively.”
(What’s the most encouraging on-field thing you’ve seen from DT Christian Wilkins?) – “Well, he’s played with a little bit of a better pad level the last few weeks, so that’s been good. Hopefully we continue to do that. This is a guy who’s getting better and developing on a daily basis. Again, he’s still a rookie, but he’s working to improve and get better. I’m sure he’s looking forward to playing his first NFL game Sunday afternoon.”
(What was it about T Julién Davenport that made you guys want to include him in that trade package and have him out there now as the left tackle?) – “He’s athletic, good length, smart player. I think he’s got a lot of potential, so we’re excited to have him. We’ve got to get him up to speed as quickly as possible, get him out there and hopefully we get a productive player.”
(You have so many newcomers on the offensive line. Is the situation now just to stay with the consistency that you have on the four other positions or will those guys like G Danny Isidora get an opportunity to get in the mix to compete for that starting spot?) – “Yeah, I mean we had all (of our) guys practice Monday. We worked a few different groupings. The good thing with this group is that there is a lot of versatility, so (Michael) Deiter has played right and left guard. He has played left tackle as well. (Julien) Davenport has played left tackle, right tackle. Jesse (Davis) has played right guard, right tackle – he has played left tackle in the past. So there is a lot of versatility with this group. So, we have an opportunity here where we can mix and match it and see what the best group is. So, we will work that in practice today, practice tomorrow, practice on Friday. We will put what we feel is the best group out on the field on Sunday.”
(On the same question, obviously the three back-up interior games have all started NFL games – C/G Chris Reid, G Danny Isadora, C/G Evan Boehm – do you go into the season saying Dieter and Calhoun we would like to see how they do but obviously these three veterans will compete with them, or is this week an open competition among the five of them to be your starting guard?) – “Well you guys know I love competition, so we will start right there. I do think that competition brings out the best in every individual. I think in this situation, we have brought in a couple of veteran interior players to push the rookies. The rookies have done well. I think how they respond will tell us a lot this week. Again, all of those players we have talked about, they have position flexibility as well and we will put the best five out there.”
(On Sunday, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting for his eighth different team. I guess this has never been done before. Can you discuss the magnitude of doing something like that?) – “Well, that is a testament to Ryan Fitzpatrick. It is hard to start at quarterback in this league, so that is a testament to him and the work he has put in. He is a really good player, he is a good leader and I am excited to have him. I am excited to watch him go out there and play.”
(Do you have season captains selected that you can share with us?) – “Not yet. We will vote on captains this week.”
(There were two front seven guys you added who might need to play defensively right away. DT John Jenkins has obviously been around and DE Avery Moss. Can you talk about what you like about each of them and do you feel like they can come in and contribute defensively on Sunday?) – “Well, Jenkins is a big guy, physical, interior d-lineman. He has some athletic ability that I like. (He’s) got some quickness. I like the film we saw from the preseason. (It) was good. So, we were excited to get him. Avery (Moss), again, he is an edge player. I like what we saw from him as well. He is physical, does a good job setting the edge. He has some pass-rush ability that we felt like would help us, so I’m excited about both guys.”
Eric Studesville – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(You have got six running backs under you – I understand FB Chandler Cox is kind of a little bit different as a fullback – but how difficult is it for you to manage five guys and mold them to the best of their abilities?) – “It’s not. Especially when you have five guys that come to work every day and are passionate about what they do. It is easy. Everyone that I have in my room, I love having them in my room. They are all talented in their own ways. They all want to be good. That part of it is easy. Getting them to work isn’t hard at all.”
(Based on what you saw in the preseason, were you thinking that these guys are just too good to let go?) – “No, I don’t think we ever do that. You are always trying to – you want to see what they can do more and more and so you want to expose them to doing more and see what it is. We always evaluate the waiver wire and things of that nature to see if there are other guys out there. But I felt like this group of guys just did a great job. I thought Kalen (Ballage) played well and (Kenyan) Drake played well before his foot (injury) in Tampa. Those two guys kind of just picked up where they left off last year. Mark Walton came in did a nice job and I thought Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin did a great job. I thought Kenneth Farrow did a good job too before we just had to make decisions, but I think Patrick and Myles also did a really nice job and flashed and did some things. We just see that we’ve got smart guys who are trying to do everything the right way which is what we are talking about here and we’ve got tough, smart guys that are buying into what we are trying to do. Keeping those people in your system is what you want.”
(RB Patrick Laird is the one guy that was not a draft pick. Did he come as a surprise you or did you guys kind of know?) – “I hope all the guys are a surprise because if they get an opportunity, I hope they maximize the opportunity. So you want every guy to be a surprise. I try to judge those guys when I get them here and not by where they are drafted. Fred Jackson, C.J. Anderson, Shawn Williams, Juwan Thompson – I have had a lot of guys that I have been around over the years that maybe weren’t drafted in a certain place, this or that; but they took advantage of the opportunity. I think that is what the most important thing is. Wherever these guys start, that they take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of them. It doesn’t matter how they got here, they are here now.”
(How would you describe FB Chandler Cox as a blocker?) – “The one thing that we have seen from Chandler so far this fall is that he is aggressive in attacking and he hasn’t turned anything down yet. There are big guys – I think there is always an adjustment coming to this level, particularly with the things he did at Auburn. We are asking him to do some different things from the fullback spot that he did at Auburn, but is embracing that. He is working at it and getting better at it all the time. The one thing that if they don’t bite when they’re pups, they are not going to bite – and he will at least go attack guys and be physical and that is a bonus for him and for us.”
(I told FB Chandler Cox he’s like seeking extra guys to block.) – “That is kind of the job description there. If you are not one of those guys seeking out contact and looking for it, it is probably not going to work out.”
(I know that obviously you are in the room and your position group has clearly been discussed and I know this goes to General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Brian Flores’ level, but can you give us any insight as to why there were five backs plus FB Chandler Cox, six, kept – that is a lot in this position.) – “Again, I think the preface is correct in that it is upstairs, but we felt like these guys are the kind of young players, and players that we want on our team and in our organization. They did a great job with everything we asked them to do in the fall. The reality is that you need guys. There are very few teams that just have one back anymore. So, you are going to need more than one of them at some point in time. Sometimes two or three and you know last year we used a bunch of guys between Brandon Bolden and Frank (Gore) and Kalen (Ballage) and Kenyan (Drake). There’s four of them right there and we could have easily some Senorise Perry too last year. So, I think you have to have those guys in your system that know how to operate, what to do, what the expectations are and we have a lot of those guys here. I think that is a good think. I think that is a bonus for us.”
(Not asking you to reveal too much but just a general thing – was there a sense you think among you, General Manager Chris Grier, and Head Coach Brian Flores that if RB Myles Gaskin or RB Patrick Laird were released because of what they showed preseason and in college tape, that you think they could have been picked up elsewhere?) – “I’d like to think they would because I thought they did a really great job this preseason. I’d like to think they would have had an opportunity somewhere else. I coach them as hard as I can for us, but I always hope that ultimately if it is not us, then they get an opportunity somewhere else and they are prepared to do that. I like optimistically to think they would have a chance to do something somewhere else.”
(What did RB Patrick Laird show you?) – “I think what Patrick did was consistency. I think he ran the ball tougher than I probably thought he was going to coming out of college. He is incredibly intelligent. He works hard at this. He has picked up our system. He and Myles have really been a tag team with each other teaching and learning from each other, so I just think he made the most of his opportunities and he really showed up and did some really nice things.”
(Do you expect playing time with RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage to be comparable?) – “I don’t know how that is going to go yet. I really don’t. I don’t have a definitive answer for you. I think what we have to do is put those guys out and put them in positions to be successful and then figure out what is best for us and what is going to give us the best chance to win and compete every week. I don’t know what that is going to be. I don’t know how that plays out yet. I think when you do that, you pigeonhole yourself into making a commitment to that. Sometimes you have to be flexible and have the ability to adapt and adjust and how are we going to do it? I think that is what is best for us. We are going to use both of them in whatever ways we possibly can because they both are dynamic players.”
(Do you know who is starting? I know you wouldn’t share it but do you know and you can’t say or you haven’t determined it yet?) – “I have no idea. We are still putting the game plan together and I don’t know how all that goes. I really don’t. I haven’t got that in my mind and we haven’t even talked about it. That is not even a conversation we have had.”
(RB Mark Walton, he seemed to run the ball hard in the fourth preseason game. Had you been concerned about the low per carry average before then in terms of him not finding holes or had you felt he had always been running or doing what he needed?) – “I try to make sure that I judge guys from when I get them to what I see now. What they did before then is what they did.”
(I meant in the first three preseason games.) – “I think Mark (Walton) ran the ball hard in practice. I think he ran the ball tough, in the right spots in the preseason. So, no I don’t have any concerns about him carrying the football at all.”
Tony Oden – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(Obviously since we’ve talked last time, you have had a few changes in your room. How does it impact you as a coach when you lose some of those veteran resources whether it be S T.J. McDonald or some of the other guys you guys parted with?) – “One thing you do when you’re coaching and you’re teaching in general, you try to coach and teach everyone like they’re the starter, whether they’re playing 60 plays a game, 70 plays a game or they’re playing two plays a game, so when you lose people for one reason or another, the next guy’s ready to play. It doesn’t change the approach in regards to that, if you start with that philosophy. That’s kind of how we want to do it and how I’ve always adopted that way. Teach them all like they’re starters, so if somebody gets a hangnail or something like that, the next guy’s ready to play.”
(Obviously you gets lost a few veterans across the whole team when you made those moves, but it seems like your group – the DBs as a whole – still have more of the experience. Has that kind of increased the communication on the back end when you know those guys have been around a little longer than some of the others?) – “It always helps when you have a group that’s been around each other for a while. They know how to communicate. They know the strengths and weaknesses of each other, but if you start from Day 1 emphasizing communication, then you don’t lose a ton. Guys still have to learn to talk to each other in the way that someone else can receive it. When you talk to your friends at home, you may talk differently than you talk to someone at work. When you talk to someone new, you may talk to them differently until they have a chance to have a great rapport with you, then you may shorten the communication a little bit just because you know what he knows and you guys are on the same page. Sometimes it’s just a look, but guys know when they work together. Since Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has been here, the one thing he’s preached is technique, fundamentals and communication. All that’s been on the plate or on-track since Day 1, so that part has been good. Guys have been working hard on that stuff in the offseason already. We have everybody in the room talking and communicating with each other, so we haven’t lost much in regards to that part.”
(We’ve probably asked you a bunch about S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s role throughout this whole offseason. I don’t know if you saw a few weeks ago, he kind of had his opinion a little bit on the strong safety part of his role. How do you kind of see his best void, and how do you fit that with what’s best for the team?) – “First thing I would say is it starts with the team and everything we do. We’re going to put people in position on particular calls, in certain situations, and what best fits the team. We try to teach all these guys all different positions, so this week they could be playing one position. Next week, they could be playing a totally different position; but until you get to that point, you have to see who can do everything, so you move people around a lot and put them in different positions to see what guys and teams can do what and where. We’re always going to do that. That’s going to be our philosophy to move around for matchup purposes, if we need that, or situational purposes, so that’s always going to be in a constant state of flux for our defense.”
(You look at a guy like CB Xavien Howard and obviously he got taken care of this offseason. You guys like him a lot. What do you think is his next step? Where do you see him as he can get here?) – “Just like with anyone, you have good attributes you feel about him. He works hard and those kinds of things, but there’s always growth of just learning the game and learning the little nuances of the game. Those are the things that people are always looking to improve on whether they’re a first-year player or an All-Pro guy, there are always areas of improvement in situational football. Down-and-distance, alignment, just little things like that. That’s just in general. With him specifically, I would say it would be the same things. He’s no different from anyone. He’s continually learning to grow. It’s one thing just go to cover a guy. It’s another thing to cover a guy because of the situation. Knowing the situation dictates as far as how far you may align off, whether you’re up, whether you’re off, how much time is on the clock, whether you’re keeping it in-bounds, whether you knock them out-of-bounds, when you’re going to strip the ball – all those kinds of situational things. that’s just across the board, just kind of in general. Guys are always trying to improve and stuff, and he’s no different from that.”
(Where do you think CB Xavien Howard’s situational knowledge is right now?) – “He’s strong. He definitely understands. He’s getting better every day. That’s something that players do throughout their entire careers until the last day they hang up the cleats – always try to improve situational awareness – but he’s strong. He understands his matchup from the guy he’s lined up against. He’s excellent.”
(Where do you think S Bobby McCain’s comfort making that position switch at this point in the offseason at free safety?) – “Well, that’d be a question for Bobby. I do see daily improvement and weekly improvement. He’s smart. He’s doing all the things that we thought he could do from a movement perspective and from a knowledge perspective. As far as his comfort, obviously he would have to answer that; but he looks he’s comfortable in the position.”
(You like S Bobby McCain there?) – “He’s doing well. He’s doing well. Like I said, we don’t know where he’s going to line up.”
(Keep the mystery a little bit?) – “(laughter) No, but that’s just what it is. We just don’t want to pigeon-hole our guys into traditional positions because that’s not what we are. We want to put the best 11 on the field for the situation, and they could be anywhere within that situation based off of matchups and those kinds of things, and I think that’s the best way. That’s a smart way to do it when you have guys that are versatile.”
(Have you guys contemplated the possible negative of that – of guys not knowing on a given Sunday where they might line up and maybe being uncomfortable with that part of the nature?) – “That’s part of practice. That’s part of knowing you have the right guys that are smart and can adjust. That’s why we have a group of guys that can adjust. You always take those kinds of things into consideration. When guys are comfortable with doing something, you can see it in his eyes. You’ll see it in his play. You can see it in his communication in the meeting room. We definitely wouldn’t just move a player just to move a player if he can’t get a job we need to get done in that situation. You’re going to move a guy if that’s best for our team and has the ability to get it done. That’s a testament to the guys that we have. They’re able to do that.”
(If we do end up seeing a combo of S Bobby McCain and S Reshad Jones, how do they complement each other well, do you think?) – “They’re both good football players. That helps. They’re both smart. They’re both physical, and they both have different skillsets. Because when you’ve got height, size and speed, they’re both a little bit different. I’m excited those guys be a part of our defense. When we move guys around, that helps us.”
(I don’t know how candid you can be with this answer, S T.J. McDonald was obviously a very good football player; but do you think the pairing of S Bobby McCain and S Reshad Jones is better in a pass-heavy league than T.J. and Reshad, who are both very good players but both natural strong safeties?) – “I don’t know necessarily about that, but I do know that the pairing of the guys that we have are all pretty good out there. They’re all complementary. We’re going to put them in positions to be successful for our team.”
(Do you have a feeling of whether S Bobby McCain is going to be a good NFL safety or too early to tell?) – “Bobby’s a good player. He plays hard. He’s smart. He plays fast, so you can add all those numbers up, and then you can make the conclusion at the end of the day.”
(Is S Minkah Fitzpatrick in your meeting room a lot, some?) – “They’re all in the room a lot. We move around a lot. A lot of moving parts.”
(We’ve seen the nickel and dimes, but I feel like this week you might have to put seen or eight in the back just to catch QB Lamar Jackson across the field?) – “(laughter) We may need a 12th or a 13th out there. He’s dynamic. He does a lot of great things. I think he’s managed the game well. You can see his progression in learning the game, learning his formations and kind of running that offense. He’s definitely a dynamic, exciting player.”
(Who are some players on this defense you feel like the other players gravitate towards and want to play for? Is it CB Xavien Howard, is it LB Jerome Baker, is it maybe DT Christian Wilkins is it another player? Who are some players on this defense you feel like the other players know or feel like they can gravitate around and they want to play for?) – “I think as a group, they’re all doing a pretty good job in the meeting rooms. I think they’re all still learning each other in regards to that, but I think they all kind of gravitate to each other. We encourage the communication in the meeting room, so they’re all talking. They’re all encouraged to communicate down-and-distance, personnel in the game, the situations. There’s not one voice. There are multiple voices there because we want them all to be able to understand the game at the same intellectual level.”
George Godsey – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(I was going to ask you where TE Mike Gesicki has made the most progress?) – “He’s had a good preseason – both the run game and pass game. His conditioning is improving throughout the course of not only spring, but the fall. He’s got an upward trend right now. He’s caught some passes in the preseason, made some big plays. Of course, now is when it counts.”
(Do you feel optimistic that TE Mike Gesicki can become – obviously you’re not going to say no – but your thoughts on what he can ultimately become? How high is his ceiling still?) – “He’s a young player, so there’s a lot of room to improve. Obviously, there are some things we’re doing to with him now that he’s unfamiliar with from college. For everybody, there’s a certain growth period especially as you get into the league, not only learning your role, but the personnel and how to study the opponent and how you fit into the game plan and then performing when your number is called.”
(With the extra weight – obviously, you didn’t work with TE Mike Gesicki before he was at this weight – but do you think it’s made him a stronger blocker, able maybe to fight off press coverage? Have you seen any difference?) – “All that goes together – technique, physical stature and then getting open at the top of the route. All of that stuff really is important when you’re running routes. At this level, one of them can’t just be your strength. You have to excel in all those different phases of running routes. Mike is learning that. And then you have to catch the ball. All of that stuff really factors into it. You can run a great route, you can get open, and then if you don’t finish the play, then it’s all for naught. It’s the same thing – if you can’t get open, then you’re not even an option. He understands that and I think all of those things are going to help him become a better player.”
(A quick thing on TE Durham Smythe, just your thoughts on his progress and where he stands?) – “He’s a different player from last year. He’s put on 20 pounds from where he was last year to this year. He’s really worked on his blocking. He’s worked on all four downs. He’s working on normal downs, he’s working some on third downs, special teams he is helping (on). I’m pleased with his knowledge of the game. There’s room for improvement, because he’s a young player, too. He’s upward trending, too, so we’re looking forward to the season.”
(TE Chris Myarick to me is as big a surprise as anyone here. A guy who caught 22 passes at Temple in four years. Was he even a pleasant surprise to your staff? Obviously your scouting department liked him or they wouldn’t have brought him in; but what surprised you, what impressed you?) – “We work hand-in-hand with the scouting department. This is the NFL, so when somebody is at this level – whether they were drafted in the first round or taken (as) a free agent – they’re all given the same opportunity. He took advantage of his reps, did well in the run phase, did well in the passing phase as you saw in the last game. I like the way his attitude is. He comes into work, doesn’t say much as pretty much most of the rookies shouldn’t say a lot, he learns from the veterans and then he goes out there and gives it the best he can. He’s a great effort player, too. When you combine all of that together, that’s really where he made the most of his opportunity.”
(I should ask you about TE Nick O’Leary, obviously. Does he impress you as a guy who’s steady in all areas?) – “That’s his role. He’s versatile. He’s flexible. He’s able to help in the run game, help in the passing game. He has good knowledge – a big realm of experience, different teams – he knows the personnel and then he’s a tough football player. We like those guys. He’s good. He comes out to work. He’s the first guy out there on the practice field, first guy in the building. He sets the mode for the room, honestly.”
Rob Leonard – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard
(LB Sam Eguavoen when he arrived in May, has he exceeded all the expectations you all could’ve possibly seen him evolving into at this point?) – “Honestly, when I came here, I didn’t know any of the guys on the roster. So when I came here, it was really a clean slate for me in terms of knowing anybody. In all honestly, when Sam got here, he has done everything we’ve asked him to do and beyond. He’s just stacked each day and gotten better each day and where he is now is just a result of that. What he’s done all spring – really it started in the spring. He really impressed me. The detail that this guy takes into account every play, every meeting. Then the physicality, putting it all together once we put the pads on, was really impressive to me. He’s continued to get better and that’s been the key.”
(With LB Raekwon McMillan having missed a month, is it realistic for him to have a significant role early in the season?) – “I hope so. He’s put in the time. He’s come into the meetings prepared. Raekwon has been excellent off the field – excellent. You can’t control the off-field injuries. I’m excited for Raekwon this season. Week to week, we’ll see where he is. We will see where he is.”
(I remember LB Sam Eguavoen telling me that he didn’t run a very fast 40 once and that that hurt him. But, on the field it seems like her reacts fast and plays fast. What do you see on that?) – “He plays fast with zero hesitation. He plays like a confident football player that’s played a lot of football in the CFL in three years. In my mind, you can’t replace that experience. See ball, get ball. He was a highly productive player in the CFL. I remember when I watched his tape back when I first got here, that’s the first thing that flashed. No hesitation, explosive and can tackle. You can coach it, but that’s pretty instinctive right there. I was excited to start with him at that point.”
(It’s a shame that LB Andrew Van Ginkel got hurt, but what had he shown you before the injury?) – “Toughness, again versatility. He’s football savvy. He knows how to not be blocked. He knows how to play on the edge and play to his skillset. That was impressive early on and I’m pretty excited to get him back.”
(LB Jerome Baker is the guy who has the headset. What goes into that and how does that mesh with skillset?) – “To be honest with you, we kind of – in terms of the headset, we kind of cross-train a lot of people in all honesty. He just happens to be the guy right now. I’m sorry can you repeat the question in terms of?”
(I’m just asking about LB Jerome Baker in terms of his intelligence and his knowledge of the game, and being able to help his teammates when he’s in charge of taking the play calls in.) – “In all honestly, the way I see it in our defense, I coach spots. ‘Bake’ just happens to be the center of that spot right now. When he’s out there, that can be different. In a different game plan, if ‘Bake’s’ not out there and Sam (Eguavoen) is in that spot, he might be running the show. Whoever is in the center of the defense, kind of runs the show – like your traditional Mike as you would know back in the day. That happens to be where ‘Bake’ is excelling for us right now, so he’s kind of running the show from that standpoint.”
(Do multiple guys have a helmet that can be tuned into a coach at a certain point?) – “Just one on offense and one on defense.”
(For the whole game?) – “You can exchange within a game.”
(So LB Jerome Baker may have a wired helmet and a non-wired helmet and he has to know which one to wear?) – “Yeah. Shoot, if we wanted to put the mic on Christian Wilkins, we could do that. You have one mic on offense and one mic on defense.”
(So you physically move the mic into a helmet? Every helmet is equipped to handle the listening device?) – “Yes.”
(You got the new guy from the Saints – LB Vince Biegel. I don’t know how much film you’ve watched, but what does he seem to do well?) – “Right out of the jump just having first met with him yesterday, he’s extremely smart. He’s physical. He’s got some good size to him. Again, another versatile player it looks like. Again, I go back to what we say our identity is: tough, smart, disciplined. He kind of checks all of those boxes. I’m excited to work with him. What you know after a day and what you’ve seen on field, I’m excited for where he is right now.”
(A little bit about LB Jerome Baker and what you’ve seen from him from a pass-rushing perspective and how much can we expect to see him in that sort of role as opposed to coverage?) – “This may seem cliché, but we’re going to go week to week on what’s the best thing for him to do this week. Is the best thing for him to cover? Is the best thing for him to rush? Who is he rushing? Can he beat this guy? Is this guy big? Is this guy small? How does that matchup versus ‘Bake’s’ skillset? How does that help us? Does having him cover and not rush, does that hurt us or help us more? That’s kind of how we do it, and we have the tools in place to help him do those things to really match his skillset. That’s kind of how the conversation goes, in all honesty.”
(Do you like what you’re seeing out of him as far as his pass-rushing ability?) – “Absolutely. I want him to play fearless. When he’s rushing the passer, to me he’s using his raw natural athleticism first to win. I always like to see that. When people are just playing and not thinking, you normally get the best version of themselves. That’s what I see when I see him rush. We’ll work on getting the quarterback to the ground. But, that’s a whole different story. (laughter)”
(What about with LB Sam Eguavoen I think that’s a guy that has impressed a lot of people here. How has he been able to come so far so fast and did you even have any suspicion he was going to be what he is when you first started with him?) – “I was telling these guys, when I clicked on his CFL tape when I first got here, the thing that jumped off to me was, this guy is all over the field making tackles – like explosive tackles, running down people, and violent on contact. This being the first time that I’ve gotten a player from Canada, I can’t help but think that experience, that three years there of just playing football, had to help him. I don’t know the player he was coming out but it’s hard to teach that – just being instinctive, and finding the football, and being violent on contact. You can work tackling all you want, but that’s kind of a mentality more than anything. Sam is that way just naturally.”
(It must be difficult from a scouting perspective, because there are a lot of guys in college, the CFL or whatever, who look good. But, you’ve got to weigh in the level of competition and it doesn’t translate over to the NFL.) – “Sure. There is lot of different – In my opinion, there’s a lot of different factors to how that translates to the league. When you watch the tape and the guy is making tackles all over the field, is it within the scheme of the defense, or is this guy just running around? When you’re watching the college tape, you’re trying to figure out generally what’s going on, what are they asking him to do, or is this guy doing his own thing and making plays? To me you can tell the difference. One doesn’t translate to the league: just doing your own thing and being a better athlete than other people. That doesn’t translate to the league because you get here and everybody is pretty good. But, if you’re making plays within the defense, that’s a whole different thing. With Sam (Eguavoen), he has that discipline and he has the tenacity.”
Danny Crossman – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(The change in long snapper – what was the thinking there?) – “(It was) just an organization decision of trying to find something. (It was) a good year to do it (because) there are some good young players out there. We have a good nucleus of guys we thought, so it was just an organizational decision. It was time to move on.”
(Was it a reflection on LS John Denney at all?) – “It has no reflection on anybody. It was a pleasure getting to spend time with John over the last six months as opposed to just before the games. It was just a decision (where) we wanted to go in a different direction, and now all of our focus is on Baltimore.”
(What did you like about LS Taybor Pepper? You spent time with him, right?) – “I did not spend time with him. He’s been around in the league a little bit. He’s been with some people and snaps a nice ball. He’s the guy we’re going with and we’re getting ready for these Ravens.”
(How did all that come together because when I talked to LS Taybor Pepper yesterday, he mentioned he was out at like 6 a.m. and then he had the tryout and it seemed like it all came together really, really quickly.) – “That’s the National Football League. That’s how things work. Until the day before, he was on another team. That’s just how it works.”
(Was the decision to release LS John Denney made before or after the tryout with LS Taybor Pepper?) – “The decision – I’m going to keep that amongst us. You’re always looking – I don’t care what position you have – you’re always looking to add other people because you never know what’s going to happen whether it’s play or whether it’s injury. It was just time for us to move on.”
(We haven’t seen WR Jakeem Grant I think at all in the preseason. Is that…?) – “Correct.”
(So we don’t really know what the season holds for WR Jakeem Grant from a return perspective. Do you anticipate him being your kick and punt returner?) – “We do. We think he’s a dynamic player, and we look forward to big things from him going forward.”
(You mentioned the dynamic aspect of WR Jakeem Grant’s game. What kind of difference could he make to this team?) – “We talk about guys with elite quickness, elite speed and a history of scoring touchdowns. That’s what you’re looking for, and that’s what he brings.”
(What about with K Jason Sanders? What have you seen out of him and the fact that I think it speaks volumes to some degree that you didn’t bring in another kicker.) – “I think when you have young players, you’d like to give them as much work as you can, which goes into it. With both he and Matt (Haack), as young players, there’s not a whole lot on them. You’ve got a couple seasons or one season, in particular, so when you have guys like that, you want to spend as much time and give them as much work as you possibly can. We’re really happy with Jason (Sanders). We had a good camp, and we’re expecting big things from him going forward.”
(All things being equal, I know you could wind up with some horrendous weather day along the way; but all things being equal, what sort of range do you feel good about with K Jason Sanders?) – “That is a weekly thing, and it goes into more than just what we think his range is. It goes into a lot more of who and how we’re playing. There’s a lot of things. We feel he has a strong leg, and he has the ability to hit long field goals. What (distance) that is can change week-to-week.”
(Speaking to a coach, I’ve learned it’s kind of a sacred thing – the relationship between a long snapper, a holder and a kicker. How do you guys kind of create another relationship like that?) – “I’ve been around this game a long time, and those things are constantly changing. They change for different reasons. (They’re) professionals. As long as you have professionals and guys that take care of their business, there are going to be no issues with those transitions.”
(Would you agree with that statement, though? That when you have a group of guys together for a couple years, that it does create some kind of continuity in things?) – “Maybe for several years, but I think this group hasn’t been together that long. You talk about a group that’s together maybe seven or eight years, then maybe it’s a little bit different; but I don’t see that with us.”
(How does LS John Denney’s departure affect things in the special teams game?) – “I think the bigger thing is just John as a person. That’s the biggest thing for me was being able to spend six months with John and (seeing) what a great person he is (instead of) after just spending time with him before games over the last 14 years. In terms of how it’s going to affect us, we’re just going to move on with the guys we have and look to play smart, tough, disciplined football on Sunday.”
(How do P Matt Haack and K Jason Sanders – how do you move forward with those two guys? They seem to have had really good rookie and sophomore years the last couple years.) – “We think they’re both talented players. We think they both – when they perform – give us a chance to win football games, which is what you’re looking for, for every guy on the roster. I think they’re young, they’re talented, and hopefully we can keep growing and keep getting more and more out of them.”
(I think those guys are really good. When they’re good, they’re really good, and I feel like they’re probably two players that you would – K Jason Sanders and P Matt Haack – they’re kind of like safety nets for you or two guys you probably don’t worry about as much because when they’re good, they’re good; but I know they’re young and they still need to perform.) – “Correct. They’re like everything (else). I’ve been happy with working with them for the last six months. We’ve got a long way to go, but we feel they’re both very talented players at the positions they play.”
(DT Vincent Taylor was really good at blocking field goals. That was a knack for him. Who do you guys to kind of just apply pressure up the middle on your field-goal blocking right now?) – “Again, that’s a week-to-week thing of our personnel, their personnel, our schemes, their schemes. There are a lot of different things that go into that. We’ll just build it as we go and move forward.”
(Really, like a week-to-week basis you’re flipping players in and out all the time?) – “It could be.”
(I thought it would be like a goal line unit or something like you’ve got six players that are going to block the line and five behind that…) – “In this league, everything’s constantly changing.”
(How much tape do you watch – not of opponents – but of either innovative special teams plays that you hear of or quality special teams that you know of, whether it’s in the league or whether it’s in college. Do you try to take from everywhere, or is it more just now in this week?) – “I think there’s different times of the year where you’re doing different things. There’s always times of the year where you’re always looking at basically every game that’s played in the league, so you look at every single play that’s been played. You look at a lot of files, and you get stuff drawn from around what’s happening in the college game. So there’s times where you’re always doing it. Right now, our focus is getting our team ready for Baltimore.”
(But in the offseason you might look at some of the great returners?) – “Oh, without question.”
(In the past, too, or just the present?) – “All of it.”
(Just to kind of gain something or impart something…) – “Every coach in this league has files on all kinds of stuff based on what their discipline is.”
(How about trick plays? Do you have files of trick plays?) – “Oh, yeah. Everybody does.”
(And like if you hear of something – like if someone says, “did you see what Fresno State did the other day?” In the offseason, would you put in the day for Fresno State?) – “Oh, absolutely.”
(So is it hard to think of something that hasn’t been already done?) – “If you think you’re the first one to do it, if you would go back, you’re probably wrong.”
(So when you come up with an idea, do you try to look to see if it’s been done before?) – “Not necessarily, no.”
(Do you brainstorm much with yourself trying to come up with ways of doing things on special teams that either hasn’t been or hasn’t been emphasized maybe?) – “I think the bottom line is you’re looking for edges any way you can.”
(What’s your first pro football memory growing up?) – “My first pro football memory – I’ve never even thought of that.”
(Do you remember when you attended your first game?) – “My first NFL game that I ever attended – yeah, I went to training camp with the Washington Redskins, and that was my first NFL game.”
(How old were you?) – “22?”
(Oh, really? So you watched it on TV before that but not in person?) – “Yeah.”
(What led to the snapper decision yesterday where obviously you brought in a player who you signed yesterday?) – “It was an organization decision of making a move. That was it. That was it.”
