Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Training camp is officially underway. The Ravens held their first practice of the twenty twenty three training camp Wednesday afternoon, and we're off and running on this upcoming season.
Now.
After practice, we also had a chance to hear from head coach John Harbaugh along with some key veterans, quarterback Lamar Jackson and cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Here's what head coach John Harbaugh had to say after the first practice of camp.
Okay, great to see everybody. Appreciate you being here. It's pretty exciting. Great media turnout, thanks for coming. Great kids turnout, right, got kids everywhere running around out here, and that's what it's all about. I'm reminded of the picture that I've really seen so many times of Johnny Unidas taking a picture with a young fan back.
In the seventies.
Gotta be the seventies, a little boy about probably ten eleven years old in a white button up collar, all dressed up like he was going to Sunday school. That was Steve Bashati, you know. And that's that's what it's all about, always has been, always will be. So welcome back. What questions you have.
A birthday.
It was a good start.
It was a very good start. I thought the guys worked really hard. They're ready to go. It's definitely a step ladder working our way up in terms of intensity. Uh, this is our first practice, will probably our least overall quote unquote intense practice because there's a lot of mental work going on there and things like that, and we want to bring bring them into football shape is as well as we can.
There's timely Sundry Medichampion Office, Edemans routes be a little bit. I'm sure today there was none. Event today I see him get.
A little mound.
I did you know.
It seems to me that Odell has a good plan and I see him working himself on a schedule to be ready to start the season. I think you saw that today. It's it's interesting you notice that because that's exactly what I saw too. And he's he's definitely not where he's gonna be, but you could see the step from mini camp, so that was a good step in the right direction.
I thought he looked good.
You know.
It's it's definitely always we're building it. It's new, there's gonna be things. Lamar's a perfectionist. He wants everything exactly right, and uh I like that about him. So we've got a long way to go, but we've got some time to get there.
Bosham Watkins sing for buell uhbout in the bestially possible and.
Take that next step. You know, I don't know best. You know, we'll do the best we can. I think we've done the best we can and I think we're really good. I think we have a chance to be a really, really good football team. And uh so everybody do their part every day. Let's see where we go. Yeah, you know, say it has been just nothing but impressed. You know, with everything he's done, he's just been. He's been. He kind of you get to feel like he's not
a rookie. You get to feel like he's he's a veteran. He just seems really mature. I think what he's been through in his life as a player and as a person, his family, things like that great family. He's gotten them this point so far, and again we'll take it one day at a time.
Of those.
You know, that's a JK question, is a it's uh I wish it was a simple answer. You know, there's always a lot of things that go into the football, but there's some complexity to it and we're working through all that. JK is working through it, and I'm looking forward to when he's out there. Say, you know, it's really hard to make a measurement like that. I don't know that there's a measurement.
Uh.
I know he'll get ready. He's in all the meetings mentally and doing those kinds of things. And then I also believe this about JK. Is he he he'll he'll be happy when he's out there. You know, he wants to be out there so and we both want the same thing.
John, We've seen that. But he has a great trek in the seven team, you have great individual players. Think Gas League, that great team that you played.
Right well, you know, I mean all the things that go into it.
You know, over the years we've been we've been great finishers, you know, in terms of December and January football, and I do think the last four or five years, you know, that has not been the case. And we've been playing good football. Last year, I thought we were playing really good football, uh, our best football of the season, and you know, we just didn't play winning football in certain ways and those plays bite you in games like that,
and uh, that's kind of how it went. So we've got to play winning football at the end of the season. We've got to do everything we can to be as healthy as we can be. Uh, and our guys are you know, I think we're built. I think we're building something for the long haul. That's what we try to do. Let's see if we can get it done.
Something we did today or a Chicken Dons takeingting game. Oh yeah, every day.
I mean, you know, if he doesn't get a word right, if he doesn't get a snap count right, if emotion's not right or something like that, or read's not right, you know, he's he's hard on himself, you know.
And uh, you appreciate that about him. What we like about right, well, you know, Melvin's a pro.
I had a chance to get to know him up close. We knowed him as a as a defense Now we get to see him as a teammate. Very he's very excited to be here, he's very excited to make a statement about where he's at in his career. For sure, I thought he looked really good, you know after today physically he ran the conditioning test really well, he's in great shape, and I'm really happy we have him.
Kind of president for him, everybody.
Stayed the same, and everybody passed him. They did a good job of it. Happy with the guys.
He seems surprised by that. He kind of seems surprised by that.
What they pay.
Yeah, how do you balance?
How do you.
Differ?
How do you balance?
Well, I mean it's just I don't know how to balance exactly, other than the fact that we just have work to do.
You know, it's a process. So we've got work to do. It's daily. It's take a one day at a time.
Let's make the most of the moment, you know, let's have a good play, Let's have a good day, and let's go.
From there.
Work. I think he comes from really good bloodlines, you know, fast, a lot of speed in that family, and he's got it really also, i'd say, very determined, very confident, great personality. Uh, he's got a shot. He's got a shot in this league. No, really wouldn't be able to say at this time. Yea, yeah, absolutely, So both those guys, it's hard to categorize it, but I would say both those guys are dealing with things that are like kind of side issues to their recovery,
so no setbacks. Tyas's achilles is fine, Bateman's Liz Frank surgery is good.
He's fine.
But with that sometimes other areas compensate and get a little sore, and that's what we're dealing with.
There are some timelines to that.
I really don't want to share him right now, but they're reasonable timelines, and uh, you know, we'll be excited when they get back. Yeah, maybe they were thrown away from him. You have to ask the quarterbacks and coach Monkin. But uh, I think I think Marlin is in great shape, and uh maybe maybe he's a hard working guy. I mean, I think he's really determined to have a great season.
Our guys.
Two more questions.
I do feel like sets it to.
Yeah, you know, it's just a good start. I knew that they were gonna come out and be into it and be excited.
To be a little nervous, obviously, but I thought they did a good job of taking care of one another.
And really, these guys know how to pay themselves. They're pros. Uh, they they're workers, you know, so it's time.
To get to work, basically, said more and Stall.
Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I think the pace stays the same. Actually, Jerry, I think it's a good point. I think the guys probably are thinking terminology more so. There may be some more terminology issues. Oh I thought it was this or I made that check or you know, I I I. We used to call it this coverage, you know whatever. But we'll get through all that.
Johnny Solo, the episode worked out out some months.
As your mom.
Yeah, round the big part of campers dancing time one.
He deserves a lot of credit for working his way into position Slad we're talking about to get some times at the ones. That's something he's earned because of what he's done since he's been here so far.
And you know, one day at a time. Thanks coaching, Thanks everybody appreciate it.
Of course, all eyes are always on quarterback Lamar Jackson, and this is no different going into his sixth season, fresh off signing that big contract extension this offseason, Lamar talked for reporters after practice about his expectations for the upcoming year.
Yours for you, how do you feeling and what can you do greciate from other tradie campers.
Year six for me? I feel young still even though I'm not old, but like, yeah, but I feel more experienced. I'm just glad to be back out here, you know, being around my guys and being minded coaches, and the atmosphere feels different. Smell is different, probably be popcorn right now, but it's made a different.
How does it feel different?
Just like I said, you know, it was just experience, and the guys like, I don't know. It's like our guys got more pepping. They stuff like, I don't know if it's here six for me, and I'm just realizing it chrise. You know, raves always play fast, but it's like it's different now, just as different.
It's spression.
Right now, I feel like it's a slow rump up. Well not really. I feel like it's been going pretty fast. Our guys, you know the dollar in the playbook, look like they learned more off season, well during the off season with that little money off or whatever. After Mini camp, like our guys came back ready and everyone looks closer. So I say, it's fast, not not really slow.
What did you get at the working out sessions?
It's say.
Those guys, I feel like those guys are ready. I knew they was gonna come in ready. Uh hey, his new name is Joystick because how he be moving out there so swift and making stuff happened. His new name is George Stick. We gonna call him jorys Stick, not.
You.
We have our moments, I'm gonna say, because I'm gonna get just like him out You see him. She said, just get these guys the ball and let them do them. You know, we got the guys who gonna make stuff happen. Get yack after the catch.
That's all.
The only thing goes to my head is just get them the ball and just let them do them.
How do you feel like it's paid off in the offseason programs?
Are you guys working out in Florida to seeing it sort of inaction here today.
I feel like it paid off a lot, just learning chemistry, learning those gods speed and you know, they learning my what my I'm gonna say, my past velocity on the ball, and you know, the timing and knowing where to be at and stuff like that. I feel like it paid off a lot offenses physically, anything different off season because.
The Navy's a different skills you've been using in the past.
Oh no, not really. I just had to learn the terminology at the offense and just learning without using the wrist band because coach Monkey he want to call it and haul it. And that's what it's been so far. More you mentioned the you know, it doesn't feel like when to take a rand puppy.
Do you feel a sense of urgency to get more plays off and it be quicker and everything the offense be quicker.
Just didn't make me playing stuff?
Oh yeah, absolutely, because because you know the season right around the corner, you know, uh, money like money away and it's is right here. So I feel like the faster we go, the more, the more quicker we'll learn. Then that's that's what it's about.
Right now, you play.
Liokers has faster, you get feel there's less some of your shoulders that you.
Have to make up plays and that because you know you can't get it to your playmakers and if they can.
Make a player, you know what A yeah. I never thought I had a pressure on my shoulders.
You know.
I always felt like we had guys who gonna make things happen. You know, they just need the opportunity. And right now, of course Monkey being here, he letting the guys you know, just freelancing them do them. Man, that's what it's about, like I said, is getting them the ball and letting them do them. You should see magic you expect. I'm not gonna say that. I'm saying for
right now begetting the train to camp. But you know, I don't know how the Playboy might get know longer throughout the process, so we'll see.
Hey, Lauren, I know it's only day one, but how long until you and Odell and Joystick testing Marlin on the outside?
Can you learn fast? Say you say test on? I mean, you know it's day one, so you know one. I bet they are. You know, our fans pump, we got the best crowd, we got the best fan base. But we're gonna see. Man, it's gonna happen, probably gonna be this week. Laura.
What were some things that you did just better understand the playbook in the new system.
So you can't from now to study like if you test yourself or anything.
Like how I had to study and then just saying the plays out loud, sat them in my mind, turn the page, say the player, then go back see if I'm right correct on the play Just learning the routes on the play stuff.
Like that cause feel more simple system.
I mean the the the old system when we had Gero, it was simple. So I wouldn't say that it was both. You just gotta learn it, you know, to make it simple. And I wouldn't just say one harder than the other.
Running backs got a lot of cases today and.
Have during the many campus they're working emphasis dumb walls and the backs.
In the south pisst uh just going through your progression, you know sometimes it be a lot of yards when the when the back at the ball cause you know linebacks, my drop coverage or I running back just that elusive like when you see a guy like Gonna go back in junior.
Ye know, you watched him from a far pinne and then you're actually throwing you fastest to him.
How does how does that feel that you feel great?
Oh?
There his household name. He built that on his own and it speaks for himself. We've seen that out the other day.
Is there case his ability has always make even the toughest of catchers.
Is your confidence level when you throw the ball that kind of like you have that feeling that he's gonna come to anyway possible, He's gonna come down with him.
Uh.
Absolutely, He's just giving me a lot of co confidence because you know, during the off season he was like, Man, if you throw it anywhere in my perimeter, it's not gonna be in the session. I'm gonna do my best to slap it down, make the tackle, whatever, break it up, but most likely to make the cats. And that's what I like to hear.
If you talk to j K jobs at all about this situation, how.
Say you can? Oh no, I haven't talked him about the situation, but I'm very excited. You know, JK is JK. I know he gonna work his tail off and can't wait he out here.
Lamar with any like first day of trading can There's always like an optimism and an energy and a lot of hope.
When you look at this year's team.
When you guys run out there and take part in this, this you your first practice. What do you see?
I see a bunch of guys running around, happy, happy to be back, happy to be back in the building. Guys, guys just pump for the season because I know I am, and that's what I like to see from our guys. So that's all I see offensive.
This new offense.
You have to take your goals terms of your ability.
To call for all the holes, to make changes up the line, and you're busne the passes.
Oh yeah, absolutely, that's pretty much what coach Todd got us doing right now. If we see it, we made the audible, you know if we if we right, you know, if we wrong, we gonna talk about it after the play. Were gonna talk about it in the meeting room. But most like that, I feel like, uh, how he's coaching us what we're gonna be right? Nine times out of ten.
That excited.
You said something you really had years good change.
He is very exciting and you know, I just can't wait to get it get out there and regularly on the shore.
The roul.
Appreciate y'all.
Quarterback Barlin Humphrey is coming off of Pro Bowl season and his expectations are always very high for himself and this defense. He talked about that today.
Make a thing of training camp.
It looked like you got a lot of action out there and the uh the team for really.
Yeah, it was.
It was a good person day. I think we sh we uh.
It's a little bit shorter than the usual first day, but it was all by by design we wanted to I think we wanted to get more high yardage without as much drag, and I think it worked really well. I think a lot of guys got really good working but in less volume. So it was it was a good first day.
Let me go back to a lot of questions coming back to he looked good. He looked good for the day. He was out at.
Mini camp, and then I tried to connect with him down in I think Miami. He invited him down there, so I know he was training. I know he feels great. I was actually kind of watching his pre practice routine. It was it was pretty long, so you know, I'm always trying to figure out different ways to get warmed up. So he's got a pretty good system he does, so I'm alway trying to add to my routine. So looked good.
I'm really excited for the obj era. So I think that comment that that combo can be really special.
But just a good impression.
So it ut the off from that team the.
Other side and then to tempo.
Until Fred's Yeah, it's really early to tell, but based off how I've talked with the guys, you know, asks him, how do they like it? What's the difference is between you know, g row and this one. A lot of them seem to say it's a lot more simple. It's pretty Sometimes football can be complicated and sometimes it can be pretty simple. So from what the guys have said, it sounds like, I know we got the player. So sometimes simple might be the better. Some game plans a
little more complicated. But from from what I've heard and what I've seen, it's looking pretty good.
So you and their guarding save flowers. And sometimes what makes him to show dy name.
Is particularly that is a younger player.
He's a young player, but you know a lot of times you get in front of a younger guy but not as polished. Usually a lot of just kind of raw talent. There's a lot that you know, they might have to work on different things. As I've gotten older in the league, you gard more and more rookies. But he's pretty polished. He's really he's definitely has that South Florida route running, breaking cutting that Mary Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Judy. He has that that X factor that a
lot of those South Florida guys have. So you know, you know, we had one of those guys in Hollywood, and you know, ad Z, I'm really I think this Skuy's the limit for our receiving corps.
Can you tell us what you saw a guy like Rock and Kyle and kind of you did get to act and bolst them that.
Winning kind of receiving that Now, I've loved Rock since he's got here, along with Kyle. I'm really excited to see Kyle in a bigger role this year, as far as you know, starting safety. You know, obviously he played some nickel game plan. I'm sure he'll He's a guy that can play anywhere, but for now we got him predominantly a safety. So but we're really excited to see him go there. And then Rock we talk all the time about, you know, different things. He's trying to take
suff from my game. I'm trying to take stuff from his. So I really like the group of corners we have. I'm excited for, you know, to see how many corners we can have. You know, being in this league for so long, you can never have too many good corners. So I know, we just signed Arthur today. You can never have too many good corners. In Rock act of that room really well crack the top.
One hundred in the NFL.
What it has means to you to get that type of recognition.
From Yeah, the coaches were they asked me today, was their nine to one guys better than me?
Uh, you know, I will see.
But it's a you know, any any sort of ranking that that players put out, it's always an honor.
You know.
I don't really take I don't take any recognition lightly. When it comes to peers recognition. It's I mean, it's it's a cool thing. It's I it's it's it sucks when you're not on it.
I do know that. But being high it's cool. But that that's that's about it, really.
Strongly anything that we're working on, in particular.
In your game during drinking game.
For me, it's the good thing about having really good wide receivers is a lot of different releases, a lot of different speeds, a lot of different guys tempos.
For me, I want to get back.
To winning the winning and press man winning in the first five yard Should I say, I think I think I can stop with anybody. I think I can run with anybody. But I want to make my job a lot easier at the line of scrimmen. So you know, trying to get in front of a you know, Odell Bateman, Prochet Doune, trying to get in front of these guys and try to get hands on.
I really want to.
I really want to try to make these guys better, but also make myself better as well. So I think the more competitive battles we can have at the line of I want the hardest corner any of our wide receivers to see is me Rock and the guys.
We got a corner. So that's the biggest thing.
I'm trying to leave that look, leave that room, and everybody follow up and there's not a big gap from the best guy to the worst guy.
Uh.
We want to have that that gap as small as possible, and I think if we can do that, we'll be very successful.
US Slayer.
Over line, I get pressions.
Yeah Slay which should have been a raven, which still is a pointed in that. But he he told me a lot about them, and since I've gotten here, I've been nothing but excited.
I think him and coach Chris are very similar in.
Coaching styles, and I think you know, I've seen you know, coming into this year, we wanted to be the best secondor in the league. And I think because Chris is elevated his game, I think all the players have elevated the games. I think everyone in the room is we made as a collective. We decided that's all step up. Let's all take a step up. And I think Coach nar was a perfect piece to that, to that pie
to make it full. So really excited to get Coach up underneath him and you know, hopefully be the best secondor in the league. As Gus is my locker mate and I told him I'm gonna hit him at some point this training camp to see if he's ready to go. So it was really just talk. But now I have the cap on, so I guess I got a stick to my word. So if I get ran over by Gus or if I knock him back either one, don't be surprised.
But that was just a joke with Gus.
But I think I'm gonna keep it on and maybe get a little contact this training camp. So I uh, they said you're supposed to be cooler with it on. I don't know if that's true or not, because I felt harder today, but I do have I am the outlier with the Guardian cap. But I don't really care too much about the look anyway. So as you see, my swag is not the best.
But that was a joke with Gus.
But uh, and now I gotta keep it on for sure because JK was talking smack to me on the sideline today, so I got to hit him when he comes back.
It sounds like it's.
A couple of days.
I think it.
It makes a man amongst boys, for sure. I think those hot days they're obviously really tough. I don't know if we play any South games early. I'm not sure the schedule, but those days are always fun. They're not really fun going through them or after or the days to come, but you talk about them, they're good memories. So it's always good to get that really hot weather practices just to see. You know, it's a mental battle
within each player, miss sax go higher. You want to try to limit those, so it's really a mental game when it's those really hot days like we got.
I think Friday, the.
Draft to Djin.
Gets set up.
I think you set up.
I to answer your question, yes, I think with t being the new QB coach, Monkey coming in, the weapons we have, I think I think Lamar's gonna be Lamar no matter what. But I think the the the added style him being able to be more flexible with what Lamar wants to do. I mean, you look at the top quarterbacks in the league. They get the call, they they look at everything and they kind of make their
own decisions. I think when you you not necessarily take that away, but when you give that green light to quarterback, I think things just open up tremendously because nobody can see it better than the guy that's looking at it all. So with with the new ability he can do, I think this is this is a great situation for Lamar and then everybody just puts it all together and then it would be great watch.
Yeah, I think so. I think I've said before, you know, on paper we look great. This is all about proving it.
This year, we we got one of those teams where you look, there's not many there's not even really any holes. There might be a couple of cracks, but there's not really any holes in any of the things we can do. If there's so many guys, I can just step up and fill in those cracks. And so it's it's all there is, just putting all together, earning it and not being a paper team, being a real life teams.
Playing opposite Marcus left the guy who talk a lot, people recognized stuff.
Feel like.
Or now, how would that affect you?
I think I've I've really noticed a change with Marcus Williams. Williams, He's he's he's been a lot more vocal this year, hopefully you know as camp goes on, Uh, Cola, get going. You know, Marcus is coaching me, yelling at me, He's coaching Kyle, he's coaching Rock. So that's we always I'm a I'm a better I'm better when I'm told what to do, told what to see.
Work off, walk off my guy.
That's just how I've been since Eric Well has been here, since Earl has been here, since all my safeties have been here. I want the safety to kind of put me in the right position and go like that. It was crazy that Marcus was doing it playing corner, which is crazy off the side, but I think Marcus Williams has really taken a big step with that as far as coaching guys, toeng guys with the holding guys accountable.
So that's that's been a big difference this year.
That was cornerback Marlon Humphrey, also head coach John Harbaugh, and quarterback Lamar Jackson. You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Also, if you want a full recap of everything that happened during the first ra training camp, we'll go ahead and check out the Lounge podcast feed. Myself and Ryan Manke break down everything we saw out there on the field for the first practice of camp. Also coming up on Saturday, we have our free open stadium practice.
It's gonna be a twelve forty five pm at M and T Banks Stadium. All passes for that practice have been claimed. However, we are doing a live stream of the entire practice. You'll be able to watch that on our app, a website, and our YouTube channel. So make sure that you check that out again. That is coming up on Saturday at twelve forty five pm. Make sure that you are subscribed to the Ravens Press Pass podcast
as well as the Lounge podcast feed. Also make sure you go ahead and leave a rating and a review as well. That's it for us today, but stay tuned. There's gonna be more to tomorrow as Raves continue camp.