Welcome into Ravens press Pass. Today we heard from head coach John Harvall and general manager Eric Takasa for the season review press conference. Here's that press conference in full.
Well, everybody, thanks for coming. I just got back from the Senior Bowl, where we spent the last couple of days looking at prospects. We went down on Monday, good week, historically nice weather down there, so that was awesome and we're back. We're ready to get started and we'll take questions.
The big question for the ABC Championship game is the lack of rushing attempt, specifically with the running backs. Why wasn't there were attempt to run the ball And was there any point win the game where we had conversations with Todd about possibly.
Client to run the ball.
Yes, we did throughout the course of the game. That's not the number you want to have when it's all said and down you look back at it. That's not really gonna win us an AFC Championship game.
For sure.
It's more than just calling plays. You know, we had in that game. A big part of our game plan where RPOs, which are run pass options base on what the defense gives you. Cans and check with mes which are run pass options. A lot of times sometimes there pass to pass which we had. Sometimes they're run to run. But a lot of what we were doing was directed at the line of scrimmage by what the defense gave us, and the defense was lined up to take away the run.
So the next thing would be to bring it in tight and just run the ball out heavy formations and wide receivers blocking the edge and protecting the edge that way. We could have done that, but we were down, so we wanted to keep the formations open and give ourselves the best chance to, you know, try to move the ball and score points. Defense two minute offense at the end of the half, two minute offense mostly throughout the whole fourth quarter we were in. That's going to take
away rushing attempt. So it's not, you know, an excuse you want to run the ball more. Sometimes you've got to be willing to get big and run the ball that way. We just didn't want to do it that way in the game, and it cost us the opportunity to run the ball more.
On those lines when you mentioned you guys obviously be down. They had scored on their first possessions, went down the field possessed the ball a lot did that and those two drives and sort of that momentum that they'd garnered sort of I wish you into that or maybe change your your thinking.
I guess it really say it did.
It put us in two minutes at the end of the half, which are going to be in any way if you get the ball back.
We played that well, we got the two minute opportunity, and it put us in two minutes in the fourth quarter.
So I think that's where it came up. As far as run pass play calling. We still wanted to play. We still want to stay with our game plan. We still wanted to run the ball. I mean, believe it or not, it was a big part of our game plan to run the ball. Had the ball for nine minutes in the first half.
So those two.
Long drives it took us out of opportunity to call any kind of plays, and then we didn't convert. You know, we had we had mistakes, we had they stopped us, they made plays. We were off the field right away after that first drive. So I think all those things kind of played into it. Second half. We come out, we go three and out. You don't get a chance to call any kind of runs when you're three and out. We got the ball back, we started moving the ball.
Then we made a couple of mistakes, you know, we had penalties, We had an opportunity to score that we didn't finish the play on, you know, and those things took us out of the scoring opportunities and kind of wasted a couple of drives there. When it's all said and done, then you're in a passing game at that point after all that happened. So I think when you look at the way the game played out, you can understand it from a football perspective. But once you get
through all that, you come back. You want to run the ball against the Chiefs, There's no doubt about it. And we did want to run the ball against the Chiefs, and that we weren't able to get to it.
All were even the play calling during the force of the game that changed because I know at halftime you had said, I believe on television we want to run.
The ball anymore.
And when did you realize it was just six carriers for the running backs?
Was that post?
It's not you don't think in that term during those terms during the game, you're thinking play by play, series by series, what they're doing to stop you and attack you. You know, you're not thinking, oh gosh, I'm going to have to answer for how many times you ran the ball in the press conference after the game. I mean, that's not that doesn't that's not important. During the game, you're trying to find a way to win the game whatever way you can. We could have won that game.
You know, if we'd have finished a couple of plays, we would have won the game. So our defense played phenomenally in the second half. You know, I'm disappointed that we didn't win the game, But from a football standpoint, I understand the focus on it because it's one thing. But for me, it's not the focus. The focus is how can we how can we protect our run game a little bit better with our pass game at times.
So if you're going to spread people out and you want to open up your formations, you've got to protect the edges against the run game, and you've got to do it different kind of ways. You can do it by bringing blockers in there. You can do it by run pass options and reads after.
The ball snap.
You can do it with quarterback driven stuff, which we had a few of those in there. You can do it by going to passes with check with me's, which we also called numerous times. All those passes were that way. Then you've got to decide and you've got to pick up am I throwing a pass that's going to beat man or zone or good versus all, And those are the decisions that you have to make. So it's not so much about hey, how many runs do we have
right now? I think we need to get more so so I can answer for it in the press conference. You know, It's more about what's gonna give us the best chance to win the game right now in real time, and that's what we were looking.
At John specifically.
Lamar's legs are such a big part of what you guys do offensively. You mentioned some of the quarterback design bones, but even some of the scrambled plays. How unfortunate was it that his legs in general weren't a bigger.
Part of the game.
Well, I mean it was always going to be a big part of it.
You know, I had a great conversation with Lamar yesterday and it was we talked about all these things. You know, we hashed it all out, and Lamar is just really good football mind, you know. And and I'll say that we were both like like lockstep, we were both already thinking the same way. So does that mean I'm saying I got a football mind, good football mind.
I don't know.
But I was happy with that because the challenges that you're facing schematically and personnel wise and all that against the different defenses that kind of are coming up against us, or the things that he's thinking about.
So just saying he could have scrambled more or.
Something like that, I don't know if that's really what your question is, but that's all going to be a huge part of it because it keeps the defense honest in a lot of ways. It didn't factor in as much in this game. It did a little bit, but we want that to be a big part of what he does, of course, because it keeps the defense honest. I mean, if they want to push out of there underneath your downfield routes, they want to match up on your checkdowns, that's gonna lead Lamar, you know. And you
gotta find a way to stop him too. And we've seen that throughout the course of the season a lot.
John the overall twenty twenty three season that was a success.
Felt it was a great season, you know, very rewarding. I love the team, the players, the chemistry, the culture, the camaraderie. Every single day these guys came to work, the coaches, the effort they put into it, the job the scouts did. I mean, it was a great season. Disappointing, you know at the end, of course, it always is for most teams. But you know the thing that I don't have the luxury of really dwelling on a season. You know, we go to the Senior Bowl the next day.
Literally woke up the next day say goodbye to the kids who went to the Senior Bowl. So we've moved on. I know I've moved on. I think the scouts have moved on, and we're excited about the future.
Uh, you lost Mike.
McDonald the Seattle Two questions, One, was there an aggressive play we to try to keep them or some matter if you just can't keep a.
Head coach from becoming a head coach. And the second half, what are your decision to promote Zach Organ?
Right?
I would have loved to have kept Mike, but no, we couldn't keep him. He was gonna go take that job. He was happy and excited about it, and you know, we're happy for him. I mean, when these things come up, these are these are these are good things. These are good problems to have because you know you're doing well. And Mike, Mike did a great job. I think the whole defensive staff was phenomenal this year. The players were phenomenal.
It's kind of interesting everybody talks about how talented we are, and I agreed we were super talented thanks to Eric and George Cokeenis and all those guys over there in terms of some of the veteran players they put in. But that wasn't the conversation before the season, as you all well know. And I think I think that defense,
you know, proved something to a lot of people. Same conversation that was had two years ago, you know, it wasn't one of the same one everybody was talking about at the end of this season.
With Mike moving on. So I'm proud of that.
I mean, that's something that as a coach you look back on, you go, man, we work together, all of us to build something really special as a team. But talking about the defensive side of the ball. On defense, it was phenomenal and the opportunities are going to happen. Denard's got an opportunity now to go be the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Zach has an opportunity to
be the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The raising tide raises all ships, and those are pretty good jumps for those three guys, and I'm excited for them, But with Zach specifically, and not just Zach. Okay, the guys that are here, you know, Chris Hewitt, who's our pass defense coordinator, Anthony Weaver, who runs the whole front you know it, does a great job with the pass rush,
does a great job with the run defense. He's also my assistant head coach, phenomenal leader, was interviewing for head coaching jobs already this year. Those guys, along with Zach and the guys that we had on defense, and some of the younger coaches that are already here, including Chuck Smith, those guys are going to build another great defense and I'm going to be in the middle of it, just like I'm in the middle of the offense and the
special teams. But I'm going to lean on those guys and trust those guys and empower those guys to build a great defense. Zach is super talented, super enthusiastic, He's very smart, he is prepared for that job.
He's in the middle of the defense.
I think when you're a linebacker coach, that's an advantage because you're in the middle of the defense. You understand the whole defense inside. Now you've got a big picture. Helps you with a defensive play calling, for sure. Anytime a linebacker coach usually hasn't a little bit of an advantage as far as that goes. And there's no reason not to put Zack in that position in my mind right now. And I think he'll do a great job.
But I also think he'll do a great job because of the support he's going to get from two veteran coaches who are a great coaches, Chris Hewitt and Anthony Weaver.
What a consideration wasn't though it was Zach.
I mean even Mike went to Michigan for a year with a d C and Paul plays. I think of a consideration wasn't for you that he hasn't called defensive plays.
It's definitely consideration. I mean, you definitely have to think about that. That's gonna be something that we have to work through. He's gonna have to he's gonna have to get on board with quick. I think he's been studying that, you know, and how to do that all the way through. So I you know, I'm talking to him. I have a comfort level that he'll be good at it. But you know, he's got to go do it. There's no
doubt about it. So uh, but he's again he's gonna get support not just from the veteran coaches also, but the young coaches that are gonna help set up those game plans and and make sure that all the bases are covered that way.
I do you have you have an anti weaver staying and he's gonna stay on in her roll?
Or is he still jogging on some stuff?
That's a good question. He's still involved with the Dolphins defensive coordinator job. And uh, and we'll see if he gets that job. I'll be happy for him if he takes the job. I don't know if he'll even take it if he gets offered, but uh, he's involved in that job and he you know, maybe I'm.
Speaking on turnerk.
Maybe I get in trouble and there was a league rule against this, but he'll be a great head coach, you know if he didn't get hired this cycle and great coaches got hired. But you know, some some days, some people are gonna look back and they're gonna say, man, we had a chance to hire Anthony Weaver. You know, I guarantee you that they're gonna say they missed. They're gonna see they miss their chance, and the next time around,
somebody's not going to miss their chance. So that's how I feel about Anthony.
As far as Joe Ortiz I personally working together for so long and what does that mean to you?
And also as far as he was the plan and play sense to replace that.
Yeah, I mean Joe and I worked together twenty six years and you know, for probably the last fifteen he sat next to me, you know, during the draft and had a chance to study and watch me stack the board and run the meetings. And great evaluator, a great consensus builder. He did an amazing job the last five years, especially really working closely with the scouts, managing and leading the scouts. And he's just he's this great guy. He's one of my best friends. I'm very happy for he
and Jennifer and their kids, their boys. It's a special family.
You know.
As far as replacements, we've got a great staff And one of the one of the luxuries I have as a GM is that we've all been together for a very very long time. You have, you know, someone like George Kokinis, who's who's been here forever. Uh, probably the best, you know, pro personnel guy in the league. And that's how we find these guys like the van Ney's and the Clowneys and the Molett's and the Darby's and all those kind of guys. Mark Ascevedo, David Blackburn, our director
of college scouting. Uh, you know, we Uh, it'll be It'll be hard for me personally, just because I really value Joe as an evaluator and as a person as a friend. But I think we have the people to kind of take care of the process for us.
Yeah, because you go.
Into moving forward in the next year, do.
You anticipate using franchise ty, I'm out of VIK and is there any way that you anticipate seeing him reache free agency?
You know, I learned a lesson this year, and that was, you know, as as hard as uh not to revisit the Lamar negotiation. But one of the great things about that negotiation was I learned that it's beneficial to just not talk about things. And I think you know it, there is a value sometimes and not really showing your cards or showing your hand. And so we'll have all those decisions I think made at some point coming soon.
We don't have a lot of time. Uh, we'll talk about it, John and I with Steve and Oz and Joe and George, not Joe, George and Nick and Patt, but you know we'll have we'll have those uh decisions made in the coming weeks. We'll know what's best for us to do.
Uh.
It's something that just we just we haven't just started thinking about it, obviously, something we've been thinking about.
Uh.
I think Justin had a great year, as did Patrick Queen. Uh. Those two guys obviously, you know pro bowlers, UH, great seasons and UH we'll have a good plan in place for those guys, either of you.
You know, I think this is the time.
Next week we'll be talking about Lamar having a second MVP, you know, one great visual game, not his best AFC Championship game.
Where do you guys kind of fit the postseason evaluation in what Lamar did did you.
Hear you separate it and how does that fit into.
What you want to see warm through?
Well, to me, it's a big picture.
You know, this is the first year in this offense, you know, and I think if you take something you asked, you'd asked about Todd, you'd asked about how do you judge the season?
And Eric, I say exactly what I would say.
You know, you take it as a whole and each game, you go back through each game, each part of it, and each part of it and within that, each play within it. You know, that's how we evaluate it. And so it's pretty it's a pretty deep metric, you know. So success failure, well, it depends on your criteria.
You know.
In the National Football League, unless you don't make the playoffs, your last game is not a success unless you win the Super Bowl. So you take you got to understand that. So when you when you don't win your last game, especially a home AFC championship game, which is so rare and so hard to get to, it's rare error, then it's like, well, is it a success is a failure? Lamar Jackson is a phenomenal success. Here's a phenomenal succes
us as a football player. He is a phenomenal success as a person, as a leader, as a family man.
But you're asking about the football player, he's there.
In my opinion, there's nobody better in this league, especially nobody better for the Baltimore Ravens and for this organization, for this city, and just from a historical perspective, I'm excited about the future. I'm excited about taking this offense to the next level next year, an opportunity to pick up where we are and dig deeper with what we can give him. You say, you say, Lamar has the keys to the offense. Okay, now you build the offense. It's like setting up a car. We got to build
a car. We've got to set the car up with Mar's a driver. He's got to be involved in the setup of the car. Even more last year that wasn't even possible. Right this year, he's going to be involved. And he's talked about he's already involved about what we talked about yesterday and setting up that car. Now he comes in on the front end and he's talking to the guys about how the car is set up and.
Exactly how these things need to be run.
This year, every day was a new day in the offense, you know, right on through to the last part of the season. Next year, it won't be a new day every single of the day. And that's that's pretty easy to figure out and make. It makes sense, right, but it's it's real and I'm looking forward to that next part of that process.
When you talk to Lamar. When you talk to Lamar, what what does he feel needs to be done?
Yeah, I'm not even.
Bringing the list in my pocket right now, but he's he's he's talking exces and o's. He's talking the opportunity and how we attack the different defenses that we play, anything from how we practice to it to the options that we have, you know, protecting runs pass protection, how we protect and how we adjust the protections, how we get to certain routes against certain coverages. Those are things that are on his mind, you know, and those are things that he's going to be involved with the staff
talking about. You know, I'm excited about that. He wants to do it, you know, and he's just into it, man, he's really into it.
Off When you said earlier about you know, kind of being judged on the last game.
I think what we've heard from Finns this week.
Is they felt like it wasn't so much that you lost, but they felt like it wasn't the team they had seen all season in the last game, and they felt that way also in nineteen. Do you think that's a fair criticism and do you see anything in process that you would tweak to avoid that?
I guess definitely a fair criticism because that's what you see. I mean, it's just you look at it. It's not the same, you know, it wasn't you know, a thirty point went over over a division leader, you know, obviously, and that's the result of it.
It was the same team, it was the same guys.
It's it's it's the game plan that was devised against that particular team that day.
But we didn't play better than the team we played. They played better than us.
You know, they had a better game plan, they had a better they executed.
Their game plan better. They made plays.
I mean, they made some great throw some great catches, a few great runs, you know, in the first half especially, and they scored those points. Their defense came up and made plays, they tackled well, they kept us bottled up, they covered us well, we didn't come up with those great plays. That's really the difference. So in that sense,
it's not the same team. But in the sense of the effort, the preparation, what we were bringing to the table schematically, all those things, it was exactly the same team.
It's just a different result.
And every single team in the league is going to have that feeling after losing in the playoffs. So I get it, you know, I feel the same way. I mean, I'm telling you I'm heartbroken. I'm heartbroken the fact that we didn't win that game at home in front of our crowd for the first time, you know, in all these years, and get a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
Because I felt the same way last year.
I felt like if we hadn't, you know, not finished the game last year, made the mistakes last year that cost us the game against the Bengals, I feel like we'd been in the Super Bowl last year.
I believe that with all my heart.
I've told the guys that they know that, So I think that's normal and natural. Our fans care. They care just as much as we do as coaches, as players. I have to believe that and we all should be feeling that way, but we all should be excited about where we're going, you know, and what's in front of us and what we're building here.
And then we're challenged by the things we got overcome.
You know, there's always there's always things that you lose and you've got to make up for and find a way to even prove on.
We did a great job of that last year. I hope we can do even better this year.
Has over visioned by.
Samley the other day express disappointment in how.
He played this show.
You know how the last few years agne with health fiesta. But given where he is with his health performance and also with his compensation on where is the organization with him and his left tackle a position you just start maybe looking at more carefully in a big picture sense.
Well, I think the offensive line is always gonna be something that we stress here. You know, we're gonna continue to look at that every single year, particularly as you get older. You know, it gets tougher and tougher and tougher for guys to stay healthy. And unfortunately Ronnie no fault of his own, but he has had, you know a series of injuries that hurt him, hurt his performance, uh the ankle and then a series of knee injuries, and so that's definitely been a factor. You know, I
love Ronnie, He's still a talented player. Think this is gonna be a big off season for him, getting himself healthy, getting himself strong again, coming back in great football shape. We'll make all those personnel decisions over the coming weeks what we decide to do. But as far as the position in general, I definitely think you know, Coach said this in two thousand and eight when we interviewed him.
He said, We're always going to have a strong, physical, big offensive line, and that's kind of bled into the culture of this place and who we are as an organization. We're gonna continue to do that.
What happened with Tyas Bowser and it's kind of a mystery all year.
And where does that leave his status going forward?
Yeah, you know, unfortunate for Tius they couldn't play this year. Can't really get into all the different specifics so that as you guys know, how we handle the injuries. I think Tyas has probably talked about it in some way. He had an injury. Unfortunate and you know, wasn't able to play, and we'll have to continue to assess that in the coming weeks to see where he stands with
that injury. You know, great man a good player for us, just a tough deal for him this year, and we'll have to deal with it.
I'm wondering how difficult it is for you to know a guy like JPP but not in the tank to go another year and then pick up guys like cow annoy clowning and they do, And how can we close that situation?
And do you see guys like that and you cook be an offer of a job back next year?
Uh, what do when you say difficult? I'm not really sure what you.
Mean clowning out of the league?
They annoy, they he was on the couch right and when they came in and.
They were able to okay and where other teams didn't look.
At a much.
Yeah, you know, I think that's you know, partly their own ability as players and their desire at this stage of their careers. But I also think it's this place. You know, players come in here and they're part of our strength and conditioning program and the way that we practice and the way that we coach, and you know other players in the vibe that this place, as you guys see it at practice every day. Uh, we've become a place, I think where veteran players can come and
really succeed and play well. And there's a lot of reasons for that. The performance stuff that we do upstairs, and the wellness stuff that we do and nutrition and Sam and the trainers and John and his program, and guys come in here and flourish, and so I think it speaks to that, but also to the type of guys that they are. I mean, van Ney, Clowney, Malette Darby, all those guys. Those guys are wired the right way,
and they really really wanted to win this year. They saw potential to win this year, and they hit the ground running and they played very well. You got to the.
Defense real quick.
Obviously, it's a big loss when you lose a guy like Mike McDonald and you always wanted your new Cornator to be able to leave their fingerprint. But when your defense was as good as it's been, how different do you want it to know?
What differences would you be looking for?
Well, yeah, I'm looking for evolution and growth, just like we would if Mike was still here.
You know, and that's why, that's why we have advancement from within.
You know, I've seen the job that those guys have done and Zach has done, and we're building and evolving this defense ever since two thousand and eight, and it's been some sea change or sea change in twelve. There were a sea change in eighteen, and then there was change of face a little bit when.
Mike came in.
And that'll be another change of face with Zach in here and kind of putting his fingerprits on, like you said. But it'll still be in the world of what we do with Raven's defense schematically and even more importantly, how we like to play. And Zach hard to beat Zach in terms of knowing that because he's born and breda Raymond.
So I'm looking forward to it.
Sure, you brought over the AFC Championship a few times when it happened with Justin Tucker.
Before the game. We heard from Tucker, We've heard from the chiefs. I don't know if you have an opinion on who was in the wrong movement right, whether or not that got.
Into the heads of your players, as some fans perceived, because you guys had four personal fouls throughout the game, and maybe the Chiefs were in your guys heads as a perception out there.
So yeahs as far as the thing, I mean, I know Justin did the same I wasn't out there for it, so I didn't see it. I heard about it after, But same routine he's done for the last twelve years, same timing. There is no side of the field, so you know that the field doesn't split in half until a certain time. The kickers are always out there as long as well as the returns before that happens. So teams get to use both ends the field because you got a kick into both both wins, you know both,
you get to kick both ways. While that was going on, their kickers were down there at the other end doing the exact same thing in the exact same spot, and there was no problem down there. So I think it's pretty normal that we do that. Played the Chiefs a bunch of times before. It was the same exact time schedule that we had all those other times, So it's fine. As far as the other part of it, now, it's a football game. It's about how you execute and how you play and and uh, and the Chiefs played a
better football game than we did. But that part of it early on, I don't I don't fault Tuck at all. He was doing what he always does. I'm not blaming anybody. I could care less. Doesn't mean anything didn't get in tuckshead. And he's kicking the ball straight and kicking touchbacks, So I don't think it impacted the game.
In any way.
Disconnected.
I don't have any thing to say about that way you asked the question, because I don't see it that way. You know, those guys are are doing their jobs and we're trying to build a pass game. Run everybody we can. I mean, Rashan Bateman has a great future. Yeah, he runs great routes. He's developed into a great, great route runner, and I know Lamar wants to get him the ball as much as he can. So the idea that he didn't maybe just saying you can get the many passes is you would.
Have liked him to get or whatever.
Hey, I agree, man, I want baita flourish and make a bunch of plays, and he's going to do that, and I think he'll be a bigger part of it next year. Just by the fact that he was healthy all year this year, had a chance to establish himself that way, and he'll be, Uh, he'll be He'll be starting, he'll be playing all those snaps and he'll rise to the occasion.
Will be the receiver room last year. But odell agalar du Grenade. They're set to become free agents. A decision needs to be made on the Hen's fifth year option in May. Could this group undergo a lot of change again.
In this season?
I don't know. I love the guys have coming back. I mean, I think Bait's gonna have a great season, and uh, and we got Zay. We will talk to guys and look at potentially bringing some guys back. But I feel really good about where we are. I think we also saw the emergence of Isaiah likely this year, and we know, of course what Mark can do, Mark Andrews, and so we have a lot of guys that can
make plays. And I think, you know, watching watching Jay this year and just picture and Jay and Bait out there next year is very exciting and we'll see where that leads. We've also got the draft, and like I said, you know, uh, we'll have conversations where our uh free agents as well and We've already started those conversations in some cases, and so I would expect the receiver room to be very strong next year and very productive.
Up here.
You guys have had such as a phenomenal success rating directors franchise.
That he said a super Bowl.
We know it's wide open, and are you just given where you guys are competitively early viewing, you know, potential for using those picks to whire established players players are already lead or is the franchise preference formain you just kind of applying guys three your process.
Yeah, I mean we were just you know, fundamentally, we're always gonna be focused on the draft, and we look at our history, you know. Uh, now we've you know, in the last couple of years, we have traded draft picks for players in some cases, but I think generally we're gonna be a draft centric team. And uh, you know, as we've said, the landscape has changed a little bit because we're paying a quarterback who deserves it a lot of money and that's gonna have a salary cap ramification.
For sure, we'll start to feel that we've started to field that last year. We'll feel that this year as we do a lot of teams. Uh, So draft picks are very important to us. We'll continue to be very important. However, of course, if we have the chance to acquire an all pro type guy, we're gonna look at that very closely. So there's really not one set formula, of course, but generally we like to have a lot of draft picks, and I would expect us to uh have a lot of draft picks this year.
You make a lot of tough decisions.
Last year, you made the decision to not pick up Patrick Quinne's your option. Looking back now with him being a free agent, how do you still you feel s still feel the same with.
The talent you guys didn't get that well, you know, you never know on these situations. Is to challenge. Patrick had an amazing season. I love Patrick. It's one of my favorite guys on the team. He's put himself in a great position potentially to hit the market and see what his value is. You know, you never know if you if you pick up an option, that's less money that you can spend on somebody else. And so how does
that how do those dominoes fall? Really hard to say, I I I can say that Patrick, I'm very very I know coach fields the same way. He had an excellent season Pro Bowl season. His future is extremely bright. It's one of the best inside linebackers in the league. Credit to him. I'm very happy for him, very very happy for his family. He's a special player and a special person generally.
Speaking with twenty plus pending on restricted free agents, with where you said the salary cap was, it's kind of first priority looking at you know, can we bring.
A lot of these guys back? How do you feel about the chances of doing that.
Well, we'll be busy, you know, we'll be talking of agents at the combine and we'll be talking. We started talking to agents looking at, you know, the crop of free agents that are out there, but mostly at our guys and who can we bring back, and what's that contract going to look like, and what will those long term ramifications be as well. And you know, at some point you get to the point where you have to play with who you have, and you have to draft well,
and you have to hit on players. And I think we've done that the last couple of years. We've seen the emergence of a lot of younger players, and that's going to continue. We've got a great process. We've got great evaluators, our coaching staff does a phenomenal job, and we also develop players. So you know, I don't really
subscribe to the idea of windows opening and closing. I'd like to believe that with careful roster building and good drafting and development of players, the window is going to always be open.
One of those free agents, obviously, Kevin Zeidler. A lot of injuries this year and so forth. What's what's kind of a plan with them. I need to get a couple of freezes at the guard spot, and it's sort of how much emphasis will will the offensive line be. I guess that evaluation process be freeze, draft, et cetera.
Yeah, Well, you know, congrats to Kevin. He's at the Pro Bowl right now, and uh, he's earned it. I think he's been a pro bowler. This was his first year, but in my mind, he's been a pro bowler, a great attitude, great player, a veteran, awesome family. His wife, by the way, she's an unbelievable baker. But you know, I'm really happy for Kevin. He's a free agent. Uh, he's one of those guys that will continue to talk to He and I met last week. We'll see what
that looks like in the coming weeks. But as I said, the offensive line is going to always be a preference, you know. I know it's not a sexy position for a lot of people, my son's included, but it's a critical important for our team, and we will spend a lot of resources and a lot of time talking what that's going to look like.
John, you talked earlier about the emotions coming off of Sunday's loss and now a busy week full of loss of changes personnel wise.
Have you guys remembered a time in the past where we've.
Had such a busy first week of the off season and you guys feeling right.
Yeah, I remember last year it was pretty busy. Last year, the year before it was just as busy. The year before was the same amount of busy. And I think your point is really great, because it's amazing you come off that game and the emotions of it and the challenge of it, and you have to dive right back in. And that is exactly how it feels to what you're saying. You got to go, man, you got to go to work. You have to set it and we haven't just been
working on staff. We've been working on setting our path, stoking up the engines schematically, you know, defensively and especially offensively. Since the whole staff was together offensively all week. We were going to meet today and that's gonna be a presentation that's going to be made about we're going to what we're doing for the next four weeks in terms of setting up our offense for where we're going to go in the future. So that's exactly what you do, and that's exactly what you have to do.
Morgan.
Most is a lot room clean out of mission. You want to be looking at.
A surgery options just brings Marcus Williams underwing surgery or any guys that you anticipate.
Injuries of leading and you know holding.
Up for the camp. Marcus is not.
Yeah, I's had this conversation yesterday. Very few surgeries.
Uh Uh.
Morgan has to decide if he wants to have the surgery or not. He doesn't have to have it, but he might want to have it to be you know, just gotta make that decision performance wise and life wise.
Uh. And then Adafe always had a thumb surgery.
He'll be like full speed in like six to eight weeks and was there another one?
There might have been one more that I can't remember.
Nothing serious, So no, there's no there's no big major injuries at this point. We do have guys coming off major injuries that will will be they'll be rehaving like a job on some other guys.
Anticipate any changes on the offensive or specialties.
Uh yeah, just kind of working through that right now. That's uh. You know, guys get opportunities.
I don't want to speak before all this hiring process gets done, I don't really, but then again, opportunities come along.
Have you had a chance to talk to.
The more since the season ended, and have you gotten in put on what he might look you know, what he might want and his kind of vision for possibly offensive editions.
Now we just texted, like you know, that's probably the way that we can really communicate most of the time, it's through text. And just texted him and told my proude I was of what he was able to accomplish this year and just watching him play was pretty amazing for me to see him week to week and just his the way that he practiced. He stayed healthy this year.
So we'll have those conversations. Maybe I'll go down at some point and visit with him as I have a few times over the years, and maybe take him out to dinner and just talk about things in general and get some sun. But uh, you know, maybe that that's probably gonna be.
There.
But you know, so you know, no, I haven't really talked to him too much, but Lamar, I'll tell you, he's great about, you know, offering suggestions and ideas, and he and I have a great, you know relationship where we can exchange different ideas on personnel and things. And he's a huge fan of college football, and you know, I appreciate his feedback.
About ZACT. Do you ever go back when a guy there's a.
New level Lady Sack has worneransition, look at the old notes problem when he was a player, just kind of and just in a bigger picture, what does it mean as an organization to see somebody who's a player now take on a defensive coordinator role and reach.
These Yeah, that's cool. I mean, you know, you do have certain players over the years you think about would this guy make a great coach? We were just talking about a couple of guys the other day that that played here that we thought would would make great coach. As Zach comes from a football family. His brothers played, his dad played, He's got a coaching background in his family, and he's a student of the game. You know, Zach's
not the biggest guy. You guys that covered him as a player, you know, I mean, I think he probably played yet I don't know to eighteen, maybe two twenty. I mean, he had a hard time keeping weight on. But what made Zach so good as a player was he had a great instinct for the game. He was very, very quick to key and diagnose, and he played with a passion and he was just relentless to the football.
And those qualities make a great coach. So I have no doubt that Zach is going to be a great defensive coorter and probably if I had a crystal ball a head coach someday.
Were you surprised to see Ortiz.
No, I wasn't surprised, or follow up to.
That, maybe you ask the question here.
I was wondering, Jim's been around a lot, he knows the success that's been happier. Why not take the guy who has been watching all these college players developed into great professionals.
That's a great hire. I was very upset.
Yeah, I kind of agree. I mean, I think what you're saying is right.
And uh, Jim and Joe already have a relationship because of all the visits that Joe makes and of course being from the Ravens. You know, I'm sure Joe gets a little more access as far as talking to Jim, you know, because they have shared interest and h and they built a great relationship already, they've they've been friends for a while. But that wasn't Joe was already involved in that job. He was involved in that job before Jim was ever even finished with a season.
Joe had already I think he already interviewed there probably.
So I think when they got their two finalists and then Jim was involved in both the interviews.
He loved both guys and he thought they were both great.
But the fact that you know they knew each other already is good for Jim, is good for Joe, and uh, you know, it's a really great higher to.
Your point out to you and ahead of times.
Joe, Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely, Okay, oh no, it was already No, No, he ain't. That's that maybe, sure, you know can now think about it. But the end it was, it was already in the works, you know, it was already in the works. But he asked me what I thought of Joe obviously, and I'm nothing, But I just love him and respect him. Think he's the best.
Lose obviously a great pick a ball and Joe. But that's all my question.
You guys have been through a lot of these AFC championships more than John.
Well.
I wasn't through a number of in Philadelphia I met. It's a fact, straight, all right.
Question was that gut wrenching the loss? I mean, you know a lot of people want to compare it to New England? All that? Was that more gut wrenching? What happens Sunday? And did it take a while and ever for it? You guys personally, as hard as you guys take these things.
You know, Jerry, they're all gut wrenching, you know for me. But I I move on, as I said, you know, I don't. I don't have the luxury. I don't get to talk about it on the radio all week and write articles about it. I have to move on. I mean, that is what it is. I got to go to the Senior Bowl. I imagine how my wife felt when I told a Sunday night, well, by the way, I'm leaving in the morning to go to the Singing Bowl for the week. But that's what we do. And it
was a hard game. You know, you move on, you have to. I mean, there's been so many games over the years. You know, I could go into it. I could. I could talk about the game against the Steelers in two thousand and seven when I was at the Manhattan Beach Marriott and Monday night game when I smashed the mirror in my hotel room. I think we were down twenty one to nothing in the first five minutes of
the Game's Amison, you know, right, you cover that game. So, I mean, there's so many bad games, right, there's so many great games. We're blessed to be a part of it. We're blessed to be a part of this team. And every year is a unique challenge, and we'll move forward and will be the best we can next year.
You want to approach.
The warning back position.
Quite a few three agents in that room as what I know, you got probably think highly of Keaton Mitchell coming back with each other running back position.
Yeah, well, I'm glad we have Justice on a two year deal. You know, last year, you know, Nick was able to get a two year deal done with Justice, and Justice was really one of the unsung heroes of the team this year down the stretch. I mean, guy had a phenomenal season. You know, obviously we do have some free agents, and you know, it was a challenge this year with Jk's injury, which was unfortunate, terrible for us, and then with Keaton. But you know, we'll assess that market.
We'll talk to those guys. We'll try to we'll see where things kind of lie with with Gus and j K, both two guys I have a lot of respect for to outstanding players for us over the past three or four years. We'll look at the draft, we'll look at free agency. That's kind of a position like offensive line, Like we've got to have some good running backs. I think we do. Part of that is predicated on how
guys come back from injuries. But I know we've got a great running back coach and we'll be ready to go for both of you.
I know you guys haven't done your big meetings with Steve yet.
What I mean, has he.
Offered any comment on sort of the season overall, when he thought of it, and where he kind of ticks the team as stands right now.
I think Steve was extremely happy that we could bring an NFC championship game to Baltimore, and I think he was really happy with just the season in general. I think he's now turned his He's a huge draft knick, and I think he's starting to look at that. I was down there this week and he was asking me about players. But you know, it's always hard for all of us. I mean, we kind of just we love what we do and we want to see this thing, you know, finish in a great way, and it didn't.
So that's a challenge for everybody, honestly. But we move on and we get excited and we understand the challenges ahead. And I think Steve is a part of that as well.
I agree. I texted him.
He said some great things, and of course he's he's also competitor, and he wants to find every way we can you get better, just like we want to do it. I mean, you talk about the losses just got me thinking, is what how do you rank them? I feel really bad about the Colt's loss. I was devastating. I was cutting half on that one, and the Browns loss, and then the two Steelers losses probably even if I'm ranking them, probably even worse.
You know.
So those four losses during the regular season were brutal as well. So you know, we take it hard. We take it hard, man, anytime we lose a game, we take it hard. So we took that one hard too. But then, you know what, you're tough. You better be, you know, to point Eric's point, I sit up here and say that, but and maybe kind of people kind of roll their eyes. But that's that's the great thing about it. You have to bounce back, and you have to go back to work, and you have to compete.
And that's that's not just football, that's life. So everybody does every single day in their life. That's what the that's what they're tasked to do. Everybody has to do that. And you can you can thrive and in plenty, and you can thrive when you have little. You know, you can still be the same person. And I think that's what we try to do. That's where all the guys try to do it. What you guys try to do with your life every single day and that's what you do,
you know. And we were on the mountaintop this year many times, and we were down in the valley sometimes, we were in the middle of a lot of different times. We were still moving and we're going to continue to do that.
Thank you for listening. Check out the Lounge podcast with myself, Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing where we talked about our top takeaways from today's press conference. As always, make sure you're a subscribe, leave of rating and review. We'll be back with you next week for Zachary Or's introductory press conference as the Ravens new defensive coordinator.