John Harbaugh's Owners Meetings Press Conference

thinking about him as our quarterback. We're building our offense around that idea, and Uh, I'm just looking forward to getting back to football. I'm confident that's gonna happen. Uh. I do you know, you gotta you gotta plan for all the contingencies for sure, But I'm pretty I'm pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. I mean, Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar came back in great shape last year. He's fired up to play. Uh. That's the Lamar that

I'm looking for, looking forward to seeing. Can't wait to get back on the grass and go to work. And I'm confident that's gonna happen, so you're following them on Twitter. And no, I don't live in that world, Jared, you know I'm not. I'm not a real Twitter guy. Uh. Have you seen my tweets lately? No, No, that's uh uh you know you see it. I mean obviously that stuff comes through guys. Guys like Jonah share those tweets

with me, so we appreciate it. And uh and uh and it's been kind of fun watching some of that stuff too. So Lamar is great on Twitter. I mean it's fun to follow. He does a great job with all that. So, um, some of the stuff you get a good you get, you get enjoyment out of it too. Direct contact. You know, what's unique situation right now? I would say it's different than than most years. That just a contract situation. So that's probably just a little different

than other years, not not as much. So Uh, I'm looking forward to getting back, you know, to the to the normal way of doing things. Like Mark, we're kind of well, Albert, you know, that's a great question. I Mean the obvious question is yesterday. You know you want it done already, but uh, but it's just always possible. I mean, this is a real world this is this is big time pro sports at the highest level, and

contracts are important and they matter to both sides. The thing that I love about the situation, I believe is that in the end, you got good people, you know, working together. I mean we've been We've been with Lamar, you know, I've been with Lamar as a coach, and players and coaches and and all of us in the organization have been together for what five years now. You know, we've been through some crazy things, some amazing moments, some

tough moments, challenges, ups and downs together. You know, we've hugged in the locker room after after wins, We've hugged in the locker room after losses. You know, those are things that last forever. Those relationships never change. So this is part of it, you know, this is it's part of the story that's being written, and everybody's writing the story. But I just appreciate that it's been handled with class.

Lamar has handled it with class, and UH and Eric and Steve and Ozzie and all the people involved on that side of handled it with class. So that's what I appreciate about everybody involved. Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely. I don't have a gauge on that. You know, it's been Oh it's been a while. I mean, you know, it's it's gonna have to be. It's just like I said, it's a unique situation. But when we get back together, you know, and I'm really hopeful that happens, and that's

what I want to see. You know, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be good to me. No, it doesn't. I don't. I don't think about that too much, you know, And I had to get all the details of that. I'm sure that Erk will do a great job with that, whatever it is. I mean, you always, everybody's talking all the time about everything in this league. That's just the way business is done. So I'm sure that business will

be done the way it's always done, you know. But for me, my perspective, you know, I'm getting ready for Lamar. That's what I'm doing. In our offense. We've got a new offensive coordinator, very excited about Todd Munkin. We're in the we're in the lab right now building the offense and putting it together with the terminology and the plays and things like that. And that's that's what you focus on as a coach. And the rest of it. So you build your team. I mean, you build your team regardless.

I mean, we're building our team all the time him in all the different areas that you got to build it. And I know, and that train is moving, man, that train is moving fast. But here's the thing. You know, when Lamar gets back on board that train, he's fully capable of jumping on full full speed. You know, Lamar can go. And so in that train's moving and he merges in with us, we're gonna be rolling. That's what

as a coach, that's what I'm thinking about. Of course, of course, you know, and I do prepare for all contingencies. But you build, you build a great offense for for for your players, right, I mean, that's what you do. And and Lamar's Lamar's under contract, and that's the guy I'm of course, that's the guy I want to CBR quarterback. You know, that's that's my guy. We we we made a decision to go with Lamar Jackson five years ago,

right Why because we love him. We love him, We love the way he plays, We love his mindset, his charisma, his style. Uh, either way, he's in the locker room, everything about him we love him. I love him personally. I love being the coach of the team that he's playing quarterback for. So that's what you do, you know, you build a team around your players, and that's what I'm excited to do. You don't see even relating future. That's the point you can, you know, bring him back

here and now I don't see that at all. I mean, this is to me, this is part of the way it works, you know, And and however works, Hey, in the end, when it's all said and done, we're all, you know, not around the circle this table right now, we're all see each other. So we're all gonna we're gonna give each other hug and say how you doing, you know, and we're gonna be friends. And and it's even more so that way with the players and the coaches that you work with every single day. So you know,

I don't know what direction it's gonna go. I don't have a crystal ball. I can't I can't tell the future. But I know whatever happens, it's gonna be good. It's gonna be okay. And uh and I'm and I have my hopes, you know, And like I said, I love Lamar Jackson, you were unaware. OK, I'm not getting into all that. That's that's stuff. Those conversations happen. It's it's private getting building content. Well, I mean, you think you

always are building contingent contingency plans. It's it's a good question, and you're building contingency plans for every position. You know, you can go out there and something can happen to any player and they can be not there the next day for some reason. So you've got to build depth in your team. We've always been a team that wants to build depth in so every position, we're gonna build depth into our team. We're gonna try to be prepared

for every possible outcome. This is a unique one. They'll die with Lamar and our quarterback situation, but everybody goes through this in some form or fashion with their quarterback. So this is part of it. It's part of the business. Well, you certainly need to know on the day of the first game, you know, and you need to do an eleven thirty before one o'clock game because they need you gotta put the number of the names in. So that's like, I know, that's kind of a silly answer, but there

is no like real hard fast day. Like I said, in our situation, Lamar Lamar is a great player. You know, when he's playing, he's gonna want to play great football. He's gonna want to be out there at his best. One thing I know about Lamar, He's gonna work hard to be the best player he can be. And that's you know, that's what you plan for. We could do coordinator new office to get that. Couldn't say that again.

You Yeah, I think it probably does in reality, but you know, there's always urgency as a coach man, you always want your guys there. But the offseasons voluntary. So we'll just see how it plays out with all the guys. You know, I don't I don't really go back and track all that. I think it's natural. I think it's part of the natural environment of professional sports. Um, these are challenging things. There's way more going on, you know. You know, and you guys have all written about this stuff.

There's a lot of little moving parts of this deal that go beyond um, you know, one player or one team or anything like that. You know, there's there's uh, there's there's pro sports issues with you know, collective Barty agreements and all that kind of stuff that that matter to people. And uh, I think that's all kind of weaving its way into that and that's just part of it.

So you take in stride, you know, you try not to worry about it too much and and just try to for us, keep the focus on the things that matter, which for us as football you know, we're here for football. We're here. Keep it simple and get ready to play football as well as we can as a football team, and that's what we try to do. An Eric question, but have you guys maintained object negotiations with Lamar since

you know, the combine or whatever. Yeah, I mean, I don't know exactly how to how to describe that because Eric's doing that and he does a great job with it. But but I know that they're working hard at it, and they're you know, trying to be in constant contact. I mean, you're not, you're not talking every second of every day. But as far as I know, it's very

consistent whenever the lines conversations. We were talking about our coaching, our coaching staff, and we were talking about the offense going forward a little bit, you know, it's it was more texting That's that's how Lamar kind of likes to work and in the off season. But uh, that was it Adams football talking about football. He and I are talking about contract stuff, a John. I know your perspective

on this too, kind night. You got to buy um as far as you know, with the trade requested, if they're coming in earlier, whnapp like as far as the context of he can request the trade, but at the end of the day, there has to be someone that wants to dance and even if that happens, you still have to get something commensurate with what you would feel.

Wolden makes sense. And if none of those components happen, he can request the trade all he wants, right Well, I mean, I just think the business part of it's the business part of it, for sure, you've seen it. I mean that's kind of how it works. It's it's just part of the business of pro sports. Those are those things come into consideration. Those conversations I'm sure get good had every day with every team we've been a trade.

We've got trade conversations with lots of teams about lots of players, you know, in all honesty, and we haven't made one yet. So uh, you know, um, that's how it works. He said that, you know, Lamars a guy who marks at the beat of his own drum in a lot of ways. Would you like him to see, you know, take a more traditional approach to han leaning himself with everything that's kind of coming out in the

past month or so. You know, one thing I learn from Andy Reid is um And he had to sign a little card in the back of his desk on the bolton board and said, don't judge. I think that's really important. You know. It's uh, you know, everybody's got their way of operating and doing things. And we have relationships and you know, when we're together, we talk about things with all the different guys all the time. That's

how you do, that's how you work. And so but I'm not going to try to judge anybody's style for doing things. I love Lamar, love what he stands for, love who he is as a person is His mom is a wonderful lady. I haven't had a lot of time with her, but I've met her. Um, he's got he's got a beautiful little girl. Uh, it's just a it's a good family. I just nobody's all about as a person where his heart's at, and that's that's what you think about the pressure. I really don't know. I

don't know. It's uh just all I think it's part of the way it operates as part of the business of football. Conversation with him if he does have you know, know, the opposite is the tag and he will he are you certain that he will play under the tag this year? Well, I don't know, you know, I don't know. I don't have any Yeah, no, I don't, I don't know anything really, So, um, how limited happen? Well, I don't think it's been a cap restrained issue because that's a solid number, so we

know what we're at. So it's either going to be that number, you know, probably or lower, you know, if you get a long term deal done than the than the cap number for this year can actually come down a little bit. So I don't think that's too much an issue. And as far as the other part of it, like we said before, we're really building the whole team

around around that situation. So the situation is what it is, and it's always like they're just always guys on your roster that you know aren't signed and you keep up the business of building your team as best you can. It's bigger when it's your quarterback, for sure, but other teams go through it too, so it's just how it works the time. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I don't, I don't know. I don't. I'm not sure.

I don't think. I don't think the marque too much track and when the meetings happen and things like that. But he might. I don't read too much into it, well, because the reality is that you guys knew this, you know, behind the scenes for a while, and the only difference today is that people know about it public things today and it's almost been business as will for you behind the scenes dealing different today. I just think it's an

ongoing process. I mean, it's a good point, you know, It's just this is not it's I know, it's news cycles and headlines and scrolls and stuff like that, and that's part of it, and that's really I mean, that's part of the fun of sports, right. Everybody wants to wants to see what's going on. I mean, I pull up on my phone and I pull up you guys and see what you're writing a bottom or see what's going on Ukraine. You know, I'm really interested in that.

I'd like to see that could get calmed down, you know, possibly, So that's I actually look at that first, believe it or not, but uh, that's kind of an important deal. But it's just it's it's it just rolls, you know, it's just fluid, and it's gonna work out, and it's gonna we're gonna, we're gonna get up the next morning, god willing, and we're gonna we're gonna roll and we're gonna be playing football. And and nothing's changed in terms

of the relation and chips. How we feel about Lamar, how I you know, how we want to build our team, the kind of team we want to be. Personality wise, Lamar fits us that way. So that's that's how we're going to put it back in the box. Which it's gonna work itself out. You know. It's say, believe me, if we're playing football next year and Lamar Jackson to quarterback, we're all gonna be happy, you know. And he's gonna be fired up to play, and he's gonna be happy

to be out there playing too. And and because that's the kind of guy he is, I mean, he loves the play, and he loves his teammates, and he loves his coaches, and I just think that's how that's how it works. Like I said, it's a fluid kind of a thing. It's there's no there's no periods on any of this. You're listening to Ravens Press Best. Please rate and review if you haven't already, make sure you subscribe and tell your friends and family that they should subscribe

as well. Now let's get you back to the rest of Harvests. Suppressor. John, you're weird kind of laughing now on the wall in question you got, we're doing that now. You guys picked up Nelson out dad last week. Just appear how you see him? Yeah, Cliff, thanks Cliff, Thanks Cliff. Uh, I appreciate that. Nelson Nelson. I just excited to have him. You know, he is a guy that we've had to play against, former first round pick, big range receiver, uh,

tough player, um pro. You know that's the way he's been described, and we had him in for the visit. That's the way he presented himself. I think it's gonna be great for a young receiver room. Uh, you know him and bait now, you know, And we're not done. We're not done in there at all. Plus the guys we've got coming back, and we'd like the We like the guys we've got coming back as well, with DuVernay and and Prochet and you know all the guys. So um.

But I think he's gonna be a good addition for us, and I'm excited about it. And that's just one piece. It's one step. I answer the next question. You've had a longer time than coming out in this year's drab? Are you excited as most people seeing the thing in the beat grab at that position? Haven't you seen that? From what I have, I've seen all those guys now, I've seen like forty receivers now on tape, So that takes a lot of work. It's like, yes, what are

you guys doing. We're not sitting around reading tweet all the time, you know we are. We're working on stuff. So it's been fun to look at those guys. And I think it is a deep drafted receiver and there's a lot of guys that kind of fit the way

we want to play. And the next step is going to be getting with Coach Monk and coach Lewis, coach Martin and uh and coach Taggart and talking about Okay, for what we're trying to build offensively, you know, which of these guys do you like the best in terms of targeting who we want to go after because we're

gonna draft a receiver. Trying to head coach organization. It's like, make it sound like you're sure about hearing all if you don't understood by now, you know, No, I answer I really actually with a firm no. I mean, I just understand that this is how it works. I mean, Lamar is a great guy, and Lamar is doing a nice job with the negotiations, and I think that needs

to be said. People need to understand he's doing a good job, okay, and Eric's doing a good job, and and Eric's getting advice from Ozzy and from Steve and all those things are being discussed. Yeah. I'm involved in those conversations too, so I know where we're at. There really is no frustration other than the natural normal. Hey, this is how pro football works, you know, and it's probably easy in college football. They got the transfer portal. I'd like to be dealing with that, so I feel

okay about this, it's gonna be all right. Yeah, ye, but we have contracts, so it's good. Did you full APIs do you feel the un certain team position? Negatively in fact, that you did you hear from free agents? You know, directly or indirectly, because we don't know if the correcting we're not Yeah, you know, I don't know. I mean, I think guys don't really tell you everything. Yeah, if it did, it did, If it didn't, it didn't. I really don't know the answer to that, but I'm

not worried about it. Everything is is that the team is not needing this value. So this is not a team thing, it's not a Faltimore things. Underlining that this is monetary. So what rule do you think that there is to get closer to what it feels like it's his value, so that his situation can be misside by the time that you guys need to focus on football games right. Well, And to me, that's a very good question and a very good point because really at the end,

that's the important thing. I mean, you got you got two sides that appreciate each other here, you know, and I think I think you know, Lamar believes in us and we believe in Lamar and we know where we want to go forward. So it's a monetary thing that can be figured out. That can be worked out. That's just a matter of negotiating. And I think you just continue down that road and eventually it'll get it'll we're gonna work out. There's always gonna be creative ways to

figure that stuff out. I think we forgot to ask you this something combat But I assume Lamar's fully healthy now. Is that the something case? I believe so yeah, yeah, earlier the smartest seat him done drawn You need guy a lot of parent I don't think I actually said that. You said that, right, thank you. At one point, just as you developed a relationship with him, did you sort of figure that out person? Lamar is a unique kind of a guy. Um, well, you know I will say this,

everybody's unique, Okay, And that's that's really true, right. We teach our kids that. And the thing about Lamar, Lamar is a great guy. He's a fun guy. And I saw that probably when we drafted him and he got up there in front of TV cameras and said, you know, I'm bringing a Super Bowl to Baltimore, you know, right, away and he was so fired up and he's there with his family, and I fell in love with him right in that moment, you know. So then when he came in for the visit we had a chance to talk,

and then really every day after that. So, um yeah, he's he's he's he's great, he's unique, he's he's he's he's fun to be around. You know, he's a charismatic guy. The players love him. Um I love seeing him when I see him in the building. You know, my, my, my, my, My spirit is lifted so um so in that sense. If that's walking to a beat of a different drum, that's that's a good beat to walk to, for sure.

Do you think that's part of this? I mean, for people who feel strongly about their perception in the world and then have strong ideas sometimes run into more f when they make their way for the world with the business and whatever. It is deep question, no doubt, and probably and probably exactly right, you know. I mean I think it's probably true. And now what are the things that makes Lam are so so good? Is his determination? Right?

I mean he's been told you know, not by us, because you know, obviously we we said day that's our guy. But he's been told throughout since he was a little kid that he needs to play another position. Take it all the way back to that, and he's been firm and stubborn, if you want to use that term. He's been firm in the fact that he's I'm a quarterback

and I'm must stick to that. So to me, that very mindset that you're talking about the same mindset that's gotten him to where he's at as a football player. T Martin went down in South Florida. I know his sun's playing baseball down there, But did you get a chance to meet with lam Are talking him at all? Yeah? I know they connected in some way. I don't know if they got face to face together. He was also with Tyler was down there as well, So yeah, T get a couple of days off to go down and

enjoy the sun. You know, I was like, man, I felt I felt jealous about that. So I'm not sure exactly what the communication was though, I think I think

they communicated. I know that part of me. I know that you said that there's room to get created, but do you think conceptually that it's harder, potentially difficult to do that, especially with the news that came out with regards to you know, a representative in his room, you know, reaching out and things like that, if he doesn't get engaging to facilitate the talk, given the inertia that's kind of been here with that happening too far, I don't know,

it probably just is what it is. You know, We'll just it's the circumstances that that that that exists. So you know, again it comes back to the fact that you know, we're talking about finances, We're talking about numbers, and numbers can be figured out everything. I had a great conversation with a Shot about that and about really a little bit about that, and a lot about a lot of other things. And he's in a great place.

He's healthy, he's gonna be running in three weeks. He's gonna be ready to roll, stronger than ever, healthier than ever. Rashad is gonna have a great season. I'll tell you, I'm a big believer in Rashad Bateman. He's gonna he's gonna come back greater role. What did he say about when he asked him about the tweet? Yeah, you know, I don't know. That's a private kind of conversation. But he's he's in a great place with everything, and he

talked to he talked to Eric also, so it's all good. Said, you've been in the lab with Philith Monk, and Um, how at this stage, how likely is that the Raven his offense would be I don't want to say you different, but a different approachal than you know it, hadds and I gets out tight argument about that. Yeah, I mean,

it's one hundred percent likely that it'll be different. It's always changing, but this will be a bigger change obviously, because we've got a new a new offensive coordinator, you know, and we've got new coaches in place. You know. T is the quarterback coach, Willie Taggart, and what a great football coach. Is gonna be our running back coach, Greg Lewis is gonna be our wide receiver coach. Keep George Gotsi, who just came for the first time last year, is

a tight end coach. Joe Della Sanders is as the offensive line coach, and a lot of great young coaches. So, um, it's gonna be different. I think we're gonna be I think we're gonna be exciting, be fun. We're gonna be We're gonna be We're gonna still run the ball, but we're gonna we're gonna throw the ball. We're gonna be up Temple, probably even more than we've been. We've been

that at times. Uh maybe a little more no huddle maybe perhaps, but those are all things that uh, we're gonna be working in a lot of worlds with our offense. And that's what I'm looking forward to. John. As far as uh you pack up quarterback tyler Um, is there a school room where you might think about adding even another veteran quarter back up? Yeah? Man, it's like we

said before, that's that's a possibility. It's really you try to build your team as deep as you can, and I think that would be something that we'd be, you know, thinking about if the opportunity came around, John, with Josh Oliver moving on you in a three great young Titan, like it's too great, and then Mark, you give a kind of idea who you want is like that inline guy that you have kind of lining up along the line,

I'd say it's to be determined. You know you've got those those guys are all good, good inline blockers, but they're not Excuse me, that's not that's not where they they're bread and butter, so to speak. You know. So, um, I think Pat obviously, you know, is a great blocker and uh can move and do some things. So that'll be the task about Todd and the offensive coaches to figure out the best way you use the guys we have and then develop those young guys as inline blockers

as well. And you know, it's moving parts. You move guys around, and I played their strengths. John with Lamar, you know, he's teased this this interview that he has with himself kind of coming up on his YouTube channel. There's a situation where you guys have like the kind of heads up about what might be coming, so that there isn't this kind of blow back or whatever you wanna call it. Yeah, not that I'm aware of. Yeah,

I don't. I don't know. I just see that the the thirty second teas that you call and so, hey, it'll be great, it'll be fun to watch Lamar's Lamar is great fun and uh, it'll be good. So I

don't know what's going to happen with all that. I don't worry about all that, you know, I just think about the person think about the people involved and looking forward to, like I said, getting back on the grass and going to work on football, telling them about how much and didn't tout we've got a dak down as the hound encouraged argue about what he did after he st where he may be able to get to the next season right well, JK for sure, and also Gus's

probably both coming off those knee injuries, Cliff, they're another year removed from major knee injuries, and they both have had had subsequent surgeries too to clean out the cartilage. Even Gus had won to clean out the cartlage after the after the season, and they both told me what a difference that made. So I think those guys are gonna be ready to shock the world. I think they're gonna come back play great football when you're offense line.

Both both been powers. I think the text that would say it would be maybe the fun runner right now. That's a great question. You know, Uh, Pat McCarry is gonna be in the mix for sure. You know Pat Pat Patkins started anytime and anywhere basically, so he's gonna want that to do that. And uh, you know Ben Cleveland obviously is a young guy that we're bringing along. Um, we've we've we've brought some guys in. You know, we got we got a veteran guy at the end of year.

We brought it from Oakland and yeah, John Simpson, who, um who I think is gonna surprise some people. You know, he's had a nice offseason so far. Then you know, we can move Daniel Felele in there too and take a look at him. So I think those are all possibilities. And and may the best player who plays the best

win the job. You're you know little, I know you hope goes back outside linebacker be two young guys do and oh way, the Hounds important look for them to step up kind of this year and he parted than men Flint Right, for those those two young outside backers to step up and be part of the mix is critically important. You know. That's just actually had dinner with those guys a couple of nights ago and we were talking about it, and they are excited. Man, they are

ready to roll. I believe in those two guys. You're talking about two first round picks, that's what they are. They are two first round picks. And uh, and then they've got you've got tyas Boser, who's a leader. So between those guys right there, I think that's a good a good group of young players that we can build around. And then you know, if a veteran gets added, he gets added, or a guy gets add in the in the draft, that's fine. But um, I believe those three

guys are gonna get to the quarterback. You do one more guys you needed when that, um, you've got to fast player. And uh you know, yeah, well, I mean that came out after we had we kind of made our changes, so to speak, and that was something that you know, it was a mutual thing I guess should say. But uh, you know, I believe I believe in the strength and conditioning program. It's really important us. I mean, that's to me, the foundation of your program is your

strength and conditioning program. Most guys are in there every day. You've got to you've got to do a great job down there because this is a this is a gladiator type sport. You've got to be strong, you gotta be fast, you gotta be well conditioned, and we try to chase that not just in the offseason, but throughout the course of the whole season. So you know, it's a lot of hard work that goes on down there and by coaches, m players, especially by the players you know, who work

hard at it and it's important what they think. So with that whole pole, we take it seriously. We try to be as good as we can be at everything. We try to be the best we can be at every aspect of the program, so when things like that come out, but even more, Jeff, when we talk to our players one on one every single day, we ask those kind of questions and try to you know, and we listen to their opinions and sometimes we make changes

based on it. Sometimes we say, hey, you know, this is the best we can do, or we have to agree to disagree on this or whatever it might be. But you're always in communication with those guys, So it's really not surprised by any of it. It was actually a pole that was taken a year ago, last March the previous year, after the twenty two season or the twenty one season. So we'd made steps and I think I'm excited about where we're going without all right, Ali, guys,

thanks that's it for coach Harball. Thank you for listening. As always, you can get every media availability, interview, press conference on the Ravens Press Pass. Make sure you subscribe, rate and review, and while you're at it, tell your friends of family thank you for listening.