Linderbaum, Harbaugh, & D'Alessandris: Ravens Training Camp 7/26/24 Press Conferences

Welcome into the Ravens Presspass podcast. It is Friday, July twenty sixth. The Ravens wrapped up another practice of training camp. It was a first practice in full pads in this year's camp, and you could definitely feel the difference out there watching the action. That's practice. Head coach Sean Harball talked about having the pads come on and what that meant for this team.

Everybody is Jamison pointed out today was the first It was the first day that coach Jack Harbaugh was here, so it's good to see coach Jack here. He broke the huddle at the end with a who's got it better than us? Nobody and really nobody. Does you get out here in a day like this with the football team that you love, with the fans going crazy cheering for the team they love, in a beautiful day with the pads on. I mean, that's what football is. This

What questions you have.

Six and anything?

Yeah, I mean he's fighting through.

An illness, working with our doctors, doing all the tests, even more tests to make sure we got everything covered, and I'm confident he'll be back, you know, pretty soon. So it's just unpredictable deal. I mean, you guys have been sick before, you know, and sometimes it's not easy. So that's what we're dealing with.

Physical paths.

I did like the physicality if I thought it was good. The lines both look good.

You know.

What you don't want to do is see guys get crazy with their technique when they come out and put the pads on it.

And I felt like we didn't.

They stayed square, they stayed in control, They had their feet underneath themselves. They played good, solid football. We didn't have a bunch of mistakes.

A little bit. There were some, but not too many mental layers, not too much.

Jumping off sides, things like that with the pads on the first day, with.

Respect to obviously privacy in all his help.

But I did see him after the other.

Day for an hour and then went back. Yeah, did he did he start feeling kind of ill again?

I would see it.

It just wasn't good for him.

To be out all this stuff going.

Yeah, that's what I think that between Lamar and the doctors figuring that out. I just wasn't feeling up to it in terms of all the different things. I mean, you got hydration, there's an energy level thing. It's part of being sick, really.

John, I.

Would say so, yeah, I would say so.

There.

They were talking to each other a little bit in the meetings and different things like that this week, so everybody was pointing toward today.

They were excited about it as obviously.

Lashos, How do you think he's handled that just running the offensives?

Express, Yeah, he'd done a real good job. I mean, I think he's got a great grasp of the offense. He handles it well, he operates it well, he makes all the decisions. He's throwing the ball well, playing good football. You know, that's why he's here. And uh, you know, you think about the big picture in the long run. Uh, there's a there's a real benefit of that of him getting a lot of reps.

Because kids Walker in touchdown catching cancer see guy used.

To stacking practice parization.

Tess Walker a touchdown retcher see guy used to stacking practices.

I do.

I mean Tess is doing a great job stacking practices. I really had a plan there. I mean, we're gonna go three plays. We were gonna, you know, go tackling with the young guys to start the camp off, and uh, Todd calls the fade and Boot put it up there and Tess makes the play and uh periods over so that can happen.

John Let's says the.

Last food, last practices with the Mats, How did you go about I kind of like, I haven't a genuine concern about the tackling at the start of the.

S Yeah, you know, really honestly, in the last I'm gonna say a long number of years, there hasn't been a lot of tackling camp. Even back to when I started ninety eight, there was very little tackling to the ground.

There were more.

Padded practices for sure, but it was still mostly front of You did have a couple of scrimmages and you had more preseason games, so uh, it's a it's it's more of an emphasis on teaching tackling with the dumb the bags, uh, front up tackling technique, tackling being in position to make tackles, but the real tackling practice probably does come for the most part in the games.

Telling about text, what did you see Texas?

Yeah, he's a rookie, you know, he's he's learning.

He's uh, he's he's makes mistakes and then he corrects him. You know, he's he's it's a process for all the rookies. I think he's doing a really good job. I see talent, you know, and the speed and you can change the direction he catches the ball, all the things that are there, and let's just see how fast he comes along.

God, I know it's practice one if the padded practices. But what what did you see out of the offensive line in the stamp. Obviously the defense is going to have advantage at this point, but in terms of combinations and so forth, I mean, is it's still still pretty early familiar with for you guys in this process in terms of we've seen workings. Obviously the left guarder off that otherwise is it is it still.

Too early on the season.

It really is a little too early to make any kind of statement. I thought as a group, they looked good today. They played square. They were physical and stout, but today's when you really start getting a more of a better feel. Until the pads come on, you can't make any determinations about offensive line play. We have, you know, a number of days here in pads coming up, and it should be interesting to see how it plays out.

I mean, I hope, I hope.

It's tough in the sense that they're all doing great, But the main thing is that we get enough guys doing great that we can build our line around. You said, you said during the Yankee you said during the NACAM you'd like to have pretty clear.

Idea would be on the line.

I go, you know, their stories in the game.

Is that still kind of the timeline.

I'd love for that to be the case. You would love for that to be the case. Is that unrealistic? I don't know, maybe, but that's the that's the best case scenario. I don't necessarily expect it to be the case, you know, I mean, the game is a big deal.

So if if you.

Go into that first week with a good idea and the game confirms everything, then you'd be pretty You feel you feel great, You're a good spot. If you don't, then you're okay. You just keep working the guys in as you go, and one guy establishes himself and the next guy, then the next guy. Then you have a line and you have your you have your depth chart at different The main thing is like in the past, protection, bull rushes, twist games. The penetration aspect of it's a

Really can't tell.

No Van though he had a little issue, a little neck thing, he's dealing with, nothing serious.

We just held him out for that.

Now, all eyes went to the guys in the trenches during a padded practice, and offensive line coach Joe di Leasandris talked about the development of the old line.

Did you see everyone here? How about that first day pads?

Huh?

They we've got nice crew come out here to check us out. Everyone doing well?

I know good?

Oh yeah, we'll be it will be okay though there I saw some good things out there, So that's good news.

What kind of a presence, you know what?

So as you well know, we have to what graduate the pads, which we did, and today was the first day in pads, and you heard pads popping, and that's football, right, and that's what it was supposed to be. So I saw the linemen do a very nice job. I saw a lot of good I told them all. I saw a lot of good blocks by all of you. But I saw some blocks we got to get better with and that's my job to help them get better and we'll do that.

Okay, So that's the good news.

But you saw hustle, you saw effort, you saw finish, and that's part.

Of being a good football team.

What specifically would you like to see a little bit more out of its specific than the guys are competing for those open spots.

Well, I think it's gonna all take care of itself each day. As we always a value, we evaluate them, they evaluate themselves, and we just want to see how many how often that person can succeed and is he succeeding more than the other guy against equal competition, and that usually takes care of itself.

Can tell me a little bit about what you're seeing from Daniel von Wallay in terms of both flip there, which.

I know you're very big on, and as you know what, his footwork is not bad.

He's learning in a new position. Playing inside. Everything happens faster. The movement happens faster, decisions have to faster, communication happens faster.

And he's growing in that area.

And we've got to just continue using his hands better to relocate, either place your hands on and relocate the hands et cetera. But first day, let's see what he does. In about a week, you know, see if it gets better.

It's flying around, benefics offensive, fine, that's looking at the less.

It's great. The more they give us, I'm happy.

I like it, and that it tests me to as a coach where I have to try to come up and problem solve fast to help them and give them a solution and and they and they have to adhere to what they see and then communicate and be able to get their bodies in position to block. Because today it happened. One time I saw two look like a jail break. I saw two coming free. Well, that was all movement and now adjusting the movement, helmet, adjusting the movement.

Andrews doing a great job. He's doing a great job.

He's learning that left guard position he's playing as a teaching him how to play center. And I'm very pleased with what I see with him right now. He competed very well out there today.

You talk it out all that makes you think he might be a really good.

Sense well one six eight sixt nine. He's three hundred and I'm gonna give them the low end. I'm gonnaive them three, okay. And he can move his feet. He's athletic, he's flexible, and he's intelligent. So let's see what happens if he can, that's gonna be a feather on nark cap. We'll see how that goes. But it's a work in progress, and all of them are right. It's the development of players until they build some experience and in confidence, and that's what's gonna come.

With him too.

It's kind of a competition at right tack where we've obviously seen the killer you know some you know what, we all know his talent, right but just in terms of the other guys.

You know right now, you've got Pat who's very talented and consistent and reliable player. We picked up Josh Jones who's working at left and right and he's got experience and he's doing a very nice job. And then we took Roger rose Garden and he is really getting He's working at his craft every day. He's a diligent worker. One thing about Roger, He's gonna play hard, play, He's tough.

And he competes.

And those are three great good qualities a young man has. So the rest of it will come with time and experience and coaching.

Hopefully, Joe.

Your future to move violently and perfect to apply at right tackle or.

You guys gonna well, I'm gonna I'm gonna try to let this play out a little bit.

I want to just see it just takes time when you when you move guys to different positions, and I'd like to and I and I'm an advocate of cross training and playing multiple positions because I know what's in store for us when the season starts.

But this time of the year, I'd like to see if.

We could settle in, see if everyone can get their fundamentals and technique down in their assignments, and then.

We'll go from there.

One of the key players along that offensive line is third year center Tyler Linderbaum. He was a Pro bowler last year, really established himself as one of the best players at his position in the NFL. He talked about the pass coming on and also the development of this offensive line as a whole.

How's it going good?

So how was the first practice?

And Pats, it was good. You know, this is how the game's played.

So just to be out here, you know, in front of fans, going against each other, making each other better.

It's good first practice. So got to build off of that. See that again.

Just the physicality, uh, you know, you can you know, both sides of the ball can actually hit people, work on you know, your technique when everyone's actually going one hundred percent.

So it's uh, it's it was a good first day.

You know, guys were out there competing and working against each other and got to keep improving from there's.

A lot of the tech from.

The offense's PLYFA for hive guys cover.

Yeah, you know, kind of next man in mentality.

You know, whoever, whoever the starting five is, you know, we expect to play at a high level with each other. And you know that's started in OTAs and starting fall camp of building chemistry with each other, you know, growing that room.

You know, I'm excited the direction we're heading, but we.

Still got a lot to improve upon kind of right, yeah, I mean we got a talented D line group. So you know, they certainly give us challenges, you know, make us work big, strong athletic, you know, and for day one, you know, I think, you know, we're making each other better. So you know, I like, I like the group that we have on both sides because I think, you know, a lot of improvement's gonna happen.

Here here.

Three for you, how much more responsibility it's kind of given to you in terms of you know, obviously calls, protections, other guys, leadership, all the bath and and sort of how much to you sort of seek that out every level time?

Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm still gonna be the same guy. You know, the responsibility isn't really gonna change.

You know, I just try to do that vocal and and.

Sort of you know, idea get you with them then then maybe you know, first.

Year or whatever.

Yeah, I just try to be myself. You know, I don't think there's much difference from me to year one to year three. Just try to be myself out there, try to win games.

How they're related to that.

You had Kevin Zeitler last year. What do you miss most about having him around? And then I'm sure he's a great guy in terms of the played on the field.

Yeah, you know, zeit was awesome to play for with or to play with for two years.

You know, I think he's gonna kill it with Detroit and but you know it's it's next man in mentality.

Like I just said earlier to where you know he played at he kind of set that bar.

He set the standard of how that position is supposed to be played, and you know you got to match that or try to exceed it for the next guy coming in.

Yeah, I think you know, I love the group.

You know, I think it's a group that wants to get better, wants to work hard. You know, four or five days in, you know, we're improving each and every day with each other. You know, that's a uniqueness about the position is you know, the chemistry that you need to have, you need to build and it doesn't take one or two days. You know, it takes time. So just continue to build that in the room. You know, feel each other out, and I think you know we're moving the re direction.

Said becausiness as usual with that tomorrow year. Is it a little weird to go for training team without another field? Yeah, I mean, you know, it is what it is.

You never know throughout the course of the season, whatever's gonna happen, So you always gotta you know, it's always get get work with, you know, other people. But you know we'll be excited when Lamar's back, that's for sure.

You're not a big snake.

Sureli's question about this team.

First, when I get on my burner accounts, you know, sometimes I see it. No I don't, I don't see it. You know, it's obviously you know, the questions are warranted.

You know, we lose three guys and we gotta do you know, we got to replace three guys, and you know it's our job, you know, continue to get better and to improve.

And you know, I like the room that we have, you know, and certainly we're gonna work our tail off to get to where we want to be.

Ideal will who's like to have a good idea of who's gonna be starting me to go in the christ pre season?

Is that they're on the best case scenario in your mind. I mean you talked about even to build the chemistry. How long does that take?

I mean is it sort of the longer the better.

I mean, let's over long, Coach Harbaugh and Coach d says it takes. You know, guys are working, guys are trying to improve, so you know, and that's all said and done, you know, and I think the one thing about that too is you know, it's it's never solidified. You know, we got to play at a high level consistently from week one, week two, week three, so you know, I think we got a lot of guys.

That can play a lot of high level football. So that's the exciting part.

That's yeah, you know, it's it's certainly fun to have someone that large next to you, you know, and you Daniels continue to get better and better. Obviously you know, he hasn't played that position much, but he's just he's a natural for his size, how well he moves, you know, and just now he's just getting familiar with that position and then you know, working with each other on you know, certain combo blocks, how we see things and stuff like that.

Yeah, I mean a lot of that stuff too happens in the meeting rooms. So you know, anytime a team.

Can give empower the quarterback to have more responsibilities and take more control, I think the better the team off, the team is going to be.

So, you know, giving the quarterbacks whoever that is.

The role, you know, especially the more of that role to you know, take control, you know, and and have that responsibility, I think is big and I think it takes a step in the.

Right direction to where we want to go as a unit.

You're listening to the Ravens Press past podcasts as always, make sure you hit that subscribe button and head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We do a full breakdown of everything that we saw on the practice field this week, so check that out and subscribe to the Lounge as well. Thanks for listening. We will talk with you again tomorrow.