Monken, Orr, & Horton: Ravens Training Camp 8/13/24 Press Conference

Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Tuesday, August thirteenth. The Ravens wrapped up another day of training camp practice today and afterwards we had a chance to hear from the coordinator. Let's kick things off with offensive coordinator at Todd munkt.

Yeah, I've bet the seven gallop Teddy and Henry.

I mean, it's kind of a kind of a obvious question. I mean, yeah, Week one.

Looked like a lot of deep shots satan days.

That was that a focus in practice to kind of let it rip?

That just work out today. I mean, we've been trying to keep working, you know, somewhere downfield. Pass game just worked out today where the ball found its way down the field.

Tod with regard to the game, it looked like Devin Leary was really not taking shots.

Down the field. I'm not sure if they try open, they certainly didn't take many of the were they were far down the field up and we went to walk over where they were at the same page.

What do you do with that?

Well, we just never got really in a rhythm, you know. I mean he got in the game and we went straight three and outs. I mean, so that means three of his nine plays were third downs. Okay, throw in half of them are runs or somewhere in there. And we got sacked on a shot down the field. So you know, it's part of it. You know, it's easier to get the ball down the field, the better you get in a rhythm. You know, that's just part of it. We just didn't, you know, and that's we got to be better.

When you have a franchise quarterback and so much of the focus is on him, what do you then see as the most important functions of.

Your background life.

Well, first off, I mean, Josh does a tremendous job of being ready, consummate pro it twice been in the NFL for so long. I mean, he's he gets what we want to do. He has a great feel for where we are and where we need to get to. I think he's a great sounding board for Lamar and for us.

Come don you're you're one to year two of Demon. It's curious about at Dynamic ten years and thirty that sperience working at a three off for the first three.

Or second year.

How much change is throwing stuff out? You got it stuff in Dynamic in two guys, back to.

Two in terms of those plays and so well, you would hope it's only going to get better, and it has. You know, we've had a great off season, not only individually but systematically. Once you get into the year, it's hard to really tweak too much, you know, or assess it just week to week the next team you're playing.

He's systematically there's something in particularly like an example, need the guy that's the terms that change.

Oh, I don't know just how we do it, just just so we are on the same page. Probably how do we streamline it to where we're all on the same page. Players can anticipate calls, anticipate situations where we want to go abc D each week. What are our staples that we want to be able to get to and so eliminate as much of the guest work as you can, Right, does that make sense? Like that's just

Say I like virging guard and take his number of the first team reps now over a few days, what do you see from them and season against the story industry.

Well, he's only getting better, you know, there was you know, like any young player, there's some ups and downs, but it isn't for a lack of effort, intelligence, want to you know, toughness, athleticism. I think you're gonna be a really good player, you know, and you can see it every day. The improvement I feel likely has missed where so warm camp and he's coming off a really strong season.

What do you envision for his whole of this kind of stame.

Yes, he's had a great camp, a great off season. He was here the whole off season and he's embraced that part of it. You've actually seen some other things in his game, particularly in line that we've asked him to do. So we expect him to have a great year.

Last year.

Well, I mean it's I think like certainly you you want to have an offense as a nightmare to defend. I mean, I think that's what we're all trying to accomplish, right, an offense that you're capable of winning in a variety of ways. If you need to run it to win, you can run it to win. If you need to throw it to win, you can throw it to win. And uh, that's all we're fighting for, to be elite in all of those areas. And then the last part of it is are you leading situational football? Short yardage,

When there are always eyes on the lot pers or second letter. You guys just kind of juice up the number of screenplays last year? How how do you be successful in business?

Screen team?

And you can always do name.

Adadation, especially you know kind of pie with.

These little sc.

He's got to do it better.

I mean, we can scheme it.

Better, we can.

Prepare better in terms of how we want to do it formationlet who we want to get it to and then call it. Probably just didn't call it enough and didn't screen enough last year, didn't take the pressure off our old line enough.

What have you seen out of Keith Kirkwood and Anthony Miller two the kind of veterans that are.

Further down on the depturnal.

I like those guys, you know.

I mean, all Kirkwood has done is coming and do what we ask him to do, does a great job in the run game, has made some plays when given the opportunity on the field, and you can see why he's however, many years in the NFL.

Same with Miller.

You can see his explosiveness. You can see him getting in out of breaks, how important the game is. He enjoys playing the game.

Next up is defensive coordinator zach Or.

Talk so much about the other man, about the green dot and how not only were you giving him the plays and instruction, where hyping on on the personal Lane's the what's the balance as a coordinators there coming from the French position?

Job?

Where jobs the hip up those guys? Then how does that change the here places?

Yeah, I mean I think first and foremost, Trent did a great job with the green dot. I mean it was his first time with it. He hasn't really actually done it in practice, So I was I was very very pleased with how well.

He was able to get the call communicated to the defense.

And then as far as that goes, my personality is gonna show like I'm me so they got a couple of long drives and as they get going, I was like, come on, let's pick up, let's keep it going. Uh, let's get these guys off the field. So it was good that he felt that energy and he related to everybody else. But the balance is obviously first and foremost. I get him the call, but i'm'a i'm'a let my personality show as well.

What's the big there is.

What you've seen him correctly yours grow to being a living about Yeah.

Just just his his his understanding of the game, like his understanding the game. Like I said, it's always when you're a rookie. The NFL game is so much different than the college game. So it took a good year to understand it. He has a real good understanding of it. And the great thing I'm excited about him is he got a long way to go as far as what he's gonna be. He's already really good and he's gonna be even better the more the older he gets.

The more experience he gets. Well, Uh, we didn't get any substitutional errors, so I think that was good.

But I thought, I thought after he went smooth without the operation was smooth the coaches did a great job. Give me the personnel, Uh, give me good feedback. The communication was smooth between me and the person with the green dots. So I think it went good. And like I said, uh, we get great work at it every single day, like today, we had a couple of call up periods.

Uh.

So I felt real comfortable. I was real pleased that the operation went smooth throughout.

The whole game.

You learned something.

I could say, Uh not really honestly, wasn't really different man, Like, like it's crazy, I'm telling you. Coach Harball put a lot of stress on us, like with the play close. You see, we got play cloths going all the time, so you got your forced to make a call and then just going against our offense. They do tempo a lot, so you're forced to think on the fly and make

A lot of those think that they sack was like a pretty puts with you. Some ordinariors might think things a little bit of smilla. How did you kind of decide how to tell those a tweet try and stuff out and Alsodden shoving TI.

Yeah, I think we done something that that That blitz right there is something that we've run for a long time here. You know, we might have it out the vault, but it's something that we've done for a long time here. So obviously it's a preseason I think the benefit that we have is we got the element of surprise, so we're not gonna show much at all, you know, so what you see in the preseasons is not really what you're necessarily gonna see during the regular season.

Exact, you've got a chance to watch the film.

Obviously one of the things to sit out very efficient offense from the egles and stems of unfortunately being able to brind down first Now put on the other side, Ravens really stopped the wrong places after having a chance to see it. What were the big factors in stopping the wrong plays?

I mean, just guys communicating. You know, a lot of times exposed to plays happen for miscommunication. Somebody didn't get the call, somebody didn't get the right covered, so it's miscommunication. Now guys popping loose. So I thought a communication was really well and.

We got to keep that going.

So the more the more plays, the more supposed to plays you limit, the better you're gonna play on defense. Now, obviously we got some stuff we want to clean up in the run game. I think it's a good tape to watch. Stuff was moving a little fast. First game experience for us as a unit. But I think it's I think it's gonna go well. I think it's gonna get better and better.

Date, Wiggins had a great game preseason debut. Obviously going out later on, but earlier in his debut had a bunch of pass breakouts. Is that what you were expecting out of him to come out in the field and be that fast and make that many plays or were you even a little bit surprised by how active he was around the world.

Nah, that's what we expect, man.

I mean we've seen that his college tape, We've seen it out here throughout training camp. Now, I was a little surprised they went after him early so often. But one thing that you recognized we're early in pregame that like when the lights came on, he was ready, and that's that's one thing you want to see. So his confidence was through the roof even before the game started. So it was great to see Nate go out there

And do it. And I think that that's just real good for his confidence.

Trucksmissed yesterday, always snashed short the seeding for some of the snash with the clowny, I mean going missing games.

You see him playing more snaps this season, awesome.

Yeah, I mean, I think the disguise a limit for a DAFAE man like Doph has had a great training camp. It's the best training camp I've seen him have since we've been together. And uh, I do agree. Like stats are one thing, but when you cut on the film see you know QB pressures or just causing havoit him drawing a double team, getting pressure for somebody else or sack for somebody else, we count that as stats. As coaching staff that might not might not necessarily show up as a.

Stat in the stat sheet.

Uh yeah, we do expect Off to play even more and be even more disruptive and more explosive, and uh stat to go up because he is what he is he's the guy, you know what I mean, He's the guy. And like I said earlier, the better uh D f Oway is, the better the defense and the better his team's gonna be.

And I'm excited about this dude. He comes.

He comes every single day, locked in, focused, ready to work, and that's that's great to see. Like I mean, I'm really excited to see him when we get out there and really get going because he's got a different level of intensity exactly.

Extremely pretty up for you.

Do you think that's because you were already as an assistant then as the player.

I'm thinking about all of the fans, thinking about the whole field and had you doing nothing reps for the.

Job for years or yeah, I mean, you definitely do mental reps as a position coach, because that's one things we precher. You gott to prepare yourself for that, for the for the next opportunity, because you never know what's gonna happen.

But I think more the preparation came from being.

Out here in practicing camp, Like these call up peers that we do are invaluable here at practice man, So like I said, it made that transition smooth. I think the practices and the scrimmage that we did a couple of weeks ago really helped me out.

Kind of has a little scare and practice. Everybody's holding your breath. This is one day he's back out here, back to balls.

And going on.

Man, we was holding our breath. We was fortunate, thanking the Lord that it wasn't none serious.

It was some minor And.

That's just a testament to Kyle Halmlton like his toughness, has wanted his willing, willingness to be there for his teammates, his leadership.

And then I mean he's a heck of a player. So you guys saw that play he made to day. I mean that was ridiculous.

I'll be hard pressed to find somebody else in the lead that could make a play like that.

Now, we wish you to caught the ball. You know, he'll tell you that too, But it was a heck of a play. Man.

But call him to like we always been saying, he's one of one. We're glad he's part of our team.

There's a bunch you actually preparing the team for a preseason, kay, Do you actually stating team?

You guys play off with the offense prepense?

Yeah, we we we're gonna run our basic menu. Now, we'll show them a couple of plays, and we'll show them. We'll tell them to watch a game just so they get a feel for the guy. We don't want them to go in there blindsided. So you have idea of what plays they're possibly.

Going to run.

But it's no game plan deal where we're trying to a specifically stop this place and call this coverage or call this front, or call this blitz. We just gonna run our stuff because we really want to see these guys come out here and just execute and see how well they can play.

We don't want to really try to trick anybody here. In the preseason trend.

It's been sending nickel pressure, what about that play?

Maybe just for your team out just growth from the league wide is so successful about it when operated with.

The talent that you have here, man, I just think that is just it all. It all goes hand in hand.

It's just like eleven play working in one, working as one, so you present different looks, you can you can get protections to go certain ways, and then you get guys who could time up the blitz and can blit fast. So we tell our guys all the time. If if we're gonna send you on the blitz, you better hit it like your life depends on it, because it does. And we got a lot of guys who do that.

Just comes in and make up love brought in. What do you see him in broad camp? Bo Brad been great man.

I mean, he's a he's a locked in young guy. Especially I love to see that as a udf ah. We knew its talented coming from Maryland, and all he's done is come in to work. I know he had the injury in the spring, but ever since he's been back, he's continued to get better and better and better. And I'm really excited about him. I'm excited. I'm decided about him in the game. I'm excited about see what he's gonna do this week as well.

How much it's work clos.

I guess this John howaen coming off the leaves today, especially weird.

When he wasn't the story of camp.

I guess how does it kind of reject your expectations for what it can be?

Great man.

I'm excited about David A.

Jobo just from the standpoint of he's he's finally healthy enough to stat days of practice, and I think you see that from when he first started practicing to now, just he's getting better and better and better.

And we know what type of talent he is.

He's strong, he's big, he's athletic, he's uh, he's fast, he's mean.

Everything we look for in the outside linebackers and all it all, it all it.

All he needed to do was just get the reps, and he's getting these great reps out here. So I'm really excited about him. He continue on the path he's going. He stays locked in, he keeps working like he's working and God willing, he stays healthy. He's gonna have a great year for us.

Two guys and unquote lean him over that snaps Joe Evans and c J.

Ravend Allen.

This is a tact I think, Yeah, Joe, that's part of the preseason.

Man. Sometimes you're gonna ask guys to play positions that they normally don't play or play a lot of snaps. And I'm so proud of Joe and CJ. Obviously, CJ he played out of position. He played outside linebacker the whole game for us. He's an interior D lineman, and he did a hell of a job.

Same with Joe.

Joe played I think sixty eight snaps out of the however had seventy eight or something like that. He didn't batter eye. And that's type of guys we like. Man, those guys play like a raven and that's what we look for. Guys who can go out there, do the dirty work, do what's asked of them, and give it all. They give it everything they got. That's what those two guys did that. So I'm excited about him. I know the Vets are excited about him, and what they did doesn't go forgotten.

We got coach Harboy yesterday.

Gargaria squad did think up a really good camp.

Great day to day when you've seen a's been.

I mean, shoot, Ad was great for us last year before he got hurt, and he's continue to get better and better and better. He's like I mean, he played all over the secondary and he's a scrappy guy. He's explosive, he's a takeaway machine. I mean, I could I could sit up here and talk to you all day about Ad.

Like we love him.

I mean, it's great to see him healthy, great to see him having a great camp. He's gonna do great things for us this year.

And lastly we heard from special teams coordinator Chris Horton.

Good to see everyone today. Hopeful all you guys are doing well. Just a quick little recap from the game. You know, I thought I thought Jordan Stout had a really really good night Friday. He punted the ball, He punted the ball out standing. I thought Tuck was Tuck was solid. And I was really pleased to see Nick Moore coming back, you know, after a year being off and just really just doing uh what he's done and just being able to get back out there and get

He had three returns and recovered itself the dynamic with pleas learn from that league.

You know, I think it's one of just from the coverage standpoint, we let that one get out on us. You know, it just goes back to lanes and leverages and fit to play kind of how we need to fit the play. I think the style of play really fits the kind of what we do. It's a physical play. I think we got a physical football team. I think we play special teams the right way with physicality and effort.

So I think we'll be good there.

Uh In the return game, I think it's gonna come down to again how well we block and you know, and how well we stop those guys from like penetrating down the field and stopping our returns. I thought our young returners came out, uh ran the ball well, ran the ball downhill. And as we continue to go throughout this thing, we'll continue to develop, will continue to introduce more schemes.

Disagreeing with the officials, Didcucker actually today?

Oh this one? I actually I have no idea. I'm gonna go back and watch the tape and find out.

Scout he's still relatively early. Perry, what did you see from him?

You know, it's it's the things we saw from him, throughout his college career. We know the kids got a strong leg. He can he can bomb the ball, and we just got to really allow him to be himself and go out there and just find that consistency.

Uh.

We want him to be the player that we saw that we drafted uh in the fourth round. And I think he's coming along well. Randy and Sam are doing a great job with him out here. Uh, just dialing in the little details him uh, just maybe walking the right lines and those things. But as long as he continues to do that, I think he's gonna have a heck of a year.

That's how you guys want to potentially his.

Uh, you know, I think that's something that we will consider as we continue to move forward.

He can't he can't kick off. He has done that.

Randy and I we talk about this all the time. It's just a matter of when we want to give him that opportunity. Do I have a chance to put him out there. I think I think we'll get him out there at some point and just kind of see where he is.

Uh.

You know, haven't really haven't decided much how much we want to get him out there, because I know what he can do as a returner, but I definitely think we will see him at some point.

From a directional standpoint.

For Georgia Stown, we saw him booms and Kits Stadium high blasts there.

You know, great distance of a directional some of the things in stanfold group to the table in terms of trying to beat that return then for right.

You know, that's I think that's one of the biggest things we focus on a lot here is we really try to get that ball a directional punt. We want that ball numbers are wide or really you're cutting off a thirty to Fiel, not giving that returner anywhere to go. So I think as we continue to develop him, he's a guy that can do it. We just got to again find that consistency and those are the things that we're working on on.

Phield three.

Down with that sticker in the game, but before that, he was oftentimes the first man down the field on his cover teams. Is that something that you guys saw in his college tape his ability on special teams, or is that something you.

Feel like you've developed this summer. That's one thing we saw from Sanoosie.

Uh.

This guy when you watch his tape, he's a physical player. He plays with a lot of effort. He's a high energy player, and I think we saw those things on Friday night. This is again, it's a it's a young guy that just he loves football and he's gonna continue to get better as we as we move forward.

Again, he's one of the young guys that I'm talking about. He had a really good night.

You know, those open field tackles aren't the easiest tackles in football, and he went down there and he got them done.

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