Welcome into the Ravens Presspass podcast. It is Tuesday, July thirtieth. The Raves continued training camp today and after practice we had a chance to hear from quarterbacks coach T Martin.
To see Lamar back and healthy.
I was good just having his presence in the meetings, in the meeting room and on the field. You know, he brings a certain energy, competitiveness and overall talent and the things that we've been doing. You know, it was good just get him back out. See the retention because I knew once he came back we could start getting some consistency in terms of his growth and reps and things of that nature that we need in training camp. But it's been great.
See there's been obviously a lot of offseason talk about all the priest snap adjustments and more of that going on Lamar's place this year.
How have you seen him improve?
What have you seen on the field in that regard?
Well, it's just what we do at this point. You know. Last year it was the conversation about it in terms of it being new, new system, new responsibility, these things of that nature. It's just how we play the game. Now. It's kind of just a part of who he is and how he talks and how he sees the game
from that perspective. And so, uh, second year in the system, we've added some things and we've trimmed the fat a little bit and some things that we tried tinkered with but then major in and so we're streamlinings for for him and and for our offense in general. And so second year in it, he's doing a heck of a job of it. Picked off, picked up where he left off, and it's been looking good.
He talked yesterday about how he likes the fact that the defense is in there getting a little bit and talking trash all over. And you you played the position, I mean, did you like that in the summer, that's having that sense of competitiveness in the building, And do you like seeing it now?
Yeah?
I was a little bit like Lamar. I like to talk a little trash, you know, because you had a ball in your hand and you can do something about it, right, And so he's like that, he's got he's been here, it's seven year seven and a lot of teammates he's played with for a while. You know, sometimes you don't know if they're serious or not, but they are all teammates and they love each other at the end. So I like that kind of get the juices flowing a little bit doing practice.
See as good as lamar as I know, he strives to be even better. Is there something with his game individually that you guys are focusing on in terms.
Something in the Yeah, we like to address everything. You know, it's not it's not a rep that goes by that there aren't teachable moments, and there aren't questions to be asked and answers to to find and and and answer the questions. And and that's how he sees the game, whether it's the run game, whether it's the passing game. We watch individual drills, we watch pretty much everything that we put on tape. We watch it and we learn
from it. And Uh, that's just the humbleness in him and him understanding that, Uh he's trying to get somewhere as a talent. You know, you're trying to get somewhere as a teammate. You're trying to get somewhere as a quarterback. And so I respect that. And every day we go to work team.
The Todds and say and talked about, you know, trying to get more explosures plays and all from a quarterback perspectives, like what can you do with jamar?
The kind of that part, Yeah, a lot of that is uh by game planning and play design. You know, where you're trying to create and manufacture uh exposed to plays. The other parts of it in terms of a Lamar extending plays or UH receivers making plays on the ball when his man the man getting open him making accurate throws. All that stuff is comes together in terms of the end result in terms of making exposed to plays. But you don't, you don't. It's it's like a hitter in baseball.
You don't step into the plate and step into the box saying I'm gonna hit the horme run every time. You know, you just wanna put the battle on the ball, and sometimes it is a home run. And so uh we we we get the ball in our hands and we're gonna play the system. We're gonna play the play out and if the end result isn't exposed to play,
that's what we're gonna achieve. And then there are times two minute clock running, you're down by seven, blah blah blah, where you may be a little bit more aggressive in your approach. But uh, that's kind of how we see it. Uh, for all you baseball fans here see.
Often oftentimes can have seen deep shots taken. It seems like when they miss, it's often too deep. You know that Lamar over there's a little bit as a coach, how do you coach him on that? Is that him trying to be a little too perfect and put it in a bucket?
Or what do you say to him move.
Regards that, I don't say anything. You got you gotta let it rip. I mean, you can't get into the head of the thrower. You just can't. You know, it's you know, you just can't. You know, you just keep getting reps with those people. And so many things are variables there. Did he get moved off his spot in the pocket?
You know?
Was it a clean release?
Uh?
The position of the dB, so on and so forth. So you don't make any excuses. You just go at it again. Just keep trying until you get perfection. And that's what we're all trying to reach his perfection here and that's what we're doing. That's what training camps is about, That's what the whole season. You never you never peak, you know, until your last rep of that season. So but we're always chasing that.
Specifically, like with regard to Batement on some of those long throws, because if he.
Was overthrown in at certain times, whereas if compared them to say Obj, you seem like Lamar almost had a respect for Obj and expectation that OBJ.
Would go up and get them all. And that's the situation.
Do you feel like that's anything you can have a discussion abound or that that Lamartine.
Fent through if it's a trust.
But we looked at all of them. We looked at how were we missing until your point in terms of missing long what was it? You know, there's a lot of different things that caused that. So we addressed that, We worked on it doing off season, Gonna continue to work on the here, uh, but not in specific to the person, you know, because it's just it doesn't always in our minds come down to you're missing a certain guy. You know, you're just trying to address to throw itself.
You know, everybody's different. You know, every receiver gets a certain amount of separation different They all have different skill sets in terms of making players on the ball, jumping ability, hand streight, so on and so forth, and you gotta know who you're throwing to and who can make certain type players on the ball, and that affects how you throw the ball, how you place the ball, how much air you put on the ball, so on and so forth.
So there's a lot involved in that. But no, we don't just say, hey, when you throw to this guy is different than that guy. You don't have time to do that, you know, when you're getting rush by d line and it's trying to get the ball out those lines, you know, yep.
I'm sorry along those lines with the deep shots, I don't know, just to think of a quarterback like Russell Wilson. You know, do you think of Russell Wilson deep shot? It's it's kind of a moon ball, thinks. How much does trajectory matter of whom when you're talking about like those thirty forty fifty yards passes through the air, And then it's what is the kind of conversation with them?
More about maybe how you tinker your actual emotion trajectory to be accurate and also not compromise who you are as a pastor.
It's all based on separation and safety location. You know, you have a safety that's very close to playing, making them player on the past, you don't have much air on it, you know, if it's if it's a clean release, safety is on the other half, so he's not on that side of the field. You may have more time to put more air on the ball. But at the end of the day, it's just about ball placement, timing, separation from the receiver. It's a lot combined in that,
and that's just always chasing. It's it's no one thing that you can say. It's no one way to throw a deep ball.
You know.
I through a lot of them myself, and all of them were different. All of them, you know, are based on the things I just mentioned, and you just want to keep working to where you can get as many of those variables out of the way as you can to where you can diagnose it, all right, And that's what training camp in the preseason is all about.
Talked about how the vision for the best quarterback effort. I know that's not something you probably talk about every game, but okay, all right, okay, what are what are the conversations like in the in the quarterback groove into that regard.
Man from day one? Since I ever saw him play on TV and college. You know, I thought that about him and have an opportunity to coach him, you know, you know, I'm a father. And it's like, when you see something there young people, you tell them and when you see greatness, you tell them you own it. You want them to believe in themselves. You believe in them. You want them to know that you believe in them. And and that's that's what we're working for. And so no,
we don't shy away from from that statement. We don't shy away from those type of expectations because if you're not trying to be the best, and what are you trying to be?
You know?
And so last year about once a week we talk about championship quarterbacks. It's the thing that we kind of do once a week, and we talked about the characteristics of 'em and we talk about what is important that week going into that game. And every week there's an element of it about him being the greatest and about him showing up and showing out like we like to say in the quarterback room. And so but no, I
see that in him. I believe that truly as his coach and before I was his coach as a fan of his and after I'm not his coach again, back of fan again. So uh, that's how I think about Lamar.
We Els.
Heard from offensive coordinator Todd Munkett year, have from.
Them, and are you comfortable this year?
Sure? I mean it's.
Every year, everybody, every year that we're together as a staff and the players, you're going to be more comfortable.
You just are.
The terminology is the same, systems, the same improved like every year, you're going to work on it. So there ought to be a comfort level of that.
And we're not.
I don't want to say this, you're not building a house like we built it last year. Now, it's like you've moved in and you're just fixing a few rooms, if that makes sense. Like it's a lot easier when you're fixing a few rooms and you're building the whole house. Easy to build on that way.
Your best tight ends.
Andrew's likely how peys are trying to do their work of guys we feel at the same time, so would love to. I mean, obviously trying to get your best playmakers on the field. And there are two of them. You know, those two guys are unique weapons. So we got to do a great job being creative getting them on the field and finding a way to utilize because their skill sets are similar, but they're different. You know,
they're still built a little bit different. But we love both of them and that showed last year, you know, when Mark went down, they came on, and having them both together will be great aggressively.
The defense is played during the camp.
Do you find it useful for you guys to get reps against style?
Oh yeah, sure, No, it's it was great last year and it is this year. One, we do a great job defensively schematically. Two is they do a great job of challenging all of your rules and then they do it with tremendous personnel. That makes it very very difficult, but good for us in terms of development, right especially upfront where you're trying to see, you know, who's going to merge in certain spots for us. So it's been great, you know, at times it's been difficult, been frustrating, but
it's great. I mean, it's it's something you want to be able to go against of every day.
Last year, one.
Hundred and ten organs as I can win up for the tight ends one ninety.
Five year or why you weren't here for that.
But can you convince this titan who easily the less is more?
And how do you account for the enormous uptake and per target productive or in any.
That some of that is because of the uptick we had at receiver. I think that's going to be a part of it. When you're better at receiver, right, the targets go somewhere. That's one part of it. The other part is late in games, when you're winning, you're running the football right and you're not throwing it nearly as much, so some of those come into play. But I and at times I really don't control where the ball goes. Times I do, but a lot of times the defense
controls that. Are personnel control it and who we're playing. But to say that I'm throwing the tight ends, that's not what you're insinuating. We're gonna want to throw it to them. But there's reasons why that occurs. The other was there was a certain time of the year where we didn't have both right where now you're only there's one of them. So that's a part of it. We
love those guys, want them every opportunity. You know, Mark, last year probably didn't have as many targets as he wanted, but he had touchdowns.
Right, we got them the ball in the red zone, which help.
So obviously finding the way to get him the ball and Zay the ball more is a huge part of what we'll obviously that we need to moving forward.
Ah John talked about this offense is involved in the year two here with you. Is there an element of this offense that you are you know, emphasizing more this year or that you'd like to see them really build upon from last year.
Well, there's a lot to build on and there's a lot to get better at a lot of things that we worked on the off season, Like any off season is like how do we stream like the streamline this, how do we make this to where we feel like we have the answers you know, moving forward collectively and that the players know that. That's probably as much as
anything is. All right, you're in a meeting, Okay, we're doing X y Z Y, and that they can say it back right, say that's exactly why we're doing X Y Z. That's critically important to anticipate calls, anticipate what we're gonna do against a certain defense in those things.
But it's been great.
The off season was great, and our guys being here in this offseason, it's been a great start.
Maybe specifically, you know, you guys dominant personal grouping last year was eleven. It wasn't as efficient as you guys were on the group reach. Maybe what did you kind of learn from how you guys did with eleven last year? And you know, maybe what are kind of something to takeaways.
For this year?
Yeah, it's you look back and you see, okay, in our bigger personnel groups, what what does that allow us to do? Sometimes run the ball more efficiently, not always, but also lends itself to explosive plays. You're gonna get some of that, especially if you put pad them field or if you get bigger that way. And we've got tremendous receiving targets at tight end, which does add to that group.
But we certainly do have to.
Become more proficient throwing the football out of zebra or eleven personnel.
Gotcha?
This is that competition for their starting jobs and offensive line because anybody starts separating themselves.
I wouldn't say yet.
I think some guys have stepped forward still too early in camp to say that, but I like our group.
That's why you draft.
I said that, that's why you draft, and that's why you develop, you know, I mean there is a salary cap, there is issues you're going to have in terms of your players. So it's like, that's why you do a great job as an organization does of drafting players and developing them. So when this time comes when you have to make tough decisions, you've got guys ready to go and able to.
Compete for those spots, which we do.
We've got a good number of guys excited about it.
Kind Of along those lines, We've talked to John of Goot kind of when is the ideal time to have your offensive line you're starting that's set. Do you feel like you need a certain number of weeks to have that sort of chemistry building between those five.
Guys or is it?
Is it fluid?
How do you okay? First off, would you prefer to already have it set? Of course?
Would you prefer to have every position set? Yes, there is no no assigned data when we have to have it, If that makes sense, I mean, we prefer that it's the same eleven every position we're going to play. These guys right, that way we build that connuity. But it's our job as coaches to utilize the personnel were we have and keep finding who that may who may emerge, and when that happens, then we will end up in a position to where we can say, all right, here's
our left guard. Okay, here's our right guard, here's our right tackle.
All of that Derick.
Henry in your offense?
How much does that give you the creative time of the whiteboard to think, Okay, what can we do now that we haven't that we didn't maybe do it the past.
Yeah, Well, first of all, we're excited to's hack to have Derek.
Okay, there are things that he does and his skill set that allows you to not maybe from a creative standpoint, but maybe a little bit differently maybe certain ways that you want to run the football, utilize his skill set, utilize his speed and maybe getting him on the perimeter, you know, where he can really get that speed and get running downhill.
So that's exciting, that really is so those lines.
Derrick Henry, He's primarily used as a running back that runs out of under center formations. You use a versatility of multiple options in shotgun. How much have you discovered from his abilities to be able to run out of that formation and what's kind of been the creative ideas there, how's that flowing?
Well?
Early on, we've been doing we have been doing what we do in installing and rotating the running backs so we can see it.
What we saw on tape, what he's.
Done in the past is a reflection of what we anticipate, but we'd like to see it right. Let's see it play out from a receiving end, from a running end type of run schemes. So we're just in the process of seeing it all develop and talking to him what he likes, you know, and where we go as an offense.
A sense yet with Derek how good he is in the mesh, I know probably did not run nearly as much as you would here in Tennessee. But for late polls from Lamar that've been very efective obviously or his career have gad a sense for.
That yet do not have not seen that enough? It hasn't hasn't come up nearly enough. I don't anticipate it being a problem with reps usually isn't a problem as long as you have put in the time to make sure that it can still be a weapon for you. Obviously, Lamar is always a weapon for us.
With the speed that you guys have an offense, do you have an expectations yet for maybe how your depassing game could look and also how defensive will kind of defense you guys?
Well, you're right, I mean we could certainly. We were certainly efficient in a lot of ways last year. Certainly we can be more explosive twenty yard plays down the field. Some of that is we were winning games at the end, but another is how do we get the ball pushed down the field. Some of that's catch and run. I mean, Jay is one of those guys, our tight ends of those guys. We've got to get Bait more involved. We got to be able to get the ball down the
field more to him and Zay all good points. We do have to be able to be more explosive, and we do have plenty of speed.
Now, we just got to be able to utilize it. Scheme it so that we know.
It's been a big emphasis getting Rashan baby more involved this year. Lamarms time and to start a camp. Baban wasn't able to be there today. Is it tough to kind of get that chemistry going. When it seems like there aren't together a lot.
Well again, I'll revert back to the same in terms of would you love them to be out there every day of course, right and developing that, But I don't know when that starter then to end is. But every day they're they're together, we're going to get better, right, They're going to continue to grow as a dual, right, and you could see that when Rashad was out there and Lamar's out there. I anticipate that to come pretty easily, you know, pretty fluidly because they've been here together now
three years. You know now some things that Rashad couldn't couldn't control, right, So we'll continue to build that and grow with it. And I think up until last couple of days, you know, Shad's had a really good camp, really good offseason.
Next up is defensive coordinator Zach Orr.
Excitement about your promotion within the building and just immediate coverage Joe as always be the first time play caller and doing it up here in training came off season programs.
Just what's your comfortability level and things growing.
I'm getting comfortable every single day, like I said, Man coach Harbord does a great job of putting us in like real life game situations, So you have to think on the fly, you have to be prepared, have to have your call sheet ready, you have to think a step ahead, and you know, combination of that and then going against our offense, going against Monk and Lamar mark Ze both Zays. I mean, I could name a lot of people with our offense. Going against those guys make
it even that much more challenging. But it's preparing me for the moment and I feel more comfortable every single day with that. Another thing is like the coaching staff that we have helps prepare me on defense. Man, Like those guys are great coaches, great human So it's not just me by myself. I'm leaning on those guys, and those guys helped me out along the way.
Seventeen interception slash kids are in the players to high level so quickly in best can.
I think it's just man the players taking ownership. Man, I mean they they came in, locked in, ready to roll, man to say God here for camp. And one of the main things we talk about on defens is trying to eliminate explosiveness. Explosive players from the offense and taking the ball away. The ball is the most important thing in the game of football. On our job as the defense is to take it away and guys to take your ownership of that, and they've really been focusing on
doing that. So it's been a pleasure seeing those guys attack the ball and catch the football and come away with some interceptions.
Zach Lamarin talked yesterday about how he feels like this could be a vintage Raven's defense. I mean that, you know, the talking, the hitting even in practice.
I mean, have you.
Liked that tone that's been set so far in Do you ever have to ask individual guys to even develop back a little bit in camp?
I mean, man, we got a lot of competitive guys on both sides of the football. I mean, obviously I'm with the defensive guys a lot more. Those guys are real competitive. I mean, and it starts with our leaders on defense. You know, we have a lot of those guys.
But nah, I don't. I mean, I do kind of have to tell my tone down a little bit, But I mean I like those guys being real competitive, but we're taking care of each other, and Lamar and the offense, they get those guys going, you know, by competing at a high level and talking trash. So it's good man, it's iron sharp and iron. We talked about the aut of time and our offense is one of the best offices in the league. We got the ran of MVP
at quarterbacks. So it's good work and it's a challenge every single day, and I think both sides of the ball look forward to the challenge that practice of competing against.
Each others has a speed and of talent to take chances to make plays.
Uh what do you say them?
I guess being a good.
Balance between taking chances and not needing yourself on.
Oh man, Yeah, Nate, he's a heck of football player's instinctive players, so you don't wanna take that away from him, but you just continue, just try to tell him to play within the system, which he does. Have great eyes, play with great technique, which he's coming out here working at every single day, and the players will come to you like that. He has natural ability, so he's gonna make his fair share of plays by just doing his job, which which he's done out here so far. At camp.
It looks like Trent since to just enjoyed putting on the pads. What have you seen out of the the intensity of his play with ads coming on.
Man, Trent to intense guy, which we love.
We love it.
I mean, I think Isaiah likely told me the other day he was like, Man, tell Trent to smile out there on the field. I was like, hey, man, that's how you roll. That's how he roll. But Trent, that's why we loved him when he came out out of Clemson. I mean, he's a he's a real physical player, and
it's great to see that. We knew that last year he came in as a rookie being real physical, and he's continued that and up that he's gotten bigger, stronger, more explosive, which he's displaying, which we're happy with.
In what specific ways do you think, Travis Jones, what'll take significant sums forward this year?
Man?
I think in all of his game, man, I mean, him just having more football awareness, just becoming a better student of the game, understanding. You know, when you when you were first second year a player, you know a
lot of stuff is still new to you. But now him going into his third year, he's seen most of the runs game, most of the past protections and I mean he's in here every single day working his butt off in the classroom and in the weight room, and I think you're gonna see a big jump in his game in a run game and in the past game.
Rookie players all the speed shift from training camp to preach season and that helps you get rid of your first regular season.
Are you anticipating the same thing as a coordinator in your first year, using preseason to really.
Hit your feet under you.
Oh, definitely, that's what That's what I think the preseason's for. It's not just for you know, as a player, obviously I focused on you know, it helped me out as a player, but as a coach, even when I was a position coach, it just kind of gave you a practice run of how it's gonna really work on game day. So it's gonna be good work. We're excited for it and I'm excited for the challenge.
Michael here's just talking a.
Little bit about playing with you.
What is it like to now coach him and is his story at all something that he used.
To is the rest of him? Oh?
Definitely, Man, I love coaching Mike P because Mike P. I mean, he comes to work every day. He's very very wide shares his wisdom with the young guys. When Mike speaks, everybody listens. And he's still playing at a very high level. So I'm glad he's here with us.
I'm glad he's on our team and on defense, and definitely you can use his story to show guys like it doesn't matter where you start, doesn't matter what you do when you get here, and it matters if you show up every single day and do your job and continue to get better. And Mike p I remember when he first came in and I was like, Man, where's this guy from. He's from Sandford, and he just took
it to a whole another level. I still remember that New Orleans Saints preseason game where he went just crazy and he made the team. And then the first week of the season he was lined up in front of me and he's been rolling ever since. So I'm real happy that Mike's back a Raven and he's doing a heck of a job out here.
The Ravens announcement he came went to I R just as we're about the practice field, we haven't seen ads Isaac out here is outside linebacker depth becoming a little thin for you guys, is that.
A concern for you?
I think, you know, I think obviously you losing Ham was tough man. Our prayers are with him, so you know, we're still excited about it, Lisa. You know, hopefully we get him back soon. But I think we got guys that that can help carry the load until til Desa gets back. I mean, you got Malik Harrison who've been
training there. He's doing a heck of a job at the outside line recomposition along with you know, Dafe, Kyle Van Noyd, a, Jabo t Rob So definitely, you know, you'd like to have another guy since since Ham went down, But those guys are competing and doing a good job.
Talk about Trenton Simpson not smiling on the field, yeah, look at him and off the field he's like misplayed nicest guy. Rokwan very similar, super intense. I mean, the inside line to you, yourself and your career, what is it is that abnormal for an inside linebacker be able to flip the switch and be some of the nicest guys on the team.
I think you just understand at that position really as as a football player. But I think specifically at that position, you know, you have to have a different type of mindset when you step on that field. You have to be you have to be mean, you have to be tough, you have to be physical. So if you're gonna play middle linebacker, you know, when you step between those white lines, it gets real, real fast, so you gotta be ready.
So I think that's where the intensity comes from at that position, especially with Rokwan and Trent.
How much do you rely on Roquan to kind of be your eyes and yours and voice at the center of everything on the field.
I rely on them a lot because obviously he's a heck of a player, heck of a guy. He's a heck of a student of the game. He knows ball, and he's seen and played a lot of ball. So as a coach, you always like to see how the player sees it from the field view, because you know, as a coach, easy when you're in the classroom or on the on the whiteboard and you're like, let's do it this way, or they're doing this, they're doing that, but the players might see it differently when they're on
the field. So I definitely rely on on guys like ro kwand to beat my eyes on the field and let me know what he's seeing and you know, come to a solution, the best uh to do the best job we can do, exactly.
Your own.
I'll be on the field, yes, sir, Yeah, that's my preference.
What do you see or feel better on the field than you wouldn't.
Do just to get just to eliminate the lag time of you know, getting on the phone, getting that instant communication and just getting a chance to see how the guys are really feeling, you know, emotionally and you know, just get that that that real time reaction with them.
Exact Uh think you've played in college for uh the NCATE football video games B going away. Yeah, I guess the kind of a strange question, what is your relationship with that game and what's it been like seeing it come back and you see guys kind of embrasive way.
That they have.
Man, that was my favorite video game growing up, and I tell people all the time, I was the last one that was I was part of the last video game before it came out on NCAA fourteen, and I was an impact player and I was the highest rated player at my school. So I let them so I let those guys know that for sure. But I'm glad that the game is back. Man, it's a fun video game. I have a six year old son now who enjoys it and he plays. He likes the mascots and the
band playing in the background. So I'm excited that the game is is back. Haven't had a chance to play it as much as I, you know, probably would like to. But I'm glad it's back. Oh yeah, for sure.
Definitely.
That's the only school right there. Oh no, I don't think I was that good.
I don't think I was that good.
And lastly, today we heard from a special teams coordinator, Chris Horton.
Good to see everyone today. I hope you guys are doing well. What questions you got from me?
So?
Because again the kickoff and then kickoff, the actually not starting until the to re turn catching off the I mean, how difficult that being should also kind of look at knowing what you're going ahead and stricker a tip.
Guys that know you.
But also that's maybe a difficulty consist to differ, you know what.
I what I think from the kickoff standpoint of just giving those guys an opportunity, it's kind of why we kind of why we shoot the ball uh in a sense, and then wait for that ball to be caught and we just try to time that thing up and just and as we as the refs start to join the practice, we start to see, okay, how much leeway we are. Are we truly gonna get uh kind of timing that ball up? But I don't think it's gonna be It's
gonna be difficult. And once that ball is caught, we are going and we get down the field, we cover the kick. I think the thing that's gonna be different will be the angles of how we get to that ball because we're so spread out and we're in a short area amount of field, you know, normal when we run down the field, we reduce the spacing and we close off the lanes. But that's gonna change a little bit for us right now. So we're just trying to
figure that stuff out. I think the guys are having fun doing it, and as we go, I think we'll continue to get better.
It seems like the return team maybe has some signaling issues because their back is to the hatch.
That's me is there is there anybody will be responsible for signaling to investigate up the team that they that with the line at the lion, that they have the hole that the balls call on here where the ball is going.
Oh, I think that's gonna be That's gonna be done two different ways. In my opinion, I'm leaving it up to the player, like, let's figure out what works best for the player.
We have time.
We have time to get a feel for Okay, where's the returner standing, where's he going? If we want to get a true jump, probably it might be better to be staring at the returner. But if guys can't do that and they want to see the cover guy, then just go off the cover guy's movement. If he's late, then I'm gonna be late and the guy that I'm blocking it won't really matter.
You guys gonna have actual NFL officiating through out here at some point this summer said help you and let you know how certain things are gonna be.
Called correct Jeff, I think they'll be at some point. Well, we'll have NFL officials out here. And once we get those guys out here, you know, we're gonna just keep trying things, putting things out there just so we can get a good understanding of the play and how they are gonna officiate it.
Do you feel like players are gonna be still getting a feel for throughout hero Pot regular season or do you feel like training camp in the three verse such games?
Is it enough to get some.
Comfort level later?
I think as we move forward, you know, I don't know how comfortable we're gonna be, but I think we're gonna have a pretty good idea of what we want to do and kind of really lay a foundation. Now, those things could change as the season goes on, but I think early on we'll have a pretty good idea of who we want to be, who we are as a cover unit, what we do as a return unit.
Will probably feel pretty good about it.
But again, that's those things are gonna continue to tweak as we as we move forward, change how much.
You campaign for the officer structor levels up there.
What will Wolves be with this new formation?
What do you want to cover?
You know, I think you're gonna I don't really know. I don't really know yet because we haven't played a game, right, so until we play a game, until we see what's happening. But just like I've said this before, the roster is gonna be structured the way the rosters. The roster is gonna be structured, right, however that shakes out, We're gonna
put the best, the best eleven guys out there. That's gonna help us because there is other phases that have to be played outside of the kickoff kickoff return play. We're still gonna have to cover punts and we're still gonna need to be good on punt return and that that might take a different body type player. So we're gonna have to maybe give and take a little bit of where we truly want to take from.
The league.
You know, you kind of you kind of talk to guys here and there, but during during this time, at this point, it's like, all right, let's figure this thing out. And then as the film starts to come in from across the league with the preseason games, you'll kind of have an idea of what some other people are doing.
I honestly, I'm not I'm not sure yet. I think every I think everyone's gonna have a base way that they operate, and then as they see kind of how these things shake out in the preseason games, I think they'll they'll start to adjust a little bit. So I think I think you'll see some different things.
From week to week.
Were you surprised too.
I don't know necessarily know if I was surprised by that, because I still think that, like and I said this before, if kickoff and kickoff return plays, you gotta find you gotta figure out, okay, what works best, what's the right schemes, And then if the kickoff team has a breakdown, there's still ways that you can cover kicks in this system and be effective. There's still ways that you can get returns and be effective. But I'm not sure you know
how you're gonna score here or there. It'll just I think it will naturally happen as as the play develops.
Another the first game.
Is that getting kind of.
You know, I think most special teams coaches are gonna be glued to the glue into that game. It's kind of see, okay, what's what's happening on either side? You know, how are they playing? And you just you just hope going into you know, the teams put the ball in play, they play the play, so you could actually get a good feel for, you know, what's gonna happen. So we do have some more film to study in our league with our players.
How much work goes into letting the players know the new rules, the touch backs, so that they make the right to seasons as opposed to the seasons they probably had their whole career.
We talk about that every every time we have a kickoff, kickoff return practice, we talk about the rules, how how is it how they change fielding the ball? Right, every ball is a live ball now, so you have to down those those balls and that that's gonna be that's gonna be new to a lot of college returners who their last four or five years, how many every years they spent in college.
That ball hits the ground, rolls into the end zone untouched.
That's a touchback. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if some young guy just just tries to walk away from the ball. But that shouldn't happen here, because that's one thing. That's one thing we talk about a lot, and you know, just kind of ingraining those guys. That's why we shoot the ball every practice. I used to blow a whistle a lot when I wanted guys to go. Now it's like, hey man, we go on the ball. Because everything is gonna be based on balling the landing zone, ball being caught.
That's your that's your key.
Now it's not, it's not my whistle in practice anymore. I mean, he's he's exactly who I thought he was. I mean, this guy just watching him on tape, seeing him across the league. He's a phenomenal return and I can't, you know, wait to get let's get him going.
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