Ravens OTAs Week 2 Press Conferences

Welcome in the Ravens press past. We are in week two of Ravens OTAs. Today we heard from quarterbacks coach t Martin, new wide receivers coach Greg Lewis, as well as tight end Mark Andrews and linebacker Patrick Queen. Let's jump right into this press converfass Patrick.

What's your mindset going into this year?

Obviously year four for you contract year, but you found a way to get better and better each year.

What's kind of your focus.

On the year, Just playing playing my style of football. I think I'd have figured that out the last back out of the season last year, So I think at this point it's just me going out there and playing football. It's no more building into no more can't he take the leave? It's just me playing my style of football.

It's kind of your reaction to one you learned back peop weren't kicking.

Out the fifty year offs. It's a blessing in disguise, really, you know, you see guys go both sides of it and get paid either way. And at the end of the day, I'm just focused on being the best teammate that could be, being the best player that I could be. In just going out there and improving myself, going out there and playing a game that I love to play at a high level. I don't forget after that, you don't have no one has to be here right now.

But after that, especially in really it happens.

What makes you lean in and work harder versus distancing yourself to be happening.

Just trying to get better. Uh, obviously requined, it's it's here now again the uh off season with us, So just trying to build that chemistry and then trying to learn Mike more, trying to learn the defense more. Tryna, you know, all all of us just get on the same page. That's my main focus right now. Yeah.

Yeah, was that hard to do mentally? Just after note and you're y I you know, you see the social media stuff, take away the the Ravens logos and whatnot. But so, I mean there's an emotional attachment to that, right and then it's about to be here in the buy Ina That tak me just like, what's that journey?

Like?

I think that's anything in life you go through emotion sane. Uh, at the end of the day, Uh, it may take some all the some others longer take it over and I just uh, I just had many talks from many people and different outlooks on it, and uh, I just came the realization that everything is not a bad thing. And uh the front office talk to them a little bit, and just they keep me around, didn't let me know where it really was and how they feel and stuff. So at the end of the day, you know, this

You got to take you touched on it.

Put an opportunity to go through a full pre season and a full season was real qun. I mean both you guys seem to bring the best out of each other last year. How much you're looking forward to having a full year with it?

Yeah, uh I can I can't wait. Uh it's just tho us two guys is just uh I actually put us as the best linebacker do or no discussion about it. Uh if you turn on the tape and you will see it. So at the end of the day, we get a full off season to go with each other. Now, full train and count full whole season. So now we just we just gotta build a chemistry.

I mean mostly don't mind about uh.

Uh, you know you on the scale.

And either way, what's your idea of playing a way for this year?

And what do you like right now?

It's so you go.

Uh, I think this year I should stay around two thirty.

Uh.

Last last year I was in between two forty, two forty five and stuff. So uh I think this year two thirty, I'll be in a lot lot better shape, uh, be able to finish games a lot better than I did last year.

Is that just because you're playing not I don't like anymore?

You can kind of play a little Uh. I think it's just whatever you're comfortable with.

Uh.

Uh, they're not too too strict Onna wait here. They just whatever you could play at and you're good at and you're in shape, that's what they let you roll with. But I feel like best for me is just being a slimmer, uh, being able to still fly around, then the game still be being me.

As you're going into the year in your contract here, do you ever think about, I mean, whether you have a future.

Do you feel like you have a future still here in Baltimore?

Uh?

Yeah? Uh, But like I said at the end of the day, I ain't focused on the future. I'm just focused on right now. And I think if I take care of my business and do what I'm supposed to do, all that's gonna fall into place.

And now when you have good this year with this defenses, right, Okay, Now, last year you you, I know, the one of the emphasis was you wanted to really show you could be at all a three down linebacker. And as the year went on, you were able to show that.

What's kind of your focus going into this year. What's the next place of your game?

You wanna see just staying going, just staying consistent, going up, always just getting better, uh, never taking a step back. Think, the biggest thing for me was to consistent over over the years, me and consistent and stuff. So I think now it's just the point of me just playing my game and playing out our level and planning consistently.

Did you feel like a gun player still? I mean, you're.

Brooks coming in. There's twenty five, twenty six. I'm like, y'all are old, but I mean four years in and still feel like I'm just getting here. So I mean, uh, it's just I'm a bus to be this young and being going into year fours. Souh, you know, I just think you parents having me when they did.

Seeing how that the defense was last year in the core of that coming back this year, then you see what they're doing on offensive for all the gidiations from aar locked up. What's I mean, where's your expectation for this team? Is it kind of like a super Bowl bus.

Kind of thing?

What do you feel?

I think everybody around the locker room is saying super Bowl is I don't think it's super Bowl bus. I think it's just super Bowl because you know how to bust mindset an any year you come in your mindset to get to the super Bowl. So, uh, with the keep with the pieces we got with the defense, we got the offense, we got the new coordinator, Uh everything, special teams, we got head coach, everything, the whole organization. Every than we got we need. We got right here. We don't need anything else.

And talks about living in the now, and I see you change into your NiFe slides really quick.

How big is comfort when you're dressing yourself in comes an outfit.

I'm not a big outfit guy, super country long sleeve shirt, some shorts are sweats and some sandals and I'm good, that's rude.

We just talked to to market. You know, played against someone the practice field for a couple of years now, I G it's just.

How valuable is it?

Kind of a receiver like that, just from growing up as I can, I can go get your first time.

Basically.

Remember, I think Mark, Uh, he's just deceptively fast.

Uh.

I think you look at him on film, you don't think he's that fast. Well, once you get into him in person, Mark and Roll and his routs, best routes out of the tight end group. Uh, just he's everything. Yeah that you want a tight end her reliable, great hands, the runner routes, big guy, he go up and get the ball and he he does it all. So when you got a guy like that, that's why he got paid what he got.

Patrick.

Have you got to look at those uh air conditioned helmets down at LSU. Yeah, I see that. I I don't think gotta need to. I think at the end of the day, we've been fine without them.

Uh.

If that helps, I mean, go for it. If not, then I mean I'm I'm good without it. I don't need it.

So you.

So Mark, you added some of some pieces at wide receiver around here a part of this pass and attack.

How good this pat could this pass attack be?

If you I think it's super exciting.

You know, I just uh from being out here for him, you know, the last two days and obviously seeing as they run some routes he was run some incredible routes today getting open and then obviously OBJ and and some some of the other young guys that I'm excited about.

I think it's gonna be a dangerous offense.

I've really loved with, you know, coach Monkins, you know, had to teach and the way he's teaching and his energy that brings very enthusiastic. So I think the sky's the limit. I think for us it's just about you know, taking charge, taking control of this offense, making it ours and just keep on going and keep on working.

Mark.

But you know you've ever been here a couple day for your conversation, because what really stood out about him knowing he's gonna be off just fired.

Man.

He's super enthusiastic about what he's teaching. He really believes in his stuff, and you know it makes us believe in it too. So you know, his offense is definitely very player friendly. He's very very player friendly, and I'm just excited to get around him, you know, pick his brain and continue to grow as a player, but as an offense and get this thing rolling.

Is there any concern there are not enough balls to go around with all these additions in the past.

Game, I don't really care.

You know, I'm not one of those guys that cares about that. But yeah, I know that if all of us are doing our jobs, all of us are playing well, that we don't have to worry about that type of thing. Man, We're all gonna make plays, We're all gonna be happy for each other. And that's what makes a team great, is the unselfishness all these you see.

That as a possibility, defenses can just time man, only eager that you might.

Have more offers, you know, maybe you know, uh, yeah, you know the last you know, I guess five years.

It's been you know, a lot of attention.

And you know, I'm blessed to be able to to be around these great players right now and have a lot of pieces to help me out. And you know, I'm excited about that part about it. But at the end of the day. I'm gonna go out and do what I do, win my one on ones when my you know, double teams and just play ball.

Last offense obviously was very tight and centric in the past and game.

Aren't you seeing any of those same in this new offense?

Very featured, you know, he features everybody though, And uh yeah, I think that's the great part about it is that we're gonna be able to be extremely you know, you know, diversify what we're doing, you know, outside receivers, inside receivers, tight ends and different reads. So I'm really liking what I'm gonna see. I'm still learning a bunch, but yeah, do.

You think you'll get a tight end end around like the.

Jordan tight ends that I hope? So shut my wheels off a little bit.

Yeah, right.

Mark said last week that he feels like this offense to be running less through for.

You've been here throughout his whole question, where did you see that as kind of bold?

Well, you know, first of all, extremely happy, you know, just for you know, everything that's gone down in the last you know, two you know year, and all the scrutiny he's been under and how he's handled it. That's not an easy thing to do, just shows how strong he is. And you know, he looks you know, just coming back here today and seeing him throw, seeing the way of seeing the game, and his balls are incredible. He's you know, he's he's putting the balls on the money.

But you know, so is his arm.

So I'm proud of him, and I know he's ready to work and grind and get together and make this team great.

This off season we.

Saw the team really focus on the offensive side of the ball, new wide receivers and the new offensive coordinator.

As an offensive.

Player, how do you feel coming into the season seeing the team put more emphasis.

On that side.

It's big, you know, it's big. You know.

There there's there's a lot of you know, great opportunities for guys to step up and you know, and make and make a name for them name for themselves, and make a spot for themselves and just be true. Man, this is a great place to play. So if you can step up, do your job the right way, you're gonna find time, Mark at.

The end of the year.

You know, there were just so many questions going forward, particularly you know with tomorrow what you're gonna do is gonna be here, to have all that behind you and to have the ambitions.

Just how different is the.

Outlook, just the lives from where it was. You know, it's January to now.

Just thank god, man.

It's a lot of a lot of stress, just relief, you know obviously, and trying of respect for you know, Snooping and Anthey and you know the.

Other guys that are here.

But you know, obviously you know, been here with Mars since day one, and there's a lot of uncertainty. You know, in my mind, I never had a doubt that's my guy. Yeah, I'm just happy, man, I'm happy he's here. I'm happy he's here for good And like I always say, man, that's my quarterback.

Mark.

I mean, your proles all pro you know how hard it work.

You got to have your goals, you know, now just.

Posting you out of your what are you kind of kind of focused on personally?

Understand?

You know, obviously there's there's things I want to do in my career that I haven't done. And you know, obviously I want to win a Super Bowl. You know, that's number one. I think that, you know, this city, this place, this organization deserves that we put a lot of work in.

You know.

I think about, you know, the guys that were drafted in you know, my twenty eighteen draft class, and you know, it feels like kind of what we started, what we built, and you know it's time, it's time for us to to make that step. I'm extremely, extremely driven right now. I'm excited about that.

So yeah, you know, we've seen you kind of line up in line in the slot last year. We saw you line up like as of isolated X and you know, good, you know, go get jump balls. I mean, do you feel like just your development as a player is kind of obliged to play wherever LOO.

Can need to and be effective you know in ways that maybe other side that is kind of camping for sure.

You know, I've been doing this, you know, for for a long long time. You know, growing up in high school, I was outside receiver. I've I've been doing it and there's not a lot of tight ends that you know, I feel like can do the certain things that you know, I'm able to do that.

So yeah, but you know.

There's a there's a lot of doubt, but there's no doubt in my head.

What was.

Just being driven? You know, I told you, I told him before that. You know, there's there's a lot of things that we've done, you know, as a team, you know, as a player, But the only thing I really want to do.

Is is win a championship.

It's hours you can work in bars away.

Would you make any change or your routine office of the routine before you got here, or has it been the same thing you always done. I'm just curious at this stage that you can be here. I know you're always looking for ways to get better.

If you take the same approach that you do anything.

Differently, Yeah, man, I like I said, it's I've been extremely motivated. There's a lot of things that we've gotta do, look forward to and you know, getting my body strong, get my legs strong, getting faster, getting stronger.

Just just all that.

I feel like I'm you know, one of the best shapes of my life. So I'm excited to show it.

Are there lots be made as the receiver, editions for the tight hand groups, little strong you got Guysay likely you got Charlie.

Kohler and yourself.

What are you exciting at Lifeline color in your.

Entitlement big man.

Those guys are going to continue to learn, grow and you know those guys that come to work every day have fun, get better. Uh, they want to learn and just joys to be around. I'm lucky to have two guys like that.

In the room.

We know hotels made Arizona kind of a fluffies and known that you guys been able to connect at all.

Yeah, Texts just.

Just a little bit super excited to be able to you know, kind of have him around the group and get him get him over here and start learning the offense and and working with us. It's going to be a special It's gonna be a talented group. And I know he's just gonna make it that much better.

Thank you, guys, can seeing you up. Boys.

You're listening to Ravens Press Pass, Please make sure you subscribe, rate and review. Now let's jump into the interviews with wide receivers coach Greg Lewis and quarterbacks coach t Mart.

Baltimore.

A good fit for you and and how have you enjoyed your trying Uh.

What made it a good fit is just being around UH coach Harball and Philadelphia and just knowing how he operates and the expectation that he has for for the organization.

And the team that that he's in front of. Uh.

It it was exciting to get back and be a part of uh something like that.

And Baltimore has been fantastic.

UH thus far from me, I haven't got out that much, but uh the the Castle Suite, so uh I've seen that pretty much uh every day.

But UH, I've heard about Baltimore.

My aunt's from Baltimore, so I know a little bit about it, and I'm gonna get around and see the city and see what asks.

What's been kind of your first Jay out there?

Zay has been uh fantastic. He's an eager player, eager learner. UH, wants to be great, wants to be great at everything he does. UH, and it's been fantastic to see him out here getting opportunities to make some plays.

Uh.

His quickness and explosion shows up daily. UH and how he catches the ball, the photos he takes UH with the ball. It's been fantastic UH to get him out here and and get him going.

Greg, do you come into a situation like this, how much do you go back and watch here you have a receiver from before versus or do you.

Want not everyone to know that. I just want to watch you now and see where you are.

How do you balance that away with me personally?

I obviously I've seen them play from previous teams and whatnot, But me, I want to give them all a clean slate and see what I see and evaluate from that standpoint, and then work with what we got in and continue to help each guy get better each and every day. So it's not a big I heard about this or heard about that. I'm not really into that. I'll watch it because that's just being a pro at my job

Along those lines, Before you were even hired, Eric and John talked about wanting to revamp the wide receiver room.

Since you've been hired, they bring him Orbja. They had Nelson aguilara a former pressure on pick and then Zay just as a position coach. When you see that kind of talent added to what was already. How exciting is that?

Well, they weren't here when I got here, like you said, and I was excited to get here and work with the guys that were here. And then you always want to add great players, and Eric and then staff do a great job with that, and I'm excited to get to work with all the guys when they get in here and give them everything I got. So it's been it's been a blessing. It's been exciting, but it's no different.

What's the potential that you see for the screen.

I'm not a big potential potential guy or reading to the stars or whatever that stuff is called. We come to work every day and that's my that's what I do. That's what I've done. Uh, and then we we let the chips fall what they may. Guy's gonna come to work. I'm gonna come to work, and we're gonna go out here and get better each day. And then when we show up on Sundays or Thursdays or Tuesdays or whatever day, Uh, we're gonna see what we.

Got versatility that these guys, that these pieces together create. I'm sorry, the versatility, you know, the several pieces in the in the room.

I mean, every everybody has a different skill set at each position, and some guys do some stuff differently than other guys. Monk has done a great job of implementing the offense and then trying to fit pieces and do different things. You always want to get guys in positions do what they do well and then continue to accentuate and work on the things that they're not as good at. But it's been fun and it's gonna be exciting, I believe early.

Days obviously gonna put it what your impression of the group as a holes or anything that's.

Stood out for it's a tight knit group.

They care about one another, They want to see each other do well, and that's been a positive.

That's that's what I've been.

A part of a lot of the time as a player and as a coach in the NFL. IS position groups are very tight and they care about one another, and that's what you want to see.

You want to see guys helping each other.

At the end of the day, we know we all not gonna be here, but the fifteenth guy is getting helped by the first guy, or the second guys getting helped by the fourteenth guy, or it could be vice versa. And you love that with guys at this level to to help each other get better because iron sharpers iron, and we want to be the best we could be.

I know.

What just kind of stood out in your conversation said you know, I'm sorry, I know it, y'all's not here. I'm sure you've had conversations with that, signed with you. Watch would have kind of stood out?

Can kind of hear what? What's all well in the conversation we've had.

I mean, I I would rather keep that between me and him from from that standpoint, but uh, when he when he's here, he's he's been positive. When he's not here, he's been positive from that perspective too. But what we've talked about, I'm gonna keep it between me and him.

What's it been like to work with Keith and how these guys as coaching styles kind of found.

To send each other out it it's been it's been also to get the opportunity to work with Keith. I knew about him from my days in UH Kansas City. UH. He he worked with UH a couple of guys previously before he was here, and I've heard great things about him, and then actually getting the opportunity to be in the room with him, I've learned a tremendous amount from him. He sees it from a different angle than I see it at times, and that's that's a positive because you

He's been a guy coming off Andrey, He've made a few players and they just I know it's early, but whatever you've seen from stef Up.

There a true pro, just just coming out to work every day, getting opportunities, making the most of opportunities that he's getting. But the big thing that stood out was just his professionalism in the meetings on the practice field whenever needed.

He's been a true pro and I love that about him.

And then obviously, at the end of the day, we all want guys that's gonna make plays and you saw it today. He's getting the opportunity and he's making some plays out there, and that's always a positive because that's what we're gonna be greater on at.

The end of the day. See, I'm not a trainer, so I couldn't.

I couldn't tell you Adrian or or some of them dudes could could talk more about physically where people are.

Greg talk amunkin a former NFLI receivers coach himself. Do you feel like you know you need to see the game the same way? And I guess just you know in your communications with him, what do you think he is footing priority on in terms of what you get fuming.

From that by receiver group.

As far as seeing stuff the same way, I don't. I'm not a big guy that wants to see stuff the same way as somebody else. You you want some I'm not gonna say, for lack of a better word, conflict. You want disagreements so you can grow as a as a coach. And I may see it one way, Coach Monk sees it another way. At the end of the day, what's the best way to get this done and what he wants to get done and that's what we're gonna

And that's where what's on top of that wistfto you guys epher side.

At that position, Uh, just playing fast, playing fast, and and knowing what to do and how to do it it.

It is the big thing.

Cause if you don't know what to do and you don't know how to do it, then we we not gonna have a chance. So uh, that's been the emphasis for us.

Thank what's it like to be.

The new quarterback coach and kind of what was your mindset going into What was the one impact you wanted to make, uh the quarterback from.

Well, first of all, it's just great being back at my natural position in the position I grew up playing, played throughout my career and started coaching, you know, coaching quarterbacks and so it's like riding a bike, you know, just getting back on it and the game has changed and you're coaching a a quarterback who's different than a lot of different early quarterbacks, very similar to how I played,

Do you think it helps, let me know, knowing him, knowing where you were and what you did at Tennessee and the way you played, there's a there's a level of credibility that comes when you speak to him about, you know, playing the position well.

You said it.

I think that's that's what it does. You know, having someone you know play the position that kind of see the game very similarly in terms of when you decide to do things like pass or run or or decide to do something athletically that it's it's hard to explain unless you've done it. And so I think there's a comfort level with that. And then you know when I when I say something to him or suggest something, I

When do you say taking and taking TheMark to the next level.

Is there a part of the game that you're kind of focusing on on trying to help and maybe just progress just a little bit.

Well, I think the first thing is new system and the way we do things in the new system, the drop footwork, the play action footwork, where our eyes go, progressions reads, the type of accuracy we have to have, anticipation, ball location, you know, things of that nature. So it's not just one thing that we're trying to pick out. First of all is the graphs of the system, and it's how we want to play the position. Through the

Easier the way of the Mark talked about the position last week. It seems like there's gonna be maybe more things that he has to learn, more challenge, but that's also gonna give them more opportunities to manage the control.

And what's not is that kind of a fair characterization of the campsis.

No, that's that's true.

You know, a coach's system is very quarterback friendly in a sense of you have the opportunity to change routes when need be. You do a lot of operation well, I like to say doctoring at the line of scrimmage in terms of protections. You see it blends in one way, you can slide the line a different way. All of these type things. Not that we didn't do it in the past. We're just gonna be doing more of it,

Uh.

There's an element of working at the line of scrimmage right where we're doing all the talking right So, uh, that's where the growth is. And with that growth and with that responsibility, it comes out of responsibility of the film work you gotta put in and the extra work you gotta put on the field to where you're right most of the time. You're not gonna fool the defense every time or you're gonna gonna beat him every time.

I know it's really but how has he handled the the at the line adjustments.

In so far? He's been great?

L L L lamar. If if you could look back to to last year, I just thought last year's Miami Dolphins games first game I I could think of where we pretty much worked from the line of scrimmage you know, they had a pressure package that we didn't wanna be in the huddle cause the year before that we tried the hold away. Last year we decided to do it from the line of scrimmage, and he was very, very comfortable.

You know, we can talk about more of a lot of people are sometimes critical about him throwing outside the numbers, but then you'll hear people go, well, you know, he needs people outside them. Where do you think where it has as far as suspectiveness has been throwing outside of them.

Well, I don't really know where that came from, because because since I've been here, being the former receiver coach, I don't think that's true, because we got open outside of the numbers and he would throw it and we would catch it. So I don't know where that came from. All I know is he could throw the ball to all areas of the field. He has touch for the shorter passes, more touch passes, and he has elite arm strength to throw the ball down the field, and his

Tee, how does it help having a guy like Josh Johnson to your room, which even Lamar is still pretty young, is a quarter back, no question.

Josh is just a veteran, you know, and not only for for Lamar but even us as coaches. He's seen so much, He's been exposed to so many different systems that he just he could just suggest something that we may have not have been thinking about or just looking at it from a different angle or that leads us to an answer. So, uh, just having that veteran presence in our room, UH is great.

And that's something that.

We haven't had.

You know, we've had, you know, capable backups and guys that do a good job. But you know he's been here before, like a few weeks, right, But to have him here early to where he's a part of what we do on a day to day basis leading us into games, UH, is even more valuable to us.

Maybe this goes back into the the pre stamp stuff.

So why do you think, uh, being more upto is gonna be advantateous for Lamar and for the South eense.

I just think the quicker you can get to the line of scrimmage, the quicker you could see things and and operate. Sometimes you have to change play. Sometimes the play that you're in may be good. And that was just a matter of getting to the right read and competing the pass or getting us to the right run. And so you know, in the past, we were a huddle team, and you know, we kind of got to the line of screamers. The players were already called and we ran what was called. Now he has opportunity to

You like it, keep it running.

When you changed that play, you became a coordinator, right, and we wanted to work. So with that being said, the film study the time invested to where when Lamar does take over and he is the coordinator during that time, right, he's doing a good job and getting us in the right places and operating offense.

O good, right? Good.

Thank you for listening to Raven's Press Pass. Make sure you subscribe, rate and review, and also, if you haven't done so, check out the Lounge podcast with Ryan Mink and Garrett downing me, Ryan Mink, that's me. You can subscribe, rate, and review that one as well. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you next week with another week of Raven's OTAs.