It is Wednesday, July thirty first, and you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. After practice today, we had a chance to hear from Raven's head coach John Harball.
Okay, good to see everybody here. Appreciate you gutting it out today.
Uh, it was.
It was a hot one, you know, and the guys focus as well and pushed it. Fans are great as always. And then we had the first responders from the key Bridge collapse and I got some coins and some patches which I'm very very proud of right.
Here, and.
Fire Dive Rescue the whole group, so we appreciate them very much. It's very meaningful when we have the heroes. The real heroes are here, so we honor those guys. What questions you have.
Yet?
Together, we.
Take a lot of heat pails for that.
There was well, we we worked on a lot of were down third and six to twelve situations, so some of that stuff comes up pushing the ball downfield.
Then we had a big blitz period where the offense hit numerous plays downfield in the blitz period, so.
That was that was important to see and it was good to see the ball was coming out quick and executing like we need to against that that that pressure.
So that's a big step for us. I thought the guys did a great job of that.
The camps.
It's Arthur Moett.
How cares it.
Can sign that.
Very key to re sign Arthur Mallett. You know, he's he's a guy that I was pretty confident we were gonna resign all the way. You know, I felt like he wanted to be here and we wanted him back, and Eric had a good plan and uh, you know, it's kind of one of these things. You know, sometimes sometimes the right players looking for the right team, and uh, I feel like Arthur was the right player for us and we were the right team for him. And it's really it's really paying off.
What happened to the leik have and just how disappointing is it. Local kid made the team last year.
It had been a really good.
Last My league was doing so well.
Local guy, Uh really, you know he had to had the injury last year and it's it's so amazing because you go back and watching the tape up until when the injury happened, he was having a great practice. He had numerous run stops, he had a sack and then just a freaky little thing where he had to put his foot in the ground and got pushed a little bit right at that moment, and sometimes that's what happens with the A c L. So he has a clean
a cl A tear. Uh, So he does mean he's out for the season, but it also means it boats well for a very good recovery. Now, his spirits were very upbeat, positive about the test he's gonna go be going through in the testimony that he's gonna have an opportunity to make when it's all said and done. But I'm sure, uh he's very disappointed, you know when he's back in the quiet moment by himself and uh, he was he was gonna play for us this year or so,
but his time will be coming here. Yeah, trayvon Mullin landed on his shoulder, uh sub lectsed it. So it'll be a few weeks and then we expect him to be back.
And he even saw Sean walk off kind of later in the practice.
Was that Hope cautioner or you know, Yeah, he's dealing with a little issue, kind of a soft tissue issue.
I think he's trying to nurse through right now.
What do you what are you hoping you guys might get from Travis Jones this year and what would constitute a good step forward to him?
Think?
Well, I mean, I'm you know, I have a big vision for Travis. He and I have talked about it, a real big vision.
You know.
I really have high expectations for Travis Jones to have one of those years that is going to be memorable. I really believe that's going to happen this year. I'm looking forward to it. He's put the work in and he's continues to do the work.
He looks great.
Yeah, defensive back, you talked a little bit about this. You've got a lot of guys, a lot of talented guys. A good problem to have, how I guess, tricky build up, make that a few weeks from now in terms of figuring out you know.
To do that.
Well, it's a good point, like to really take it one day at a time and get there you know first, you know, then uh then there'll be opportunities, you know. But we've got a deep group back there. Man, there's every single guy in the secondary, to my eyes, playing playing very well, playing like a playing like a fifty three man type of guy.
So it's a good thing.
Here is the year is now get especially the wide receiver at the tight end on the roster. Can you just talk about what you've seen from them.
As a tight end that, Yeah, Kader Ismael is doing a great job, really and everything's been asked to do. He's even in there blocking really pretty darn good. I'm sure he could use a couple more squats and bench presses before he's really ready to go in there and do it. But man, he doesn't back down from any challenge. And he's playing tight end, but he's also playing receiver.
We're kind of moving him back and forth, doing the same thing with Scotty Washington and uh, but I think I think he's doing a great job.
Scotty's doing doing a very good job too.
How much do you think Trent Simpson benefited from the opportunity last year to come of get in an NFL streadth and tniching program, to be in those benings, to be with.
Veteran linebackers, right, Patrick Green it have you.
Kind of seen him take that jump this year?
I've seen him take the definitely seen Trent take that jump this year. Jeff he's he's and there's still things he's got to work on. I mean there's times, you know, you've got his zone coverage, you've got to carry a crossing route back across the field, or or you've got to get under something that's coming back inside, and he's he may be pushing out when he should be pushing in those kinds of things. But but that's all part of the process, and probably the last part of the
process is understanding all the zone coverage details. He's flying around, man, I mean, he's he's running, he's making plays, he's confident, he's a quick learner.
I think he's doing a great job.
If then the projects like that's going to be things saying to the bats and he's to be frond down together in stas describe.
Uh sure, I mean, you know they they want to they want to be making plays offensive line the same way they don't want to anybody penetrating any gaps either.
So we've got to just do a good job of working together in days like this.
A really important player for the Ravens this year is linebacker Trenton Simpson. He is in line for a starting role, and he talked about the expectations going into this year.
Just how do you feel with.
You especially putting on the pads when I kind of abolish that stuff.
I feel like it's been going great.
I put in a lot of work and just studying, spending more time with my coaches, my teammates, asking Roquan questions every day. I feel like just being able to put the pads on this now is allowed to just be able to play football and play fast, physical football that we preachate the Ravens.
What do you think you've grown the most?
I mean, you just said all the work that you put in, where do you think you've grown the most?
As firsts?
Where you are now compared to even the end of last season.
I'd said I've grown the most by just knowing what to expect, just being in our system for a year now, knowing what to expect, communicating better with this defense. Everybody's on the same page. We're very vocal and everybody's talking every place. So I mean, I think that's the sign of a great defense. So definitely communication wise, exactly.
That's a good work.
Performing the Ravens line up.
It's been great man just being able to be him, being my linebacker, coach my rookie year to seeing him grow and be the defense corder than me.
Just growing up under him.
It's been awesome being able to communicate with him as a player and he's just off the field, you know.
So it's been great.
Should we Should you get physical out there? You know at times? Sack you?
Is that just kind of how you how you play the game, and then said, trying to set the town talk to me about that.
Yeah, just playing fast, physical man, just playing relentless, playing like a raven is my goal.
Definitely.
I feel like offensive and defense have been very physical. We're just trying to protect each other. But me just going out there, sending the messages, playing as hard as I can, you know, and matching ro CON's energy every day.
You know.
So there was play a couple of days ago.
June dere Kelly, who's the guy.
I have to go back and look at it. But yeah, we're just trying to take care of everybody. But I don't think it was closed line, but yeah, just trying to take care of him. I was close to it, but yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think you went on.
You spent some time in the office. He's not a vacation game and with Rofon Smith, right, how much time do you spend talking about football during those trips?
I feel like, I mean it's a good good balance us knowing each other's friends on and off the field. But also when we together were talking ball and me being a younger player, I'm asking him questions and like, you know what I mean, when I'm with him, it's a great person to learn from, So just get some advice every time I get around him. I mean, he's a great teammate, great leader, and I'm always trying to learn from any aspect of life.
So yeah, those lines.
You know, he talks about the flipping switch.
You know, he's like one of nice guys off the field, but you know a different story. What's you know between the lines is do you play that same way? And how you feel if you don't that energy?
Yeah, now that's real man.
When you get in between those lines, you gotta be locked in focusing on you know, just serious. I mean, it's a goal. You gotta go out there and perform. So I mean it's no time to have, you know, play around on the field.
You got to be focused.
And when I'm off the field, you know, great guy smiling all the time. When it's getting between those lines, it's time to play ball.
So yeah, it's just for you watch that relationship ortant.
Is it beneficial to have that postal relationship with the guy.
That you're getting next to me?
Yeah? Man, that's great.
I mean I mean, once you can trust somebody you know on the field off the field, I mean, it just grows that bond and just having somebody out there that you can talk to mid play asking questions. It's been awesome for me and great person to learn from for sure.
With his defensive teammate and his slogger neighbors last year said you guys stop talking.
I guess have you gotten used to it? Do you listen to it?
I mean, I've got used to it.
But I mean it's always good stuff, you know, So just learning and just bringing positive energy every time I'm around him.
So yeah, well he's.
Huge, but here he evolved and being a guy who's played a lot to being a guy who never came off the field though. How huge is that something that you know you're respiring to be? How much do you think about that? How much that god be a guy? And hey, third day and secondary or it doesn't matter.
I'm a glowing up field man, that's the goal.
But you know, coming and attacking every day, and that comes with earning the trust of my teammates, my coaches, and everybody around me. So I mean the mare I go out there every day performing practice and uphold to the standard that would be the more playing time I earn and with my coaches to believe that I should get out there.
So yeah, watching.
A lot because he you know, he played at a very high level, and just to see him and learn from him my rookie year, I mean, I mean, he had a great year. You know, the way he prayed, he got what he deserved and I learned a lot from him. So just watching how he moved his pre snap alignments and things like that. I did a lot of studying of him this year.
But what do you coach enjoy about the position and more specific for your involved.
I say, just being able to play fast, physical football, and I just alignment to just be able to you know, read and react like I see something trigger don second guest, just play fast and you know, just playing one hundred percent of cover up a lot of things. So you know, I'm just excited for this year to be able to just do me, that's been awesome, man. Just you know, it's been that Clemson growing together, winning some games together. Being on the ACC championship team with him was awesome.
But uh, just seeing him come in every day compete, and I mean he's young, just like I was last year. So him asking Marlowe questions be Steve Quay, I mean it's awesome because I mean the events we have and is this organization is talking taking all the younger guys under and I like feel like that's good to help improve a lot of guys career.
How do you deal with these sticks?
I mean there's you know when you coaches off well Trent Prince, he's still probably gonna make some of the sticks. That sure, how but what do you try to get out of it?
I mean during the game, you gotta move on next play and you get to it the next week, you know when you study in the film. But you gotta have a short mindset in this game, I mean mentality, you gotta put it behind you next play and then in film just corrected.
You know.
So yeah, you know, but that's how many questions you ask.
Said?
Man? I mean.
Probably like you know, from the time we walk in the weight room to I mean, it's not all about ball, but just trying to pick up you know, dietician habits, how you take care of your body, you know, just things just trying to learn, you know, from a great vet.
So yeah, a couple of questions, Yeah, a lot.
Yeah, Henery obviously, who who is your other favorite guys talk to, whether it's ball.
Or whatever, just on the team in general. H Tavious, Robinson, Tavias.
I talked to the league, Malik Harrison all the time, Chris Board, Josh Ross, all the guys in my room. I mean, I feel like we have a great relationship. We're working out, we go grab dinner and stuff together. So I feel like, I mean, like just talking about that trust in that bond you have off the field makes it a lot special on the field.
So yeah, you haven't had attacked.
Like going up against I mean, it's been awesome.
I mean growing up watching him at a young age to being on the practice field with him now, it's been awesome and it's full circle. But I mean it's been co just bringing my energy every day and just imagining that I mean, I know he's gonna make me better, and I hope I'm making him better as well, and it's been awesome.
Another important player on this defense is Arthur Molett. He re signed with the Ravens this offseason after one year in Baltimore, and he really felt like this was a place where he could flourish as a player, and he talked about that today.
What has this year have been like for you?
Last year you came in right before trading camp, he had an unfortunate injury early and here to have a full spring and now to be established with this team.
You know, how's that going for you now?
With your chill? I think it's going well for me. Just trying to prove myself every day, you know, make sure the team knows that they didn't waste their investment on me. Just want to grind out with the guys, get better every day, and you know, just I got some uh some goals I want to accomplish, so, you know, just pushing myself every day to get better.
John just said he always thought you would be bad, that he thought it was too good a fit.
Pre for did you the same thing. I didn't want to go anywhere. I love it here. This is like a second home to me. You know I want in my career here man. So you know, I just want to prove every day that I'm worth you know, their investment, like I said, and you know, keep grinding away and getting better every day.
What do you think is allowed you to making plays a lot during these training camp practices?
What is it that it's allowing me to play at the high level?
Here? We can my off season work. I worked out every day. I didn't take too much time off, just broke down the film and saw all my weaknesses and attacked them and you know, just got in the lab. Man, just was be just was truthfully honest with myself. I wanted to be you know, a bigger piece this year, you know, help this team win. Man. And I think we'll have one time and goal and we know what it is. So yeah, so you have really good share. No, I think they're personal.
You know.
If I do it, I do it. If not, then I just have more work to do.
Uh.
Just one of those things where you know, uh if I don't push myself to a higher standard than no one else. Will you mention in your life your experience? What about it?
Did you love information?
How do you see yourself having bigger.
I just you know, obviously, uh, I do a lot of work in the community. 's it's it's like similar to where I'm from in New Orleans, Louisiana, Baltimore. Football is everything here. We have a good season, the city thrives and have some pretty good uh less crime all that stuff, you know. Uh And just for me, man, I just want to prove myself, bro, just prove to everyone that you know, it's not a waste, honestly.
Team and there's a lot of guys who play of riding the roles. I don't played a lot and slash.
It's a long time as a as a different corner of yourself.
Is it also like, hey, I'm hitting with my teammates here to get that share every one hundred percent. You know, there are really good guys, all pro guys, you know, top one hundred guys, and I'm glad they're pushing me. You know, it brings my game to another level. So
you know, it's not gonna be easy. So we're gonna compete every day and we're gonna talk junk to each other, and you know, it's fun, man, It's fun to have you know, other guys that play at a high level to push you and you know, make you better.
I love business.
To a ton of carry over, but or what are maybe some of the nuances and differences play to s?
I mean, honestly, he played the game. You know he knows what we're going through. You know we're gonna do dog days in camp. You know he's pushing us to a high standard. You know he played the game. He's familiar with it. He knows what you know it's going through our minds. So you know, it's just there's no really no drop off. Man, just know, I just know he's pushing us hard. For a few people in this team have as much special teams experience as you do.
We talked a lot about the tough coaches about the new kickoff for a f How different is it for a player like you that's kind of you covered a lot of kicks in your career and you I don't want to say confusion, but how interested are you and how it's gonna play out? I think it's gonna play out really good for a guy like me. You know, we get to use our speed. We're only like five yards apart from guy and so for me I think
it's I'm gonna thrive in it. I like it. I think I'm gonna make a lot of plays in it. I think it's gonna go good. Honestly, definitely. What do you like about Wiggans so hard for What's up? What do you like about Wiggans? So many Wiggins? He's really fast. Everybody's like that, right, really fast, open airs, ready to learn, cool with taking criticism and learning. Like that's the biggest thing with rookies that you don't see a lot of.
You know, he's open with, you know, taking criticism and learning, and he asks questions and he's in a film study and you know, he works on his techniques and not all of its relying on his speed. So I really liked that about him. You know, he's going to be a really good player for the future.
And yeah, well Lamar got back on the field this week. How does that that change things? When you guys think that's going against an offense?
You know, he extends plays so much, man, you know, it makes us, uh, it makes us really better, you know, because there's so many broken plays and that's one of his special talents that he's had of many right, the broken play aspect of everything. It's big on defense. If you don't plaster and you don't cover your guide, then you know it could be a touchdown there any given second. So you know, it just helps us out with a communication and play with one another with a SIPs and.
Setting off his whatever you see him so far, especially here in a.
Sun, I've seen a lot of growth, good communication. He knows where his help is. You know, he plays to his leverage. He's doing a lot of He's doing a good job on those tight ends and passing, and he's not scared to stick his nose in in the run game. So I think he will be fine.
And I guess it's someone who switched from one team to the other.
PQ. We know the food's not better, bro, we know the city's not better. Bro. Come on, come on, man, you a lot of those first strength events plays. You're now far from Trent Simpson. I'm excited.
I guess Sark size, what if you've seen from from him?
Man?
You know, helping the fresh tap being trends kind of sense. I mean, you know, like like I said, man, he knows he's the next guy up right, So is he got a fill in big shoes, Peq was a really good player for us, right So at the end of the day, man, you know, for him, you know, it's just like I said, learning the scheme, knowing where his help is, being technique sound, knowing where his assignment is,
and he's doing a really good job of it. And and like I said, I think he's going to be a really good asset for us this year.
Someone else who had a great year last year is Brandon Stevens. He established himself as a starting caliber corner at a really top notch player last year in his first season as a starter, and he thinks that he could take his game to an even greater level this year.
Brandon, what it is has it been like for you this year compared to previous years when you're cross training as so many different positions. Has it allowed you to kind of hone in on maybe the finer details that maybe we're a little more challenging.
To do in the past.
Yeah, I mean I'm locked in that corner, you know, approaching it the same way, you know, still trying to you know, become a better version of myself. But yeah, I'm locked in on corner. And uh, you know that's that's really just my my only job right now.
Brandon com you guys have a new defensive story trying to be here out her own Rogers.
How do you balance when your starting quarterback? He goes into I don't know, saw snack girls to ask you guys kind of how do you Uh?
Yeah, I mean we just attack each day, you know, with enthusiasm, you know, and uh, no matter no matter who's out there. You know, we're built to attack, you know, in playoff style defense. Like yeah, man, his speed, he's definitely got the speed, but you know the way also the way he just approaches every day, you know, always trying to learn, you know, asking the right questions, you know what I mean, and just trying to learn from you know, guys that have been here.
Brendan.
After you have a year like last year, like you established yourself as a certain corner of the league, what.
Is what is next for the year to get to do this year?
Yeah, just like I said, just become a better version of myself. You know, last year was last year. Uh so you know my focus this year is just taking it up a notch, you know. Uh, you know, making a place that you know that I left out on the field last year, you know, and just becoming you know, one of the best dv's corners in the league.
Talent everyone got to have a sense, I don't know, definitely talented.
We we we definitely had that, you know, like you said, you know, but you know, just because you have that doesn't mean that that's gonna get the job done, you know. So we we know that we still have to go out, you know, attack each day, uh, you know, and take what's ours and you know, with the skies the limit for us and we know that, but we just got to continue to work and work as a unit.
So much death.
How do you sort of see that manifestingmatic.
Sings, you know going into.
This season for the playss like how you you.
Man that that might be a z O question, but uh but yeah, I mean, we we have guys that can play, you know, all sorts of positions, you know, from the top down, to be honest, and uh, you know, if you put guys in different positions, you never know, uh you know what, you know, the offense can never know what's being thrown at them. So being able to have guys that can you know, play multiple positions, you know, it definitely is uh in our favor in.
Last year year want to play targeted quarterbacks, you know, aster the great season you had last year, you expect that to be the case of getting scared or even care.
Uh man, I honestly, I really don't care. Uh just you know, honestly, my mindset every play is the ball's coming to me, even if it's you know, fourth and inches, I feel like the ball's gonna come to me.
Uh.
So yeah, I'm just you know, win my one on ones and uh you know that's that's that's how my mind said, is.
You still feel like you're out to prove.
Yourself absolutely, man. Uh you know last year was just you know, I just felt like I, you know, just got my feet wet last year.
Uh.
And you know I don't even think about it last year anymore, to be honest. Uh you know, it's a it's a new year. I gotta you know, go out and improve myself. I'm sure there's you know a lot of dots still out there. You know. I'm like I said, I'm expecting the every play. Uh and so yeah, I definitely have a chip on my shoulder.
H Yeah.
Every player good as a contract and that how how do you deal with that?
Mentally, I'm not even worried about it. You know, I'm just here to do my job.
The rest will take care of yourself, uh, you know, and you know, I let that side just uh, you know, just just handle itself. You know. I can't really do anything about it on my own. All I can do is, you know, come out here on the field and you know, continue to prove myself.
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