Zach Orr, Chuck Pagano, & Rashod Bateman: Ravens Press Conferences 6/5/25

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Thursday, June fifth. The Ravens had another open practice of OTA's, but before they had that practice, the big news out of the Castle was that wide receiver or Shad Bateman reached a contract extension with the team. The contract extension is reportedly a three year extension on top of the two years that Bateman already had left remaining on his deal, so this will keep him in Baltimore through the twenty

Can you just give us a little maybe a little background on how this all came about the contract extension point, you.

Know, it was this two parties kind of met, we kind of been negotiating since the end of the season, and you know, it was something that both parties wanted to do and it just made sense for both of us and we worked it out. So I'm happy to be here, bliss Unfortunately, so keep chasing the super Bowl.

So it was less of the surprise this year the last definitely last.

Year, less of a surprise this year. This year made sense to me for sure, most.

Definitely why why didn't make sense to you?

Because I feel like I finally did something on the field that was you know, impressive, is something that you can you know, respect and stand on. Before that, it was a a little bit shocking. I had some up ups and downs here and there. So, you know, to be able to be here now it feels good, you know what I'm saying.

Is there a time when you might not have been sure that you were gonna be here for eight or nine years when you're are you Maybe you didn't know for sure that you.

Wanted to I mean, like, er, is it did it take some time to get there?

Or is this is the right thing?

No?

I knew I've always wanted to be here. I just think as a player, you you don't know when your time's up. You know, like you don't know the conversations that have had, you know, when you're not around or in the meetings or or those type of things, so you know, you're always wondering what's gonna happen to you. You've seen some of the best players get traded sometimes, so you just never know. But you know, we've had, you know, some good transparent dialogue throughout this whole I said,

You look at this system?

Do you have your break down, your lessons to go back?

For fucking what more shouldn't you say for me? What more you think to be here?

I just know I can play ball, and it's like everybody knows that now, and I'm not I'm not here to prove that to nobody. You know, I I wanna prove that to my teammates and i'm'a go. I work for the Ravens. You know what I'm saying. I work for you know, Lamar Jackson technically, and if these guys will pleased with you know what I'm doing and you know my work ethic and and all of that, then I feel like as a as a team, that's what's

You look at the contract or for what validation shout looking.

At the palm sho strive for sure? Yeah, yeah, most definitely. It's a uh it's kind of highest lead words. You get paid if you're doing the right things. You know, on and off the field and disrespect thing. It's showing that dogization you know, believes in me. It's showing that, you know, I believe in them. So you know, hopefully this thing keep on keep on trucking in that direction.

Should does it take trust from between player and organization.

That look, if I outperform a contract that I even if I just signed it, if I outperform that this organization's gonna take care.

Of me in the wrong way. That's what you would want them to do. But it it doesn't, It doesn't guarantee anything. You know, I got a good relationship with the GOSTA, and I think you know that helped us. Well, that helped us well, you know, they respect you know how I work, you know how I come in the building and my teammates do and you know, I think that's why I'm still here, I hope, so not just about you know, what I do on the football field.

For Shure, that's us.

So I don't even know if he's really talking to me. I think I just like wrapped him up and and kind of kept it moving. But Harves has always been a guy that's believed in me since I've been here. Cool guy, cool, cool guy. And you know he's good for the team and he's good for all of us. So what are shot?

You guys have DeAndre Hopkins and the receivers bringing out like order contract for quite a few more years.

You're gonna be the best of the leader in this dring for a while.

How do you approach that role and how do you see yourself developing as a leader in this SoC.

I I'll continue to do what I do. Uh lead by example. Some people are vocal and some people you know, lead with like the way they work, you know. And Lamar's like a good example. You know, Derek is a good example. They might not say much, but you know you can tell, you know when it's time to you know, get right, you know what I'm saying and lock in and I I think that's more you know what I am. You know, Rokowan he's more of a vocal you know leader. Calvin NOI he's a he's a vocal leader, you know.

Me for shot, And what did the last season do for you?

Just to I obviously the contractors they've led that, But what what impacted and have to do to be able to go through the.

Season healthy, have the kind of year you had?

Uh?

What did it do, not just physically but mentally for you?

I don't know.

I just think last year was fun overall. I don't think it helped me really get through anything. I think before the season started, I was kind of, you know, at that point of peace, you know, and I feel like that was a a heavy reason to why you know, I was able to do you know, those you know type of things on the field and have them more success, just because I know I was in a better headspace,

Sean, are you you played with a veteran like Odell Beckham? Now you have d hop here? Is is there anything that you are hoping to pick his brain about? Is there anything you wanna take from him.

I mean, not nothing in particular, but I think with a guy like that, that's that's done so much in the league with there's so much respect, you know. I just I'm ready to ask him anything, you know, as far as you know, catching hands, rock, running body, taking care of your body at what you do, uh when you was in year one compared to year five, you know, it's a lot of different variables. I'm a I'm a deep thinker, so I I'm not like a one a

Shot Under said here play a little bit in.

A ask year so respect that to be.

I I honestly don't know. I really I really never know.

Uh.

I I just I really never know.

Bro.

So you just gotta be prepared for it all. Just show up and be ready to play. So i'm'a just continue to do that. Yeah, whatever they want me to do, i'm'a do. I just like playing football and at this point, bro, I'm great for for it all. So you know, they throw me in the slot, throw me at tight end, the chip block, whatever, I I'll I'll do it. Especially now.

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.

Not many, not many players get three contracts with the team. Did you take a minute to kind of take that in, especially since early on there was some it was kind of some tumultuous days with the injuries and all that that you were able to be a guy who was a three contract guy here. Uh.

I just think for me, that's it's more. It hits different when you know it's a receiver here. Well, we all know the perspective here and you know we've we've been through a lot. We can we go through a lot. We we continue to go through a lot, you know when it comes to facing back last here and there

I'm sure how you mentioned.

Your relationship with Eric da Costa earlier. He's publicly said over the past, you see, and he's fullish about your talents. So what does it mean to you just to have him kind of stick beside you, continue to defend you at and continue to sign you.

It means a lot. I mean that coming from that's coming from the top man that you know that pay us. So honestly, you know, if you got you know, got that respect from from him, you know, it means a lot, you know, and you know hopefully that continues to develop and you know grow over the time of me being here, but being able to build a relationship with him, you know, even all the coaches. It's been it's been real good and it's been real beneficial.

Have you had an opportunity to share this mom over with your family? What was their reaction?

Nah?

I told my mom about a couple of days ago, but I haven't called it yet.

Uh.

I kind of signed and then came to work after that, So i'm'a go call it right now. You heard from you.

I suppose that Lamar not yet.

Not yet. I don't know if anybody heard from tomorrow. I think so we'll find out soon.

I appreciate it.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

We also had a chance to talk with defensive coordinator zach.

Orr mal Chai, Mike Green, a lot of young guys. How do you think they have kind of to go open and worked so far?

I'm excited about the young group that we brought in, man.

I think that Eric and his staff did a great job of identifying talent and I think, most importantly, Ravens man like guys that really loved football, love to grind, love to compete.

Man.

So I'm excited about the young guys.

Man.

We're throwing a lot at them right now. They're picking it up well, they're learning from their mistakes. I just appreciate the way that they're coming into work. So we're fired up about them, and you know, they got long ways to go. But I like where we're at right now with.

Them out here to speak.

So what's kind of the vision of what Kyle and kar KaiA can do see e secondary.

I think that could change week by man, but I think the vision ultimately is uh be Ballhawks.

And be ball controlled back there.

Man.

Great communicators, great leaders, get us right, get us in and in and out of the right cause nothing over our heads, and then make plays back there. I think, uh last week when when kay Ham was here with Malakai, it was great to see those guys kind of start building that chemistry. And I already seen the impact that kay Ham has had on Malakai with his communication, his knowledge and just his football savvy and uh so Malachi is picking that up. I got a great vision for

Zach, what's it been like working with Chuck Pagano And how valuable is it that a's one not just a former DC but a former NFL head coach and the defensive coach.

It's been great.

It's been great. I mean, I'm glad that he's here. I mean, I don't know how old he is. I don't put his new age out there, but I mean he has great energy. I mean his energy is great and obviously, like you said, his his football knowledge. Man, It's just it's just so valuable to me personally and then just to us as a as a team, and as a defense. I mean's he's He's led great defenses here as a coordinator. He was a great position coach

So I'm fired up about him.

And Jared hey Wigs talked about he's put on some wait this offseason and he has big those expectations for this year. What are you see him from him out out here at practice and what do you see for him? Which is your expectations from this year?

Yeah?

I thought Nate did a great job going to work this offseason. Man, putting weight on, that's a testament to him and the strength coaches coming up with a great plan and obviously he followed it.

The wait is real, you know. So that's good to see.

But what I see him focusing on now, Man, he's more locked in on his fundamentals and technique on.

A more consistent basis. Like last year.

I felt like he got to that point towards the middle end of the season. But last year was just running with like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to figure out what to do. Now, he understands the system, he understands the defense. He's been been the league four years. He understands formations from offenses. So now you're just hone in on his his technique. Man, and that guy right there, he take his technique to another level on a consistent basis.

The sky's the limit for him.

You get the outside linebacker moving back and attack. Plus Mike Green. When I know it's early, but when you look at him, what have you seen and and sort of what does that do in terms of versatility in terms of what you guys can do past martialize.

Yeah, Man, I see a guy who comes out here and works. But from a physical standpoint, I mean, his get off is real, and he understands the.

Level of the quarterback.

Man.

So I think he's gonna be a real valuable piece for us. He's he's strong, he's explosive. He could rush on the outside and he could rush on the inside. So one thing we always say, you can never have enough rushers, man, and he's gonna add to that room and it's gonna be a great valuable piece for us.

But Uh, I'm happy with Mike.

I think that he's doing a good job of what he can do right now, giving the restrictions with the with the pads and everything. But I think training camp and the preseason, you guys really start to see, uh, you know what abilities.

He really has a lot of the.

Defense you've been Trent, this guy he stayed high on even though he has discrepis last year. What are you gonna see from him?

And these stays out of Yes, he's.

A lot more confident, man. This is the most confident that I've seen Trent man. And he's a lot more relaxed before the play I hear him talking. This is the most I've heard him communicate on the field. So I'm excited, man, We're excited about him. I think has done a great job. Tyler Santucci, our linebacker, has done a great job with him, uh thus far, and he's done a great job out here man. So he's actually

Trend upwards for us.

Say again, man, shoot, Teddy plays like a raven you know his college film. He flies around and he likes he seeks contact, He can play in space, and he's a smart player. I mean, talk about a guy who came from a smaller school, dominated that they made one year jump, got there kind of like there in the middle of the summer, and dominated in the ACC at a big school.

So I'm excited about Teddy. We threw a lot of his place. He's playing.

He's playing both positions for US, Mike, Will and Don and he's done a good job going out there so far.

Hey, exactly, we see Chalen Davis floating all over your defense, even a little bit at safety. What what goes into that decision?

What goes into city down with the guy and saying give give this a work.

Yeah, I think, man, Since.

Since since I've been here, way back in twenty fourteen, it's always been preached you want to get your best eleven guys on the field. So in the secondary, most of the time, you're gonna have at least five DB's on the field, sometimes six, maybe seven, So you want to get your best eleven. But especially with the with the top five dbs, you want to play with the best five. You don't want to limit yourself or a

He can play all the positions.

But he's just the one of the guys we're starting to do that with, and you'll start seeing more guys do that as we get gone.

Could Dafe Oh wait, he also put on some weight in the off season. What do you think that'll do for him? How do you think it'll help him take another step?

This team?

Him?

Yeah?

Man, he done it. He done it.

He's another guy who came back and he's always been in real good physical shape.

Man.

But you could see he took it to another level, like he's he's twenty pounds of muscle. I don't know how he did it, but I'm glad he did. But he's still fast. He's still got that fast, that twitchiness and that explosiveness. So you know, this is a big year for Dafay. Like we don't shy away from it.

We all know what it is.

It's a contract year for him. We know his individual goals. We know he wants to get accomplished, we know his team goals. He wants to be a centerpiece to help us, you know, reach.

The super Bowl.

So he's took that approach.

I think it's gonna do wonders for his game because tackles are already scared of his speed and he has he has ability to power, but I think with twenty extra pounds, that's gonna make his power even better.

So yeah, I'm excited for a Dafe man. And I think he approached this his situation the right way in the contract year. And he's here. He's been here. He's been here even in Phase one.

In Phase two when he's out here practicing, working his butt off, and and he continues that mindset and he putting the work he's putting in, it's gonna pay off for him.

In the process. You know, the interceptions just got to stick down that you remember when was in plays get good inst to otto.

Year, man, I can't. I he made a lot of plays, man.

I mean this dude, he's kind of been on our radar for a while just because Georgia obviously they've had they've been a great football team, so they had a lot of guys come out over the years. And I remember watching you know, dbs that came out specifically in last year's class twenty twenty four class, and I'm like, man, who's twenty four? I ask him the scouts and everything. They're like, he's not coming out to next year. I

He's one of the older guys there as a true junior.

So basically by week or by game plan, he played all around the secondary and he still was their best player back there. So that's what's really intriguing to us that we like to be Verse twelve of our guys. We don't like locking our guys in one position. We don't like locking ourselves in one position depending on you know, who were playing that week. So if you if you got a guy in the secondary who can play safety, corner, nickel, dime and play at all at a high level, it's

Obviously the defense didn't start off the way you wanted to, but by the end of the season, I mean statistically you're one of the best, you know as finishing best team. What did you learn maybe the most throughout last season?

Man, I just probably just learned that it's a week to week league.

Man.

I mean I knew it, but you got a chance to see it's week the weekend. You got to go out there and do it no matter who you got back there. The names don't mean nothing. Our names on our jersey, we take pride in that. But the team coming in trying to trying to whoop our butt, man, and the players we got real accomplished players and coaches. The team that's coming in that's playing us don't care about that. So you can't rest on what you've done

Man, Like we talked about it today. So we're gonna be a little angle about it. And that's good.

If you love football, you want to be challenged, you want to be coached, you want to get pushed. So if that's the type of uh, you know, player and coach you are, you're gonna thrive here. If not, then you know it's probably not gonna be the place for you.

You got old Chusa Johno at GB Experts or anything when you first got here. Of that, he said that he like the way you guys have group. Last year he came in.

Yeah, I mean definitely, man.

I mean the biggest thing that he just jumped off jumped off the tape to him just watch him. Was you know, just the communication back back there, and some of that, like I said, it was was on me as well, you know, tightening the menu up, but just the communication. And then he said, once we got that fixed, you know, this the the skies, the limit. You know, we a talented group back there. And then the other

Our eyes not right, our leverage is not right, or our body position is not right.

So those are just little nuances he picked up. And I think it was impressive. Is a lot of guys went up to him. He might not even know I noticed, but a lot of guys went up to him and asked him one on one what he could what they could work on. And he had an answer for every single one of those guys, a deep, detailed summary. So, like I said, man, it's it's great to have him here in the building. And like I said, he don't be fooled by his age. You guys can talk to him here.

In a second.

His dude got real juice and energy and knowledge, man, So I'm fired up about him and.

All the coaches that we brought in.

We also heard from We have a secondary coach, Chuck Pegano. He was the former defensive coordinator here. Of course, he was the head coach of the Indianapolis Coults. He's excited to be back in Baltimore, and he talked about what this opportunity means for him.

I mean, you're part of the media for a little while. Doing that didn't any knocking off Russ getting back into coaching. What was it like getting back into coaching for him?

You gotta get in football shape, you know.

We tell the guys we're fixing the sent him home for the summer, and you always worry about that, right because they're in great shape now, and then everybody's got a month off, so you want them to come back in football shape. But you really can't replicate, you know, the pads and all those kinds of things. Coaching is no different, you know. So I'm pretty damn good on a peloton, you know, I ride my tail off on

I'm so grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be back.

You know.

It's it's always something when you have something, you kind of take it for granted, and then when when you don't, you realize just how special it was to coach and uh be a part of something, be a part of a team, have the relationships, uh you know that you that you develop and build uh when you're part of something like that. So it's it's been awesome. Got obviously a gold standard of organizations top down, and the familiarity with with John Staff's a lot different. But you know,

Is that.

Jameson still being here, what's been about sort of? I mean, like you said, it's been a bunch of years since you were here last. But the more organization's pretty famous for its.

Mean, what do you kind of notice on the back of the h just the same. I mean, the standard is the standard.

I know that's that's cliche, is you know, but you know, the type of people like if you don't John talked about it today. Gruden was here today, Like, if you don't love ball, you can't survive here. You know, there's a big difference between like and love. You know, in a relationship. You know, it's gonna be thirty six years in July for me and my wife. If I would have just kind of liked marriage, that would have been over probably thirty five years ago, you know, but she

But it's been pretty seamless.

Look around the league. It's especially on the defensive side of the ball.

You're seeing more positionless football guys, they could play all over the place. The Ravens have a couple of those guys on their defense. How different is that, you know, trying to scheme up and coach those types of guys compared to you know, guys used to play just setain positions.

Yeah, I mean, when you have a guy, I'm assuming you're talking about a guy like Kyle, you know Hamilton, you know Marlon Humphrey, you know, veteran, veteran guy, been in the league a long long time, can play outside, can play the nickel. Kyle played deep, play big nickel, played dime linebacker, played deep in coverage, play man lets, all those kind of things. When you have you know, chess pieces as we like to refer to them, and

I was with Roqan as you guys know in Chicago.

You know I knew the minute, you know he came over here that he was going to be a game changer, you know, for for this defense and for this unit. Those guys again, they their football smarts, their football IQ, their love for the game, their passion for the game, their passion for playing for one another is off the charts.

So you can't you can't have enough of those guys.

You've ensure that the secondary hits the ground one second.

Yeah, that's going to be a second year of Playboer, what has.

Stop out to you?

A value set?

H Zach is awesome, as you guys know, a ton of energy, a ton of juice, ton of passion. He's super smart, super intelligent. He knows this, you know, defense inside and out. And I just look at the transformation like what happened here on defense when you look at from the bye week on, there wasn't a better defense in the National Football League. They gave up probably an average of two hundred and seventy two hundred and eighty

How do you ensure that the secondary hits the round and running this here, because I think those guys will be the first to say that they didn't play up to the standard that they expected for the first half.

Of last year.

I think we're off to a great start, you know right now. Uh Donald Delecio as a secondary coach, he comes over from from Kansas City. He's done a phenomenal job of you know, to this point of getting not only the veterans that have that have been here, but these young players, these rookie players, Malachi, the couple of corners that we drafted, you know, bk and and Beam, you know. So he's done a great job. But we've got another you know, handful of OTAs. We've got a

They'll have their iPads, they'll get to take all the tape.

Home, all the corrections home, all the film home, and and keep studying, you know, and keep growing that way so that when training camp comes, it isn't like you know, back in the day, when I was here in O eight we were going to Westminster. You know, there's no CBA in place that said you had to you know, practice you know, shorts, shorts, shorts, maybe spiders, then maybe get into pads, have this ramp up.

Like day three we were full pad, Day four we were full pad. Day five we were full pads.

And it was two days you know, so you couldn't And my point is like you had to show up in shape that you wouldn't make it through the first three days of camp. This is really no different. So we've got you know, good veteran group. We got you know, leaders in the back end there that will that we will lean on. Donald myself will lean on to stay connected with with all the guys in the back end so that when we do show up, we hit the ground run and we're in shape.

You know physically.

If you don't show up in shape, then as soon as you get tired, this thing slows down. You lose folks, lose concentration. Then you have you know a bad day and then followed maybe by another can't happen.

You're a if you had that wanted that made you want to get back in or what's happened. How did this opportunity come about? If you gave us a lot of background, Was this something that was kind of stewing with you that you were kind of getting the itch to get.

Back in, And yeah, I never really stopped thinking about coaching and thinking about the game. I was fortunate, you know, Pat having me on and doing that show, being on the program with him and the boys. You know, that was kind of my football fix, you know, but that was six months out of that was football season, you know. But it kept me connected to the game. But I never really stopped thinking about, you know, maybe coming back at some point. My kids, my wife, my daughters. I

But it was twenty twenty. It was coming off of COVID and I just kind of had enough.

I was like, okay, I need a break, probably like everybody else in the world, but never really stopped thinking about it.

This was just a probably the only opportunity.

That would get me off the couch, you know, because yeah, I was playing golf and working out with my grandkids and life was pretty good, you know. A lot of my friends back home like, are you out of your mind? Why would you go back to the grind? You can't replicate this. You can't replicate the grind. It's hard to

But you know, it's hard to fill your days, you know. So yeah, it was.

It was, like I said, an opportunity of a lifetime and and probably the only the only place that that could.

Get me to come back you or you're gonna be out here wearing steaveld shirts or something.

I don't think no John John would kick me out, Like if you don't have the you gotta wear the right attire. You're not in the right attire. You're get sent back in.

You don't care how old you are and how many years you got in. You know, sir, you gotta yeah, no, no, tank, I got guns too, you'd be.

Uh, we're exact stated when we first got here, A bunch of guys that come to you seeing one on one.

Advice scarious with the accavation process you place for years to they and you can share about some of those.

Conversations they were. They were more like just trying to build relationships from that standpoint. You know, you get hired, you read you know they're not here, they're off you know, in the off season stuff. So you start text thread texting the players, introducing yourself, tell them how much you're looking forward to, you know, being part of their their family, their team, being part of this organization.

Uh.

And then once they start to filter in and you just really start to build a relationship with them, and uh, not so much even the football side of it. Some had played more than others. Some had a bunch of tape you could look at. Some you know hadn't really been on the field yet. You know, first year guys got injured, didn't get much at TJ you know guy like TJ BO. You know, so the conversations were great. Again, it was more of just building relationships with these these players.

And and.

You have a if you have a you know, a strong bond and you know did for Meal said a long time ago, he said, these players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, you know, And so I I think that's I've kind of lived by that philosophy my entire coaching career. So it was more about just building relationships, getting to know these people up now.

That you're back coaching again, any any desire to be a head coach again in the NFL, No.

Sir, new sir, you know that again. I was right place, right time, got the opportunity of a lifetime. Mister Ursay. You know, God rest his soul and rest in peace. What a great man. He gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. All that I went through in year one stood by me, had my back the entire time.

But you have no idea.

Nobody has no idea until you sit in that seat. And you know, it's one thing being a position coach. It's another thing being you know, a coordinator on one side of the ball. You know, you kind of live in your own little world, but you know, sitting in that seat kind of looking for the head coach manual. You know, two days after I was hired Nindy, I was presser was done and all the meating was gone, and I'm going through Jimmy Caldwell's desk looking for the

You know?

So I loved I loved it, you know, but I'd love just you know, some of my fondest memories and best coaching moments were like the first time I was here and just being a secondary coach and having that room and that group and that bond.

Head coaching.

They'll tell you you got to stay involved, you want to keep coaching, but it's damn near impossible because you got you know, you have to do this three out of the four days a week. You get a Thursday off because John still get Thursdays off.

You know.

I used to love Thursday, not because I didn't love the media.

Everybody's great people, but it's just a break where you could actually go in and maybe look at some tape and coach some guys up. But you get pulled away from what you love doing, and that's coaching the game, because you got so many other things going. So I know that was a long winded, you know, answer to your question, but no, I'm good. I've had enough of that. I'm just trying to hold on to my job.

You know.

You know that scanner thing, you know every morning when I come in, I scan, it says access permitted. I'm like, thank you, you know, because you go up and you scan that and it access deny. It'll say access denied, and I'm like, what did I do wrong? You know, boy, How'd I screw this up?

But no, you're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you subscribe here. Also head over to the Lounge podcast feed and subscribe there as well. Thank you so so much for listening. We'll talk with you again tomorrow