Welcome into the Ravens Press Past Podcast. It is Tuesday, June third, and today the Ravens held an open practice of organized team activities. After practice, we had a chance to hear from offensive coordinator Tom Munkett.
I know it's week two about but as anything from that with DeAndre Hopkins, I know I probably see him throughout your career, but anything since he's been around here that kind of stood out.
To you, Well, first of all, it's great having him here. I think he's been really diligent, you know, not perfect, but I think he's been diligent in what we do offensively. You know, we're just trying to get him up to speed, but he's been great.
Have you seen.
Himself? Ted will on his side, I'm sure he is. I'm busy calling the place. I really don't know. I think he's not trying to be an ass. I'm just saying that. I don't know. I'm sure he is working with the young guys. Uh. He's a great dude. I mean, he really is a good person. He understands why we brought him here, what we expect from him to be an outstanding player. I just think that's his nature to
help those guys. Just what Lettle I've seen when he's been around those guys, he just seems to interact with them, you know, at a really high level.
How do you go there's so many guys who can you know, mark and throw the ball teams? How do you go back anywhere to get another highly decorative, talented guy and instead of what does he bring not in that regard to getting into making what you guys are looking for.
Well, we'll see it stay four. But as I said in another interview, I'd in the off season. I'd rather have too much talent try to figure out how to manage it, how to have everybody embrace their role, than not have enough. So we love having another weapon. I thought Nelly the last couple of years did a great job for us as our third receiver. I don't really see d Hop as a third receiver. I see him more as we have three starters at wide receiver. But
we also haven't a too tight end. So it'll be interesting as we get going, especially once we get to camp and we get the pads on how we can integrate him into the offense. But we're excited, he said, how much.
He might be able to hope things up more than eight flowers too, because he's a he's a different kind of receiver, different guy.
And again, can't wait till we really get to go full speed and get the pads on and really see it. You know, we're really we're not there yet. He's not there yet, So can't wait to, uh to get there and and really see what we got.
What did you like about Cooper rushing the offseason and kind of seeing him.
Out there today taking a lot of the.
You know, first three games. Yeah, again, it's he's a pro. That's why he's made it in the NFL as law as he has. That's why his record as a starter is what it is, because it's not like those guys get a lot of reps, you know. So when he's had his opportunities, Uh, he's done an outstanding job, not a good job, an outstanding job of winning football games. He knows where to go with the ball. He knows
his skill set. I mean, it's it's one thing to have a skill set, it's either another to understand that he's not Lamar. So he's got to know where to go with the ball beyond time using his arm, talent, anticipation, with throws and uh, you know, being able to get the ball out and get it to checkdowns. Sorry, with a.
Thousand yards slash year, they're kind of woking for him to do. Make him to throw or the next step to couch.
Well, we just got to get him the ball more. I mean, that's really it. The problem is we have a lot of those guys like you know, he's he's an unbelievable football player. You know, he's he's not only an outside receiver that has elite route running skills, but he's unbelievable with the ball in his hands. So you have like a guy that fits two positions, really plays
two spots. Now, I'm not sure we're gonna use that when it's contract negotiations that we see him as two players, but I'm just saying that you can use him in a variety of roles to get him the ball, which allows your volume to go up. You know, he's a volume catch guy. You can use him in novelty screens getting him the ball down the field. So I expect him to take another leap, you know, in terms of
you know, his consistency. But you know, when you make it to the Pro Bowl or you're an all pro like, you're pretty good, You're pretty good.
I don't know how you look at everything every own season?
Was there something kind of home getting on or about people review or in particular area like the you.
Know, the game as a whole, get a lot better at great question. You know, when we started the off season, we had to really drill down into being specific intentional of what those areas were, because if you just took a broad scope or perspective, you'd say, well, we were really good at that, we were really good at this, we were really good at that area. We were really good at this, and yet that wasn't always the case
in certain parts of what we did. So we just really tried to drill down as to how the things that we do, how do we do them better? How do we function at a higher level. Obviously we started to get the penalties cleaned up, how do we function better at the line of scrimmage, from our operation to communication, and really hone in after looking at last year, what our guys do really well? What is lamar like like, really, that's that's really it? Why waste time? I felt like
we did that last year. I felt like we first couple of games all the off season of what we did, we kind of wanted to see it and it wasn't good enough. I mean it really wasn't. So who are we really so we can come out of the gates fast.
About the advantage having two tight ends to ends have more than that which he works at Charlie. But just the fact of what Mark and and say, how do you think that worked out last year? And do you think things can change with with what.
You can do with that?
Well, it works out great because both of those guys, first of all, they're good friends and they're selfless. Like that's not easy, you know. I mean, I know we played a lot of twelve personnel, but there's also you know, when we go eleven personnel, one thems in the game. And they're both very capable guys. So Coach Goats does a great job every week of how do we rotate those guys? Where do we have the targets aligned? So those guys feel like they're getting their opportunities. So it
starts with them. I mean, they're the ones that make that decision that you know, they're selfless, and I think it gives us you know, first of all, I'm fired up the back. They're all here, okay to run it back with those guys. And you know, I see as very being very similar to last year in a lot of ways, is because I think that's our best grouping Todd.
Coming into the season, it was so much going on with the offensive line filling three different starter spots, the fortunate passing coach d obviously DA made it a challenge going into the season. How is that different now with less moving parts along the offensive line going into this year?
Well, I mean, you'll have to ask those guys. I mean, what a great job you know, Trevelle did, Coach Warhop did our players. You'll have to ask those guys, you know, really, because they're the ones that did it. They're the ones that went out there, let alone the new starters, you know, and those guys embracing their role. But that since I've been hen even before I got here, it feels like
the next old lineman just steps up. That's why you draft players, That's why you develop, That's why you hope that over the years you're good enough to let those guys develop and then when it's their time, be it Daniel or hell, it took Patrick a little bit longer you know, to get that opportunity. But even guys in the past, with Simpson and before I got here, powers like let those guys continue to develop and have some
other guys there in the wings. But what a great job that the coaches did and our players did of just you know, moving on. That's not easy, you know, a new voice, new players, But what a great job they did.
We saw six full start pailies going on cant it might have been more than that today.
Any idea of what's going on in terms of that of sickness, and that was one of the things the end of the last year.
I was conning on it's a lot more opially cleaning up the penalties.
Yeah, that's not very good. Now, Well, one thing I told the guys that what we can't do is, first of all, we have a lot of guys repping. So the more you rep guys, you know that it's going to put an onus on a lot of different guys, right, and some guys that, to be honest, probably won't be playing for us. But that's a freaking excuse. Okay. The reality is we can't give in to just go into one cadence. That's an easy solution. The easy solutions will go on one every time, right, blah blah blah blah
blah blah. Set hut. I mean, is that the best way to do it. I'm not trying to be I'm just being real with you. So we've got to work it now. Now is the time for us to work multiple cadence, right, because that was one of our things in the off season. How do we get better at multiple catenes without without jumping and flinching as much? For sure, it's disappointing. I watch it on his disappointed as as anybody. But we're gonna continue to do it. We're gonna continue
to chart it. And the guys that continue to get penalties, they'll struggle to get on the field.
There's a chance that you guys go into this season with a good chance that you guys go in the season with a rookie kicker. Do you have any sense yet as whether that might alter graduate or might be looking to be more assertive than some of that thirty five forty five got a doubt.
Not when they make everyone, I mean, heck, when those I don't know which one's gonna be. But as long as they make everyone and won't adjust anything. That's what I'm counting on.
We didn't see him out in the field today, but are you and you're dealing with them, and when he's been.
In the building, are you feel good abouts had to this point?
Yeah, I feel good. I always feel good about Lamar. He always comes in ready. You know that's I've never felt like that when we've started camp or whenever he's been here, that he's not ready. He loves to play football, and he loves his teammates, he loves the Ravens. I mean, you know, I mean, I've never felt that way one way or the other. You know about about his preparation. He'll be ready to go and we'll be ready to go against Buffalo come Sunday night.
And one of the guys a monk and talked about his wide receiver, Zay Flowers. He was a Pro Bowler in year two, but he is even bigger expectations going into this season. And here's what Zay had to say during his time with the media. You have a Pro Bowl season, you know what's next on the list for you when you look at your aspirations for this season.
I mean, to me, it just get better every year. Do a little bit more than I did last year, and as a team get furnther the than we did last So, uh, that's that's kind of my goal. Do better, just get better in every aspect of the game and try to push for the ultimate goal. To su Bo, Yeah, what has it been like?
You're trying a younger comport into adult at working with him?
Uh?
He a real vet, like he know everything. He teach you what he know, He give out the game and he work hard too, so it's easy to just follow him. It's easy to get behind him and do what he do. So he a great VET and he great for our group.
From him that you wanna kind of add to your game, uh.
He just he patiently everything he do. He understand that in practice you gotta detail it so in the game it's perfect. So I've been learning that from him the movies a long time.
Is there anything that he's been able any advice to be able to give you or any other guys, It's been hopeful.
Just take care of your body. It's really been like that with all my vets, Nelly, O'Dell d hot, they all tell me the same thing, take care of your body. And maybe I could play thirteen years like.
Your group, I.
Say, more experience. I feel more like I can, I'm more into the game, I'm more learning football. I learned football a lot more than I did my rookie year, and I just got a lot more experience on the field.
And understand is they just kind was the knee and did you have to do anything to get to this point just to make.
Sure you are ready for this?
Uh?
I mean I did a lot, but my kneed great. I feel a hundred percent. I feel like I'm ready to go, feel like I'm ready for the season, no limits. So I'm good you spoke after.
With locker room clean out.
But just how tough was last season's ending knowing that you had to watch January for that part of playoffs on the sideline?
Uh?
Super tough. Cause when you play seventeen games just to get to the first playoff game and you can't play in it, it's always hard. So that was kind I think that was my first time second time missing the game ever, and it was missing a playoff game is is different, so it kind of felt a little different. So at least we get to play on first game this year.
So if you lingered it on.
You know, ever to miss a football game or or you just gonna.
Flush it s think about Uh, I flushed it, to be honest, like cause it's only I couldn't really do nothing about it. It's like I was hurt. So I just had to watch and helped the chair the guys on and try to get to the next round. And it feels possible. I woulda played day.
We got to the stars to the season last year and then you know this schedule.
Just a herd advocate as well.
When you think about being ready and getting out to a better start this year, what you kind of want.
To see, especially your your positions.
G get better.
I feel like my position group played solid last year, if I'm being honest, So this year, I I I want us to do the same thing. Just play hard and do what we know what we can do so and every time the ball come out a way, make a play. So that's my expectations for the receiver group, block and just help the team anyway we can.
So's together with Lemarney off season helping you prepare for the coming season.
Excuse me?
How is working with Lemarny off season help you prepare for the upcoming season?
It just get our time of down and things we wanted to work on during the season that we seen. H we talk about on the field, like if we running routes, He'll take you run it this way, or I like how you ran it this way. So it's just really just talking a lot and detailing like the small things that he that he wanna get down drop off.
Like when you think of you've been close to your two years, you have playoff teams, really contenders, but not getting over with the hap y'all, see what do you guys talk about to to get to the finish line? Who those conversations?
H I.
I feel like we we talk about a lot about beating ourselves, but on the field, we just play our games. So it's like we know we we know we were we supposed to be and where we supposed to end up at that the end of the year. So it's really on us and we we we talk to ourselves. We talked to like ell all come in and talk to us about meeting after like this year, he wanna do a lot more me and he wanna do a
lot more team stuff. He wanna do a lot more personal stuff with us, just to get that that team karate on a good level.
So Yan, you have a thousand yards season Pro Bowl? Is there anything specifically, whether it's like statistic or anything that you're shooting for for?
Uh?
For yourself this year, do better than I did last year? Everything top everything that I did last year. Or prove everybody to say I can't whatever I can't do. Try to prove everybody to show 'em I can do it, or not proving them, just showing myself I can do it.
Honestly say among those lines.
I think we talked to you before last season and you were hoping that you'd be a big part of the downfield passing games, and you know, seemed like it was more of a shot. But you still win for a Pro Bowl season. Thus, w what is that kind of kiddy confidence about how you can involved with what you can be in this offense with even more downfield pargets.
It just showed me I could unlock a whole another level of my game and I haven't unlocked it yet. So once we start hearing those downfield passes more, I think it'll get up it. It'll be a lot more explosive players between me and a shot. And now we got d hops, so it should be three times three times much real.
So I'm like football in your work person.
Uh, I don't I would played for real football. I'm just I just here to play my tackle football. I ain't really hure about going to the Olympics. I'm trying to warn the super Bowl.
She's also talk.
About how even at thirty two, he still kind of has that speed out there. Yeah.
Yeah, he trying to expose all of us.
Yeah, but no, he's still him.
And it does he show like the speed that he's kind of talking.
No, absolutely, he still play fast. He still play fast. Everything he do fast, and like I said, like he a true vet. He doing he know, he know how his body feel and he go so but he was moving though. He had a little twenty, had a little twenty on that he had a good day.
Yeah, thank you.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you hit subscribe here on this feed. Also head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We sit down with cornerback Nate Wagan's for an episode that's dropping tomorrow morning, so make sure you go ahead and check that out. That's it for me, Thanks for listening, and we'll be back with you later this week.