COURTESY OF BALTIMORE RAVENS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
What are the challenges you see in this training camp? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "For me, it seems like a pretty normal training camp - 12-hour days. There's a lot going on in the world, but, to me, it seems like a pretty normal training camp – getting as much stuff in as you can. It's pretty normal, so the typical challenges with every year training camp."
Last year, you shared your goals and you said you wanted your season to end in Bowls – Pro Bowl, Super Bowl. Pro Bowl, you checked off. Super Bowl, not so much. Can you say what your goals are for 2020? (Kirk McEwen) "After last year, it was cool to get some of those accolades that I've always dreamed of since I was young. This past year, I was able to go to the Super Bowl to do something on the field before the game. It was kind of something … But anyway, I was on the field during the Super Bowl and [was] just walking around, watching the other teams warm up. The energy I felt down there in Miami, it really just triggered my whole offseason into just thinking, 'Man, the only thing I really want is a Super Bowl.' I know Lamar [Jackson] has spoken about that a lot. He's the leader of this group, and we're all trying to get the same thing. I think if all eyes are looking towards that, looking towards that … That's the mindset we're trying to take every day in practice, every day in meetings and all the things we do – it's just eyes on that. It all goes one step at a time, one practice at a time, one drill at a time. For me, it's just try to end in a Bowl again, but just the big thing – and that's the Super Bowl."
It's no secret the secondary played so well, especially in the second half of last year. Now having CB Tavon Young back, CB Jimmy Smith coming back and all of you guys having a full training camp to play together, how exciting is that to think how you can build what you did last year, which was pretty darn good? (Luke Jones) "It feels good. We did well last year. It'll be the same guys – well, Tavon [Young] is back – but for the most part, it will be the same guys. But it's a whole new season, and every season is slightly different. It's really encouraging to start the year with Marcus [Peters], start the year with Tavon, Jimmy's [Smith] back [after he] signed with us in the offseason. We're really good. With Marcus, no one has gotten the ball in [their] hands – interceptions – as many as he has since he's been in the league. Him and Earl [Thomas III], he gets the ball, too. Just having all those playmakers, there's just so many different minds and thoughts – how we can see this, how do they see this? So, I'm just leaning on those guys to help myself get the ball a little more often. We're all just gelling together. It's going to take a couple of practices to really figure out how well we're going to do with different packages, but, right now, I think we're kind of on that way. We've got a lot more steps to take to gel into that secondary that we want to be. We want to be the best in the league, and we're just going to take it a practice at a time."
You mentioned CB Marcus Peters. From your expertise as a corner, what makes Marcus Peters so good at picking off passes and getting all of those interceptions?(Jamison Hensley) "I think the thing I've come to realize is … This interaction when – I can't remember what game last year – so, I went to him and I was like, 'Hey, what do you … I think I see a couple of plays where I could maybe steal some interceptions. Which plays out of this group do you think you could … Tell me what you're seeing.' And he was like, 'I think I can get an interception on every single play.' And I'm like, 'Uh, well, could you like … I'm just trying to pick out a couple.' He's like, 'Every single one.' So, he sees it a lot different than the average corner. He's able to see things as it kind of comes. He's really good at film study and different things. Me trying to turn on that, being more of a student of the game, leaning on him to add something to my game I think is the biggest thing. That's what I think has led him to be so successful; mainly just the film study and being able to see things way before they happen."
Can you talk about your approach to training this offseason? We saw some of the videos you posted. One was like running up a rock pile. It seemed like you got a little creative with it. What was your approach to training this offseason? (Garrett Downing) "The offseason was a lot different. You had to get pretty creative; [I] ended up at some playgrounds, ended up at Wade Sand and Gravel [Company] in Birmingham, Alabama – that's where I was running up those rocks. Actually, my little brother told me to come check that out. It was a good way … It was really fun. I know it was kind of crazy how all of the things that were going on with the world, but I was back with all five of my brothers and sisters. We did a lot of family workouts and it was good. Jungle gym, a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, a lot of home workouts, but the main thing I tried to do this offseason was just to get as much different types of work as I could. My sister runs track at LSU, so I got on the track and did some track workouts. I did really a little bit of everything. I kind of tried to do all around and anything that could get me at my highest heartrate going – that rock pile was definitely pretty tough. It was me, my little brother and my big brother. My big brother, I don't think he worked out for another week – he was so out of it from that. So, it was really challenging, but one or two and you're just about done."
I imagine you're not too upset about not having preseason games, but maybe for some of the rookies who are still trying to figure things out not having them. What are you trying to make sure to do with them and the younger guys on defense to learn what they need to learn to get ready for Week One against the Cleveland Browns? (Pete Gilbert) "Not having preseason, a lot of vets kind of don't play too many reps in those games. But I know with times, it wasn't going to work with the schedule, and NFLPA … We agreed that it would be best if we didn't have any games. For some of those rookies, it is what it is, but it's definitely going to affect them a little bit. Even for the guys who won't be able to make this team, a lot of times they'll get picked up on another team. It kind of sucks in that matter of not being able to show off your talents to 32 other teams in those games, and better yourself making plays in games. On the flipside of that, if you're here, you have an opportunity to make this team. The biggest thing is you've got to get those reps in practice. We've got some young, undrafted guys in our secondary, and the biggest thing is you've got to treat every day like a game rep. I've been trying to get in some of the guys' ears that truly, every rep is a tryout. For our team, we have a great set of scouts. It doesn't matter if we're doing a walk-through, anything – they're watching you at all times. You've got to have that mindset that everything you do in the building is kind of being watched. Without those preseason games, it's a lot more eyes on the little things as opposed to those preseason games."
You were talking about earlier how kind of normal practice felt. Is there some comfort to be drawn from that after such an unusual five months? (Childs Walker)"Yes, definitely. It seems like it's kind of setting in with the whole mask thing. It took a pretty long time to really get used to it, but when you get back on the grass, it's all pretty normal. You're out there practicing with the guys, having a good time, grinding it out, blood, sweat and tears. That's kind of really the only normal thing you've got going. In the building, you have all types of different things – six feet apart here and there, masks on in meetings, Kinexons, so you won't be around somebody for 10 minutes too long. So, we've got all these things inside, but once you get outside, it's kind of just back to ball. It takes away all the different things we've got to protect us, which is all good. We get on the field and just get to be kind of back to what we've done to get us here, and that's just play football."
I know you're on defense, but you've seen QB Lamar Jackson out on the practice field. You saw him all of last year. What do you kind of foresee as maybe the next step in his progression this year? (Jamison Hensley) "I think for Lamar [Jackson], it's kind of hard to really put even a cap on what he can do. Just off of the things he did last year, he's kind of on a path that no one has ever been close to. Michael Vick was kind of the Top Dog in his era, but Lamar is kind of in a class of his own. To put a cap on him, it would be pretty hard to do. I think some steps that he could take is probably just connecting on those deep passes. I know we had a lot of things here and there, but I think with 'Hollywood' [Marquise Brown] getting healthy – he put on some nice weight and I'm not even sure if he's 100 percent right now, but he's coming along. We've got [Devin Duvernay] … I don't even want to mess his name up, so I'll just say 13 – the Texas guy we just drafted, he's got some speed. We've got a lot of guys that I think can really get up top, and I think it'll just be able to take Lamar's game to a whole other level. I think if he can hit … We always know Mark [Andrews]. Mark basically is always open, but we can just add on to hitting those deep passes, deep corners, deep posts and all of that, Lamar's game can go from … Who knows, he could go MVP two times in a row. There's no telling what he can do. To put a ceiling on him – I don't think there is one."