00:00:03
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Ravens Press Past podcast. It is Wednesday, August fifth. The Ravens had another training camp practice today and before they hit the practice field wide Receivers Day, Flowers officially put pen to paper on his new multi year contract extension that's going to pay him one hundred and forty million dollars reportedly over the course of that four year extension. After practice, he talked with reporters about the significance of that deal.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: First off, I'd like to thank God for putting in this position. Without him, none of this will be possible. And I like to thank my family for always having my back and being there for me throughout everything, through everything we've been through, and my friends and everybody in this organization edc Nick, mister Bashati for believing me and giving me a shot and you know, taking a chance on me for somebody from Boston College. I know it's not a lot of people at Receiver or like skip usis that really come out of there. So I really appreciate them, and this just shows me how much they believe in me and just give me another boost to keep going. So, you know, and I love to thank Flowed Nation for being my biggest fans. Even when things got rough, y'all still have my bat no matter what happened. So I appreciate Baltimore. Thank you.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: Was then.
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Speaker 4: I know this didn't just happen yesterday, but can you take us through yesterday of it ramping up and really becoming official and then not even practicing because of this process?
00:01:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean e DC had had we had to talk right before practice, and it was a good conversation on how he felt about the situation, and he said he was gonna take care of me. And I never doubted that. Said I've been his guy since I came in. That's one hundred percent true because every time I talk to him, he always have a smile on his face. We always have good conversations, and I feel he the goat man how he draft players and the type of players he go get. So you know, love EDCT not practicing. That was his decision too, just like keep you safe, let's get this sign, then you can practice the next day.
00:02:10
Speaker 5: Say with the new contract, does that still mean that you get to drive up to Lamar's house at five am and honk your horn?
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Oh No, ain't nothing changing. Ain't nothing changing. I'm still going to get him every day. He gotta he gotta be ready next off season. We're doing the same thing.
00:02:24
Speaker 6: You know, obviously Lamar is two years left on his deal.
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Speaker 7: But how important is it to you that you.
00:02:29
Speaker 6: Try and convince Lamar to be your quarterback for the remainder of your contract?
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Speaker 2: Man, I'm a you know that ain't really my conversation to have, but I love him to be my quarterback to I'm done playing, no matter whether twelve years, thirteen, no matter how long, I want him to be my quarterback because to me, he the best in the world.
00:02:47
Speaker 8: How essential has.
00:02:48
Speaker 2: Lamar been to your success.
00:02:49
Speaker 7: Here in Baltimore?
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Speaker 2: I feel like our game, our game kind of like match. You know, he could do everything, move around, run and I can get open and also be very like useful in scrambled drill when you need me.
00:03:03
Speaker 1: Is it your path to get to this point? You know you overcame a lot along the way. Was it emotional at all getting the news that the deal was done, signed the papers?
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Speaker 2: Oh it was, It definitely was. I haven't had a lot of time to really like take it in because you know, as sooner when he got the deal done, he had to go right back to meetings, and then you got to get ready for the next day. So on my off day I enjoyed Snoop and Lamar. They took me to dinner. Last night. We had a few hours sat down on the phone with my family. I had everybody in the group chat. Everybody was going crazy, so it was good to talk to everybody.
00:03:37
Speaker 6: The reaction, like in the wide receiver removis you could really tomorrows.
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Speaker 2: Everybody was happy for me. Everybody was excited because you know, the model here in Baltimore was receivers are not really value and that changed yesterday.
00:03:51
Speaker 7: That you kind of, you know, laugh from people having made as long as wide receiver, one player or whatever. When you have the kind of success you had so far and then you get a deal like this, does that still kind of validate sort to you everything you've done to kind of get to this point.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: It definitely validated how the front office feel about me, how those guys feel about me, how about my about my teammates feel about me. And they see the work that I put in and they see everything I do, and everybody felt I definitely deserved this. So it's work. Don't stop now. We gotta keep.
00:04:24
Speaker 9: Going money as a motivator for anyone. But now that you have signed your big contract, how are you gonna stay motivated? What is the next goal for a guy like you?
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Speaker 2: Super Bowl? You still got to get a super Bowl. That None don't change. None don't change. I'm still doing the same thing five in the morning, getting here and working every day.
00:04:45
Speaker 10: How just happy are you to be able to get this done before the season, to be able to just focus on football.
00:04:51
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm super excited. You know, you could just go play now. It's just like a rock lifted off your shoulders and you could just be free and go play. It's something you don't have to worry about. It's just a lot, a lot lighter on myself and I could just go play.
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Speaker 11: The shot has talked about before and other first round receivers before, how there is a pressure in this organization that comes from being a first round receiver and the fans dying to have kind of young developmental success stories at the position. Have you ever felt that pressure and then your successor in your career, does that make it even more satisfying what you've been able to do?
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Speaker 3: No?
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Speaker 2: I never, I never really felt the pressure I had a long journey here. I had a lot of stuff happened to me where it was a lot of pressure and I ain't fold. So it never really like took a hold of me to have pressure on me because I got a lot of family at home, I had lost family, went to Boston college, had success there, so it was never really pressure. I just played my game and I believe in myself no matter what was the most pressure.
00:05:58
Speaker 7: Do you think you ever felt before video?
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Speaker 2: The getting to college, getting my first offer, and getting to college.
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Speaker 12: It is for you.
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Speaker 13: I've seen also the reaction on social media. Ya, your guys like Chad Johnson, Steve Smith's reacting just kind of what does it meant to you to kind of see that from guys that I'm sure you grew up watching idealizing?
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Speaker 2: Man, it's crazy because those guys that my dad used always tell me about. You watch these guys, watch watch chat footwork, or watch how Steve Smith as a dog. So to see those guys give me praise to me everything because I grew up watching them and modeling is my some of my game after and it's just a blessing to be in this position.
00:06:39
Speaker 8: You say, after this deal, do.
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Speaker 10: You feel like maybe you know you want to do I don't know if more is the right term, but just being a bigger leader or being a bigger focal point on the field. Do you feel like after this deal, you feel you there's more for.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: You to give now? Man, I always wanted to do more. I wasn't if I'm being honest, I was never really worry about the deal getting done. That's while I was still practicing because I knew ADC was gonna take care of me, and he always keep his word that he was gonna take care of me. So I never really focused on having to deal with like the conversations talk about the contract. So that's why I was still out there practicing and going because it's a bigger role. Man. We're trying to get to a super Bowl.
00:07:18
Speaker 7: You made a touchdown this like earlier in the offseason. But did you you add any extra weight or both up or anything?
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Speaker 2: Yeah? I had like eight pounds, eight pounds eighty six. I was one seventy eight last year and I added like eight What was there thought?
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Speaker 3: On that.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Run straight? Everybody get mad at meone know, but running sideway, so run through some more tackles.
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Speaker 14: I kind of a.
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Speaker 15: Snoop's Instagram last night, you guys were celebrating, But do you guys carpool the training camera? That's you guys just kind.
00:07:54
Speaker 2: Of driving around. Now, we will carpool with a training camp, but we carpool a lot of different places, like if we're going to eat, or are we going to hang out somewhere, or they come into my house to eat, like we carpooded in more in those situations.
00:08:07
Speaker 1: Next up, we heard from offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
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Speaker 5: You alter anything to you know, take advantage of kind of the weather out there.
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Speaker 14: Yeah, obviously.
00:08:18
Speaker 3: I mean you're pretty fortunate to actually get this weather during a training camp setting and be able to have to deal with the rain a little bit.
00:08:24
Speaker 14: This actually happened to us in early in.
00:08:26
Speaker 3: OTAs we practiced outside, and I didn't think we handled it particularly well.
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Speaker 14: I do think that today they responded positively.
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Speaker 3: You know, you might change the way you call it a little bit in some of those like more live call it periods, but in general, you know, you have practice scripted out a certain way you want to try to put like it might be easier to say, hey, you know what, let's just run the ball let's not force our guys to be really good with you know, the throw location, reaching out, plucking the front half of the football, putting it away, ball security, all those things. But obviously a day like today, you're really fortunate to be able to have to like test those things. And so, you know, there are times where you try to simulate that you might dunk a football and use a wet.
00:09:07
Speaker 14: Ball drill, you know, at times.
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Speaker 3: But we play in the AFC North, and in order to win games late in the year, you're gonna play in some weather games and things like this that are you know, less than ideal, and so we got to get used to playing this way.
00:09:18
Speaker 13: Seen Jacobe make a couple of big catches this week, Is he kind of as advertised? As you go through this, we can look at like from a catch radio standpoint and kind of get something that hasn't been here.
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Speaker 12: Yeah.
00:09:30
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I mean going through his his evaluation, what we thought about him just continues to show up, and that is, you know, he's got this huge catch radius, he's got great hands, he's very sticky. He's a very different player than like the guy that I was around that his hands remind me of is like Mike Thomas. Mike Thomas had these strong hands where he could pull it down in a way and you threw in the vicinity and you felt like he was going to go get it. There's a lot of that feeling. He's a very friendly guy to throw to. Jack is working extremely hard to earn all of it, and I'm really, you know, happy with that progress. You know, every single day, Like he grabbed me right before we came off the field and he's like, hey, coach, I messed up. You know this, And I'm like, hey, you know, you recognize what you made a mistake on.
00:10:12
Speaker 14: Now. The next step is let's fix it before that happens.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: And so for a lot of young guys, like you know, it's Jack, it's any of our rookies, you know, we're asking them to be very detail.
00:10:21
Speaker 14: We're asking them to you know, play at a very high level from an.
00:10:26
Speaker 3: IQ standpoint and seeing the defense and those things changing what they might be doing and responding to. And I've been really happy with how all of our guys are stressing to try to grow in that area.
00:10:36
Speaker 12: That's all because that just.
00:10:37
Speaker 13: Kind of how have you seen that relationship with Lamar grow as they kind of work on building that chemistry.
00:10:42
Speaker 3: I think that is really important for any any quarterback, the chemistry between him and a pass catcher, the chemistry between him and the center of the offensive line.
00:10:51
Speaker 14: That's really important.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: And that's something that it takes place all through training camp, it takes place all through the season. But the more reps those guys have together, the more they start to understand when you're throwing to a target kind of how that looks or where you may be able to put that ball different from other players. And that was honestly, like we started very early on even in OTAs and we started throwing a jack and it was like, Okay, throwing to him is very different than throwing to some other guys, And so getting used to that and those guys just taking those reps is really important.
00:11:20
Speaker 7: We'd say Flowers obviously, like you knows Tower as a as a play caller, and you know Park intact for the audience, how would you kind of describe what you can give you and how you want to use it.
00:11:32
Speaker 3: Yas they can do a lot of different things. I think that's the best part about him is you can kind of move them all over the place. He can play inside he can play outside. He's a willing blocker, which he's proved and put on tape. You know, He's embodies a lot of the things that we're looking for in a lot of different ways. You know, when we talk about building the receiver room, we're trying to build a basketball team. It just so happens that he can play multiple positions on that basketball team, and so it allows you to be flexible. It allows you to try to put him in different situations where he might have an advantage on you know, a scheme matchup or you know, a defensive structure, and so he's really integral in in what we're trying to do. He's he's embraced all of it. He's embraced all of the spots that we've put him, and we're we're only continuing to grow there.
00:12:15
Speaker 9: So it's kind of the oldership Zay with the younger you know, with the rookies, especially you know Landon Serrat. How have you seen that grow since they came in and got drafted and then of course making an investment in the future and Zay recently, Uh, how do you see his leadership you know as going into that aspect that in the future side of things.
00:12:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think Zay probably to begin with, I wasn't obviously around him the last few years. I feel like he's been a lead by example guy, where like, he shows up, he handles his business, he's a really hard worker. But you've kind of seen him start to realize like, Okay, I'm like the oldest guy. You know, I'm an older player in this room. It really is my role now to be a little bit more vocal, to to start to try to guide these guys and help them in some ways. And I think he's done a really good job of that. You know, he's embraced that, he understands, you know, the impact that he has on those around him. And I would say that he's he's moving forward the arrows pointing up in that way.
00:13:11
Speaker 6: I mentioned Michael Thomas. I mean, I think for a lot of people looking at you know, Day's kind of stature in receivers, a lot of people think of sort of that classic X guy boundary receiver, go up and get a guy as like a top receiver. You think Zay represents sort of a shift in offensive thinking where someone who is smaller and who plays a different role can.
00:13:33
Speaker 8: Be a top option.
00:13:35
Speaker 14: Yeah, I think it depends on the offense.
00:13:36
Speaker 3: You know. Obviously, if you're going to be a you know, spread out, you want to be able to do both. But if you're going to be like, hey, go win one on one that has been in the past, like this big X receiver that can win on go balls can stop? Can you know it's that that bigger target. There is a little bit of a shift you know through really, I mean it's been the last you know, ten ten years or so, people playing a little bit more and dense, people trying to use motion to their advantage and trying to uh maybe open up the middle part of the field a little bit more and the spacing of the passing game and things like that. You know, a number one receiver to me is really the guy that you know can do a lot of different things. And he could be the guy that's outside and you want to be able to go one on one and win with him. He could be the guy that's inside and you can move him around and uh he can win. But you know, Zay has been he's embodied what we're looking for from a person standpoint, and he's, uh, he's just getting.
00:14:28
Speaker 1: Better philosophically, how do you balance wanting to get the ball to playmakers like say, and then also wanting to spread the ball out and get everybody involved. How do you kind of approach out to lass.
00:14:39
Speaker 3: I think you want to try to make sure that everybody has a role and you force defenses to defend, you know, all the eligibles on the field.
00:14:44
Speaker 14: You want to make sure that you're not too heavy in one area.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: At the same point in time, you want to make sure that you know your guys are touching it, that the mouths that need to eat you got to feed. And so I think that's the balance of the coaching staff trying to make sure that you know, we're we're giving guys different goals. We're trying to put them in positions to go win in you know, different guys that have different skill sets, Different guys in our receiver room, tight end room, running back room can can add and contribute. And then in addition to that the past game space and the progression, like there are times where the ball is going to find that third, fourth, fifth read that might be somebody that you didn't plan for the ball to go there, and yet that guy has got to be productive for us.
00:15:25
Speaker 15: At one point of a guy under contract, we're twenty thirty one for shots in a cutter for a couple more years, got the Rooie class. I know you focused on twenty twenty seven, but like or twenty twenty six, is it a good thing to kind of have that nucleus of guys that you can grow together, build together for the receipible future.
00:15:40
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I think it is, whether that's the receiver room or that's the whole team. You know, guys that are in the boat that you know have a vision of the future of themselves here is awesome. I mean, those are guys that are that are bought in that you know, really they're they're people that we want to grow this thing for and with, and so having those guys you know in the boat is awesome.
00:16:05
Speaker 1: I know.
00:16:06
Speaker 5: One point in emphasis is keenans to work on team. How how you feel Lamore has worked with that and uh, you know, are you looking for more anything outside of just keeping the defense off the heels.
00:16:19
Speaker 2: Just all battle that game?
00:16:20
Speaker 12: Yeah?
00:16:20
Speaker 3: He Uh, he's a very quick learner when you start working with him, and he's played a lot of football, and so I've been happy with what we've done. We're still in the installation phase again, so we're score continuing to add things and kind of layering that we are trying to kind of keep the defense honest and yet at the same point in time, there are times where you know cadence might provide an advantage to be able to try to create a big play, and so it all kind of ties together. But there's certainly an emphasis on, you know, the tempo in which we we break the huddle, the cadence we use, that stuff is all a huge piece to what happens post now.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: Guys, next we hear from defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
00:16:59
Speaker 9: Scheme and against the player like Jay Flowers and what he can do.
00:17:04
Speaker 12: I like it better when I'm on the opposite side of a practice field then the opposite opposite side of a real game field. He is. He is a nightmare. But he's one of those guys where he's not just quick, he doesn't have just long speed like he gets from zero to sixty like this, And there's not many guys that you can just match up with that, so most of the time you have to allocate two guys to him, which doesn't work in your favorite when you're already minus on defense already. So he is a special talent. He deserved all the all the money that he got yesterday. Man, God bless him. I wouldn't even know what to do with.
00:17:41
Speaker 2: That much money.
00:17:43
Speaker 12: Probably wouldn't be here talking to you guys. I gotta be honest, but I'm happy for Jay Man. He deserves it, and he's a heck of a player.
00:17:51
Speaker 6: Note of you know him and Lamar, the chemistry they have, I mean, you see it in practice.
00:17:56
Speaker 14: He saw it as an opposing coordinator.
00:17:59
Speaker 6: What out that makes that's so difficult to defend besides Zay's pure.
00:18:04
Speaker 12: Skill, Yeah, but they obviously they have Florida connection.
00:18:08
Speaker 14: Right.
00:18:09
Speaker 12: The thing about both of those guys that I think it's not the play calls are one thing I think as an as a coordinator, you watch enough film where you can kind of anticipate what you're gonna see. What makes both of those guys special is when they get into that second play. It's almost like they have this like connection where Hey go here without having to say it or signal anything, and next thing you know, if it's like Zay popped out of the ground and is wide open, that's the nightmare, right, you can't call that. As a coordinator, you just try to do everything you can to get your players prepared for those plaster situations and to run and find somebody to cover when that starts to happen. Those two and you can throw Mark into that as well, they are experts at executing that play. After the play, I think.
00:19:00
Speaker 6: Two players back today, We've spent a lot of time off the field with Disa, Isaac and the walkone each.
00:19:06
Speaker 5: You know you had to.
00:19:07
Speaker 6: Play today that there was something special to talk about those and maybe.
00:19:10
Speaker 9: Talk about is Cone really ready for when pads are on to be still playing real?
00:19:14
Speaker 8: Well?
00:19:15
Speaker 12: Yeah, I hope so, man, because I've seen those guys work from the second I've gotten in here. So the hardest thing to do as a player is not be out there with your teammates, right, So I've seen those guys go to work constantly, just talking to them about being in the right mindset, right healthy mind, healthy body. So to see them both out there to day and get a chance to go out there compete and do essentially what they've been born to do, that brings me joy. Then to see them have a little bit of success already, We're just gonna build from there, right, So, anytime you're coming back from injury, it's going to take a little time just to build confidence. But hopefully some of the production they've had over the last two days helps expedite that a little bit.
00:19:56
Speaker 1: Your d line is still getting up to full strength. But what has the opportunity been for Anias Peebles to try to be able to take advantage of his reps? And how is he handled that?
00:20:05
Speaker 6: Hi?
00:20:05
Speaker 12: Yeah, Fub's done a good job since he's been there, particularly in the past game. He's one of those guys. He's like a jitterbug. Those those those three hundred and something pounders that are out there, they don't want to They don't want to dance with that guy, right. They look like they look like basketball players standing between somebody on a fast break and the hoop. It's not fun, all right. He's improving constantly in the run game, which is where I told him his point of focus needed to be. So he's constantly trying to play with low pad level shoot and to shoot his hands. He needs to play differently than some of these three hundred plus pounders. Right, He's not that guy that I'm gonna ask to sit in there and grind on double teams and things those natures. But he can still execute everything we need him do in the run game. Just there's just some tweaking to how we need him to play that's more specific to his skill set and his traits. But but he's done a phenomenal jobs he's been out.
00:20:50
Speaker 11: There that he is not having so many dl as that made it tough with been challenging with dividing the revs and making sure certain guys aren't getting too many reps in this time of year.
00:21:01
Speaker 12: Yeah, so it's funny, all right. My d line coach Luis Pido is outstanding. Okay, but in our defensive unit room, we have a sign that says no blame, which means no being lazy and making excuses. So he comes up to me, he goes, oh, man, you got this guy out, this guy out. And I looked at him and I go, oh, being lazy and making excuse. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, So we are not. We are not. Whoever's out there, they're giving us everything we got. We know those guys are working to get back on the field, and then when when they when they are out there, we expect him to help elevate the group, right and uh, and just be who they've always been.
00:21:36
Speaker 7: Anthony was key Andre Jackson. You know we proved about his energy is juice, so it's going to see it technic guive, what stands out to you about him as.
00:21:46
Speaker 12: A as a defender, Well, he's improving every day, KeAndre. From the first day I was here in the spring and where he is now, I could he's probably in the run for most improved. He's constantly working at his craft in all fests of the game, defense, special teams. But it's funny Johnny to say, it's like the ball finds energy, right, And he's one of those guys where if he if he's messing up, he's doing it full speed and he's probably gonna make something good happen. So I love the kid. His technique, his communication has improved dramatically, and I know right now, if we had to play a game tomorrow and he had to go out there and play play for us, I have a tremendous amount of trust that he can go out there and get his job done.
00:22:32
Speaker 7: Technique is it feed hands eyes so.
00:22:36
Speaker 12: He can do everything to me technique and fundamentally, that's not where his issues are. Sometimes as a young player, particularly a safety, where you're required to communicate on all every single time, right, and there's there's things that happen on shifts and motions that change that communication. Sometimes when that happens, you have a little bit of paralysis right when you're a younger player, and that that affects your technique more than actually being able to execute it. So I think year two for him, it's all starting to slow down a little bit. He's starting to anticipate motions and shifts earlier, which helps you stay ahead of the play and as a result, his technique and fundamentals improve. So again, kid has been outstanding man, and I'm really excited to see where his career goes.
00:23:25
Speaker 10: And guys were in pads on Monday and Tuesday. What were you hoping to see from the defense?
00:23:29
Speaker 2: Protect what the kids seen?
00:23:32
Speaker 12: I'm looking forward to finally see guys play football, right, it was like football Christmas the other day, So you want to you want to see guys be able to carry their pads and play with a certain physicality. Now, obviously against our offense, we're not trying to hit people and do those things, but particularly in the trenches. You want to see guys win on the line of scrimmage. I think we are o line coach the wayn Letford does an outstanding job. So some of those some of those young bucks that got in there, right, you're sitting there and you're you're playing in shorts and T shirts like you're a basketball player, and they're playing these blocks and it looks good and they cut out their day one. It was like, oh god, a couple of times we had a five technique look like he was playing linebacker, Like all right, like you're supposed to be that going that way, right, So it's important, like that needs to happen. Those experience needed to happen, particularly for those younger players. And then they realize, oh yeah, a coach is telling me to play lower, I got to play lower. Coach is telling me to shoot my hands. I got to do those things. We're not just saying it for the sake of saying it. We know inevidly, when it comes down to actually playing this game, all those little habits that were constantly preaching without the pads, they'll they'll be beneficial once the pads come on. So we're just making sure the guys can take that technique and teaching and fundamentals to the field once the pads come on.
00:24:43
Speaker 15: Feel obviously you're we're just kind of watching play by play. You can actually look at the film, but following you auts the first couple of weeks, seems like there's not a lot of success for the first team offense and kind of that five to fifteen intermediate range down this buying the defense, like the linebackers have covered wells if you'se cover belt, we have that kind of as a kind of match what you've seen. What does this say about what the pass coverage could be in that middle part of the field.
00:25:08
Speaker 12: I think that with the talent we have, as long as we continue to stay true to our process and all the things that we believe in, the sky's the limit.
00:25:17
Speaker 3: Now.
00:25:18
Speaker 12: I'm glad you said that, because I only see the scars, right. I'm thinking about the I'm thinking about nine balls we gave up yesterday and things of that nature. But that's that's the coaching me. But I think I don't think I know we're doing the right things. And as long as we continue to do that day in and day out, we're gonna be pretty good.
00:25:37
Speaker 6: The conventional wisdom on a rainy day like this, it's disadvantageous to the offense. And we saw some balls slipping out of their hands and stuff like that.
00:25:45
Speaker 2: But for you, on.
00:25:46
Speaker 6: A day like today, what do guys need to focus on more when it's wet out there?
00:25:51
Speaker 7: When when those adverse weather elements.
00:25:54
Speaker 12: Yeah, well, when I'd be like, all right, no being lazy and making excuses, right, we don't. We don't care about the rain. I think if it affects anybody, obviously affects offenses, right. The wet balls an issue. I think up front it affects particularly like quicker guys right because it can slow them down and help equalize them a little bit. So the coaching points is obviously make sure you have the right cleats first and foremost. Some of those guys up front, you got to make sure that you're pushing off your front foot, probably a little bit more than you typically would, just so you don't slip and you're not falling. Doing all those things, and then you're just playing low and playing with sound technique and fundamentals on days like today, when you're tired, when it's hot, or when it's raining technique from the fundamentals shine through.
00:26:35
Speaker 1: All right, all right, guess next up is special teams coordinator Anthony Levine.
00:26:43
Speaker 8: I'm let's say.
00:26:43
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna say it was great to see the youth football team out here today. I'm able to come out and watch to watch us practice. I think that's unbelievable on what we do as an organization, how much we in it, we are in the community.
00:26:58
Speaker 8: So I think that's all. I think that's pretty dope.
00:27:02
Speaker 5: Uh So, Jackson, how you doing h yesterday doing special peat drills? We saw you know, you're bringing out you know, the football like them, you know, the towels and the football and saw the goalposts the balls haying Uh, you know what are you kind of looking for in that? And who came up with kind of the ideas of adding those kind of wrinkles in the train?
00:27:24
Speaker 2: Well that that was this part of the game where it was doing punk return, Uh, having guys get off the ball and when when it's that time to go make a play? Able to go make a play. So we sit down and we talk about drills that we wanted to come up with. We want to be very creative and have things that have those guys, keep them engaged and also working at the same time.
00:27:42
Speaker 8: We want to go out there, want to have fun, want to play fast, you know.
00:27:45
Speaker 2: But BK ben Kowika the tether ball drill, he came up with that one. So uh yeah, so we sit down and we you know, we have some drills we come up with to be creative to get to have these guys working and also.
00:27:58
Speaker 8: Have fun at the same time.
00:28:00
Speaker 6: When seemed really happy about the rain, it's a you know, it's really fortunate to get adverse weather conditions in training camp. For from your perspective, I mean, what does it force your guys to do with at how does it kind of test their habits?
00:28:14
Speaker 2: Uh it it may the rain make you f hone in on the fundamentals and the techniques. So also, you know, when it comes to holding the football, snapping the football, kicking the football, tackling the football, getting the football out, having bought security, so the rain brings in uh makes you hone in on your techniques. So it was great that we was able to uh have that weather today and coach Jesse said that right after the right after practice, it's like it's great having the rain cause it it makes us hone in on the techniques cause we go play in the rain, playing the snow. So that's I I think it was great to have the weather today, Anthony.
00:28:45
Speaker 7: With Kendre Jackson, we heard a lot about like juice energy, all those sorts of things special teams player, Like what does he do from a tech league standpoint?
00:28:54
Speaker 2: That kind of stamped out to you everything that you just said. His energy energy is contagious. You know, he goes out there, he plays fast, he plays physical, He's a smart football player. He holds hisself accountable. He also holds everybody else around him accountable. So when you have a player like that that's playing at a high level and then also holding itself accountable at a high level, and then holding his teammates accountable, what he does is.
00:29:17
Speaker 8: He's brained here.
00:29:18
Speaker 2: He rises, making everybody else rise, uh to the to the occasion. So as long as he keep doing that, keep being the leader and keep learning and keep working.
00:29:27
Speaker 8: I mean he's he's doing a great job so far.
00:29:29
Speaker 1: And I know you that you you guys are trying to put tyler loops and pressure situations like and to practice that type of thing. What has stood out to you about how he's handled that and with him over the culture training.
00:29:39
Speaker 2: Camps, man his composure, his composure and how he's taking coaching. And then he uh with the operation. You know, he got a new holder, so everything everything is is gonna be is it's starting over now in a sense with the new holder as with Ryan, you know, but the operation has been great with working on that.
00:29:58
Speaker 8: We we love what that's that right now.
00:30:00
Speaker 2: But his composure, his composure, and him being consistent striking the ball, foot the ball contact.
00:30:06
Speaker 8: So I would say that's what I would say.
00:30:09
Speaker 15: Yeah, when we were tracking him, you know last year as a rookie team, like most of his kicks were kind of between twenty five and forty five yards. Would you like him to get to a point where you guys feel more comfortable like testing him out from further distances this year this camp or did that come to depend on just how he does?
00:30:27
Speaker 8: Oh, we're all right.
00:30:28
Speaker 2: So we're comfortable with him kicking wherever we needed to kick the ball, if he whatever. When coach just says field goal team go out there and we got to go kick and make three points, we're comfortable putting him anywhere. We have the confidence in tddler Loop to go out and make any kick from anywhere on the field, and he's proving that so far in training camp. He's going out there, he's kicking. Yesterday he kicked a fifty seven years he made a fifty seven yarder, he made a fifty three yarder, he made a forty nine yarder, and then he made like said, under forty five. You know, so right now, we love where he's at, love his confidence, love him being being consistent, and as long as he keep doing that, he gonna keep getting better.
00:31:09
Speaker 11: An Yet, Darius web was one of your close friends and probably still is.
00:31:15
Speaker 14: What's the last coaches sons.
00:31:17
Speaker 11: That it's even interesting for you to get an opportunity to coach his son.
00:31:21
Speaker 2: Man, that's crazy he does. He's basically it's called me old, I'm coaching my teammate's son. Not actually I mean, I I think it's pretty I think it's pretty cool. I think it's pretty cool being able to meet me and his pops. You know this possible? What was the hell of a player and now me seeing him grow and but actually actually after games I remember seeing little Webby after games and his dad in the family in the family area, So now it's just man is man. It is great seeing Webby's son being able to live out his dream and to come play for a team that his dad played for.
00:31:56
Speaker 8: I think that's totally awesome. Are you and the extra?
00:31:59
Speaker 10: Are you on him maybe than some of the other guys considering the relationship dynamic.
00:32:04
Speaker 2: Man, I'm hold on everybody. I mean, go lie to you. Uh but nah, Man, I'm hard. Do I do I give him any extras?
00:32:12
Speaker 8: Nah? Just as much as I'm on him, I'm on everybody else.
00:32:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:32:16
Speaker 6: With Ryan Neckley, not just as a punkter, butter a holder as well. Howd his valueate what he sees?
00:32:20
Speaker 8: Oh, he's doing great. He's he's doing great. You got he got really good hands. Uh.
00:32:24
Speaker 2: He's the timement. His time and has been has been awesome. So uh, I like him and I like where he's at.
00:32:30
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00:32:48
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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Ravens Press Past podcast. It is Wednesday, August fifth. The Ravens had another training camp practice today and before they hit the practice field wide Receivers Day, Flowers officially put pen to paper on his new multi year contract extension that's going to pay him one hundred and forty million dollars reportedly over the course of that four year extension. After practice, he talked with reporters about the significance of that deal.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: First off, I'd like to thank God for putting in this position. Without him, none of this will be possible. And I like to thank my family for always having my back and being there for me throughout everything, through everything we've been through, and my friends and everybody in this organization edc Nick, mister Bashati for believing me and giving me a shot and you know, taking a chance on me for somebody from Boston College. I know it's not a lot of people at Receiver or like skip usis that really come out of there. So I really appreciate them, and this just shows me how much they believe in me and just give me another boost to keep going. So, you know, and I love to thank Flowed Nation for being my biggest fans. Even when things got rough, y'all still have my bat no matter what happened. So I appreciate Baltimore. Thank you.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: Was then.
00:01:21
Speaker 4: I know this didn't just happen yesterday, but can you take us through yesterday of it ramping up and really becoming official and then not even practicing because of this process?
00:01:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean e DC had had we had to talk right before practice, and it was a good conversation on how he felt about the situation, and he said he was gonna take care of me. And I never doubted that. Said I've been his guy since I came in. That's one hundred percent true because every time I talk to him, he always have a smile on his face. We always have good conversations, and I feel he the goat man how he draft players and the type of players he go get. So you know, love EDCT not practicing. That was his decision too, just like keep you safe, let's get this sign, then you can practice the next day.
00:02:10
Speaker 5: Say with the new contract, does that still mean that you get to drive up to Lamar's house at five am and honk your horn?
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Oh No, ain't nothing changing. Ain't nothing changing. I'm still going to get him every day. He gotta he gotta be ready next off season. We're doing the same thing.
00:02:24
Speaker 6: You know, obviously Lamar is two years left on his deal.
00:02:27
Speaker 7: But how important is it to you that you.
00:02:29
Speaker 6: Try and convince Lamar to be your quarterback for the remainder of your contract?
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Man, I'm a you know that ain't really my conversation to have, but I love him to be my quarterback to I'm done playing, no matter whether twelve years, thirteen, no matter how long, I want him to be my quarterback because to me, he the best in the world.
00:02:47
Speaker 8: How essential has.
00:02:48
Speaker 2: Lamar been to your success.
00:02:49
Speaker 7: Here in Baltimore?
00:02:51
Speaker 2: I feel like our game, our game kind of like match. You know, he could do everything, move around, run and I can get open and also be very like useful in scrambled drill when you need me.
00:03:03
Speaker 1: Is it your path to get to this point? You know you overcame a lot along the way. Was it emotional at all getting the news that the deal was done, signed the papers?
00:03:13
Speaker 2: Oh it was, It definitely was. I haven't had a lot of time to really like take it in because you know, as sooner when he got the deal done, he had to go right back to meetings, and then you got to get ready for the next day. So on my off day I enjoyed Snoop and Lamar. They took me to dinner. Last night. We had a few hours sat down on the phone with my family. I had everybody in the group chat. Everybody was going crazy, so it was good to talk to everybody.
00:03:37
Speaker 6: The reaction, like in the wide receiver removis you could really tomorrows.
00:03:41
Speaker 2: Everybody was happy for me. Everybody was excited because you know, the model here in Baltimore was receivers are not really value and that changed yesterday.
00:03:51
Speaker 7: That you kind of, you know, laugh from people having made as long as wide receiver, one player or whatever. When you have the kind of success you had so far and then you get a deal like this, does that still kind of validate sort to you everything you've done to kind of get to this point.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: It definitely validated how the front office feel about me, how those guys feel about me, how about my about my teammates feel about me. And they see the work that I put in and they see everything I do, and everybody felt I definitely deserved this. So it's work. Don't stop now. We gotta keep.
00:04:24
Speaker 9: Going money as a motivator for anyone. But now that you have signed your big contract, how are you gonna stay motivated? What is the next goal for a guy like you?
00:04:35
Speaker 2: Super Bowl? You still got to get a super Bowl. That None don't change. None don't change. I'm still doing the same thing five in the morning, getting here and working every day.
00:04:45
Speaker 10: How just happy are you to be able to get this done before the season, to be able to just focus on football.
00:04:51
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm super excited. You know, you could just go play now. It's just like a rock lifted off your shoulders and you could just be free and go play. It's something you don't have to worry about. It's just a lot, a lot lighter on myself and I could just go play.
00:05:06
Speaker 11: The shot has talked about before and other first round receivers before, how there is a pressure in this organization that comes from being a first round receiver and the fans dying to have kind of young developmental success stories at the position. Have you ever felt that pressure and then your successor in your career, does that make it even more satisfying what you've been able to do?
00:05:29
Speaker 3: No?
00:05:29
Speaker 2: I never, I never really felt the pressure I had a long journey here. I had a lot of stuff happened to me where it was a lot of pressure and I ain't fold. So it never really like took a hold of me to have pressure on me because I got a lot of family at home, I had lost family, went to Boston college, had success there, so it was never really pressure. I just played my game and I believe in myself no matter what was the most pressure.
00:05:58
Speaker 7: Do you think you ever felt before video?
00:06:00
Speaker 2: The getting to college, getting my first offer, and getting to college.
00:06:08
Speaker 12: It is for you.
00:06:09
Speaker 13: I've seen also the reaction on social media. Ya, your guys like Chad Johnson, Steve Smith's reacting just kind of what does it meant to you to kind of see that from guys that I'm sure you grew up watching idealizing?
00:06:20
Speaker 2: Man, it's crazy because those guys that my dad used always tell me about. You watch these guys, watch watch chat footwork, or watch how Steve Smith as a dog. So to see those guys give me praise to me everything because I grew up watching them and modeling is my some of my game after and it's just a blessing to be in this position.
00:06:39
Speaker 8: You say, after this deal, do.
00:06:40
Speaker 10: You feel like maybe you know you want to do I don't know if more is the right term, but just being a bigger leader or being a bigger focal point on the field. Do you feel like after this deal, you feel you there's more for.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: You to give now? Man, I always wanted to do more. I wasn't if I'm being honest, I was never really worry about the deal getting done. That's while I was still practicing because I knew ADC was gonna take care of me, and he always keep his word that he was gonna take care of me. So I never really focused on having to deal with like the conversations talk about the contract. So that's why I was still out there practicing and going because it's a bigger role. Man. We're trying to get to a super Bowl.
00:07:18
Speaker 7: You made a touchdown this like earlier in the offseason. But did you you add any extra weight or both up or anything?
00:07:25
Speaker 2: Yeah? I had like eight pounds, eight pounds eighty six. I was one seventy eight last year and I added like eight What was there thought?
00:07:35
Speaker 3: On that.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Run straight? Everybody get mad at meone know, but running sideway, so run through some more tackles.
00:07:45
Speaker 14: I kind of a.
00:07:48
Speaker 15: Snoop's Instagram last night, you guys were celebrating, But do you guys carpool the training camera? That's you guys just kind.
00:07:54
Speaker 2: Of driving around. Now, we will carpool with a training camp, but we carpool a lot of different places, like if we're going to eat, or are we going to hang out somewhere, or they come into my house to eat, like we carpooded in more in those situations.
00:08:07
Speaker 1: Next up, we heard from offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
00:08:12
Speaker 5: You alter anything to you know, take advantage of kind of the weather out there.
00:08:17
Speaker 14: Yeah, obviously.
00:08:18
Speaker 3: I mean you're pretty fortunate to actually get this weather during a training camp setting and be able to have to deal with the rain a little bit.
00:08:24
Speaker 14: This actually happened to us in early in.
00:08:26
Speaker 3: OTAs we practiced outside, and I didn't think we handled it particularly well.
00:08:31
Speaker 14: I do think that today they responded positively.
00:08:34
Speaker 3: You know, you might change the way you call it a little bit in some of those like more live call it periods, but in general, you know, you have practice scripted out a certain way you want to try to put like it might be easier to say, hey, you know what, let's just run the ball let's not force our guys to be really good with you know, the throw location, reaching out, plucking the front half of the football, putting it away, ball security, all those things. But obviously a day like today, you're really fortunate to be able to have to like test those things. And so, you know, there are times where you try to simulate that you might dunk a football and use a wet.
00:09:07
Speaker 14: Ball drill, you know, at times.
00:09:08
Speaker 3: But we play in the AFC North, and in order to win games late in the year, you're gonna play in some weather games and things like this that are you know, less than ideal, and so we got to get used to playing this way.
00:09:18
Speaker 13: Seen Jacobe make a couple of big catches this week, Is he kind of as advertised? As you go through this, we can look at like from a catch radio standpoint and kind of get something that hasn't been here.
00:09:29
Speaker 12: Yeah.
00:09:30
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I mean going through his his evaluation, what we thought about him just continues to show up, and that is, you know, he's got this huge catch radius, he's got great hands, he's very sticky. He's a very different player than like the guy that I was around that his hands remind me of is like Mike Thomas. Mike Thomas had these strong hands where he could pull it down in a way and you threw in the vicinity and you felt like he was going to go get it. There's a lot of that feeling. He's a very friendly guy to throw to. Jack is working extremely hard to earn all of it, and I'm really, you know, happy with that progress. You know, every single day, Like he grabbed me right before we came off the field and he's like, hey, coach, I messed up. You know this, And I'm like, hey, you know, you recognize what you made a mistake on.
00:10:12
Speaker 14: Now. The next step is let's fix it before that happens.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: And so for a lot of young guys, like you know, it's Jack, it's any of our rookies, you know, we're asking them to be very detail.
00:10:21
Speaker 14: We're asking them to you know, play at a very high level from an.
00:10:26
Speaker 3: IQ standpoint and seeing the defense and those things changing what they might be doing and responding to. And I've been really happy with how all of our guys are stressing to try to grow in that area.
00:10:36
Speaker 12: That's all because that just.
00:10:37
Speaker 13: Kind of how have you seen that relationship with Lamar grow as they kind of work on building that chemistry.
00:10:42
Speaker 3: I think that is really important for any any quarterback, the chemistry between him and a pass catcher, the chemistry between him and the center of the offensive line.
00:10:51
Speaker 14: That's really important.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: And that's something that it takes place all through training camp, it takes place all through the season. But the more reps those guys have together, the more they start to understand when you're throwing to a target kind of how that looks or where you may be able to put that ball different from other players. And that was honestly, like we started very early on even in OTAs and we started throwing a jack and it was like, Okay, throwing to him is very different than throwing to some other guys, And so getting used to that and those guys just taking those reps is really important.
00:11:20
Speaker 7: We'd say Flowers obviously, like you knows Tower as a as a play caller, and you know Park intact for the audience, how would you kind of describe what you can give you and how you want to use it.
00:11:32
Speaker 3: Yas they can do a lot of different things. I think that's the best part about him is you can kind of move them all over the place. He can play inside he can play outside. He's a willing blocker, which he's proved and put on tape. You know, He's embodies a lot of the things that we're looking for in a lot of different ways. You know, when we talk about building the receiver room, we're trying to build a basketball team. It just so happens that he can play multiple positions on that basketball team, and so it allows you to be flexible. It allows you to try to put him in different situations where he might have an advantage on you know, a scheme matchup or you know, a defensive structure, and so he's really integral in in what we're trying to do. He's he's embraced all of it. He's embraced all of the spots that we've put him, and we're we're only continuing to grow there.
00:12:15
Speaker 9: So it's kind of the oldership Zay with the younger you know, with the rookies, especially you know Landon Serrat. How have you seen that grow since they came in and got drafted and then of course making an investment in the future and Zay recently, Uh, how do you see his leadership you know as going into that aspect that in the future side of things.
00:12:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think Zay probably to begin with, I wasn't obviously around him the last few years. I feel like he's been a lead by example guy, where like, he shows up, he handles his business, he's a really hard worker. But you've kind of seen him start to realize like, Okay, I'm like the oldest guy. You know, I'm an older player in this room. It really is my role now to be a little bit more vocal, to to start to try to guide these guys and help them in some ways. And I think he's done a really good job of that. You know, he's embraced that, he understands, you know, the impact that he has on those around him. And I would say that he's he's moving forward the arrows pointing up in that way.
00:13:11
Speaker 6: I mentioned Michael Thomas. I mean, I think for a lot of people looking at you know, Day's kind of stature in receivers, a lot of people think of sort of that classic X guy boundary receiver, go up and get a guy as like a top receiver. You think Zay represents sort of a shift in offensive thinking where someone who is smaller and who plays a different role can.
00:13:33
Speaker 8: Be a top option.
00:13:35
Speaker 14: Yeah, I think it depends on the offense.
00:13:36
Speaker 3: You know. Obviously, if you're going to be a you know, spread out, you want to be able to do both. But if you're going to be like, hey, go win one on one that has been in the past, like this big X receiver that can win on go balls can stop? Can you know it's that that bigger target. There is a little bit of a shift you know through really, I mean it's been the last you know, ten ten years or so, people playing a little bit more and dense, people trying to use motion to their advantage and trying to uh maybe open up the middle part of the field a little bit more and the spacing of the passing game and things like that. You know, a number one receiver to me is really the guy that you know can do a lot of different things. And he could be the guy that's outside and you want to be able to go one on one and win with him. He could be the guy that's inside and you can move him around and uh he can win. But you know, Zay has been he's embodied what we're looking for from a person standpoint, and he's, uh, he's just getting.
00:14:28
Speaker 1: Better philosophically, how do you balance wanting to get the ball to playmakers like say, and then also wanting to spread the ball out and get everybody involved. How do you kind of approach out to lass.
00:14:39
Speaker 3: I think you want to try to make sure that everybody has a role and you force defenses to defend, you know, all the eligibles on the field.
00:14:44
Speaker 14: You want to make sure that you're not too heavy in one area.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: At the same point in time, you want to make sure that you know your guys are touching it, that the mouths that need to eat you got to feed. And so I think that's the balance of the coaching staff trying to make sure that you know, we're we're giving guys different goals. We're trying to put them in positions to go win in you know, different guys that have different skill sets, Different guys in our receiver room, tight end room, running back room can can add and contribute. And then in addition to that the past game space and the progression, like there are times where the ball is going to find that third, fourth, fifth read that might be somebody that you didn't plan for the ball to go there, and yet that guy has got to be productive for us.
00:15:25
Speaker 15: At one point of a guy under contract, we're twenty thirty one for shots in a cutter for a couple more years, got the Rooie class. I know you focused on twenty twenty seven, but like or twenty twenty six, is it a good thing to kind of have that nucleus of guys that you can grow together, build together for the receipible future.
00:15:40
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I think it is, whether that's the receiver room or that's the whole team. You know, guys that are in the boat that you know have a vision of the future of themselves here is awesome. I mean, those are guys that are that are bought in that you know, really they're they're people that we want to grow this thing for and with, and so having those guys you know in the boat is awesome.
00:16:05
Speaker 1: I know.
00:16:06
Speaker 5: One point in emphasis is keenans to work on team. How how you feel Lamore has worked with that and uh, you know, are you looking for more anything outside of just keeping the defense off the heels.
00:16:19
Speaker 2: Just all battle that game?
00:16:20
Speaker 12: Yeah?
00:16:20
Speaker 3: He Uh, he's a very quick learner when you start working with him, and he's played a lot of football, and so I've been happy with what we've done. We're still in the installation phase again, so we're score continuing to add things and kind of layering that we are trying to kind of keep the defense honest and yet at the same point in time, there are times where you know cadence might provide an advantage to be able to try to create a big play, and so it all kind of ties together. But there's certainly an emphasis on, you know, the tempo in which we we break the huddle, the cadence we use, that stuff is all a huge piece to what happens post now.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: Guys, next we hear from defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
00:16:59
Speaker 9: Scheme and against the player like Jay Flowers and what he can do.
00:17:04
Speaker 12: I like it better when I'm on the opposite side of a practice field then the opposite opposite side of a real game field. He is. He is a nightmare. But he's one of those guys where he's not just quick, he doesn't have just long speed like he gets from zero to sixty like this, And there's not many guys that you can just match up with that, so most of the time you have to allocate two guys to him, which doesn't work in your favorite when you're already minus on defense already. So he is a special talent. He deserved all the all the money that he got yesterday. Man, God bless him. I wouldn't even know what to do with.
00:17:41
Speaker 2: That much money.
00:17:43
Speaker 12: Probably wouldn't be here talking to you guys. I gotta be honest, but I'm happy for Jay Man. He deserves it, and he's a heck of a player.
00:17:51
Speaker 6: Note of you know him and Lamar, the chemistry they have, I mean, you see it in practice.
00:17:56
Speaker 14: He saw it as an opposing coordinator.
00:17:59
Speaker 6: What out that makes that's so difficult to defend besides Zay's pure.
00:18:04
Speaker 12: Skill, Yeah, but they obviously they have Florida connection.
00:18:08
Speaker 14: Right.
00:18:09
Speaker 12: The thing about both of those guys that I think it's not the play calls are one thing I think as an as a coordinator, you watch enough film where you can kind of anticipate what you're gonna see. What makes both of those guys special is when they get into that second play. It's almost like they have this like connection where Hey go here without having to say it or signal anything, and next thing you know, if it's like Zay popped out of the ground and is wide open, that's the nightmare, right, you can't call that. As a coordinator, you just try to do everything you can to get your players prepared for those plaster situations and to run and find somebody to cover when that starts to happen. Those two and you can throw Mark into that as well, they are experts at executing that play. After the play, I think.
00:19:00
Speaker 6: Two players back today, We've spent a lot of time off the field with Disa, Isaac and the walkone each.
00:19:06
Speaker 5: You know you had to.
00:19:07
Speaker 6: Play today that there was something special to talk about those and maybe.
00:19:10
Speaker 9: Talk about is Cone really ready for when pads are on to be still playing real?
00:19:14
Speaker 8: Well?
00:19:15
Speaker 12: Yeah, I hope so, man, because I've seen those guys work from the second I've gotten in here. So the hardest thing to do as a player is not be out there with your teammates, right, So I've seen those guys go to work constantly, just talking to them about being in the right mindset, right healthy mind, healthy body. So to see them both out there to day and get a chance to go out there compete and do essentially what they've been born to do, that brings me joy. Then to see them have a little bit of success already, We're just gonna build from there, right, So, anytime you're coming back from injury, it's going to take a little time just to build confidence. But hopefully some of the production they've had over the last two days helps expedite that a little bit.
00:19:56
Speaker 1: Your d line is still getting up to full strength. But what has the opportunity been for Anias Peebles to try to be able to take advantage of his reps? And how is he handled that?
00:20:05
Speaker 6: Hi?
00:20:05
Speaker 12: Yeah, Fub's done a good job since he's been there, particularly in the past game. He's one of those guys. He's like a jitterbug. Those those those three hundred and something pounders that are out there, they don't want to They don't want to dance with that guy, right. They look like they look like basketball players standing between somebody on a fast break and the hoop. It's not fun, all right. He's improving constantly in the run game, which is where I told him his point of focus needed to be. So he's constantly trying to play with low pad level shoot and to shoot his hands. He needs to play differently than some of these three hundred plus pounders. Right, He's not that guy that I'm gonna ask to sit in there and grind on double teams and things those natures. But he can still execute everything we need him do in the run game. Just there's just some tweaking to how we need him to play that's more specific to his skill set and his traits. But but he's done a phenomenal jobs he's been out.
00:20:50
Speaker 11: There that he is not having so many dl as that made it tough with been challenging with dividing the revs and making sure certain guys aren't getting too many reps in this time of year.
00:21:01
Speaker 12: Yeah, so it's funny, all right. My d line coach Luis Pido is outstanding. Okay, but in our defensive unit room, we have a sign that says no blame, which means no being lazy and making excuses. So he comes up to me, he goes, oh, man, you got this guy out, this guy out. And I looked at him and I go, oh, being lazy and making excuse. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, So we are not. We are not. Whoever's out there, they're giving us everything we got. We know those guys are working to get back on the field, and then when when they when they are out there, we expect him to help elevate the group, right and uh, and just be who they've always been.
00:21:36
Speaker 7: Anthony was key Andre Jackson. You know we proved about his energy is juice, so it's going to see it technic guive, what stands out to you about him as.
00:21:46
Speaker 12: A as a defender, Well, he's improving every day, KeAndre. From the first day I was here in the spring and where he is now, I could he's probably in the run for most improved. He's constantly working at his craft in all fests of the game, defense, special teams. But it's funny Johnny to say, it's like the ball finds energy, right, And he's one of those guys where if he if he's messing up, he's doing it full speed and he's probably gonna make something good happen. So I love the kid. His technique, his communication has improved dramatically, and I know right now, if we had to play a game tomorrow and he had to go out there and play play for us, I have a tremendous amount of trust that he can go out there and get his job done.
00:22:32
Speaker 7: Technique is it feed hands eyes so.
00:22:36
Speaker 12: He can do everything to me technique and fundamentally, that's not where his issues are. Sometimes as a young player, particularly a safety, where you're required to communicate on all every single time, right, and there's there's things that happen on shifts and motions that change that communication. Sometimes when that happens, you have a little bit of paralysis right when you're a younger player, and that that affects your technique more than actually being able to execute it. So I think year two for him, it's all starting to slow down a little bit. He's starting to anticipate motions and shifts earlier, which helps you stay ahead of the play and as a result, his technique and fundamentals improve. So again, kid has been outstanding man, and I'm really excited to see where his career goes.
00:23:25
Speaker 10: And guys were in pads on Monday and Tuesday. What were you hoping to see from the defense?
00:23:29
Speaker 2: Protect what the kids seen?
00:23:32
Speaker 12: I'm looking forward to finally see guys play football, right, it was like football Christmas the other day, So you want to you want to see guys be able to carry their pads and play with a certain physicality. Now, obviously against our offense, we're not trying to hit people and do those things, but particularly in the trenches. You want to see guys win on the line of scrimmage. I think we are o line coach the wayn Letford does an outstanding job. So some of those some of those young bucks that got in there, right, you're sitting there and you're you're playing in shorts and T shirts like you're a basketball player, and they're playing these blocks and it looks good and they cut out their day one. It was like, oh god, a couple of times we had a five technique look like he was playing linebacker, Like all right, like you're supposed to be that going that way, right, So it's important, like that needs to happen. Those experience needed to happen, particularly for those younger players. And then they realize, oh yeah, a coach is telling me to play lower, I got to play lower. Coach is telling me to shoot my hands. I got to do those things. We're not just saying it for the sake of saying it. We know inevidly, when it comes down to actually playing this game, all those little habits that were constantly preaching without the pads, they'll they'll be beneficial once the pads come on. So we're just making sure the guys can take that technique and teaching and fundamentals to the field once the pads come on.
00:24:43
Speaker 15: Feel obviously you're we're just kind of watching play by play. You can actually look at the film, but following you auts the first couple of weeks, seems like there's not a lot of success for the first team offense and kind of that five to fifteen intermediate range down this buying the defense, like the linebackers have covered wells if you'se cover belt, we have that kind of as a kind of match what you've seen. What does this say about what the pass coverage could be in that middle part of the field.
00:25:08
Speaker 12: I think that with the talent we have, as long as we continue to stay true to our process and all the things that we believe in, the sky's the limit.
00:25:17
Speaker 3: Now.
00:25:18
Speaker 12: I'm glad you said that, because I only see the scars, right. I'm thinking about the I'm thinking about nine balls we gave up yesterday and things of that nature. But that's that's the coaching me. But I think I don't think I know we're doing the right things. And as long as we continue to do that day in and day out, we're gonna be pretty good.
00:25:37
Speaker 6: The conventional wisdom on a rainy day like this, it's disadvantageous to the offense. And we saw some balls slipping out of their hands and stuff like that.
00:25:45
Speaker 2: But for you, on.
00:25:46
Speaker 6: A day like today, what do guys need to focus on more when it's wet out there?
00:25:51
Speaker 7: When when those adverse weather elements.
00:25:54
Speaker 12: Yeah, well, when I'd be like, all right, no being lazy and making excuses, right, we don't. We don't care about the rain. I think if it affects anybody, obviously affects offenses, right. The wet balls an issue. I think up front it affects particularly like quicker guys right because it can slow them down and help equalize them a little bit. So the coaching points is obviously make sure you have the right cleats first and foremost. Some of those guys up front, you got to make sure that you're pushing off your front foot, probably a little bit more than you typically would, just so you don't slip and you're not falling. Doing all those things, and then you're just playing low and playing with sound technique and fundamentals on days like today, when you're tired, when it's hot, or when it's raining technique from the fundamentals shine through.
00:26:35
Speaker 1: All right, all right, guess next up is special teams coordinator Anthony Levine.
00:26:43
Speaker 8: I'm let's say.
00:26:43
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna say it was great to see the youth football team out here today. I'm able to come out and watch to watch us practice. I think that's unbelievable on what we do as an organization, how much we in it, we are in the community.
00:26:58
Speaker 8: So I think that's all. I think that's pretty dope.
00:27:02
Speaker 5: Uh So, Jackson, how you doing h yesterday doing special peat drills? We saw you know, you're bringing out you know, the football like them, you know, the towels and the football and saw the goalposts the balls haying Uh, you know what are you kind of looking for in that? And who came up with kind of the ideas of adding those kind of wrinkles in the train?
00:27:24
Speaker 2: Well that that was this part of the game where it was doing punk return, Uh, having guys get off the ball and when when it's that time to go make a play? Able to go make a play. So we sit down and we talk about drills that we wanted to come up with. We want to be very creative and have things that have those guys, keep them engaged and also working at the same time.
00:27:42
Speaker 8: We want to go out there, want to have fun, want to play fast, you know.
00:27:45
Speaker 2: But BK ben Kowika the tether ball drill, he came up with that one. So uh yeah, so we sit down and we you know, we have some drills we come up with to be creative to get to have these guys working and also.
00:27:58
Speaker 8: Have fun at the same time.
00:28:00
Speaker 6: When seemed really happy about the rain, it's a you know, it's really fortunate to get adverse weather conditions in training camp. For from your perspective, I mean, what does it force your guys to do with at how does it kind of test their habits?
00:28:14
Speaker 2: Uh it it may the rain make you f hone in on the fundamentals and the techniques. So also, you know, when it comes to holding the football, snapping the football, kicking the football, tackling the football, getting the football out, having bought security, so the rain brings in uh makes you hone in on your techniques. So it was great that we was able to uh have that weather today and coach Jesse said that right after the right after practice, it's like it's great having the rain cause it it makes us hone in on the techniques cause we go play in the rain, playing the snow. So that's I I think it was great to have the weather today, Anthony.
00:28:45
Speaker 7: With Kendre Jackson, we heard a lot about like juice energy, all those sorts of things special teams player, Like what does he do from a tech league standpoint?
00:28:54
Speaker 2: That kind of stamped out to you everything that you just said. His energy energy is contagious. You know, he goes out there, he plays fast, he plays physical, He's a smart football player. He holds hisself accountable. He also holds everybody else around him accountable. So when you have a player like that that's playing at a high level and then also holding itself accountable at a high level, and then holding his teammates accountable, what he does is.
00:29:17
Speaker 8: He's brained here.
00:29:18
Speaker 2: He rises, making everybody else rise, uh to the to the occasion. So as long as he keep doing that, keep being the leader and keep learning and keep working.
00:29:27
Speaker 8: I mean he's he's doing a great job so far.
00:29:29
Speaker 1: And I know you that you you guys are trying to put tyler loops and pressure situations like and to practice that type of thing. What has stood out to you about how he's handled that and with him over the culture training.
00:29:39
Speaker 2: Camps, man his composure, his composure and how he's taking coaching. And then he uh with the operation. You know, he got a new holder, so everything everything is is gonna be is it's starting over now in a sense with the new holder as with Ryan, you know, but the operation has been great with working on that.
00:29:58
Speaker 8: We we love what that's that right now.
00:30:00
Speaker 2: But his composure, his composure, and him being consistent striking the ball, foot the ball contact.
00:30:06
Speaker 8: So I would say that's what I would say.
00:30:09
Speaker 15: Yeah, when we were tracking him, you know last year as a rookie team, like most of his kicks were kind of between twenty five and forty five yards. Would you like him to get to a point where you guys feel more comfortable like testing him out from further distances this year this camp or did that come to depend on just how he does?
00:30:27
Speaker 8: Oh, we're all right.
00:30:28
Speaker 2: So we're comfortable with him kicking wherever we needed to kick the ball, if he whatever. When coach just says field goal team go out there and we got to go kick and make three points, we're comfortable putting him anywhere. We have the confidence in tddler Loop to go out and make any kick from anywhere on the field, and he's proving that so far in training camp. He's going out there, he's kicking. Yesterday he kicked a fifty seven years he made a fifty seven yarder, he made a fifty three yarder, he made a forty nine yarder, and then he made like said, under forty five. You know, so right now, we love where he's at, love his confidence, love him being being consistent, and as long as he keep doing that, he gonna keep getting better.
00:31:09
Speaker 11: An Yet, Darius web was one of your close friends and probably still is.
00:31:15
Speaker 14: What's the last coaches sons.
00:31:17
Speaker 11: That it's even interesting for you to get an opportunity to coach his son.
00:31:21
Speaker 2: Man, that's crazy he does. He's basically it's called me old, I'm coaching my teammate's son. Not actually I mean, I I think it's pretty I think it's pretty cool. I think it's pretty cool being able to meet me and his pops. You know this possible? What was the hell of a player and now me seeing him grow and but actually actually after games I remember seeing little Webby after games and his dad in the family in the family area, So now it's just man is man. It is great seeing Webby's son being able to live out his dream and to come play for a team that his dad played for.
00:31:56
Speaker 8: I think that's totally awesome. Are you and the extra?
00:31:59
Speaker 10: Are you on him maybe than some of the other guys considering the relationship dynamic.
00:32:04
Speaker 2: Man, I'm hold on everybody. I mean, go lie to you. Uh but nah, Man, I'm hard. Do I do I give him any extras?
00:32:12
Speaker 8: Nah? Just as much as I'm on him, I'm on everybody else.
00:32:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:32:16
Speaker 6: With Ryan Neckley, not just as a punkter, butter a holder as well. Howd his valueate what he sees?
00:32:20
Speaker 8: Oh, he's doing great. He's he's doing great. You got he got really good hands. Uh.
00:32:24
Speaker 2: He's the timement. His time and has been has been awesome. So uh, I like him and I like where he's at.
00:32:30
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00:32:48
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