Tag: end of season

Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh shares how traits can help his NFL game tie together

Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh shared how traits can help tie his NFL game together

The Baltimore Ravens’ pass rush had an up-and-down 2022 season, and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh spoke to reporters about his role and how he wants to play the game during the team’s end-of-season press conference. He mentioned multiple aspects of his game that he feels he can hone in on and improve upon.

While Oweh struggled to put together a solid second-season, he still has plenty of upside, and flashed some of it towards the back end of the season. Asked if his performance at the end of the year was reflective of his long-term development goals as a pass rusher, Oweh answered in the affirmative.

“Yes. I just try to play fast, if he was in my way, try to move off the speed and stuff like that. That’s how I want to play the game. I’m not a big move guy, I just try to use my athleticism, and it’s going to work for me. Just honing in on that – getting stronger, being faster – it’s going to all tie in together.”

Oweh’s trajectory seemed to be pointed sky-high after a productive season in 2021, but his subpar 2022 season has fans wondering what steps he can take moving forward. During his third season in the league in 2023, Oweh be just 25 years of age, with plenty of time to unlock the potential he showed as a rookie that got him drafted in the first round in 2021.

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Ravens S Kyle Hamilton discusses team’s defensive trajectory entering 2023 offseason

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton discussed the team’s defensive trajectory entering the 2023 offseason

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense had an exceptional 2022 season, and remain hopeful that they can achieve even better results next year. Rookie safety Kyle Hamilton played a major role in their defensive dominance, and told reporters about his outlook for the future during the Ravens’ end-of-season press conference.

Asked how he and the defense might be able to build on their 2022 campaign, Hamilton made it clear that Baltimore’s extension of a key player in their linebacking corps would make a huge difference. He also acknowledged that they might lose some pieces that were important to their success, but said that people are ready to fill in wherever needed.

“…Signing Roquan [Smith] was huge, so he’s going to be here for the foreseeable future, and he’s a big leader on our defense. “Who knows – we might lose some pieces that are integral to our success. But, at the same time, just organizationally and defense-wise, top to bottom, I think everybody is so prepared to just fill in any role that they need too – and myself included – wherever that may be. I think we’ve set a good foundation for next year.”

Every team’s roster will change during the offseason, however sightly, but Baltimore would be wise to retain as much of their defensive talent as possible ahead of their 2023 season. Luckily for them, Hamilton is still on his rookie contract and will remain a key part of their defense for years to come.

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Ravens DL Calais Campbell on potential return to Baltimore: ‘I want to be part of a great team’

Assuming he returns, Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell motivated to get his first Super Bowl ring

The Baltimore Ravens found themselves as an early exit from the playoffs following a 10-7 record during the 2022 season. They lost 24-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, and now enter an offseason of questions.

In comments made during the team’s end-of-season media availability, defensive lineman Calais Campbell touched on the subject of a potential return to the Charm City in 2023. Asked about his thought process in making a decision, Campbell made it clear that he’d be prioritizing playing for the most competitive team possible while also gauging his desire to play at all.

“I want to be a part of a great team. It’s not really part of my process though. I think that my process is going to be individual and just like how I feel when I have to go through and get prepared. This is not easy, coming out here and playing at a high level. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time and effort. So, it’s just that whole process and figuring out if I want to do that again. That’s going to really be the biggest thing, and just having that conversation with my family and my support team and we’ll go from there. I do want to be a part of a winning [team]; I want to have a chance to win it all. That definitely is a big part of it. I think that Lamar [Jackson] gives this team the best chance to win it all, but the front office knows that, too. It’s not like I’m saying anything news breaking or anything. He’s a special talent.”

While Campbell will certainly have some important decisions to make over the coming months, his comments seemed to imply a willingness to return to Baltimore if the Ravens can hammer out an extension for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Time will tell whether the team can become a legitimate contender in 2023, but Campbell’s steady presence on their defensive line wouldn’t hurt their effort to make a Super Bowl run next season.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh discusses potential offseason for QB Lamar Jackson if no extension is reached

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh discussed the potential offseason that could come with not extending quarterback Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh fielded some tough questions about quarterback Lamar Jackson’s contract situation during his end-of-season press conference. However, not many were as fascinating as the query about the signal caller’s potential offseason if no extension is agreed upon between the two sides.

If the Ravens are unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal to bring Jackson back to the Charm City for an extended period of time, they will likely resort to the franchise tag, which the quarterback will have no obligation to sign. If he decides that the tag isn’t suitable for his situation, it could affect his participation in optional team activities and training camp next season. However, Harbaugh wasn’t so sure that any of the “what ifs” would come to pass.

“There’s no guarantee it’ll go that way, so I think you cross those bridges when you get there, for sure,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a great question. It’s definitely – there’s a history of that with guys that are given the tag, but Lamar [Jackson]’s a unique guy, too. Lamar doesn’t always … He’s not beating to everybody’s drum. He does his own thing the way he wants to do it. So, those things will all come down the road as they come, and we’ll adjust and adapt as we face them.”

While it is clearly in the Ravens’ best interest to bring Jackson back on a contract that would secure his services for years to come, movement on a new deal hasn’t moved at a particularly brisk pace. It will take good faith negotiation from both sides to nail down terms that suit both sides, and if Jackson doesn’t get what he thinks is a fair shake, it should surprise nobody when he decides to sit out.

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Ravens GM Eric DeCosta optimistic about trajectory of team’s 2022 rookie class

Ravens general manager DeCosta discussed the performance and trajectory of the team’s 2022 rookie class

The Baltimore Ravens selected 11 players in the 2022 draft with high hopes that they could contribute both in the present and future. Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta gave a lengthy explanation of his feelings on his 2022 rookie class in comments to the media during the team’s end-of-season press conference.

When asked for his impression of the work that Baltimore’s rookies put in this season, he did not hold back in his praise of the younger talent on the Ravens’ roster. He mentioned how he thought the team’s first-year players did well, and is excited for the potential of a second-year jump that has been seen many times throughout the organization.

“I think they did well. We’re excited about what these guys are going to do. It was a huge draft for us last year, and we had a lot of picks. We spent a lot of energy on that draft. There was a lot of anxiety, I know for me, just looking at players. There were so many players last year. I think those guys did well across the board, but we think they have a lot more to give, too. These guys are young players, and so, what we see often times is guys get a lot better, they come in here their second year, they’re in the offseason program, they learn, they understand what it means to be a pro, and they play a lot better. That’s what we expect, and that’s what we demand. And so, the fact that some of these guys played as well as they did this year, that is a good indication that they’re futures are very bright, and I think a lot of these guys have a chance to be good players. When we look at the 2018 Draft, I think eight or nine of those guys are starters now in the league. Looking at this draft, I’m not going to say that, but when we look at it, we think a lot of these guys have a lot of potential to play and be significant players for us at some point.”

For comparison, DeCosta pointed to Baltimore’s 2018 class as an example of a successful draft strategy that paid dividends for the Ravens over the course of time. Though he wouldn’t go so far as to say the most recent crop of new talent would exceed the 2018 class’ track record, DeCosta seems to think Baltimore’s young talent was built to last.

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Ravens HC John Harbaugh details process of departure for former OC Greg Roman

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that he didn’t take the departure of former offensive coordinator Greg Roman lightly

The Baltimore Ravens made the decision to part with offensive coordinator Greg Roman after their playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and are currently undertaking a search for the right candidate to fill the role in 2023. The team has put together a good list of reported candidates, and will leave no stone unturned in the process.

During his end-of-season press conference, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters about his role in Roman’s departure. He made it clear that moving on from the veteran coordinator was not a task he took lightly, with hours of conversation coming between the end of the season and the decision

“I’m not going to be able to take you through every step of the way because it’s an ongoing process, Harbaugh explained. “We’re talking every day throughout the season; these conversations are going on consistently and constantly. So, I think just after the season, Monday we talked, Tuesday we talked, [and] Wednesday we talked. There were just hours of conversation that delved in all kinds of different things [and] directions. We’re talking families, we’re talking our kids, we’re talking the team, we’re talking the plays in the game – we’re talking about everything. Just through all that, we’re partners, but we’re also friends. It just worked its way into that place where I think he felt like that was the best, and we felt like that was the best, too. We just understood where we were at.”

While fans wait to find out who the Ravens’ next offensive coordinator will be, they can take solace in the fact that Harbaugh and the team are working diligently to assemble the best possible coaching staff to help Baltimore compete for a Super Bowl in 2023.

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Chargers GM Tom Telesco denies that Brandon Staley’s job was ever in jeopardy

Tom Telesco said that Brandon Staley’s job status was always safe.

Rumors circulated about a potential split between the Los Angeles Chargers and head coach Brandon Staley, but general manager Tom Telesco told reporters on Thursday that those murmurs were unsubstantiated.

In his end-of-season press conference, Telesco left no doubt about Staley’s job security heading into next season.

“That was probably more your discussion than ours,” Telesco said, referring to the media in the room. “Our belief in Brandon [Staley] hasn’t changed. He has our belief, our players believe in him.

You’ve been around him, he’s a tremendous leader, he’s detail-oriented and he’s a fighter. That’s the type of person that I want to be with me going to competition. I understand that the season didn’t end quite the way we liked it, but he has our whole support.”

These comments may indicate that Staley is safe but may prove to only apply to the immediate future. Without any improvement and a playoff win in 2023, the team could be forced to find someone else to fill the head coach role.

G Ben Powers relied on advice from key Ravens legend in 2022

Ravens guard Ben Powers relied on advice from a key team legend in 2022

The Baltimore Ravens are heading into the offseason in an enviable position as one of the league’s best teams when their roster is fully healthy. Their offensive line in particular should be considered one of the team’s strengths, especially after the team revamped the unit in the 2022 offseason.

Veteran guard Ben Powers played a huge role in shoring up Baltimore’s play up front in 2022, and spoke to reporters in the Ravens’ end-of-season media availability session about his season. Though he was clearly disappointed by the team’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he made it clear that advice from a Ravens legend helped him cope with the weight of the season’s end.

“[I’ve] just [taken] that day-by-day [approach],” Powers explained. “One of the first things Marshal [Yanda] told me when I got here was, ‘You take the league day by day, week by week.’ So, I’ve been sticking with that. I control what I can control, and that’s about it.”

Though his future in Baltimore is unclear given that his contract with the Ravens expires at the beginning of the new league year, hopes are high that Powers will return to the Charm City next season. His steady presence on the offensive line was an underrated part of the Ravens’ push to the playoffs, and the team would be wise to offer him a generous contract in the offseason.

Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh assesses Ravens’ defensive performance in 2022

Oweh spoke to reporters in his end-of-season media availability session about what he feels the #Ravens’ defense accomplished in 2022

With the Baltimore Ravens’ season officially over after a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, outside linebacker Odafe Oweh spoke to the media on Monday in his end-of-season media availability session about a plethora of different topics.

Asked for his take on the Ravens’ defensive performance this season, Oweh wasted no time in telling reporters that he feels his squad made great strides in 2022, and that he is looking forward to the team’s 2023 campaign on that side of the ball. He said that the group got through adversity and were resilient, and is really proud of the defense as a whole.

“We got through adversity, we’re resilient,” Oweh explained. “We’re close, and when we were called to the test, we succeeded. So, I’m really proud of this defense this year, and I’m excited for where we can take it next year.”

Oweh is justified in his excitement for next season, and though the early exit from the playoffs may be disappointing now, the pieces are in place for Baltimore to be a key player in the AFC postseason in 2023 assuming they can answer key questions in the offseason. The young outside linebacker is sure to continue playing an integral role in their defense, and with a full offseason to improve his game, Oweh should be able to put together something special when he gets back on the field after what was a disappointing season considering the expectations for the second-year player.

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Chargers HC Brandon Staley addresses hot-seat rumors

Brandon Staley addressed the speculation surrounding his job security during his end-of-season press conference.

After the Los Angeles Chargers blew the third-largest lead in postseason history to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday, rumors circulated regarding head coach Brandon Staley’s job security.

Despite the speculations, the Chargers seem keen to retain Staley for next season despite his team’s utter collapse, though he may find himself on a shorter leash in 2023.

He was asked during his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday if it is hard for him to stay focused amid the ongoing speculation, and he gave a measured response.

“The nature of the NFL,” Staley explained. “You understand the way it is and that there’s always going to be speculation when other people may not be thinking that you are having the success that they think you should have.

Internally, what matters is the way that your players, your coaches, your personnel department and your ownership, the way that they feel because they’re with you on a day-to-day basis. They are, ultimately, the ones who know who you are and what you are about. That’s what gives me a lot of confidence in our situation here.”

Staley caught fire when he played the starters in the Week 18 game against the Broncos, which led to wide receiver Mike Williams’ back injury that kept him out of the playoff game. Then, the flames further ignited after the massive meltdown against the Jaguars.

While no firing seems imminent, it has become clear that fans and the media expect more of the Chargers, and Staley’s performance as a head coach next season will ultimately determine his long-term future with the team moving forward.