Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Highlights from breakfast with Ravens coach John Harbaugh

PHOENIX -- All of the AFC coaches met with reporters Tuesday morning at the NFL owners meetings, and here are the highlights of the hour-long breakfast with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh:

  • Harbaugh expressed confidence that young defensive linemen Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams will fill the void left by Haloti Ngata. "There’s no reason we can’t be a great defense and a great defensive front next year," Harbaugh said.

  • The Ravens are still looking to add an experienced backup quarterback. Their top two quarterbacks right now are Joe Flacco and Keith Wenning, a sixth-round pick who spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. "Keith Wenning has a good future. I like Keith," Harbaugh said. "But we’re looking to upgrade everywhere at all times."

  • The target date for Rick Wagner's return is training camp, according to Harbaugh. Wagner, the starting right tackle, suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 16.

  • Harbaugh said safety Matt Elam, a 2013 first-round pick, has to become a good player. "That’s his burden to bear, along with us as coaches to do everything we can to help him get there," Harbaugh said. "We’re going to do our best to make that happen."

  • Harbaugh expressed disappointment for backup running back Bernard Pierce, who was released after getting arrested for drunken driving. "Bernard is a guy that I would say we both have grown close over the years through just personal conversations and what he’s been through with his life," Harbaugh said. "I consider him a friend, and I want to see what’s best for him. He’s made some choices that have hurt him. Hopefully, he can rebound from that."

  • Harbaugh is hoping another team gives running back Ray Rice a second chance. "I still support the Rice family, and Ray Rice as a friend, and want to see what’s best for him," Harbaugh said. "Like anybody you’ve been close to, you want things to work out well for them. That’s the way we feel about Janay and Ray."

  • There was no update on tight end Dennis Pitta, who has had hip surgeries in consecutive seasons. "I think we’ll know more in the summer, hopefully," Harbaugh said. "In the end, it’s going to be up to Dennis."

  • Harbaugh was noncommittal on who would replace Jacoby Jones as the team's primary returner, although he did say Michael Campanaro will be in the mix. "I look at like it’s March, and we need a returner by September," Harbaugh said.

  • The Ravens have talked with a couple of teams about holding a joint practice similar to what the team did with the 49ers last summer. "It’s not an easy thing to make work," Harbaugh said. "I know a lot of different coaches are talking to a lot of different coaches about doing that right now. We’ll see."

  • Harbaugh was extremely complimentary of safety Kendrick Lewis, the team's only free-agent addition from another team. "I think his best football is ahead of him," Harbaugh said.

  • Harbaugh supports a proposal from John Madden that would make it illegal for an offensive player with an eligible number to report as ineligible and line up outside the core of the formation. "That was why they created ineligible and eligible jersey numbers, so you could look at him and say he’s eligible and he’s not," Harbaugh said. "Now we go through kind of a circus act where we’ve got to identify who’s eligible and who’s not with signals. That’s what got the referees in trouble."

^ Back to Top ^