Browns
Not only does Browns CB Denzel Ward believe the team can be the best defense in football, he thinks he can win the DPOY award.
“I think I’m capable. I’m definitely a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player,” Ward said, via PFT. “But I take things a day at a time. Awards and that stuff will come down the road. My focus is just to be the best I can each day.”
Ravens
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is entering the eighth year of his career and still looking to reach the Super Bowl for the first time. Jackson isn’t looking too far ahead to their Week 1 game against the Bills.
“I’m starting here. I’m starting with camp,” Jackson said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I’m trying to get better in camp, trying to get me and my guys on the same page, build chemistry as much as we can for when that time comes. I’m not worried about (the Bills), because obviously we have to play them in Week 1. There’s no shying away from that. We already know what we have ahead of us. Just focus on now.”
Jackson has relinquished 11 turnovers in his eight career playoff games. The quarterback admitted he needs to “hold on to the ball.”
“Just hold on to the ball, man,” Jackson said. “It happens. It’s football. It’s not my time, because if it was my time, we would’ve had seven Super Bowls in a row already. Real talk.”
Jackson added that his ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl.
“Whatever it takes to get my team to that ticket, to that big dance, we have to take care of now,” Jackson said. “Take care of camp, get better in camp each and every day. That’s all I’m focused on. We’re getting there, but we’re not finishing. How can we get better? How can we make the city even more happy? We’re having regular-season success, we’re making it to the playoffs, but we have to get to that dance. Like I said, it starts here.”
Steelers
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt said that he’s happy about getting the contract extension done so that he can focus on football.
“I just wanted the deal to get done, and obviously I’m happy it got done before training camp just to be able to be here to eliminate any potential distraction to just worry about football,” Watt said, via ESPN. “It’s a fun time of year, it really is to be here back in La Trobe, we’re going to go to Sharky’s at some point and get some wings. We always do all the traditions that makes this place special and hopefully leads to a successful season for us.”
Steelers GM Omar Khan said that he was always confident that the deal with Watt would get done and hopes to keep him in Pittsburgh for a long time.
“It was always very important for me and for the organization to have T.J. be a one-helmet Hall of Famer,” Khan said. “And hopefully he’s got several years left and we feel really, really good about having him locked up and excited. Sometimes these things take longer, takes longer than you would like, but I always felt good about getting it done. We had conversations obviously since early in the offseason. It just kind of came together last week or the week before that.”
Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey is excited to join Pittsburgh and said he’s never had the opportunity to play for a “storied franchise.”
“I’m excited for everything that has to do with this organization,” Ramsey said. “Obviously this is a storied franchise. I won a Super Bowl, love my time with the LA Rams, but I can’t necessarily say that I’ve played for a storied franchise like this yet, so this is very exciting for me. I’m just embracing all of it.”
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said that he doesn’t know where Ramsey will line up on the defense, but he’ll be on the field at all times.
“We’re going to start him regardless. Where we move him around and things really depends on what offenses are doing,” he said. “Make no mistake — those top three corners that I mentioned, Jalen Ramsey, [Darius] Slay and Joey Porter Jr. — they’re going to be on the field. I don’t care what offenses come out in.“
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