Bengals
Bengals OC Brian Callahan said it’s clear that Joe Burrow has played alongside WR Ja’Marr Chase and is showing clear communication with WRs Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Chase.
“You can tell they’ve played together. Just like you see with Joe now and TB (Tyler Boyd) and Tee (Higgins) after a year of time together playing. They communicate clearly. They know what’s expected on routes and Joe sees their body language. He sees their placement on their leverage and all the things that go along with reading the receiver,” Callahan said, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Callahan reiterated that Burrow has a “good rapport” with Chase given their two years spent together at LSU.
“The cool thing is Joe’s done that with Ja’Marr for two years and this is the third year of doing it. They got a good rapport. You can see it and feel it. They know how to communicate with each other. I think that’s exciting for me. They don’t really need to get to know each other. They do know each other.”
Burrow told his teammates that Chase isn’t “going to bust” and will be a true professional around the locker room.
“Everybody’s been surprised by how smart he was and I told everyone coming in, ‘he’s not going to bust, he’s going to know exactly what to do, he’s going to be a pro,’ and that’s exactly what’s happened. He’s super smooth on the field,” Burrow said.
Burrow added that Chase is at a “different speed than everybody” in their offseason program and has been impressive.
“It doesn’t look like he’s going super hard and guys are coming to me and saying is he going hard? Then we go up against the defense and he looks exactly the same and he’s doing the same, but he’s just at a different speed than everybody else. He’s going to be great for us and he’s a great friend as well.”
Browns
When asked about rookie LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and the defense’s overall lack of size, Browns DC Joe Woods expressed confidence in his personnel while also being excited about the overall speed of the unit.
“I think that a lot of those questions pertain to JOK, but when you look around the league, the league is becoming more of you see teams spreading you out and quick throws. It is becoming more matchups and space,” Woods said, via Browns Wire. “Just more of a premium on speed, but there is enough size where those guys can play physical, and we have to be smart in terms of how we use him, as well.”
Ravens
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins said he wasn’t surprised that people were impressed by a video of him catching a ball over LB Malik Harrison in practice.
“Shoot, it didn’t surprise me,” Dobbins said, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “I’ve been doing that. I can catch the ball a little bit. I know I had a few mistakes last year, but this year, I’ve been working on eliminating those mistakes, even the little mistakes. I’m perfecting my craft and making sure I’m ready at all times to catch the ball, do all that stuff. So, it’ll be great this year.”
Dobbins added he feels he has the mental fortitude necessary to succeed in the NFL.
“I think a lot of people overlook mental strength,” Dobbins said. “The NFL season is a long season, especially for a rookie. It’s different than college; you play a lot of games. And mentally, you have to be ready. You have to be on point with your mental, because if you’re not, then your body, none of that’s going to work. I feel like I’ve been learning this offseason to have my mental ready, body ready, all of that. I feel like I’m locked and loaded.”
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