“They’re going to keep getting great players to come play for the Bengals, and when they do that, then it’s my job and Zac ‘s job and the leaders of this team to bring the locker room together and then go execute on the field,” Burrow said, via the team’s official website. “We have everything we need. We made a big trade for a big-time player. Signed a free agent top safety on the market, and other additions. We’ll see how the rookies end up. … But first impressions, we’ve got guys that care about the game, care about their job, and want to be great. When you have young guys like that and veterans like we do, it’s a recipe for success.”

• Burrow on DE Trey Hendrickson signing with the Ravens: “It’s not very surprising. I know Trey, I love Trey. I just know how he operates.” (Bergman)
• Burrow on the team’s young linebackers: “We have a lot of trust in the young linebackers that we’re bringing back. Those guys have taken leadership roles this offseason. That’s been exciting to see. We know they have the talent to do it.” (Baby)

Browns

Former Browns DC Jim Schwartz made his first public comments since resigning from the team when they passed over him in favor of new HC Todd Monken. Schwartz feels he deserved the chance after his success with the team, but understands they wanted to go with an offensive-minded coach.

“It sort of is what it was,” Schwartz said, via Ryan Ripken. “We had a lot of success on defense and the Browns made a change at head coach, and they passed over me with all the success that we had and the ability to develop players, our best players had their best years, all those different things. And that was a decision they made. They wanted to go with an offensive guy. They chose Todd. I’m fine with that. They can make decisions that they want to make, but they can’t expect me to stay on board for that. Anybody that’s in any business, you get passed over for a promotion when you’ve done a really, really good job in your job and you think you were in line for that promotion. It’s time to go.”

Although the Browns wanted Schwartz to stay on in the same role, he felt that wasn’t a good idea for Monken or the locker room. He thought it could put the team in a tough situation, and it would be better for everyone if Monken picked his own guy to run the defense. 

“Todd deserved his own guy. A forced marriage isn’t going to work in the NFL. Having command of the players and having command of the locker room, all those things are extremely important, and I didn’t feel like I could do my job after getting passed over for the head coaching job. It sort of put me in a tough position. ‘Hey, we want you to listen to this guy, but we didn’t want to make him the head coach.’

“So, I made the decision to resign, and I have to sit out this year as a result. But I think anybody that’s been in any business, when you’ve done a good job, when you mention those numbers, we weren’t one of the best defenses in three years, we were the best defense in three years. The decision they made, that’s their decision, but to expect me to stay and for me to be on board with that, that’s just a tough situation. It wouldn’t have been good for me and it wouldn’t have been good for Todd. It was best for him to get his own guy in there and to move forward with him as opposed to just having an arranged marriage and having me there and maybe having some players more loyal to me than him. It can just be a bad situation. 33 years in the NFL, I’ve never been around that before. That all went into the decision.”

Ravens

Ravens S Jaylinn Hawkins embarks on his first season in Baltimore after reaching the Super Bowl with the Patriots. Hawkins said he’s “turning the page” on his career in New England and is focused on the future with his new team. 

“You’ve got to turn the page,” Hawkins said, via Clifton Brown of the team’s site. “I’m in B-more now. That was with the Pats. Now I’m with the Ravens. In order for me to fully embrace this journey, I’ve got to turn the page, but I can use it as motivation.”

Hawkins feels they could have a “special” defense in Baltimore. 

“I think we could be special,” Hawkins said. “I think we’ve got something cooking. Everybody is talented in their own way. Everybody has different strengths. We all can get the ball. There’s so much upside to it. Now it’s just about feeding off each other, playing off each other, playing well together.”

Hawkins also expressed belief in new HC Jesse Minter and thinks he fits well into his system. 

“Just the way this culture is, the team the history, and what we have right now,” Hawkins said. “I believe in the guys we have on the team. I believe we can do something special. I also believe in Coach Minter. I look at his resume and what he did in LA, a good defensive-minded coach. I fit well.”