AFC Notes: Kyle Hamilton, Zach Orr, Bengals, Ravens

Bengals

• Pete Thamel reports that Oregon offensive analyst Jordan Salkin has accepted a job with the Bengals.

Ravens

Ravens S Kyle Hamilton feels like losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game was “kind of a shock” after making too many mistakes. 

“It’s tough. You don’t really think of this outcome, and what happened is kind of a shock. But I respect every guy on this team, [and I] respect [the Chiefs]. It’s a great team. [They have] great players, and they did what they needed to do to win. But for us, I feel like it was more of us making more mistakes, and I think that’s the bright side; we can come back on this over the offseason. It’s going to hurt for a minute, but we can build on it,” Hamilton said, via RavensWire.

Ravens

New Ravens DC Zach Orr reflected on being diagnosed with a congenital neck and spine condition that forced him to retire in 2017. He looked at the situation as an opportunity to start a new path in his career. 

“When I found out the news and found out how serious it is, it was something that I just looked at as a blessing,” Orr said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I look at it as when a door closes, another one opens. I am ready for that next door to open, and I am ready to jump at that opportunity, whatever that is.”

Orr feels extra gratitude toward Baltimore after signing him as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and allowing him to start his coaching career.  

“This means a little more to me. It’s not just me just coaching in the National Football League just for any other organization. No, I’m coaching for the organization that had my back,” Orr said. “When I went through what I went through, they didn’t allow me to really put my head down. … And them doing that for me just shows that they had my back in a tough situation, so they’re going to get everything I’ve got. Like I said, it means something. I bleed purple and black.”

Orr wants his defense to play in unison and be a “very violent” group. 

“I want our defense to play together, first and foremost — 11 people playing as one, let’s start there,” Orr said. “The next thing is, I want it to be violent — very violent, physical. That’s just the standard here. Everything we’re going to do is going to be with physicality and violence. Then, just execution — executing at a high level, executing in certain situations, executing all the time.”