Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (8.27.25)
The additions, specifically (Raheim) Sanders, what was it that attracted you guys to him specifically? I’m sure you met with him in the pre-draft process.
“Yeah, I think all these guys, you have a little bit of a book on from that pre-draft process. So, you know their tape, you’ve met with them, whether at the combine or bringing them in, so you get a pretty good feel for the guys. Then with, you give Andrew (Berry) and his crew credit, because you have to pour over a lot of tape over the last three weeks to see who may become available, who would be a fit for us. So, that’s really what happened.”
What was it about him (Sanders) that fits with you guys?
“Yeah, productive player, good size, runs hard, but we’ve got to get him in here and see how he does. But yeah, the tape’s good.”
Kevin (Stefanski), it looked like Denzel (Ward) was out there practicing the last couple of days. Does that bode well for him for (to play) week one?
“It does, yeah. He’s progressing nicely.”
About Kaden Davis coming back, now on the practice squad, is he somebody that you can really see contributing at some point this season possibly?
“Without a doubt. I think a lot of those practice squad players, Mary Kay (Cabot), are guys that have been here, have played in practice and games and are dependable and trustworthy, and Kaden certainly fits the bill. He has played in games for us going back to last season, can feature him on special teams as well. So, he’s definitely a guy that we’re very happy he’s back.”
I don’t remember if you were asked about KT Leveston yesterday, but what did you guys see in him on tape? I mean, obviously you just saw him…
“Yeah, just saw him. He’s a very physical player. Again, it goes back to Chris’s (Easterling) question. A lot of these young players, we’ve done so much work on them over the years. So, you have a book on them. In this particular case, we had a coach that had him at the East-West Shrine (Bowl) game. So, you have some more information there. But he played well in our game. Physical player, fits what we do.”
Kevin, the way the practice squad has been used, how much has it evolved over the last five, six years into being much smarter and utilizing it as almost an extension to the active roster?
“Well, I think the practice squad itself has evolved so much over the years, and even way before my time, too. It was a different squad, if you will. So, just the sheer numbers of having that many guys available to you allows you to be flexible. It allows you to have some young guys that you’re developing, some older guys that you can elevate in a pinch. You can help one side of the ball on one week and then pivot to a different side next week. So, it does give you some flexibility.”
Kevin, what about Cole Strange? He’s gotten a number of starts lately. Do you guys see him more as a center?
“Yeah, I can’t comment on those types of guys.”
Kevin, we’ve talked too much about quarterback reps during training camp. When you get to a regular season practice week, will Joe (Flacco) get the same amount that you’ve always given the starter in the past, or because of his age and having a rookie behind him, you might give Dillon (Gabriel) more.
“We’ll work through all those things. Haven’t really gotten there just yet, Scott (Petrak). Obviously, we have talked about it and thought about it, but we’ll work through it as we get there.”
I wanted to ask a question similar to that. You talk about development of these quarterbacks? What does development for those guys look like during the season, when they’re not getting as many practice reps as they got in training camp? I know Shedeur (Sanders) was talking about maybe running the scout team and going against the starting defense, but in your eyes, what does that look like for a rookie quarterback during the regular season?
“Development is ongoing for rookie players, and we’re extremely intentional about developing our players at all positions, certainly the quarterback position. So, every minute of their day will be accounted for, within the rules, don’t worry. We’ll make sure that we bring them along and not just assume they’re just going to get better by osmosis, which they will. They’ll learn a lot from just sitting in the meeting room. But we’re going to make sure that we’re bringing them along with extra meeting time, extra time on the field, being smart about what we do before practice, after practice, during practice, all those types of things.”
Kevin, I know we’ve asked you a lot about Carson (Schwesinger), but he gets the (Maurice) Bassett Award, and I know on the broadcast the other day AB (Andrew Berry) made the comment that adding him was like adding another five-year vet into this defense. Just how has he shown you guys sort of that?
“Well, he made another play on the ball today. So he’s been very…the ball seems to find him. He’s, as you guys have seen, he does a nice job of running a defense, which is not easy for a young player. But in order to do that, in order to tell people where to get lined up, you have to know your stuff, and he really does know his part of this thing and how he factors into it.”
Kevin, to go back to Dillon Gabriel, when you make that decision to make him the number two (quarterback), how much of it is trusting him to be able to handle it? He’s got to help the starter get ready, handle that mental side of being the number two quarterback?
“There’s a lot that goes into being a backup quarterback in this league, and you have to be ready at a moment’s notice when you don’t get reps. You have to understand the game plan as well, if not better than the starter. You have to support the starter. You have to be in there, tied at the hip with the starter in so many of these meetings and in the preparations, getting ready, and then you have to stay ready. It’s one of those things we talk about, really, at every single position, you have to stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. That’s important, certainly, for all positions, and it’s important in the quarterback room as well.”
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