OL Joe Thomas
On the RBs' play against the Chargers:
"Getting those guys going was – the way they were playing in space, Crow hit a nice, long run and made a couple guys miss, catching the ball out of the backfield. It is good to be able to throw the ball to the backs and throw a short pass to a guy in the flat because then you keep defenses a little bit more honest and then they just can't just try to load up and commit to stopping the run because you can hurt them on the edges by stretching the field. You are using the whole field to attack the defense."
On how well the line was playing to create short-yardage passing situations:
"Decent."
On if the offense has found their footing and is coming into their identity:
"It is a process when you have a new coordinator and some new major pieces trying to figure out who you are. I think that is an ongoing process, trying to figure out what we do well, what we don't do so well and try to feature those things that we do a good job of. It is one of those things where it is a process and does take game reps and games to figure that out. I do think we are making some nice strides, and I think having (RB) Duke (Johnson Jr.) back and getting him some experience running behind our line has been really nice because he didn't really have any training camp to do anything with us. Being able to have him out there and start getting comfortable with some of the concepts that we have is really nice."
On how different the Ravens defense is compared to ones he has faced over his career:
"The two big ones that are not there that have been there for a long time are obviously (Lions DL) Haloti Ngata and (Ravens DL) Terrell Suggs. Being potential Hall of Famers, that is a big difference. No matter who you put in there, they have big shoes to fill. It is certainly a much different defense than we have seen for years and years in Baltimore. Since I was a rookie, it was always (former Ravens FS) Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, (former Ravens LB) Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata. Then, they add a lot of other good players around them, but those were kind of the nucleus core guys. None of those guys are there anymore. They have some new guys coming in that are playing really well, some young guys and some guys like (Ravens DL) Elvis Dumervil, who is obviously having a tremendous career. He is in there picking up where Suggs left off as a sack master and playing awesome. They definitely have a bunch of weapons, but there are a lot different faces than the historic Browns battles that I have been a part of."
On if Dumervil is playing on the left side of the line with Suggs out or if he is staying on his traditional right side:
"He plays both sides in their base defense. First-and-10, he goes on one side or the other. In sub, usually third down, he is usually over the right tackle. I would say that is because he is more comfortable being there since he has been there for a long time with Suggs on the left side. We (Thomas and OL Mitchell Schwartz) can both expect to see him."
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On what makes Dumervil a unique challenge:
"Well, I think Jeff Schudel is taller than him (laughter). He has leverage on everybody. He is extremely strong. He has a great get off. Great quickness, uses his hands really well. He is an impressive player. He had a lot of sacks in college because he has knack for getting to the quarterback. He understands the details of pass rush and that is why he has been such a great NFL player."
RB Robert Turbin
On how he is feeling after the first couple days of participating in team drills:
"Anytime you haven't been able to play and practice for a while like that and you get a chance to get back on the field and run around with your guys and laugh and joke and make some football plays it is a good feeling. I am happy to be back."
On how his ankle felt today after practicing yesterday:
"It is funny how you can feel so great one day and then the next day you are sore. It doesn't feel as loose or maybe as recovered as you thought it might have been. That was a good example of today. As we got going at practice it started to loosen up. (head athletic trainer) Joe (Sheehan) and those guys in the trainer's room told me that would happen and it did. It started to loosen up a little bit today. As practice got going, I got going. It felt great to be out there again today."
On if it excites him seeing what RBs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. were able to do against San Diego:
"Absolutely. It is great when your teammates are making plays. I support those guys 100 percent. I know that they are great players. They work hard for the success that they have. They are really underestimated in my opinion. Those guys are good backs. They can get the job done on Sundays like you saw. A great example of it this past week."
On if he thinks he will be able to contribute this Sunday:
"I certainly hope so. My goal is to be able to play some this Sunday. Obviously Joe (Sheehan) and those guys and coach Pett will make the decision, ultimately this weekend. I am hopeful. They are hopeful and we will just see how the rest of the week goes with practice."
On what he brings to the running back trio:
"I think I can just be an added asset to the team. I believe in myself and my abilities to make plays out there on the field. It will be a good opportunity to play off of Crow (RB Isaiah Crowell) and (RB) Duke (Johnson Jr.) and continue to learn from those guys and continue to learn from (Running backs) Coach Wilbert (Montgomery). Go out there and contribute to this offense, make plays and help us win the football game."
On how this locker room and situation compare to the one he was with in Seattle:
"To be honest with you guys, with all due respect, I know he asked me a couple Seattle questions, but I am not really interested in talking about Seattle anymore. I am a Cleveland Brown. The Browns are what I am all about now. Seattle was a great opportunity for me. They drafted me and I was there. We had great success. I learned a lot from that team and what I have learned I know for a fact I can bring here to this situation to help turn this franchise around. Ultimately at the end of the day all I want to talk about is the Cleveland Browns and turning this franchise around and helping us win football games."
DB Tramon Williams
On if it would be nice for the league to acknowledge that he was not offside:
"It really doesn't matter, it really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters now is that we get better and not put ourselves in that situation. It really doesn't matter, the game is over its not going to change anything."
On if he will be more hesitant to try the same thing on Sunday:
"I'll put it like this: I like to win so if it comes down to me trying to make a play for our team to win I'm going to go for it."
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On special teams coordinator Chris Tabor's comments that he had no problem with what Williams did on that play:
"Right and Tabor, I know he's a guy who wants to win just like we all do and he trusts me so I don't want him to lose that trust in me by doing something that I shouldn't do."
On if the secondary unit is improving:
"You hope so. One thing I've been saying the whole time on record is just because something goes one way one year it's not going to go the same way the next year. You have to come out and work and that's what these guys continue to do, work. It doesn't matter if a guy is injured or not, we're not looking for any excuses at all. We're going to try to be the best that we can be and we're going to continue coming to work to try and do that."
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On how much feedback players give defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil:
"For the most part Jim really comes in with an excellent game plan. If we have something we're not comfortable with we go to him and we tell him. It's easy, it's just like talking to him. Anytime you have a coach like that it's easy to play for a guy, it's easy to go to battle for that guy like that. It's just one of those things that you can go up to his office anytime, tell him what you don't like or what you do like and he'll really consider it so that's always a good thing."
On how much the defensive scheme changes week-to-week:
"Not too much. The scheme is the scheme. It's not really much changing of the scheme it just comes down to more of executing. As players that's stuff that we have to do. We have to make sure the communication is on point. We have to make sure that everyone on the field knows exactly his assignment. That's the type of things we have to go to but the scheme doesn't change much at all."
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