"I'm a confident person. Once I get the playbook down, I feel that I have the talent to go out and perform at a high level and help my team. So, as far as being Rookie of the Year, you have to start and play a whole lot to do so. If the time comes, and I get the playbook down, I'm pretty sure that I can make some type of impact for my team."
"That was the hardest part for me, basically knowing what everybody else is doing and that's going to influence exactly what I need to be doing, those open spaces that I need to be in," he said. "That's the hard part, but once I get that down, I feel like it will be a real simple transition from there.
For Kindle, the greatest challenge is learning the playbook, which is "about as thick as most textbooks you get in college and you've got to study it faithfully because if you don't, it's going to be like a foreign language out there." Given his natural aptitude as a pass rusher, he will devote the lion's share of his attention to pass coverage. Kindle has plenty to learn about pass drops, getting into throwing lanes, and occupying the proper zone.
"You can tell that they want us to get (the mental part down quickly), because they threw us (members of the rookie class) in the fire as soon as we got there," Kindle said. "They want us to try to learn it on the fly as soon as we can and see what we can do. And we did well, in my opinion. Once we get it down, then we really get to show our abilities. When everything slows down, that means we get to speed up."
The coaching staff certainly had that in mind during offseason workouts.
Of course, in order to go farther than they did last season, the divisional round of the playoffs, the Ravens must be a "total team." In order to do that, they need their defense to live up to its lofty reputation. That means Kindle and Cody must meet, or even exceed, the expectations that go with their draft status. It also means the majority -- if not all -- of the Ravens' remaining five picks will need to make an immediate impact, something many NFL observers are projecting.
With blossoming Joe Flacco jersey at quarterback and multi-talented Ray Rice jersey in the backfield, the Ravens could, in fact, easily become more of an offensive team.
Two newcomers at wide receiver, Anquan Boldin jersey and Donte' Stallworth, figure to do plenty to help in that regard. So should Derrick Mason, whose decision to stick around for another season gives the Ravens one of the best and deepest receiving corps in the league.
Yet, in only a short time with the Ravens, Kindle has a strong grasp of why his team enters training camp on Monday as a popular pick to win the AFC North and be a serious postseason contender.
Kindle also is well aware of what's going on around him. Sure, the Ravens made the former Texas outside linebacker/defensive end their top overall draft pick (in the second round) to enhance the side of the ball where they have a rich history of success. Sure, they did the same with their second overall pick (also in the second round), former Alabama tackle Terrence Cody.
He's confident. Not obnoxiously brash or unbearably cocky, but confident. Very confident. For instance, Kindle won't hesitate to tell you just how successful he thinks he can be with the Baltimore Ravens jerseys this season, his first in the NFL. He says, matter-of-factly, that his "plan is to be Rookie of the Year."
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