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New Ravens quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn is working hard for the collective ears of Baltimore’s signal-callers, especially star pupil Joe Flacco.
“The thing that I want is to earn the right to be heard,” Zorn told BaltimoreRavens.com. “No. 1, because I’m the quarterbacks coach, [Flacco] should try what I say. But I want him to believe that what I’m saying is from a standpoint of trying to help him. I’m trying to earn all of their trust and be legitimate, not a guy that isn’t bringing anything to the daily grind.”
After being hired in late January, Zorn has really only been with Flacco for three weeks at the Ravens’ voluntary offseason conditioning program and football schools.
Still, Zorn doesn’t think that is necessarily a bad thing.
“I think he’s really a good QB, but I don’t know him after a season,” Zorn told BaltimoreRavens.com. “I don’t know him as an up-and-down player, a gamer, or a good practice player. I’m still forming that opinion, and that clean slate is great for me. I get to challenge him in all those areas. But, I’m not here to change his natural talents. I just want to enhance those things that he does well, and I think he has some tremendous talents.”
Zorn comes with a track record of success at the position. As a former NFL signal-caller, he ranks third in the Seattle Seahawks’ record books with 20,122 yards, 1,593 completions, 2,992 attempts and 107 touchdowns.
First on that list is one of Zorn’s former pupils, Matt Hasselbeck, whom Zorn tutored as Seattle’s quarterbacks coach from 2000-07.
Zorn’s two-year stint as head coach of the Washington Redskins add to his credentials, as Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell boasted his two best professional seasons, improving in every passing category in both 2008 and 2009.
Flacco completed 315 of 499 passes for 3,613 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his sophomore campaign. His yardage, touchdowns and attempts all marked the second-most in Ravens history, while Flacco’s 88.9 passer rating and 63.1 completion percentage were single-season records.
