Calais Campbell won’t talk face-to-face with Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale anytime soon, but he already holds an opinion of the coach.

A 12-year NFL veteran, Campbell’s seen and heard plenty about Martindale’s schemes. And the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end has watched film of recent Ravens’ games since he learned he’d been traded from Jacksonville to Baltimore earlier this month.

So what stands out to Campbell about his new play caller? He had a quick answer for that Friday while speaking to reporters on a conference call.

“The thing I like about Wink is that he's very creative,” Campbell said.

The Ravens’ defense brought blitzes more frequently than any other team in the NFL last season. Beyond that, Martindale doesn’t put tight restraints on his unit. When he took over as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator during the 2018 offseason, Martindale restructured the playbook to give his players more on-field flexibility and simpler ways to communicate.

That means the Ravens send exotic pressures often and switch up coverages on the fly.

A versatile and smart player like the 33-year-old Campbell could line up in four or five different spots during a game on the Ravens’ defense. He might rush the passer with reckless abandon one play and drop back in coverage on the next.

“I'm eager to see how [Martindale] uses me,” Campbell said. “To my knowledge, he tries to draw up blitzes for certain players to come free, and I've always kind of appreciated the mind of a really good defensive coordinator and just why he'll draw up certain blitzes and what he sees and stuff.”

Campbell’s still holed up in Florida, staying in his home and practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. He doesn’t know when he’ll get to visit the Ravens facility or meet Martindale, and he’s not sure what specific role he’ll play in what remains an unfamiliar defense.

For now, imagining the possibilities and envisioning conversations with Martindale keeps Campbell occupied and hopeful while he waits for his chance to get to Baltimore.

“I’m really eager to pick his brain and learn from him,” Campbell said. "I don’t know if I’ll ever become a coach. I don’t know if I want to dedicate that much time to it, but it’s still cool to learn from some of the best coaches. And he’s considered one of the best coaches when it comes to creativity and being able to just take advantage of matchups.”

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Aaron Kasinitz covers the Baltimore Ravens for PennLive and can be reached at akasinitz@pennlive.com or on Twitter @AaronKazreports. Follow PennLive’s Ravens coverage on Facebook and Youtube.