Tony Oden – August 2, 2018
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Thursday, August 2, 2018
Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden
(CB Xavien Howard had a nice day today with the three interceptions. What have you seen from him all of camp?) – “Well, I don’t know if the one was an interception. I’ve got to check the film.”
(CB Xavien Howard said it was.) – “If he said it was, I’ll trust him. No, he’s done a good job. We just ask that he and the other guys do your job for the day. Be the best person that you can be and be the best you. Make sure that we pick on one or two things each day to come out and work on. We’re working with him to just challenge himself when the ball is coming to his side or going to the other side. It’s not about that, it’s about where you are in the coverage. He’s done a good job, he’s embraced it and working hard every day.”
(What did you notice … I don’t know how much of his film you watched last year. But from our point of view, it looked like he started off a little bit slow during the season and then picked up at the end especially those two games with the four interceptions. What did you think?) – “That I can’t say. I didn’t look at it like that. I just looked at it jumbled together. I don’t know. I didn’t want to get a feel for that. I just wanted to get a feel for the guy. He did finish well, but that’s last season. Obviously, as you know, we can’t rest on last season. It’s all about this year. We are starting fresh. One thing that I can talk about is how hard he’s working right now. He’s doing everything we ask, he’s being accountable, he gets extra help. As you can see he was out here catching the ball after practice. We want him to improve every day. He’s a good player, we don’t try to be good we try to be great. Still a ways to go, but he’s working.”
(How would you evaluate the progress of S Minkah Fitzpatrick this far in camp?) – “The same thing. I think we drafted the right guy and he’s doing well. He is who we thought he was. He loves football. He asks for extra help. He does work. He’s smart. He’s a problem solver. He fits into our room and that’s the key thing. I’m pleased with his progress. At the end of the day, he’s still a rookie. There’s still a lot that he doesn’t know. There’s still a lot of situations he’s still going to have to go through. He’ll go through his growing pains; but, he’s trending. He’s right where he needs to be.”
(Has S Minkah’s Fitzpatrick’s presence elevated S T.J. McDonald’s play at all? Does he seem better, even more driven?) – “Not at all. T.J. is T.J. if no one is behind him, that’s the type of cloth he’s cut from. It doesn’t matter. He’s going to come out and compete hard every day. He helps our room, but I can’t say at all that it helps pushes T.J., because he’s grown.”
(Has S T.J. McDonald played well this camp?) – “He’s played very, very well. He’s done his job. This is his second year in this system, so he’s used to it. Last year he came in and kind of had to work through some things. This is his second year and he’s learning our techniques. They’re all learning new techniques and what I’m asking them to do at the same time. He’s working and I’m pleased with his progress. I’m happy. I’m happy.”
(How would you describe the depth at safety?) – “It’s solid, it’s solid. I’m pleased with it. We want to keep it there. We want to provide more depth. We’ve got some other guys that are working too and they’re doing a good job. I’m pleased. We still got a ways to go. We’re not content, not one bit at all. We’ve still got work to do.”
(If S Reshad Jones. S Minkah Fitzpatrick and S T.J. McDonald are three of the 10 best players on the defense, how can you get them all on the field?) – “That’s to be determined. We’ll find a way, we’ll find a way. It’s our job. We’ve got a lot of football left to play. We’ve got some practices, we’ve got some games left. We’ll work on that. If all three of those guys earn the right to be on the field, we’ll see what we do.”
(Can we expect at some point during the season to see some sort of package where they are all on the field at the same time?) – “I’m not sure. We’ll work through a couple of things. (Defensive Coordinator Matt) Burke has a great mind and knows his vision of the defense. My job is to get them all ready, so once all three on the field at the same time, all three are ready.”
(How would you assess the battle at the second cornerback spot?) – “It’s competitive, but that’s what you want. All of those guys are working hard. We’ve got a lot of guys that want it, that want to work hard. That pushes ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) because he sees those guys over there battling. All of those guys are doing a good job rotating through. Everyone is getting a chance to go with the ones, twos. It’s all being compared against the same.”
(Is CB Torry McTyer a serious candidate for the job and how has he played on the days he’s gotten first-team snaps?) – “Yes he is, and they all are serious candidates. I tell these guys, it doesn’t matter where you come from, how you got here, if you were drafted, if you were here already, if you are new to the program. If you ball, you play. (It’s as) simple as that.”
(How has CB Torry McTyer played the days he’s had first-team snaps?) – “He’s done well. He’s been competitive. Not perfect, but none of them are. He’s been competitive. He’s doing everything that I’ve asked him to do. They all are. I’m not singling him out. As a group, they are. He just happened to be the guy you asked about. I’m pleased with their progress.”
(What are some points of emphasis for CB Cordrea Tankersley?) – “Just keep improving. They all have a couple of things. He’s a long corner. He’s working on his transition and those kind of things. Getting used to the game as a second year corner, I think that’s when they make their biggest stride between their first year and second year. He’s not pushing the reset button. He’s picking up where he left off as far as the mental part of the game. He’s learning all of our techniques, but he’s right on par, right on course with everyone because it is new to all of them, for the most part technique-wise. He’s doing well.”
(Two young kids who have flashed seemingly are guys who have ball skills – CB Taveze Calhoun and CB Jalen Davis. What are your impressions on each of those?) – “They’re competing. One has played more outside, one has played more inside. They are right where they need to be. They’re trending. They’re light-years ahead of where they were when they first got here. That’s what you want. They haven’t regressed. They’re trying to earn the right every day to come out here and play and practice, and they are doing that.”
(What’s unique about S Reshad Jones?) – “How much time do you have? (laughter) I don’t know where to begin. He’s a competitor. He plays at an elite level. He wants to win. He can inspire others in one play. I think he can change the game and the tone of the game in one play. Just that one thing, that energy that he brings, is a lot. That’s one. I’m going to stop at that one because there are many more that I can go in depth on, but that is one that is huge. You can’t teach that. Mom and dad gave that to him. Mom and dad gave that to him, and grandma. (laughter)”
