Ted Karras – August 17, 2020
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Monday, August 17, 2020
C Ted Karras
(I know there are going to be moving parts on the offensive line but with G Solomon Kindley at guard, what’s it like when you are a center and you have to work with young players that haven’t really cut their teeth in the NFL yet?) – “I’ve been very impressed with all of the rookies that we’ve brought in this year and pretty much everyone on the o-line is really working hard and everyone is kind of finding their fit and earning their role. Those young guys have really been fun to work with so far. I’m really excited for not only this year but their careers moving forward.”
(What’s it going to take to get this offensive line in fighting shape in four weeks?) – “Days like today – go out there in pads in the South Florida heat and work at our craft. I think today was a good start. I’m going to watch the film right after I talk to you guys. Obviously there’s going to be some things to clean up. I thought we were competing out there and everyone is fighting hard to get ready to go.”
(I noticed at the beginning of practice, you kind of hovered over towards QB Tua Tagovailoa. I didn’t know if you had any advice for him today or going into practice being a young guy, and kind of how he handled himself emotionally in his first real practice?) – “I think he always handles himself well. He’s a very impressive young man. I don’t have too many nuggets for him but I’ll help him out when he needs it, which is not often. It’s fun to work with all of the guys so far in this offense. It’s coming together and obviously we have a long way to go, but we’re getting there one day at a time.”
(I’m wondering how the dynamics of the entire team – getting to know each other – have changed because of the virus and the fact that you haven’t spent near as much time together this year. Are you still putting faces with names or where are you in that process collectively?) – “I was a little frustrated with myself early on in camp that I didn’t know enough names. I kind of looked up the roster myself but now that we’re in the building more and coming together – everyone is at practice – I pretty much got everyone on the team’s names. Obviously any time in training camp, there’s transactions and you’re going to have to meet new people every day. It’s going along well. I’ve built many great relationships already on this team and I’m really excited about it.”
(I know that quarterback and center relationship is so important. How are you individually building relationships with each of the guys – QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Josh Rosen – as you kind of navigate this offseason?) – “Well, one of my favorite things is to go watch film with them after practice. I like to see what they’re seeing and it’s kind of a low pressure situation. Getting to know these guys, I’ve gotten to see some pictures of Fitz’s family. I’ve been hanging out with Tua just here at the (facility) and watching film and kind of seeing – I like to know what they’re seeing as well so that we can speak the same language and be really crisp communication-wise. Off the field stuff, there’s not much – we can’t really do anything. I’m not taking any chances with anything outside of the building. We’re pretty much here and that’s fun – a little training camp on the Nova campus.”
(Coming into your fifth year now, you’ve been a part of several training camps, obviously. Head Coach Brian Flores talked this morning a little bit about the physicality of practices and kind of letting you guys go. What’s your overall take on how the physicality of today’s practice was?) – “I think it was great. I think we have a really big team and big, physical players all along the line of scrimmage – even off the ball. It’s a pleasure to go in there and cut my teeth with them and get better. This will be a fun camp and a good opportunity to get better as we go into this long season, which we’re going to play a lot of physical teams early. It’s going to serve us well.”
(For a while it seemed half of the defensive and offensive lines were on the COVID-19 list. You were lucky enough to avoid that. What was that like when it seemed like six guys in one day went down and you were around a lot of them?) – “Well, I slept in the guest bed at home. I didn’t want to bring any of that home. Obviously this is a scary situation for everyone. We’re still working through it. I feel very confident and well taken care of. Our entire organizational staff is fantastic and I feel very comfortable coming to work every day. Being able to focus on football only, which is important with these next – 27 days? – until kickoff.”
(With the shortened offseason and kind of limited conditioning you guys had coming into today, did you feel like it was time to put the pads on or did you feel like there were maybe some more things to work on before you were able to get out there and be in pads?) – “It’s definitely time to get the pads on. Especially with just 27 days until we’re kicking off, we need the work. We need to get our timing right and our fits right. O-line is a repetition position and you really can’t get a true, true rep without having full gear on. It was a good start today. I’m excited that we did (put pads on). It really is camp now and that’s exciting. It was nice to see some people in the stands today, at least. It was getting a little lonely out there. We’re just going to keep working every day.”
(G Solomon Kindley looks like he’s a mauler out there, the way he can get into the backfield. There were also some times where he was getting some pressure applied on him as well. What are some things that you’re seeing from him so far, from the rookie draft pick?) – “Well, it’s been very fun to play next to him. He works really hard and he’s always trying to do the right thing. He’s a great guy to have in the room. He’s a cool dude. He really is working hard. We’re going to need him to work hard. He’s a very good football player and I’m excited every time I get to go into battle with him. Obviously this is Day 1 and this is learning how to play in the NFL. I have to work on my fundamentals just as hard, if not harder. Everyone is working hard and I think we’re on the right track.”
(From the outside looking in, it would seem that trying to put together an offensive line with so many young guys, no OTAs and no preseason games, it seems like a pretty daunting challenge. From your point of view, where does this challenge rank among other challenges you’ve had to face in football?) – “Just right there with any training camp is a challenge. This is a very unique year, like you said. We have a lot of talented young players that came in, as well as – everyone on our o-line is very talented and we’re pushing each other and working very hard. I think as these next four weeks go, the best five players are going to play and obviously that’s a coaching decision. I have nothing to do with that except working my hardest to make sure that I’m one of the five. But I think that we have really good guys. I think we have excellent coaches that are getting us in the right place and putting us in positions to succeed. Then the onus is on us to go out there and execute when the time comes.”
(This is your first new offensive system since you came into the league in 2016. What has been a more challenging dynamic of the install this summer – relearning of ways this staff might want certain blocks or techniques done versus how you’ve done it in the past or adjusting to new terminology in the playbook?) – “I love the new terminology. I think it’s fascinating to just learn another language in football. I’ve relished that opportunity and feel pretty comfortable with it now. As far as technique-wise and nuances, I’m going to do what our coach asks us to do. There are a couple of differences but they’re putting us in positions to succeed. There’s a couple of ways to work and I’m excited to get to work every day with (Offensive Line) Coach (Steve) Marshall and ‘Coach Lem’ (Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre), and these guys in the o-line room.”
(What do you hope to see from this team in 2020 in terms of what you guys look like on the field?) – “Well, I want to be tough, smart, competitive and play well under pressure. That would be the best combination. That puts us in a chance to win every week and I hope we can prepare well and come together. Today was a good building block for that.”
