Chase Edmonds – August 16, 2022
Download PDF version
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
RB Chase Edmonds
(What was it like to watch the offense run and operate on Saturday? What were your thoughts watching it?) – “I loved everything about it. Obviously it was a new experience for me coming from a team for four years, so you get a new feel for everybody on game day, just kind of a new routine and how everything goes. I loved being out there with the guys, cheering the guys on, and hopefully I can get out there this weekend. Hopefully.”
(What do you think of the operation of the run game? I know Tampa Bay was committed to stopping it.) – “It’s a new offense for us all right now. We’re still installing a new scheme and I think as you get more game repetition – because you know it speeds up from practice to the game. Just continue to hone in on your technique, hone in on your rules, look at the film, figure out what we have to do to correct it and go back to work the next day.”
(Was it encouraging to see the way play-action worked off of it?) – “Yeah, it was very encouraging to see the way the play-action worked and just really the displacement of the defenders, really making them guard all aspects of the field. That was a good thing to see.”
(How is it going to help, if they keep all of you fresh obviously, with you and RB Raheem Mostert and RB Sony Michel and RB Myles Gaskin. How much is it helpful in that regard?) – “It’s very helpful keeping the bodies fresh. Coach (Mike) McDaniel obviously will have a plan going into the season, and whatever the role is that he has for each individual, it’s all about going out there and really doing your role to the best of your ability. Figuring out what it is that you’ve got to do for the team and figuring out what you’ve got to do for yourself to continue to be the player that you want to be.”
(I know you signed early in free agency. Before Drew Rosenhaus finalized the deal, did you have a conversation with Head Coach Mike McDaniel about what your role would be?) – “I did not. I wanted to play for Coach McDaniel because the outside zone scheme intrigued me. I felt like that’s something I could really do with my skillset. I feel like it fits my abilities and it’s something that once I get a grasp of, I’ll be an expert at it.”
(Is starting important to you? I think all of us probably expect you to be a starter here. Is that important to you?) – “No. I’m a team guy. Whatever my role is, I’ll be the best at my role. That’s how I look at it. That’s how I look at this game.”
(What is it specifically about this scheme that fits your skillset?) – “I just like how with outside zone, you’re stretching the defense laterally. When you’re displacing the defense, you’re making them have to cover a lot more field. It opens up certain lanes and certain holes that I’m able to take advantage of. I remember seeing a play we had – it was early in training camp. We were running an outside zone to the left and there was an unblocked man in the hole. But because you have everyone stretching laterally, there can be an unblocked man in the hole and I can still press that hole, make him miss and get back to a back gap – a gap one space behind it and still make a positive run out of it. Sometimes with inside zone, you’re working more vertical so the space is a little more tight. I feel like here when we stretch people laterally, that’s really what I do best. That’s pressing holes and bursting through the hole.”
(Does that give you more latitude to pick your spots?) – “Yes, exactly. I’m not the biggest back obviously, but when I have a lot of space and a lot of holes to play from, I do a really good job I feel like of just playing cat and mouse with certain defenders, and knowing angles and knowing lanes and being an expert at that.”
(You will have ended up playing with possibly three of the top 10 or 20 wide receivers of the past 15 years with WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR DeAndre Hopkins and now WR Tyreek Hill. WR Jaylen Waddle might be in that group soon. How does that help running backs?) – “That’s going to help us tremendously. With J-dub (Jaylen Waddle), and Cheetah (Tyreek Hill) on the outside, I don’t think there are going to be too many teams that will dare us to play eight men in the box. We’ll have to see obviously once the game starts. But just that in itself right there, with lighter boxes comes easier ways to run the football. Having those guys, those deep threats, really keep the safeties honest. You can’t have a safety down at eight yards because we can beat you with a go ball with those guys. That is a tremendous help for us in the run game.”
(Did you get a chance to talk to RB LeSean McCoy?) – “Yeah, I did. He is my mentor. So after I’m done with you all, I’m going to go over there and holla at him a little longer.”
(What about his game do you try to model your game after? What about him made him so special?) – “It’s very hard to do that. Shady is like the modern-era Barry Sanders. I think the closest one to Barry ever. Certain things I like to model after him is how he plays with defenders in the hole, how he does a quick one-two and a nifty miss. He makes people miss in space. Obviously I try to keep the ball secure. (laughter) I know how he handled the ball. But just find the ways of how I play with defenders and how I can better myself as a scat back to more so a receiving back.”
(Inaudible) – “It’s a business. They are going to be the first ones to tell you that. I feel like when you play in this business as a running back, your shelf life is very short. So keeping the body healthy, keeping the body fresh is of utmost importance, honestly. I’m ok with it. Obviously whatever is asked of me, I’m going to do it to my full capability and go from there.”
(You still want the ball?) – “You still want the ball, but you’ve got to pick and choose where you want it at I feel like. It’s all about staying fresh and staying healthy so you can have as many years in this league as you can possible. Maximize your time.”
(How excited are you to get on the field for your first home game on Saturday?) – “I’m excited. We don’t know the plan yet obviously with playing time and everything like that, but I’m excited to get out there at Hard Rock (Stadium). I’m excited to see how this scheme feels in game speed and really get game reps with the o-line.”
(The defense the last couple of years was really good at closing out games and we saw some of that today. Did you learn that firsthand today?) – “Yes, I learned it. I’ll give the defense the credit. But I will say, when you practice two-minute (drills) in practice as opposed to games, there are certain balls and certain tight windows that a quarterback might not throw in a game, but you want to get that feel, you want to see what you can get away with. I’m not going to give them all the credit this week. (laughter) But they did a great job of closing it out, for sure.”
(When did you and Barry Sanders meet?) – “I’ve never met Barry Sanders. I was saying Shady (LeSean McCoy) was the closest thing to Barry Sanders.”
(Does it ever get to a point in training camp where it’s hard to judge one unit against itself? Because you’ve been practicing against each other for so long.) – “That’s why I liked the joint practice with Tampa. You really got a different feel for different personnel on the other side of the ball, obviously different schematics. You’re going against people that you don’t really know. You are tired of going against the same defense every so often. I kind of like that feeling because now we go back to going against our defense again. We’re kind of really trying to perfect our scheme. We get different looks versus them as we will when we play Philly next week, or as we will when we play Vegas this week. I’m looking forward to joint practices as long as guys do a good job of taking care of each other and practicing like pros. It’s a good way to get a feel for where you’re talent is at, what your weaknesses are and what your strengths are as a team, as a whole.”
(We talked to you a couple of weeks ago and you talked about getting the feel for the system, a new scheme to you. I just want to get progress update on how you feel you are now compared to where you were last month?) – “I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I feel a lot more comfortable. I’m getting the flow of it, I’m getting the tracks of it down more. Just to really be able to feel it and really feel how fast it’s going happen in the game, that’s something I’ve got to be able to see to pick at what I need to work on more for a game. In terms of just flow and track, I’m definitely getting a feel of it.”
