Wes Welker – December 22, 2022
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Thursday, December 22, 2022
Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker
(What was the thinking in going twice this season with WR Braylon Sanders over WR Erik Ezukanma? And is Erik having trouble grasping the playbook at all or doing what’s needed play-to-play in practice and the reps that he does have?) – “I think he’s getting a really good grasp of the offense. I think there’s a ton of details that go into all of that stuff that just takes a lot of reps and a lot of time and different things like that. With practice, the guys that are playing tend to get a lot of those reps. So a lot of his stuff is scout team and different things like that, but trying to work our techniques on that side. It’s one of those deals where it’s tough for him to get those reps in practice because the other guys need those reps. So the evaluation of it, yeah you see things on scout team and things but you do a lot of that during training camp, getting ready for the season and then as the season kind of goes on. But Erik is doing fine; Erik is doing great. We’ll keep on progressing with him. He’s going to be a good player for us.”
(And why WR Braylon Sanders over WR Erik Ezukanma and in Detroit? What was the thinking there?) – “The same deal on the positions and stuff. River (Cracraft) had been backing up (Jaylen) Waddle and then Braylon was the next guy up at that position. I don’t think it’s fair to Erik or anything to say ‘Hey, now you’re the X.’”
(So who is WR Erik Ezukanma the primary backup to? Is it WR Tyreek Hill?) – “Yeah, he’s mainly doing the Z, so Tyreek.”
(So through 15 weeks with WR Jaylen Waddle, what has impressed you about him?) – “I think how much better he’s gotten as the year has gone on. I think there were a lot of details and things early on in the year that weren’t quite there yet. He’s still doing really well just because of what a freak athlete he is and how fast he is and how he’s able to beat his one-on-one battles. But him just really progressing as a player, the details, over and over getting all of these different reps. Now it’s starting to hit. It’s been really cool to see the progress he’s made over the course of the season.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle has had a big jump in catches of 30 yards or more from last season. I know you weren’t here last year but I think the 67-yarder was the longest of the year. What stood out to you about that particular play?) – “I think just his burst. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s gone. He’s got the mindset once he gets the ball in his hands to take it to the house. It’s something you see quite a bit. He’s done an amazing job across the board and being on top of the details and really kind of honing in on his craft. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve seen with him this year of really jumping on that stuff.”
(You said early on in the year that WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle had changed sort of your thinking about smaller receivers playing physical. Now that you’ve seen them most of the year, can you talk about that? Do you still feel that way, that they changed some of your thinking on…) – “Absolutely, because you see how defenses have to play us. We’re getting two-man a lot on first and second down. Nobody does that. You don’t see that around the league. I think just the way defenses have to prepare for us and if you want to play single safety, go ahead. Those two guys are very, very hard matchups for anybody – the best corners in the league and all of them. We rely on those guys heavily whenever they want to take away any of our run game or play post-safety. They’ve got to make sure they’re bringing their A-game and most teams are going to have to play two-high and make sure they keep things in front of them, which opens up our whole offense.”
(With WR Erik Ezukanma, in your experience in the NFL, is this something you’ve found common, that rookie wide receivers need some time to pick up the NFL game?) – “Absolutely. You’re looking at a sideline your whole career looking at a picture of Bugs Bunny. And that’s your play. (laughter) To hear a play call in the NFL, we have some very long play calls. So you’ve got to hear what’s talking to you, where your alignment is, then getting into the coverages and the details. Is it man press? Is it a cloud? Is he off? Is it single high? Is it two high? There’s a lot that goes into all of that for receivers and if they’re not on point with the quarterback, there’s too much of a pass rush for us to be off even a little bit for the quarterback to be able to make that decision that he needs to make. It’s a huge learning (curve), especially coming from that offense. I mean I came from that offense. My rookie year, do you remember how many catches I had? Zero. That’s part of it. As a young receiver, there’s plenty of guys that – there’s just so much to learn. There’s a process to it and that’s why you see a lot of elite receivers start to become very good receivers in their second, third and fourth years, just getting all of those reps and understanding that the game is different at the NFL level.”
(Obviously you want every ball caught, but are you concerned with drops at all?) – “Yeah. I mean I think our guys take a lot of pride in catching the ball, getting open and catching the ball, doing what we need to do as far as that goes. Absolutely, it’s something that you emphasize. It’s part of their job and everything else. But it’s nothing that I sit there and harp on and yell at. It’s football. Bad things are going to happen and then how do we respond? How do we come back the next play? Do we make the play the next time? To me, that’s really all that matters after something like that happens.”
(More specifically, do you think it’s a problem for this receiving corps?) – “No, I don’t. I don’t sense that at all.”
(Going back to WR Erik Ezukanma for a second. It was hard not to notice him back in August. What did he show you in training camp that gives you hope that he’s going to develop into the kind of player that you drafted him to be?) – “Well, I think what he’s showing every single day. He obviously has the strength, the size, the hands, speed – all of those different things that we really like in our receivers. It’s always a learning curve for those guys and it’s always tough and all of those things. But Erik has been doing it day in and day out. I can see him getting better as far as studying his playbook and being on top of it, because there was a time there where it was just hard to even line up. Now we’re lining up right. So there’s a progression to it and everybody is a little bit different. Erik will get there. I look forward, whether it’s this year or this offseason, to really working with him and really dialing it in. It’s nothing that we’re really worried about. We’re just trying to make him better and be the best player that he can be.”
(It’s so odd to see WR Tyreek Hill to not come down with catchable balls. He was mad at himself for a couple last week. He tweeted, ‘Dolphins fans, you’re not going to see that again.’ How is he with you on those rare occasions where he doesn’t make catches? Does he come up to you and say, ‘I’m sorry, coach. I should have done better.’ What is it like?) – “No, he’s more upset with himself. Guys like him, I don’t sit there and – he’s already mad at himself. He knows. He expects to make those plays. It would have been a hell of a catch but that’s the standard that he holds for himself. It’s cool for myself and everybody else to be around.”
