Jeff Wilson Jr. – August 16, 2023
Download PDF version
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(How do you think the first joint practice went and what do you think the offense accomplished today?) – “It was good. We came out, we wanted to move the ball and get things started and execute the things we wanted to execute. I feel like we were able to do that. Obviously we felt like there was somethings we could be better on and improve on. But we’re going to get in, watch the film, execute on that, come out tomorrow and not make the same mistakes we did today.”
(I’m sure you saw that RB Dalvin Cook signed with the Jets. There was a lot of smoke and speculation that he might be coming here. Earlier today Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that he was really happy with this group and the development. What does it mean to you for him to really support this group and seem to trust you guys?) – “A lot. Especially when we came together and we were on a mission and we had a task to do something as a group. And to get that same group back, it’s a blessing. Obviously everybody knows the type of player Dalvin is, you know what I mean, that’s the type of player he is. We’ve got a group and we believe in them and we feel like we can hold it down and our coaches feel the same. We’re just ready to get this thing started now.”
(You guys as a group, now that he’s signed with the Jets are you glad that that chatter is done with?) – “It’s football. We don’t necessarily listen to the outside. We just try to continue and do whatever it is we need to do in house, and whatever happens you can’t control that. This is a big business world we’re in. If you spend your time at night worrying about that, it’ll probably take away your playing on the field. Our thing is to focus in and do what we’ve got to do on the field and let the office and the people upstairs take care of that. That’s pretty much what it’s been.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has mentioned how excited he was about the development in the running back room. How would you say the group has progressed from Day 1 to now?) – “Oh man, on our offense it’s a lot of details – not even for us, for our younger guys in the room. The people we just drafted, De’Von (Achane), Chris (Brooks), all of those guys. All of us coming in and all of those little things you see that they were messing up in or trying to get down in OTAs and now the season is here, you see that they are clamped down on it. Now they are making new improvements or they are trying to improve on new things. That’s the whole thing on what this process means. You’re not making the same mistakes and we’re improving every day. I felt like if we keep doing that, we’re going to be a tough room to stop.”
(I see the running backs catching a lot of passes. Would you agree with that and do you see an expanded role in the passing game potentially?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. For sure. Whatever your role is, the bigger it is, the better your play can be. We’re not shying from it, we’re not hiding from it, everybody in our room can catch, everybody in our room can run routes. It’s just a matter of time of when we’re in there, executing it and making Coach (McDaniel) feel comfortable about it.”
(How would you assess that room when you have guys that can do different things, just top to bottom? What do you see when you look at that room?) – “It’s very dynamic. You’ve got guys that can play first, second and third down. So when you have that it makes it a tough room, it makes competition tough, and it breeds tough competition. When you have all that, keep going, and when you got guys who can roll like that it makes the playbook easier to call plays for you, and it makes it bigger for you. We’re just trying to keep doing everything we can – catch, pass, run and never limit our game so we’re always be prepared for anything thrown our way.”
(How did you find out Dalvin Cook was going to the Jets?) – “Obviously there was chatter around the room. Social media is a big platform, so you see it everywhere. Just like you could see when it was being talked about coming here. You never know when it’s true or not, you just see that, but I’m happy he is where he’s at and I’m happy we got who we got and I’m ready to get this thing rolling.”
(RB Raheem Mostert talked about his second year coming off the knee injury and how he feels faster and he trusts his knee more. Do you see that on tape with him and just how fast he’s playing?) – “Oh yeah. No doubt, no doubt. He’s at a high level right now and I love that for him, and he’s bringing our whole room up, too. To see him keep going and to see him keep moving, everybody tries to call him old … but to see him moving the way he’s moving, I’m extremely happy for him because I know what he can do, just like we know what everybody in our room can do. To see those guys keep on executing, it’s a beautiful thing.”
(We’ve seen the running backs get a lot of targets on the screen passes. Do you think that could be maybe a new element to this offense in this upcoming season?) – “There aren’t any boundaries with us. That’s the kind of guys we’ve got in our room. Like I said, you can line us up out wide, in the slot, in the backfield, tight end, put us – it’s nothing we pretty much can’t do. That’s how we try to keep our minds and that’s how we try to keep our play because with this offense you can do that.”
(Any offensive linemen have stood out to you? Anyone you’ve been running behind you’ve said “I like running behind him?”) – “I’ll say collectively as a unit, like I’ve said since OTAs to now, the improvement that those guys got. Especially going against our guys every day and then seeing them go against new color, new blood. It’s tremendous to see how those guys are moving as a unit. Because, once you go against the same people everyday and do those things you could kind be like ‘ahh.’ But you see it all come together, especially when you play somebody else and you see the confidence those guys have just like today when we had a little hiccup and they come and run behind you and they’ve got your back. That’s what it’s all about. I’m extremely proud of those guys and the coaches the way they’re moving that room and I can’t wait to see them hit their final form.”
