Adam Gase – August 8, 2016
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Monday, August 8, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On how meaningful the first depth chart is that came out today) – “Probably not much. It’s a starting point. We have to put it out. That’s the best answer I can give you. Seattle is the only one that really matters.”
(On what his message was to the team this morning) – “Well, we come right in and those guys do a thing in the weight room and then we go out to practice. I went around to some of the offensive players and we talked about a few things from the other night. Really, at the end of the day, for us on offense it came down to guys just doing their job and having 11 of them on the same page, which we didn’t have. We had a lot of guys … it was like somebody screwed something up every play. And it was always a different guy. So you can’t just point to one thing. Looking back at it, there were some play calls there that didn’t put our guys in the best position. It’s a good thing that something like that happens because, for me, as a play-caller, it lets me go back and be like ‘Okay, I need to re-evaluate what I’m going to do because I’m not putting our guys in the best position possible.’ And then defensively, just talking to those guys, I just kept telling them just keep bringing that energy because even when we did mess up on defense, those guys, because of effort and because of the entire group really running to the ball, they made plays. And that’s what you have to do on defense.”
(On at what point does he say this isn’t working) – “It’s probably closer to the season than right now. We have a lot of practice time. Really the preseason games are a great indication for us, especially for the guys that aren’t really well established, that you have some questions on. The preseason games give you that best indication because you’re going against somebody else. It’s a different environment. It’s not practice and if something bad happens out here, it’s easier. Some guys will just shrug it off, ‘Aw, it’s just practice.’ If it happens in a game, there’s consequences as far as what goes on with your teammates and the coaching staff and things like that.”
(On how he would evaluate G/T Jermon Bushrod’s transition to guard) – “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for him. Just being around him for the last year and some change, I’ve never heard him complain about anything. So I wouldn’t know. But I know being a left tackle for as long as he was, and then moving to the right side in that guard position, that’s got to be tough; because that’s a big change for him. But I can tell he’s working at it. He’s really focusing in those individual periods because that’s how he’s going to get kind of that rhythm and get used to doing to what he needs to do within team periods. The great thing about him is I try to give him like a day, being an older guy and be like ‘Hey, tomorrow maybe you don’t practice,’ and he’s like ‘Yeah, that’s not happening.’ So I appreciate the fact that he’s out here. He’s working every day and he’s trying to make sure that he’s going to put his best foot forward going into the preseason.”
(On what he’s seen from S Isa Abdul-Quddus in the first two weeks of practice) – “The thing that I love that he does, I feel like it’s a very high percentage that he’s in the right spot. It takes so much pressure off of No. 20 (Reshad Jones) back there because he doesn’t have to do everything. He’s got a guy that can kind of help him out. I mean the intelligence part back there is big because there’s so much communication going on between the corners, between the linebackers and you’ve got to be able to talk. The more guys we have kind of in that back end that can communicate and make sure that if a team does bunch us up or stacks us, the call is quick and we can get going and they can go play their coverage. I think he’s done a good job of that. He’s been around the ball. I know we haven’t had a ton of turnovers and some of it has been good decision making by the quarterback. Then a couple of times where those guys were in position, the wide-outs might have broken it up or something like that. I think he’s in the right spot so much that he’s going to make those plays when we get in those, whether it be a preseason game or a regular season game.”
(On who makes the calls in the defensive backfield) – “It depends what it is. All those guys have to work together. It can’t just be one guy. It would be so hard to do because all of a sudden a group – a bunch – gets really wide and he’s on the other side, then Reshad (Jones) has to take control of that; and the same thing with the linebackers. You’ve got to communicate with the linebackers so much that it just can’t be one guy back there doing it all.”
(On when he is a play-caller and how often interchangeable safeties on defense are really interchangeable) – “It makes it tough because you can’t predict where everybody’s going to be. Maybe if No. 20 was always the down guy, at least I could say ‘Hey, I’m always going to run away from him.’ Or I know at least if he’s on that side, maybe in the passing game, I’d stay away from him. But when those guys can either go down, in the middle, it makes it tough as a play-caller. Now you don’t have that advantage to stay away from somebody.”
(On his vision for DE Jason Jones) – “That’s going to be like a ‘time will tell’ as far as what his role is actually going to be. It will be interesting to see when we get ‘Cam’ (Cameron Wake) rolling there on all cylinders when we get closer to the season. Obviously we’re still kind of holding him back a little bit. I love the fact that we’ve got some depth up there because, right now, it’s a tough front for us to go against. But how long he is (Jones) and how physical he is and how he sets the edge and being able to go inside; I think it’s a rare guy to get (as late as) we got him (in the offseason). He wasn’t able to go in the spring but what he’s done in training camp so far has been very impressive. I love what he brings to that group – being a veteran, being around, being in the system. He’s able to help those guys out as far as teaching them the right techniques.”
(On T Branden Albert saying the offensive line needs to form an identity) – “I think it’s one of those things that’s easier said than done. We’ve got to keep rolling through practice and as we get going in these preseason games, figuring out what is going to be our identity. What are we going to call when it’s third-and-1? When we’re really rolling running the ball, what’s that play going to be? Right now, we’re working on some things. I think we still have some time here to figure out what’s exactly going to be our best stuff. I don’t think anything has poked its head to say, ‘This is what we’re best at.’ But right now, we have an idea what we think it’s going to be, but we’ll see as we move through the rest of the preseason.”
(On whether the team can establish the run game’s identity in the preseason) – “For us, we’re at a starting point and as we go through the preseason, I think you’ll be able to tell what we’re trying to lean on. We think we’re going to be good at a certain thing, and it’s going to be if it doesn’t work out for us, ‘OK, where do we go from there?’ Maybe something else pops for us where we say, ‘Maybe we become a gap-scheme team, and we weren’t as good as we thought in the spring and now we are in training camp and the preseason.’ Time will tell. I know that’s kind of a weak answer, but we got to get through some of these preseason games and figure out what that is.”
(On how the offense practiced today) – “I loved the energy level that they brought today. They worked hard. We’re trying to do a better job of executing. I thought that the entire team came out and was refocused. After a day off, they came out here and worked. Sometimes you don’t always get that. I’ve been impressed with this group as far as either the day before a day off or the day after a day off, besides the little speed bump we had there with the offense the other night in the scrimmage. Defense – every day they’ve come out here (with) full energy, attitude (and) speed. Every day they’ve done it. We had one little hiccup there with the offense; but, for the most part, they’ve been doing the same thing.”
(On how the preseason helps him from a play-calling standpoint) – “I always enjoy it, because it gets you back in the flow of things. With the ones – for this group – they’ve never really experienced how a game is going to go with me calling plays. I’m trying to figure out these guys as well. It’s a two-way street. It’s not, ‘Here’s what I want to do.’ It doesn’t work that way. We saw the other night (that) I’m reverting back to things that I’m used to doing, and that’s not the right thing to do. I got to do what we do best as far as an offense, not what I like. It’s irrelevant what I like. I got to do what our guys do well. This preseason, it’s good for the ones, but it’s really fun to call (plays) when Matt (Moore) will get in there, (and) the twos and the threes get in there. When those guys get in there, it’s fun, because you’re trying to help those guys (and) put them in the best position possible so they can put good tape out there. I’m excited to watch our guys go out there and compete.”
(On the tackles’ ability to go out wide and reach the defensive ends) – “It’s so hard to do. It really is, especially the way our guys play. They’re so aggressive and you start working out there and it’s like getting hit with a brick in the chest. Those guys, they do a good job. It’s one of those things (where) it’s a … For me, I’m sitting there (and), it’s frustrating, but at the same time I’m like, ‘Alright, I love the way our defense is practicing. I love the way they play.’ I enjoy practicing against this defense, because it’s hard. I’ll be interested to see how good these guys can get as we move forward throughout the season.”
(On this year’s group of receivers compared to last season’s receivers) – “It’s hard, because I didn’t evaluate like that. I really came in here with a clean slate. (I) kind of went off of some of the things I knew about these guys coming out of college. Kenny Stills is a good example. I know I’ve said it before, (but) we tried to trade for him in Chicago, so I had watched enough film of him in New Orleans. Last year, I didn’t really pay much attention to it. I wanted to see these guys practice live. Sometimes when you watch tape, you can’t get the best feel for things. I like seeing things live, and we’ve moved off of that.”
(On RB Daniel Thomas) – “When he was in Chicago, he was a guy that was a hard downhill runner for me in the preseason. He was doing well and then (he) took a shot on the knee, and that was it for him and he ran out of time. That’s kind of what happened to him there. But he had been practicing well. He had shown a lot in practice both in the passing game, pass protection and in the run game. He was on the street at the time (when) we were looking for guys to come in here and compete. I knew if there was one thing I was going to get out of him (it) was he’s going to come to work every day, give it everything he has and look to get better.”
(On whether RB Daniel Thomas would have made Chicago’s roster last season if he had not sustained a knee injury) – “I think he had a shot. He really was playing well, and we were fairly deep there. If that would’ve happened … I don’t know what would’ve happened exactly. Some other guys ended up stepping up there after he went down and made the roster. Where we started at before training camp (and) where we ended up were completely two different things than what we thought. That’s why injuries do play a big role in this and things change from the start to the end.”
(On where RB Daniel Thomas fell on Chicago’s depth chart) – “It was him and two other guys. They were competing for that third spot. He was right in the mix. He was a different body type from the other guys we had. He was the biggest guy we had, and (Chicago Bears Head) Coach (John) Fox always loved having big backs that could get downhill and lower the pads and try to move the pile.”
(On whether he is looking for consistency from WR Jakeem Grant) – “With him, once again, we got to slow him down somehow, which is hard to do. The guy is fast. This’ll be a great test for him – whether it be the return game or at receiver – of consistently doing the right thing and being in the right spot. One thing I noticed today was when things break down, he seems to pop free. That guy in space is dangerous, and it’ll be fun to watch him play.”
(On the return position being about more than a player’s speed) – “It’s something you have to learn. Some guys do it naturally. I’ve been around some guys (where) it takes a couple years to understand that your body language is the most important thing. The guy that taught me a lot of things – Mike Martz – they did it better than anybody. He always felt like they were running as fast as they could, and they’d laugh at you when you would say that, because they were like, ‘I really wasn’t running that fast, but you felt like I was,’ because of their stride length.’ It’s one of those things (where) if you can figure out that little trick, it’s a helpful tool.”
