Bradley Chubb – July 28, 2023
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Friday, July 28, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(What did it mean to have the defense to have a day like this with CB Jalen Ramsey’s injury news coming the day before?) – “On one hand it says a lot because it’s how we responded to it. Whenever you lose a key piece like that, guys might get down, but then on the other hand, a lot of people stepped up. A a lot of people did exactly what they were brought here to do. Step up and make plays for this defense. It sucks that he went down, but like I said, it just has to be the next man up. He said that yesterday – it just has to be the next man up. Everybody got to compete and make sure that when he comes back, we got to be full steam ahead. It’s going to be a journey for this defense to rally around each other and gather up and make sure we’re doing what we need to do.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that conversation that CB Jalen Ramsey had with the team after practice. I’m curious how that impacted you guys as a team?) – “It’s lets you know that when you have a leader like that to come up, bring everybody in, and let us know before it gets out, it means more than what you would think. I’ve been places where the media tells you stuff about your team before you hear it yourself. It was cool that he did that, and everyone rallied around it. We understand that yeah, it’s a big piece gone, but it’s not the whole piece. We got a lot of other great players on this team. They just got to step up and fill that role.”
(What did you learn about this team’s depth and mentality last season?) – “The depth I learned a lot. The mentality I learned even more because I feel like I came in at a weird time. It was a win streak when I came in, and then it started to decline a little bit. We started stacking losses. But, nobody ever got weary, nobody said it’s this person’s fault, it’s that person’s fault. Everybody stayed the path. Yeah you don’t want to lose games, but at the end of the day, I think it’s going to make us stronger for what we got this year. We know what it feels like to go on those five-game losing streaks. We know what it feels like to go on a five-game winning streak. We know those feelings, we just got to be on the right side of it.”
(Is it safe to say you feel right at home in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. It’s kind of cool because I’m kind of like another coach out there. Guys coming up asking me questions. It feels a little weird sometimes when they ask me stuff, but at the end of the day I’ve been in it in three years in Denver, and this is going on my fourth year in the defense. It’s dope to be another set of eyes and ears for those guys and kind of holding myself to a bigger standard because I’m in it, I know it and I want to know more of it. I want to know where everybody’s at so I know when to take my shots and play true to the defense. That’s where my mind is right now.”
(What percentage would you say Denver has carried over here because Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio was saying I’ve got some new coverages) – “Yeah, there is some new stuff, new words, new lingo. But I’d say about 90-95 percent of it is about the same. But we haven’t put everything in as well. He’s a mastermind. He’s got a lot up his sleeve and I’m excited to see where it goes.”
(Sean Payton had some comments yesterday about the coaching job in Denver last season saying it was one of the worst in the history of the NFL. I don’t know if you saw that, or maybe agree or disagree with that statement?) – “I don’t agree with it. I feel like Coach (Nathaniel) Hackett was a great coach. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. What he saw is what he saw. At the end of the day, I’m worried about what goes on in Miami Gardens. That Denver lifestyle is behind me and it is what it is. He can say what he wants to say, but I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Coach Hackett.”
(Do you feel like your playlist had an integral part in the defense’s performance?) – “You said it not me. (laughter) The energy was up, everybody was going. I think the playlist had something to do with it. My main thing is I just like music. It’s kind of redundant with the artists that I listen to, but they all make great songs so I can’t be too mad. I can’t really switch it up. I think it played a big part.”
(Coach always talks to us about the term opportunity cost. I’m sure he uses it around you guys too. But with a situation like this where you guys have the adversity, can you talk about him and his ability to keep things introspective to keep you guys focused after what just happened?) – “Yeah, I think coach does a great job of keeping everybody in the moment. We take it day by day. Yeah, you’re going to have good days and you’re going to have bad days, and yesterday it was a bad day for our overall team when you lose a player like that. But he does a great job to keep you in the moment. Like ok, now it’s your turn to step up. The defense, you lost a piece, now how are you going to respond to that? It’s always good conversations with him because he just pushes everybody to be the best each and every day.”
(Have you heard the LB Duke Riley song?) – “Yeah. He performed it this morning actually. He performed it for us, he had the video and everything, it was going crazy. (laughter) I’m a huge fan of it for sure. I couldn’t tell you a lyric of it just yet, but it’s on the playlist now for sure.”
(Can you recall a practice where the defense is around the quarterback as much as you guys were today?) – “Probably in the past, yes. But that’s just the mindset this d-line has, that front seven has. We’ve been talking about it all offseason of how we want to be. We don’t want to be the weak link of this defense so we’re going to make sure we’re going to do everything to hold up our end of the bargain. I feel like we did that today. Today doesn’t matter though. It’s day three of camp and we still got plenty more to go. We still have 17 games after that and then another hopefully four after that. It’s just about stacking the days and I feel like it’s a good start for us for sure. We just got to keep it going.”
(People like to say the d-line helps the secondary, the secondary helps the d-line. Sometimes that’s not maybe 50/50. Do you feel like one is more effective to help the other?) – “It’s subjective man. One play the DBs might take 80 percent of the load and we take 20 percent. Another time we might take 90 percent and they take 10. It’s just subjective on what the play and what the offense gives you. I wouldn’t say it’s an us versus them type thing. It’s more of a move as a unit. As long as you’re getting to 100 percent, that’s all we can ask for.”
(Who chirps more, you or DT Christian Wilkins? And what does he bring?) – “Those first two days y’all didn’t really hear me because I was trying to get my wind and get used to this heat and all that. But once I get going, I get going. Right now, I’ll give that nod to Christian, but hopefully I can take it to that level.”
