Chris Grier – April 27, 2018 (Round 2)
Download PDF version
Friday, April 27, 2018
GM Chris Grier
(following TE Mike Gesicki selection in Round 2)
(Opening Statement)
“We selected Mike Gesicki, tight end, Penn State. For us, addressing that position and adding some competition was important. We had him in on a 30-visit, got to know him and spend time with him. We enjoyed being around the kid. He is very football smart. (He) spent a lot of time with (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) and our offensive staff talking football and the one thing that came out was his passion for football. The one thing everybody talks about is him not being a great blocker; but there’s a lot of really good tight ends that are pass catchers that aren’t great blockers. It is about giving effort and stuff. This kid wants to be a better blocker. He talked about a lot of good things with us and the one thing we really loved was his skill set offensively. All of the things you guys have seen and talked about, being a red zone matchup … He’s just got a very unique skill set. He’s big, he’s long, he’s fast and high-points the ball well. For us, we’re very excited to have him here.”
(What attracted you the most to him? Was it the athleticism, the numbers that he put up or the film?) – “It was the film because you get in trouble if you fall in love with the athletic numbers at the combine, because guys will go away and train and they don’t play as fast or do things; but you see his play speed on film. You see the plays, the height, the vertical jump. You see that, him going up and high-pointing the ball. For us, finding that skill set like that was very important. I think in this league, it’s a matchup league; and with what tight ends can do, he’s got a unique skill set that not many guys in this league have.”
(When you go back through his history and you look at his progression at Penn State, what did you find about his work ethic? He dealt with a drops issue at one point. He kind of pushed through that. What can you tell us about that?) – “The kid, he’s very competitive. Like everyone’s talked about, he was a very good high school basketball player. This kid has a … He’s got a streak and he’s very competitive and wants to be good. When people tell him he can’t do anything, he wants to keep pushing and prove you wrong. That comes out when you talk to the kid and when you watch him at practice and watch his practice film when he does stuff. We’re very excited for his future.”
(He was the second tight end taken in the draft. You had your choice, obviously, of a bunch of guys. What set him apart from the rest of the class?) – “Again, his skill set. He was productive for Penn State the last two years, put up some good numbers and made some big plays for them in games. And as we got to know the kid, the football intelligence and being around him multiple times, he felt like our type of guy we wanted to be around.”
(You guys have a tendency of going after big school guys. Is that by design?) – “No; but I think that that’s an advantage for players like Mike (Gesicki) and Minkah (Fitzpatrick) that have come from (big) programs or are used to the big stage. They’ll come in here and they’re not going to be in awe of anything. There are a lot of very good players that are small school players that have done well in this league. It just happened that most of these players so far from us have been from major conferences or major schools.”
(Did you hold your breath again when Tennessee traded up, that it was the same thing that happened last night where somebody trades up to the pick right in front of you?) – “A little bit. (laughter) Yes, a little bit; but we had a couple of other players that we might have considered if he was gone. It worked out for us.”
(Since the game is so important to him and because he is so athletic, why hasn’t he become a better blocker?) – “When you’re 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds … Jimmy Graham was not a good blocker coming out. These tall guys … Name a good tight end with those types of build that are good blockers at the line of scrimmage? Most of the time it is leverage and stuff and taller guys at the point of attack have a hard time getting down. This guy can bend and do it, and it’s developing that strength and stuff; but a lot of these guys have a hard time and in the college game, a lot of these guys are flexed out in space. At times depending on the offense … No disrespect to the coaches there. That’s their scheme and they win, and the kid was a productive player doing that. I think with us, we’ll spend time and he said he wants to spend time working to improve his blocking because he wants to be the best all-around tight end in the game. Every kid says that coming out and we’ll see, but we’re very excited to have him.”
(What can it mean to Head Coach Adam Gase’s offensive scheme to have a target like this at tight end?) – “He and (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) and the offensive staff, and Tight Ends Coach Shane Day are thrilled with the red zone possibilities and he’s a hard matchup for people, being that big and athletic. (He can) move the chains on third down and then his speed will open up other stuff on the field for you. It is just a lot of possibilities. He’s had players in the past, as you guys know, that have had big seasons for him. He’s had a player – Julius (Thomas) – when he was young and coming out. It’s kind of the same thing, (he was a) basketball player. We’re very excited to have him.”
(It’s been said that TE Mike Gesicki was somewhat of an outspoken player back at Penn State. Is that one of the traits that attracted you to him?) – “Yes, I think you always want guys that have leadership ability and will speak out if he sees things going wrong. The one thing is, he’s a team guy. When you talk to (Head Coach James) Franklin and the staff and the other players there, they all love this kid. When you talk to other players on teams, you always ask them, ‘Who would you bring along with you?’ And every guy we talked to was like, ‘Hey, my man ‘Big Mike’ (Mike Gesicki).”
