Danny Crossman – May 24, 2021
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Monday, May 24, 2021
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I wanted to ask about one of the specialists in the room this year in P Michael Palardy. What can you tell us about the newcomer?) – “We’ve only been here a couple of days but he had a nice career going in Carolina and then had the injury. He’s done some nice things since he’s been here. Hopefully we keep growing and he’s 100 percent healthy and he picks up where he left off.”
(On the offseason as a whole, you mentioned being here a few days. It seems like so many signings you guys bring in, or draft picks, have so much special teams prowess. Is that kind of a team philosophy in terms of taking guys that can be true four-down players?) – “Yeah, without a doubt. You’re looking for versatility. They’ll define their roles once we progress through the offseason and through training camp and preseason games; but to have some background in all facts of the game is going to help the guys as we go forward.”
(Some teams would shy away from using the No. 6 pick overall in the return game because of fear of injury. What are your thoughts on WR Jaylen Waddle being a returner? Will he have a chance to compete for that spot?) – “Yeah, he’ll have a chance to compete. Those guys will take care of that as we go. We feel good about a lot of guys. It’s a good luxury to have, to have multiple guys that have experience and have done good things. I don’t think you can have any fear. It’s an opportunity to change the game regardless of who is back there, so you’re going to put your guys back there that give you the best opportunity. Fortunately I think we have a couple of those.”
(I wanted to go back to the P Michael Palardy situation for a second, if I could. Of course, P Matt Haack did a good job for you guys over the past couple of years. I’m sure you would agree with that. What are the advantages that you see to go with Palardy over Haack?) – “You don’t look at it as advantages or disadvantages. The way the National Football League is designed, you’re going to have movement. So when there is movement, you move forward and you have somebody ready to fill that position. It’s not one versus the other. We were fortunate that we thought Matt did a nice job, and we’re fortunate and happy to have Michael.”
(What would you say are P Michael Palardy’s strengths as a punter?) – “I think he’s got multiple. He’s hit for average, he’s hit for net, he can hit directionally, he can hit for hang time. He has a good toolset to do a lot of different things.”
(I was wondering if you and Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer had a discussion about whether you want S Jevon Holland to be in the mix on returns or do they want him to focus on defense? If there is a resolution on that, do you mind sharing it with us? And also, I wanted your thoughts on K Jason Sanders being rewarded with an extension after a great year last season.) – “Again, anybody that has any ability and any skills to be able to be a returner is going to work there. Who and how that plays out, I think we’re fortunate that we’re back to having more of a traditional preseason with preseason games where guys are able to stake claim to positions in game situations. Those guys will define that but anybody that has any skills is always going to work at those positions. And then to your second question, you wish and hope for the best for every player. You hope every player is able to reach whatever goals they have, whether it be individual, team, financial, length of career, whatever it may be. So any time guys are rewarded for something that they’ve done and it’s something that they want, you’re happy for them.”
(Tell me some of the things that go into the assistant head coach part of your role, that maybe are not so obvious.) – “I think there are a lot of things and some of those I won’t share, obviously. But Brian (Flores) and I have a very similar philosophical belief on a lot of things. Some of the things have been going on for a couple years, during the season and on game day. And then there are some other things we’ve added. And we’ve done some things this offseason in terms of some things with the staff. I’m just very fortunate to be in an organization where top down I feel like we see things very similar.”
(I know the preseason is so far away and it’s three games instead of four. But how do you think that one less game is going to help or hurt your evaluation of guys on the back end of the roster trying to make a spot, particularly on special teams as well?) – “I think it’s less opportunities. Like I’ve always said, we’ll play by whatever rules they play. We’re going to play 17 regular ones and three preseason ones. In terms of that, it’s just less opportunity for guys to be able to get out and perform in game situations. We love the offseason. It’s a great gauge to evaluate. The preseason practices, training camp, when you work against other teams – when that happens – all of those things are great evaluation tools; but there is nothing better or more important than what you do in true game situations.”
(I wanted to get your opinion. Now that they’ve gone to three preseason games, which one becomes the dress rehearsal and which one becomes the throw them out there and see what sticks kind of game?) – “Like anything, when they change rules, you hear a lot of people talking about a lot of different things. Those are still decisions that haven’t been completely made yet. I think when you see it – when it comes to that time of year, I think you’ll see some teams do things differently. I think you saw that even two years ago when we still had preseason. Some teams used the second game, the first game, whether they worked against a team going into a game. There are a lot of things that go into it. I’m sure we’ll spend a lot of time talking about that when it’s closer that time.”
