Kamu Grugier-Hill – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
(I’m wondering how much you were hoping that QB Jimmy Garoppolo is lining up on the other side so you can have a little EIU reunion?) – “I know. We’ve been waiting for this day for a while. I’m kind of bummed that he’s going to be questionable. We’ve got a little group chat back home with our boys kind of messing with each other. We’ll see. Hopefully he plays. It will be fun.”
(When we were watching the game the other night as spectators, we probably saw the leap by WR Brandon Aiyuk one way. And I’m wondering if you as a linebacker, saw it from a whole different perspective?) – “Nah. That was a crazy play. That guy is explosive and a good player. We’ve got our hands full for sure this weekend, but I think we’re going to do a good job.”
(What’s been better about the run defense the last couple of weeks?) – “I think we’ve been feeling more comfortable just with the scheme and the game plan and just with each other. Most importantly, we’re learning how to play off of each other. The d-line and linebackers are playing more in sync. There is always room to get better, so we’re trying to do that. I definitely think every week we’re progressing.”
(Some of your stats against the pass are a little bit better than some of your other teammates. What is it about that part of the game that makes it where you’ve excelled at so far this season –defending the pass really well.) – ”I think for me, that’s a part of the game that I really pride myself on. Especially with my role right now, it’s kind of the coverage guy and coverage downs. For me, it’s just trying to be out there and whoever I’m on, whether it be a tight end or a back or just in zone coverage, that I dominate that phase.”
(You said the word dominate and you said the word tight end, and I can only think of TE George Kittle. What are your thoughts on possibly going up against him and the kind of guy he is as a player on the field?) – “His film speaks for itself. He’s not a Pro Bowler or All Pro for no reason. I think he’s one of the tight ends that can do everything exceptionally well – whether it be blocking, pass, routes – so I’m excited to play against a talent like that. If we get a couple of reps against him in the game, that will be great.”
(This 49ers offense you’re going to see on Sunday uses more motion than you’re going to see from any offense in the NFL. I’m curious, as a linebacker, how do you evaluate what you see and react to it in real time and not take the cheese?) – “They do a really good job at that. Like you said, they’re one of the best teams that do that in the entire league, and their head coach comes from a background like that. He’s been doing really well with that over the last few years. I think for us, it’s just making the game a little simpler, knowing that whatever they are motioning too is to see what the actual formation is after that. They are lining up in one and getting to another formation; but at the end of the day the snap is going to be similar formations. Just slowing the game down a little bit.”
Julien Davenport – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
T Julien Davenport
(With the way practice has gone this week, if T Austin Jackson is unable to play, do you expect to be the starting left tackle on Sunday?) – “No clue, really. We’ve got a lot of guys playing multiple positions and getting reps at multiple positions. So we’ll see what the game plan is as the week goes on, as the coaches talk about it and see what they feel is best.”
(What do you think the benefit is of this past Sunday, that you were able to get in there for a couple of snaps. Your history with the team of having snaps – it’s nothing new to you like a rookie. You’ve been there before?. – “It’s definitely a benefit that I’ve got games under my belt. It’s definitely not like my first time stepping on a football field. That definitely helps; but just being ready when your name is called, that’s all I can do is be ready whenever that time approaches.”
(I wanted to ask you about T Robert Hunt. What have you learned about him in the few months you guys have been together and how has he progressed as a player?) – “He’s definitely progressed a lot. We all have (progressed) as an offensive line, holding each other accountable and making sure that everybody is maximizing their efforts to improve their game. I’ve always been talking to Rob, all the young guys – Austin (Jackson), Solomon (Kindley) – making sure that they do the little things to make sure their technique is as good as it can be and that their game is as good as it can be. He’s been on a steady progress going up and up, and I like the way that he is developing.”
(Where do you feel your game is compared to when you joined the Dolphins last September or whenever it was?) – “Definitely a lot better. I feel a lot more confident in my technique, my sets, my pad level. It’s a big emphasis for me. I worked real hard on things like that in the offseason. I’m still not perfect. I’m still working to improve on all of those little aspects and then some.”
(How did the leg injury you had last year – how do you think that affected your play and now that I’m presuming you’re 100 percent, how did that help you take a step in your game being healthy?) – “Injuries are a part of the game. You can’t use the leg as an excuse or anything. It is what it is. I worked my ass off to get that strength back in my leg and get it as good as it can be, and it’s been feeling good all year. I haven’t had any problems luckily so far with it. I’m just continuing to work and make sure this bad boy stays good. I make sure I’m focused on it, make sure everything is stretched around it and taking care of. I’m making sure everything is all good. The wheel is all good.”
(How would you assess how your appearance against Seattle went and was there one thing you were particularly happy with?) – “I thought it was ok. It definitely can always be better. One thing I guess you could say is I wish I didn’t let a defender get past me on the inside. I wish I had a better run block. I could say that about a lot of things. I felt like I did ok, but I’m still looking to improve.”
Brian Flores – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask you about TE Durham Smythe and WR Isaiah Ford. With Isaiah, we know how smart he is, how well he knows the offense, how prepared he is. What skill would you say – what physical skill – has allowed him to get a more prominent role this year and allowed him to develop as well as he has from a guy who’s bouncing back and forth to now a guy who gets a lot of snaps? And with Durham, just curious how the knee injury happened and if you think he’s going to miss extended time.) – “Isaiah – like you said – he’s smart. He knows multiple positions. He’s where he’s supposed to be really a majority of the time. He’s dependable, he’s accountable, and he’s gotten open and made some plays in some critical situations, so I think he’s earned playing time for sure. I think that would be the kind of key term. He’s earned the playing time. We’re not giving it to anybody. As far as Durham, again, you saw him on the injury report yesterday. He’s working hard to get back. He’s already made a significant amount of improvement over these last three or four days, so we’ll just take it day by day. I don’t want to put a time table on it, but he’s definitely working to get back. This could be – hopefully as soon as possible.”
(How optimistic are you that the NFL is going to be able to get through its season?) – “I think if we continue to follow the protocols and everyone is responsible obviously inside the building, but outside the building as well. It’s really a lot of the same things we’ve been saying and really everyone across the league has been saying since we started training camp. We’ve got to make smart decisions; and if we do that collectively as a league, then yeah, I’m very optimistic. It’s going to be a challenge, though. This isn’t – like I’ve said multiple times – you can do everything right and still contract the virus. It’s airborne. So again, you put your mask down for a split second to drink some water – which you kind of need to do, especially in this environment – and you kind of expose yourself. Look, you could do everything. You can’t not drink water. You can’t not eat. You can’t cover your face at all times; but you’ve got to try to be as responsible as you can be. I think our players have done that. I know we’ve tried to create an environment that’s as safe as possible where we’re on top of these guys about masks and wearing them and trying to be smart outside of the building as well as inside the building. So I think if we do those things collectively as a league – I know I’ve talked to many coaches and we’re all pretty much saying the same thing. But again, this virus is – you can do everything right and still get coronavirus.”
(Question for you and I’ve asked you this question multiple times and you’ve never ever clarified it for me. What exactly do you call the position that S Eric Rowe plays that basically the tight end coverage guy? Does it have a name? Is it a rover? And what makes Eric suited for that role?) – “I think I have clarified this for you. I think it depends on the call where if I call this, the linebacker’s got him. If I call this, the strong safety’s got him. If I call this, maybe a corner’s got him. So as far as clarifying what Eric Rowe – he plays multiple positions. He’s very versatile. So on one snap he can play linebacker and on another snap, he can play strong safety and on another snap, he can play corner. So I hope that answers your question.”
(So it doesn’t have a name? You don’t call it a rover?) – “No, I don’t call it a rover; but maybe in someone else’s defense they do call it a rover. But I don’t. I think on one snap, you’re the strong safety, on another snap you’re a backer, on another snap – I mean you can call it a rover. Feel free. (laughter) You’re not going to force me to call it a rover.”
(Okay. So you don’t call it anything?) – “I call it a linebacker, I call it a safety and I call it a corner. And the calls dictate who has who.”
(We ask you a lot about the rookie offensive linemen and there’s been some big strides made from this point last year as far as sacks allowed in pass protection. I wanted to ask you because back in training camp we would see G Ereck Flowers come out with his bands and his harnesses and work the young guys after practice. Just want to ask you in your estimation, what has Ereck Flowers meant both from a production standpoint and a leadership standpoint getting those young guys brought along?) – “I think he’s played well through the first four games of the season. He’s brought leadership since really he’s been here. He loves to play. I notice his energy on the field really every week. You guys probably don’t see that, but if there’s a big catch or there’s a big run, he’s really the first guy down there celebrating with his teammates and I think that energy is infectious and it’s something I’ve highlighted in team meetings already. I expect him to continue playing the way he’s playing and giving us the leadership that he’s giving us and helping those young offensive linemen get acclimated to playing in the National Football League. Just kind of bringing overall leadership and good play to our team.”
(Just kind of going back on the corona question. When you see what kind of happens in Tennessee with all those tests – I think they just came back with two positives again this morning – what kind of emotions does that elicit in you guys and maybe the locker room?) – “To me, it’s more about their safety – the safety of those guys who are popping positive for COVID. You just hope that they’re safe, that they’re healthy, that they’re – I know they’re getting great treatment and all the services they need, but as far as just their overall health. that’s kind of where I go first. As far as football and whether games will be played or postponed, I mean whatever happens, happens. We really don’t have any control over that. The only things we can control are how we prepare, how we practice, how we go about adhering to the protocols. Do you start to think about, ‘okay, if we start canceling more games or postponing more games, what’s that going to look like for the rest of the season?’ Yeah, but I try not to look that far down the road. I think the league will handle those things, and if we end up being affected, then so be it. We’ll just try to keep doing what we’re doing, prepare and try to create as many opportunities to go out there and play as possible. That’s what I’m hoping for. I love coaching. The players love playing, so we’re going to try to do everything we can to create a situation where we can play an entire season.”
(I wanted to ask you about update on T Austin Jackson and DE Shaq Lawson. How is Lawson’s illness and if Jackson might do anything today?) – “Well Shaq, just so everybody is clear on this, it wasn’t COVID related. Just a bug. He’s feeling a lot better. He should be out there today. Austin, I don’t expect to see him today; but he’s definitely made some progress this week. We’ll see where that goes here. Maybe tomorrow. We’re getting other guys ready. We’re getting other guys ready.”
(I wanted to ask you about the run defense. The yards per carry allowed I think has come down the last few weeks. We’ve seen improvement but it probably still isn’t where you want it to be. How would you assess the status of your run defense? If there is one thing that’s improved, what is it?) – “It could always be better, but I think there is better communication. I think there is better overall technique. It’s been better, but I think it can be better than it has been. The improvement is because the players are putting more time into it and worked at it. There has been some improvement. We’ve got a great challenge in the run game this week again Kyle (Shanahan)’s run offense. (They have) good backs, a good offensive line, tight ends who block and then just schematically, these guys do a good job creating angles and putting themselves in good position to rattle off big runs. This will be a big, big challenge for us.”
(CB Nik Needham’s defensive snap count has been very unusual in that he’s gone from 0 to 40 to 0 to like 40 again. Is this strictly game plan related or does it speak to some issues with consistency in his practice work?) – “I’d say it probably game plan related. Again, it’s week to week, like we’ve talked about here several times before. Nik is a second-year player. He’s made a lot of strides. I think as we move forward, he’s improving and I would expect to see him out there a little bit more consistently, to be honest with you. I think he’s kind of earned that. But at the same time, he has to be productive when he gets out on the field. I know it’s kind of been up and down, but I think it’s game plan related. It will continue to be that way. I think he’s definitely making some improvement.”
(I know we’ve talked to you a lot about RB Myles Gaskin and how he got his role. We’ve talked about his hard work and what he did to get here. It seems rare to me for a guy to go from his role and what he was doing last year, at least early on, to being this guy now. I wanted to see if you could paint a picture of how he’s develop in that Year 1 to Year 2 jump to make him as prevalent in your offense as he is now?) – “I think you saw a lot of improvement a year ago. From training camp, to being inactive let’s call it the first half of last season. You could see even when he was inactive, he was in here on his off days training. He and Patrick Laird were training on their own. I’d walk into the bubble and they’d be off in the corner with bands and just trying to get better. He’s spent a lot of time with (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville). I think Eric has done a good job with him as far as getting the mental side of the game down. He took this past offseason and really trained and got his body fit for an NFL season after having been through one. He felt like he needed to make some changes and he made them. Then he comes to training camp and he was very consistent throughout training camp. I’d say that’s the history behind it. All of those things happened. I think that’s happened with a lot of different players. Ultimately, if you get in the game and you’re productive, you get more opportunities, which has been the case for him.”
(For Head Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, are you dusting off old notes that you may have in the past of preparing for him? And how do you prepare for the steady diet of gadget plays and formations and movement before the snap and things like that?) – “You always go back into time and look at some things that you’ve done in the past. Kyle is very innovative. He’s always looking for something new to gain an edge offensively. Because every year is a new team, you’ve got different players, so you can’t just grab what you did a few years ago and recreate that. You have different players, so what worked or didn’t work in years past, you may want to do something totally different because the skillset is different. Kyle is the exact same way. He’s got different players so he’s going to play to the strengths of his players. Defensively, we’ve got to do the exact same thing. I think overall, there are some things that are – I don’t want to call them standard – but there are some things that are the core of his offense that he’s probably going to run some form or fashion. How he gets to it, your guess is as good as mine, because there are a lot of shifts, there are a lot of motions, there is a lot of missiles, let’s call it gadgetry to get to a formation. You really don’t know he’s getting to the old formation until you really look at it, hopefully on the tablet within the game. This is going to be a tough challenge from that standpoint. He’s a very good coordinator and we’re going to have to do a good job defensively with our technique, with our fundamentals and our communication.”
Brian Flores – October 7, 2020 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with San Francisco Media
(You have a former Niner on your roster – RB Matt Breida. How has he been throughout this whole offseason and so far?) – “Breida’s been great. He’s obviously fast and explosive, but he’s a hard-working kid. He’s tough. He competes. We’ve been very happy with him.”
(Obviously it’s not clear if 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo is going to play on Sunday, but obviously I assume you have a bit of history. What was your relationship like with him? Just your impressions of him as a quarterback?) – “…Jimmy (Garoppolo) – my time with him was very good. You could see the talent early. You could see the leadership early. He’s just a great kid. I’m really happy for him and the success he’s had. (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) and (49ers General Manager John) Lynch – they’ve done a great job. (49ers Vice President of Player Personnel) Adam Peters is a great, great friend of mine, so there’s some really good people over there at that organization. They’ve built a strong roster, a very good team and this will be definitely a tough game for us.”
(I’m sure you’ve had this scenario several times in your career where you’re not sure who the opposing quarterback going to be. What’s that like for a defense? Do you just prepare for the system in that scenario? What’s it like for a defense during the week when you don’t know?) – “We watch them all and you always prepare for the system, which this is – Kyle (Shanahan) is a very innovative play caller, so there’s a lot to prepare for from that standpoint – run game, pass game, gadgets. They’ve got some explosive players in Deebo (Samuel) and (Brandon) Aiyuk and really good backs and tight ends – obviously (George) Kittle, who I think is one of if not the best tight end in the league. So a lot of good players, a good o-line and yeah, this will be a tough test. But yeah, we prepare for all of them, or try to at least.”
(Going back to 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, what was he like as a scout team quarterback and the looks that he gave your defenses there in New England and could you tell that he wasn’t going to be a scout team quarterback too long?) – “I barely remember what happened yesterday, so we’re going back a few years, but I’ll try hard here. He was – again, like I said earlier – he was very talented. He would make throws and make you turn back and say, ‘wow, that was a good one.’ I think he played early a little bit – I forget what year it was, ’16 maybe? I remember us going out to Arizona and he played well in that game and he played well the next week. I think just watching the preseason games and practice, I think we all knew he was going to be a good player and it’s definitely turned out that way.”
(Obviously there was a report today that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has allowed you guys, if you want to, to expand your stadium capacity. There’s also a report that you guys wouldn’t be doing that. What was your reaction to that news?) – “I’m just getting that report. (laughter) I’ve been hunkered down here. We just got done with practice. I’ve been watching meetings, so I’m not really up on – look, we love having fans at the stadium. I think it’s great; but those are decisions that are above me. My focus is on this team and getting ready to go out to California and play against a very, very good 49er team, organization and we’ve just got to try to get our guys ready.”
(You mentioned a few of the things that 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan does – gadgets and whatnot – what is the toughest part about facing Kyle Shanahan’s offense?) – “It’s so multiple, I would say, so you’ve got to get ready for a lot. They’re multiple within their groupings. They’re multiple getting to different groupings. Their players are multiple and Kyle (Shanahan) is – he does a good job of mixing things up and keeping defenses on their toes, so we’ve got to play a smart, disciplined game against this group. They play physical. They do a good job of protection in the pass game, so we’ve got to play an all-around good defensive game. All 11 guys have to play well; but we have to play a good team game as well, so offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. It’ll definitely be a tough test for us.”
(When people usually talk about 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh and the 49ers defense, it’s actually usually the opposite of multiple, so how do you think they’ve performed on that side of the ball through four games this season?) – “Who’s ‘people’ are saying that they’re not multiple? Who are those people? (laughter) I would say this defense flies around as much as any defense I’ve seen. They’re fast. They’re physical. I would say they’re multiple. They may – actually, I know that they’re multiple just watching them from my standpoint and kind of how I see things defensively. What may look the same to someone doesn’t look like it’s the same thing to me. They do a lot of different things, but I would say what’s at the core is playing fast, playing with great effort, playing physical. We see that snap to snap. They’ve got really excellent players. Obviously Arik Armstead, Fred Warner. Jimmie Ward is a guy I really liked coming out. So there’s players all over the field, and I know there’s been a lot of injuries, but they’ve still got a lot of really good players and the guys who have stepped in for guys due to injury have played well. So definitely, I would call it multiple. (laughter)”
(Regarding the 49ers run game, I know it’s not novel to have a lot of pre-snap motion and kind of the window dressing they have, but as far as that goes, do they do it better than most? I guess what are the challenges with that type of stuff?) – “I think – I’ve coached against (Kyle Shanahan) in the past and he’s done this for a long time and he makes it hard. He makes it hard for you to – he forces communication, I would say really across the board on the d-line, for the linebackers, with the secondary. He forces communication. He does a really good job of it. Obviously their run game’s been in the upper echelon of the league the last couple of years – the last few years, I would say – and that’s because there are some shifts, motions and they make it hard for defenses to get aligned. They create angles very well. So I would say yeah, they’re definitely in the upper echelon. And they’ve got good backs. They’ve got good backs and good players on the offensive line. I would say (George) Kittle is one of the best blocking tight ends I’ve seen and the fullback Kyle (Juszczyk) – I don’t want to butcher his last name. I’m working on it. I don’t want to butcher it. (laughter) He’s a good player. Very good player. He does a very good job with that. Can one of you guys help me out with that? I don’t want to screw it up.”
(It’s YOOZ-check.) – “Juszczyk. Okay, thank you. Thank you. And I hope he doesn’t have any – there’s no disrespect or malice there. Just, he’s a very good player. Juszczyk. Got it.”
(You just talked about 49ers TE George Kittle and how he’s great at run blocking and so difficult to stop. How do you stop Kittle? How do you plan to stop a guy like that?) – “I don’t think you stop him. I think you just try to limit him. I think you try to give him different looks – play zone, play some man. I think when you’ve got a player like this, you’ve got to think about doubling a guy like this; but again, he’s as physical as they get. He’s explosive, but they’ve got a lot of other players so you double him; then you’ve got to deal with (Brandon) Aiyuk. You’ve got to deal with Deebo (Samuel). You’ve got to deal with (Kendrick) Bourne. You’ve got to deal with the backs. You can’t double everybody, so you’ve got to kind of pick your spots; but yeah, he’s definitely one of the best in the league.”
(Regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa, where do things stand in terms of trying to balance his development, making sure his body’s right while also understanding that eventually he’s going to need reps in games?) – “Yeah, his development is the most important thing to us. He’s doing a good job from that standpoint – learning the offense, learning how to be a professional. He’s practicing well. He’s practiced well I would say for the last – since training camp, I would say. That’s where we’re at as far as his development is concerned. When he’s ready to play, we’ll put him in there. Right now we feel like ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) gives us the best chance to go out to California, compete and try to win a ballgame. That’s kind of our thought process right now; but Tua and the rest of the rookie class, they’re all gaining experience on a week-to-week basis – Tua obviously in practice. Some of these other guys are getting some game reps. But with any rookie, there’s some patience involved here, and I think that’s the case with Tua. When his time comes, I’m sure he’ll be ready.”
(Just kind of a big picture question for you. When you got hired there, what was your vision for what you’re trying to instill? What was your vision for the organization and where are you now that you’re one season and four games into that?) – “I think our vision was to build a tough, smart, disciplined team. I think we’re definitely moving in that direction. I think we’ve improved since the time I got here; but at the same time, we’ve got a long way to go and we’re trying to get better every day and I think just from a roster standpoint, we have a lot of guys that are tough, that are smart and they love to compete. They’re team-first guys. Those are the types of guys we’re looking for. Those are the types of people we want in the building. That’s players, that’s coaches, that’s equipment, that’s medical. Those are the types of people we want in the building. I think everyone has a role. We wanted to build a culture where everyone knew that their role is important. So the janitor’s role is as important as the head coach’s role. That’s the type of building that we have here right now. I think we’re building that and we’re building towards that on a daily basis; but on the field, again, tough, smart, disciplined, guys who want to play together, play for each other. That’s kind of what we’re trying to build.”
Mike Gesicki – October 7, 2020
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Wednesday, October 7, 2020
TE Mike Gesicki
(This is going to sound weird. I’m color blind but changes in color do stand out to me and your hair looks blonder. Is it blonder because you dyed it or…) – “This is strictly a result of the sun. This is all natural. I can guarantee that; but I do appreciate you guys noticing. The sun’s been doing me some good.”
(So your hair gets blonder when you’re exposed to more sun?) – “Correct. That is correct. I also did get a haircut, so a whole 180 going on over here.”
(The same phenomenon happens to me. I understand completely.) – “Absolutely.”
(On a completely unrelated note – QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter Week 5. When you heard the news, were you encouraged? Surprised? What were your thoughts?) – “I wasn’t surprised. When we made ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) the starter in Week 1, obviously you’re expecting him to be the starter throughout the entire season. I’m happy to have him back there and just got to keep rolling.”
(So you had eight catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick tells you to keep growing your facial hair after the game. You have one catch against the Jags and one catch against the Seahawks last week, so what are you telling Fitzpatrick about your beard and you not getting the ball enough?) – “At a deeper dive, I don’t know if there’s a correlation. Initially, we were going for the superstition. It didn’t exactly turn out to be very super, so decided to move on from it.”
(How is it like in the locker room? Obviously you guys probably see on social what the talk is about QB Tua Tagovailoa and the quarterback situation. What’s it like in the locker room seeing that type of stuff and just kind of everybody going on a whim of what they think?) – “It’s really not talked about amongst the guys. Not to just call it what it is, but it’s really more talked amongst you guys and people are interested and all that kind of stuff, so it is what it is; but we’re rolling with ‘Fitz’ right now.”
(We just spoke to WR Lynn Bowden Jr. I kind of want to ask about him and we saw Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey reveal the Wildcat once in the last game. What’s it like as an offensive player to be able to have that in your back pocket and maybe keep the defense on your toes when you have players like him and a guy like WR Malcolm Perry and the like?) – “Yeah, we’ve definitely got some guys that are super talented in terms of getting the ball in their hands in the Wildcat. Another guy I’d like to see back in the Wildcat is probably Durham (Smythe). I think he would probably do some good things back there – a little read option, maybe throw the ball a little bit. So maybe we can work that in. (laughter) But all joking aside – I would never do that with Durham – there’s a lot of talented guys that are back there in terms of Malcolm and Lynn and those kind of guys and the coaches are doing a good job putting them in a position to be successful. When you’re talented with the ball in your hands, you’re going to be put in a position like that.”
(I was going to ask you about RB Matt Breida’s strengths, but is it – did TE Durham Smythe have more catches than you in the last game?) – “Yes. Yes, he did. I think it’s a big strength of his. I think it’s something – I was happy for him and he made the most of his opportunities. So that’s my guy.”
(What about RB Matt Breida? What do you think he has the ability to do?) – “Matt (Breida) is really fast, so once you get the ball in his hands and you can kind of create some openings for him and give him an opportunity to go out and make some plays; I think you were able to see that this past Sunday whether it was hand the ball to him or some check-downs and some guys trying to get some space blocks for him and get him down the field. So I think he was another example of a guy just doing a good job making the most of his opportunities.”
(The QB Ryan Fitzpatrick forward pass that got called back – that was obviously to you and probably could’ve been a moment where you get a catch and kind of get going there. Is it hard for you or do you think it’s hard for any of the other players on offense to get going when you guys are spreading the ball around so much to so many players?) – “No. I think that’s just the name of the game. I think the other day, DeVante (Parker) was hot, so you feed the hot hand. He was another example of a guy that the ball is thrown to him and he’s making plays, so just keep going to him. So I think we’ve got a bunch of talented guys on the offensive side of the football – whether it’s at running back, tight end, receiver, quarterback, whatever it is – and whenever the ball does come your way, you’ve got to make the most of your opportunities. I think that that’s something I that I harp on the most, just because you don’t know when the opportunities are going to come. You don’t know how many opportunities are going to present themselves, so you better be ready to make the most of them.”
Jerome Baker – October 7, 2020
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Wednesday, October 7, 2020
LB Jerome Baker
(Do you think it’s possible to repeat as PFWA Good Guy of the Year considering all of this is being done on Zoom?) – “(laughter) I’ve never thought about trying to win it; but who knows.”
(How everything has changed with the no locker room, us not being there and they are trying to keep you guys 12 feet apart in the cafeteria. They keep adding rules. They are adding buses and planes. They are trying to be safe. Is there anything that might not be obvious that’s kind of interesting in terms of “hey, here’s a rule that’s interesting, unique or different because of COVID?”) – “For me, all of the rules are pretty simple and understandable. For m,e the hardest thing is just remembering all of them. Even just walking out, I forgot my mask. I’m just thinking I’m going to do an interview and knock it out. But for me, all of the rules are simple and they pretty much just try to help us be safe. For me, it’s just hard to remember all of them.”
(I wanted to ask you about the blitzing. You had so much success with it – well, you had a sack in Week 1. Do you feel like that’s an underutilized aspect of your game? Or are you more needed in coverage?) – “It’s pretty much a weekly thing for us. It changes. For me, it’s pretty much whatever they ask me, I just try to do it the right way and the best way I can. Lately, it hasn’t been dialed up; but the cool thing about our defense is that can change. You can not be on a blitz right now, and they do an adjustment or motion, and the next thing you know, I’m in it. I’m not really worried about if my number is being called. I’m just being ready when it is, and just do it really.”
(Obviously you have seen everybody speculating about QB Tua Tagavailoa and when he’s going to be the guy or whatever, and obviously you try to keep everything, the main thing, inside the locker room. But what’s that talk like in the locker room? Just everybody’s speculation about who the guy is and back and forth? Do y’all talk about that?) – “Nah. That doesn’t just come up or anything like that. One thing I always tell Tua – he actually comes around and asks the defensive guys how he can get better. For me, it’s just try it. Whatever, if you think you can make that one throw, try it. It’s going to help you, it’s going to help us. Just do whatever you can to get better. In practice, that’s your time to really practice, just trying to do things that you normally wouldn’t do. He’s a smart guy. He’s a competitor. Even in his first few weeks, he was coming into the defensive rooms and asking us how to see this or how to do that. Whenever his time comes, I’m sure he’ll be ready.”
(You mentioned the motion of the 49ers offense. That’s something they actually lead the NFL in pretty much every year under Kyle Shanahan – the most pre-snap motion. I’m curious for you as an linebacker, how do you stay away from taking the eye candy and all of the window dressing they do, and stick to your keys and not fall for all of the motion and misdirection?) – “For me, it’s understanding your defense. Depending where you’re at on the call, it might be your job to leverage the motion. The motion might not affect you at all. Just understanding what your role is and then throughout the week, you really want to go through film and make calls and adjustments, and just get used to constantly seeing it, so on Sundays it’s a lot easier. You more just anticipate motion and what they do. This week, I’ll take that approach, and every play just look forward to motion and expect it, so when it actually comes on Sunday, it will be a lot smoother.”
(I wanted to ask you about the 49ers run game, this is one of those teams where they are committed to beating your head in – not yours in particular, but the defensive front. When you are facing an opponent who want to basically destroy your will, what’s that like as a player?) – “If you’re a competitor, you take that as a challenge. You take that personally. You just want to go out there and really just compete. If you’re a competitor, you know exactly what they are going to do. They do it every week. That’s what they say, so Sunday, you’ve got to take that personally. Are you basically going to let them do it or are you not? Sunday, that’s what you’re going to find out.”
Jesse Davis – October 7, 2020
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Wednesday, October 7, 2020
G/T Jesse Davis
(I know Head Coach Brian Flores said today that you can play left tackle, but today were you still at right even with T Austin Jackson not present?) – “Yeah, so far we all kind of mix it up. I got a little left; I got a little right. I’m still unsure what’s going to happen. It’s more so a question for the head guy.”
(The team announced yesterday that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to be the starter for Sunday. Head Coach Brian Flores explained today that he gives the team the best chance to win. He doesn’t think QB Tua Tagovailoa is quite ready to be the starter yet. What have you seen in the last month or month in a half? And what are your thoughts on the team sticking with Fitzpatrick?) – “Tua is a superstar athlete. Everybody has seen all of his highlights and all of that stuff. That’s what he brings to the table. Obviously we haven’t seen him in games and we haven’t really repped with him that much because Ryan (Fitzpatrick) has been getting all of the reps; but I’m just there to do my job, and they are there to do there’s, and the coaches are going to put us in the best position to win. If he feels like that’s Ryan, than that’s who we are protecting for.”
(I wanted to ask you about your teammate G Ereck Flowers at the left guard position. I’ve heard a lot of stuff about how quiet of a leader he is. We had both Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall talk about that. I just wanted to get our take on how a player can be a leader, but be a quiet leader?) – “Yeah. Ereck kind of stays in his lane and goes to work every day. He leads by example. He’s always on time, he’s always there to help if somebody asks him for help. Some guys are different. I’m the same way. I don’t really sit there and try to ‘rah, rah’ everybody around me. If something needs to be said, then we’ll say it; but Ereck’s done a good job.”
(I wanted to ask you about RB Matt Breida. He made a couple exciting plays in the last game. What do you think about what he did and what he’s capable of?) – “Matt Breida, he’s a flashy guy. We’ve been trying to get him incorporated in the run game. When he’s out in open space, he can make guys miss. Hopefully we can get him going again and try to get him going. Sometimes when I’m out there, I don’t know who’s in or who’s out. I’m just trying to do my job.”
(I know you’re experienced enough to play just about every position on the line. What would the transition be like going to left?) – “It’s just trusting myself, trusting my techniques, making sure my hand placement is good, just like my footwork and all of that, that everybody goes through at the o-line position. It just takes me a couple of days to get it back and then hopefully I’ll be ready to go if I go out there.”
(My question is when you have that difference of moving switching sides, does it make sense for the line to switch one spot versus a couple of spots because of that?) – “Yeah I mean once you do something so many times one way, when you do it the other way, it doesn’t feel natural or smooth; but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it or do it at a high level. It’s just reps – however many reps you can get to get it down, and trust in yourself doing it.”
(Even though DE Nick Bosa is out, I was looking at film of No. 91 Arik Armstead. He looks pretty good. He looks like he lines up over the right tackle a bunch. What have you noticed about his strengths?) – “He’s a long guy. He’s got long movements, long arms. He looks like a strong player. It’s something that I’ve seen before, but I’ve never gone against the guy. Their whole front looks pretty solid. I know they’ve got Dion Jordan there. I think he was here in 2016 when I was here, if I remember right. It’s just how well we can do a job versus them in the run game, and try to open up the passing lane as well. It should be a fun challenge.”
(On the topic of challenges, Kris Kocurek, the former defensive line coach here, is now in San Francisco. I remember him playing a one-gap, hair on fire, get up the field type of scheme. How do you combat that? What are the challenges that presents for an offensive lineman?) – “Yeah, Coach Kocurek is a fiery guy. I remember him hooting and hollering and everything. Great guy, great coach. That’s what we’re going to expect. We’re going to expect this d-line to have a lot energy, a lot of passion for the game. It’s up to us, really, to make sure we do our job right, keep ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) clean and keep our running backs moving forward, and (if we do that), I think we have a good chance of beating these guys.”
Lynn Bowden Jr. – October 7, 2020
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Wednesday, October 7, 2020
WR Lynn Bowden Jr.
(How was it for you to get traded? You were drafted to a team, probably thought you were going to be there for a while and then you abruptly get traded right before the season starts?) – “Me, I like to think the past is in the past. I’m here. I’m loving where I’m at. It’s life.”
(What do you feel like you do best? I know you do a lot, but when you’re on the field, what do you feel like your strengths are?) – “Maybe just having the ball in my hands. I’m not too big on talking about myself. I like to let the game play (speak) for itself; but if I had to choose, just having the ball in my hands probably.”
(When the trade went down, there was a report about some off-field issues, and you took to Twitter and said essentially that it’s not correct, that it’s not accurate. Could you set the record straight on some of the things that were written and why it may not be accurate?) – “People are going to talk the way they talk. Like I said, the past is the past. It’s not something I’m thinking about. It’s not something I’m worried about. I’m in a better place, just with myself. I’m happy where I’m at. I’m getting a shot to do what I love to do and I’m just going to keep going forward.”
(Obviously you have a skillset to make people miss. Do you feel like that suits you well, particularly in the slot? And how much are you working at that position?) – “Right now, I’m wherever the coach needs me – whether that’s offense, special teams. I’m right by him, just doing whatever I need to do to get out there, whatever coach has in store for me. I’m still learning. I’m a rookie so there’s a lot of ways I’ve got to learn and follow behind, and that’s what I’m going to do with my head down.”
(What’s it like being in a room where there’s another player and you guys have kind of some similar skillsets in terms of what they’re asking you to do with RB/WR Malcolm Perry? Both of you guys played a little bit of quarterback in college, and both of you can move back and forth between running back and receiver in terms of what they’re trying to have you do?) – “I think there’s a plus side to that. Me and him, we just work together to better ourselves and actually better the whole team and better our room, most importantly – the receiver room. We all compete every day. We come out to practice and compete every day. We cheer each other on and it’s always positive vibes.”
(I do want to go back to the time of the trade. Did they give you an explanation at any point as to why they traded you away? And the moment you found out, what were you doing and what was the thought you had? Because it’s so unusual for someone drafted where you were to get traded so quickly. Was there any kind of feeling like, “what did I do wrong?”) – “It was. You’ve just got to put the past in the past. The NFL is a business. It’s a business first. Feelings come last. I learned that quick, fast, in a hurry, even before the trade. There’s nothing I can really do about it. I’m here. I’m in Miami. We’re making the best of it. We’re having fun. I feel like as a team, we’re good right now.”
(Las Vegas was, of course, using you at running back. The Dolphins are using you at receiver. Do you feel like you have a better NFL future at receiver? Does it fit your skillset better?) – “Just having the ball in my hands fits. Wherever that is that coach needs me. You can look at the statistics of how long a running back lasts and how long a receiver lasts. You could look at that, but I just feel like I’m built to last wherever I need to play at, wherever coach needs to play me at. When my time comes, I’m going to be ready.”
