Josh Boyer – August 27, 2020
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(I wanted to ask about DE Shaq Lawson and DE Emmanuel Ogbah. There’s been a lot of sacks, some tipped passes at the line – what are you seeing from those two guys to let you know that your pass rush may be in a better place this season than it was last season?) – “I think specific to Emmanuel and Shaq, both of these guys are very diligent workers. They’ve come in. They’ve done a lot of things that we’ve asked them to do. I think they’re both talented players and I think they’ve made the most of their opportunities in practice. Improvement is a constant theme for us, and that’s something that we strive for on a daily basis and I think these guys work hard at that. They’re not satisfied with one good play. They’re looking for consistent play over time, and then there are some plays that they’d like to have back. They keep working and you keep seeing productive plays from them, and hopefully – with all of our defensive ends – hopefully we’re improving.”
(I have a question for you now that we’re about halfway through padded practices. I’m just curious about the evaluation mindset. Has it started to change towards how you’re going to round out each sub-package and if it has, how do you evaluate this defense’s ability to be multiple and have all the parts for each sub-package you want to call on game day?) – “It starts with kind of an individual approach. You see what guys can do. I think there’s some things that we’ll practice. You put guys in certain situations to see how they handle it. Obviously practice is the closest thing that we have to game simulation and we work different combinations. I think over time, some of that starts to settle in; but there is also still a competition between players, and I think that brings out the best in players, which as coaches is ultimately what we’re trying to do, is to get the best version of the player on and off the field.”
(What is your vision for DE Jason Strowbridge and how has he been doing?) – “Again – you guys are going to be like, ‘man, this guy is really redundant’ – but my vision for him is to see improvement on a daily basis and to build consistency over time. And I think with not just Jason but a lot of rookies, they come in and you see some good things and then you see some things that need some work, and really what we’re trying to do is build upon the good things. The things that aren’t so good, we try to correct that, and really what we’re looking for is consistency and to string good days together. And that’s kind of our goal, is just the day at hand and to constantly improve.”
(What’s your impression of how CB Byron Jones has competed in training camp so far?) – “I think again, Byron has had some good matchups in camp. I think he’s been competitive in coverage. I think he’s working very hard to improve on some things that he can put himself in a little bit better position to make plays. And by that I mean he’s right there; some of these, we’ve got a chance to get our hands on and turn the ball over. He’s a very diligent worker – works at his craft – and again, it’s the reoccurring theme of we’re not satisfied with where we’re at and we are trying to get constant and consistent improvement.”
(Sort of following up on that, you guys obviously as a franchise made a big investment at the cornerback position in the offseason with CB Byron Jones, CB Xavien Howard and then also drafting CB Noah Igbinoghene in the first round. Just what makes that position right now in the league such an important position to make a big investment like that at?) – “I think again, it goes really back to situational football – third down, red area, two-minute. Those are, call it, ‘winning football.’ You really need to have guys that can cover and you can never have too many of them, especially the way offenses are constructed. Sometimes it’s three receivers, one tight end and a receiving back; and all of them are skilled receivers. Or it could be two tight ends, two receivers and a receiving back; and they could run the ball at you or they could spread you out and throw it, and I think as many guys that you have on your team that can cover, it puts you in a more beneficial state as a defense.”
(A little bit of a curveball question for you here. Your defense obviously has to go against your offense every day in practice and your offensive line has undergone a lot of change. I’m wondering what are you seeing in that offensive line – how it attacks your defense? What are maybe your defensive linemen telling you about how that offensive line is to go against and especially with that size that they’ve added? They’re massive.) – “I think obviously (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) and (Offensive Line Coach) Steve (Marshall) – they’re going a good job, and I think it’s the same process for them as it is for us. They’re looking for constant improvement with their players. I think the scheme and I think the personnel at times presents you some problems defensively; but it’s one of those things – it’s competition. They’re trying to get better; we’re trying to get better. Sometimes we get them; sometimes they get us. And I would say for all the players and for all the coaches, it’s try to get the best version of the player that you possibly can; so when we put them out there on Sunday, we’re putting them in a position to succeed.”
(From what you’ve seen from CB Noah Igbinoghene does it look like he’s ready to play major snaps and contribute as an NFL player right away if needed?) – “Again, I think Noah, he’s had a productive camp for us and we’re going to hope that continues, and we’re going to strive for improvement on that. I think when he gets the opportunity, hopefully he’ll make the most of it. Everything’s kind of like, you’ve got to earn your right to get out there and play; and then once you get out there and play, you’ve got to earn your right to keep more snaps. That’s kind of the way we’ve always approached things and he’s working hard towards that. Time will tell.”
(DT Christian Wilkins seems to be a centerpiece in a certain package you guys have. What makes him kind of unique and perfect for that role versus DT Raekwon Davis, who has taken a little bit more of an opportunity there when you do a four-man front?) – “I would say for both of those guys, I think there’s some multiplicity with all of our guys on the defensive line. Sometimes in practice, you work one guy at one thing and you work another at another, and then you try to balance out the reps as it goes whether it’s (Davon) Godchaux, (Christian) Wilkins, Raekwon (Davis), (Zach) Sieler, Benito (Jones) – any of those guys. We try to balance out the reps, balance out the different packages that we have as we go, and we try to at all positions kind of create some multiplicity so that we’re not just lining up in the same thing over and over again for the offense.”
(You guys brought a lot of new players in on that side of the ball and some obviously had preexisting relationships with both you and Head Coach Brian Flores. I’m curious how are the new guys on the defense kind of acclimating and does that preexisting relationship with those players kind of help accelerate the learning curve for the rest of the guys?) – “I do. I firmly believe like every year, you kind of start over. The current relationships – some things may click a little bit quicker for guys if the terminology is the same. For other guys that are coming from different programs, they may have done the same things, but maybe it’s just the terminology is different. So I think it’s a case-by-case basis, but there’s a lot of things that when you have a history with certain guys over years; there’s things that as a coach, you’re quicker to know, ‘okay, this is probably what we’re going to get on this.’ But like I said, I think (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) did a good job of putting as many competitive players on defense as they possibly could and we’ve had some competitive practices. We’ve had some competitive work in individual periods and again, we’re just going to try to improve on a daily basis.”
(We’ve heard a lot of the players talk about sort of the emphasis on turnovers and getting hands on the ball this offseason. I know every team wants that. That’s sort of a goal for a defense, but how easily do you see, I guess, that emphasis being able to translate to turnovers on Sunday?) – “I think practice execution becomes game reality; so if we’re not practicing something and it’s not a point of emphasis, you’re probably not going to get the results that you want. We spend a lot of time on trying to get the ball, and I would say historically if you look through the league, the turnover margin is probably closest-related to wins and losses as anything else there is. And to get turnovers, you’ve got to get a lot of guys to the football and they’ve got to know what they’re doing when they get there; or you’ve got to get guys ready to read the quarterback, ready to break on throws and get hands up in the passing lane. These are all things that we spend a good amount of time on and again, we’ll see if our work bears fruit here, but it’s definitely something we put a good amount of time on of trying to get our guys to the ball, trying to get our guys to get the ball.”
Austin Clark – August 27, 2020
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark
(I just wanted to ask you, if you’re willing to share, the first name that comes to mind as far as who has jumped out to you at your position so far? Who has been most impressive to you, if you’re willing to share that?) – “To be honest with you, all of the guys have been really impressive. I couldn’t pinpoint one in particular. They’re all working their butts off. It’s been a great two weeks or however long it’s been here so far.”
(I know you’ll probably have to hold back LB Kyle Van Noy from himself a little bit here in training camp with that hand injury. How are you guys trying to progress without him and how do you kind of keep him at bay because he obviously wants to be out there?) – “I think it’s like anywhere else – if someone is down, its next man up. If he’s out there, he’s out there. I think he’s a phenomenal player that has a lot of versatility. He’s very smart and instinctive. I’m excited about him and all of the other guys.”
(When it comes to rushing from different gaps, a player like LB Kyle Van Noy certainly comes to mind. Is there a stark contrast in the way you teach technique for a guy to rush off the edge compared to let’s say the A-gap, for instance? And what does Kyle’s experience playing in that role do to sort of provide an example to the rest of the room when it comes to rushing multiple gaps?) – “I think there’s a couple of things that go into it. One, schematically, depending on what the scheme calls for – if it’s a true one-on-one matchup that we’re dictating there, then that’s different too. I think Kyle has a skillset that he can win on the edge, he can win inside, and his versatility within this scheme that we play, as well as what he’s done on Sunday making big-time plays in big-time games, is something that’s going to prove to be huge for us.”
(Earlier this week, we saw that LB Andrew Van Ginkel had two tipped passes, including an interception during I believe Tuesday’s practice. How has he kind of taken on this camp and how has he improved so far?) – “I think the biggest thing ‘Gink’ has done for himself is he got a lot stronger at the point of attack. I think he would tell you that. I think he understands the scheme extremely well and he knows how to use his length and athleticism, and has found some niches in his game and some go-to stuff for him. It’s paid dividends. He’s also a very smart player that understands the scheme and I’m really excited working with him.”
Anthony Campanile – August 27, 2020
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(Could you please – one-by-one on the two guys, rather than lumping them together – talk about the skillsets of LB Elandon Roberts and the skillsets of LB Kamu Grugier-Hill? What do they do well?) – “I think both of those guys have added a bunch to our team. They both have great leadership qualities. Kamu is really a great athlete, a physical guy, and gives you an opportunity to do a lot of things with his physical ability. Elandon is the same thing. (He’s) a tremendous leader and (brings) great physicality in the run game. He’s a lot of fun in the meeting rooms too – both guys are. We’ve enjoyed having them here. They both bring a lot of great leadership qualities and they’ve developed as a unit by bringing all of those things into our room. I’ve enjoyed coaching them and they bring a lot to this football team.”
(I had a question also about LB Elandon Roberts. You talk about the leadership he brings – we see him communicating all of the time on the practice field. We also watch him down there and to be perfectly honest, he looks the part of a very mean dude on the field to me. That’s what I see from the press box up there. What can you say about his energy and temperament that he brings to the practice field?) – “It’s a physical game – I don’t think that will ever change – and he’s a physical player. I could see that it maybe seems like that but I’ll tell you this: as a person, he’s one of the greatest guys you could ever meet. He’s a jovial guy off the field and to be honest with you, I think that’s where he loves being is inside the white lines and making physical contact. Just in drill work and in team periods, he’s an awesome guy to be around; but has a great demeanor like you’ve already alluded to, certainly in the meeting rooms, off the field and within the lines of the football field.”
(I know the linebacker coaching situation – outside linebackers and inside – how do you guys work without LB Kyle Van Noy with this point right now?) – “I think in football, things roll on. Kyle has been doing a great job for us right now with everything that he’s doing. That’s just kind of status quo. We just keep rolling and working our tail off out in the field and continue to develop. We’re right here in the midst of camp so every day is important, every meeting is important. I think guys have done a great job. I’ve been so impressed with our players – the linebacker unit – from the standpoint of the effort they’re giving to every little thing, whether it’s a walkthrough, meetings, individual work. Every little drill that we’re doing, there’s been a laser focus. They all just kind of rally around each other and push each other to get the best out of each other every day, and have created a really good standard in that room. Every guy has held true to that, which is great.”
(I wanted to ask you about coaching the linebacker position, especially as the NFL sort of evolves to more of this nickel – how does your view of that position and what you seek for it change?) – “I just think at that position in this league, you’ve got to be able to run and hit, and you’ve really got to be a smart guy because as the game has evolved at every level, linebackers are being asked to do more things. There’s a lot more asked of linebackers in coverage than certainly there was 15-20 years ago when I was playing. It’s always evolving, but you’re always looking for that out of your players. You want guys that can run and hit and are great communicators, and obviously that takes a really good football IQ to do that at this level. I think that our room has done a great job with all of those things and we’ve got a room full of guys that can do that.”
(I’d like to ask you about LB Raekwon McMillan. Where is he in his development and what does he have to do to see significant playing time?) – “I think he’s done a great job. (He’s) a guy that you love to coach about all of the right things. (He’s a) physical guy that I think has continued to develop all through camp, like all of the other players. Really, Raekwon has consistently gotten better every day and guys are getting reps with everybody, just kind of in and out with different groupings of people. I think he’s done a great job with all of the reps he’s had in camp. He’s another guy with great leadership qualities and takes every little inch of coaching he can get. It’s all so important to him. He loves football. He’s been a joy to coach and I think he’s gotten better every day that I’ve been here. I really, really believe that.”
(My intention is not to stereotype you here but I have a feeling that Sunday dinner may be really great at your house.) – “(laughter) Forget it. It’s like they start at two o’clock and end at 10 o’clock. Forget it. Absolutely. (laughter) I’ve had a couple of those since I’ve been in Florida, which is nice. The food is really good in this area. I feel like I’m back home so it’s nice. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores is a Brooklyn guy and (Assistant to the Head Coach) Lance Bennett is a Brooklyn guy too, so those guys know how to eat.”
(What’s on the menu?) – “We could go any which way right here right now. It’s a good thing I’m not home, because this could be like an eight hour dinner. There’s always something with red sauce on Sundays. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Andrew Van Ginkel. How well do you think he’s played? We saw him have two bat-downs a couple of days ago. Who else at the edge position has stood out to you so far?) – “I think everybody at that position has done a tremendous job and that’s really – first of all, it’s a credit to the guys playing the position, because I see development from last year or earlier on this summer until now in all of those players. I think that’s a really cool position to play obviously because it takes a certain skillset to do that and just like every other linebacker position, you’re asked to do some things that require some multiplicity to your game to be good at that spot. I think all of our coaches have done a great job with that in pass rush, in pass coverage and helping to develop those guys. ‘Gink’ is a guy that like you said, he just shows up every day and seems to get better and better. Vince Biegel, when he was going, he was getting better and better. Every one of those guys at that position, I feel, has developed. I’m really impressed with – being here, I’m impressed with all of our coaches here and what they’ve done in terms of developing those guys – (Outside Linebackers) Coach (Austin) Clark), Coach Boyer (Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer), (Defensive Line) Coach (Marion) Hobby and ‘GA’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) and (Coaching Assistant Charles) ‘Chuck’ Burks. I like to sit in there and watch team (drills) every day because I feel like guys are developing. It’s been a lot of fun being here. It’s a great group of guys.”
Kavon Frazier – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
S Kavon Frazier
(Obviously you signed during a time where workouts weren’t allowed. Did you talk to General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Brian Flores or Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander before you signed, before David Canter did a deal for you, and if so, what did they tell you?) – “No, I didn’t speak to anybody before that came. Yeah, there was a time we couldn’t do any workouts obviously. Last year I was hurt, coming off of a pec injury. It was just an unfortunate time for me, because I needed to be seen by teams in order to have them trust that I was 100 percent healthy. Even though that was Week 4 of the season last year, teams wanted to see to see how I was feeling, to see if I was 100 percent. I was just fortunate to have them actually believe that what we were saying, and believe my agent, that I was 100 percent; and ultimately believe in me, and believe in my talent and what I could do on the field.”
(I wanted to ask you because you’re pretty much a strong safety. What’s the biggest key to mastering those run fits when you have to help out in the run?) – “Yeah, run fits to me is one of my strong suits. It just kind of comes natural to me. In Dallas, I don’t want to speak too much about this – about my time in Dallas – but during my time in Dallas, I was doing the same thing. I was down in the box a lot, filling in holes, filling in gaps, so this defense is just coming natural to me.”
(You played a lot of special teams in Dallas and now you’re here to compete with work in the defensive backfield. How important is it to you to earn reps on defense, and what’s your impression so far on the defensive back room through the first couple of weeks during training camp?) – “It’s definitely important. Like I said, I really don’t want to go too much at my time in Dallas because I’m at a new chapter now and I’m just grateful to be here, but I didn’t really get the opportunity that I wanted there. So here, it’s definitely important for me to try to get on the field on defense; but with that being said, I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do. I realize I’m in my fifth year and we have a lot of other people also, so there’s a lot of competition going on. Shoot, I’m just doing whatever they want me to do. If they want me to play strictly punt and just coverage units, I’m cool with that. If they need me in on defense, I’m going to be ready for my opportunity when it comes.”
(I know you’ve been kind of active in the protest movement throughout the offseason. I just wanted to get your view on where we currently are and what you feel your role is in bringing attention to social justice?) – “Yeah, this is a tough topic for me because I had an incident when I was younger and I was racially profiled when I was 10 years old. The police thought I had a gun on me, but I was just a 10-year-old innocent kid who went to Christian school all my life, who was doing all the right things. At that moment there, I knew anybody could be targeted just by the color of their skin. That’s why I’m so active in the community. I’m so active in trying to educate other people about what’s going on, about how America really is for us. But where we are right now, I’m really lost. I’m lost for words, I’m lost for hope. I really don’t understand how after people watch what happened to George Floyd and after they watch that eight or nine minute clip, how this last incident could’ve happened. I just don’t understand how somebody could – somebody who is unarmed, family in the car, how he could be a threat. I just don’t understand. We’re lost. We’re scared. I’m scared. I drive a pretty nice car and I’m scared if I get pulled over, that could happen to me. I have two daughters at home. Obviously this happens a lot with males, but my daughters still look like me. They still have some darkness to their skin. I’m just scared. Me as a male in America right now, I’m really, really scared. I just don’t understand. I don’t know. Because that could be me with my daughter in the car and they just unload seven shots on me. I’m just lost man. I’m lost.”
(In Dallas, you guys didn’t necessarily have the freedom to kneel or protest. Have you given some thought as to what you’ll be doing here?) – “I don’t really want to speak on my time in Dallas. This is a new chapter. As far as the protest, we’re just going to take that as it comes, and just talk with the team about it. As it comes up, then we’re going to attack it. Right now, there are other problems going on in this world. Obviously the NBA has been taking knees, they’ve been wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and the same stuff is still going on. Obviously people don’t get the message. There are people out there that still don’t understand what us as black males in America really go through. We’ve been telling them this for a long time now and they just think we’re lying. They victimize us and they think that we are the problem. Just because some of us may act a certain way or came up from certain neighborhood, that we’re always – that everybody is angry or everybody is upset at the world. Really, it’s the other way around. We’re lost for hope right now. We’re scared.”
Nik Needham – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
CB Nik Needham
(I wanted to get your thoughts on how different this year has been for the secondary than last year. It seemed last year every week there would be a new DB who was signed and they would potentially even play that Sunday. Here you have a lot more depth and competition. What’s the difference been for you?) – “The difference is just I think for me coming into my second year, just the game is kind of slowing down a little bit for me and just in training camp, we’ve had the same guys out here – all competitive, all willing to work, all trying to give it their hardest – so it’s just been a real competitive camp this year, for sure.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores talked a little bit last year about recognizing some talent in you pretty early on during camp. He mentioned some things you hard to work on to get off the practice squad. Then you get called up and have that immediate impact right away. I’m curious what are some of those things that you worked on and is there anything in particular this offseason you worked on the same way?) – “This offseason, last offseason, it’s the same things – just getting in shape. Last year I came into camp at 205 and I wasn’t able to run at my full potential and finish a whole practice through that heat. Definitely this offseason that just came up right now, I was more focused on that and didn’t want to let that happen again, so I came in and had one of my best overall body compositions; so I was a good body weight and body fat. That’s what I was focused on – just eating right and really taking it more professionally.”
(We heard a little bit about I guess the emphasis on turnovers and getting hands on the ball, and they told us a little bit about the point system. Can you kind of take us behind the scenes on the point system and how things are going in that realm for the DBs?) – “We get points for scoops – it doesn’t matter if it’s an incomplete pass or not. He wants everybody focused on getting to the ball, get to the ball, get to the ball. So any ball on the ground he wants us to scoop and interceptions – obviously that’s the biggest key to change the game – so we do like a little pushup contest and then at the end of the year, we’ve got another contest. It’s the ‘hood’ versus the ‘burbs’ – those are the names of the teams. It’s all about getting to the ball though. It’s all mainly focused on getting to the ball, stripping out the ball, trying to force as many turnovers as we can and that’ll help us win a lot of games.”
(We talked to CB Noah Igbinoghene the other day and he mentioned you by name and a couple other guys. What’s it been like working with him and just being in the same secondary with him?) – “It’s been cool. It’s crazy that he’s only 20 years old. The dude’s physically gifted, for sure – 205, runs a 4.3 – so I’m in awe of him as well. I’m like, ‘damn, that’s crazy.’ But no, he’s a great player – physical, always willing to learn and a great teammate to have, for sure.”
(Before I get to my question I want to ask what your weight is now. You said you slimmed down. What is it now?) – “193.”
(It seems that Head Coach Brian Flores is pretty good at pushing buttons. Do you remember an instance last year where he may have kind of played some games with you and helped you become a better player?) – “No, I just didn’t – I failed my first conditioning test, which was very embarrassing for me because I was one of the only ones and that was just being out of shape; so it was like a little team joke. Everybody was calling me like fat and stuff, so in my mind I was like, I can never have that again. So I was just always pushing my hardest to never be that guy again. Like I can’t be the only one like that. I was talking about how I got a gut at DB and stuff, (laughter) so we used to make little jokes like that so I was like, never again. I can’t have that happen, so I set my mind to it. Spinach. (laughter)”
(I want to ask you about CB Byron Jones but before I do that since we’re getting all these statistics, I know CB Noah Igbinoghene probably has like the most ridiculous body mass index. You mentioned BMI. What are the numbers for you?) – “I think I was 193 and 7.3 percent body fat; but like that’s what I’m saying, that was my ideal and best one I could be at because last year I was like, 205, 10 or 11 percent body fat. It’s just maintaining that and keeping that. I’ve felt it on the field as well. It’s definitely paid off.”
(The CB Byron Jones question. Obviously he’s got a lot of years of experience. What, if anything, has he said or what have you observed that’s kind of helped you?) – “Just how he approaches everything – practice, meetings – anything he does, he treats it just like the same thing and he just attacks it. He’s very focused. He’s very, very focused and he’s very intellectual; so he gives me a bunch of tips, smart tips that I can use on the field and just from his experience in being out there. He’s played like, 59 games – that’s a lot of experience out there – so anything on film he sees, he’ll give little tips on how he’d play something in the game or something of that nature. So I just use that all in my tool box.”
(Last year you started a good amount of games. What did you learn from that and did it humble you a little bit to begin this camp as a backup?) – “We’re all just working out there, but I just always came in and just worked – worked my hardest – and whatever Coach (Brian Flores) tells me to do, I’m going to do that. So I just try to do it to the best of my ability. I’m not really worried about positions or anything like that. Wherever they need me, I’m willing to go and give it my all.”
(Regarding the change in weight that you were talking about earlier, did that include a major change in diet? Is there something you gave up that you really miss?) – “Like I said last year, just not as much fast food and really locking in. I didn’t think that eating a bunch of nonsense really affected me like that, and I would watch guys like Chad Ochocinco – said he eats McDonald’s before every practice – so I’m like, ‘oh see, it doesn’t even matter;’ but to me, it definitely matters. I’ve heard there’s only a couple people like that in the NFL that can do that; so I definitely learned it didn’t work for me, so I had to figure that out the hard way.”
(Just kind of following up with what we were talking about with the point system if I ask a two-parter on that. One, what’s sort of the delineation for what you get point-wise for interception versus hand on the ball versus PBU and all that stuff?) – “Picks are the most. I think it’s five points for picks. For a scoop – if you get a scoop of a fumble – it’s like three points; and then PBUs is one point. We’re trying to get to pick, but – and also if you drop a pick, that’s missed opportunity. I think that’s minus-five as well, so we’ll holding everybody accountable. If the ball touches your hands, you need to make a play on it.”
(Okay and then I guess you said the teams – the “Hood” versus the “Burbs” – how did that come about and which team are you on?) – “That was ‘Coach G.A.’ (Gerald Alexander). He brought that here. He just had two team captains. It was Byron (Jones) and Bobby (McCain). Byron’s captain of the Burbs and then Bobby is team captain of the Hood, so Bobby had drafted me I think in like the fifth round or something (laughter) to the team. But yeah, that’s how it went down.”
(I’m curious to ask you about the competition you’ve seen – not just in the NFL in general but this year in training camp – coming out of UTEP, obviously you’re not going to find DeVante Parkers and Preston Williams down there. What have you learned from those guys but also your experience last year going up against some of the league’s best as you played so many snaps at cornerback last season?) – “I’ve definitely learned – definitely from DeVante (Parker) and Preston (Williams) that you can be draped all over them; the quarterback is still going to trust them to make a play on the ball. He’s going to throw it up there to only where they can reach it, so you’ve got to be good at playing the hands and sometimes you may not even be able to look back because you don’t know exactly where that ball is going to be placed because they have such a long reach and extension. And that’s also what I learned in the NFL. Just because you’re all over a guy doesn’t necessarily mean he’s all the way covered. They’re still NFL receivers, too, so they can make plays on the ball no matter what.”
Durham Smythe – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
TE Durham Smythe
(We talked to Tight Ends Coach George Godsey last week, and he talked about you sort of playing that unheralded position – the in-line position – where you might not get 50 or 100 catches in a year. How have you sort of maybe embraced that role that doesn’t necessarily get the acclaim from everyone?) – “Well, that’s something that I’ve kind of – a role I’ve fulfilled for a while in my football career, dating back to college and obviously through the last two years. I think it’s an important part of the game. There’s a lot of guys on a lot of other teams that do the same thing. They come in, kind of fulfill multiple roles, benefit the running game and things like that. You kind of throw yourself in the same boat in terms of not getting the recognition, just with the o-line, because those guys always say you only get the recognition when something bad happens. You kind of throw yourself in the same boat as that and just kind of appreciate what you bring to the table.”
(I just wanted to ask about TE Adam Shaheen. We haven’t heard much about him and obviously you’re in a room where you’re constantly around each other. What’s he like as a teammate and what has he brought to the table?) – “Yeah, Adam is a great guy. He fits well in our room. He’s smart. He’s caught the offense – from a mental standpoint – very quickly. He’s one of the guys. Like I said, he kind of came in and just fit right in for us. He’s taking the offense mentally very well and now he’s just kind of one of us. It’s been a very smooth transition, I think, for him.”
(Even though you’re an excellent blocking tight end, I’ve noticed that you’ve made some catches out here during this training camp. How have you improved yourself as a pass-catching threat?) – “I think I’ve kind of benefit from being in a room the last few years with guys who have natural talent in different ways. I think with me and Mike (Gesicki) going into our third year here, we kind of took a step back after last year, and thought ‘How can we benefit this offense by something more than just what we’re good at personally?’ I think we worked this offseason a lot on trying to become more versatile – more multiple – which I think will eventually kind of eradicate some of our tendency-based things within our offense. Obviously I spend a lot of time talking to Mike talking about how he releases, routes, stuff like that. I’ve spent some time with him about the nitty-gritty in the run game. I think hopefully if we can both benefit in those areas, we’ll be a lot less tendency-based in this offense.”
(Your first impressions catching passes from QB Tua Tagovailoa, what thoughts came to mind about how he throws the ball? And also, what’s the locker room experience been like this year where obviously you’re not close and bunched together, you have those devices that could go off if you’re close to other people. Has it been a strange existence in the locker room?) – “First of all with Tua, he’s got a great arm. That’s evident to everyone immediately. He’s also a great teammate. I’ll throw that in even though that wasn’t really a part of it. He’s one of the guys already. He fits in great, (is a) smart guy and can make all of the throws. I guess that answers the question: what jumps out at you immediately is he can put the ball anywhere he wants. Obviously he’s a rookie quarterback and in your first couple of weeks, there’s things you want to shake out and everything; but he’s a guy that obviously can make all of the throws. To answer your second question, yeah it’s odd. Especially being a guy that really loves that locker room culture. It’s weird not being able to just kind of come into the locker room, throw off your pads and go jump into a locker next to somebody else and start talking face-to-face right there. It’s definitely odd. You can still do that to an extent behind some glass, behind a mask and things of that nature; but for now, it’s what we have to deal with, so we’ll continue to do it and I think we’ll try to build a culture around it.”
(You played in a lot of 12 personnel with TE Mike Gesicki last year. As you mentioned, part of that unheralded role – you guys two play two different roles, as you mentioned – so how do you think you guys balance each other in that package?) – “Like I said, I think we have natural talents in different areas. I think mainly because of what we have physically – whether it’s size, speed, maybe a history with the run game or a history with running routes. I think that’s where a lot of the narrative comes out is that I’m the guy that’s going to come in and be the in-line blocker and he’s going to come in and catch all of the passes. Which, to this point, it has been. Like I said, I think this offseason, going into Year 3, I think we understand the game enough to where we kind of took a step back and thought about how we can both become more versatile to benefit this offense as a whole. I think that’s something that hopefully through this training camp and through this season, we can bring about.”
Brian Flores – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask you about having practice officials out there yesterday and kind of the benefits of those guys out there for you and for especially the rookies with no preseason, just kind of getting them used to the NFL game.) – “Yeah, I thought it was great to have the officials out there and get more of a live, real look at what the game atmosphere would be like. As you would imagine in a training camp setting, there’s a lot of chatter about ‘that would have been a foul,’ or ‘this would have been holding,’ or ‘this would have been pass interference.’ It was good to get them out there. I tried to talk to the players about not worrying about the officials and moving onto the next play, so it was nice to let them call it, let them handle it and whether you agree or disagree, we just have to move on. There’s also just some things that we could have done better. We had a couple of delay of games yesterday. There was a potentially close 12-men in the huddle (situation). Those are penalties that we can take care of ourselves as long as we’re paying attention to detail and we’re, as a coaching staff and as players, on top of things. It’s always great to have the officials and to have a game-like atmosphere. It really felt like football.”
(I just wanted to get your thoughts on what your philosophy would be in the organization about draft picks. You could have obviously held onto DE Curtis Weaver for another year with another administrative decision. How do you view draft picks? And some teams might hold onto them longer than others. In your view, if you have a feeling on a player right away, is that enough to move on?) – “There’s a lot that goes into that question. Obviously draft picks are very valuable but every situation is a little bit different. I liked Weaver. I thought he was a good player. I thought he had some potential. But his situation – like I said yesterday, when we make these decisions, there’s a lot of things that go into them that, quite frankly, you guys don’t know much about – whether it’s the injury itself, salary cap implications, depth at the position, next year’s draft. There’s 10 different things there. We make the decision that we feel is best for the organization. Obviously there’s a lot of – when we make a selection, we feel good about it then and the transactions that happen after that, we live with them and we move on.”
(On that DE Curtis Weaver situation, like you said there’s stuff that maybe we don’t know or aren’t as informed on as you. I wanted to ask, can you kind of educate us on the rule on maybe why you decided to go injured/waived rather than putting him on IR directly?) – “I understand the question; but look, we waived/injured Curtis Weaver. He was claimed. I wish him all the best. He’s a good kid. He had a great time here; but I’m more focused on the team today and trying to improve and trying to get better. We’ll basically leave it at that.”
(I’m curious about your evaluation of the running game and the running backs, in particular. How do you evaluate running backs in a situation where maybe the tackling isn’t necessarily live, and how would you evaluate your running back room so far through seven days of camp?) – “I think there’s a lot of competition in that room with Jordan (Howard), with (Matt) Breida, (Myles) Gaskin, (Kalen) Ballage, (Patrick) Laird and Chandler Cox. I think there’s a lot of competition in that room and guys each have their own unique skillset. It’s been a physical camp. Obviously we’re not taking them to the ground but there is contact defensively on our offensive and defensive lines, so you get a pretty good feel for who is getting yards, who would break what tackle. But at the running back position, are they making the right cut? I think each guy has had some good moments, has had some not-so-good moments. We’re all kind of getting better after each rep. The blocking, from a protection standpoint, has been good for the most part, at least as far as knowing who to block and where to go. In the pass game, I think they’re doing a good job in the pass game as well. It’s a good group, a lot of competition. We just still have seven training camp – I don’t know what day it is – seven or eight training camp padded days left, and they’ll keep competing.”
(What was your reaction to the Detroit Lions protest yesterday and how much discussion was there with your team about staging some type of protest in response to the shooting in Wisconsin?) – “Well, I know (Lions Head Coach) Matt (Patricia) very well – and (Lions General Manager) Bob Quinn over there in Detroit. They’re great friends. (I have) a lot of respect for them and that organization. A lot of history with that organization. I know a lot of the players there. Their protest, I have a lot of respect for what they did there; but our focus is on us and what we’re doing here and practice. Yeah, we had some conversations about that. We’ve had conversations about the many injustices that have gone on, in our locker room, with this team. We’ll continue to do so. As far as what they’re doing in Detroit, we respect it. We respect their organization.”
(CB Byron Jones was a pretty big acquisition this offseason. What have you thought of his camp so far in terms of how he’s getting acclimated to new surroundings, new teammates and obviously the personnel?) – “I think he’s done a good job; but as you put it, he’s getting acclimated. I think the heat down here for a lot of players is something you’ve got to get acclimated to. I know when I showed up here, it was something I had to get acclimated to as well. I think he’s doing a good job. I think practices have been competitive between he, DeVante (Parker), Preston (Williams), Jakeem (Grant) – really that receiver/DB competition that’s gone on there has been good. Byron’s a good player. I think he’s improving every day. He’ll continue to improve. He puts the work in. He’s very diligent. Obviously it’s a new system. He’s still learning some of the nuances within the system, but I think he’s progressing well.”
(Without live action, it’s hard to judge or assess or maybe I’m wrong, the run game and what’s happening in the trenches. Do you feel like you need a live period and maybe a scrimmage? And if you do plan to have a scrimmage, when do you think is the right time for that and how many can you handle before the season?) – “You really want to see some live tackling. (laughter)”
(Oh, I do. I do, absolutely.) – “It’s very evident. (laughter) That’s something we talk about on a daily basis. Look, the health of the team is the most important thing. Maybe at some point we’ll get some live tackling. I think, at least I can evaluate the run game without live tackling and get a sense of whether or not we’re getting yardage or not getting yardage. But again, I think it’s something that as a staff, we’ll talk about. As far as the live tackling in the scrimmage, we’re actually going to go to the stadium and practice on Saturday. We may have live tackling there; we may not. We’ll see then.”
(Obviously you guys lost some reps at that slot receiver position with WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns opting out. I wanted to see what your comfort level is with that particular position and if you see WR Jakeem Grant as an option to maybe get some of those reps inside.) – “I think there’s a lot of competition at the receiver position. As far as a slot, we’ve had a few guys working in there. We’ve had some of the outside receivers working there, as well. DeVante (Parker) has been in there a little bit. Preston (Williams) has been in there a little bit. Jakeem, like you mentioned – Isaiah Ford, I think he’s done a good job in there, Jakeem as well. I think there’s a lot of competition at that position. We’re going to bring – let’s call it the five, six or seven best guys, that we feel are going to help us win and will be productive and block and do things in the kicking game and do things in the slot. I think that whole group has done well. Jakeem is part of that. You mentioned him specifically and he’s part of that, as well. I think they’re all working and all competing.”
Jakeem Grant – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
WR Jakeem Grant
(How do you feel like your training camp has gone. I know obviously you missed today, but overall?) – “I feel like it’s going pretty smooth. It’s going really good. I’m going to continue to go out there and get better every day at everything that I do, continue to gain the coaches trust and be consistent every day.”
(Obviously WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns opted out earlier this offseason and you guys lose them; but that means that somebody has to pick up their reps and I know you’ve always been looking for that bigger role. What does their absence mean for maybe what potentially you can do in this offense?) – “It means a lot. I hated that those guys opted out, but I know that they have family issues or anything that they have going on, and I definitely support those guys on that record. I’m ready to take on whatever role that coach has for me. Whether that’s picking up the slack with those guys opting out and catching those targets, I’ve been waiting for it, and I’m ready for it. I’ve been pushing that message that I’m a receiver before a returner for the longest now. This year will be the biggest year to show it.”
(I warn you that I’m going to stir it up a little bit here. Who’s the fastest guy on this team?) – “Me. You don’t even have to say it. Me, of course. I’m going to say it every single time. I don’t care about – I told Matt (Breida), I don’t care about him running a 22.3 (miles per hour). I don’t have to run full speed to beat guys to the end zone. I don’t have to do all that. I’m going to continue to say that. If he wants to race, it’s nothing. I’ll continue to tell him, ‘you’re not going to beat me bro. I’m just telling you.’”
(To piggyback off of what I asked before, those guys talked about playing a lot of slot. You’ve been playing more outside as of last year, but you have played slot before. Where is your comfort playing slot if they need you to?) – “My comfort is at an all-time high playing the slot. Like you said, I played the slot probably throughout my whole career until I got to the NFL. When I got here as a rookie, I was playing in the slot. I got to learn behind Jarvis (Landry) and they moved me to the outside; but I’ve been playing the slot my whole life. It’s nothing to play it, just more communication with the quarterback, identifying coverages and just knowing where to be at all times. I feel comfortable playing that without a doubt.”
(I’m wondering about the left-handed quterback thing. Obviously you guys have a lefty now. Is there some adjustment? Is it any different?) – “I would say not really. As a receiver, if the ball comes your way, you’ve got to catch it. It’s as simple as it gets. I feel like there is nothing different, besides the spin rotation of the ball. It’s nothing different. Like I said, if you’re a receiver, catch the ball when it comes your way.”
(We saw you telling WR DeVante Parker that you’re 200 pounds these days. I wanted to ask you if there is any truth to that and how did you get all of that weight on?) – “I’m not 200 but I always like to tell him I’m 200. (laughter) I’m close there, I’m close to 200 though. I’m getting there. I just tell him that because I like to mess with him because he likes to weigh in with his backpack on, with his shoes on, with everything on. He’s always like ‘Yeah, I’m 225 (pounds).’ And I’m like ‘No, you’re not. You’re like 215 after you take all of that stuff off.’ That’s why I kept saying that I’m 200 because if I weigh in with my backpack and all of my clothes on, I’d be 200 too. That’s where that all started.”
(On that WR DeVante Parker tip, we saw that he had that cartoon out this week or like last month. He had the annoying nephew, and a lot of us couldn’t help but ask, are you the inspiration for that nephew? Do you know?) – “I think that I am. We’re trying to do a little feature on that with him being ‘Unc’ and I’m ‘Neph’. That’s probably what it is because as you can see with the mic’d up (segment), I’m always messing with DeVante. Whether anybody has film on me or the cameras are on me, I’m always messing with DeVante. I’m just trying to tell him that I’m bigger than him, I’m better than him, just the typical ‘Unc’ and ‘Neph,’ just to continue to get that rolling. Everybody loves it. It’s just something that we did just playing around. I guess it just blew up.”
(You’ve got Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier who are the only black GM/head coach duo in the league. I wanted to know from a player perspective what is it like to kind of see your leaders kind of look like you?) – “It goes a long way just to see that those guys – that you’ve got a GM and a head coach that are black. That speaks volumes for the black community, as well. For me, I wouldn’t say it’s different if I had a white GM or a white head coach. It doesn’t mean anything to me. But I would say it does speak volumes. It’s something that a lot of people look to in the black community and to show that black people can reach that level of success too. With me, it’s the same as anything. If it was white or black, it doesn’t matter to me; but it’s great to see black men take that type of empowerment.”
