Brian Flores – November 24, 2019 (Postgame)
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Postgame – Cleveland
Head Coach Brian Flores (transcribed by Cleveland Browns)
(On the inability to run the football early in the game…) – “I think early it was everything – it was run game, it was pass game, protection. We couldn’t get anything going. We have to do a better job.”
(On QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as the leading rusher and getting the run game to where it needs to be…) – “I think we have to keep the score competitive, and it wasn’t that way. When you get down two, three scores, it’s hard to run the football. There’s a lot that goes into it. We’ve got to play better across the board – offensively, defensively, and in the kicking game. They got out ahead of us, so we had to turn it into a passing game to try and get back into it. We’ve got to do a better job.”
(On Fitzpatrick’s performance…) – “I think we got ourselves somewhat back into the game in the third quarter, but when you’re digging yourself that type of hole, it’s hard to get out of it. We couldn’t string enough plays to really get back into it.”
(On why it was difficult to guard Browns WR Jarvis Landry and WR Odell Beckham, Jr.) – “They’re good receivers. I think we had good coverage on them a lot of the day. They made plays. That’s what they do. They’re good receivers. We’ve got to find a way to get the ball out, knock some of those out, and get a better pass rush. They made a lot of plays.”
(On making adjustments when the lineup changes…) – “We have the guys we have. We coach the guys we have. I think those guys work hard. We go through the week and we try to put them in positions to play well. We didn’t do a good enough job of that as a staff. We need to do a better job. We’re not going to sit here and talk about who we could have or who’s not here. We have the guys we have and we’re going to play with them. We’ve got to do a better job.”
(On how Cleveland was able to get out to a 28-0 start…)- “We came out and we didn’t make enough plays early. That’s it. Offensively, defensively, kicking game. We didn’t make enough plays.”
(On whether a quarterback change was considered after the Browns got out to a 28-0 start…) – “Nope. I didn’t. I felt like we had a good drive at the end of the half. We came out and put some points on the board in the third quarter. We just needed one, two more stops and we didn’t get them. But no, I didn’t.”
(On the pass rush…) – “They were getting the ball out quickly so it is hard to generate a pass rush when it’s coming out in one, two seconds. When they did drop back five to seven steps, we didn’t generate much rush there either. We’ve got to be better from that standpoint. We’ll try to do that.”
(On the Browns having multiple players suspended or injured on the defensive line, but coming up with four sacks against the offensive line…) – “There is a lot that goes into it. We could talk about this player or that player. There are 11 guys on the field that play together. Their guys played better than ours. Players do make plays. I think they made more plays than we did today.”
(On why he was very emotional and upset during the second quarter…) – “I don’t [remember]. In the second quarter I think it was 21-0 or 28-0, so there’s a lot to be upset about. Offense, defense, special teams – pick one.”
(On the fake punt…) – “We were trying to get a spark. I felt like we needed one so we went with it. We didn’t get it. It felt like we needed a spark. I don’t think anyone could argue that. It didn’t work out though.”
(On if he has a status of WR Jakeem Grant and WR Albert Wilson injuries…) – “I don’t. It’s too early. I haven’t even seen them yet. I saw them on the field, but they’re going to get evaluated and go through that process. We will check on those guys throughout the week.”
(On whether he will consider changing to a zone defense…) – “I thought we played a lot of zone today. I think you have to mix both man and zone.”
Brian Flores – November 22, 2019
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Friday, November 22, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(We’ve seen on the injury report the last couple days that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was on it with his forearm and his shoulder. Is there any question in your mind about him playing Sunday?) – “No, he’ll be out there. I think he’ll be out there. He’s practiced this week and he’s gotten better each day, like all the guys who are on that list. Each guy’s kind of gotten a little bit better each day; but yeah, I expect him to be out there.”
(You have a bunch of young corners, obviously. Most of them are undrafted. A lot of them said they have chips on their shoulders to prove to the world they can play. What do you like about this group of six or seven guys? Is there a fearlessness you’ve seen with them when going up against big-name receivers? What’s impressed you about that group?) – “What impresses me the most is that they work hard. They come in here on a daily basis, try and improve (and) get better. I think everyone in this league is motivated to play well and to do that for their team, their teammates, their coaches, their families, themselves; there’s a lot of reasons why they want to play well. That’s what I like about this team – this team and those players you mentioned. I think they’re competitors, and I think we’ve got a team full of competitors. They want to go out there and try to win.”
(LB Raekwon McMillan – we saw him upgraded to full participation this week. How’s he doing? Will he be ready to go for Sunday?) – “Yeah. I think he’s had a good week at practice. I anticipate Raekwon playing. He’s had a good week of practice. Obviously he was dealing with something last week, but I expect him to be out there.”
(DE Taco Charlton as well – the elbow – he’s been limited with it. Would it be a rush to kind of get him back?) – “Taco’s – I would say Raekwon (McMillan) and Taco are a little bit different. That one’s a little bit – not tricky – but it’s a little bit more serious, but he’s worked to get back. (Charlton) practiced this week and we’ll see. That’ll be closer than Raekwon.”
(Would it be too optimistic for CB Ken Webster to play this week?) – “He’s definitely been out there and he’s working well. I think we may have a chance there, so we’ll see how it goes. We’ve still got another couple days. How he responds to today’s practice – obviously three days in a row – we’ll see if he responds well and if he does, he’s got a chance.”
(Anything you’ve seen from RB De’Lance Turner to put him in the equation to possibly play or at this point – obviously RB Kalen Ballage, RB Patrick Laird and RB Myles Gaskin are ahead?) – “Yeah, De’Lance Turner, he’s done a real good job in the kicking game. He’s actually showed up in a good way on our show teams running the football, catching the football out of the backfield. I think this is a good, young, physical, fast, good, young player. Again, like I say to all the players on this team, your role on this team is what you make it, and I think he’s working towards carving out a role for himself, specifically in the kicking game but trying to do so offensively as well.”
Michael Deiter – November 21, 2019
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Thursday, November 21, 2019
G Michael Deiter
(Is it just you guys kind of look at the defensive scheme and the way they attack or does it matter that a guy like Browns DE Myles Garrett isn’t going to be out there?) – “It definitely matters and the thing you want to find out is who do we plan on seeing if it’s not going to be him and who else is going to play – 65 (Larry Ogunjobi) is out, too – so who’s going to play that position? Then the scheme, you study either way. You’ve got to figure out what they want to do first, second, third down, what they want to get to; but you also need to try to figure out what they plan on doing personnel-wise. Both of them you need to figure out, and you do need to figure out because we don’t really know because Myles (Garrett) has been playing a lot, so we just need to figure (it) out. We kind of have an idea, but we never know. We need to figure out who’s going to play and then schematically, it should be similar. It should be the same, but (we’ve) got to figure out who’s going to play and get ready to play them (and) figure out what they do.”
(Is that kind of something you take on yourself or is that just a point that the coaches have been making – just “hey, kind of get to know everybody?”) – “It’s definitely both. It is coaches saying like, ‘it could be this guy. It could be that guy. Watch film on them. Get a feel for them.’ Then it’s you at the same time, knowing you might get this guy, you might get that guy, have an idea of what they like to get to in certain situations and you just need to figure it out. It is coaches telling you, and it’s also, it’s got to be on you, too.”
(On going forward after the Buffalo game.) – “We just need to get better. We definitely didn’t play our best game. There’s no denying that but can’t just sulk about it. We’ve got to get better. It’s as simple as that. We didn’t play good enough, so (we) come back in here this week and work and try to get better. That’s what we’ve done, so we need to go out there Sunday and play better and just keep trending in the right direction and no more setbacks.”
Walt Aikens – November 21, 2019
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Thursday, November 21, 2019
S Walt Aikens
(On playing defensive snaps…) – “I feel like the coach will put you in the best position, and if my name is called then I’ll do what I’ve got to do.”
(So you’ve never lobbied for snaps on defense?) – “I didn’t say that. (laughter) I didn’t say that at all, but I believe in our system. I believe in our coaches. They’ll put people in the best places.”
(Have you ever wondered, “what do I have to do get an opportunity on defense?”) – “Yeah, for sure. For sure.”
(And have you ever asked that?) – “Yeah.”
(And what was the answer?) – “It’s up to the coaches, like I said. I just do what I’ve got to do. I come in every week, prepare (on) both special teams and defense, making sure I’m ready at any given moment. As far as I’m concerned, I handle what I’ve got to do on special teams and when my name is called, I do what I need to do.”
(Have you ever thought that maybe that you’re kind of too good of a special teams player to play defense?) – “I like the way you said it. (laughter) I like the way you said that.”
(You did split two guys last week.) – “I feel like I can play defense at any given time. I’m ready, like I said earlier. It’s just all about the opportunity when my name is called, stepping up to the plate, but I’m preparing just like I would going into any other game, knowing what I’ve got to do, prepared and focused.”
(Can you put into words how good that feels when you split two guys to go make a tackle downfield on punt?) – “Oh man, that’s good because I know I’ve got my teammates behind me. I know Matt Haack likes it. He came up and said, ‘thank you’ because he boomed that ball and I was like, ‘yeah, we needed some good coverage on that one after the kick he had.’ It’s a great feeling, getting down there and making an open-field tackle in a tough situation, especially with two on you. I just need to do more of that.”
(What is it like to know that people generally put two on you and you’re supposed to win?) – “I look at as a challenge. You’re sending two at me; I’ve got to beat the vice. It’s dog-on-dog. It’s a legal street fight, so may the best man win. I try to win the majority of my reps – I try to win all of my reps. It (doesn’t) always work out like that, but the thing is to keep going and show that fight so they have to double you. That’ll free somebody else up.”
(Can you sense that you’re getting a lot of respect around the league for your work on special teams?) – “For sure, for sure. Even during game play, (I) hear other players talk, ‘all right, 35 right there, 35 right there.’ If I know they’re looking for me, I know I’ve got to really show out because they’re going to be coming for me, so I’ve got to come for them just as hard, if not harder.”
(What was your reaction the first time you heard another team go “35, 35?”) – “That was early. That was early in my career I was getting a couple doubles and stuff like that, knowing that I was a bigger body at the gunner position and making plays. I love it. I take it as a challenge and try to win every play.”
(Nice compliment, too.) – “Thank you.”
(So does the Pro Bowl ever cross your mind because they have a special teams?) – “For sure, for sure. Walt Aikens for Pro Bowl. (I’m) lobbying. My mama’s lobbying on Twitter if you haven’t seen it. (laughter) Shout out to my mama. I’m working towards that. Really, I’m just doing what I’ve got to do. That stuff will take care of itself. Until then I’m just going to continue to play good ball and continue to try to dominate.”
(Were you serious about your mom lobbying?) – “Yeah. (laughter)”
J’Marcus Webb – November 21, 2019
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Thursday, November 21, 2019
T J’Marcus Webb
(What do you feel you need to do, if anything, to claim the starting left tackle spot?) – “Come into work with a positive attitude and a great mindset at making sure that I’m doing everything I can physically and mentally to prepare for the Browns this week. Whether that’s moving guys around or me solidifying that spot just as I do in practice, whatever that may be, we’ll get it done.”
(Captain America shin brace, how did that come about?) – “(laughter) It was something that was drawn for me by the staff. You get bumps and bruises along the way and it was just kind of something to make light of the situation at hand. Everything is perfectly fine in terms of my physical ability.”
(You’ve been playing with that shin issue for quite a while now. Have you noticed any impact to it or it hindering your ability at all?) – “Not at all. Like I said, it was more of making light of the fact that that area could be damaged at some point. Just kind of drawing attention that it needs to be protected. It hasn’t hindered me at all.”
(How would you characterize the chemistry on this offensive line as a whole because there’s been so many different starting rotations throughout the season. Has it been difficult to establish a consistent level of play with the five of you up front?) – “There are always going to be moving parts sometimes, and that’s okay. It’s just the next-man-up mentality and you have to step in and make sure that you’re doing the best that you can to prepare for your unit and making sure that you’re giving … a fighting chance as the last man would.”
(With the suspensions on the Browns defensive line, is it hard to get a feel for who they are and maybe not seeing the same players in that rotation?) – “Even though that may be, they still have schemes and different things that they do and we have to prepare for that and make sure that we communicate amongst ourselves and that everything gets passed along so that anything they do throw at us, we can guard.”
(So it’s more the scheme more so than the actual players?) – “Right.”
Brian Flores – November 21, 2019
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Thursday, November 21, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I have a couple things on the topic of setting the edge. One, has there been anyone who you think has consistently done that well defensively and then also, I never asked you this a couple weeks ago, but was DE Jonathan Ledbetter healthy enough to be considered when you chose LB Andrew Van Ginkel to come back as the second designated guy or was he simply not going to be healthy to play this year?) – “We only had one more spot there, so we basically had to choose and we chose the guy who we felt was healthiest; so that was ‘Ginkel’ (Andrew Van Ginkel). The first part of the question was the edge setting. So we’ve had a couple guys who have become more consistent, I would say over the course of the season. Vince Biegel is a guy who comes to mind. Charles Harris has been more consistent, but again with that – with as many edge plays as there are in this league from crack-toss plays to stretch plays to speed sweeps, etc. – it’s something that you can be consistent for a while and then all of a sudden you don’t have the correct awareness on a crack play and then you’re inconsistent. I think it’s something that we spend a lot of time on. It’s a point of emphasis on a weekly basis. It certainly will be that this week with these backs, this offensive line, this skill group and hopefully we can do a good job and be consistent this week.”
(You’ve put so much emphasis on S Bobby McCain in terms of the guy who leads that secondary – the communication guy – how do you replace that in terms of what you lose?) – “I would say it’s not just Bobby. That’s an emphasis – communication is an emphasis really at all positions every week, specifically in the secondary, so it’s Bobby, it’s Jomal Wiltz, it’s Eric (Rowe), it’s (Steven) Parker, it’s Nik (Needham). It’s whoever we’re really playing in the secondary really throughout the entire defense, so I think other guys are going to have to step up. I think as you get to know your team, there are guys who are more vocal than others. Bobby is certainly that. We’re going to need guys to step up for him physically and from a leadership and vocal standpoint. I think it’s something we’ve talked about with those (guys), the players who are going to step in for Bobby, and hopefully we get that this week.”
(With CB Jomal Wiltz, you had him serve as the backup during training camp. Obviously he’s in an important role as a nickel and then he also plays some safety. What makes him a good fit for that kind of role?) – “He’s smart. He’s tough. He tackles. He understands what we’re trying to do from a leverage standpoint. He knows where his help is. Is it inside with a backer, is it outside with a safety, is it over the top of the safety? He can communicate. I think he’s good for the players around him. You just mentioned the vocal and the communication piece; I think he’s going to have to take a step up from that standpoint, but I think he does a lot of good things well. I think he’s definitely improved over the course of the season from training camp to preseason to Game 1 to how he’s played the last few weeks. That’s the improvement we’re looking to see at each position. He’s shown that, and hopefully we just stay on that course. We’ll need it. That’s for sure. We’ll need it, especially with the guys – the injuries we have in the secondary.”
(Is the free safety role typically the player you want to be that vocal guy in the secondary?) – “In my opinion, yes; so free safety or really safeties in general. I think that position, you’re basically in the middle of the defense. You’re talking to linebackers. You’re talking to corners. You’re in the box. I shouldn’t say – not necessarily the free safety, but at times. You’re talking to ends. You want that position to have some leadership qualities and they have to talk to the players around them; so yeah, I think it’s a leadership position. That’s something we stress to that group – really the entire group – but that group in particular. They’re literally talking to linebackers, talking to corners, talking to ends. Within any defense, that’s just the case. The quiet guys or the guys who aren’t as vocal, at some point offensively, they’re going to put you in a position where they force you to talk and if you don’t, then they’ll take advantage. I do think that’s a prime position for leadership, communication, someone who’s vocal. Not every player is that, so if that’s not the case then you’ve just got to work around it at times; but yeah, I think it’s an important position.”
(Obviously a lot of moving parts in the secondary now. Where do you see S Adrian Colbert fitting into your secondary? What kind of skills does he bring to the…?) – “Adrian – obviously he got here yesterday, or really two days ago. (I) spent a lot of time with him defensively and in the kicking game, just trying to get him up to speed. Like you said, you’ve got to see what’s out there; but yeah, we definitely have some injuries and we’re going to have to – I don’t want to say, ‘piece some of this together’ – but we’re going to play with some new sets of players in the secondary. I think Adrian may be a part of that. It just depends on how practice goes today. I think we hit on some of the early-down stuff yesterday. Today and the next couple of days will be more situational. Again, more volume, more communication, how much can a guy handle with one week of prep; we’ve done it before in other weeks. We’ll see if he can carve out a role for himself.”
(With S Walt Aikens, he’s been here and he’s always been a special teams player. He really hasn’t had that many opportunities to play on defense. You mentioned him earlier this season as S Reshad Jones’ backup. Would playing him on defense negate or impact your special teams unit?) – “I think you all know the kicking game is very important to me. I think it’s a phase of the game that’s just as important as offense or defense. If you win that phase, you’ve got a good shot of winning the game, in my opinion. Walt is obviously an integral part to our kicking game. Obviously he’s our captain, and he’s a good player. He’s been productive. He made a big play last week. I think he split two (blocks), made a play that forced a backed-up situation which, you get a stop there, punt it and we’re in good field position. There’s a whole field position part of the game that I think (there is) a lot of hidden yardage there that I think is very important. We try to stress that to the team and Walt’s done a good job there. Again, defensively, when he gets his opportunities, I think he’s gone in there and done a good job. We may see him. We may see him out there.”
(Is there an overlying message that you want your DBs to keep in mind going up against Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. and WR Jarvis Landry this week?) – “Yeah, there’s a lot of messages. (laughter) Obviously they’re two of the top receivers in the league; but I don’t want this game to be about those two guys in particular because then you lose sight of (Nick) Chubb and you lose sight of (Kareem) Hunt and you lose sight of (David) Njoku. There’s a lot going on here. Let’s read our keys, let’s play with our technique and fundamentals, let’s try to tackle these guys. They’re tough to tackle, there’s no doubt about that. I think everybody in the room knows that. I think everybody who watches football understands that. It’s a tough test. It’s a big challenge for not just our secondary but our entire team because it’s a talented group. I think everybody knows that.”
(Obviously you’ve watched the film of the Browns. How do you explain what has happened to their team considering the amount of talent that they have?) – “Look, my focus is on the group we’re going to see this week. Anyone can see it’s a very talented team. That’s what we’re preparing for. We’re preparing for their best and they’ve shown that. This is going to be a tough group to try to contain, to be honest with you. I can’t speak to what’s gone on. The only thing I can speak to is what I see on film and what I see is a lot of good players and a good scheme, and that’s what we’re preparing for.”
(Where do things stand regarding left tackle this week?) – “Well, Julién (Davenport) got dinged last week. He was able to practice yesterday to a degree. Obviously J’Marcus Webb has started the majority of the games for us there. We’ll see. I think we’ve got to play the group that we feel is the best group, like I’ve said week after week. But health is a part of that and that plays a role. We’ll try to get the best group we feel we can from a health standpoint, from a production standpoint. It could be another guy. We’ll just see how this turns out. If an injury doesn’t allow us to play those two, then we need a backup. All of those things are in play. We’ll have five guys out there – the best five guys.”
(Obviously that’s another unit that has a lot of moving parts. How do you gauge the chemistry that’s on that unit and how it can stay consistent?) – “I think that chemistry is built over the course of the season. I think we had – if you think back to where we were in Week 2 or 3 and where we were in Week 6 or 7, you can kind of see chemistry build. Then there’s ebbs and flows to every season, every game. I think there is good chemistry, regardless of who goes in there. I think we’ve just done a good job from a communication standpoint, knowing what to do, getting things organized. I think from that standpoint, we have good chemistry. Now it’s about execution. It’s about putting that together on a more consistent basis and that’s what we’ve been emphasizing this week, and really that’s at all positions, not just the o-line. But I like the guys we have there. They work hard, it’s important to them, they bring great effort and intensity on a daily basis and we just need to be more consistent.”
Brian Flores – November 20, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with Cleveland Media
(What has the been the key to the way you guys have played the last few weeks when you’re starting to play really well?) – “The credit goes to the players for just practicing the right way, preparing the right way and giving us a chance to be somewhat competitive. We’ve played okay. I wouldn’t say we’ve played great, but I think this week we’ve got obviously a big test ahead of us with a very, very talented team. We’re just going to try to do everything we can to prepare well and hopefully play well.”
(Is it encouraging that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has a nice record against the Browns? I think it is 5-1, and then he has some experience playing this team?) – “I think previous records, I don’t think they really – no disrespect – but I just don’t think they mean much in this situation. I think every game is a little bit different. Every team is a little bit different and past years, I don’t really think they have much bearing. I know this is a very different team than the Browns teams that I’ve faced in the past from Odell Beckham Jr. to (Jarvis) Landry to Baker (Mayfield) to (Nick) Chubb to (Kareem) Hunt to Damarious Randall to (Joe) Schobert – there’s guys everywhere. It’s a very talented team. It’s well-coached and it’ll be a tough test for us.”
(Coming off the Browns tape of the Pittsburgh game – Minkah Fitzpatrick had been so impactful prior to that game. Was it the tandem of Browns RB Kareem Hunt and Browns RB Nick Chubb that took him out of that game or what did you see?) – “I think – to me – it’s never one player. It’s 11 guys at a time offensively, defensively or in the kicking game. Those 11 need to work together. I think Minkah’s a really good player. I think Pittsburgh has a lot of good players. I think the Browns have a lot of good players – two teams that played a tough, competitive game. Obviously Cleveland came out the winner. They just made more plays than Pittsburgh that day. I can’t point to – there’s a lot that goes into having success really in any phase. I thought the Browns just played a better ball game.”
(Can you just give me your observation on Browns RB Nick Chubb and Browns RB Kareem Hunt together? It’s kind of a unique combination right now I think in the NFL. What challenge does that pose on defense?) – “It’s very challenging to say the least. Two very, very good backs. Both explosive, both tough physical runners. Good, very good vision. Both can actually – (they are) good receivers out of the backfield, so they pose a lot of issues and the two of them in the game together keep people up at night, I’m sure. They’ve kept me up.”
(How hard will it be to recover or make up for having to cut RB Mark Walton?) – “Mark was serving a suspension, so we played without him the last couple weeks, and we were going to play without him for the next couple weeks anyway; so it didn’t really have any bearing on our preparation. We feel good about our backs – Kalen Ballage and Pat Laird and Myles Gaskin, ‘D.T, D. Turner’ (De’Lance Turner) – so it really didn’t have much bearing, but that was an unfortunate situation and we’re trying to move on as a team.”
(You have a lot of players that asked out earlier in the year. You guys took care of that business. What can you say about the morale of your team in a season like this right now?) – “I think we just got done with our practice today. I think this is a motivated group. They work hard. They’ve been able to deal with adversity throughout this season. I think these guys, they try to come to work every day, get better, improve and try to build. I’m happy with the way they’ve worked. I think we’re always striving to get better. It’s a competitive group. They want to compete and hopefully we put a good week together and can have a decent performance on Sunday.”
(Your two leading tacklers are both pretty high picks from Ohio State. What are you seeing out of LB Jerome Baker and LB Raekwon McMillan? What are they doing so well?) – “(They are) two good young players. Both tough, both physical, both tackle well, both smart. They play well. Together, they play well off of each other. They do a lot as far as from a leadership standpoint, bringing the entire defensive unit together, so (we are) happy with both guys.”
Gerald Willis – November 20, 2019
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Wednesday, November 20, 2019
DT Gerald Willis
(How does it feel to be on the active roster for the first time?) – “It feels great. t’s been a long time coming. It’s been one of the days I’ve been waiting on since the draft.”
(What kept you going while you were on the practice squad?) – “The guys and my family. Just the grind, really. I was always taught to never give up, and that’s what I did.”
(How much do you think you’ll be fueled once you’re in games about not being drafted. Is that a chip that will add even more motivation?) – “It’s a chip on my shoulder always. Even when I go out there on the practice field I try to show it every day. It’s a big chip and it’s going to be a big chip going in on Sunday.”
(How has it been here with some of the veterans and the love you’re getting from DT Davon Godchaux? How have they helped you?) – “They help me a lot – in the meeting rooms, on the field, everything I do even outside of the field. We have team d-line dinners on Thursdays and it’s great bonding with the guys. I love my teammates.”
(Is there a danger in trying to do too much to prove that you belong?) – “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just going to do what I got to do, and whatever coach asks me to do, I’m going to do it.”
(How did you find out that you were going to be brought on to the active roster?) – “This morning. This morning I found out. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores said it in the team meeting room and I was very excited.”
(What happened next, did you start texting/calling after meetings?) – “No. I haven’t had a chance to check my phone yet. I’m going to let my mom and dad and everybody know the good news. They probably already found out by now.”
(When you talk about the grind, what goes through your mind when you first hear those words?) – “Grind – never give up. Just never give up. You never know when your number is called, you never know your opportunity is coming. I just never gave up.”
(How much did (Defensive Line) Coach (Marion) Hobby work with you technique-wise? Have you changed much from what you did at UM just from a technique and mechanical standpoint?) – “A lot. Coach Hobby taught me a lot. I’m starting to know how to play the run better, I’m starting to know how to use my hands better, and I’m starting to have a better get-off than I’ve had. I love Hobby. He is a great coach and I’m going to have a great year with him.”
(What was your mindset day after day being on the practice squad hoping that this would happen? What was going through your mind?) – “There’s a lot. There was a lot of disappointment. There were a lot of negative thoughts. I just had to stay positive. I had to keep telling myself ‘just be positive, just be positive. Wait your turn and just keep grinding every day and keep doing what you’re doing on the practice field.’ The film don’t lie. I know the coaches see it.”
(You went through an unusual thing that most NFL players haven’t. There have been two separate seasons where you were not playing. How difficult was that to deal with?) – “Very difficult not being on the field on Sundays and Saturdays. Even at UM when I had to sit out those years, it was very difficult. Just seeing those guys make sacks, make plays on the field and celebrate with the guys, it was very difficult for me. I’ll have my chance Sunday, so I’m excited for it.”
(Was there a time for even just say an hour, that you ever wondered if this was ever going to work for you in the NFL?) – “I knew it was going to work. I have just always been positive. I always keep positive. My brother, Landon Collins, I talk to him every day. He keeps pushing me, keeps pushing it. He always stays in my ear. That’s a big positive for me.”
(Will you have a lot of family at the game Sunday?) – “My mom will try to make it, but she probably won’t because of the cold weather. She doesn’t do cold weather. (laughter) Hopefully she does come.”
(It’s not every day two Canes get added to the 53. Have you had a chance to talk to S Adrian Colbert today?) – “No. I haven’t had a one-on-one with him; but I talked to him. I’m excited that he’s in the locker room and that’s big for us.”
(The big thing you got from being coached by head coach Manny Diaz was what? What was the biggest thing that you took form that, the biggest positive?) – “Relentless. Be relentless in everything you do. Get to the quarterback. That’s all he used to tell me, just get to the quarterback and be relentless. That’s something that I always think about when Coach Manny Diaz comes up.”
(With all of the excitement going on, how much of a challenge would it be just stepping on the field, and making sure that you’re ready for the game plan and you know everything with this defense that you should?) – “The big challenge will be this week’s practice – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – me studying my playbook and me staying on the grind. When Sunday comes, it should be easy.”
