Eric Studesville – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(I want to talk about the running back situation. Let’s start with RB Kalen Ballage. How would you classify his training camp so far and what has he shown you?) – “I think he’s working hard. He’s done a great job in the classroom and he’s bringing it out onto the field. He’s putting himself in a position to compete and that’s what we want them all to do. I think all the guys are doing a good job at that.”
(What about RB Kenyan Drake?) – “I would tell you the same thing. We’re early on in this thing and we’re doing everything we can to be prepared to come out on the field because if you don’t know what to do, you can’t perform on the field. We’re all working at that and coming out here, and they’ve done a great job with that. That’s creating competition, which is what we want.”
(RB Mark Walton?) – “It’s no different. It’s a great room. These five or six guys I have in this room, you can go through all of them – you can go to (Kenyan) Drake, (Kalen) Ballage, Kenneth Farrow, Mark Walton, Myles Gaskin, Patrick Laird – these are great kids that work hard, that are passionate about this game and they all come to work every day. That’s going to give every one of them a chance to compete when they come out here. That’s all we can ask for.”
(We’ve seen RB Kalen Ballage get a lot of work this camp so far. How much should we read into that?) – “We’re trying to figure out everybody’s role on here, so we’re going to move people around. There’s going to be people moving around and doing things at different times. Sometimes there’s plays on the script. We want guys to go in and compete. We’re going to put them in positions to compete and it may be a play here, it may be two plays there, I don’t know. It changes every day. There is no set rotation of what we’re doing.”
(Obviously, RB Kalen Ballage has about 20 pounds on RB Kenyan Drake. What does that offer for you in terms of power running, goal-line situations and things like that? It’s got to be a big advantage.) – “Those things. And then Drake has 20 less pounds than him so he’s got advantages to having 20 less pounds too. The thing is they all have different skillsets. What we’re trying to do is figure out how we can utilize their skill sets and give us the best chance to win. That’s all we want to do.”
(Has it been fun for those guys to run behind a fullback for a change?) – “I think it will be, but it takes time to do that when you haven’t done that. It’s different to have another guy closer to you and he has to make decisions. There is a trust that builds in that. Chandler (Cox) has done a great job of coming in here. It started yesterday in pads right away. He’s physical with his pad level. We’ll all get better at that and we’ll get better feeling him and what’s going on. I think it adds another dimension to our offense and capabilities and what defenses have to prepare for.”
(Is it possible fullbacks will make a comeback in this league? For a while, it was like they didn’t exist. You’re shaking your head no?) – “That’s not a no. They’re just hard to find. They’re hard to find guys because the job description is not great. It takes a special person to want to go in there play after play and want to smash it in there. That’s what you’ve got to look for and that’s what those guys do. When you can find one and they’re dependable, they can make a difference for your football team. We think Chandler (Cox) is on that road. We’ve just got to keep developing and keep getting better and getting better and see how it ends up playing out.”
(What is the next step for RB Kenyan Drake? You’ve spent a year with him already. What does he need to do to get his game to the next level?) – “I think there’s different things every week. Every day they come out, to take his game to the next level, he has to continue to work and continue to develop and find other things that he can do to use his skillset. It’s not a magic formula. It’s just that we’ve got to keep working to get better. That’s all of us. That’s not him. That’s all of us to go to the next level, we’ve got keep working and keep working. You can’t stay – we’re good today so tomorrow I’m going to do the same thing. It doesn’t work that way.”
(It seems RB Kenyan Drake been a third-down back most of his career, used in that situational roll. How does he do more?) – “Play on first and second down. We played him a bunch on first and second down last year. I don’t think he’s a third-down back. He’s going to determine what that role is by what he does out here. We’re not pigeonholing him and saying he only does this. We’re going to put these guys out here and they’re going to show what they can do. They’ll show us what they can do and then they’ll determine what the roles are and how they do everything.”
(With RB Mark Walton, what does he need to do to make this football team?) – “I hate to say this but he just has to keep working and establish what his role is and how he can contribute. I don’t know what that is. I don’t want to say I’m looking for him to do this because that might be limiting him. He’s going to demonstrate to us what he can do and if there’s things that fit into how we see the offense being built and developing, and he’s part of that and he is, he’ll establish that. We won’t determine that and put him in a hole.”
(Different teams have different philosophies when it comes to running backs. Some like to have a so-called ‘workhorse’ back. Others go with maybe situations and different roles and things like that, or maybe you go play to play. What is your philosophy and Head Coach Brian Flores’ and Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea’s philosophy towards that?) – “Put the best players on the field that give us the best chance to win. That’s a fact. Whoever gives us the best chance on Sunday, that’s who we need to have out there to give us a chance to win. Then we have to do things around them to make them successful, whoever that is.”
(That may change week to week or play to play?) – “There’s so many things that could change. It could be week to week, it could be injury situations, this and that. But somebody has to be out there and somebody has to give us the best chance to win, so we have to get them prepared. They have to demonstrate that we can trust them, that they’re accountable. We have to put them in positions to be successful and that’s what we’re all doing out here. We’re trying to establish all of those things now. That’s what these practices are for.”
(I know it’s only been four days but you seem, just by hearing you talk, that you’re pleased with the work that they’re putting in and the way they’re going about the job.) – “Yeah, I really am. I think these guys have a tremendous work ethic. I think they’re smart, they’re dedicated and clearly putting the time in in the classroom. I think it shows out here that they’re able to come out and execute their assignments. Now we’re seeing can they do it physically, and that’s the next part of the whole transition.”
(It seems like that’s been limiting their mental mistakes or physical mistakes because there haven’t been all that many out there.) – “There’s some, but that’s why we practice. We practice because – some of them are learning situations that we can learn from, some of them are mistakes for whatever reason – but that’s why we practice. So what we have to do is we have to find the guys that don’t make mistakes, those we can trust, and they are going to establish their roles by those kinds of things. Those are the guys that end up kind of rising to the top.”
(So there’s room in the backfield for a guy from Alabama and a guy from Auburn?) – “(laughter) I just hope that they don’t start throwing punches in the huddle at any point in camp. I think there’s room.”
(Where have you seen the most growth in RB Kalen Ballage from this time last year until now?) – “I don’t know if it’s any one area. I think it’s all-inclusive. It’s everything that he’s done – how he works in the meeting room, how he has prepared himself physically. He comes out here knowing what to do. He knew what to do last year too. It’s just a matter of getting opportunities to sometimes show what you can do. The timing of it is different all of the time for different players. But he continues to push himself. He’s passionate about it, he wants to be really good and he works like that.”
(Was that 75-yard run last year an eye opener for RB Kalen Ballage?) – “No. He had some runs out here last year in practice that were pretty impressive too. That’s what we say: when an opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Jerry Schuplinski – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(With Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell taking a leave of absence does this mean you are going to take over that role?) – “I think we’re all trying to do what we can right now to prepare the quarterbacks as best we can as a whole. I know ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) said that he’s basically going to divide up Jim’s responsibilities and, as a result of that, we’re all taking on a little bit more. If that’s me in the quarterback room with those guys doing that, doing more, or (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) or whoever, I think we’re ready for that and we’ve been working at it pretty hard so far.”
(I know this came about quickly with Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell. How do you mentally prepare for that to take on a little bit more?) – “I think the good thing about Jim, and working with Jim for four months together with him, is we built a great relationship together. He’s someone that I really respect on a personal level. Getting to work with him from a coaching standpoint has been really good. I think we were working together as a unit anyways, which has been really beneficial to us. As sad as we are not to have him here right now, I think we took it as business as usual minus one guy. I wish he was here, but that’s not the case.”
(What’s it like to have one guy with one year experience and a guy with 15 who’s probably smarter than everybody in the room?) – “That’s a good one. It is pretty challenging. I think it’s really good though. Ryan (Fitzpatrick) has been around a long time, obviously – I would say not just years but the experiences in different systems and stuff – so his breadth and wealth of knowledge is really good in our room. I think we all have a good relationship with one another. I know working with those guys, it’s far from, ‘I’m the only one talking for now.’ Sometimes that happens on occasion, but we have good dialogue amongst ourselves, amongst everybody, and there’s good questions going around the room with Josh (Rosen) and with Jake (Rudock) and with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and with everybody else. It’s been really fun and really interesting. It’s challenging because people are at different levels, but that’s just the way it always goes. Sometimes you’ve got to – I would say the goal is to work everyone up to the level of the highest we could go and not work downward. It’s constantly a challenge on maybe the younger guys a little bit, but that’s a good thing.”
(I was going to say it’s probably a challenge, because how do you evaluate a guy who’s of course going to look good because he’s seen it all?) – “We’re definitely evaluating on a daily basis, but I think we have also a long-range evaluation in mind. I think that’s really important.”
(Is part of the challenge not to lose QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to where you’re boring him with stuff he already knows?) – “I don’t think we’ve worried about that yet. He’s very engaging and he’s got a lot of good questions and so you really have to be prepared for all those guys, because they all ask really good questions. So far, I hope we’re not boring everybody, because it’s been really fun and then there has been so much material to cover that you don’t really have a lot of time for, ‘I’ve heard this.’ For all of us, we were just saying this the other day – for all of us, the four of us – we have never all been together before. Even though Ryan has a little experience in this system, none of us have ever been together before. So, we’re all still learning from each other and figuring things out.”
(Why through four days has QB Ryan Fitzpatrick gotten the vast majority of first-team quarterback snaps as opposed to evenly splitting them with QB Josh Rosen?) – “Actually, when you look at the whole thing, it’s pretty even in the midst of all the team reps and all that stuff because there are some other periods involved in there. When Josh came in, he came in and whatever it was, four weeks we had already started. The way it is with the rules, you only get a limited time to work. I think this training camp has been a good opportunity for him to learn and grow in our system from the ground up as opposed to catching everything on the fly. Ryan’s experience and knowledge in that area in terms of an operational standpoint may have been ahead a little bit at this stage when we first started training camp, but really the reps are pretty even.”
(Is that one reason though why we’ve seen QB Ryan Fitzpatrick open with the first team all four days?) – “Pretty much, yeah. Yeah, pretty much.”
(Is QB Josh Rosen way behind QB Ryan Fitzpatrick? Obviously, I know it’s four days of camp and there are weeks to go in this, but would you say Josh is way behind Ryan at this point in terms of knowledge of the offense, what needs to be done to run this offense?) – “I think we’re all still learning together. Nobody’s perfect on anything. There’s plenty of mistakes that are going around and plenty of good things that everybody is doing. In terms of who’s behind, who’s ahead, really, I’m sure ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has said something (like) this, we’re all just trying to compete and get better every day. I understand things have to be done and positions have to be made and decisions have to be made, but really we’re just trying to work harder every day and get better and everyone’s really in the same boat. Nobody’s perfect. There’s mistakes out there to go around; there’s good stuff. That’s really what it is.”
Pat Flaherty – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty
(On G Michael Deiter) – “The first thing with Michael, because of his rookie status, is you want to get him in one spot and that would be guard. Then eventually, what he’s doing is he’s able to work both sides. That’s going to be what we’re going to try to limit right now with him until he gets those types of techniques. (He’s a) smart player. He knows his assignments. But until you can do the technique over and over again, that’s what you need to do and get better as it goes.”
(G Michael Deiter mentioned yesterday that at Wisconsin they were really solid in the running game. He feels like he’s a little ahead but still has a lot to learn on the pass sets. Is that where he might have a little bit of…) – “Here’s the thing about young guys when they transition to the NFL. He played in the Big Ten (Conference), a good league. But he’s going to be playing against better players. Now his technique, which he was well-coached in college, but his technique has to change a little bit because he’s going against better players. Some of the things you’re able to execute in college won’t get the job done here. That’s the transition and learning phase he’s going to have to learn.”
(With your right tackle spot, obviously you have one guy stable in there right now in T Jordan Mills. What are you looking for from that position, from that group?) – “We have competition at every position, even at the center position. The one guy (on the offensive line) that’s probably getting the most reps is maybe (Laremy) Tunsil. Everybody else, we’re going to find it’s open competition. Obviously Daniel Kilgore is a veteran, but we need Chris Reed and Kyle Fuller to get in there and get some snaps along with Tony Adams. The tackle position is wide open. Jordan knows that. It’s not to motivate anybody. If I have to motivate them like that, they’re in the wrong business. It’s just get the best five that we can. The question really from your standpoint is when you’re going to make a decision? I can’t answer that right now. It’s going to be when we feel solid, when (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores feels solid, and (Offensive Coordinator Chad) O’Shea, that we have the right five in there.”
(With G Chris Reed, he spent most of the OTAs as a first-team left guard. You had him in Jacksonville. What does he bring to the table?) – “He’s a versatile guy. He’s been in the league a few years now, so he’s worked at center and guard. Mostly I’d say his last year in Jacksonville, he started to transition to center. Maybe a little bit the year before that, when I got there. But before that, he didn’t play any center. He still has some learning curves with techniques – not with assignments, he’s a smart guy. We need him to be versatile on game day as well. It’s the same type of situation. There is competition at left guard. Nothing has been solidified. I tell them each and every day on the offensive line: ‘You guys will develop the depth chart. We as a staff will give you what the depth chart is, but your play dictates it.’”
(I know it’s only been two days in pads, but the play of G Michael Deiter as a rookie, what have you seen out of him, the good qualities and what have you seen him do well?) – “That’s a great question. There is good and bad. You see flashes. That’s why we drafted him, but he is a long ways away. He’s a long ways away of being where Michael’s going to be a good NFL player. That’s not saying that through the next couple of weeks he cannot gain some ground. That’s what we expect him to do. Then we’ll see where’s he at when it comes to Week 1. I’ll say this, the guys I have in that room are hard workers. I think they are tough, physical guys. When you have that type of mentality, you have a good opportunity to get better and possibly win the job.”
George Godsey – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(On TE Mike Gesicki) – “Yeah, through the spring and into now, he’s working hard. He’s put on a little weight. He asks good questions of that veteran group in there that can give him some pointers. I’m trying to help him out as much as I can in the passing game and in the running game. He’s a good teammate. It’s early with pads – (just) the second day. We have a lot of room to go.”
(There are a lot of guys in that room. Can you tell us about the overall competition between everybody at the tight end position?) – “Yeah, I mean that position is about flexibility. You’ve got to block, you’ve got to be effective in the pass game, you’ve got to do some pass protection when asked to do that, so it’s all about versatility. Each one of them has their different strengths. We try to utilize that as much as we can but at some point, they’re all going to have to do what that position requires.”
(TE Dwayne Allen is obviously missing the start of camp. Is that less significant considering he’s a veteran who has been around the block so it will be easier for him to catch up?) – “Every year is a new year and we’ve got a new group of guys that everybody has to kind of mesh with – not just in our room but mesh with the offensive line, mesh with the quarterback. It’s kind of like everybody in camp right now where everybody is trying to build chemistry and then build their skillset to be the best they can during the season. It’s early right now and that’s how we’re taking it – one day at a time.”
(What skillsets have you seen from TE Clive Walford and TE Nick O’Leary and TE Durham Smythe that you feel can help you this season?) – “Well, they all have different skillsets to help us out. They’re all doing well in the passing game. This is the second day of pads, so we’ll see eventually where that leads us to. But through a few days of OTAs and into these first couple of days of early training camp, it’s been mainly a pass game. They all have a certain area that they can help us. Their experience last year will help out too.”
(One thing you told us a couple of months ago was that you like to maximize players to their strengths in terms of emphasizing what they do well in games. Obviously you want to develop them in all areas. With that in mind, can you hide a player who is not a good blocker at your position? Or is there no way you can realistically continue to get through games with a guy who you don’t feel is up to par blocking?) – “At this point in camp, we’re really trying to build and then evaluate. It’s the second day of pads. It’s a new year, so we’re building our techniques from spring without pads and now trying to apply them. As we get later on in the spring and into the preseason, then we’ll start saying maybe we’re better off doing this or that. But like I was saying earlier, at some point, everybody is going to be called to pass block, everybody is going to be called to run a pass route, everybody is going to be called to run. You build tendencies by just doing one thing, so we’re not going to do. Like I said, at some point, they’re all going to have to do what’s required of the position.”
(Two days into pads, I guess there’s no way of knowing if TE Mike Gesicki has improved as a blocker? He’s obviously put on weight.) – “There’s a lot of tape out there of him blocking.”
(TE Mike Gesicki has looked how, so far, to you?) – “I mean through two days, like I said, we’re still in the beginning phases. Everybody has done good at some point (and) poorly at others. I would say he falls in the same mix as everybody else in that group.”
Karl Dorrell – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(You have six proven veteran receivers. You have some talented young guys, obviously, here as well. How tough is this going to be to whittle this down to whatever number the franchise needs to whittle it down to on Labor Day?) – “It’s going to be really tough. When you have a situation like I have, that’s what you want anyway. You want it to be tough. You want to make sure that you’re putting pressure on the guys that were already here to keep them getting better and improving on their skillset. Then you want the young guys to be talented enough to be able to push those guys and if anything, maybe even overtake them at some point too. It’s really good competition in the group. Like you said, it’s pretty deep. I’m excited about it. I like our young talent with the young guys that we brought in. I think when we added Allen (Hurns) a couple of days ago, that’s a good veteran talent that he’s here, along with the other guys that were older that were already here, so it’s a good mix. It’s a good mix of guys that are trying to fight for some spots. You’re right. There’s only a handful of guys that we’ll end up keeping and there’s 10 guys or 11 guys out there, so they’re all fighting for a spot.”
(Your first three months with WR DeVante Parker, how do you think he’s looked? Has there been an emphasis on maybe trying to high-point the ball and to use his size to his advantage?) – “Absolutely. That’s definitely part of it. He’s a guy that he does create some problems because of his size. That’s some of the stuff that he’s been improving on in the offseason, as you guys have noted. But there are a lot of other things that I want him to be good at, as well. If he’s going to be a dynamic player in this league, he’s got to be multifaceted in a lot of different ways. He’s accepted that challenge. He wants to do that. He wants to be that type of player. I’m very excited about how he progressed to this point and now we’re trying to get him ready to play.”
(What are you looking to see out of WR Jakeem Grant, WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns early in camp as they are coming back from injuries?) – “All of those guys are kind of transitioning at different levels back from injury, like you mentioned. I’m pleased with their efforts and how they’re trying to get back. They’re all at different stages about where they’re at but Jakeem, who you mentioned in your question, he’s doing really well. Of those three guys, he’s had most of the reps so far in camp and he’s really kind of surprising us and doing the things that we already saw him do in his past; but to fit himself in our offense and to be able to do some of the things that we’re asking him to do, he’s been doing those things pretty well. Albert is doing well too. From where he was late in the spring to where he is now, he’s getting on the field. He’s kind of where actually Jakeem was in the spring, just kind of gradually picking up the pace as we go. Albert is doing that and he’s in that mode right now. He’ll be ready to go, I think, in due time as well. Allen is actually recovered. He’s full ready-to-go. Obviously he’s trying to get himself back in playing shape and tuning up his game. It’s good to have a good veteran presence like him. Like I said earlier when we opened this whole discussion, I’m very pleased with the level of veteranship in this group and the young players in this group.”
(Obviously WR Kenny Stills can play boundary and slot, and you have WR Allen Hurns now at slot as well. Do you see value for Stills in the slot? He’s done a lot of good work from that position.) – “Absolutely. He’s done those things before. Kenny is kind of our versatile player where he can play inside and out. He has the speed to do that. He’s accepted that and he understands what we’re trying to get out of him and in our offensive scheme. We have just a lot of options. That’s really what needs to be said is we have some guys that are at different size levels. You guys have mentioned Preston (Williams) at 6-foot-4-and-a-half. He’s a big kid. Obviously DeVante (Parker) is a good kid. We just have a good range of players from big to small and all different speeds and different skillsets. So it’s fun. For me, as their position coach, it’s a fun problem to have. It really is.”
(I know you guys don’t want to make any kind of excuses but when you do have new quarterbacks working with the receivers, is there a learning curve that you have to allow for?) – “Absolutely. You’re right, we aren’t going to make any excuses about that. And there is (a learning curve). Sometimes as receivers, you have to get used to the different arm in terms of how the ball comes off his hand and the timing of how he throws. Then from the quarterback perspective, he’s getting used to a different group of receivers that he’s not quite used to throwing to. So there is some timing that both sides of the coin need to work on to get better. That’s why we practice and that’s why they do the little extra work that they do after practice is to try to get on the same page about what it should time out to be and what it should look like, and also to point out some ideas about how to run a route or ‘this is where I want the ball when you throw this route.’ I think there is a learning curve on both sides of that.”
Michael Deiter – July 27, 2019
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Saturday, July 27, 2019
G Michael Deiter
(How did it feel to get the pads on and crack a couple of heads today?) – “It was awesome to feel that football feeling again. It’s cool to get out here and practice with no pads on and get your footwork back and all of that, but it’s nothing like when you finally put the pads on. It’s a whole different ballgame, and it’s fun. You kind of see where you’re off. As soon as the pads come on, you realize what you need to get better at. I think that helps a lot.”
(Guys were chirping a little bit, nice fun competition between offense and defense. Guys have got to like that as well.) – “It’s going to happen. It’s a competitive game, guys are going to go down, guys are going to work. That’s just all part of the trenches.”
(The concepts in the playbook, is a lot of it new or is a lot of it stuff you’ve known in the past?) – “I’d say there is a lot of similar concepts, it’s just the verbiage is different. It’s different language that I’m picking up on. It’s good. I still need to keep working on it but it’s coming. The concepts are the same, other than there are some new pass game stuff, that’s a little different for me. But, when it comes to the run, it’s all the same concepts just different language.”
(Tell me about the physicality out here. Rookie year, first day in pads. How different was that?) – “It’s a lot different. The physicality, it’s there. People’s ability to get off blocks, it happens way faster, they are way more athletic, and then they are a little bit more physical. There is no denying that. Then there’s the heat too, which seems like it’s kind of physical too. You kind of have to battle them both.”
(You come from Wisconsin, which is known for their running game. Is there similar concepts there as there are with the Dolphins here?) – “Yeah, it’s a lot of the same stuff. The run game is pretty much going to be the same everywhere unless you’re running the spread all of the time. We’re running a pro-style offense, (so it is) a lot of the same concepts. Like I said, it’s just a lot different language.”
(Have you been able to find a hockey rink out here to get a skate in yet?) – “I need to. In the offseason, that will be something I definitely have to figure out. I’m hoping to hang out with the Panthers. That would be cool.”
(Are there any of the veterans on the line – T Laremy Tunsil or G/T Jesse Davis – that you may be able to pick their ear or someone that you’re maybe close to, to help you?) – “Jesse, Dan (Kilgore) and Chris (Reed) are definitely guys I’ve been leaning on a lot because they play in the interior. They are smart and they are good players and I need their help. Just sitting with them and hearing what I can do better from their point of view is huge. You get coached, but it’s always different when you hear it from the guys you are playing with, especially older veterans like that. It’s refreshing to see if they are seeing the same thing you’re seeing and just getting it right together.”
(What are some of the things, the rookie-hazing that’s going on, what are some of the things they are making you do?) – “There’s not really anything. Honestly, it’s pretty nice. It’s cool stuff like getting snacks for the room and stuff like that. Just helping out when they need help with stuff. It’s honestly not bad at all. It’s friendly. They are cool. I’d say the hazing in college was a lot different. (laughter) It’s pretty much been buying snacks and making sure everyone has coffee, which is cool. That’s part of being a rookie.”
(Any weird request?) – ‘No. Nothing weird.”
(Do you share a favorite candy or something with another player?) – “The biggest thing that we need to have loaded all the time is sunflower seeds. We chew so many sunflower seeds throughout the day. Everyone is passing around bags of seeds, so every two days I have to go buy a bunch of sunflower seeds.”
(Any flavors?) – “All the flavors. Barbecue and pickle are the main ones that go, and then ranch. They go fast. The originals stay longer.”
(What are any of the other things? Honeybuns, Pringles any type of things?) – “Just chip assortments. Hi-Chews. Do you know what Hi-Chews are? The little fruit candies and then the fireball cinnamon candies.
(A lot of websites and pundits think you’re penciled in as left guard for this team starting opening day. I know that a rookie kind of has to earn his way into that role. What’s the message been like in the meeting rooms, in the coaching rooms as far as where you stand on the offensive line depth chart?) – “The message is I don’t really know where I stand, but all I can do is come out here and work and play good football and learn. The biggest thing I need to do these next few weeks is just learn, and then at the end of that, I’ll have a chance to do something, and that’s fine. I’m not going to sit here and think about what might or might not happen later. All I can do right now is work, and the biggest thing I need to do is just master the playbook. Once I can get that down, I can play fast, and then I’ll be able to play at my best, and it’ll give me my best shot to help this team, but it’s not really a concern. It’s just learning and getting better with those guys.”
(It seems like you’re not really in a rush for an opportunity. With the offensive line, these opportunities just come at any moment, right?) – “There’s always going to be opportunities, and there’s opportunities to help in different ways, and as cool as it would be to come out and start, if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘I need to be a starter.’ That’s not how that works. What you’ve got to do is come in as a rookie and shut up and work and let the cards fall where they will but do your best to make your card played.”
(How do you measure your growth each day at training camp? Are there set goals that you’ve set for yourself?) – “Definitely. Every day, there’s something I can get better with, and a lot of it’s been just small technique stuff. I think I’ve been pretty good with the playbook, but I think stuff like hands, footwork, especially when you start to get tired in this heat, that’s stuff that can go fast. So just buckling down on that stuff has been kind of my grind. And it’s gotten better, but there were some points today where I was a little tired, and it wasn’t there, so it’s stuff I need to clean up.”
(All-time starts record at Wisconsin on the offensive line, and that was at left tackle, left guard and center – is there a preference you have? Has there been some cross-training going on so far in camp?) – “There isn’t a preference. Any spot is an offensive line spot, so I’m good with all of it; but I would say I’m most comfortable with inside somewhere, so that’s about it. I’ve worked a little bit of right guard. I’ve worked some right guard in OTAs and then a little bit today, a little bit of right guard.”
(We had a great quote last year from former G Josh Sitton who said that changing sides on the offensive line is like trying to learn how to wipe your butt with the other hand. Is that accurate to say?) – “That’s a good quote, but I think it’s probably not as hard because it’s still offensive line. It’s a little different, and then the stance is a little different, but I think switching to wipe your butt would be way harder. (laughter) Way harder.”
(What’s been the percentage breakdown of each side for you so far, do you think? Ballpark?) – “I’m not sure, but it’s been mostly left and just a slight bit of right.”
(Have you practiced in this kind of heat before in your life?) – “We were down here for the Orange Bowl, but that was December, and it was not this. So no; but I’ve got three practices in now, so yeah.”
(How many pounds do you lose at practice?) – “At least usually six, and it’s weird because I feel like I’m drinking the entire – like I couldn’t drink more water I don’t think. To still lose that amount of weight, I mean this heat is different. It’s something that will definitely be an advantage once we get used to it because people have got to come play in this, and I think that’s a huge advantage for us, but we’ve definitely got to get used to it.”
(We’ve seen G Chris Reed open with the first team. Have you gotten many first-team snaps or any at all so far through three days?) – “Just when Dan (Kilgore) needs a breather. When Dan needs a breather, I’ll come in and Chris will go to center, or I’ll go in at right guard, just to kind of help those guys out; but it doesn’t really matter. Wherever I work, I’m getting good work.”
(Do you feel effective in the communication when you play center as far as getting the protection calls called out and everything like that?) – “I haven’t played much center, but if they want me to, I’ve been snapping and stuff; but if I go to play center, I’ll feel comfortable with that. It’s just something in need to keep working on.”
(Do you feel like you came in more ahead in pass protection or run blocking as a college player moving into the NFL?) – “I would say just because of the Wisconsin style, better in run. There’s a) little bit of an edge in run; but my run needs work, my pass needs work, so neither are close to being great. That’s for sure.”
Mike Gesicki – July 27, 2019
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Saturday, July 27, 2019
TE Mike Gesicki
(How do you feel?) – “Never been better. I feel great.”
(What do you feel you need to do this camp to show that you’re ready to take your game to the next level?) – “Honestly, just continue to improve in every aspect of my game. Obviously (I want to) continue to get better in the pass game, the run game and pass protection. When you’re a tight end, you have to be able to do everything, especially in this system. I want to be on the field as much as I possibly can, so I have to be able to do it all.”
(Did you do anything in the offseason different from coming in as a rookie last year to prepare?) – “Yeah, everything was different. I didn’t have to train for the Combine or do any of that stuff, so a lot of it was just being able to put on good weight to still be able to come out here and use my advantages, my quickness, my speed, stuff like that. Overall, I feel like I had a good offseason, but all that stuff is behind me now and I’m just ready to roll.”
(How much more confident are you this being Year 2 for you as opposed to last year coming in as a rookie?) – “My confidence never really wavered. I was confident last year; I’m still confident this year. I think, obviously, the experience helps and all of that kind of stuff. I’m ready to prove what I can do.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned earlier some of the things he’s looking for is blocking, breaking contact off the line of scrimmage. Is that something you feel you’ve come further on since last year?) – “Yeah, absolutely. Obviously, that’s what the whole offseason was for. That’s what getting bigger, faster – you guys know the deal. I’m obviously coming out here and we’ve got great coaches, a great system, a great scheme that talented players have to come out here and make plays. And that’s not just the plays like making catches and stuff like that. It’s getting your hands dirty, getting your head in there and go make plays in the run game.”
(How different is what’s being asked of you in this offense compared to previous offense?) – “I mean tight end is tight end. No matter what you’re told or what you think, you’re going to have to go in and run block, you’re going to have to go in and pass block, you’re going to have to go in and split out and run routes. Honestly, it’s a different system, but the position is the same. You just have to go out and be physical in all aspects of the game.”
(I know we talked to you about body weight numbers back in May. What was the final number as far as what you reported at this year compared to your rookie year?) – “I think last year I came in at like low 240s. This year I was low 250s. Something like that. The key is to be able to keep it on. You guys are out here, you guys are sweating too and you’re just sitting there. (laughter) It’s obviously tough, but you have to be able to keep it on and keep on the good stuff.”
(And that will help you how with that extra weight?) – “Obviously, when you’re asked to go in and block, go in and be physical on safeties and corners that are covering you and linebackers that are trying to get a jam on you. I think just the physical aspect of the game and being able to keep my conditioning up to be able to do all of the more athletic things that come with the positon.”
(What kind of goals have you set for yourself this season?) – “I know it sounds cliché, but my thing is just come in here every day and being positive and taking it one day at a time. Last year I was kind of looking ahead sometimes like, ‘Oh man, we’ve just got to get to here,’ like an off day, because you’re so damn tired during camp. Every single day, I’m just taking it one day at a time and trying to improve. I’m not worried about catching balls in practice and making these big plays and all that, because at the end of the day, the only thing I’m worried about is getting better, whether that’s in the run game, whether that’s blocking somebody, whether that’s being physical on my release. Even if I don’t get the ball, if I run a good route, that’s a check for me right now. I think right now in training camp, if there’s ever a time you can kind of focus on yourself, it’s right now because there’s not games you have to worry about or prepare for. Right now it’s just really hammering down your technique and that kind of stuff.”
(Does it help going up against physical safeties in practice like S Reshad Jones?) – “Oh yeah.”
(I saw you taking S Reshad Jones on today.) – “Reshad, he got after me a little bit on Day 1. I think that was something that alerted me that I’ve got to bring my game every day. He’s a Pro Bowl safety and you’re not going to go up against anyone better than him. To be able to go against him every day in practice, it’s only going to make me better. I’m excited about that aspect of our practices and the competitiveness.”
(How much more intense was practice, because you guys had to pads on today?) – “Honestly, the last two days have been pretty competitive and intense and all of that. But obviously when you put the pads on, it’s obviously different. Guys are coming out here and smacking heads and all of that kind of stuff. It was good though. It was good. I felt good. I feel like we were able to move the ball and do some things. Honestly, the goal today was to come out there and by physical.”
(How do you define toughness both in practice and then on game day on Sunday?) – “It’s all the same. You have to be able to do what you’re asked to regardless of the circumstances, regardless of who it’s against, regardless of how you’re feeling. Toughness isn’t coming out here and talking, it’s all about actions.”
(I saw something from Pro Football Focus saying you’ve caught 22-of-22 catchable balls last year. So when you had the opportunity, you made the catch. But do you ever get down in terms of not having a volume of opportunities?) – “Obviously, me being the competitor that I am, I obviously want to make plays and all of that kind of stuff. Last year was a lot about learning and a lot about growing and fitting myself into the NFL and what this positon entails and all that kind of stuff. I got plenty of years ahead of me to go out and make good plays and catches and all that kind of stuff. Last year is behind me. It’s something that now I’m able to grow on and build on. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores is always talking about being able to build on that. (I want to) come out this year and take that next step.”
Brian Flores – July 27, 2019
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Saturday, July 27, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I believe you said yesterday that pads are on today?) – “Yes.”
(How hard is full mode for you guys? What limitations do you have and what do you want to see out of your guys today?) – “I think first and foremost, it’s about getting into a practice tempo. You have one without pads where you’re trying to get a lot of good work in but obviously staying off the ground, and when it’s not a full-contact situation, that’s one practice mode. This is a little bit different practice mode where we have pads on. We’re working our fundamentals, our technique. There is contact at the line of scrimmage, on the offensive and defensive line. There’s contact a little bit more at the wide receiver, DB, safety, tight end positions. We’ll work on tackling, but at the same time, to be in a good football position, it’s about body position. It’s about things you heard in Pop Warner – shoulders over knees, knees over toes, having good body position, staying off the ground. Basically, we don’t want anybody on the ground. We’re not coaching that. It’s not something we want our players doing. We want them in good football positions and the ability to make a block, make a tackle, and that practice tempo is something that players need to get used it. You don’t just snap, put pads on and you have high execution from that standpoint.”
(What’s the fine line? Because obviously tackling is hugely important. You said from Day 1 that reinforcing how to tackle, getting to that edge, but not putting your guys at risk?) – “I think that’s something we talk about a lot as a staff – tackling, defeating blockers, breaking tackles. That’s football 101. We have to practice it, but at the same time, we want to stay up. We don’t want any big collisions. We don’t want to get anybody hurt or injured. Obviously we tell everybody to keep their heads up, use good tackling form, good blocking form. That’s what the last two days have been about. Really the entire offseason is about those fundamentals, those techniques, body positions, hand placement, head position – things that we really need to put an emphasis on. If we see poor form, poor tackling – really, it’s for the players’ safety. It’s players’ safety first and foremost. If we see somebody ducking their head in practice, we’re going to take him out of the drill or take him out of the practice or take him out of the game if we have to. That’s for the safety of the player. I reiterated that to the coaching staff and to the players as well. At the end of the day, nothing’s more important than the health of this team, and part of that is us as a coaching staff to practice and drill the fundamentals the correct way.”
(So when the pads go on, does that begin to separate who the physical guys are and who needs to be more physical?) – “Absolutely. I think at the end of the day in football, you can never forget about the physicality of the game. It’s something that from the early days – from the beginning of the game, that’s really what it’s about. It’s a physical sport. It’s about being tough, being gritty, but at the same time, being smart, being disciplined and not letting the toughness and the aggression of the game get the best of you, which happens really on a week-in, week-out basis. That’s something that we have to practice as well. It’ll get chippy out there. That’s a good thing; but at the same time. we’ve got to keep our poise. But yeah, we find out the guys who are willing to put in that effort from a blocking standpoint, from a defeating-block standpoint, from a tackling standpoint when it’s hot, when you’ve got a big guy blocking you, when you’re tired. That’s what the game’s about. I enjoy that part of the game, and I’ll see if we can do that.”
(So other than the scrimmage, your philosophy for camp is going to be thud and not going to the ground? Is that accurate or will there might be some live periods?) – “We’ll have points in practice where we go live, points of practice where we’re thuds, points of practice where we’re tagging off. We’ve gone through that with the team. They know when and when they’re not supposed to. We’ll let them know when it’s live tackling. Again, we have to practice that, but for the most part, the tackling portion of it is really one phase of it, but it’s the interior blocking, on the interior defeating blocks, it’s receivers blocking, it’s DBs defeating blocks. All of that is critical to the success of this team, and that’s something that we’ll practice in the individuals because you can’t make the tackle until you defeat the block. It’s a step-by-step process, and I think it’s one of those things that I never want to put one before the other. You can tackle, tackle, tackle, but if you can’t defeat a block, then we’ll never get to make it there and make the tackle.”
(Other than proper technique and physical strength, from your NFL experience, what are the factors that end up making a player the things you want – physical and tough and a good tackler or blocker on Sundays?) – “I think being smart and knowing where your help is, where you need to be and where you can put yourself in the most advantageous position to defeat a block and then make a tackle. So I think there’s places in the defense for setting the edge – a firm edge here, and you know that he’s going to set a firm edge, then you know you’re not going outside of that edge. You’re going to go inside-out on that edge, and you’re going to defeat that block in that progression. Then when you get to that point, it’s about your fundamentals, your technique; but look, the talented players do a good job normally with their fundamentals, technique, and even sometimes it’s not the perfect fundamentals, perfect technique, but they find a way to get guys down, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.”
(What criteria do you and Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski use to determine first-team snaps at quarterback in terms of who’s playing with the first-team offensive line with T Laremy Tunsil, etc.? Obviously, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has gotten the vast majority of those through two days.) – “I think that is a day-by-day conversation. Criteria, it’s day-by-day quite honestly. It depends on who we’re trying to work together, what center we’re trying to work with the quarterback, what quarterback we’re trying to work with receivers, what backs we’re trying to work with quarterbacks, etc. You’ll see some moving pieces really on a daily basis, and it’s really a day-to-day thing that we talk about when we meet at night and then when we meet early in the morning – who’s going with what group and what’s the best way to evaluate the entire group and also those individual positions.”
(Everybody in here is aware you’re going to be here five minutes early. Does the team, by now, after how many months, aware of time schedules and all that?) – “They understand that time’s important to me and that I think it’s precious, and it’s something that I don’t like to waste. I think there’s a lot that we’re trying to accomplish here, and if we can get an extra minute here, an extra minute there, that could be the difference in getting fourth-and-1 and not getting fourth-and-1 – that minute. That’s how important it is to me. I think the players understand that. I think hopefully anyone who’s around me understands that. That’s kind of the approach I take. Maybe it’s a little out-there, as some might say, but that’s my approach and I’ve been that way my entire life. I don’t know what the difference is. Sometimes you miss a play by this much, you make a play by that much. I don’t know – maybe it’s that minute, so I want to take advantage of that.”
(What other – for lack of a better word – culture ideas have you brought here? When you talk about putting your imprint on the team, you’ve done…?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s mine. To me, it’s a football culture. It’s being on-time. It’s working hard. It’s putting the team first. It’s being tough, being smart. I think every coach, really around the league – in my opinion, if you’re in this game and you’ve been brought up in this game, and you’ve learned this game – in my opinion, that’s what every team’s hearing, so I wouldn’t call it my imprint. I know there’s a lot of high school coaches who are saying this exact same thing – Pee-wee coaches, NFL coaches, college coaches. So I wouldn’t call it my imprint. I would just call it an overall football culture.”
(Where did you first hear “tough, smart, disciplined?”) – “Where did I first that? In high school – Dino Mangiero. I’ve talked about my high school coach multiple times here. It’s the first time I heard it, and then I kept hearing it over and over and over again. Then I heard it from Tom O’Brien at Boston College. I heard it from my position coach – Bill McGovern – at Boston College, and then I’ve heard it for the last 15 years over and over and over again, so it’s been beat into my head for a long time. But when I really think back, I even heard it from my parents. We’re going to be tough, we’re going to be smart – we’re definitely going to be tough – I know that, but it was harped on to be smart, it was harped on to have respect and then be disciplined. Quite honestly, I’ve heard it my entire life, and it’s authentic, to be honest. So when I say it, I mean it. Hopefully, the people around me take heed and listen, and I think that’s the best way to create consistency and get better and improve.”
(What is a disciplined football team by your definition?) – “(A disciplined football team) doesn’t beat themselves, doesn’t have the silly penalties, plays with poise when it gets chippy, (is) smart, disciplined enough to play smart football, to understand the game situations, to understand the down-and-distance situation, the field position situation. I think those all take discipline to really look deeper into the game situation. That takes discipline. Mentally, that’s a tough thing to do, too, so smart, tough, disciplined – there’s a few different facets there. We talk about that not just with the players but with the coaches and really everyone within the organization. Again, these are things that I don’t think are groundbreaking; it’s just the way I’ve always been brought up.”
(Having worked more closely with CB Xavien Howard in the spring and early summer, how good can he be?) – “He’s a talented, talented player, and he is tough and competitive and aggressive. We’ll see how aggressive he is today, but there’s a lot of things I like about him. The one thing why I’m excited about him is he’s on a quest to get better and improve and fulfill all the potential that he knows he has and we know he has. At the end of the day, potential doesn’t really mean anything unless you take advantage of it, and I think he’s trying to do that. That’s a day-after-day-after-day-after-day process. A lot of guys have potential. They work at it one day, they work at it two days, but Days 6, 7 and 8, eh – they get a little tired. That’s the goal. That’s the goal for really everyone on this team. In order to maximize your potential, you’ve got to find the discipline, the grit, the toughness to stack good days together, and then when you get tired, that’s when you’ve really got to stack a good day. You’ve got to put a good day together. Then we’ll give you a day off, you get recharged, then we go again.”
(A question about the coaching staff’s decision of pairing guys – who works with whom – and changing that up; regardless of position, is there a chance that a guy who practices better than another guy the day before could be behind that guy the next day?) – “Yeah, there’s a chance that could happen. I guess the thought process behind that is, maybe we want to keep that guy hungry. Maybe we want to make sure that guy knows that you could have a great day, and we’re always competing. There’s a lot of levels here, a lot of things that go into it. Maybe we’re sharing a couple tidbits for you here – you can have that one, no problem (laughter) – but maybe that’s part of the process. To me, that’s a good thing. Maybe it isn’t. Maybe some people think they’re better than they are, and we don’t. It could be a few different things. Only a few people know that, though. Only a few people know what’s really going on, and then you find out on Sundays.”
(Looking at the tight ends, what does TE Mike Gesicki need to show you that he’s ready to take his game to the next level?) – “I think Mike’s done a really nice job throughout the spring and then really into the first couple days of training camp. I think – like everyone on this team – it’s again, it’s one thing to put a couple of days together. We’ve just got to string them together, and now with pads on, this just adds a whole other emphasis from a blocking standpoint, from getting releases with more contact and breaking tackles and ball security. There’s a lot of levels to it. You really can’t get a full evaluation until we get to this point, and we’re here now. This will just be the first step to the next round of evaluation.”
