General Manager Adam Peters & Head Coach Dan Quinn
Opening Statement:
DQ: "Alright, welcome to training camp and as you get started in a training camp, everybody looks at the schedule and who the first opponent is. And we look at that differently as we are the first opponent, and honestly, it's a pretty tough matchup. I know you hear a lot of coaches through the years have said iron sharpens iron and there's a lot of truth to that and we have a hell of a lot of iron that's going to be on this field. So, thanks to [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and his crew, we're ready to get this thing rocking. At the start of it, competition, that's what drives training camp and that's over the next five to six weeks. And if you really love ball and your teammates and a really hard ass challenge, training camp's kind of the coolest part to do that. You can imagine a [defensive back] trying to match wits with [QB] Jayden [Daniels] or being a running back in the open field against [LB] Bobby Wagner and that kind of tackler, the guy's an absolute tackling G. Can you beat him? Or a defensive end going against [T] Laramy Tunsil or a guard against [DT Daron] Payne. All these little matchups help you bring out your best going against their best. And each summer everybody asked me, 'Hey, what's your favorite part of training camp?' And I point to that, I say, 'It's always the competition and seeing these matchups and seeing what goes on.' And so, that's why we love it so much. It's that time and we get to do that together. So, I'm fired up to get rocking with you guys. I know AP [Adam Peters] is going to have an opener as well and then we'll get into some questions and get the whole thing rolling."
AP: "Thank you for that. Your opening statements are always a lot better than mine [laughs]. I just want to start and say thank you guys for all being here and really excited for this year. I know there was a lot of excitement last year and this year feels even more for myself and in terms of just what we built here and what our ownership has allowed us to build. And you won't be able to see everything right now, but as you guys get into it, we've made a lot of improvements to really everything here. We got a new bubble, I'm sure you guys have seen that out there. The fields look incredible, shout out to [Director of Grounds and Turf] Pete Benevento and his crew, but really when you guys get into the building and the things that [Managing Partner] Josh [Harris] has allowed us to build for the players, really proud of that and really thankful for that. We have a new locker room, we have new meeting rooms, we have a new nutrition center, like I said, new bubble. It just goes on and on in terms of the things that we've been able to do, tons of new recovery stuff for our players. So, we're really proud of all that and really thankful to Josh and [Team President] Mark Clouse and his crew for making this all happen. So, just to touch base on the recent signing. We signed [LB] Von Miller yesterday and just really excited to add into the fold too. Not only is he one of the best pass rushers of all time, but he's equally incredible in the locker room and we're going to continue to bring guys like that in the locker room. So, really excited about that move and really with that, take your questions and get rolling."
On WR Terry McLaurin reporting to training camp:
AP: "Yeah, we haven't spoken about that, but just like with really all of our players, we're expecting everybody to be here today."
On McLaurin's comments to media last week and on where contract talks stand with McLaurin:
AP: "Yeah, I mean, first I think without a doubt, I think everybody in this building values Terry very much. And we knew that coming in and we knew that even more after spending a year with him. In terms of where we're at, we've had conversations recently and we will look to have some more conversations and we're going to do everything we can in order to get a deal done."
On the thought process behind signing Miller:
AP: "Yeah, I think just in our conversations with DQ [Dan Quinn] and myself and the staff, we did see pass rusher as something we still wanted to add throughout the time. During free agency, we looked to add a few guys and it didn't work out. But we saved some money aside, really, in order to do this and find the best guy out there. And I've had a lot of history with Von and know the type of person he is. Obviously, his play speaks for himself and when you turn on the tape from last year it was like shocked to see how good he still was and how well he got off the ball and just what type of impact he had on the field. And knowing the type of impact he had in the locker room in Denver and then getting unsolicited calls from the teams that he has been on since then, talking about what a great guy he is. That really made it a really easy decision for us to bring him in. We brought him in a couple weeks ago or been a few weeks now, but had a great meeting with him and just knew he was the right guy to bring in. So, we were thrilled to have him."
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On President Trump's comments about the new stadium and team name:*
AP: "I mean, look, we're really focused on everything in the building and getting ready for this season and getting our guys in here and getting the building ready as I talked about with everything. And in terms of, whether it's the stadium or anything else those things aren't really, they don't really make it to us. So, we really just try to focus on what's going on in here and getting ready for the season."
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On finding an unseen characteristic from a new addition to the team:*
DQ: "You know what's cool about when you go from year one to year two, they've now realized what other things a person can do and highlighting how we feature players into different spots. And so, I think that's a good example of that, where he doesn't always have to be exactly the position that he had. What we found is this collaboration amongst teammates, offense, defense, on [special] teams, the way they help each other, support each other. That's what we'd hope to build. That's the standard of a Commander, of somebody that's digging in hard to try and get one another better. And that's kind of what the cool part of being a part of this team, the environment they created together to recognize these special traits in one another and then saying, 'Hey man, that's hard when you line up there or do this move or I can see how you tipped it away so be careful of that.' So, the feedback across the ball, in the locker room, outside the locker room, it's what we'd hope to create an environment. It doesn't happen right overnight, but it does take place once you get to know each other better and find their strengths. So, that's what's going to be fun to me about going into this camp for five to six weeks because we've also added some new players into that mix and to see them into that spot, I'm really excited. This is a number of players first training camp here with us."
On when he hopes to see second year players make a jump:
DQ: "We had about, I guess 10 rookies or so that were on the roster, maybe the 53 either at some point or most of the time last season. And that's pretty traditional that you see this jump happen from year one to year two. So, this spring, man did we see it in [TE Ben] Sinnott and we saw it in [DT Jer'Zhan] Newton and [LB] Jordan Magee and others. One I think that [was] unusual and they'll get better, but [QB] Jayden [Daniels] and [CB] Mikey [Sainristil], they kind of corrected it in-season. They didn't have to wait till the offseason. I think that speaks a little bit to their rarity. It's normal to fight your ass off in the season and take your lumps and then in the offseason, 'I gotta get better at this, I gotta work on this.' Those two, with the experience they had, they kind of self-corrected faster. That didn't mean they didn't get better this spring, but we are really excited to see [DE] Javonte [Jean-Baptiste] and [T] Brandon [Coleman] and some of the others in this role that they're going into their second year, it's a big deal. And most of it is confidence, 'I've done this, I know what to do, I worked on this skill.' And once you get to that space where you're not relying on just your talent anymore, but the skill that you've developed at the position, that's the secret sauce man. If you can get those skills right, it takes oftentimes into that second or third year to do that. So, we're excited to see the work they put in take place out here on the field."
On the team's focus over the next few days:
DQ: "Yep. So, we start off, we're going to emphasize from a team standpoint, we're on to the practice field and then it's a ramp up. So, you don't want to go zero to a hundred miles an hour that fast. So, the practices will go in length. We'll even start on more of a condensed field. So, the ramp up is designed to maximize the player for their safety to where they're going and then we'll build up into it. So, the first three days, first one is just helmets and then we call it shells where it's just lighter pads. And so, we'll work our way into pads. So, we're not going to miss one step along the way of their development. And that'll really go all the way through the next week. And then the following week we'll go up to New England. We'll have a practice there before the preseason game. So, we're just not going to miss the steps, the installing of the system. That's what it's all about, if we can get that part right and find the right drills and put the people in the right spots, everybody has a lot of the same plays. It's not what is called, it's how you do it and how you can execute it. And so that's what the real teaching goes on here over the next few weeks. How sharp can you get at your skills?"
On players getting more familiar with the system on both sides of the ball:
DQ: "I think when you ask the question of what did I see on the field? On the offensive side, Sinnott and Coleman, they jumped out to me in some different ways. Brandon, moving inside the guard and putting in the work to do that. Sinnott coming off of shoulder surgery, he rehabbed so hard where during that offseason part he and [G] Sam [Cosmi] were two of the ones we saw every day still while they were getting themselves ready. And I saw that confidence come out onto the field. As far as onboarding new players. It was the rookies who arrived a few days early here, but in the offseason, the veterans who were new, the rookies who are new, knowing this is our standards, this is our expectations of how we do things here, to see that take place that was a big deal. Because you do have to fast track those relationships to be as strong and committed as we can."
On Coleman adjusting to guard:
DQ: "Well, the first thing is the communication, playing next somebody. And so, with Laremy and [C Tyler] Biadasz and the voices and the calls, making sure those happen, the good news at that position, it's in the meeting rooms, it's in walkthroughs, it's on the field. And so, I was pleased to see all that development take place for him. And he's had experience at it in college, so it wasn't so far off to change that, but we didn't move them around in the spring. We really said, 'Hey, this is where we want you to lock in and go focus on.'"
On balancing McLaurin's history and future with the team in negotiations for a new deal:
AP: "Yeah, that's probably the tricky part of any negotiation is figuring all that out and in terms of understanding the market, understanding our team, understanding our financial situation and all that. I don't think I've been a part of a negotiation where it's been really linear and smooth and everything like that. But I think understanding where they're at and understanding where we're at and trying to close that gap and come into something is really kind of all the nuance of it. And staying really above board and negotiating in good faith, all those things come together and that's how you come to a deal. So, as long as it fits in the construct of what you want to do and how you want to build it and what the player, and Terry in this instance, is comfortable with. So, that's what we're working towards. And we're having some good conversations and we'll continue to."
On Miller's past suspension and how off-field concerns surrounding players affect their decision-making:
AP: "It's a great question and certainly there's a lot of people, a lot of players. We always look into everybody's background. Some are more public than others but there's always things where people make mistakes. We're all human beings and you look at those each individually, each situation individually, try to get the most information you can and make the decision based off that. It's not always what you read, it's not always what you hear first off. We all know that in the news you really have to do your work and we have a lot of people that do that for us. Then you either are comfortable with it or you're not. With Von, knowing the type of person he is, you know the nature of situations, we felt really comfortable with that and we did a lot of research to back that."
On weighing Daniels' contract when looking toward the future:
AP: "That's a good question too. You always want to build your roster to win now and then win in the future and I think that the moves that we made, those allow us to do both really with the nature of those whether the deals or the contracts or however you say it but we're always looking to field as good of a team as we can every year. And however we can do that, we'll do that. And without mortgaging the future. In terms of Jayden's, he's on his rookie deal, so that does give us more financial flexibility, but we were just talking about this the other day. I mean, out of the four teams that were in the championship game, we were the only one that had a quarterback on his rookie contract still. So, it's still possible to win after you pay a quarterback and whether you talk about a window, I don't know what a window is in terms of that. Hopefully our window's as long as we're here and that's what we're building for.
On the urgency to finish deals with camp starting:
AP: "I wasn't so much directly involved, but I was a part of it, so I understood how it went. A lot of contracts, I think, that's just kind of the nature of our business. You obviously would like to get these things done quicker than longer but it's not always going to happen that way. So, I think, for me, just seeing those things secondhand, really, not firsthand, but understanding how that went, just understanding that, first of all, we're dealing with a really, in the case of Terry, a really good player and a really good person. So, really understanding that and never losing sight of that and making sure that, you know, every conversation we have is very straightforward, honest, and in good faith and just keeping that mindset throughout because there's going to be twists and turns but just having that confidence and just understanding our goal is to get a long-term deal done. Just keeping focused on that and whatever happens along the way, just understand that he's a great player and we want to keep him here."
On what is at stake if McLaurin does not return:
DQ: "Yeah, I don't want to get into the hypotheticals of what if or whatnot. Better question for next week or tomorrow as we get into stuff. We're planning, like Adam said, for everybody to get here and get rocking."
On Cosmi's recovery timeline:
DQ: "He's doing great. He's had a really strong offseason and we're not going to miss one step of him along the way. The guys are doing their physicals today, and so I can give you a follow up of where he is at tomorrow, but he's really hitting all the markers that we had set, that we'd hope to see and so that's a really cool thing."
On WR Deebo Samuel's minicamp performance and on expectations for training camp:
AP: "I think with Deebo, what I've seen is, and I didn't see him his last year in San Francisco, but he's always had a great joy about him and it seems as good as it's ever been in terms of his love for being around football, playing football, being around his teammates and being on the football field. And it was almost enhanced this spring, just the way maybe he's, and I don't want to speak for him, but maybe by being in a new offense and having new challenges. He seems like he's really revitalized, and he's been an awesome teammate and he's really in, you guys will see him, he's working his tail off to be in excellent shape. But the one thing that probably every player that comes here, and when we play in our offense, it's fast. So, understanding that it's a little different than a huddle up offense where you, you know, you have to, so he's taken that challenge on and really worked on, you know, having great wind and being able to play over and over and over again. And he's really worked his tail off this whole off season, so really excited to see where he's going to go but in terms of how he's been so far, I couldn't be more pleased."
DQ: "The word I think of for him is, for Deebo, I think of joy. He has it, you see it on the practice field, you see it in the meeting rooms, there's an energy that he brings to our team, that is, you feel it and I certainly did right from the right from the beginning."
On next steps for Daniels:
DQ: "Yeah, I think more growth and one thing I've learned over the year from Jayden, and there's no limits on him, you know, because this is somebody that absolutely is a savage from a work standpoint and just absolutely puts it in. So, the skill work, the techniques, the knowledge of the offense, all of those things are going to be enhanced, and he's thrown himself in an excellent off season. We had a good conversation on the phone just the other night, chopping it up about the team, the summer, the off season, and you can feel his energy and just walking out here, you know, when you walk into our building, there's a lot of energy with our team and he's right in the middle of all that, but I would never count him out or, you know, put him, mistake him for not doing anything other than absolutely emptying the tank to go for it."
On differences between this year's training camp compared to last year:
AP: "I mean I'd like to think we're better, I would. You know I would but really just, it was cool to see the players that we hadn't been with last year get so much better and get so much closer last year and work together, and then all the players that we drafted get so much better. And then bringing in a lot of guys from you know, through trades or free agency this year and see how those guys mesh together too. So really impressed with the job that DQ has done in bringing everybody together. I think that's probably the coolest thing from year zero to year one, and then year one to year two, continuing that. I think we have a better roster. That doesn't always mean you're going to have more or less wins but certainly really excited about the group that we have together. Not just the talent, but just the people."
On having the oldest roster in the NFL:
AP: "Yeah, I'm sure there's a ton of factors that go into that and, and there are a ton of factors that go into that but I think really signing guys like Bobby [Wagner] or [TE] Zach [Ertz], those guys, I think we showed last year, people thought we brought them in to be like coaches on the field, and certainly they are, they pass along a ton of knowledge, not just to the guys in their position group, but to guys across the whole defense or the offense and Bobby and Jayden have a great relationship too, understanding and making each other better. But we saw with those guys, they're still really, really good players and that goes the same for a guy like Von. He's older, but he's still got a lot in the tank. We're going to look for great players that fit us, and whether they're 22 or 35, if they can help us win, we're going to bring them in.
On how conversations about coming to Washington have changed within the last year:
AP: "That's a great question and it really helped me a ton last year having DQ here and I think I've said this before, but not only players, but coaches wanted to come coach for DQ, and players wanted to come play for DQ. You know, Tyler [Biadasz] wanted to come play here, and he wasn't a defensive player, you know, DA [DE Dorance Armstrong], [Dallas Cowboys DE] Dante Fowler [Jr.], there's a lot of really good players, Bobby Wagner, that would not have come here if we didn't have DQ, I think it starts there. Then the culture that he's created, guys talk and, you know, guys that are going to be free agents that we see and that we play against, I want to come play for you. I'm very proud of the fact that, to be a part of something like that and to be a part of something that DQ and his staff have created, that people want to come here and play. Obviously, it helps when you have a quarterback like Jayden. Guys want to come play and catch passes from him and guys want to come block for him, guys that want to come play on the other side and get sacks at the end of games to close out the games if we're ahead. That makes it a lot easier but certainly it started with Coach Quinn and the culture that he built.
DQ: "Together with Adam we're proud of the culture and the environment that's getting created here and it's through the players and their connection to one another, how hard they're going to go for one another. As special as last year was like, it's onto this, in this journey with this crew. We're so pumped to do that, and so we're not going to miss one bit of it. So it's an awesome time to be here and get rolling with everybody, but I think together, that's one thing that we're really proud of, and we work hard at that part to make sure this could be a place where you can absolutely be your best self and also as a team and that's a really lofty goal, but we're going to go after it as hard as we can."
