Opening Statement:
"Give you some insight, what you might see today. There'll be a lot of red zone work in this last block. You'll also see some competition where, for instance, second down and play it out. May go second down, goes to 2nd-and-9 goes to 3rd-and-4, or could go second down to first down. Some of those unscripted plays that just allow the communication, the flow of a small series to take place but that's what we'll hit on a bunch today. Then we'll finish like we normally do with some type of end of the game moments or end of the half, but good day to get rocking with all the guys. Starting to get into a camp routine now, which feels good. Let's get it rolling."
On when is a good time to let the players rest:
"We start from the beginning and map out the camp and there's some times where if you can be ahead of it or in the middle of it to say if there's a three day block, we may, based on an injury history or not, utilize somebody to make sure we get them at their best. It's customized to each player. There'll be – unlikely that people would miss more than one, but we just try to be strategic about when you may really ramp it and get a lot of reps and when you want to back off and get less. Some days off is better than less, but you do need the high days as well."
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On his intention behind locker room seating assignments this season:*
"Not as much as you think. The main thing you don't want, in my opinion, is everybody who's in the same meeting room sitting next to each other, then in the locker room as well because then like all of our diversity isn't a strength because we're just with the same group in the meeting room, in the locker room. You spend so much time together so that would be the main thing. Past that there are a lot of leaders here. Where you may have done that in the past there's really a really strong group connected here."
On expectations for the system of plays this training camp:
"The first part is like dual and in a training camp at the start of it, you don't want as many long-extended plays. You can control that by the amount of work that you do. In the old days you may have, this is what we did in the spring, this is what we do now. Now I can control it by doing more work down in the low red zone, which would limit the long running and then add on to the yards and the workload as it goes. Even the timing of practice. All right, first one's 80 and then it goes, on and on. It's different than the spring for sure. I think an old coaching method we had was, 'Hey, these are the installs in the spring we did them. And then you just repeat them at a training camp.' I don't think you can do that anymore based on how the offseason is. I just customize it to now and then this block will be over and then we will turn on the next one and have another emphasis beginning on Sunday with the team."
On if there is a frustration from a coaching perspective on shorter practices:
"We just think of each practice as its own performance and making sure that's why we moved the one up today. It's safer and also man, so we can throw like a hell of a practice. That's every time we're going out here, we know that's where we really make us. That's why I love the competition. We're just trying to like make sure to max out when we're on the field together, that's our thing. The most important thing that we can do during the day together is the time out on the field. All the prep and energy and scripting and them preparing their bodies and minds to do that, it all leads to them being able to go perform. It's the same for everybody, so can we do it better than the other 31. That's why I like the collaboration teammate to teammate giving each other feedback. We're trying to find any margin to get it, to share the information to get better. If we can do that better, that's a double win. Me giving my best, you are giving yours and now we kind of lift each other by going after it. We'll dig into that hard."
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On having WR Michael Gallup back and on his performance so far:*
"Yesterday you felt the length. He can really extend to go get the ball. There's one of the things he's known for is deep ball and on the sideline being able to use that length and extension. He's got great energy about him and just getting back into the flow of it with a new system also. It was good to have him through the offseason to get himself prepared to really come and do his thing. It was nice to see him make some plays yesterday."
On T Josh Conely Jr.'s performance so far:
"From the time we got to meet him, he just got as a younger college player coming up, he had more of a professional attitude. They had said that about Oregon, talking to some of the people on the staff there. I mean this guy handles his business, so although he is younger, I definitely felt that attitude to really put in the extra to go and he has some excellent guys in this offensive line group to model to ask questions. He's pretty fortunate in that way to have the right people around him to really nail it."
On the continuation of WR Terry McLaurin's contract situation:
"I'm glad you brought it up because when there's like an update to tell you, you won't have to ask. I'll tell you and I'll be pumped about it. There's nothing for me to add to it, but I don't have anything to add from when [General Manager] Adam [Peters] [spoke] the other day. But you won't have to ask if there's an update. I'll definitely be the one to give it to you."
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On the platform T Brandon Coleman has with T Laremy Tunsil and C Tyler Biadasz:*
"Brandon's work ethic really sets him apart. He's thoughtful, he wants to ask questions and Tyler's that way in a sense too. I'm still getting to learn Laremy, but to have two guys that have been in the fights together right side by side next to one another, the best offensive lines really can communicate well. I love how much time I see these guys spend together on the field, off the field support one another. From Brandon moving from outside to inside, for guys like [G] Nick Allegretti, he's the greatest teammate you can have, he's just all in with you. He's an example of somebody that Brandon can also talk to, 'What about this technique? What about that look?' You have to figure some of it out on your own. Not every technique works for every single player, but Brandon's thoughtful enough to say, 'Okay, this is what works for me'."
On how calling a deep shot on the first play of camp sets the tone:
"It does set it because we're our first opponent and if we just stay in that mindset and absolutely love doing it together, you'll just find, man, you just keep getting better and stronger going against each other. So, it's that fine balance of make sure, not on the ground, taking care of each other but absolutely battling for it together. It's a lot of fun and that's what makes being a part of this team a really cool thing. If it's a touchdown or not, 'Hey man, was it a sack, was it not?' And so, then onto the next one and then onto the next one. And if you can kind of stay in that moment and not looking past, 'I beat you or you beat me,' and then now going to the next one, it helps fuel getting better."
On TE Ben Sinnott and DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste taking the next step:
"Yeah, it started in the offseason. Both of them gained some strength and some size, they've added confidence in their game because now more reps, more techniques to do that. And now we just need to get them in and playing but both of them have really kind of jumped out to us this offseason to say, 'Okay, this is your time, you've put the work in, now you get to go do that.' And so, finding ways for them to express that, in practice, here, against other teams, preseason games, that's the next step."
On what he wants to see from the team before joint practices:
"Understanding one another, I want to hear the communication. That's what I want to see at practice. So, they have a rock-solid understanding of a technique. For people that have had lots of experience, 'Okay, I've done it this way, but this is how we'll do it here.' That's a big piece of it. The next piece is their ability, us as a staff, find the unique things they can do and then draw it out of them. And so, us as a staff, getting to learn who the player is, what their strengths are, that's also part of the next month."
On S Will Harris and CB Jonathan Jones:
"I feel Jonathan's speed and Will as well. Both of these guys can really fly. On the first day I felt Will's communication as a safety, that's so important to be able to talk ahead of the call. So, a formation or something that's about to happen, kind of like playing defense in basketball. Can you say where the screen is? Can you say where the ball is going to be? And so, for the safeties and the people that can do that, that's a really big deal. And then from Jonathan, from day one, man, this is an absolutely squared away professional that can play multiple spots, nickel and corner. He's been an absolute blast to coach."
On RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt:
"Yeah, at that position like I said, it's a hard one to evaluate in non-pads because you don't know if, did the person make the tackle, did he break the tackle? And so, it's the offensive line, defensive line and running backs are sometimes the hardest, but what you can evaluate is the explosion on the cut, the assignment, was the read correct? And having [Running Backs Coach/Run Game Coordinator] Anthony [Lynn] here is a really big deal from a running back standpoint. He's got so much experience, can give the insight to the players to absolutely get them right. But I think it's the violence of the cuts that he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast. So, I'm very excited to see once we get into some opportunities, does he get tackled? Does he not? Does he run through some? But he's off to a really good start."
On differences with DT Daron Payne with former DT Jonathan Allen now in Minnesota:
"That'd probably be a better one for Daron. I don't want to tell his story because I wasn't here, like you said coming through together. But what I can say is that, man, is he really on it. He's been absolutely going for it the entire spring. There's an energy about him and a discipline that he's really ready to go take it on."
On TE Zach Ertz and on the leadership aspect he brings:
"A hundred percent, he is right there. He has this ability because he's seen a lot, that he can collaborate with a coach. 'Hey Joe, I know what the coverage was. I could see it based on this person or this call.' And what a valuable teammate, not just to tell the other safety, but to be able to incorporate coaching. That's connection, man. That's a championship mindset to say how do we find ways to do it better? So, I had high expectations of what it would be like to coach Zach and he has absolutely surpassed that."
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On last season's last game success and on reinforcing the emphasis this training camp:*
"Yeah, you'll have to check on the numbers, but it's going to be near six or seven out of10 games that are going to be within a score. And so, knowing that's our league and being able to find edges and moments to be at your best in these spots, I think it's critical. We had a good discussion last night with some of the players on kickoff return and we were standing there at the 35 say, 'Okay, this is out here, our team's going to be willing to touch it back and put the ball at the 35 or put it in play.' And so, all these discussions come up on how do you find margins and edges to go win it and think about a field position difference that could take place even in special teams. But it's why we do the extra work in these moments, that one minute left, 32 seconds left, end of the half, can you hold onto the ball and not give them a possession, going forward on fourths. Those are all part of finding like small margins, man, and you gotta execute, you gotta be able to deliver. Because there's that fine line between reckless and being bold and we want to be bold but not like, 'Let's just go for it.' So, it's thoughtful. What's the play? What yard line, so we spend a lot of time preparing the team for those moments and then you go let it rip."
