Opening Statement:
"I'm excited for today. We got another install for us and then last practice here and then we'll go head up to Massachusetts, um, you know, for our practice with the Patriots on Wednesday, game Friday. But I am excited for today. A lot of situations at the end, again, some two minute at the half and that's what we've been hitting on and digging in hard. Coming off the player's day off, we're still kind of coordinating who will be available for practice Wednesday and then into the game on Friday. So, I thought I'll give you that list before we meet at practice up at Foxborough, so, let's get through today. [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I'll kind of organize that tonight, but I'm glad to share that with you on Wednesday morning. So, all that said, let's get rocking."
On if T Brandon Coleman will practice today:
"Brandon will be out for today and then we'll see what it looks like for this trip to go. So we'll see if he's able to make it for Wednesday's practice heading into New England."
On what has jumped out to him about the defense so far this camp:
"I think [Defensive Coordinator] Joe [Whitt]'s trying to emphasize different things on different days. I like that we've, you know, pushed ourselves on man demands to see. In the spring, you naturally do more zone, you just, okay, there's no contact, you're just trying to do the best you can, so you emphasize different things in different parts of the year. But I like the communication that I'm hearing from them. I like the rotation and utilizing the big guys in different ways, but we're got a long way to go in terms of how we wanna get the ball. We got a long way to go in tackling, but I like that Joe's really mixed in a lot of man to mans."
On if he feels that the defense can play more man-to-man with who is at the cornerback position now:
"That's the goal. To test, you know, and find out where you're at, what you can do. And so now that we are getting into more of that, it's good now what's matchups and we'll do some of that this weekend again. So, I'm looking forward to, you know, heading up to New England. I've known [Patriots Head Coach] Mike [Vrabel] for a long time, so I'm looking forward to getting up there and working with those guys too.
On if he says anything to the rookies about traveling for the first time with an NFL team:
"Yeah, one, it's awesome to take the team away. A little bit different environment, you know, cause hotel at home and hotel on the road, it is different. And so, I like the team being together. I think there's things to gain with that. As far as the game goes, it's awesome. It will be eventually their first NFL game. They've been thinking about doing that forever. My message is they've already been doing that at practice playing against other NFL players at that spot, but it's still a start and something that is a cool day for them to begin."
On what he is most looking forward to seeing from the offensive and defensive line at joint practice:
"One of the things that I like is the different style of player when you're here, okay, I have a sense what he's like. I have a sense of what the next person's like. So, a different defensive front, how they align would be different than how we do, different style of player some of you haven't gone against. So, there's definitely things to gain as you're going through that. And it's not just O-line, they'll be on special teams in that same space. So, it's a really effective way to get more work in from some different looks, different styles, and we also provide that for them."
On DT Johnny Newton:
"The first thing that sticks out when you talk about him is like, man, what a difference a year makes where he is able to really fully practice and play and express all the things that make him unique. If you can remember coming off the foot, it's just working it back into it. When can he get there? And so, to see him like fully doing all the things, that's been exciting for me. And then as we get, moving forward reps, how to feature him, he's got great quickness off the ball. So, we love when we get him on the edge of players, whether it's guards, centers and even we've kicked him out, you know, to some end at times too."
On if he is expecting WR Terry McLaurin to come off the PUP list soon:
"Not a timetable. I think you'll see the on-field work and then we'll progress from there. So, once you get a good bit of on field work, really hard routes, decelerating, stopping, that's the hardest part. Not, you know, straightaway speed, but mostly for receivers, that deceleration, that's the comeback, that's the end breaking route. And so that's most of it for wide outs and for DB's. So, when that hits the spot, then I'm expecting then that to turn quickly."
On what allows LB Bobby Wagner to keep doing what he is doing at this stage in his career:
"Yeah, I wish I've coached him every year of my career. He's very disciplined. He's very structured in his routine of how he goes about it. He's methodical. You'll see him in with [Head Strength and Conditioning] Chad [Englehart] really early workouts, but he really trusts that, you know, now he's, what do I tweak? How do I get it better? This one? But it does come from the work. I would say some people manage, okay, I'm on, I'm off. Like there's not really an off switch with him. Like part of him is the work ethic, like I have put it in, I'm way past that. I wouldn't say throwback in a way, but he really trusts that process of like, some might call it over training, but for him, what it does to his mind and how he gets ready, there's an advantage there too, Nicki. So, he really has it and he trust it and it's been effective for him."
*On if he where he sees T Laremy Tunsil and Coleman in the run game: *"It's cool to see. They're unique and now we've seen both pull, how do you get out and go. So, whether it's a guard pull on a counter or both guard and tackle pulling, just to tackle, maybe on a sweep or a toss play. And that jumped out to me that usually you don't have that type of flexibility. Oftentimes there's one really good puller and sometimes it's the left guard when you're running into this side. If you think of like a, you know, Hall of Famer like [Former NFL Guard] Alan Faneca or somebody like you knew where the play was going cause he was gonna pull and they still ran it well cause he was that good at it. When you have the flexibility to move and be dominant, get into the combinations, it's a big deal for us. And part of our offense is being at the line and being aggressive, but having that ability to pull and move, that's a hard thing defensively to defend."
On how much time he thinks McLaurin will need to ramp up once he gets on the field:
"It's a great question and I think I'll have a better sense of whenever it's back then it begins, you know, the on field. So, we won't rush that. It's too important but all of the guys need that, at any position, at any spot. And so, it really depends on the return. Then you can do the ramp up, but we won't shortchange that in one spot to say, okay, now hustle to go. I think we all have seen that through the years around the league that somebody hustles back and ah, man, they got banged up. Maybe you didn't follow the process and it's hard as a coach. But just stay disciplined when those moments happen and all the guys follow the same, hey, let's ramp it back up and not miss one step and we'll do that too."
On the biggest area of growth you expect to see with both coordinators in year two:
"We're fortunate that not just at the coordinator but at the assistant level, we had just an unusual year where people had a chance to move, and they ended up staying and so that was a big deal. I think it comes from the staff part first of collaboration. When you're first putting in a system at the coordinator level, you're the resident expert in that area and there may be new people that you haven't worked with and you're feeling that part out. Well now you've gone through those ups downs, highs, lows and you can really collaborate at a higher level. And so that can kind of raise the standards of things because you've been through the adversity, which like all staffs are going to go in the spring when you're new, like, hey, the scoreboard's not on, all is good and then you lose a few games or the unit doesn't perform as well and fixing problems, building relationships with players, those are big deals. And so I think what I would expect year one to two, it's collaboration, not just offense to offense and defense to defense but together. And now that you can do that, I think then you can really set yourself up because now you're communicating, hey man, this is hard. That was a good play and I'm seeing that with the staff and that brings me a good peace of mind."
On how G Sam Cosmi is progressing and if him being active Week 1 is still a possibility:
"Yes, definitely still on the table and once you know, the decision comes with off PUP or not, we still have a few weeks until we're even into that discussion. But the load bearing, the strength, the quad strength is usually the thing that you're always testing when you're coming back from ACL and then taking on power, you know, like a guy pushing and so he's doing a lot of field work. We're pleased with where he is at. He's absolutely busted his ass to put himself into a spot to do that. But it's too early to call. Although he is hitting all the marks, I wouldn't want to speculate just not knowing I'm on the field around the guys because it just like DA was talking like no matter what it takes time, timing and skill work and not just by yourself individual work. So it's the practice that matters the most, getting the practice reps with the team."
On if the team is operating on the full playbook or still on install:
"We're still at the install spot so we have a few more to go. There's one today of some things that's going in and then when we come back from that trip there's a little bit of an extended time between the New England game and the Cincinnati game. So it allows us to go into that more. So what we'll do in that part, David also service one of what does this, the offense need to see more of against the defense and vice versa. So there's your own install and then hey, I'd like to see more blitz, I'd like to see more of this type of zone, this type of front. So it can even go into what do you do and then I'd like to see a little bit more of some others and it is an advantage and it was by design with New England and Baltimore a little bit different in terms of systems and how we do things. So that helps too."
On what a good practice looks like:
"First thing I wanna make sure is the effort's right Candy in terms of the finishing of the end of plays, I wanna see the details and the focus there. Not the pre-snap foul of a neutral zone infraction or an offsides. The combative ones of holding we'll correct. I wanna make sure those ones, the substitutions when I see that part going. Communication, energy, execution of the plays. That's it. As a coach, I also have to remind myself at times like them failing is part of the process. I just wanna make sure that that's going full speed to do that failing. Jumping off sides, that's not failing to me. Like when you're going for it, that's man you made a mistake. And so I wanna make sure the growth and the learning comes from like pushing something to try it. I like this, I couldn't do that. I tried this technique, it didn't work. You do need that right now and that's what a good practice to me looks like. But it starts with energy, communication, details. I don't wanna see people hurry but I want urgency. I know that's like well what the hell is the difference Dan? I can feel urgency the way they get to the line of scrimmage, the way they communicate the speed of the motion, but not being like, wigged out like hey man, energy, communication and then I like seeing that over and over again. So it's the challenge of it but at the end, the competition still Candy is our best versus their best. That's how you get really good ball and it's gonna go one or the other. So at a practice it's not like everything's great because somebody's winning and losing the play so it kind of should go back and forth. If it slants one way all the way, I'm like usually concerned on that too. So a lot of long answer butt it's fun to go through."
*On if you saw the pressure you wanted from the defense and execution from the offense: *"Yeah, we also did it even at the end of the game, which I loved. Twice now we've had a time where it came down to a moving clock, end of the game play and that even adds an extra layer of intensity Donna, because the clock's running, you don't get the play in from the sideline to huddle up, give you your best play, you're on the ball and doing that. So I enjoy that even more so the most of the time down in the red zone I'm wanting to find out can we push it from time, can we push it from last play? And sometimes it doesn't go like you want it to, but you do learn from that and we'll have some more of that today. But I think those moments that this is either the last play or the next to last play, it has to be in the end zone. If it's short you're going to run outta time. It adds a layer of stress because you're competing your techniques, the defensives and the clock and the time. So like that's why I like some of the red zone end two minute because it combines all three of that into a storm."
