JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022
(Opening Statement) “I’m still having the mandatory minicamp, mandatory three days, but I’m only doing the rookies, selected veterans and our injured players. The injured players are guys that maybe finished the season with an injury that worked all offseason. I just require them to stay here and still get treatment and rehab. So, it’s a chance to really work with our young players and some of the selected vets on a little more of a one-on-one basis. We’re going to do that next week, so the veterans are done. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.”
(On the veterans’ reaction when they heard they weren’t required to attend next week’s minicamp) “They were thrilled. They were thrilled. I mean listen, they worked extremely hard. We’ve had great attendance all spring. We had the three-day extra minicamp back in April. The guys are in good spots, so I felt that it was the right time to give them a little extra rest before we get ready to get cranked up in July.”
(On if this was planned or earned by the veteran players) “It’s all based on what they’ve done. I’ve done this kind of thing in the past, but at the same time, I wanted to see this group work and work together. It wasn’t final until just within the last week or so for me to make the decision. Again, these guys have worked extremely hard. They’ve earned it. They deserve it. We got done, as a staff, what we needed to get done and we’re getting ready for camp.”
(On if this decision was based on gaining trust with the team) “I think it goes hand and hand. It’s one of the key message points [I made] back April 11th when I started with this group. We talked about the healing process and trust and all this stuff, and I’ve seen this team grow from April 11th to today and how they’ve come together. [There’s] a good group of leaders on this football team and how they’ve handled things, it’s just the right time.”
(On DE/OLB Jordan Smith and QB C.J. Beathard’s injuries) “Jordan Smith. As of right now, obviously it’s a knee injury. I believe surgery’s scheduled here in the next couple of weeks on him and obviously he’ll miss the season. C.J. [Beathard] is a little bit better, a bit better news on C.J. Again, [it’s an injury in the] lower body, groin area and he should be okay for training camp. We’ll just wait and see as it progresses over the summer.”
(On if injuries influenced his decision to scale back minicamp next week) “No, not at all because we still had another two, three days this week after those injuries to practice, so it did not.”
(On the number of players attending minicamp next week) “It won’t be that many. I couldn’t tell you off hand how many total. [It’ll be] less than 30.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence attending minicamp next week) “[I] can’t tell you that.”
(On the first months working with the coaching staff) “It’s come together really well. I’ve been real pleased with all three of the coordinators. [There’s] great communication with all three and then myself in that mix and just how they’ve really handled the staff and the staff assignments and the planning and the preparation that went into putting this offseason together because everybody started fresh. We had nothing to go off of, so we had to put everything together first-hand. The guys have really gelled well. It’s a good group. [There’s] been great communication and again, [I’m] looking forward to what’s coming up down the road.”
(On how he’s seen Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor grow over the years) “Press has a football background, played at Marshall University and all that and got into coaching and he was on the Chip Kelly staff before me. [He was] quality control on offense, kind of working with the quarterbacks. I get hired in Philly and he was one of the young staff members that I retained and I’m obviously glad I did. I’ve just watched him grow and work over the years and his attention to detail. He’s smart. Obviously, he knows what he was doing with the quality control because that’s the position I had for so many years was quality control. Watching him put things together for coordinators, put things together for me from a project standpoint, how he broke down film, how he engaged in conversation about our opponent we might be playing that week, and just watching him sort of grow over the years. I had him in the quarterback room, I had him in the receiver room one year, and then promoted him to a pass game coordinator. That’s just the progression of how this thing works. Obviously, he had a year with [Colts Head Coach] Frank [Reich] in Indy and had a chance to learn and grow again with Frank. He and I have had the conversations over the past that if I get a chance to continue as a head coach that I would love to have him be an offensive coordinator. I feel strong about that, and this is a good step for him.
(On similarities between Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor and his brother, Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor) “I don’t know Zac personally other than just professional[ly] and the fact that he married Mike Sherman’s daughter from back at Texas A&M and all that. That’s the first time I met Zac Taylor was down there at A&M when I was coaching high school football. Obviously, [I] kind of followed his career a little bit, but I think Zac and Press are obviously kind of of the same mold a little bit. [They are] two smart guys on offense, creative guys on offense and both guys are well organized. You can see it in Cincinnati with that team and what they’ve put together and I’ve seen it this spring with what we’ve done offensively.”
(On Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor becoming a head coach one day) “I think so. I really do. I have a lot of confidence in him, and I think that that’s the next step for him and hopefully he can get there.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence overcoming adversity in his rookie year) “It’s a lot to put on a first-year, first time rookie quarterback. There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s, you’re representing the organization, you’re leading the football team, you’re standing in front of the media every day and every week. It’s tough and then to go through what he went through and how he kind of came through it and stood tall and really took a lot of bullets and really did a great job, did a great job of handling all that. I think that’s just going to make him that much more special as we go, the fact that he’s been able to handle that early on in his career. You don’t see that very often in the league. I know sometimes teams go through some tough stretches and all that, but this was a little bit different. I do think he’s going to be better for it and I do think we’ve already seen that this spring.”
(On if any adversity going forward will rattle Lawrence given his experience last year) “I don’t think so and he doesn’t have to go through it alone. We’re here for him as well and we can help him through a
lot of situations, and we can guide him through. I think that’s part of the experience I had as being a head coach too and having gone through some similarities in Philly. It makes you think about things a little differently, approach things different, handle things differently, makes you better off for it.”
(On if injuries that occurred this week influenced his decision for minicamp next week) “No. No, it didn’t affect my decision and yes, I had already kind of made up my mind. I mentioned earlier, it’s within about the last week that I knew I was going to do the schedule.”
(On changing Tuesday’s schedule due to the injuries on Monday) “No, I kept the same schedule on Tuesday. The only thing I modified is I usually add two field goal kicks in there. I took the two field goal kicks out because I knew they were going to kick on Wednesday.”
(On evaluating the kicking situation) “Ryan [Santoso] and Andrew [Mevis] both did a great job this spring. Obviously being on one field, it does challenge it a little bit because they don’t get all their kicks in because normally there’s another field that they can do some stuff. But both of them did a good job. I think training camp’s going to be good for both of them again to provide a little competition within the two and see where it falls out in the end. But I thought both those guys really did a nice job. Ryan’s obviously been in the league, and he’s kicked and has a big leg and then Andrew coming in, first-time rookie and holding his own. So, it’s going to be a good competition I think going into camp.”
(On the decision to have former players on the coaching staff) “It was not intentional for that to happen. It just did and [I’ve] been pleased. I’ll say this too, sometimes former players don’t make good coaches because the grind of the coaching lifestyle is a little different than the players’ grind. So, you really have to love the process and that’s what these coaches who have played [do]. They love the process, they love the game, they love being around the players, and they’re good teachers. I think it’s good for the players and having a young team that players can ask any question because they know their coaches have kind of been there, done that. I think that’s important, but it’s not a pre-requisite. It’s not anything that really needs to be added to what it is. Does it help? I think it can help, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
(On Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell’s first season as a coordinator) “I’ll tell you, we’ve put a lot of defense in this spring and it’s been good for our offense to see it. It’s been good for our defense obviously to see it. The guys have handled the information well. He communicates well through his assistant coaches and obviously with his team. It’s something now that, again, we have to carry it over into training camp. Look, he might be a first-time coordinator, but he’s been around some really good coordinators too in his career, just like [Offensive Coordinator] Press [Taylor] has. He looked and felt real comfortable out there when we did some of the, I call it ‘call it’ periods where there’s really no script, you just go. It’ll be exciting to see now once we get into camp and start playing some games.”
(On if he had any concerns having first-time coordinators in both Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor and Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell) “I didn’t, I really didn’t. I was very convicted on both guys. Obviously, it’s a little different with like [Offensive Coordinator] Press [Taylor] because I’ve known him. With me calling plays and [him] haven’t been a coordinator, it’s a little different there. I was very strongly convicted with [Defensive Coordinator] Mike [Caldwell] to be a coordinator. I just know who he’s worked with, where he’s been, who he’s coached. That’s part of the hiring process is just vetting out all these coaches and especially in Mike’s case to make sure that when you pull the trigger on that, that he’s the right guy and he was for me.”
(On OL Walker Little and OL Jawaan Taylor) “I’ve seen where it’s going to be good competition come training camp I think when we put the pads on. It’s hard. We’re not in pads right now with the offseason program, but both guys have preformed well. They’ve really, I think, taken on this challenge. They know that they’re going to be in a battle, and it was us as coaches to make sure that we communicated that with them. We used them both on the right side, the left side, and got them some valuable reps there. It’ll be good competition as we head into camp and as we get deeper into camp to see where this thing falls out.”
(On managing QB Trevor Lawrence’s arm during camp) “We’ll have some conversations. We’ve already begun those conversations with him and really all our quarterbacks over the next few weeks. But they need to throw obviously and if they can throw with our guys, it’d be great to do that and set it up here in town and do that. But he knows what he needs to do physically. The rules have changed for camp. We’re not on the field that long anymore and we don’t have the old two-a-days like we used to have when [former Jaguars DE Jeff] Lageman was out there playing. We just don’t have that many throws anymore, but they know their bodies. We’ll have those conversations with him for sure.”
(On what stood out about the veteran players) “[They’ve been] very receptive to what we’ve passed along to them. They’ve really embraced the challenge of learning. They’ve taken it from the classroom to the field. There’s obviously going to be mistakes and everything, but we haven’t seen just like the same guys make the same mistake day in, day out. They’re learning from their mistakes. They’re correcting their mistakes and that’s the sign of a good team, a team that’s kind of hungry. That’s the accountability that each player has.”
(On his expectations for players during their time off before camp) “I expect them to take time off, but at the same time, I do expect them to stay active. We’ll give them a workout book, a plan, a nutrition plan for the next six weeks that they can follow. Guys that are living in town can obviously come by and use the facility and lift. Our guys will be down there instructing. I expect them to come back into camp in great shape. It’s something that now when we do come back in a few weeks, it’s for real and we’re competing for roster spots. It kind of behooves them to make sure that they’re in great shape.”
(On multiple players being at Topgolf this morning) “I did say no practice today and let’s all go to Topgolf. We staged it this morning, had a little fun with it, made them feel like we were going to practice, OTA 10 today, then loaded up on buses and went over to Topgolf and were over there for about two and a half hours. I think the guys really enjoyed it. They had a great time and the more we can bond that way as a group, I think it benefits us once we head into camp.”
(On telling the players about having next week off) “Yes. I think they were more excited for Topgolf than having next week off, which is good thing too.”
(On the best performer at Topgolf today) “I’m going to tell you something, Brandon Scherff hits the ball extremely well. Walker Little hits the ball really well. Brandon and Walker were probably the two smoothest that I saw, besides Press of course. Christian Kirk’s pretty good too. He’s probably another one. He has a smooth swing.”
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022
(On working with QB Trevor Lawrence this offseason) “It’s good to get our hands on him, get to work with him, get to sit in meetings, kind of hear how he sees things, what he likes, what he doesn’t like, all those conversations that you really don’t know until you get to get out there with him and see him do it live again. He gets a rep; he comes over and talks about it. So, it was a great experience and there was a lot to build on as we go with what we got accomplished this spring.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence meeting his expectations) “My last impression of Trevor [Lawrence] was on the field beating us when I was on the other sideline. I had a high opinion of him, and I would say that’s still the same. I’m just excited to continue to work with him moving forward.”
(On his impressions and the progress of the offense) “I think we got a lot done. We got a lot put in, a lot installed. We got a chance to teach really the foundation of what we want to do as an offense and then teach a lot of technique. We’re asking guys to do things a certain way. Whether they’ve done that [technique with other teams], whether they haven’t, we don’t know. But here’s how we envision it being done, here’s what we’d like, go out, do it, now let’s talk about it, let’s coach it. So, I think from that standpoint, we got a lot done and we were able to kind of sell that vision to the guys of what we want it to look like. They were able to go out there, have success doing it, work through some things, and then we all kind of bounce ideas off one another moving forward. We’d like it done this way, a guy says they haven’t done it this way, had success, can do it, can verbalize it, can show you video evidence, things like that, so there’s been a lot of good back and forth with the guys building this thing.”
(On competition of the offensive line and the right tackle position) “It’s been great competition with those guys, really all those guys. Then you have to have the ability at some point in time to be a swing tackle for us. [Offensive Line Coach] Phil [Rauscher]’s done a great job mixing those guys whether it’s the right tackle, left tackle, coming in a backup role, starting role, whatever that may be. Those guys have done a great job receiving that. They get put under fire a little bit in this offseason realm the way it is because you’re not really padded up. So, if a guy’s going 80 percent, you’re going 75 percent, it can look bad at times. You can’t really put your hands on guys. That’s just the nature of the offseason program, so you evaluate a lot of things, but you understand in the back of your mind we’re playing within a certain rule set that’s not going to be there really come training camp and then obviously in games. But you get a chance to see technique, you get a chance to see the overall understanding of what they’re being asked to do, how they’re going to do it. So, from that standpoint, I think it was a pretty good showing from everybody across the board.”
(On using RB Travis Etienne Jr. like the Saints use RB Alvin Kamara or 49ers use WR Deebo Samuel) “We’ll take the success those guys have had no matter who it is, whether it’s Travis [Etienne Jr.] or any of those guys. I think it’s kind of going to be a case-by-case basis. Whatever’s going to give us the best opportunity to put Travis in positions to succeed is what we’re going to do, whether that’s him as a
receiver coming in the backfield or as a running back leaving the backfield to be a receiver. Whatever that may be, I think that kind of evolves as the season goes or week by week even really.”
(On his impressions of RB Travis Etienne Jr.) “The speed’s real. I mean that was obviously something everybody knew coming out of college not having a chance to see a lot of the stuff he was able to do last year because he wasn’t able to play, so the speed’s very real. He did a good job of just showing understanding of the different roles we’re trying to see. We’re throwing him in all different positions just to see what he’s comfortable with, what he needs to work on as we move forward, give him plans moving further into summer coming back for training camp. But he’s been really receptive to everything. He’s shown an ability to grasp a lot of different things and show that he’s capable of doing things.”
(On recognizing the relationship between QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne Jr.) “Yeah, a little bit and really after reps. Just their communication, it’s probably a little shorter than it is with other guys where they have time banked together. So, they go over and it’s one or two words and they both understand where they’re coming from as opposed to maybe somebody Trevor [Lawrence] hasn’t thrown with much before. It may be a little bit longer conversation to make sure they’re on the same page. But you kind of get a little feel for it with those guys.”
(On knowing the personality of the offense with what has been installed thus far) “I think so. I really do. I feel good about the way we were able to go about it and get, I don’t know if I could put a percentage on it. Obviously, things, there’s an ebb and a flow throughout the season of we thought we were going to be good at something moving forward. Turns out, Week 8, that hasn’t really been our thing, let’s start to pivot this way. I think that’s just kind of the ebb and flow of a season where teams evolve as the season goes and guys are in, guys are out, you’re playing this team, that team, you kind of feature different things. But we feel like we got a lot of offense in, at least what we wanted to accomplish. Probably we were able to add kind of some bells and whistles and try to mess with guys and stress them a little bit with the mental aspect of learning the system and guys were really receptive to that.”
(On knowing what the offense will look like this year) “We think so. We think so, but again, it’s a case by-case deal. There’s going to be games where you go in and say we’re playing team XYZ and we’re going to have to throw the ball over the yard or we’re playing this team, we’re going to have to run the ball. We just want the ability to be able to do what we need to do to put our guys in position to win, so whatever that looks like, I’ll tell you on Saturday going into the game maybe. We’ll see how it goes and what we want to do, but we feel like we have enough in, and the guys understand it well enough, and we will, as we go into a game plan, be able to do what we need to do to put our guys in position to win.”
(On TE Evan Engram’s versatility) “You’re always looking for matchups, so if we can get a guy that we can find a guy with lesser speed to match up with Evan [Engram], whatever that is formationally, motion to do something to create a matchup, then we’re looking to do that. Obviously, Evan’s a great speed threat for a tight end position and then he has a certain knack. He has a different skillset in his body than some other guys typically do at the tight end spot. It’s on us to try to put him in those positions where he can maximize his abilities and then not put too much on his plate where he’s thinking and you kind of eliminate some of those things, some of the advantages that he naturally has.”
(On working with the wide receiver room) “It’s been a great group to work with. There’s a lot of different pieces in that room that can do a lot of different things, but then there’s a lot of guys with, I would say, the mental flexibility that we can put them all over the place. Guys can handle being an outside guy, being an inside guy, being a single receiver, lining up in the backfield if we need them to, a
lot of the adjustments. They communicated really well together this spring, which was fun to see. They’re helping each other out. They’re not keeping secrets from each other when we’re running our stuff, so that was always good to see. And then guys at the end of the day, they’re making plays and that’s what you want to see. There’s good rapport with them and the quarterback room. I think everybody was comfortable as we’re just trying to get on the same page as we go through this thing to start.”
(On WR Christian Kirk’s role as a receiver) “He has the ability to align all over based on what we need. Again, it’s about putting our guys in position to do what they do well. If there’s a matchup, a play, a situation where he needs to be an outside receiver, he has the skillset to do it. If he needs to align in the slot because that’s what best suits what we’re trying to do or accomplish on that play or that week, he has the ability to do it. And, he has just, like I said, the mental flexibility to where if we need to move him in the game, he can handle all that. That’s a really valuable asset that we put a premium on with him and that’s kind of why he was targeted as one of the guys we wanted to get and bring in.”
(On players discussing last year) “I think guys have just done a great job of trying to learn who’s here and what we’re asking them to do. We haven’t really dug into a lot of what went on here in the past. That’s not really our concern right now. It’s more of getting what we want to get accomplished today and moving forward with this thing.”
(On OL Luke Fortner) “Luke [Fortner]’s done a great job. Again, Luke’s like those other guys, we put him in a couple of different roles to see how he thrives. Like we mentioned earlier, like [Head Coach] Coach [Doug Pederson] mentioned, it’s about finding the best five [offensive linemen] and whatever combination that is, whether that’s either guard spot, center spot. But he’s shown a good mental ability to handle a lot of things that we’ve thrown at him early as a rookie. We’ll ask a lot of those guys on the interior whether it is center, whether it is guard, but he’s done a great job handling all that. He’s, as far as I can tell from that room and the environment that they’ve created in the offensive line room, he fits the culture, what they want. You want a lot of rookies to kind of come in, keep their mouth shut, learn a lot, prove themselves, and then you let their personality come out a little bit and I think all those guys have done a good job doing that.”
(On maximizing WR Laviska Shenault Jr.’s skillset) “There’s not a lot of receivers that are 220, 230, the range that Laviska [Shenault Jr.] is, and as dynamic as a ball carrier as he can be. Again, like you said, he’s played a lot of different roles. He’s been put in a lot of different positions. He’s played for a lot of different coordinators, and that’s a lot of guys. You’d love to be able to see a guy with continuity in a system and how he evolves as he learns it and masters it and really moves forward with that, and he really hasn’t been fortunate to be in that kind of situation yet with his career. Hopefully we can provide a little bit of that and really maximize his abilities, like you said, because he can be a unique type of player.”
(On if WR Laviska Shenault Jr. having a new head coach and offensive coordinator for the past five years can affect his development) “There’s probably a little bit of that. Now, when you go back and watch the tape on somebody else or we’re watching tape across the league, you don’t know what they’re being asked to do, but you’ve seen a lot of things. You do see him lined up in the backfield, so you see people trying to find different ways to utilize his skillset and what he was able to do in college, all that different stuff. But again, it’s about, like it is with every position, maximizing what their skillsets are and how they can best be featured in our offense.”
(On veterans meeting his expectations) “I don’t know if I could say they exceeded any expectations. I don’t know that I came into this thing putting any expectation on anybody, what they had, or what we thought we were going to get out of them. But we’ve been very pleased with the effort and the attitude that everybody’s given us, the way they’ve all worked every single day. We had great attendance throughout the offseason, a lot of engagement in meetings. On the field, there’s been great energy. The guys are very coachable. They’ve done a good job with that and that’s just exciting to see as a coaching staff that your guys are as engaged and as involved and energetic to do things as we’ve seen from our guys.”
(On WR Marvin Jones Jr.’s impact on the receiver room) “Marvin [Jones Jr.] brings it every single day and that’s what’s kind of the fun thing about him. He always has a smile on his face in the meetings rooms, very engaged, asks great questions. He kind of speaks up. There’s some of those times you see these veterans that ask questions in a meeting room that I would bet you he probably knew the answer to, but he knew that somebody probably needed clarity on that, so he’ll ask it on behalf of other people. That’s what you like to see in guys that are the leaders of their position rooms. I think we have a lot of leadership ability with the guys we have, but Marvin is definitely in that group of guys that everybody looks to. He’s proven a lot in this league year in year out for a long time now and so he kind of carries that respect. Then the character he has, the work ethic he has, the production he has, that all helps obviously.”
(On his first offseason as a coordinator) “I would probably like to say that I have my hand kind of in all of the position groups and just trying to see that. But I think the position coaches have done a great job of establishing their cultures in there, so we kind of want to let that happen organically as that goes. I want to make sure that everybody sees my face at some point in time, so I want to sit in everybody’s meetings, just show presence, get to know those guys too. But the position coaches have really handled their rooms really well. I would say probably if I’m gravitating towards one spot, it’s probably been the quarterback room. It’s where I’m comfortable, but [Quarterbacks Coach] Mike McCoy, [Assistant Quarterbacks Coach] Andrew Breiner, [Offensive Quality Control Coach] Henry Burris, those guys have done a great job of handling that room and really being a great sounding board for those guys.”
(On his impressions of OLB Travon Walker and LB Devin Lloyd) “Those guys bring great energy. I think just overall working against our defense every single day, we’re installing plays, they’re installing plays. We’re not scheming each other. We’re not trying to get after each other. Sometimes we just have their number on a play because they’re putting in XYZ blitz and we’re running this play and it just happen to work out for us. But you definitely feel the speed of Devin Lloyd and then Travon Walker, just the versatility of all the different things he can do. Again, it’s tough to evaluate what they’re doing in the offseason because it’s the restrictions of how physical things can be. You don’t get to see all of that element of it. The quarterback’s not live, so some guys stop five steps away from the quarterback, some guys run past the quarterback, so your interpretation of a sack sometimes could be different based on who’s watching it. I think that’s a little grey, but you definitely see and feel those guys out there whether you’re calling a play and you’re looking around to see who the edge guy is and different things. You certainly notice 44 [OLB Travon Walker] out there but you look on the other side and then maybe it’s 41 [DE/OLB Josh Allen], so it’s not much better over there. But it’s good to see, it’s a good problem obviously to deal with as an offense and look across and see those guys.”
(On difference in practice when it comes to training camp) “At some point, like [Head Coach] Coach [Doug Pederson] mentioned, we’ll probably have some call it periods. We’re just more let’s line up, let’s put the football down, let’s play. Now, the situations all kind of dictate what you’re doing, whether it’s a
third down competitive period, it’s a two-minute [drill]. You have all those different things, but as you work your way and you kind of get through your install maybe a little quicker than you would in the offseason, then you kind of get into where we have some more competitive periods where we’re really trying to get after each other and see who wins.”
JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
Thursday, June 9, 2022
(On what he has learned about the defensive unit) “A hard-working group, that is the thing that stands out. It is a bunch of guys that come to work every day that are committed to what we are trying to do.”
(On if the defensive players are pretty good at taking things from the meeting room to the field) “So far I have been pleased with how they have been able to transition. The terminology is big for them, it is a new language. Just being able to teach them the language and be able to speak it – they are starting to get it.”
(On his early impressions of OLB Travon Walker) “I am excited about him. I saw the size, the work ethic is there. He has tools to work with, so I am excited about it.”
(On his impressions of LB Devin Lloyd) “The same thing [as Travon]. You watch the film and you see the play-making ability. Then you see him in person … We saw him when we brought him in for the visit and we saw him on draft day. It’s just how long he is. That length is going to be to his advantage big time.”
(On how involved he was in the evaluation of LB Devin Lloyd and OLB Travon Walker) “I think we did it as a group. Coaching staff, scouting department. Trent [Baalke] and Doug [Pederson] lead [us]. We had a bunch of input and a bunch of film-watching together. We are pleased with our two guys.”
(On if he was lobbying to trade up to select LB Devin Lloyd at No. 27) “I think that the way the organization is trying to be. If you see something and you know it can help you, we will jump up and do what we need to do to get it. We were able to do it and we are pleased.”
(On what he wants the personality of the defense to be) “We will find out. What we talk about is coaches is being tough, hard-nosed, smart football players that love to go out there and play the game.”
(On his emotions coming out of draft weekend) “I was pleased. I was happy and excited about the guys because you know the guys that you are getting are quality human beings first. They are players that when you talk to their college coaches, they are the right type of guy. They are wired the right way. They are guys that you do not have to push them – they are self-motivated and good players already. We are just going to mold them into Jaguars players.”
(On if he spoke with the college coaches of the players that were drafted) “Someone from the organization talked to them. There is a bunch of behind the scenes stuff – who you coached with, who you know and someone gives you inside information on players in college.”
(On how unique OLB Travon Walker is) “Right now his skillset is getting after the quarterback. We are going to allow him to do that. The way that he does it, that possibly could change. But right now we are
trying to get him comfortable and when he’s out there and it’s not [too much thinking] … We just want him to go out there and play. Once he is playing, we will be able to adjust what we do with him.”
(On how rare a player like OLB Travon Walker is) “You think about the size – his height, his weight, his speed – it’s like a unicorn. He is unique. He plays that way and you see it on tape. You see the burst, you see the speed, you see the moves he has. We are excited about him and I think he will be ready to roll.”
(On why OLB Travon Walker is playing outside linebacker instead of defensive end) “I think his best position is outside linebacker because of his length, his athletic ability going against tackles. That is a premium position in this defense. He can play other positions, but his home for us is outside linebacker where we see him being a force. We are going to try to mold him and let him take off and go.”
(On being a part of the NFL Diversity Program) “It was a good experience – being able to meet owners and GMs and let them know you, let them know where you come from and let them know something about you before you sit down in front of them. It was a unique experience and hopefully it will benefit coaches and hopefully it will benefit the owners, being able to know guys and expanding that pool.”
(On if it’s easier said than done to say you will let players do what they do best) “It is not what I need them to do. We are going to let them do what they do best. We will mold the defense and mold the scheme around what our players can do. We are in the process of doing that. We have a great coaching staff and they are teachers so they will be able to teach what we want to get done. That is the molding part of it.”
(On if the defense could be different every year) “We have fundamentals that we will rely on, but at the end of the day, each team is going to be a different team. What you have, you will take that, you use it and you get the most out of that by letting them do what they do well.”
(On what role LB Chad Muma will play for the team) “That is a part of the competition right there. We have a good inside linebacker group and they are going to push each other. We will let the roles take place in training camp. You will earn your time here and he will have an opportunity to go out there and compete with everyone else. We are excited about him. He is someone that when you look at it – you do not call it a luxury – but it was a pick where he was the top one on our board. I know we have a couple other guys that can play that position and guys on the roster that can play that position, but he was a guy that you looked at … You like what he does and we like what we can do, so [we said] let’s go grab them.”
(On the leaders on the defense) “Roy [Robertson-Harris] is going to be a leader, Josh [Allen is a leader]. I like to talk to guys and as coaches, we always say, the leaders are doing things the right way and making plays on the field. Those guys become your leaders. A leader is going to be guys that work hard and hold everyone else accountable to work hard also. We have guys that are stepping up into that role and so
far I have been pleased with leadership.”
(On when he can get creative with the defense and when the players will have the fundamentals down) “We have thrown a lot at the players now. Everything is new to them. They will grasp a little bit and then we will take another step and add another wrinkle to it. As we get going into the season, we will self scout ourselves and understand any tendencies we have and change it there and just enable them to be able to play faster without changing the whole system.”
(On thinking outside the box with athletic players like Devin Lloyd and Travon Walker) “You’re going to get them and use their talents for what they are here for. You have certain guys that are here to affect the quarterback. We’ll let them affect the quarterback. Other guys maybe in coverage, so we’ll be able to mold the team together and get what we need out of them.”
(On Andre Cisco) “Smart. Smart. One thing about it, coaching wise, you put stuff in and he gets it quickly, able to take it out on the field, make calls, he communicates well which is huge for us. Just a smart, good, athletic player.”
(On Foye Oluokun and if Caldwell’s previous experience coaching against the Falcons played into his recruitment here) “With the free agents we got here and looked at our roster and then looked at the free agents. If you did play someone or you did know the name and you were on the opposite sideline and kind of have a feel or a view of what they do for the opposing team. I knew he was a very good player. And then you watch the film and you see the plays he makes, that just solidifies it. Then you bring him in and start to talk to him and understand that he’s a very intelligent guy, a leader, a hard worker, a guy that you would like to stand in front of the huddle and have the guys look to as a leader.”
(On if Foye Oluokun will wear the green dot and if you have multiple players ready for that responsibility) “The green dot really goes game by game, but majority of the time if everything is working well, you’d like to have a linebacker that is a three-down linebacker stay on the field with the green dot so he can communicate with everybody. We’ll have packages, but he is a candidate to be a green dot guy.”
(On expectations for Josh Allen) “The first thing I think about Josh is leadership. When I got here I was trying to just watch the film and try to get a feel for the building and what roles guys had. When you talk to Josh and see him out there working, he’s a guy that is going to be a leader for us, not just because he’s been here a long time, but because he’s a guy that works hard, has the talent, has shown the talent and you see he’s ready to win, ready to improve and he works hard every day.”
(On how important it is for players to understand why you call a certain play in certain situations) “I think, like we talked about, the coaching staff, we’re all teachers. You can find an answer to a problem, but then if you know the equation to get to that answer, it makes it that much more so you can apply it to different things. The same thing with football. We’re able to teach the guys what we know, make them understand the why and the how. Now anything the offense throws out you have a formula to do your job.”
(On the defensive back positions and how he sees that competition shaping up) “Really when I look at the entire defense, it’s going to be competitive. No jobs are had right now. Everybody is out there competing, and with that room, that group, they are going to make each other better because everyone is pushing everyone to get better. The coaches are putting guys in different positions enabling them to learn the scheme. Competition breeds better teams. That’s what we want to do, let guys go out and compete and the best man stands up and he’ll play more than the guy behind him. The other guys will play.”
(On how many players are competing for the nickel spot) “All of them back there. It’s so unique. All guys have different skills set and skill level, so competition is open for everybody.”
(On if he’s hesitant to give a green dot to a rookie such as Devin Lloyd) “The thing about rookies is you’re a rookie when you first walk in. We’ve been outside and we’ve practiced and he’s had rookie minicamp, OTAs, he’ll be in mandatory minicamp next week, so he’s getting his reps, then training camp comes. You have to know the person and if he’s able to handle the green dot, and if he can’t handle it then we’ll put it to someone else. But as a rookie you typically don’t want that, but when you talk about him and you go back and talk to his college coaches in Utah, he’s a guy that is a leader, put the work into study, is smart enough to handle it and I see no reason why he couldn’t.”
(On if he’s seeing Devin Lloyd’s leadership ability translate to the NFL) “The thing we noticed about him is his hard work. First day he’s in building he’s looking for [Inside Linebackers] Coach [Tony] Gilbert. He came into the coaches locker room. ‘Coach, let’s go watch film.’ So when you get a guy that’s hungry like that and ready to get coached, that’s somebody special and he’ll just continue to grow and continue to perform and continue to do what we need him to do.”
JAGUARS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR HEATH FARWELL
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022
(On the two kickers on the roster) “It’s been great. It’s been a really good battle. Ryan Santoso has done a really good job. The guy is loaded with talent. He’s a guy that’s been on the edge for the last couple of years. He started out, he was punting and kicking. That’s one thing I want to do is kind of solidify him into the kicking. He’s done a fantastic job. He’s very talented, we just have to get him more consistent and he did that all spring. I’m really excited (about) where he’s headed. He is going to have about five weeks off. Just trying to give him all the tools I can getting into this break so come training camp, we really have a good battle. Andrew Mevis is a good young player that is very consistent. Early on, he showed up and it wasn’t quite as consistent but that’s part of the deal. That’s part of being a rookie. Then here he was, he finished off the last few practices as good as anybody. We have a really good battle that I’m looking forward to seeing develop come training camp, preseason games. All that stuff, we try to give them as much tools as we can this offseason and coach them up and give them some details. Come training camp, they have taken all this month and see what it looks like (during) training camp practices, preseason games. Who can really stay focused every single practice, every single kick and we will see who wins the job. I’m excited to see the battle.
(On Ryan Santoso’s size as a kicker) “He’s actually lost some weight, he’s looking fit right now. He’s the biggest kicker in the league by far, I’m sure of that. He could play some tight end on scout team if we need him.
(On if Ryan Santoso’s size can help him) “Kickoffs you will see it the most. That’s what he’s known for, his big leg. He’s a very talented, big leg kicker. He takes two steps and it’s a big leg going through it. He’s got a nice swing to it. It’s a huge advantage for him. It’s big foot to get on the ball but he’s done a really good job for us.
(On if kicking the ball into the endzone on kickoffs is overlooked) “It is. The public wants to focus on field goal percentage and that’s huge, that’s what wins games, but a big thing we do is field position. It starts with a great kickoff with great hang time, distances, directionally. Those are kicks we can cover a lot better as a coverage group. It works hand and hand between the kicker starting us off and then the coverage guys running and hitting and making those plays. That’s a big part of the evaluation. Who can do both of those at a high level and the most consistent.
(On if Doug Pederson’s vision drew him to Jacksonville) “It’s been great. I’ve loved it here. That’s one of the reasons why I’m here. When I was looking into potentially getting another spot, coach Pederson reached out. We had the same philosophies, same beliefs. It’s all about being positive, how can we get the most out of the players? His interaction with the players, the players love him here, the coaches love coming to work. That’s something I believe in. I believed in it as a player, that’s something I learned throughout my years of playing. That’s my philosophy as far as the way I try to coach it. We kind of really
meshed together of just him and I, and we hit it off right away. We just built that relationship since I’ve been here.
(On if he would’ve done things differently at the end of the Bills-Chiefs AFC Divisonal round game) “ I get that question all the time. To be pefecetly honest with you, it’s in the past. I don’t worry about that. Honestly, my answer to that is that’s a question for the Buffalo Bills and Sean McDermott. It’s in the past, I don’t deal with that to be honest with you. That’s part of the way I live my life. It’s going forward and what we’re doing here. I’m loving the guys I’m working with here. I have a great appreciation for the players there. I had fantastic players (in Buffalo), still good friends of mine that I talk to all the time. Down here, I’m trying to build something here special. That’s what it’s all about for me. I moved on. I honestly don’t think twice about it.
(On the challenges of just having the stadium as a place to practice) “ It is tougher for the kicking game but that’s what’s cool. That’s what teams have to do. We’re having to work together as a staff ‘[ to adjust to one practice field], hey I’m going to work this drill here. We’re doing a kickoff drill, quarterbacks are working in the back of the end zone, all that stuff. We have to work together as a team but it’s another way to build the team. We’re trying to work together. Hey we’re going to use this space, the quarterbacks are going to be here, we have to look after each other. My drill is going into the next drill, we have to move. Honestly, it’s a cool thing that we’ll just kind of [get through]. It’s a challenge but makes it cool as a group. That’s what building a team is. All these little challenges in building a team, that’s the culture that coach Pederson is talking about. That’s what we’re doing. We look at it positive. It’s not oh yeah the season is done. That’s not what we’re going to do. It’s a challenge that we’re going to accept. We’re going to have to drive a bus to training camp, okay, it’s more time that we’re going to have together on the bus. That’s the way I look at it.
(On if he feels like the number of reps has been cut down because of the limited space on the practice field) “ No, we’re still doing the same stuff. We’re able to do everything we need to do. We’re trying to work together to piece it together, it’s a puzzle. We have guys working on the turf off the field. We go to the indoor and then we’re in the indoor and the storm hits the other day and they come in and I said I rented it out for special teams, well guess what, the quarterbacks are in there. That’s how it works. The team working together, how can we put the best on the field and that’s really what it’s about.
(On if he is 100% confident that one of the two kickers will be consistent enough) “I think they have the ability to, yes I do. The reality is there’s other kickers available that are on other teams and that’s what they know. They are very aware that in this business there are other kickers. If neither one doesn’t perform well, then guess what, there’s somebody else that will want that job. I am confident that one of those two guys will distance themselves and take the job, yes I am.
(On how many core special teams guys he has right now) “We’re still evaluating the roster to be perfectly honest with you. That was the biggest thing, just learning the roster. I have a bunch of guys that I view as four phase guys. The reality is they have to play good on offense and defense too. I have some good players and I’m excited to work with them. I saw some good stuff on tape last year but they’ve gotten better. That’s what’s cool, guys have really bought in to what coach Pederson is doing and what we’re doing on special teams. I have a bunch of guys coming into my office wanting to learn. They’re just interested and they’re having fun again. We’re really enjoying what we’re doing.
(On how much he was involved in the signing of Andrew Mevis) “I was heavily involved in that. He was a guy that I watched on tape, and I evaluate a bunch of kickers in college. I flew to Iowa State to work him
out. I got stuck in Des Moines overnight so it was worth my trip. Well worth my trip. I worked out a handful of other guys and he was the one I pinpointed and said let’s bring this guy in. If we get the opportunity to bring him in, I think he is talented enough to do it in the NFL and let’s see what the competition looks like. He’s done nothing but exactly what I thought he would do.
(On if he was excited with the emphasis placed on special teams in the draft) “When you have those picks, those are huge. You never know how the draft is going to work out. When we drafted Devin Lloyd, I thought we were out of the linebacker business. Chad [Muma] is still there, that’s great for me. Both of those guys have been fantastic in the meetings, out at practice, they are unbelievable players. Across the board, Greg Junior, Montaric [Brown) has done a really good job of just embracing, he’s improved tremendously. We have a good group of young players that are excited to be here and want to learn special teams. Some of them played them [special teams], some haven’t, but there’s still all in. There’s still ready to roll. We’re just trying to train them, so come training camp, see what they can do with it.
(On WR Jamal Agnew as a returner) “He is a guy that I have watched for several years. I have tried to get him on all the teams I have been on. He is a super talented guy. I am excited to have him. He is another reason why I am here. You have a returner like that, that is that talented and that good – we are excited to have him out there for sure. I have been kind of taking him slow, pulling him back as much as I can as
far as with the training staff. He wants to go every time. It’s like, ‘Hey buddy, relax. We got time.’ Let’s just make sure he is prime and ready Week 1.”
(On what it’s like having other options at returner) “That is what is cool. We do our returner period to start practice. We have a bunch of guys from CB Shabari Davis who has improved tremendously all the way up to WR Laviska Shenault. He is a guy that when we talked to him about potentially doing it – he
loves it. He is back there all the time. He did some in college, he has not done it in the last couple of years, but he is as talented as anyone in this league or definitely on this team with the ball in his hands. I have seen what he does on offense. I told him that I am looking forward to seeing him in some games returning and seeing what it looks like. He is talented. He is dynamic. There is speed and power that you do not see from really across all positions, but especially the returner position.”
(On if Logan Cooke was another reason he was interested in the job in Jacksonville) “Yeah, I walked into a great situation. Logan Cooke is as talented as there is in this league. He has Pro Bowl talent. Obviously he got injured last year, but he’s a guy that is super talented, great directionally with the big leg, he’s competitive, he’s been a great leader. That’s something I’ve noticed, not knowing when getting in here, he’s been a great leader to the young kickers. And then Ross [Matiscik], Ross is a guy that you watch him on tape and I thought he was a good player. And then I come here and he’s a fantastic player. He’s very competitive. He cares. He wants to be the best. So I walked into a fantastic situation not only with the specialist, but with the returner. We’ve got great players all over. That’s why I’m here. It’s a great opportunity to work with Coach Pederson and all these great players.”
(On if he’s had a chance to check out Logan Cooke’s arm yet) “We’ve thrown it around a little bit. Of course he’s telling me he can be the backup quarterback if he needs to. We have thrown it around a little bit.”
(On if he’s found that there’s any disadvantage to a big guy as a kicker potentially having diminished accuracy) “I have not worked with a guy that big. Stephen Hauschka was a teammate of mine and I also coached him in Buffalo and he’s a guy that’s a bigger kicker. Not quite Santoso’s size. There’s not many like that in the history of the NFL. I think anytime you have a big leg, elite leg talent, that’s something
you want. Now if you can get him accurate that’s fantastic. That’s the goal and that’s one of the things we’ve been working on, a shortening of the steps to a two step. That’s a work in progress that he’s been working on all offseason. That’s one of the tools I’m talking about – shortening of the steps, making them more compact, because he’s such a big guy.”
(On if Santoso reminds him of any other NFL kicker) “The guy with the Broncos [Brandon McManus] is kind of similar, bigger body type guy. Again, there’s nothing like Ryan Santoso, but I would say he similar to the guy with the Broncos.”
(On what he seen as the overall team outlook and work ethic) “It’s been great and it goes back to what I talked about. Everyone is bought in. So from working with the o-line on field goal, those guys are all in. From the DBs to the receivers, everyone on the team seems like there’s a group that wants to win. I was talking to Logan [Cooke] the other day, we were at a BBQ together, and I was asking him how many wins he had. It was shocking to me, but you see why he’s so hungry to win, why he’s so competitive. The more guys that want to win that care about being around each other, that’s what we want. The best teams are teams that want to be together. The teams that I’ve been around, the teams that I’ve been on, the teams that want to be around each other that care about winning, that’s what this game’s about. And as a former player, that’s what I try to explain to them. When all is said and done, the money isn’t it. It’s about the friendships you make, the camaraderie, that’s the stuff you are going to remember. And I think these guys have leaned in on that. And it means so much to them.”
