(On how relieving it is to have the Jalen Ramsey trade situation over) “I never really looked at it that way. I looked at it as obviously I had a good relationship with him and we were working together to get him healthy and get him on the field, and that’s where my focus was, so he can get on the field and help us win football games. Now I’m concentrated on the players that are here and getting our guys focused on Cincinnati.”
(On if he respects the way Ramsey handled himself over the past month) “I respect everyone that’s in that locker room in the way they handle a lot of their things. I think it’s difficult, especially when a player’s injured and doing everything they can to get back, so I have no issues.”
(On if he was surprised that Ramsey was traded yesterday) “I think in this league nothing ever really surprises me anymore, especially from the business side of things. I found out kind of like everybody else did late last night. [General Manager] Dave [Caldwell] came in and told me.”
(On what is preventing other players from exaggerating an injury with the purpose of refusing to play) “I think we have to be careful when we say that this is a blueprint with the injury and wanting to move, because obviously he did have an injury. So, I don’t even want to go there. How to stop anyone else from doing it? I can’t answer that question, I really can’t.”
(On what he believes went wrong with Ramsey) “Well I was doing everything I can. We were talking every day. We talked last night afterwards, so I can’t speak for that. I was trying, busting my butt, to get him healthy and get him out there. That’s a great question for him. I think he’s the only one that’s going to be able to answer that.”
(On how he addressed the trade with the team today) “I said, ‘We made the trade last night and that [we] appreciate what Jalen has done for our football team and being part of this football team. And we wish him the best of luck and we have to focus on Cincinnati. We’re going to get a lot of questions today from the media about what’s going on. I’m not telling you guys what to say, I’m just telling you what I’m going to say and I’m going to get my focus back on the team which is my job.’ And that’s exactly what I told them almost word for word.”
(On if being a former NFL player helps him talk to the team on focusing for the Week 7 game at Cincinnati) “I’m one of those guys that gets up in front of the team and I really just talk from my heart. And I try to keep things in perspective of what the job at hand is. I think that in my past people have – everyone does, even coaches at times, myself included early on in my career. You try to take teams places that are so far ahead that you miss out on the day and what you need to do. And I made that mistake a lot of times as a young assistant coach and as a young head coach. So, for me, I just try to make sure the team understands what’s going on around us, what are some of the things that they may be asked so they don’t get thrown off. And let’s just make sure what our job is and what our focal point is. So, right now, everyone individually, what I’m trying to do is to make sure that we get a great practice in here so we can get focused on Cincinnati, which I think we are.”
(On if a leader of the team had ever said to him that the Ramsey situation was a distraction) “No. Other things, yes, that’s part of it. We have a committee and there’s things that come up. ‘Hey coach, what do you think about this?’ And you work with the players. And I think they’ll tell you that we’ve worked through a lot of things. I think it’s helped this football team. I think it will continue to help this football team. The more communication in anything that you do, the better it’s going to be. I really believe that.”
(On if he feels that what the Jaguars received in the Ramsey trade is a fair resolution of the trade demand) “My son asked me the same question. I told him, ‘I don’t know the analytics of all that.’ So, like I said, that future stuff, I’m concentrated on now.”
(On if he needs analytics to formulate an opinion on the Ramsey trade) “I’m sure five years from now, 10 years from now, someone will be able to write about it. It’s not my job to do that. And again, I know you guys are probably frustrated, but you’re talking to a guy that has a big job to get the players ready. That we’re discussing something that has nothing to do with where my mind is right now, honestly, and I respect the hell out of you guys, you know that. I just wish I can give you the insight and the answers that that question needs to be answered. I don’t have that. And I wish we could get someone up here that can answer it, I do, but it’s me. So, I really – you don’t know. You don’t know until down the road.”
(On what the feeling was like with Jalen Ramsey) “I keep trying to tell everyone, we had a very good relationship. I told him the same thing – I appreciate what you have done, I wish you the best and I’ll see you in the summer. I see him in the summer. We are right down the road from each other [in Tennessee]. I wish him the best. I really do.”
(On how Tre Herndon has progressed and if he’s comfortable with Herndon) “I’ve always been comfortable with Tre. I think we get everything we can out of him. I think teams have targeted him, they will go to him and he’s playing well. He is doing a nice job. From where Tre has started to where he is, he continues to get better. That is only going to help our football team. He is focused on playing well and he always has been. He is a guy that is a great story. The guy has worked his butt off to compete. He was on the [roster] bubble a couple of times and then really came through and really came well and here we are today. He’s playing, and he has a great opportunity. I would say that those opportunities, he’s not wasting. I think that he is doing a heck of a job.”
(On if there’s a different mentality Tre Herndon has knowing that he’s a starter) “That’s a good question for him. I never treat people like that. I think once you go in there and you kind of have an opportunity, you make the most of it and your job is always to be the starter. You have to know your role. I tell that to the players quite a bit. You may not like what you hear your role is, but you can change that. You have to apply doing what your role is, but make no mistake about it, don’t ever consider yourself a backup or things of that nature because I’m real big on you never want to put limits on yourself. You are always pushing to be a starter. It is one ankle [being injured] away usually, so you want that mentality.”
(On why Jalen Ramsey didn’t play Sunday) “Everything is, like I said before, a collaborative effort. Doctors, trainers, players, for all injured players. We are working out and we are progressing, and it got to a point where [his back] wasn’t where we would be able to put him out there and be able to perform. That’s exactly what happened. No different than a lot of the other guys that [have injuries] happen, nothing unusual of how that goes.”
(On if he spends any time looking back and trying to figure out where things went wrong with Jalen Ramsey or second-guessing how the franchise approached his situation) “I don’t have the time honestly. I am always disappointed in myself first that I couldn’t do a better job. That is just how I am wired. I am not a martyr or anything like that. My job is the coaches, myself, getting the team ready. How the franchise [does things] … that’s above me. I don’t have the time to think about that.”
(On if the Jalen Ramsey situation made his job harder) “I don’t see it harder or easier. I think being a head coach in the NFL is always hard. I don’t think that ever changes. I think it’s a privilege. It’s an honor. It’s one that I don’t take lightly, so I put a lot of effort into doing the best job I can and being the best leader I can. That is what I’m trying to do. I don’t look at outside forces creating things for me. I think sometimes you have some tough luck. I think last year with the injuries, that was kind of tough. That’s the only thing that I really look at that makes it tough, when you have a lot of injuries and you can’t go out there full strength.”
(On the importance of A.J. Bouye’s leadership in the secondary) “Yes, I think we need that from everybody. I think everybody you want leadership from, stepping up there and doing a good job. Communication is big, that’s the one thing that I always say we have good communication. Both safeties have been playing together, Tre [Herndon] has been playing for a while. The communication has increased, meaning that it’s better just naturally. It is not something that was a problem before. We expect those guys to go out there and play well.”
(On if the team can fill Jalen Ramsey’s roster spot before he passes a physical) “That stuff I don’t know. I’m sure if we can, we will probably do it by the end of the week.”
