Sunday, August 4, 2019
(Opening Statement) “Just a couple things. So, [I’ll] just go through the injury stuff for you guys so we can get that out of the way. Guys that won’t be traveling to Baltimore – Josh Oliver, he’s got the hamstring, we all know that. Marcus Simms reported symptoms of concussion, so he’ll be in concussion protocol, so he won’t be making the trip along with Quincy Williams. Obviously, we’ll keep him back here, this way his sole focus will be purely on the rehab, that’s what we want to get done there. ‘Rock’ [Ryquell] Armstead has a quad, he might not do a lot today, but hoping that he’ll be able to practice. He’ll be coming with us. Savion Smith, ankle, it’s a little bit swollen. The swelling is going down, so if it’s at a point when it get’s to a certain point and it’s down then he’ll be practicing, but he might be very limited today out there or he might not go at all. A.J. [Bouye] and Thomas Rawls are right on track, so they’ll be traveling with us and they’ll remain out, but they’re on track to come back. And then we have the three guys on PUP, Marqise [Lee], Cam [Robinson] and Jake [Ryan], and I think later on this week while we’re in Baltimore we’ll be able to report when we expect them to get on the field and off of PUP.”
(On if he had any conversation with Yannick Ngakoue this morning and if he saw him) “Oh yeah, it’s great to see him. It’s been busy, but yeah conversation, we’re happy to have him back and ready to go, so we’re excited. He’s ready to go, he’s in great shape, and we’re all together.”
(On how slowly he will work Ngakoue back in) “No, I think he’s ready. He’s ready to go. Yann’s always been in great shape, ready to go. He’s an anxious guy, he doesn’t like taking it that way. He wants to get in there and he’s ready to go. He wants to go all the way, which is just how he’s wound.”
(On if they sense any disappointment from Ngakoue that a contract deal did not get done) “You’d have to ask him. I don’t get involved in that stuff. Like I said before, he’ll be better explaining the business part of it then myself.”
(On if they are still trying to get a deal done with Ngakoue) “Again, he’ll be able to explain that much better than me. Like I told you guys before, I don’t get myself involved in that stuff.”
(On if Ngakoue is a full go for Baltimore) “Oh yeah, absolutely. The only way we wouldn’t is if we want to look at somebody else. I mean, he’s ready to go.”
(On if Ngakoue has to go through a conditioning test still) “He passed it, yeah. He’s always been that way. It’s not like a guy that before has had issues or anything. The guys had no issues. The guy’s been awesome, been great. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. It’s a contract thing, it’s part of the business, but as a football player and part of a team, he’s great.”
(On how Marcell Dareus is performing) “Good as far as I know. Do you know something I don’t? Yeah, he’s good. He seems in a good place. He’s happy, trying to get better each day. I think that he’s someone that has a ton of potential. I think he’s someone that can be one of the more elite players at that position, but like all elite players, you’ve got to work yourself and get yourself back into it because when you play upfront, there’s a physical part of the game, and Marcell has that. I think when he first came here there was a big expectation of him to help us with stopping the run, that was a main focus, and it was coming from everyone. From us as coaches, from fans, from the press, so he was getting that, and I’m trying to get him back to—he was an excellent pass rusher when I had him before, and we want to get him to, ‘Hey, you stay with the run stuff, but let’s take it to the next level where you were before. Don’t let all of the stuff on the outside, we want you to be the best player you can be and be able to be a third down rusher,’ and all that other stuff. I think he was totally focused on proving that he was going to help us with the run game, which he did in a big step. Sometimes players get locked into that, and we want to make sure we open it up and he can get after it.”
(On how he would evaluate Benny Cunningham) “Good. I like the way our backs are. A lot of times with backs I think what I look for is how they’re catching the ball in the backfield, how are they running, where they’re keeping the ball from a ball security standpoint, things of that nature, how they’re doing with the playbook, what we feel may be limited with them in different types of packages, which I feel all of them have done a very good job. Then I think from me what I look for is, is there someone I haven’t been with before, and there’s a couple of those running backs there. I really look at, in the preseason game, the ball security. You can see it on tape. You’re coaching it all the time, but until you get that hit, that first hit, sometimes you don’t know. But I’m very happy with all of them and Benny’s done a good job. He’s a veteran guy, and he’s helped us with leadership, and again, I like the way that group’s working.”
(On what he’s seeing from Cunningham as a special team player right now) “A contributor. I think it’s important. He can do that. Obviously, he has that ability. I just think it goes the same way. We’ve got a lot of guys, there’s a lot of spots on special teams. It’s going to be key for a lot of players, especially if they’re part of the depth for us. It’s going to be key for some guys that are starters that we’re looking to get some stuff out of special team-wise. We’ve done a good job of explaining special teams. Last year we were very good covering, at covering on kickoff and punt, that’s extremely important for us. And then obviously our return game we feel really good with Dede [Westbrook], what he did last year in the return game, but obviously that kickoff return unit, we feel that we can get much better there. So, he might be able to help us there along with a couple of those other players. Obviously special teams is important for a lot of players on this team.”
(On how he will divide snaps between Ngakoue, Josh Allen and Calais Campbell) “I think there’s enough. I think if you asked me a question of you wanted to see something like in a preseason game, and I would say, ‘ Well I don’t really need to see it from this guy, this guy and this guy, that’s why we’ll get those snaps,’ but in practice I think we have enough to get that stuff done. If we can’t get something done in practice, where you might not be able to see it on the field, which happens a lot, we’ll take the more experienced player and you’ll see us work him in the individual part of it and get him the work there. And then put the younger player out there to go ahead and kind of get that experience, and that’s something that all of us have done before.”
(On if they will be in full pads both practices in Baltimore) “Hey listen, I know I wrote it down and I know it’s on my practice sheet. I’m just trying to make sure I do the best job today. I know the first day we are. I don’t know if we’re helmets or shoulder pads, or full pads, I’d have to look.”
(On what he likes about participating in joint practices) “I don’t necessarily think that when you do joint practices you get more from the players. I think players are pretty much pros, they’re professionals. They’re going to go out there and it’s practice. They’re going to go out there and that mode of practice is going to continue, because it’s not full-go, meaning it’s not live tackling in those situations. So for me, what I get out of it, I get an evaluation. You’re going against different guys, different schemes, different coverages. You can watch how players adapt. You’re probably going to get something that you haven’t seen, which you want to see how they adapt to it. I think it’s going to be a great challenge for us, I think Baltimore has—they obviously have great special teams, great defenses. They have a unique offense with the players that they have, so for us, it’s going to be a great challenge, but it’s also going to be great work, one that we’ll rely on that will help us during the course of the year. So, as far as the practices, it’s the competition, plus I’ve always said you can put your quarterback in there and give him a lot of different looks against a different opponent and feel comfortable. Where a lot of times you’re worried about putting your quarterback in there, or other players with more experience that you feel good about during the season, you’re able to get them in there in a controlled environment where the injury risk isn’t as high.”
(On if he has to caution players against aggressiveness during joint practices) “I’ve done this a lot and I could say we’ve never had any issues, ever. I don’t think its team-by-team, I think it’s just player-by-player, individually. I think the players that go out there that realize, ‘Hey listen, this is an opportunity for me to get better, this is an opportunity to show my skills against a different opponent, a different type of player that I haven’t been going against for a while.’ Those players who go at it, go out there and do a good job, they’re able to give themselves a chance to make a team, whether it’s our team, another team, any team. I think they get it. The guys that go out there and want to be chippy or draw attention to themselves, a lot of times those guys—that’s not going to be good enough to be a really good player on this team, on any team.”
(On his impressions of Jawaan Taylor) “I think he’s doing well. He’s doing well. I think that he shows that he’s big, he’s strong. I think that he’s coming along well, we’re very, very happy with his progress. We obviously feel that he’s someone that can have an immediate impact and help us, but he still has to put some work in.”
(On what traits Najee Goode has that allows him to be a flip linebacker) “He can run. He can hit He’s got good instinct, sees the field really well, very good communicator. I really like him, good football player. Even though he’s from West Virginia [University]. That’s hard for me to say, because I’m from Syracuse [University], that’s why. Used to be a big rivalry.”
(On if Yannick Ngakoue will have to pay fines from the NFL regarding his holdout) “You’ll have to ask him. That’s the business part of it. Again, he’ll be better to ask those questions.”
