HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024
You expect everybody to be here today? Anybody missing or excused.
COACH PEDERSON: The only one that won’t be here today is Cam [OL Cam Robinson]. He’s been
traveling, with the new baby and everything he has been going back and forth to Dallas and spending
time there. Obviously, this time of year there is weather and flight issues and different things of that
nature, so he’s the only one that won’t attend today.
You’re aware of the lawsuit that was filed over the weekend about K Brandon McManus, and kind of
give us an idea about your reaction when you heard about it?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, I saw the article that came out. Obviously, disappointing to hear the news that
took place. Other than that, honestly, being that it’s a legal matter at this time I can’t really comment
until more information is gathered.
But that’s the first you’ve heard of it?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, first I heard of it, yes.
I know you don’t want to answer, it alleges that this was like some party going on the flight. Is that
accurate, or is that not what that flight looks like?
COACH PEDERSON: I mean, a typical flight is not that way. It’s a business trip. It’s a business trip. That’s
how we approach it from an organizational, from a league standpoint. For that, when I read that, that
part of it is disappointing.
Was Brandon released because of performance? Anything to do with this? Why was he released?
COACH PEDERSON: I think there were a couple reasons. One, performance. In this business, whether it’s
a coach or player, it’s performance-driven, right? Then you start talking about contracts and the amount
of contracts and the number, dollars and cents that go into it a little bit, the age of the player. A lot of
things can factor into it. The fact that, it’s a key position, it’s critical, it’s valuable because it gives us as a
team points on the board or not. Then if we have an opportunity to draft somebody, looking forward,
then we take advantage of that. So, I think there is several factors, not just in this case, in Brandon’s [K
Brandon McManus] case, but I think that is the same way with any position we look at.
From the time you made that decision, you guys didn’t know anything about this?
COACH PEDERSON: None of this, no.
How is the seating done on that flight to London? Staff separate from players?
COACH PEDERSON: I’m not going to get into a ton of those questions right now until, again, more
information. But we sit down. Just maybe a brief comment. We do sit down and want to make sure that
the players are together, and coaches are together and staff is together. Everybody is comfortable and
has space.
QB Mac Jones, what has your encounter been like so far and what do you think about him as a player?
COACH PEDERSON: He’s the ultimate pro. He’s done a great job since he’s been here, spending time
studying the offense, getting caught up in the offense. You can see why can I liked him coming out of
college, when looking at quarterbacks back then. We’re excited to have him. Gives us a great room with
he and C.J. [QB C.J. Beathard] as kind of competing in that role, and he’s done a nice job. Throws a really
good ball. He’s smart, he’s eccentric, he can be a little quirky as times. You see him on the field doing
some different things, but that’s the joy and the fun I think that he wanted to get back to a little bit, and
he’s done a great job for us.
Can getting some of the pressure off a guy, kind of set a guy free to where a guy develop to where
people thought he would be?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, I think he can. Change of scenery sometimes is good for players and coaches.
For him to get back here around family, friends, has been good for him. I think he’s embraced it since
he’s been here.
When you let Mike [Mike Caldwell] go, was the search for a new defensive coordinator like a blank
canvas for you, or did you kind of have Ryan [defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen] in mind?
COACH PEDERSON: It was kind of both, you know. It was a blank canvas from the standpoint of knowing
the defensive personnel. You can call yourself a base 3-4 defense, but you’re really a four-down front
because of so much nickel offense and nickel defense on the field. so, for me, it was finding the right fit,
the right person. Ryan was in Atlanta, and unfortunately Arthur Smith was let go so he was a candidate
that was available and definitely had piqued my interest based on his career, where he had been, who he
had worked with and for in Coach Payton [Sean Payton] in New Orleans and coaching the D-line, and we
feel like that’s a strength of ours here. He was somebody I wanted to talk to.
So, was it about the scheme that he might bring or just the idea that he might bring out whatever
potential you had on your roster, he was going to bring it out?
COACH PEDERSON: Both, because if you look at where he was in New Orleans and where they ranked
defensively when he was there. Then you look at the quick turnaround he did in Atlanta, then you say
scheme. But your scheme only works if you got the right guys and the right players. I think that was also
enticing for Ryan [defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen] to come here to Jacksonville as well because of
the type of players we had that would fit his scheme.
Ryan [defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen] last week wouldn’t really comment on some of the younger
guys especially on the secondary because he is trying them at that nickel spot in the outside. You knew
the personnel and you felt there was a match. Particularly was it the fact that he runs more dime or
quarters? Was it because you have young guys? Was there a specific point of emphasis that you said
this is a match?
COACH PEDERSON: You know, obviously youth helps, but when I talked to Ryan and when I talked to and
interviewed all the different candidates that we did, the development of our roster and everybody on
the roster was something that was intriguing to me. That’s something that we needed to address,
needed to fix. That’s not just on that side of the ball. It’s offense as well. So, I think listening to these
candidates, coordinators talk about the development and what they do and can do with young players
and how they can get them to perform, again, is very intriguing and very sort of the alignment for me.
It’s no different than myself, being able to develop quarterbacks, being around quarterbacks and things
of that nature. So that part of it, I think the development aspect of it, was the biggest key for me.
How many guys did you actually talk to, by the way?
COACH PEDERSON: How many was it? Eight? Six or eight. Don’t quote me on that.
At least a half dozen?
COACH PEDERSON: Let’s call it half a dozen.
What he went through last year, where have you seen the most growth in QB Trevor Lawrence? Not
necessarily physical.
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, physical we know about. We got to keep him healthy. Mentally, number one, I
think the way he leads this football team. He’s becoming the vocal leader in the locker room, on the
field, in meetings. He’s engaging. When we got him three years ago, he was just learning our system and
kind of quiet and just trying to go through the motions a little bit of just trying to adapt to us and get a
feel for us. Now he’s engaging and giving us ideas. Now he’s giving us suggestions and ideas and really
becoming another coach, a set of eyes on the field. That’s just his growth, that is his development as a
quarterback and not changing a lot schematically. Repetition goes a long way, and utilizing that
repetition to benefit your football team. That’s where Trevor has really taken the next step. Now, it’s got
to translate on the field, right, into wins and losses and touchdowns versus INTs. But that’s where I’ve
seen the biggest growth in the few years that we’ve been together.
Is he behind schedule in what you had hoped or what it normally takes?
COACH PEDERSON: No, I mean, look, I learned this back when I went to Green Bay as a player under
Mike Holmgren. It takes us it takes three to four years. It takes that time to develop into the quarterback
that you want to become or you want for your team. And it’s just not an overnight deal. It’s not a plug-
and-play deal. Some teams, some guys are going to have success, but there is that just understanding
the game and learning the game and studying the game. For Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence], he’s now into
that third year with us, and so that part I think for us it’s the encouraging part as an offensive staff and
just myself now going into that third year. This is kind of this jump year that he can have moving forward.
To what extent has the kicking competition, what have you been able to go between K Cam Little and
K Riley Patterson, where does that stand?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, we are giving them equal opportunity on the field. When we have kicking days
they’re getting equal shots, whether it’s the field goals or kickoffs. Again, yes, it’s competition, but at the
same time, we’re getting everybody some work and seeing where they are. Both guys have done a great
job. Cam, obviously we’re still learning him and what he can do, but he’s got some leg talent. So does
Riley. It’ll be interesting in camp to see where it plays out.
Does Riley [K Riley Patterson] have the accuracy that he always has at this point?
COACH PEDERSON: He looks great. Looks good. I mean, they make some; they miss some. Not so
worried about it in May. In September and October becomes an issue. He’s doing a nice job.
Where did you see QB Trevor Lawrence’s growth? Is it more at the line, decision making once the play
starts, everything?
COACH PEDERSON: Kind of all of it. Decision making ball is coming out of his hand faster, quicker
decisions, accuracy, timing. You know, and, again, just the dialog we’re having out there as maybe C.J.
[QB C.J. Beathard] and Mac [QB Mac Jones] are taking their rep, he’s back there talking to myself or
Press, Mike, and just always engaging, and that’s what you want to see out of your young quarterback.
NFLPA is proposing OTAs as early next year, getting rid of some of the spring stuff and expanding
training camp? Would you be in favor of that?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, just to see the direction they want to go. The off-season is great to kind of
build a foundation and really see your young players. Goes back to the developmental piece of your
young guys. This is the time you want to start that foundation. You know, the players probably wouldn’t
like training camp being extended. It’s long enough as it is. Look anything that we do if it helps the game
and helps better the game and it’s moving the game forward, I’m all for that.
Does and 18 game schedule moving forward?
COACH PEDERSON: For the fans?
For the players?
COACH PEDERSON: Well, it’s more exposure, more opportunities, there’s more money. So, yeah, I think
that’s moving it forward. I think there will be a lot of dialog around that, but definitely headed in the
right direction.
You’re working WR Gabe Davis back a little bit, but do you expect to see him out a little bit more the
next three weeks?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, going to go slow with him. He worked in last week and he is going to work in
some more today. Just keeping him out of the team stuff. Just don’t want to get tangled up and
something to happen out there. A lot of the individual stuff, he’s getting a lot of work with Trevor right
now, which is good. Just going to go slow with that one.
Same with DL Arik Armstead? I know DL Roy Robertson-Harris was also working on the side.
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, they’re working off to the side. Just don’t want any setbacks. It’s early. These
are veteran guys that know how to play, know how to work. Other than probably Gabe [WR Gabe Davis]
getting some timing with Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence], we are just going to pump the breaks.
LB Foye Oluokun had the noncontact penny on last week. Was that from something during the off-
season?
COACH PEDERSON: His wrist. He had the off-season deal with his wrist, so, yeah.
What would you like to say from RB Tank Bigsby into his second year? How would you like evolve as
running back now?
COACH PEDERSON: Got it in. (Smiling.) I’ll tell you this: Tank has done a great job going into year two.
He’s a smart player. For him now, it’s just understanding what he is seeing particularly in the run game,
anticipating where the hole is going to be. It’s like a movie screen and that screen is constantly moving
and changing. For him it’s being able to see that and react. Then again, kickoff return, you saw last in the
season we saw him doing a nice job there. Keep this growth and development going with him. But he’s
done a really nice job. He’s a hard worker. Practices extremely fast, which I love. You know, eager to get
the pads on and see what he can do.
What are your thoughts on the NFL allowing guardian caps and the push for safety?
COACH PEDERSON: I think the guardian caps are a good addition, especially in training camp when we’re
in pads. Does protect against the head concussions and things like that and has reduced some of those
injuries. You know, obviously proposing that they can use them in games, I think it’s a player preference
at that point. I don’t know what that would look like on a player in game. Look, it’s all about player
safety, and that’s one thing that league has been big on and we’ve been big on, supporting that. You
don’t have a league if you don’t have players and we got to keep or players healthy. That’s a big part of it.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024
Press, what does a step forward in year two look like in Anton [OL Anton Harrison]?
COACH TAYLOR: Yeah, I think just there is a level of confidence that you expect to see from a guy that
played the whole season, and just you saw his confidence grow from Week 1 through Week 18 in just
understanding what each week looks like. I think that’s one the biggest thing, especially for young guys.
They’re used to their season ends around Thanksgiving. Well, we’re in the middle of our season right
there. There is a long push. Each week is a new set of challenges. You face that, you overcome a lot of
that and continue to grow. Now you know what to expect in year two. You expect to see that confidence,
walk around with a little bit more swagger, approach each week with just more understanding what is
coming.
What about guys who didn’t get the confidence like that when you look at Tank [RB Tank Bigsby] and
Brenton [TE Brenton Strange], guys that maybe didn’t contribute like Anton [OL Anton Harrison]? How
do you get them to take that next step?
COACH TAYLOR: I think a lot of it you see the way they’re practicing right now. This time last year they
were swimming. Some guys were coming off injury in college to wherever they were throughout the off-
season program for us. You’re trying to figure everything out. How does the NFL work, how does the
practice pace move, what does the offense look like, what’s my role in this play; to where now in year
two they know it. They know their split, their alignment, their adjustment. They are able to play a lot
faster, so you see a little bit more of that skillset you probably saw when they were in year four, five of
college and understood the system inside and out. So, you see a lot of that now. The game reps are
invaluable. So, some guys got a lot and some guys didn’t get as much of that. The expectation, the
confidence they carry on the practice field, you’re hoping that that extends over to the game field when
the time comes for that.
Press, do you have any regrets with how Tank’s [RB Tank Bigsby] usage went in year one on the field?
COACH TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, we would’ve liked to say we would get more usage, opportunity for Tank
as the season went. Looking back, there is a lot of things that we probably could have done better. The
goal is not to go 9-8, especially each year we’ve done that. You look at a lot of things. You try to be as
critical of everything that you can be, and how do we utilize every single player available to us on game-
day. I think there are things Tank could have provided that we maybe didn’t give him opportunities to or
maybe we’re quick to give Travis another rep on something that Tank could have done well for us. You
live, learn, grow from it and adapt moving forward. Tank is in a great headspace in terms of where he
goes in year two, and we are looking to get the most out of him as well.
What have you seen from WR Brian Thomas Jr. so far?
COACH TAYLOR: Brian has done a great job. Brian is what we expected. He is long, fast and smart. So
those things have shown up early on of getting him involved. He spent a lot of the meeting time with
Chad and being around Christian [WR Christian Kirk], Gabe [WR Gabe Davis], who not necessarily knows
our system, but knows the NFL and what things are going to look like. I think it’s been really good for
him. You see obviously the intelligence in the quick twitch, in the long speed show up throughout our
practices as we go through things, or even routes on air. He grows every single day. He is a guy that’s very
easy to communicate with because he’s intelligent. Football comes naturally to him. Learning, picturing
concepts, understanding routes, how we’re attacking certain coverages. So, you see his growth every
day, which is fun to see.
How do you assess the competition, at least what you think in your mind is of it on the offensive line?
Left tackle a little bit more up in the air than other spots? What is your vision of it right now?
COACH TAYLOR: Right now, it’s kind of just we’re trying to create an identity of who we envision
ourselves being within the scheme. It’s tougher to have position battles when things aren’t very physical,
because that’s obviously an element we would like to value even more moving forward as a offensive
unit. So that’s something that’s taken out of the off-season program a little bit. Right now, you’re looking
for understanding, the details, looking for some urgency. But that physical piece is the element that
misses throughout the off-season that we’re trying to take our time with as we move forward. You’ll get
a little bit more preview of that through training camp, obviously pre-season games as these things
continue on.
With QB Trevor Lawrence and his growth, where have you seen his biggest strides?
COACH TAYLOR: I think just that full-on ownership of our system. He understands what we’re trying to
accomplish in the off-season of putting in plays. So, he understand we’re putting in our schemes. We’re
in install four now, the defense is install four. These plays aren’t aligned to we’re attacking a certain
coverage. You’re seeing a little bit of growth of he is quick to find a check down and move on in a
progression, because this isn’t the coverage this is built for. So, you see a little bit of that, and then you
see the way he communicates with the guys around him. Hey, I need you at this depth on this spot on
this timing because I’m getting to you as the fourth or third or first read, so I need a little bit more. It’s
kind of trying to get him to take over more and more and more. I think that’s coming naturally for him.
Personally, year three in the system, year four in the NFL working with young guys around him.
Understanding what communication each guy needs is a big part of playing quarterback.
With new faces at two of your top receivers, does this installation phase change? Are you maybe
starting from the ground and moving forward this time?
COACH TAYLOR: Yeah, we always try to. That’s kind of always the phase. You teach it through phase one.
Get a chance to do it in phase two, where it’s just us on air. And now we are in phase three and there a
little bit of competition where there is a defense across from you you’re having to adjust to the things on
the fly, potentially post snap. So, I don’t know if it’s necessarily changed in terms of how we have done
there throughout the course of three years, but we’re certainly pleased where these guys are. It’s
obviously tough, Gabe [WR Gabe Davis] is coming off an injury; new to the system. You get Brian [WR
Brian Thomas Jr.] inserted at the end of phase two trying get into a system. So they’re still probably early
on through their understanding of the installs and things like that, as opposed to year one where most of
the guys were free agents, were here from the very beginning of this thing to hit the ground running.
Does it matter to you who is calling plays?
COACH TAYLOR: No, ultimately winning is always what matters to us. However we get to that point, we’re
all for.
In terms of game planning and playcalling, what were the differences for you personally from 2022 to
2023?
COACH TAYLOR: In terms of game planning, no difference. Obviously had Nick Holz was here as opposed
to Jim Bob Cooter, so different ideas, working our way through. You kind of hit your stride as that thing
gets going through the middle of the season. Everybody gets comfortable with what the expectations are
each day, meeting, whatever that is. And then in terms of play calling, it was really just I was able to
move around the call sheet a little bit. In terms of communication with coach and the other coaches on
the headset, Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] throughout the week, the game, none of that changed.
What were your early impressions of OL Mitch Morris?
COACH TAYLOR: Mitch, I mean, definitely that veteran presence. This is a guy that’s very confident in who
he is, what he’s done. You see it show up the way he handled himself in the huddle and the meeting
room. He’s not afraid to speak up and ask questions. Some young guys that are new to a system are
probably going to wait until a meeting ends and go grab a coach on the side, ‘hey, you said this; what did
you mean by that’. Mitch will stop a meeting and make sure he’s on the same page of what the coach is
expecting. Sometimes you go quickly through these things because you look around and there is a lot of
familiar faces in a room and guys have heard this or guys know, okay, he’s talking about 2022 week three
this happened, blah, blah, blah. We gloss over things. Mitch will ‘hey, what do you mean by this. We pull
up a clip, watch it together, make sure we’re all speaking the same language’. That’s the biggest thing.
Football hasn’t really changed over the course of many years, but each offense has their own language.
It’s how quickly can we get everybody on boarded with our language. What does it sound like for us.
When you say this, what does this mean. So Mitch has done a great job getting himself up to speed with
that.
Does having Nick Holz and Jim Bob Cooter in the division force you to tweak more than you would in
an off-season?
COACH TAYLOR: Not necessarily. Probably a certain level of paranoia that a lot of coaches deal with. So
certain things. But we always sit there, and we’ll talk, hey, this player is on this team. What are they
really going to say. Will they know that we like to do this. Unless they hear the call in the huddle, they
don’t know that. Now it’s on us to understand our tendencies, the issues within our offense, the way we
communicate verbally, nonverbally, to make sure we’re not giving away anything. No, it’s great to see
those guys go onto bigger, better things as well.
Offensively disappointing to go 9-8 for a second consecutive. Did that maybe up the ante to maybe not
completely tear things down, but say we need to start with a blank canvas designing this offense?
COACH TAYLOR: Yep, it certainly did. Again, I don’t think we tore everything down but probably took it to
the studs and looked at it from the very beginning of ‘what have we been good at?’ and then trying to be
really critical, why have we struggled with this. Is this something we’ve from the beginning of our
building the scheme, terminology, what we’re asking guys to what we’re putting on game plans and
calling in games. Does it all make sense? Is it all learnable, digestible? So, trying to be critical of that. Our
goal is to win and not to go 9-8, not to be close, not to be a fringe contender. That’s not the goal. The
goal is to win. How can we help ourselves get there? And then look at throughout the off season and
training camp how can we see growth in these things. Like we mentioned earlier, there is just a
physicality that you lack through the off-season. If we’re asking our guys to be physical but we can’t do it
in this time, what are the things we’re going to hold them accountable for and try to get better through
this time.
How much have you tried to focus on improving verticality?
COACH TAYLOR: Big part of it. You have to be explosive in this league. You know, it’s tough enough being
consistently efficient. We want to be able to have that explosive element to us. I think that was
something, even if you go back and look at our run game, our run game for two years probably hasn’t
been a efficient as we wanted it to be. I think even year one in the system we were explosive, so we were
kind of able to counteract that a little bit. Year two, for whatever reason, that kind of fell off for us. So
that’s something in the run game definitely that we’re looking at to improve upon but also in the pass
game. Catch it on the move, making sure we’re attacking all aspects of the field and defense.
What’s the most paranoid thing you ever did as a coach?
COACH TAYLOR: Oh, man, not necessarily me personally, Frank Reich. He had spent a lot of time with a
Peyton Manning. Frank was paranoid every building we were in was bugged. So if we had a pre-game
staff meeting day of, we had to go in, turn the showers on, make some noise. He was just scared of
everything because Peyton was scared of everything. Right wrong and different, I don’t know, but there
were some battles that Peyton was a part of that maybe that happened or not.
How paranoid is Head Coach Doug Pederson?
COACH TAYLOR: I wouldn’t say Doug is super paranoid. Doug is pretty laid back and relaxed. I think a lot
of us found Frank’s [Frank Reich] paranoia pretty funny.
Talk about the verticality of the offense, if QB Trevor Lawrence throws a great deep ball, do you think
you have the receivers on the outside this year that will do a good job to kind of capitalize on some of
the opportunities he’s given receivers or the years?
COACH TAYLOR: I think so. Obviously having Brian’s [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] length and speed was a big
thing that was a strength of his through his college career. And then something Gabe [WR Gabe Davis]
has always brought. You’re not going to have a super high pass completion percentage if you’re pushing
the ball way down the field. We feel like we’ve done a good job of that when we’ve called the play-action
stuff. We have been particularly explosive when you look at our numbers in terms of concepts we’ve
called and opportunities to push the ball. We’ve done a good job with that. And also Evan [TE Evan
Engram] and Christian [WR Christian Kirk] from the inside, working inside out and being able to get
matched up on safeties at times depending on the principles of the coverage. We feel like we have
people that we’re able to push the ball down the field. Just got to get the opportunity and call those
types of plays throughout the course of games.
