DEFENSIVE END JOSH HINES-ALLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024
(On the legacy for his teammates) “I mean when you play good football, you deserve to get
paid. So that’s just a testament to the hard work they put in throughout the years and the
trust that the organization has in the guys. As long as we keep building on this, as long as
we keep the core, man, the sky’s the limit. This year’s a big year for us and we’re expecting
nothing but the best.”
(On the impact of Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen) “I think it’s the buying in. We want
to do something that’s never been done, so we have to do things that we’ve never done
before. He’s taking that approach every single day we do indy’s [individual drills] all the way
up the team to focus on the details from the hand placement to the feet making sure that
everything is in line because every coach has their ways of playing, but for us he’s teaching
us to play fast and play physical. Get your hands on somebody and strike them as hard as
you can, as fast as you can, as many times as you can. If we can keep that focus with the
discipline—because the technique works—so if we can stay discipline through the heat,
from early in the game to late to the overtimes, to November, man, we would be
unstoppable.”
(On the defensive approach being beneficial for QB Trevor Lawrence and the offense) “I
mean we got goals to be the number one defense in the NFL, so that’s our standard. The
offense has their standard to be the number one offense in the league. So, if we’re not
competing at a high level, if we’re not giving them the best looks we can, what good are we
doing to this team in totality? We come at it every single day, no letup. If we can end this
day with a win as a defense, they’re going to get better because they’ve just faced against
the number one defense in the National Football League.”
(On when he first considered the Hines-Allen name change) “Probably two years ago. I’ve
always resonated with Hines. Like I said, I grew up a Hines, so I was known as that. I never
paid too much attention to it, but I knew my legacy— dating all the way back, living in
Alabama, my first three years of high school and having to come back to finish high school
because my whole family went there—being part of that legacy and then building that on
and carrying on and creating my own for my family. I just thought it was right to really dig
deep and find the right people to help me get it done, and we got it done.”
(On the reaction of his friends and family to the name change) “About time, really. But
they’re very supportive and they’re happy that I’ve made the decision with both sides of my
family, and I carry on the legacy for them.”
(On being Hines-Allen in his new contract) “Josh Allen.”
(On adjusting to referring to himself as Hines-Allen instead of Allen) “I’ve wrote it a couple
of times now to where I can’t make that mistake.”
(On facing the Buffalo Bills and QB Josh Allen post-name change) “I mean, week three
matchup, Monday night, got to be ready to play… but I will be having my jersey swap that
Friday, so come out and come get your jerseys changed.”
(On being a veteran on the defense and being vocal with other edge rushers and
linebackers) “Talking to them, giving my knowledge, giving them things I went through and
seeing if they’re at a phase that I can help them in, and being vocal on that. It’s not really
about being vocal and screaming. If you see something, address it; good, bad, or whatever.
They’re going to take it if they’re going to take it, but I’m being real to them. I want to see
them be great, I’ve worked my process to get to where I’m at and I’ve trusted it, so if I can
give you a little bit of my knowledge, then I feel like I’m doing a good job. It is what it is.”
(On what improvement looks like to him this season) “Improvement is really nutrition, hiring
a chef full-time to help me get my diet correct. I always thought I was eating the right foods
but I was training in Arizona, I had a chef out there and I saw the improvement that I had
throughout the days and energy that I have. So, if that’s another step that I can invest in
then I’m willing to take it.”
(On how he feels going into training camp) “Just being confident in everything, trusting in
the technique and keep recognizing that I’m really that dude.”
(On what can get accomplished in the first few practices for the defensive line) “Hand
placement. That’s one thing coach Ryan [Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen] is really
harping on this first ramp up period. It’s just really hand placement. We can’t drive them
back, well we can work on the drive back, but we can’t put our full effort in it. So, it has to
be quick hands, violent hands, it has to be effective, and stopping your feet. We can really
focus on these things now so that when we get to pads, continue to do the same thing but
now, put a little more ‘oof’, put a little more ‘oof’ in it. But other than that man we’re going to
compete every day we’re going to try get better every day and we’re working to be the best.”
(On how it’s been having Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen do the drill to show what he is
looking for) “He knows what he wants. He knows what a good defense looks like. I have a
lot of talks with him and I just want to see where his heads at, see how he thinks. I’m not
trying to steal the way he thinks just understand the way he thinks and allow me as a better
leader to get that message out. The way he says things could be interpreted different to a
lot of people but if you can understand what he’s saying and me as a leader can ‘hey this is
what you’re supposed to do. This is the model, this is the way we’re supposed to do it’.
Again, we’re trying to do things we’ve never done before. He’s coached at a high level, he’s
coached a lot of individual players that have played at a high level, so he knows what it
looks like. We have the talent, so now we just have to keep buying in and executing the
calls.”
(On what the pass rusher summit was like) “I think it was just cool to be around the guys. To
really know that I’m that guy, but respectfully. Still talking, still learning, but for me going
into this year I was looked upon as one of the coaches, trying to get my knowledge out of
the game from the other guys that were there. I thought that was a cool lesson, but also
realizing that I’m not done yet. Hopefully they’re not, and the better they get, the better I get
because I can’t let them outdo me. So I’ve got to work a little harder.”
(On how important it is to have Outside Linebackers Coach Bill Shuey back) “Oh, I’m not
going to say comfort, but it gives that sense of [familiarity] because he’s learning too. All the
other coaches I feel like have been under his staff, so I feel like we’re all learning and
growing together. Coach Shuey is a great person to pick up on a lot of things. He can kind of
dumb it down for us, so now it allows us to play a little faster. Then once we really get the
hang of what the terminology really is, how it fits into the defense that we’ve done, now we
can compare and now we can play a lot faster. So just having that trust with him is like
we’re not learning something new, we’re learning a new defense, but I know how to talk to
Coach Shuey, I know the questions I can ask him. I know when to work, when not to work,
he understands us, he loves us, he treats us well when it’s hot as hell outside and he has
moments in a day where he says, ‘alright guys, get your breath back’. A lot of people don’t
have that, so love my dog.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR RYAN NIELSEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024
(On CB Tyson Campbell fitting into his system) “When we look at the players, all the guys we
have, we want to emphasize their skill set. How we play that position and really all positions – I
know you’re talking about Tyson – what we really want to do is put the player in the best
position for him to have success so we can have success on defense and ultimately as a team.
So, we’ve identified a few of those things in OTAs. It’s day one, day two today, so we’re
continuing the fundamentals and technique, but how he’s playing and the proximity from the
receiver and the aggressiveness and things like this, that’s what he does well. We want him to
do the things that he does well, and then we’re going to work on some of his deficiencies and
things like that and try to continue to make him an all-around player. We always want our guys
to be in a position where they’re going to have success. We’re going to put them in positions
that they can do well. So, that’s really what you’re seeing on the field with him.”
(On if it’s hard to put everyone in their best positions) “Well, I think that one of the things as
coaches we try to evaluate, and that was a big thing in OTAs, is what do these guys do well? And
then put them in that position. So yeah, you’ll see some position changes because we’ve
identified maybe one guy plays a little bit better outside than inside, or one guy is a little bit
better off the ball than on the ball, things like that. We don’t want to just say, ‘Hey, here’s
exactly what—if you don’t fit this. you can’t play.’ The game has changed so much and spread
out, a lot of one-on-ones and things like that. We’re always trying to. There are going to be
some things where we coach fundamentals and technique and get guys better, but that’s what
we’re trying to do in every position and with every player that we have.”
(On learning from DE Josh Hines-Allen) “He’s a competitor. He really wants it. Putting in the time
since he’s been here. The last couple of days, you can really see the intensity at the practice
yesterday – again, day one. The consistency and things like that we’re looking for. He says all the
right things. He wants to be a great player. He wants to have a great defense and a great team.
You feel those things as he talks to the guys. Good teammate and things like that. Really excited
about him.”
(On if he will continue to not use a depth chart) “It’s going to start like that, yes. So, you’ll see a
bunch of combinations. Even yesterday, we had guys that maybe didn’t play together in OTAs
that were out there. We always—the best combination of players. Here’s what we’re looking for
ultimately when we evaluate: did the player win the rep? At each position. It is the scheme and
they’re out there and they’re playing corner or nickel or defensive end or D-tackle or whatever
it is, did the player—how are they playing with the guys around them? It’s part of the evaluation
process. That will happen. That’s what preseason is for: the fundamentals. What is camp?
Master the techniques and champion the scheme of what we’re doing. As it continues to go,
then yeah, you’ll see things as cuts are made and guys are making the team and making plays.
You’ll see it. It’ll get tighter and then you’ll see that these guys are going to get some reps and
when it gets to game week, you add depth charts and all that stuff matters. But right now, it’s
fundamentals, technique, scheme, playing hard, being tough, those types of things. That’s what
camp is about.
(On if he knew he wanted Campbell as a player in his system) “Yes. He’s got a great skill set.
When you evaluate him and what we do on defense, our DB coaches, Kris [Defensive Backs
Coach Kris Richard] and Cory [Defensive/Assistant/Cornerbacks Coach Cory Robinson] and Mike
[Assistant Secondary Coach/Defensive Analyst Mike Gray] and those guys, you look at—when
we talked about what we’re looking for at that position, he possesses a lot of those skill sets and
those traits. It’s exciting that we’re going to have him for a few more years. Again, we still think
and we still know he can get better. That’s the thing, we want all these guys—even Josh, we
push him to get better. That’s what we’re here to do and that’s what part of camp is: just get a
little better every day. The first game of the season—let’s go win the first preseason game. Let’s
take care of that first before we even get into the season.”
(On if he thinks Campbell can be a man corner) “We’ll see.”
(On going through Campbell’s Georgia tape) “We’re evaluating all that right now. We have good
players on offense. When he covers these guys, and he can, then we feel like he’s going to have
really good success during the season. So, it’s part of the evaluation process. But look, he’s tall,
he’s long, he can run, he’s got all those things. He’s smart. When you really talk to him, he’s a
really good person. He really cares. He wants to be really good, but he wants his teammates to
be really good. I think we’ve got a really good combination of our personnel on defense and
those guys care about each other. The scouting department and pro scouts, they’ve done a
really good job accumulating these players, not just talent-wise but just as good people. They’re
awesome guys. It’s so fun to be around them because they care so much about being good and
he’s a big part of that.”
(On the depth of the young secondary) “It’s good depth. Again, it’s day one, so yes, there will be
some position battles. What we’re really focusing on is getting all of those guys reps and getting
different players on offense, and then that’s a true evaluation. What that means is if you go out
there and play the two corners and they’re playing against the first-team offense every single
play, then are you really evaluating the second, third, fourth guys? So, what we want to do is,
maybe whoever’s up next, they’re going to get some reps against the first team, and then the
next guy’s going to get some reps, and then we can get a true evaluation of the depth of that
position. Maybe we had this guy third or fourth, he’s playing a little bit better. If we wouldn’t
have put him in there, if those guys would have had the depth chart, ‘Hey, it’s stuck and you
can’t play against those guys,’ then we would have never seen what they can do against our first
or second team. So that’s what we’re doing right now. As that continues to go, you’ll start
seeing and we’ll start having a depth chart, but this is three to four weeks away now. We have
some time to evaluate.”
(On if mixing personnel in practice is a philosophy change in the NFL) “It’s probably just an
organizational philosophy. Talking with Coach [Head Coach Doug Pederson] and Trent [General
Manager Trent Baalke] about how we want to evaluate things like that. I just think it’s really
important that everyone gets an opportunity. You guys all know the stories: this guy’s buried in
the depth chart, he gets his opportunity and all of a sudden he becomes this great player, right?
So, we want to evaluate and give those guys chances. Here’s the other thing too: it’s a long
season. Injuries happen. It’s just a part of the game. If the second or third-team guy never gets
in, then how do you know how he’s going to perform when he’s actually in a game? So, that’s
where we’re continually rotating and you may see Josh out there with a guy he’s never played
with, whoever that is. Once we get to the season and we’ve got the guys going to the game, we
should all feel confident that anybody who’s dressed is able to go in and perform and help us
win that game. That’s the ultimate goal.”
(On DE Trevis Gipson competing for a pass-rusher spot) “Yeah, he had a good day yesterday.
Tenacity, toughness, he’s got a little bit of twitch. That’s really good, you have to have it at that
position. He’s got good length. He’s got a good skill set, got a little of bend and hoop, he can do
that, he can rush with power. So, it’s a good competition after those couple of guys. We really
feel good about that at every position group, we’ve got some competition. So, he’s fighting.
Some other guys are right there battling with him. We expect the best out of him in the next
few weeks and we’ll really see.
(On balancing teaching versatility) “When you watch football today, there are so many things
players have to do. It’s not like it used to be 20 years ago where everyone was in the I-formation
and running downhill and play-action pass, right? We play a spread-out game, shift trades and
motions, and so players today have to do more. So, yes, we are going to find out what they do
well and help them with what they don’t so that now you hope that the player becomes a well-
rounded player and is able to play so many… The nickel position, you look at 20 years ago, the
nickel position—let’s talk about the nickel right now. He’s got to play man, he’s got to play zone,
he’s got to fit in the box, the bubble, he’s got to carry the deep ball, I mean, that guy’s skill set,
he’s got to do so many things. That’s why you have some DB coaches, and you’re evaluating
them, but you’re teaching them. He’s got to be able to do all those things, he’s got to be able to
do all those things well. It’s always about, ‘What do they do well, and what do we have to help
the player get better at?’”
(On the balance of building chemistry without a set depth chart) “It’s a good question. It kind of
takes care of itself. Camp is so long that those guys get enough accumulation of reps. I’m going
to guess that we had 1,200 reps over seven weeks of camp, six weeks of camp in one of the
places, so that’s a lot of reps. Those guys get enough reps together. It’s such a long, long
process. Yesterday we had 30, 38 reps. Today we’ll have, I think 54 total reps, and then it just
keeps adding up and adding up and adding up and there are only so many players you have and
so many combinations. Those guys will be out there together and then by that time—we’re
meeting, and you’ve got walk-throughs. I mean, they’re around each other so much, the
chemistry is built over time.”
(On if he feels the players have received him and what he wants to accomplish as a staff) “Really
good. When you go into the unit meetings and you talk to the players, really what you’re
emphasizing, and you feel like the players have really bought in. If you ask them for something,
‘Hey, we’ve got to have better effort in this, or align a little quicker,’ you see it. So, that’s all you
can ask for as a coach. One of the things is players, they don’t care what you know until they
know how much you care. Our staff, spending time with the guys, it’s been really important. We
have good guys. I love to be around our players, they’re really cool guys, they care so much, and
you just hope that comes across to them. That you really care about them on and off the field.
That’s what it’s about. One of the players said it, this team will only be one year together. Some
of the staff will leave. You want it to be so good for these guys this one year. Win, play the best
that you can, and so hopefully that comes across to the guys. You try to get that across to them
that, ‘Man, I really care about you as a person, as a player, and that’s why sometimes we’re
coaching you hard or we’re putting you in adverse situations that we want you to be the best.’
So, when you ask, ‘Hey, let’s run to the ball, hey, let’s give a little bit better effort there.’ You’re
seeing that on tape. So, yesterday was a perfect example. ‘Hey, let’s align a little quicker.’ So,
expect to go out there today and see the guys down in their stances and aligned a little quicker.
The next day, it might be something else, but overall, it’s been a blast to be with these guys. It’s
just day one. I’m fired up, I can’t wait to get out there, it’s like, ‘Let’s get going.’ But it’s been
really cool. Love these guys. They’re awesome, awesome guys, and love spending time with
them.”
(On what he attributes the success of his red-zone defense to) “We’ve got some really good red
zone teachers. Kris Richard is phenomenal. Learned a lot from him in the red zone. We’ve got
just some philosophy things that have success against offenses. Then, really our players do a
really good job understanding situational football in the red zone. Meaning, what type of plays
we get. The offensive playbook trims down a little bit, the run game is a little bit more direct
quarterback runs, things like that happen. Our guys really understand, these are the plays that
we have to defend. So, just a combination of those things. But again, day one. Let’s go do it
again. That was the whole point yesterday. Look, takeaways in the red zone, that changes
football games. Huge plays. Let’s do it again today.”
