DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023
(On assessment of OLB Jordan Smith and LB Ventrell Miller) “Both of the guys are still competing. Jordan
has been here, got injured last year, now you’re starting to see that he may play in the preseason game
out there on the field. He’s working and he has talent, something that we can use, and he’s another pass
rusher. It’s always good to have multiple pass rushers. Ventrell, he’s a young guy we brought in here.
He’s been slowed by a few injuries, but he’s a guy that you saw flashes in the scrimmage we had and the
live period, he came through and made a nice tackle. Then in the last few games, he’s picked up a sack.
He has the knack to make big plays and that’s something we’re looking for.”
(On what’s seen out of DL Jeremiah Ledbetter) “He’s a guy that is like a pocketknife, he can do a little bit
of everything. Whatever you need him to do, he can play the nose, he can play a 3-technique, he can
play a 5-technique, he has pass rush ability inside. He’s a guy that has a variety of different talents and
now he’s starting to master his talent. It’s starting to show. He had a great game for us the other night,
he had a solid camp and he’s someone that right now we need to continue to improve and get better.”
(On if injuries open the door more for DL Jeremiah Ledbetter) “I think so. He’s a guy that has played in
this league, he understands how to play in this league, and he’s been productive. Right now, he played
for us at the end of the season last year and he was able to do some good things late in the season and
hopefully that will continue.”
(On if he likes where he’s at defensively through the preseason games) “We’re a work in progress. We’re
out there and we did some good things in the preseason. We did a couple of good things out there on
the field against our offense. Day-by-day, we come in here and try to get better. We focus on certain
things and sometimes they show up and sometimes they don’t, turnovers and tackling have been one
thing that we’ve really harped on and that’s starting to show up a little bit. Hopefully that continues, but
it’s early and they come in bunches. We just have to continue to work on it, continue to talk about it,
and once the season comes, hopefully they will continue to come.”
(On if he likes the current depth better than a year ago) “Up front, I think we’re strong up front. We’ve
had a few guys get knicked up, so that hurts our depth. I think we’re close to being where we need to be
and just like training camp, you always have guys get knicked up. You always have guys go through a few
things. We’re just worrying about working everyday to get better. As a unit, as each position group, just
trying to home in on our skills so we’re ready to go when the season kicks off.”
(On if CB Tre Herndon has earned a starting spot) “Right now I like where Tre is at. He’s playing well, he
didn’t get to play in this past game because Tre is considered a starter for us right now. He’s in a good
position, he makes plays out on the field, he’s that veteran presence that steadies the secondary. Now,
Greg Junior [CB Gregory Junior] has had a heck of a camp, he’s been making plays all over the field, and
that battle will continue.”
(On LB Ventrell Miller struggling due to injury) “Really, first and foremost, we want him to be right. It’s
frustrating when you’re not. We talked to him, I tried to talk to him, and you have to be right before you
can go out there. He’s doing a good job of pushing through whatever he has and he’s out there on the
field and you can see the talent and you can see the playmaking ability start to come. We do need to see
more of it.”
(On what his thoughts were when impactful takeaways started increasing last season) “I think we always
say that’s how we play the game. We want to stop the run, pressure the quarterback and take the ball
away. Towards the end of the season, it started happening. We talked about it from day one and we
want to it happen. But towards the end of the season I think the guys played faster and they were able
to affect the quarterback. When you’re able to do that, good things happen for defenses.”
(On if yardage allowed or takeaways is more important) “Probably the takeaways. The takeaways give
our offense another opportunity to go out there and it puts our offense on the sideline so the defense is
off the field. Anytime you can take the ball away and give it back to our offense, that’s good for us.
That’s what we strive to do.”
(On the value of joint practices last week) “It was great work because we got a chance to see a different
offense, see different players and I think we responded well. When we went up there, got our work in,
and played decent in the game. Now, we’re back and working with each other, so now we’ll get a
chance to go out there today and bang each other around and get ready to go play Miami.”
(On what’s been seen out of OLB Yasir Abdullah) “Just again, you see the flashes, he had the sack early
on, then last week he had pressures. It’s just him getting comfortable with the NFL game. It’s a little bit
different, he’s going against different tackles and we’ve thrown him in there where he’s been able to go
against first string tackles and that’s good for him. To get in there and play against the best because you
line up on Sunday, you’re playing against the best.”
(On if the 53-man roster for defense has been decided) “Really, coaching staff wise, we talk about it but
we haven’t really talked about it yet. Those decisions are coming next week, and the players make those
decisions. I firmly believe that. They go out there and they play in that wheel, grade every play
throughout camp, when you’re making plays and doing what you’re supposed to do, that makes the
decision easy for a coach.”
(On if players can change his mind about making the roster based on the last preseason game) “It’s
funny because you would think most of the roster is set, but it’s really not. There’s a lot of different
ways you can construct your roster. I’ve had a guy that played in the fourth preseason game, played all
four quarters, ended up having 19 sacks and starting. There’s ways to construct a roster, but it’s never
done until it’s done.”
(On how DL De’Shaan Dixon has handled his new position switch) “I think he handled it the right way. He
added a little bit of weight, but you can see he’s getting comfortable inside now. He’s that guy that has a
chance to be an impactful inside rusher, and he’s still competing and working and trying to get better to
make sure he’s on the roster.”
(On difficulty of advocating for a defensive player who is bad at special teams) “It’s really not hard for
me because if you look at my career, I was a special teams captain for the majority of the time, so from
day one, I tell my guys that if you’re not one of the 11 that run out there on the first play, you better be
able to contribute on special teams. That’s the message around here. If you’re not one of those starting
11, and you can’t contribute on special teams, then it’s going to be hard for you. That’s the message
they get so they take it and understand it. Special teams is a big part.”
(On if CB Tyson Campbell can reach five or more interceptions in a season) “I think if he catches all the
ones he has his hands on, he has a chance. It all goes together, the front has to pressure the quarterback
enough to speed him up and make him make a bad decision or overthrow, then when you get your
opportunity, you have to come down with them. Tyson is going to be in good position, so teams might
shy away from him, but there will be opportunities for him to put his hands on the ball. He just has to
catch them.”
