HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2024
(On the decision to trade DE Trevis Gipson) “I don’t think anything or anybody is
expendable. I think that when you have good players and other teams have needs, you’re
obviously going to listen. You’re going to listen to other teams. I mean, it’s no different than
during the draft process or a free agency or anything like that. Trevis has done an
outstanding job for us. I think it’s a good situation for him. It’s a good situation for the team
he’s going to and obviously the compensation for us. It’s a win-win. It gives him an
opportunity to play. He put good tape out there of his play and wish him nothing but the
best. Spoke with him this morning, and he’s happy and excited for the opportunity.”
(On his happiness with the development of young guys at defensive end beyond DE Josh
Hines-Allen, DE Travon Walker and DE Arik Armstead) “Good. Obviously, Myles [DE Myles
Cole] has really improved. [DE] D.J. Coleman’s another one that’s improved a little bit
through camp and the offseason program. It’s what you want. It’s your development. It’s
what we talked about going back to day one, and how we developed the roster and a good
situation.”
(On if he’s happy with the progress that the team has made over the month of training
camp) “Yeah, I’m happy but you’re never satisfied, right? I mean, there’s still work to do and
we can continue to get better. We haven’t seen all the pieces. I mentioned Arik, and we
haven’t seen him, but we know who he is. It’ll be good offensively to get Christian [WR
Christian Kirk] back and get him back in the offense. But yeah, pleased, and pleased with
the development of the entire roster.”
(On the difficulty of making roster cuts) “It is. I mean, again, been in this business a while
now and it’s never easy to make these moves and these decisions. It’s just unfortunate
that’s what the rules are. By doing it earlier than Tuesday, it allows these guys opportunities
to be picked up, and we still have some moves to make by tomorrow. But again, it’s never
easy. These guys have busted their tails and have done some good things and really put
themselves in this position to hopefully now help another squad.”
(On how WR Christian Kirk is progressing injury-wise) “Good. Yeah, doing really well.”
(On how the practice regiment leading into Week 1 will look amid roster changes) “Yes.
We’re still developing, we’re still working. There are some things we’ve got to clean up from
the game the other night. Still working on situational things as a team. Then once we do get
down to the 53 or so, and we get our practice squad guys back in here, then we can kind of
get into an in-season routine with them. We’ll look a little bit at Miami probably later in the
week. But right now, it’s still, let’s clean up the game and continue to push.”
(On DE Travon Walker’s growth as a pass rusher and his positional skill set) “You’re seeing a
guy that is like a sponge. I mean, he’s just eating up all the coaching points and it really has
been beneficial to him on the field. You’re seeing his length show up. You’re seeing his
power and explosiveness show. Just continues to get better each week, just continues to
improve. You see his speed, that athleticism on tape and the physicality part of it, I think
shows up. He’s done a really nice job and looking forward to really, I think, getting into a
game-plan routine with those guys and really scheming an offensive line.”
(On QB Mac Jones “reverting back to the old Patriots ways” in Friday’s game at Atlanta) “I
know this thing got blown out of proportion. But it’s no different than myself. I grew up in
Green Bay, right? Played for Green Bay, played for this, you learn certain things. So, you go
somewhere else, like I went to Cleveland, and you revert back: terminology, hand signals,
plays, things like that. That’s what you’re talking about. Sometimes he pulls out an old hand
signal or throws out some old terminology or something because that’s what he’s known,
right? That’s what he’s been a part of for the last several years. It’s not a slight, a knock or
anything. It’s just that’s what I meant. Like I said, he’s been great. He’s been great for the
room. He’s played extremely well. We’ve got to keep continuing to grow, and it’s just
sometimes, especially as quarterbacks, and as astute as he is, and he studies the game
extremely well, just the terminology and learning our way, and how we do it. That’s what I
meant by it.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s growth in playing under center) “I don’t think he did any of it in
college. I think Trevor’s really grown under center. He’s getting more comfortable with it. I
like it. It’s kind of the traditional part of the offense. But I think too, it kind of balances your
offense a little bit. Not as many indicators, run and pass, and something we can continue
to grow with.”
(On what he saw from the offensive line vs. Atlanta and if he was pleased with their
performance in the run game) “Yeah, I saw these guys really kind of roll off the ball. Two
really good drives to end in touchdowns. I thought these guys did a really good job playing
together. Communication, there was great communication on the sideline between those
two series right there. Saw some physicality in the run game, which is good to see. And
again, part of today is to go back and kind of clean up some things with those guys. But I
thought overall it was really good to see them get out there and get some meaningful reps
in those games.”
(On if WR Christian Kirk will practice this week) “Yeah, we’ll get him back out there and get
him rolling.”
(On S Daniel Thomas’s timeframe for return) “No, he’s not back yet. He’s more day-to-day.”
(On OL Anton Harrison’s growth) “He’s playing really well. Actually, had a really good camp.
I think for me, what you see in him is the confidence now having played a full season and
really understanding how to play that position, and continues to grow and improve. Again,
he’s been one of the bright spots at camp and excited to watch him get the season going.”
(On how having no depth chart this offseason has helped depth players) “I think it helps
tremendously because what happens is, you put a depth chart up and they start looking at
numbers and the line, ‘How long is the line?’ Instead of, ‘How can I get better and improve?’
Then, you keep rolling them out there, whether they’re working with the first unit or second
unit, it doesn’t matter. They’re getting valuable reps, and I think it definitely plays into the
psyche of the player. They’re not looking at the length of the line.”
(On how much Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen is communicating with the guys about
their standing without a depth chart) “Yeah, I mean, it’s one of the things that as coaches,
you’ve got to overcommunicate clarity, and players know right up-front that this is the way
it’s going to be and you’re going to get your opportunity. You’re going to be out there with—
it’ll be you, whoever it is, D.J. or Myles Cole, whoever that is, you’re going to be with Josh or
Travon or one of those guys out there, and it’s just a matter of how you perform in that
moment.”
(On the depth of the offensive line) “I think there’s really good, really good depth. I mean,
you think of, obviously Walker [OL Walker Little], Walker Little, I mean, unfortunately, yeah,
he’s a backup, but he’s a starter in this league. The way Cole [OL Cole Van Lanen] has
performed, the way Blake [OL Blake Hance] has performed. Cooper [OL Cooper Hodges],
how he’s come along. Even [OL] Javon Foster, we’ve seen strides in him throughout camp.
It’s tough because you see it every year where teams lose an offensive lineman—knock on
wood—and so they’re always looking for big bodies and for me, and Trent [General Manager
Trent Baalke] is the same way, you just don’t want to give them up too easily. These guys
have done a nice job giving us that depth.”
