DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR RYAN NIELSEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2024
(On the physicality of yesterday’s practice) “It was good to see tackling, right? It was good—pads,
physical, line of scrimmage play. Thought our guys did some good things, but to see guys go to the
ground, make some tackles and learn a little more about the guys, so it was a good day.”
(On S Andrew Wingard being out and who might get an opportunity as a result) “Another opportunity for
the other guys to step up. We’re still going through the evaluation process, so it’s going to open up an
opportunity for everybody. But we’ll get him back. He’s a big part of this defense. But that group—they’ll
step up. They’ve been doing a good job, so we’ll see what happens. We’ve got a long time until our first
game. You’ll see a bunch of different combinations still out there from today, tomorrow, all the way
through preseason games. So, we’ll see how it all unfolds.”
(On early evaluations of S Andre Cisco’s fit into his scheme) “Good. Really good. He’s doing a good job,
first understanding the scheme. He’s in the right place, fundamentals and technique have been getting
better every day. Kris [Defensive Backs Coach Kris Richard] and Cory [Defensive Assistant/Cornerbacks
Coach Cory Robinson] have been doing a really good job. He’s really locked-in to his position, where he
fits, where he can make plays. He’s doing a really good job.”
(On what about his scheme creates opportunities for the safeties) “First of all, the skill set of the player,
like Cisco, very rangy, smart player, physical tackler. So, all that—the skill set really—that’s kind of what
we’re looking for. And then, just how we kind of move around and change up the coverages. I think that
does a little bit to the quarterback and where he’s going to the ball. Then the ability to be a playmaker.
That’s something that you’re always looking for to evaluate it, college tape and is the guy playmaker? You
have to have playmakers at that position in this defense.”
(On S Antonio Johnson and how he has developed chemistry with Cisco) “Good. Really good. He had a
heck of a tackle yesterday—I don’t know if you guys saw it. Ball popped, come down, right shoulder
tackle, really physical play. It was really good to see. He’s improving a lot and I think part of that is
learning the scheme. We’ve been here seven days, eight days, nine, whatever it is now, right? But I think
as the time continues to go, even with everybody, the installation is getting close to being done in terms
of what we’re putting in. A few more things, but then they’ll just start playing and again and again and
again. Then that’s when it really will take off, just the continuation of the reps without changing
everything. So, he’s done a really good job up to this point, but still see more improvement and a bigger
jump in his future.”
(On what it will take for the younger cornerbacks to separate themselves) “Consistency. We’re looking
for it every day. Like he said, it’s a different guy every day. We want to see whoever that is and really the
whole group, every single day, bring it: fundamentals, techniques, scheme, be where you’re supposed to
be and then make a play on the ball consistently. Today is another day. We’ll continue to evaluate that,
but still looking for a rise from that group.”
(On if these are the ‘dog days’ of training camp) “Never dog days. Never dog days. It’s awesome to be
here. Our guys have a great outlook. Really tough group, tough-minded group. It’s just another
opportunity to get better, and we just take one day at a time, one practice at a time, one rep at a time.
Guys have done a really good job adopting that mindset. Coach Pederson [Head Coach Doug Pederson],
with just the practices and pushing the guys. But just today’s another opportunity. We’ll worry about
tomorrow when it comes. We’ll fix the corrections. It’s all about today.”
(On how he prepares the young guys to step in for injured players) “Stay with the process. Stay with the
process of continuing our installation, fundamentals, technique, teaching. Again, until we play Miami
Week one, we still got a long time. We’re still a month out, and so what we’re still continuing to do is
develop the players day-in and day-out. Then when the preseason games come, then when you see the
guys out there, and we’ll evaluate when the bullets are live and preseason, you’ve got to make the play
when you’re tackling and things like that. You go through three preseason games and another week of
camp, and then it comes down to, do we have a rotation? Do we have two guys? Is there three guys? Is
there four guys? Because ultimately, we talked about this the first time, injuries happen. I mean, stuff
happens, and so next-man-up mentality. That’s our job as coaches to get everybody ready.”
(On if he’s in favor of three preseason games) “Whatever they tell us to do, we’ll do. So, if it’s three, if it’s
two, whatever it is, we’ll just continue the process. I mean, that’s what we’re about. It’s a day-in and day-
out evaluation process. Developing the players, the players getting better, bringing it every day, and then
we look at the body of work. When it’s all said and done, the body of work from day one to the last day,
before we get into game week, what did the player do? How do we evaluate him? What does he do
well? Can he go out there? Do we trust him to go out there and play for our defense and for our team?”
(On what he’s seen from the linebackers) “They’ve done a good job. [Inside Linebackers Coach] Matt
House. He’s got them coming downhill. You watch their individual, I mean, every day they start out with
shuffle, run-angle tackles, downhill tackles, box tackles. It’s been a big emphasis. You’ve got to have the
players to do it. You look at our guys: big, strong, physical. We’ve got a smart group, we just got to
continue to do it.”
(On what he’s seen from the young defensive linemen with pads on) “Improvement. Maason [DT
Maason Smith] had a pretty good day yesterday. It wasn’t all perfect—striking blocks, using his hands,
getting off blocks. So, it’s been really good to see. A player who has not a lot of time on task with his
college career and just recently with a couple injuries. It’s been really good to see his consistency in the
things that he’s been doing. Jordan [DT Jordan Jefferson]’s, the last couple of days, he got nicked up the
other day, but he’s come back tough. He’s played real physical, good with his hands. Then, Maason, he’s
a big body at end. Does a really good job in the run game, still got to work on some pass first things. All
young players, pass rush in the National Football League is different than in college. Bigger guys, more
athletic, things like that. So, they’re getting better. We’re going to push them. We’re going to push them.
They’re getting better. Look for them to continue to get better and rise their play.”
(On his evaluation of LB Devin Lloyd) “Devin, love the work ethic, the mental, coming in. He wants to
know exactly where to be, his detail, his stance, alignment, his keys, where he’s looking. Then when he’s
playing, at first, being a new scheme, new coach, new fundamentals and techniques, sometimes it takes
a little bit of, ‘I’ve got to get a few reps under my belt.’ The last three or four practices, he made a play on
a screen yesterday, shot out, I mean, split two linemen, made the tackle. That was really good to see.
He’s playing more free, more fast recently. So just continue to see, we talked about the scheme, we’re
going to eventually slow down the installation part. One of our things was throw a ton at the players
early, really stress them mentally and in the camp. Then get the installation in and the basis of what we
do—80, 90 percent of the stuff—and then let them play for the rest of the camp. So with him is, all right,
so now he’s starting to have a little bit of success and just keep playing free, mentally and free, and run
and hit and play fast. That’s the best stuff that he does.”
(On if being new to Jacksonville helps him objectively evaluate players) “Yeah, you always want to be
objective, right? Anywhere you do 10 years here at a place you’d be objective, not let the emotional
relationship one way or the other, get into it. But yes, at the very beginning, you go in there and say,
‘Hey, everybody’s got a clean slate.’ We start every year, everybody’s got a clean slate. What you did last
year won’t matter. It’s what you do this day and this year. We’ve told the guys, ‘hey, look, everybody’s
going to get an opportunity, so what you do with your opportunity, with what you do with your reps, it
doesn’t matter who it’s against.’ That’s what we’re looking for. You’re seeing a lot of guys go out there
with the different groups, ones, twos, threes, whatever. We don’t have that. Coaches put down the
rotation, guys go out there, you’re seeing different defensive combinations every day. It’s what those
guys do with their reps and that’s how we evaluate them, and that’s kind of the whole process.
Objectively, yeah, you’re looking at, you just don’t get the emotions in the evaluation process.”
(On if he tries to talk to and work with each player on defense individually) “That’s relationships. It’s one
of the things you really like about being a coach is relationships with the players. You have lunch or you
have breakfast or interactions with the guys. You learn a little bit about them—what kind of makes them
tick and things like that. But ultimately, what we’re here is trying to help everybody. Each player,
nobody’s the same. Each guy, one guy needs to work on this, one guy needs to work on this. We want to
focus on being positive, upbeat. Football’s fun. I mean, football is tough, it’s fun. We want to keep it that
way. Fly around, have fun, have relationships with the guys. It just means more. You have more fun with
the guys when you actually know them and you know them as people, not just the players. So, there’s a
lot of combination to that. I think our staff does a good job at that. Our players have been very receptive,
have good conversations with the guys just about anything. One of our favorite things about coaching is
that relationship part and being able to talk to the guys about those certain different things.”
