DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOE CULLEN
(On if he’s talked to the defensive players about the importance of this game) “Absolutely. Every game. It starts with Coach Meyer, but when these guys put the work in and when they put the effort in and they give you everything they have, it’s tough. You wish you had a spot for all 53. I had a thing today and Coach has talked about today, “what’s the best effort you can put on tape?” Would love to keep everybody. It doesn’t happen. But when you’re a plus-two guy and give great effort, 31 other GMs are pulling that tape out right after when the wire cuts come. When you give effort and you bust your tail, you’re going to find a home in this league.”
(On the depth at the safety position and the difficulty of cutting the roster) “There’s really battles at every position and yeah, we’re deep there and it’s tough. They’re all playing well.”
(On how the scheme and depth at positions affect the roster cut down) “Well, I think it’s all relative to how that person fits into the big picture. Are they playing special teams? Do they have a role on defense? They have to do those things. I mean, if we keep anybody, I know speaking defensively over the years, ‘Okay, what’s their value of special teams?’ I’m talking about as the bottom of the roster. They’ve got to be great at special teams and they have to have a role. And a lot of times when you talk about different personnel groupings like the dime, you’d like a faster guy, like nickel is two backers, dime is you’re bringing another DB like a Rudy Ford or [Andre] Cisco or someone like that. Over the years in Baltimore and Tampa, where we’ve been, we’ve put another DB in there. But when you have a deep position at safety and they play well on special teams, and they’re fast, you find a home for them.”
(On DL Taven Bryan’s development) “I’ll tell you, he was—you talk about physical, in terms of knock back up front in the base packages and running at the football, he was really, really good and he’s just continuing to get better. That was his first real live action with the injury he had. But he’ll just continue to develop, work on his pass rush and keep fighting. He’s playing—all the guys up front have to play dual roles and he did it well the other night.”
(On what he likes about DL Taven Bryan overall) “In my time here, his effort has been really, really good. He’s physical and he’s playing the techniques that we want and that’s what I like about him right now. He’s going to continue to develop.”
(On whether DL Taven Bryan is better at getting off the block) “He’s doing a good job, right now. Let’s start with knock back with your hands inside, what we call the difference, he’s doing a great job at that. He’s got to continue to develop the shed and the use of the hands in the pass rush. He’s got to continue to get better at that. No one is where we need to be right now.”
(On an estimate number of players they’ll be able to keep on the defensive line) “No, it’s fluid. I mean, over the years when you’re in a scheme, it’s been six, it’s been seven, in terms of the interior guys. Then, you keep maybe four on the outside. ‘Is it five on the inside? Is it five on the outside?’ It’s all fluid, we’re still not there yet.”
(On whether DL Taven Bryan is facing uphill battles getting into that rotation) “No, no. I mean, if he continues to progress like he did last week, we’ll find a place for him.”
(On the edge group fighting for spots on the roster) “Yeah, Lerentee [McCray], who’s a seasoned veteran with special teams and spot duty over the years, Aaron [Patrick] and Jordan [Smith], those guys. I mean, it’s a battle. It’s a battle every day in practice, it’s a battle every game and this is a big one.”
(On whether DE/OLB Josh Allen is still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for Sunday’s preseason game) “Yeah, I don’t know the timetable. I was texting with Josh [Allen] last night and—the timetable, that’s up to Coach [Urban Meyer].”
(On what he has seen from the edge group thus far and what he hopes to see from them on Sunday) “Well, first of all, the physicality in the edge was—I mean you look at [Dawuane] Smoot and you look at Jihad Ward, they dominated. That’s a pretty good offensive line [New Orleans Saints] and they dominated them. They both had a sack and I know John said we didn’t get much pressure—just joking, John—but you know, in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback, we had a lot of pressure, I thought, in the game. [At] certain times, like when they max protect on the first touchdown, we’ve got to help those guys out. Someone’s got to win when they block eight, which is basically what they did. They blocked eight on four, so somebody’s got to win. And then, when the ball is thrown, we’ve got to make the play in the air. And then the other touchdown, we had two free hitters, we zero blitzed. So, I did, I put the corner on an island, he’s got to play the ball, he’s going to be off and then, there’s no hesitation, you’ve got to go. And he made one throw and it was to the left, it couldn’t have been to the right and they made a good play. Doesn’t mean you’re not going to do it again. I mean, when a great hitter strikes out, he’s coming up cutting again. So, don’t worry, we’ll be pressuring.”
(On his conversations with CB Tyson Campbell) “I think when you look at his coverage ability, he’s really good staying with the man. It’s almost—like sometimes he covers him too well—and I say that jokingly. But he has great coverage ability and then not even a split millisecond, you’ve got to turn and make that
play. That’s where he has to get better and our coaches are doing a good job. Tim [Walton] and Joe [Danna] are making sure he’s in those positions during the week to be able to do that as we move forward.”
(On whether S Andre Cisco is ready to be a starter on his defense) “He’s—we’re grooming him. No, he’s not ready right now, not at all. But hopefully, he will be here shortly. It might take time, but he’s fast, he’s physical and he’s doing some great things. But in time, he will be.”
(On whether there are any guys that are game ready and don’t necessarily need to play on Sunday) “No, I mean, there are certain guys that maybe you’d say that. But I think all of us feel like we’ve got to still get work.”
(On what this shorter preseason has been like and whether it’s impacted anything he would’ve done differently) “No, it’s been similar. Years past you’d have four, now you have three, [but] it’s been similar. Some guys game plan, some guys don’t. We’ve been doing both. You want to play fast, you want to know your assignment and you want to play to the best of your ability. But it’s been very similar to the four preseason games. We’ve had a physical camp and it’s been great.”
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN TAVEN BRYAN
(On how he feels having to catch up after missing time) “Pretty good for the most part. It’s hard to be away for so long, especially in important time frames and especially when you can’t be in the building and what not. But for the most part, I got on the virtual meetings and then caught up real quick.”
(On feeling the pressure to get back on the field to catch up with a new coaching staff and system) “Not as much. We kind of used to run this in Florida when we had [former UF Head Coach Will] Muschamp, so it’s pretty similar to how that kind of works out. So, for the most part, it was kind of like a carryover.”
(On feeling comfortable in the system) “Yeah.”
(On competing for a roster spot) “Yeah, every day.”
(On if he’s done enough to make the roster) “You control what you can control. They gave me those extra reps probably because I’ve been out so long and they haven’t really gotten to see me, especially most of these coaches. I appreciate the extra reps and to be able to get in there and show what I can do.”
(On how he felt after being in for 60 percent of the snaps during Monday night’s game) “I’m feeling pretty good for the most part. As long as you practice hard, you run to the ball, you kind of get in shape well enough for the game. The game’s a little slower for the most part.”
(On his performance in Monday night’s game against the Saints) “I did pretty decent I feel like. There’s always stuff you want to work on and improve. But for the first time really back and doing stuff, I felt I was pretty decent.”
(On describing his position on the line) “It honestly just depends to be honest with you because I like anything from about three to a five. The nose gets a little more difficult. But like [with] my size, I don’t really have as much problem as a three sometimes if it’s just a lot of doubles. It is what it is, but as a five it’s pretty easy. That area from maybe like a six to like a two, I’m pretty comfortable with.”
(On being on the non-football injury list to start camp) “I didn’t get beat up. Not doing anything crazy like that, but things happen. Am I supposed to comment on that? No comment.”
(On missing time before camp) “It was kind of a crappy deal because I really wasn’t doing anything bad to get injured like that, then I got injured. I was trying to chill out before camps start, and then I got sick, and then that just kind of postponed everything, kind of slowed down the momentum. You kind of lose your in-shapeness.”
(On if it took long to recover from COVID-19) “Honestly not at all. I didn’t know I was sick, was just kind of forced to stay home.”
(On his outlook for the season) “Probably the biggest and most important thing to me is I just don’t want to let my teammates down. We have a bunch of other dudes that are going to be playing and stuff, so if I kind of goof off as a three or something, it’s going to mess up the nose, the end, the other end, they might not get the production they need, and it might affect them as well. It’s less [about] me. The past is what it is, and I can’t control that, but I can control what I’m doing going forward.”
(On being in the right spot on the defensive line) “Yeah, I believe so.”
(On if Defensive Coordinator Joe Cullen’s approach is getting the best out of him) “Yeah, I’d say so.”
(On Defensive Coordinator Joe Cullen’s approach being more helpful than previous coaches) “Yeah, I’d say so. He does a pretty good job.”
(On the changes in the defensive line room) “You always get new dudes as you go through, so a lot of the new guys are usually pretty cool. I’ve never had any bad experiences with players, so for the most part, they’re pretty cool.”
(On his reaction to the team declining his fifth-year option) “I just kept doing what I was doing, working out, try to stay in shape and getting ready for the season.”
(On having to proving himself more this year after the team declined his fifth-year option) “No, it’s the same thing. You just have to go to work and make sure you get your job done.”
(On where the coaching staff wants him to improve) “For the most part, I think they’ve said I’ve done pretty well. Some of the things I’d like to improve on is with the run blocking. I’d like to be a little more aggressive on the get off; I felt kind of sluggish in the beginning. Then definitely more with the pass rush, I’d like to work an edge a little bit better.”
(On moves he’d like to work on) “According to Coach, they want us to use the slap rip. That’s what he wants.”
(On the rejuvenation room) “I haven’t been in there as much. I usually do the same kind of routine. I roll out, I go drain my legs, and then I just hop in the ice tub. I’m more of a workout guy for recovery.”
TIGHT END BEN ELLEFSON
(On whether he’s on the edge of making the final roster) “I would say yes just because of the situation we’re in with the new staff, them drafting Luke [Farrell], obviously. But it’s just a matter of going out there and making the most out of my opportunity on Sunday. I feel like I’ve done a good job up to this point just taking advantage of my situation, so you just have to go out there and execute and play fast.”
(On being surprised that the team didn’t go after a more high-profile tight end to join the room) “I guess not really. I tend not to look at the things, transactions and things like that, news and what not. So, maybe a little bit. I guess it never really crossed my mind too much, just tried to focus. Obviously, Coach [Urban Meyer] likes the competition with who we have, so I think that’s more important in the position that I’m in.”
(On whether not signing a more high-profile tight end was a sign of confidence from the coaching staff) “A little bit, yes. Especially in OTAs just doing well there, just being here the whole offseason, I thought I was in a good spot just working out, being around the coaches, learning as much as I can in the offseason. So, I think it just set us up well for this camp.”
(On how heavily the tight end position will be used in this offense) “A good amount just with the different motions and sets that we have. We can be split out, we can be inline, two tight ends in the game, a tight end inline and one flexed out. We have the personnel to do that with James [O’Shaughnessy] and with Chris [Manhertz] at the one and two right now. So, the possibilities are there. It’s just a matter of what’s going to fit us and then finding that identity in our offense.”
(On feedback from the coaching staff) “I’ve talked to my position coaches, they’ve seen a lot of improvement just in the pass game especially, man-to-man—breaking away from man-to-man coverage, things like that. Obviously, getting stronger being here with Coach [Anthony] Schlegel the whole offseason was just another addition that I tried to add to my arsenal. Just being able to move a little bit better in space and things like that.”
(On working on the pass game) “I think a lot of that had to do with offseason work. I worked with James O’Shaughnessy quite a bit this offseason just working ball skills, just different things, and route running, breaking down and things like that, watching a little bit of film with him too. He was a big help this offseason in my ability to get better at route running for sure.”
(On getting advice from TE James O’Shaughnessy) “We pretty much worked out every day together and he’s a good guy that likes to be forthcoming with information. And so I was bouncing questions off him all the time about different things, different looks, just different things you can do with your body to make the defender think one thing and you do the other. So, [he’s] a very good resource to have.”
(On getting to be teammates with former TE Tim Tebow) “I thought it was awesome. He’s a great leader, just a great person. You guys obviously know that [with] him being from Jacksonville. Just being around him and being able to learn from him, things [like] taking care of your body, just different things like that. He was great at just being a good teammate, a good locker room guy, and I was very fortunate and I’m very glad that he was a part of our room for a short while.”
(On competing for the same position as TE Tyler Davis and former TE Tim Tebow) “Yeah, at the end of the day, we know—we all knew what was coming, what it is. It is a competition, like you said. So, with that said, we didn’t let that get in the way of the way we interacted with each other, eating lunch together. There’s no hard feelings towards one another. Everything is a competition on the field and when we stepped off, we’re obviously friends.”
(On getting to know former TE Tim Tebow and whether he learned anything from him) “His character and just the way that he presents himself. Obviously, he’s one of a kind. Like I said, taking care of his body, he had a lot of different things to say about that and I always asked a ton of questions. So, I was bouncing questions off of him about how he takes care of his body. Obviously, he put on a bunch of muscle coming into this tight end position and so, just things like that were really helpful for me as I hopefully continue to play at this level.”
(On how TE Chris Manhertz has been able to fit in with the tight end group) “Yeah, he’s a quieter guy, but when he does speak, it’s worth listening to. He’s obviously very good at what he does, very good run blocker, pass blocker. So, once again, that’s just another dynamic to the tight end room that adds to our arsenal or our handbag. So, for him to be able to be very efficient and proficient at those things just helps the rest of us because we see what we’re supposed to be doing when we maybe make a mistake or things like that. And so, for him to be able to correct us or help us on technique things, staying out later after practice is done just working some pass sets, has been a good thing for Tyler [Davis] and I and for the younger guys.”
(On the emotions surrounding roster cut day) “For me, especially with last year, I tried to have the mindset of just playing free. I had nothing to lose. Coming in here as an undrafted free agent, I felt that it was an opportunity and, more importantly, it was what I made of it. ‘Make the most of that opportunity,’ is kind of the cliché thing. So, I mean, I tried to live that and in doing so, I felt that I put everything that I could on the table and with that being said, I felt like I was in a good spot mentally. So, for guys that are all in that bubble, it’s just a matter of making the most of that opportunity leading up to this point; practices and these three preseason games. Just doing what you can to show that you belong.”
(On the emotions leading up to the roster cut) “Leading up to it, you never know. You might have an idea, you might not, but it’s just a matter of [not getting] in your head too much. It’s something that’s out of your control once everything has been done, so you just kind of have to deal with it. Having a good sound system in my parents and some people back home is very helpful. I have a lot of support back home and just having that is very helpful.”
(On getting to know and playing with QB Trevor Lawrence) “[He’s a] pretty special kid. His set of skills and everything that he brings, his leadership on the field and obviously off the field, he’s got a great character. He’s fun to be around, he’s a good locker room guy, he’s catty-cornered to me in the locker room and so we have conversations, every once in a while, about just different things about life in general. So, [he’s] fun to be around and he brings a lot of good things to the table.”
(On QB Gardner Minshew II’s approach) “Like he said, No. 2 is not an option for him. He’s a competitor at heart and he’s going to do what he can to go out there and put his best on tape as well. That’s kind of what he’s done. I mean, he hasn’t backed down and in the same way, he’s been a good leader, been a good helper to Trevor [Lawrence] in the quarterback room and so, I couldn’t ask for more from a quarterback in that way.”
(On whether he tells QB Trevor Lawrence about his national titles) “Four. I haven’t to him, but I do to James O’Shaughnessy and James Robinson because they were in my conference, so I let them know a few times every once in a while. So, yes.”
