JAGUARS HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER
(Opening statement) “Thanks for joining us. It’s great to introduce the 2021 Jaguars coaching staff. I spent a good portion of the last month putting this puzzle together. It’s a mix of really incredible NFL experience when you look at it, along with collegiate experience with the transition of the game of the NFL moving more towards the schematics of college football. Qualities I look for? Experts at what they do. I believe 904 deserves the very best. I feel great about the staff. [It] took a lot of time, a lot of effort, the most interviews I’ve really ever had in my career to put this thing together. But I feel great about it and obviously time will judge, and time will test how we do. I feel great about it.”
(On the hire of Assistant Head Coach and Inside Linebackers Coach Charlie Strong) “He was my first hire. He’s going to be the number two, that means the assistant head coach, and he’ll be in front of the team. He’ll be my right-hand man as he’s been many, many times over my time at Florida. I always tell people that the chance of us winning those two National Championships without Charlie Strong would not have happened. [He’s] a high character guy, great family, someone that I trust explicitly, but also a guy I just feel very strong about being in front of the team, being in a locker room and being at my side. [He was the] first hire and arguably one of the most, if not the most, important hire.”
(On his relationship with Defensive Coordinator Joe Cullen) “I’ve known Joe Cullen a long time. I’ve always studied his defensive line play. He’s considered if not the best one of the best defensive line coaches in the game. But I’ve known Joe a long time. I also have tremendous respect for the way the Baltimore Ravens play defense. We’re going to be the Jaguar defense, but [they were] just systematic when he came on, the systematic style they go about their business, the history of success, and the fact that he came in his interview, we interviewed quite a few people for that position, and he did an excellent job.”
(On trying to hire Joe Cullen while the head coach at Ohio State) “I had conversations with him about joining. I want to say even at Florida we had conversations and we couldn’t find the right fit, but he’s a guy that I looked for to get on my staff several times.”
(On the hiring of Director of Sports Performance Chris Doyle) “I’ve known Chris for close to 20 years. Our relationship goes back to when I was at Utah and he was the number one strength coach. Really, he was doing sports performance before sports performance became a high priority in college sports. I’ve known him. I’ve studied him. We’ve had a relationship. I vetted him thoroughly along with our general manager [Trent Baalke] and owner [Shad Khan]. [We] feel great about the hire, about his expertise at that position. We vetted him thoroughly. Sports performance is going to be a high, high priority as it really has in the last probably ten years. Certainly, at Ohio State, that became if not the most important. You guys know my relationship with [Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance] Coach Marotti at Ohio State. This whole [thing] from the strength training room, physical therapy, sport psychology, and nutrition, it all falls under the sports performance team umbrella and I wanted to get the best of the best.”
(On reservations in hiring Chris Doyle) “I vet everyone on our staff and like I said, the relationship goes back close to 20 years. [There were] a lot of hard questions asked, a lot of vetting involved with all our staff, but we did a very good job vetting that one.”
(On owner Shad Khan’s role in the hiring of Chris Doyle) “Shad was involved with our high-end hires and he was involved [in this one].”
(On if he has concerns being able to attract free agents with this hire) “If I was, I wouldn’t have hired him. Once again, I’ll explain that if that becomes a question. The one thing I’m very confident [in] is that I would imagine within a year or two, we’ll have the best sports performance team in the National Football League. As far as the last few years, we’ve had serious issues with injuries. I want to say 63 games were missed just on the defensive side of the ball because of injuries, where in 2017, there were only two. So keeping players healthy at their maximum performance is a high, high priority for [me]. Mine has really changed over the years about the priority of that. At Ohio State, I’m very biased, but we became the best in college football. Now, our job is to make sure we become the best at professional football.”
(On the qualities he was looking for in his coaching staff) “There are a lot of challenges in the National Football League you don’t have in college: contracts, how fast. I was hired at a time where we put in the paperwork, which was fairly new to me. You put in paperwork and want to visit with people under contract in the National Football League. A lot of guys, even before I was in my position in Jacksonville, I never even got them on the organization to get the interview in, so that was new to me. I don’t want to say college is much easier, but [in] college you don’t have the same issues as far as contractual obligations to NFL franchises. For every spot, there were multiple interviews. Expertise is what I’d like to say. As I will tell our team, my job is to provide you with the best of the best of the best and that’s to enhance your value as players. How do you enhance your value as a player? You become an expert at what you do, and you play for a great organization and win games. You’re going to hear that quite often. My number one responsibility is to enhance these players’ value, and by the way, winning games enhances everyone’s value.”
(On how his players will respond to the hiring of Chris Doyle) “I met with our staff about it and I’m going to be very transparent with all the players, like I am with everything, and listen closely and learn. There’s going to have to be some trust in their head coach that we’re going to give them the very best of the best. Time will tell. Once again, a player that’s hurt and not performing or not maximizing what strength and prehab abilities [they have] so they’re getting hurt or they’re not preforming at the highest level I think is a high priority. The allegations that took place, I will share I vetted him. I know the person for close to 20 years and I can assure them there’ll be nothing of any sort in the Jaguar facility.”
(On Chris Doyle’s role) “He’s a director so he reports directly to me. Then underneath him, you have the strength program, you have the training room, you have the equipment room, you have sports psychology, and anyone that has any contact with our players will be direct reports to Chris. His job is to make sure we’re doing the best of the best. With the strength staff, we study all the analytics involved in training, also the physical therapists, which he’s an expert in these areas, just anything sports performance related. I also include the equipment room in that. I obviously include our nutrition program, so all those will all fall under the direction of Chris. By the way, like I did at Ohio State in 2014, we won a National Championship because we had zero soft tissue injuries. I can give you a bunch of statistical information about what’s gone on here the past couple years and it’s not very good. It’s something that had to be completely revisited and at the end of the day, make sure these guys are getting the culture of excellence and it’s going to be the best of the best. How’s our training table? [It] better be the best of the best. How’s our weight training and prehab to make sure these guys are getting the very best? We put together a new strength staff I feel great about. We’re still in conversation about the athletic trainers to make sure they’re the best of the best. I feel very good about our nutrition, but I could go for each one. That’s going to be very important. I’m going to spend as much time on that as I have our coaching staff.”
(On the hires of Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Passing Game Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) “To tell you the amount of time I spent on that hire and the amount of people we interviewed was as many as I’ve really ever done. I knew of Darrell Bevell, have always had great respect. [Ohio State Head Coach] Coach Day’s studied under him a little, not directly coaching for him. I did speak with Ryan. I did speak with several coordinators and his interview was by far the best. His ability to adapt to my vision of the offense, which is little different maybe than he’s done in the past. The flexibility and not rigidness was very important to me because we do have the first pick in the draft and there is a vision I have about the style of offense. I’m certainly not going to call plays, that’s his responsibility, but I have a real clear vision about what I want the offense to look like and he was great. I called 10 people about Darrell, and Brett Favre, who I’ve known for quite some time, when he made a comment that’s as good a coach as he’s ever been around and ‘by the way I had my best year with him at Minnesota’ and he said, ‘Hire the guy.’ Brett Favre, the respect I think we all have for him, I listen in closely. Brian Schottenheimer was great with the success or the years that [Seahawks QB] Russell Wilson had. You go back to Sam Bradford. Look at Mark Sanchez, what they did with the New York Jets and his background. I’ve known Brian from when I was the University of Florida was when I first met Brian. I think the two of them together, we met at great lengths before Brian decided to come with us because he had other opportunities. So far, after a week of having them together and being involved in those meetings, if I had to say what’s my favorite thing to do right now, it would be to go sit in those offensive meetings and hear our offensive staff have conversations.”
JAGUARS ASSISTANT HEAD COACH AND INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH CHARLIE STRONG
(Opening statement) “I’m really excited to be here. I know that Coach Meyer already said it, I was one of his first hires. I can remember we had a conversation this summer. We were just sitting around talking and I said, ‘We have one more run in us. We have to make one more run.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t ask me to do that.’ I said, ‘I know you want to do it because it’s still in you.’ And I just think about the relationship that we’ve developed over the years and then the success that we had at the University of Florida. I know we have us a job here, but I’m really excited about the job here because I know that what he’s done, the winning attitude that he has with every school that he’s been to, that we can get that done here.”
(On taking the opportunity to move to the NFL with Head Coach Urban Meyer) “The relationship that Coach and I have, it’s been a relationship we started, and what a lot of people don’t know, back in our days at Notre Dame. We were assistant coaches together. From there, he left and went to Bowling Green. I left and went to South Carolina and then we reunited again at the University of Florida. But we’ve developed a relationship. It’s been a relationship where we’ve been with some unbelievable programs and two runs at two national titles that we had at the University of Florida, and then we have a chance to come here to Jacksonville. You’re right, it’s both of our first times being in the NFL and it’s what is said. But at the end of the day, coaching is all about relationships and coaching is all about helping young men create value for themselves. Knowing that who he is and the staff that he has put together, I know that we can get that done here and I’m just excited to be a part of it.”
(On why his relationship with Coach Meyer is successful) “With a lot of coaches, you don’t develop that relationship that the two of us have. I just think that back in our Notre Dame days, we worked for Coach Holtz and some of these same things that he has taught us, each of us have used in our program. He’s had a lot of success. I haven’t had the success that he had as a head coach. But then we were able to come together and just set aside the football side of it with the personal side where we can sit down, and we can have a conversation and I can bring things to him and he can bring things to me. Even being here, that has already happened where we can have that conversation. Even if one of us disagrees with one another, we don’t take it personal. I can say to him, ‘Okay then, I trust you on it. I believe that it’s going to work. Let’s go with it.”
(On his defensive scheme this year and having the right personnel to fit that) “The way that ball has evolved now, whether it be on a professional level or the collegiate level, you have to be very multiple on defense. Sometimes you can show three-down, sometimes you can show four-down, but it also goes back to the personnel. We’ve been evaluating our personnel here in the last few days that we’ve been in, so we know that we have some personnel here, but you always want to get more. It’s going to be conversations here in the next upcoming days where we go around to each position and each position coach has a chance to talk about his personnel and what his needs are. But you’re looking at defenses, we’re going to be very multiple and you’re going to have a chance to hear [Defensive Coordinator] Coach Cullen here in a second. But we’re going to be very multiple and you have to be multiple just because of the way offenses are now.”
(On if he considered moving to the NFL previously or if this was just the right opportunity) “[It was] a combination of both. I’ve considered it before, but I can remember when I was a coach at the University of Florida with Coach Spurrier, he would let me go do internships. I did them under the Saints when Coach Mora was the head coach and then when Coach Fontes was in Detroit I did them there. I did one with Coach Dungy. So I’ve always worked those camps in the summer. I had opportunities to go coach on that level, but I just never did because just where I was at the time with my career. I just felt like I want to be a head coach first and work to go be a head coach. Now with Coach [Meyer] coming here asking me to come here with him, this is a perfect opportunity, a perfect storm actually. I’m just looking forward to the challenge.”
(On the trust level between him and Coach Meyer) “It’s when you’re friends but you develop that level just because he’s seen my work ethic, I see how he works and we’re kind of the same type of person. We don’t have any hobbies. It’s kind of just all ball for us. But that trust level was something that we developed over the years.”
(On LB Myles Jack and Joe Schobert) “I’ve seen plenty of tape on both of them. I look at Myles Jack, he’s a guy that’s very fluid. A guy that can get downhill, very athletic and a guy who’s really good at open space. Yesterday Joe [Schobert] came by to see me for the first time. We sat down and talked a long time and [it’s] the same thing with Joe. You’re looking at two ‘backers that are kind of in the prime of their career because the length of time that they have been in the NFL, but guys that can make plays and guys that will become the staple of our defense. If you’re not good at linebacker, then you really don’t have much of a chance to play really good defense. [I’m] really, really looking forward to coaching both of them because they want to learn. You can tell they’re learners, they want to learn, and they want to get better. It’s all about creating value and those guys want to create value for themselves and they want to become the best.”
(On if he’s looking to become a head coach in the NFL in the future) “It just depends on how things work out when you’re talking about ‘I want to become a head coach again’ or wherever it may be. I think for me right now is just to make sure that we have a lot of work to do and it’s a challenge here with this organization right now. When you talk about ‘we want to be the best we can be as coaches,’ we want to be the best that we can get our players, we want to get them to play at a level where there’s discipline, where there’s a standard, there’s an attitude. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if things do happen the right way and if we can get this program, which that will happen. But it’s all about now working where we get the players in here and give them a chance to meet us and see what we’re all about and then I think everything else will take care of itself.”
JAGUARS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR BRIAN SCHNEIDER
(Opening statement) “My family and I are just so excited to be down here with Coach Meyer and really excited to get going and really build from the ground up. Seeing from afar what he’s accomplished and just really to get the philosophy and just in get in and start building, we’re really excited.”
(On what appealed to him about this position) “Really Urban. Coach Meyer and the success he’s had, the philosophy he’s had, I wanted to get in on that and learn as much as I can about that. I love that. Being with [Seattle Seahawks Head Coach] Pete [Carroll] and being with Pete from the transition from USC to Seattle and the NFL was a wonderful experience. Those guys, obviously I love them. I love Pete. I love [Seahawks General Manager] John Schneider. Just the opportunity to grow and really see another way to do things. As I continue to grow in my philosophy, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. What’s most important to me is to see it built from the ground up. And that’s what’s going to happen. Just unbelievably lucky and excited to be here.”
(On if he used a lot of offensive and defensive starters on special teams in Seattle and if he looks forward to doing that in Jacksonville) “Yes, we did. Every situation is different. Every year is different, but Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, who are Pro Bowlers, could be Hall of Famers, were on our kickoff team pretty much the whole time there. What I love about that is Kam would not come off. He would not come off kickoff. So as a coach, for me to sit there in a meeting and talk to a rookie or talk to anyone else who doesn’t know the value or see the value, they were my best ambassadors. You’ve got two Pro Bowl safeties who will not come off kickoff. They were our leading tacklers a lot of the time. When [WR] Doug Baldwin signed a huge contract extension, I called him to congratulate him and the first thing he said to me is, ‘You better not take me off punt return.’ And he said some other words with that. That’s not a returner, that’s a guy holding up. So I think when the locker room is built that way, it makes my job easy. I think they saw the value of field position, the value of a play is a play. Offensive play, defensive play, a special teams play is just as important. I know Coach Meyer is all about that and he’s going to preach that, but when our players can see that, and that’s my job is to let them know that. Then all of a sudden it takes on a different level.”
(On what he learned from Pete Carroll about the transition from college to the NFL and how hard it is) “That’s what I think is so intriguing about being here. I’ve actually seen it work. I was with Coach Carroll at USC in 2009 and then made the transition with him to Seattle. The number one thing is I saw Pete not change. I saw Pete with his philosophy that is really, really clear to Pete Carroll and I saw him implement that into the NFL and saw that thing take off. Similar to Coach Meyer, I love being here. In two weeks, he has a really clear plan and he wants everyone in alignment, which is taking place right now as a staff, and his philosophy is going to work. It’s proven. I know how that transition looks, and I’m really excited to be a part of it, but I know how it does look and it works.”
(On what he’s seen of the Jaguars current specialists) “We interview those guys when they are at the combine so you start to form your opinion as football players and then you play and you watch them. Really good, talented players. You look at both of them, Logan [Cooke] can do a lot of things with the football which a lot punters are being able to do. Just his disposition, I’m just starting to get to know them and really the mindset of every player is the most important. Everyone can measure what they do on the field and you watch tape and you see it. What’s the most important to me with all of our players is really getting into the mindset, what drives them, the competition, the leadership. All those things that make people special is really what we’ve got to find out. So as we go through that, I’ve just known their body of work has been really good. I think [Josh] Lambo’s missed four or five kicks since he’s been there. That’s production. And Logan is just really talented when you watch him on tape. Now getting to know him is the next step in the process as we continue down the road.”
(On WR Keelan Cole and whether he can advocate on bringing him back) “One thing, he’s a free agent so we really don’t talk about them that much, not allowed to, but what he is, he’s a really natural fielder. That’s really number one when you start looking at all returners, especially punt returners because punters are getting so good. There are so many different kind of balls kicked to them, different spin, different angles, direction, so you have to be able to track that thing, number one, and you have to be able to field it with your feet underneath you, which is really natural for him. So I really like that and I’d really like to look more into him on what his abilities are.”
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL
(Opening Statement) “First of all, just excited to be here down in Jacksonville, looking forward to getting to meet everybody. Obviously, right now were not meeting everybody in person, but maybe at some point we’ll be able to do that. But [I’m] looking forward to working with you for hopefully a long time, so I’m ready to roll.”
(On his evaluation of the quarterback position) “[I’m] just excited to kind of dive into the roster. We’re just beginning these last couple weeks kind of diving in, really looking at every position and it’s really continuing right now even as we speak to go through those. The quarterbacks, obviously there’s great stuff to look at. There are things that we’d like to improve on in the position. But still, I want to make sure that I gain more information with getting to meet them and adding that part of the puzzle into it as well, what they believe in, how important it is to them. Gardner Minshew’s already been in here one day, just passed through, got to say hi to him. So, still just working to get to know all the guys at this point.”
(On evaluating quarterback prospects for the draft) “Again, [we’re] just scratching the surface on it. We’ve begun to look at a few of them. I’ve seen a little bit of tape on Trevor [Lawrence]. I’ve seen a little bit of tape on Justin Fields. So, we’ll continue to do that. That’s going to be a long process, ongoing process as we work this thing.”
(On the passing game coordinator position and his relationship with Jaguars Passing Game Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) “Brian [Schottenheimer] and I kind of had a similar track just kind of following each other through the coaching ranks. We’ve never worked together. I’m actually really excited about the opportunity to work with him. [It’s] kind of funny that both of us were in Seattle, following each other, but I’m excited to work with him. [He’s] a guy that has a lot of knowledge. He’s been around some great quarterbacks. I’ve been around some great quarterbacks. So, I think it’s going to be a great team for us to be able to put our heads together and be able to work with a young quarterback that we’re going to bring in here.”
(On his conversations about the offense during the interview process) “Outstanding. I’m super excited to be here. I feel fortunate to be able to be here in this experience and obviously working with Coach Meyer. It was a great interview process that I went through. I think it’s a little bit unique in terms of I really hadn’t had any circles that ran across Urban Meyer. So obviously super excited to be here and in the situation that we’re in here in Jacksonville with a lot of great things getting ready to happen on the horizon.”
(On going to Clemson tomorrow for Trevor Lawrence’s pro day) “Yes, I will be there. I know that Coach Meyer’s going, I’m going, and Brian Schottenheimer’s going.”
(On evaluating draft prospects without the NFL Combine this year) “It’s going to be different. Obviously, we’re going to have to do a great job. I think the most important things with the combine is the background and those kinds of things. There will still be a pro day that we’ll be able to get to and we’ll be there to watch all those guys throw in person because I think that’s really important to see the ball come out of their hands. But we’ll have to use all the other stuff at our disposal. We’ll be able to use the Zoom calls, obviously we’ll be on phone calls as well, and everything that we have because this is going to be a huge undertaking for us, a very important pick and we have to make a great decision.”
(On what he hopes to see from Trevor Lawrence at his pro day) “I think for me it’s just important, like I said earlier, just to see the ball come out of his hands. I think one of the hardest things to do on tape is to be able to tell velocity and just the way it comes out of his hand. I also want to see the command that he’s going to have. [It’s] kind of our first opportunity to be able to get him in person, so [I’m] excited to do that. We won’t be able to meet and talk to him like we normally would before or after, so it’s just going to be the workout itself. But [I’m] excited to watch him throw in person.”
(On his experience working with successful quarterbacks helping him develop his new quarterback) “That’s another reason why I’m just super excited about the staff that Coach Meyer’s been able to put together. Myself with my background with obviously Brett Favre and [Matthew] Stafford and Russell Wilson and those kinds of guys. I was able to take Russell Wilson as a rookie and then kind of start his career. Then with Brian Schottenheimer and the guys that he’s been around with Philip Rivers and those kinds of guys. There’s a lot of experience on this staff in terms of quarterbacks, some of the best quarterbacks that’s played in the game. So, I think we have good knowledge and experience in bringing a young quarterback to play.”
(On RB James Robinson and the running back position in his offense) “The running back position is huge. It does a lot of things. In my mind, it sets up a lot that you can do in the play action game, in the movement game. James [Robinson] had an outstanding year. I was able to meet him for the first time today. He was in the weight room, so I got to say hi to him just for second. [He] had a really nice year for himself, obviously an undrafted rookie coming out and played really well. I like his skill set. I like the way he cut the ball. He’s got really good vision. He’s got great contact balance. He can make guys miss at the second level. He can make guys miss and get what we need to. Obviously, he’ll continue to work on speed and those kinds of things, but [I] really like what he’s done and [I] look forward to working with him.”
(On modifying his offense to be successful at the professional level) “I think one of the things that really helped me was when we first got Russell Wilson. It wasn’t something that I had done in the past, the zone run game and the quarterback zone read game, that kind of thing. It was something that myself and [former Seahawks Offensive Line Coach] Tom Cable, when we were there, we began to kind of dive into that. I think the background that I had there was able to help me in the communication with Coach Meyer. Some of the things that we started to do with Russell can carry over from the college game to our game. I’m going to be able to help Coach Meyer in that. Coach Meyer’s going to be able to push me in some other directions as well. I think it’s a great partnership with myself and the staff that we have and Coach Meyer to be able to bring whatever we’re going to do as the Jacksonville Jaguars to life.”
JAGUARS DEFENSIVE LINE COACH JOE CULLEN
(Opening Statement) “It’s a great honor to be part of Coach Meyer’s first NFL staff and to be back in Jacksonville. I spent 2010-12 here. I’m excited. Coach Meyer is one of the winningest coaches in the history of the game and when he called me to come down and interview, I was excited and ready to go.”
(On a 4-3 versus a 3-4 and what he plans on for the defense) “We are still evaluating our current roster and I’ve been [in the NFL] for 14 years – eight years we were a 4-3 scheme and six years, we were a 3-4 scheme when we were multiple. It is all tailored to the personnel that you have and in both schemes, you have the flexibility to do both.”
(On what areas the defense needs to focus on first) “I think like anything, you keep improving every day. You want to be an attacking defense. You have to stop the run. A lot of people say it’s a throwing league, but if it’s 2nd-and-3 and 3rd-and-1 all day, you are not going to have the opportunity to get after the quarterback. I think as the Jaguars move forward, we will just continue to get better and keep doing things that will not only stop the run, but will get after the quarterback.”
(On Assistant Defensive Line Coach Sterling Lucas and Outside Linebackers Coach Zachary Orr) “I think first and foremost, coach has hired a great staff. The Jaguars defensive staff is a great staff. Zach and Sterling, I was with for five years. They have great knowledge of the defense. Zach played in the system and then coached with me side-by-side for the last four years as well as Sterling. They just have a great knowledge, they have great energy. They are great working with players. Those are two key guys as the rest of our staff was as well.”
(On if he has specifically evaluated Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson) “I have definitely evaluated those guys, not only coming out [of college], but obviously here. They could play in either scheme. Both of those guys are versatile, they are athletic. They can put their hand down, they can stand up. They can do a lot of different things, and I’m excited.”
(On what he brings to the coordinator position as a defensive line coach) “First and foremost, the Jaguars defense, we are going to have a collaborative staff. There is great knowledge in our staff room. When you look at the guys that I have trained under, Rod Marinelli, he was a long-time defensive line coach. Lovie Smith, Jack Del Rio … When I went to Baltimore, [former Ravens Defensive Coordinator] Dean Pees and [Current Ravens Defensive Coordinator] Wink Martindale have done a great job. Coach Harbaugh [has done a great job]. There have been some great coordinators, not only from the secondary, but also from the front end. I think it’s like anything, when you get the opportunity and you are asked to call a defense, it is going to be a collaborative effort and also, it is the things that you experience in the past. I am excited about it.”
(On what it means to him to come back to Jacksonville and what it means to him to be a coordinator for the first time) “Jacksonville is a special place. I was here before with Jack Del Rio and Wayne Weaver, Gene Smith. I was here in 2012 when Mr. Khan bought the team and I was grateful to stay here. I always thought I might come back some day because it was a great area, great organization and when Coach Meyer called, I was really excited to have the opportunity to come down. Again, being a first-time defensive coordinator at the NFL level, as I said, I have been a coordinator before [in college] and have learned from some great defensive minds, not only head coaches, but also positional coaches that became coordinators. I think one thing that as a defensive staff, we are all going to have say. I am excited about the staff we put together and also the opportunity that Coach Meyer and Shad [Khan] have given me here with the defense.”
(On how important his time in Baltimore was in terms of learning defense) “It was vital. Like I said, I have coached 14 years in the NFL. I had an opportunity to be in a 4-3 scheme and also the opportunity to be in the 3-4 scheme. The versatility that can go with both schemes and the way they did things from [Former Ravens General Manager] Ozzie Newsome to [Current Ravens General Manager] Eric DeCosta and Coach [John] Harbaugh and learning under [Ravens Defensive Coordinator] Wink Martindale was valuable. It was just great knowledge I gained in my five years.”
