JAGUARS SECONDARY COACH – CBS – TIM WALTON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Saturday, August 22, 2020
(On CB CJ Henderson’s growth) “Well, he’s a very good athlete. He’s [got] great movement skills, he is smooth out of breaks, and he studies the game a lot. So, you know, the thing that I like is the technique. He came in and worked on his technique and I saw the improvement from the first few days moving forward of how he can improve each week, each day on the techniques and things that we ask per coverage.”
(On CB CJ Henderson’s biggest stride in his technique) “Well, being patient at the line, in his press coverage, understanding when to use some of our techniques, our bail techniques, our palm stuff, and then when to use it and apply it and being patient. He lets the game come to him and is real patient and [he has] been good with his eyes. That’s the thing with this league, everything is about deception on offense. So he’s able to put his eyes in the right place, good at his press technique, being able to be patient, not getting off-balance a lot and being at the right spot down the field on the receiver to put yourself in a position to make a play on the ball.”
(On describing CB CJ Henderson as being a little further ahead) “Yeah, yeah, he’s done a great job at it. Because the main thing is learning the different techniques at the time. The learning of the football will come, but applying the techniques with the right coverage, and being able to get decent with those things, are the hard part. Because you’re trying to maybe break some habit and some things that were taught differently throughout your whole college career.”
(On CB Tre Herndon’s personality and his strides) “Ah, he can make big strides for us; he has an all-business approach personality. He’s serious about his craft, he’s serious about his work, he takes pride in doing the right thing. He’s a detailed player, good understanding, good football IQ. So when you can apply those things and he really works hard on his technique, that leads to steady improvement over time. So I look forward to him taking a big stride this year, from last year, because now he’s a little more seasoned and now he can apply those things with a more confident level.”
(On different personalities in the cornerbacks room this year) “Yeah, well it’s just a little different now. And so now, even a guy like Tre Herndon, he’s become one of the leaders of the room, so to speak. Because you have him, D.J. Hayden, I mean, those are the guys now that have played the most ball for us right now. So, the leadership role – and those are both more quiet personalities, which is good, those guys that go about their business and stuff like that. Like I said, I look forward to it and they can continue to lead the young guys, and they’re more ‘lead by example’ type guys anyway.”
(On the importance of having a veteran presence like CB Tramaine Brock) “Oh that’s important. Like I said, the hard thing is to give guys experience. So the veteran leadership, the veteran experience, those things are vital. But what I always tell guys is that the young guys have to step up too, because you never know—some guys, young guys mature early. The reason I say that is because of a guy like Tre Herndon; he’s a guy that doesn’t have as much playing experience as some guys, but he has the right approach. And if you watch his mental approach, his physical approach, and the way he goes about things, he approaches it like he’s been a 6 or 7-year vet already. So I think it’s based on each person, but the experience in the room is vital.”
(On CB Tre Herndon’s improvement) “Well the good thing about that, he got that experience last year. It’s hard, the thing you can’t give guys is game day experience, he got that last year. So now a lot of things that he saw for the first time, he has already seen now. Now, coming in this year, he’s more confident, he’s understanding things, he knows the different spots he needs to be at. Now he can apply—and like I said, his personality is already business-like, he’s very mature, he’s very into his stuff. So with that experience that you have, and the work ethic and the maturity level and this approach, it’s nothing but an upside for him. He works on his technique [and] he’s works on his craft a lot. Like I said, he’s a true pro in his approach to this game, so I look for big strides from him this year.”
(On CB Tre Herndon as a leader) “Oh, no doubt. He has to be the guy that does that – him and DJ [Hayden] are the guys that kind of are the veteran guys in our room right now, as far as being in this system. So now he’s trying to take on that role, and trying to speak up more, and trying to show the young guys the ropes on how to do things. And he’s a great guy to be in that role.”
(On Coach Ben McAdoo) “Oh it was great being around him. Obviously Ben has a great personality, man. We had fun up there with him, he’s an outgoing personality, I had a great time being with him. So it was good to get back with him. Like I said, he allows us to coach and have fun and the energy and the positivity that he brings, and the excitement, is contagious. So that’s the thing I like about him. You know, every day is a good day with Coach. He’s always positive about everything and excited to get the chance to play ball and coach ball, because you know, we don’t get a chance to do this every day, it doesn’t last forever.”
(On crossing paths at all in the past few years with Coach McAdoo) “No, but we talked, we talked all the time. Like I said, we have a great relationship, so we would be in contact all the time for the past couple of years.”
(On CB CJ Henderson’s personality and his interest in the game of football) “Oh he loves the game of football; he’s totally dedicated to the game of football. He’s into it probably more than most guys you know. It’s a high priority to him, he’s really dedicated to learning, studying the game. He’s a football—he’s a gym rat when it comes to that stuff. So he does an excellent job of that and I have no question about the things that I’ve seen and me being around him. That it is super important to him, that he’s dedicated, his notetaking, his questions that he asks, he really takes the prepared approach of how he goes about his business.”
(On the notion that defensive backs having to be talkers) “No, I think you have to be who you are. You can start going through examples of some guys that use it to their benefit. So I can name good players that have been outgoing personalities, that talk a lot and use that as an advantage for them. And I’ve seen good players that have the more quiet, business-like demeanor. And I think you have to be who you are in this league, go about business as you, because that’s where your comfort zone is, and you go about and play that way. And I’ve seen guys have success both ways.”
(On DB/KR Chris Claybrooks’s progress) “Oh definitely, he’s making progress. Chris is a guy, he’s very conscientious also. He’s [got] a business approach, all about his business also. [He’s] dedicated to it, obviously he has a long speed, he has strength, we’re continuing to work with him on his technique. But he’s a guy that has a big upside. I like what he’s doing so far, he’s very competitive and it’s very important to him. So I look for big things to come out of the future with Chris.”
(On CB Luq Barcoo and what it would take for a player like him to make the roster) “Oh just keep progressing every day. He’s a very talented young man. And that’s just now of everybody, like a guy like him. Just keep being able to apply the techniques, learn some things that you did differently in college. But he has a high skill set, upper-level talent, ball is important to him. He has the traits; he just has to keep working on the technique and do those things. He has ball skills, you know he was very productive in college, so I think he has a big upside and he has the skill set that you’re looking for at the position.”
(On what he likes about his room) “Football is important to them, they’re all very conscientious guys, and they can handle coaching. You know, you have to allow yourself to be coached. It’s important to them, they’ve got good work ethic, and you know what happens when you put all of that stuff together, and it’s important to you and you continue to work on technique, they will continually get better every day. You know, it’s a different thing that shows up, that some guys get better every day. So they learn to fix their problems, they improve in other areas. So I think over a period of time, that with that kind of work ethic and dedication, at some point it’s going to gel and come together. And you’ll see guys start to, individually, start to rise in their play with that approach.”
JAGUARS CB TRE HERNDON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
August 22, 2020
(On what he proved to himself becoming a starter last season and what he still has left to improve on this year) “I feel like last year was definitely a good step for me, a good stride, just getting really my first year [of] consistent game action and starting. I feel like it was good for me. I feel like definitely knowing the game, kind of feeling that game speed, tendencies, those kinds of things, I was able to take a step with. Now [I’m] just stepping on top of that, adding more with my technique, being more consistent, being more consistent in film study now that I have a year under my belt. Those are things that I’m working on in this camp.”
(On his thoughts on the new defensive players, especially CB CJ Henderson, CB Josiah Scott, and CB Luq Barcoo) “I think those guys are working hard. They’re trying to apply the technique that coach is teaching, and they listen, so that’s a good thing. Sometimes you get rookies in that want to come in and do their own thing from college. But they’re taking to teaching and trying to apply it on the field as best as they can, so I like those guys for sure.”
(On his message to undrafted or late round picks such as CB Luq Barcoo and DR/KR Chris Claybrooks) “I just try to tell those guys, on and off the field, run, run, run. Just run full speed in all the drills, look at the guys ahead of you to make sure you don’t make the same mistake they do. Just trying to not really focus on being perfect but high effort and just jumping in there whenever you can and getting your reps in so coach can notice that you’re giving that effort and you’re trying to make a name for yourself.”
(On those players stepping up today with CB CJ Henderson being out of practice) “They’re stepping up. They’re not waiting on anybody to tell them what to do when they notice that CJ [Henderson] is out again. They want to step up [and] get their reps in so that they can get on tape and coach can teach them right and wrong.”
(On taking S Andrew Wingard under his wing last year and how he has progressed since he joined them team) “He’s definitely embraced his role being a special teams guy last year and then also having to step in there on game day a couple of times when we would have someone [that] may have to come out of the game. We call him ‘Dewey.’ I feel like Dewey has done a great job of just embracing his role. When his name is called, he’s stepping up. He knows the defense. He knows the special teams stuff. He’s a good guy for sure.”
(On S Andrew Wingard now leading the special teams unit after being coming in as an undrafted player) “He just locked in. He understands his role and he’s stepped up to the plate so he’s ready to go for sure.”
(On if the young secondary players and young receivers are talkative) “Honestly, as far as the corners, I can speak for the corners, the young guys are just listeners right now. They’re trying to soak in anything that the older guys can teach them [and that] coach can teach them so [I] haven’t really heard that much yap from the corner room. And then receivers, I feel like they’re the same too. I feel like everyone’s just locked in just trying to do their job, not too much talking. But as the year goes on, there will probably be when we get in the games, it’ll come out game day. But right now, at camp I feel like everyone’s locked in.”
(On if CB Luq Barcoo has mentioned that he was the nation’s leader in interceptions last year) “No he hasn’t, but you can tell by his play [that] he’s definitely a ball hawk. He definitely wants that ball, but he hasn’t brought that up.”
(On if he will see lots of growth this season after getting experience last year) “I definitely do feel that way. Like I said earlier, I think having that first year under my belt was definitely a confidence booster. I was able to feel [it] out, instead of like in my rookie year [when] I got in maybe once or twice and then the last game of the season. But getting those consistent starts, you get the feel of gameday and the game speed. I definitely feel like understanding that and then coming in my third year, second year starting, would be definitely a step for me. I feel like I’ll be a lot more comfortable knowing that I’ve been in these situations before.”
(On today’s live practice) “Practice in the pros, it’s kind of different, a lot of tag off, or we call it ‘Wiz’, or you just run by them. So, whenever we get the call from coach that we can go live, of course defensive guys get kind of excited about that, getting the pads popping. It’s a little different this year with no preseason games so we definitely want to try to take those opportunities where we can work on our tackle opps [and] work on actual contact to gear up for Week 1 that we’ll be going right into.”
(On how the team is practicing for game-like experiences in scrimmages knowing that there are no preseason games to prepare them before Week 1) “I think its just putting guys in those live situations of today or just any hectic situation that we may have. We do situational ball, two-minute drill, those kinds of things that we would see in the game. [We] just throw guys out there so they can get as close to that game feel as we can.”
(On Secondary Coach- Cornerbacks – Tim Walton’s role in his success) “Walt [Coach Walton] has definitely done a great job as far as my development. I’ve been able to get personal relationship with Coach. I’ve seen him a couple of time just one on one [and] we’ll talk. We just have that good connection. And then technique wise, one thing Walt does is he drills us. Like the rookies, he’ll ask [them questions]. We’ll just come in and he’ll have a pop quiz and he wants the answer right away, like the question you guys were asking about how we can get ready for that game scenario with no preseason games. Keeping us on our toes all the time. With technique, he’s drilling us hard on those kind of things [and] the playbook. Walt [is] definitely going to grind us, but I feel like it all plans out at the end of the day. Walt has definitely been a huge influence on me as far as playing and also [having a] personal relationship.”
(On how aware he is of the new sanitation protocols) “Going through the locker room, really the whole facility, there’s sanitation stations everywhere. I saw a new one where you just push your foot on it like a trash can and you can get sanitation on your hands. They’re trying to find many ways to keep the hands sanitized. The equipment guys [have been] cleaning our shoulder pads, cleaning the helmets every time we come off the field. And then the balls, being on the field a lot of guys wear gloves and stuff, so coming off the field you definitely want to sanitize. They’ll have stations coming back inside the facility. They definitely are trying the best they can to get us sanitized [and] keep us sanitized all throughout the day.”
(On if his equipment smells sanitized or like a hospital after it’s cleaned) “Not really hospital, but you don’t have that stink. You can kind of smell that last practice stink on some of your pads sometimes, but they clean them pretty thoroughly, so they just smell like a fresh pair of pads.”
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE LINE COACH GEORGE WARHOP
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Sunday, August 23, 2020
(On OL Ben Bartch) “I like Ben, I like him. His college tape was good, but level of play didn’t give you a great indicator of what he possibly could be. I thought when he was at the senior bowl before he got hurt, I thought he competed extremely well there. [He] showed some things that we like in our guys, some strength. He has some tenacity. He’s a bright kid. I think it’s really just him getting comfortable. He hasn’t shied away from the competition, just technically getting used to how we want to play, making the transition from tackle to guard. It’s not as easy when you don’t have a spring, so he’s fighting through the early parts of making that adjustment, but I’m fired up for him. I think he’ll be a good player for us in the future.”
(On first impression of OL Ben Bartch’s size) “I’m not surprised by anybody’s size. It doesn’t matter where you play, right. He was a tall kid, at least, coming out of high school and he had to work to put on weight. So, no I wasn’t shocked. And I think he did a good job from the spring draft until now putting on more weight. I think when we drafted him, he was like 308 or 309 [pounds], and I think he’s in the 315 to 317 range now. So, I think he’s done a nice job with that. He has good strength and power as well.”
(On the offensive line looking good despite not having an offseason) “You know, that’s interesting because the thing about this offseason, all of the pressure was on the individual player in terms of how he returned. They didn’t have Milo [Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Tom Myslinski] in the weight room to monitor them, they weren’t around us to be monitored. So, it was going to be a direct indication of what their commitment was to how they wanted to come back and there was nobody else responsible for it but themselves. That was made very clear in our encounters and our meetings, that ‘Hey listen, when you come back here, if you’re not in shape, this is going to fall on your shoulders, nobody else’s.’ And those guys listened to that and they all worked. I mean, I know Cam [Robinson] was working, I know A.J. [Cann] was working, all those guys. So, I was pleased with where they came back. Now, we’ve still got work to do, but they came back in a position where we didn’t have to fight to get them into shape before we could start making progress. They came in a position where we could really start making progress without being hindered by somebody being overweight or out of shape, or not ready to go.”
(On OL Will Richardson Jr.’s progress) “You know, after last year with Will, I thought he did a tremendous job for us going into guard, making that transition. But I wasn’t sure that that’s what his best position was. I was thinking he might be a better tackle than guard. So, we put him at left tackle, which is new for him as well, right. He played a little bit last year, but his whole college career he was a right tackle. I’d say in the last three or four days, he’s really starting to settle in being on the left side and getting comfortable back at tackle. So, I think Will has a variety of skill sets for us. I mean, last year, we got him to snap, in a pinch he can pull the ball, as long as we get him some work. We know he can play guard if need be and now, he’s a tackle. So, until he establishes as a starter for us, at some point in time if that occurs, we have a really valued—a guy with some extreme position flexibility. So, I like where Will is. I like where his head is, and again, he shows up to work every day.”
(On whether there is competition for the left tackle position) “I’m going to be frank and honest. First, Will had to get adjusted to playing left tackle. Alright, so I don’t think he was there when we started training camp and as I stated the last 3 or 4 days, you can see him settling in. As he gets more settled in and he gets more comfortable, he can create some more competition, that’s just where it is. When he walked in the door, I wouldn’t say day one he was truly competing with Cam [Robinson], because Cam is so far ahead of him. As he closes the distance, he’ll start competing. And I think he’s starting to close the distance.”
(On keeping this group together after last season and on biggest strides from the group) “I’m going to start with your first question, and yes, I wanted to keep all these guys. My opinion about my guys often differs from other people’s opinions about my guys. But the one thing I saw from this group last year was they were physical, right. They were physical, Cam [Robinson] was dealing with a knee so you really didn’t see all of him. And I’m hopeful we’ll see all of him and what he’s capable of now moving forward. I teach things a little bit differently and it takes some time to understand that. But again, at the end of the year, I thought our guys had a good understanding and they were going about it the right way. The biggest strides they’re making now is that they know what’s expected of them. So, there’s really nothing new. Of the 14 guys we have here in camp now, 10 of them were here last year. So, there’s not a whole lot of teaching going on, other than with Garrett [McGhin] who’s new and then the three rookies. So, they know what it is, they know what the expectation is, they know how we want to play, and the emphasis is on being physical. We want to run guys over and that’s our thought process.”
(On OL Cam Robinson’s importance and progress) “How important? I mean, Cam is going to be our starting left tackle, I think he’s extremely important. And we need him to perform at a high level. The biggest thing from last year to now is he can take all the practice. He’s out there in all the practices, he’s taking all the reps, there’s been, to this point, no issues with him physically. So, I mean, he can just keep going and getting better and we don’t have to worry about managing him like we did last year. Last year, it was a daily managing of him to get him through practice and, at times, to get him through the games. So, that part of it now, now that he’s healthy, in my opinion, we can start seeing what he’s truly capable of.”
(On OL Jawaan Taylor’s strides this offseason) “First and foremost, I don’t think you can shake Jawaan’s confidence. Whatever happened last year, if it was negative, it’s gone for him. Jawaan is upbeat. If you’ve ever been around him, he’s upbeat, he’s positive, he’s always looking to be the best. He’s an unbelievable teammate. You know, he’s a second-year player and he carries himself like he’s a seasoned vet in the room. And I don’t mean that from a selfish standpoint, I’m just talking about how he engages other guys, all the rookies, all the new guys, the four new guys we have in the room, he’s engaged those guys, they’ve pulled him right in. So, that part of Jawaan, that’s one reason why he’ll be a good player, because his demeanor is such that there’s nothing that’s ever going to get him down. In terms of building on last year, for him it’s just, again, just continually becoming more consistent. We’re preaching his hands, bin, pad level, all the stuff that’s needed to be consistent in playing a high level. He’ll buy into all that. So, he’ll just stay on his track and he’ll keep working at it and we’ll keep trying to get him better.”
(Closing Statement) “I’ve got one thing I want to say though and this is outside of this, but [Former NFL Offensive Line Coach] Howard Mudd passed away a week ago. And you guys all saw, there’s probably been—I haven’t seen all that’s been mentioned about him, but I want to make a statement about him. I love that guy. When I was coaching and when I was a young coach, he reached out to me. He saw some of my guys play, reached out to me and took me under his wing. I wouldn’t have this job today if it wasn’t for him. I don’t think people understand what an impact he had on almost every line coach in the NFL, and quite a few guys in college, in how we play. I mean, every day in my meeting room, I’ll make a statement or a comment and it’s directly from him. I’ll teach a technique and it’s directly from him. And I just don’t think people truly understand how he’s going to be missed in this profession. Because he’s touched every one of us. He’s touched my family, my kids, my wife, all of them. So, I just want to make the statement [of] how truly beneficial he was for me as a coach, as a man to my family. And again, I wouldn’t be a third of the coach I am, if it weren’t for him. So, I just wanted to get that out there.”
JAGUARS OL JAWAAN TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
August 23, 2020
(On being under Offensive Line Coach Warhop for a second year in a row) “Coach Warhop’s been doing an amazing job teaching me pretty much every single day since I’ve been here last year [on] just how to be a better athlete, a better pro, a better player overall. I learn stuff from him every single day. I soak up everything I can soak up from him because Coach Warhop’s been coaching in the league for over twenty years now, so he’s coached the best of the best at this point. I’m just learning as much as I can learn from him. I’m enjoying it.”
(On the physicality of the offensive line group so far during training camp) “I’ve seen a lot of that [physicality] in training camp so far from the group. We’re definitely putting a big emphasis on getting more push off the line, being more physical at the point of contact. We’ve definitely been focusing on that every day and Coach Warhop’s been preaching at us every single day that we need to get more movement off the line and create more space for our running backs because we have a lot of good backs so we have to make some space for them and create plays for them.”
(On going against DE/LB Josh Allen in camp and what he has seen from him and the rest of the defensive line) “For one, Josh [Allen] has been doing an amazing job this camp. [He’s] stepping up and being more of a leader this year, filling in the void for the guys that were here last year. He’s doing a great job. Every single day he’s coming out there working hard. [He’s] getting me better, I’m getting him better. He toned his body up more on his offseason so he’s a lot quicker now off the ball, he’s got a more quick twist to him. I’m excited about him this year. He’s going to definitely get more sacks this year than he did last year. And what I’m seeing out of the rest of the defensive line this year is they’re all just jelling together and playing well together. We have a few more new young guys in there [and] they’re all adjusting pretty well. We’re all out there having fun pretty much at the end of the day so we’re just getting each other better every day.”
(On having the confidence of a veteran as only a second-year player) “I’ve just been around veterans. The whole offensive line was veterans last year except me, so just hanging around those guys every single day and learning what I can learn from them. Plus [with] the experience I had last year and the guys I went against last year, I just learned a lot and I’m still learning. I’m still the young guy around here but I do have confidence in myself and in my play. So, I just go about my business the same way every single day and being a pro and getting better every day.”
(On what he’s seen from DL Taven Bryan this year in camp) “Taven [Bryan]’s doing an amazing job. He’s been running with the ones a lot this camp. He’s showing up a lot, making a lot of big plays for our defense so we’re excited about Taven. Of course, everyone knows how strong he is and how physical he can be so we’re definitely excited to see what he’s going to do this year. He’s definitely stepped it up this year.”
(On if there’s anything specific that’s different in DL Taven Bryan’s play in camp this year in comparison to previous years) “Well Taven [Bryan] attacks every day headfirst and he does great every day with the way he goes about his business so he’s just getting better every single day. We’re all out there getting better so he’s definitely doing what he has to do to get better every single day.”
