Transcript: TE Coach Kevin M. Gilbride

TE Coach Kevin M. Gilbride

July 28, 2014



Q: Can you compare where you guys were from the offseason to where you are now?

A: Well I think they’ve done a great job working hard as far as not just the schematics of our offense, but also the different techniques and alignments and where we ask them to get, in order to get them into the best opportunity possible to be successful. So they’ve done a nice job in their development in that area. There’s still a lot of work to do technique-wise, just from a finishing standpoint, from a getting the job done standpoint – that still needs to improve. But they’re working towards that and the more they’re out here and the more they’re working, at the end of practice battling and trying to make plays and trying to compete their butts off and finish blocks, the better off they’re going to be.



Q: Has anybody stood out to you from that group, somebody I guess who is separating himself from the rest because it’s a wide open position?

A: There have been guys that have made strides in different areas so right now we’re looking for the complete tight end who can do it all. But we also need guys who are role players, guys who can be specialists in certain areas, as far as if he’s best at executing a certain block, he’s going to the have the opportunity to make those plays in the game. If he’s best at a certain route, he’s going to have the opportunity to make those plays during the game. So I think you need both. You need to have the all-around tight and then you also have to have specialists, guys who are great at that particular role.



Q: Have you seen anybody that you think is that all-around tight end yet? Or do you think they all can do it?

A: I think, right now, they’ve all got a shot at doing it. But again, they’re all very good in certain areas and right now not as efficient and not as good in other areas. In order to become that all-around tight end, they need to continue to develop.



Q: Can you envision a scenario where maybe it’s just a couple specialists, like four specialists and each of them just does one thing particularly well, or do you absolutely need that all-around guy?

A: I think you can get it done with the specialist-type thing, but that’s not really what we’re looking for. What we’re really looking for is to develop a number of overall tight ends who can do it all and can contribute to our team because that’s what you need in order to be overly successful and be at the position itself to help the team win games.



Q: It’s been pretty obvious to us - from what we see - that you guys have made a concerted effort to split the reps and make sure every guy has a chance to be with the first team, run with Eli, the first line. Do you think that this is almost a progression now, where in maybe a week, two weeks from now, it might be better served or that’s the plan to be able to get some guys in there regularly with that personnel? Does that matter? Can you still evaluate? Is the evaluation still the same?

A: First and foremost, yes, we’ve definitely made a concerted effort to get everybody with the first team, to get everybody the same amount of reps, to give everybody the same opportunities to do the different things that we’re asking the tight ends to do. That’s been an effort to do that in order to evaluate. As of right now, until it separates and until we have that clear-cut favorite as far as who’s going to be the starter, who are going to be the role players, until that comes into light, no, I don’t think we need to specify and get this guy to go with the first team and this guy is only a third-teamer. I don’t think that. I think we continue to develop them and see who’s going to take the role or roles because you can use multiple tight ends many times in the offense.



Q: So at this point, you can get enough out of the evaluation doing it this way. Two, three weeks from now that you’ll feel comfortable enough to know what your guys can do heading into September 8th.

A: Well I’m not going to give any type of a timeline because I don’t know the timeline. All I know is that we need to continue to develop them. I am comfortable with evaluating. Every time they get on the field they know they’re being evaluated with everything that they do. So as far as the improvement that needs to be shown, the consistency that needs to be shown, when guys start to emerge, we’ll know it.



Q: We know last year you guys ended up having to shift the tight end to play a lot of fullback when you had injuries. I know it’s a different offense and everything, but do you have to stress to your guys now is that one of these roles that one of these five guys has to play?

A: Well within this offense, it is certainly one of those roles. We put the tight ends in the backfield often. So it’s a big, big part of what we do within this offense. Even more so than because of injuries; it’s part of our offense.



Q: Are you anxious to see how guys will perform in a game setting and actually see where the run game works?

A: I’m not anxious – I’m excited. I’m very excited about it and I’m really excited about these practices when we’re in our full pads, to have the opportunities to not only work their assignments and understand what they have to get done, but how they execute it, the aggression with which they execute it and the finish. That’s what we’re looking for.



Q: How would you characterize the tight end role in McAdoo’s offense? Obviously with the short, quick release and what they did in Green Bay, it seems it would be a major factor for you guys in terms of receiving. How would you put that in words?

A: I would put it as “jack of all trades.” With what we just talked about, with having them be in the backfield and playing a lot of that fullback role, splitting them out as the number one receiver, the number two, also an in-line tight end as far as the blocking and the pass receiving. It’s a jack of all trades and they have to master them all. So it’s an exciting, fun position within this offense, but we need to continue to develop in order to be ready to help our football team win games. That’s the most important thing.



Q: There has been kind of concern or criticism that you guys do not have an established starter that has a proven track record for you. What do you say to that with this group that you have here? Is that a concern of yours? I know you’re still trying to play it out here in training camp, but how would you characterize that?

A: I don’t really know the question.



Q: You don’t really have anybody that has a true, proven track record as a starting tight end in the league. You have a bunch of guys with a lot of talent, but who are unproven products. Is that a fair assessment?

A: Well I would say this: in order to become a proven tight end in the league, you have to start somewhere and that’s where a lot of our guys are. We also have two veterans who’ve played multiple roles throughout the league in different teams and different offenses who have done a great job in here as well. In order to become an established tight end, you have to come from somewhere and that’s where some of our younger guys are right now.



Q: I guess where I was going is that is it a concern that you don’t have that to just fallback on? You’re in a position now, how much of a concern or challenge is that?

A: It’s certainly a challenge and it’s very exciting. It’s exciting as a coach and it’s exciting for these young players to have the opportunity to develop into play-in, play-out tight ends, guys who will make an impact for their team.



Q: What do you see in Adrien [Robinson] so far?

A: Good and bad. It’s inconsistent and it needs to improve in that regard. He has flashes of great things and shows you what he can do if he can continue it and continue to develop. But he needs to continue to develop in order to help us.



Q: Last year, Larry Donnell got some experience in multiple roles. It was a different offense, but how does that experience help him in this offense in your opinion?

A: I think anytime you get experience playing in the course of a game and being in the limelight, so to speak, as far as the atmosphere, the intensity of it, going against a player with a different color jersey on, it’s great experience for you. So it does, it helps and there’s no doubt about it. But he is still a very young player in that regard as well. It’s not like he had a ton of reps through the course of the season last year so the development still needs to continue there as well for his poise, for his execution, in the course of the games.