Head Coach Ben McAdoo
May 25, 2017
Q: Does it bother you that prominent players such as Odell [Beckham] and Olivier [Vernon] weren’t at the voluntary OTA workouts?
A: You want all of your players here, especially your great players. It's a time to build fundamentals, communication, chemistry, and trust. So you want all your players here, especially the great ones. They facilitate a lot of those things for you. But you coach who is here, that's what time of year it is for us.
Q: Have they communicated with you?
A: We want them all here. We coach who’s here.
Q: What type of tone do you feel like that sets? On one hand you have Brandon Marshall out here, where he’s coming from another team.
A: Brandon has been a breath of fresh air for us. He comes out, he works hard at football, you can see he loves football. It's refreshing to have a guy that's been as productive as he has over his career and has played as long as he's played, being out here working the way he works; you can really see he loves the game.
Q: Eli Apple and Rhett Ellison looked like they were banged up and didn't do much today.
A: Eli Apple started; we're going to take a look at him. Rhett is a little sore, but other than that, we made it through okay.
Q: Sore as in what?
A: He's just sore.
Q: It was suggested that Ereck Flowers spent a lot of time here working in the off-season, is there anything you can see from him that might indicate the hard work paying off?
A: Ereck did everything that we asked him to do in the off-season. He's in tremendous condition, he looks quick on his feet. It's a great opportunity for Ereck just to be out here. He spent a lot of time in the weight room, spent a lot of time conditioning, spent a lot of time on air, so it’s good to get some bodies in front of him so he has a chance to work on his technique.
Q: Concerning Mark Herzlich lining up at tight end, how do you think he's responded to the position change?
A: We've been looking at Mark for a couple years at tight end. This is nothing new for Mark.
Q: How is Evan Engram doing picking up the offense?
A: All the rookies are fighting their way through it. It's just starting to get heavy, we just started. We haven't put anything in situationally with these guys yet. It's just been normal down and distance. They've been working at it hard, conscientious in meetings. You can see we have a good group of guys who like the game, enjoy football, working at getting good in meetings; which is an important part of this league.
Q: What do you see from the bottom of the cornerbacks depth? Is anybody jumping out so far?
A: I think we have nine corners on the roster right now, so we're loaded at corner. We have a bunch of guys, just fighting to get some reps right now. So we'll see how that goes. They've only practiced twice or three times against each other.
Q: Outside of football, how much do you try to get a pulse on how much the players are maturing or picking up what they need to, coming off of that post-season, to give you that confidence level?
A: We have the rookies around here quite a bit. We put our arms around those guys quite a bit when they get here. The veterans, they're grown men. I have an open door policy so any time they want to stick their nose in, or they want to pop in and talk to me, my door is open.
Q: What is your concern level with how much Odell has or has not matured off of last season?
A: We want all our players to be here. We coach the guys who are here.
Q: When somebody is not here, is it that they are missing actual football things that is disappointing, or more that we are going to ask you questions about the guys who aren't here and then that becomes a distraction?
A: I already answered that question. It's an opportunity to build fundamentals, opportunity to work on our communications, the trust, and the chemistry.
Q: Is this a contract thing with Odell? Has he said anything?
A: I answered the question.
Q: Any indication on Geno [Smith]?
A: Yes. We have Geno; he's still on a limited role right now. He had some reps in 7-on-7. We put him through some jog thru reps at the end of practice. He's chomping at the bit, he wants to get out there, but we have to do right by the player.
Q: How have the rookies been with the veterans?
A: So far, so good. It's early. It's going to get real heavy for them here shortly next week. We have four practices coming up the following week; it's going to get pretty heavy for them.
Q: What about Brandon that makes him a breath of fresh air?
A: He loves football and you can see it in the way he practices, the way he prepares, and he always has a smile on his face. He’s looking to learn.
Q: The red tights that he wore [at practice]?
A: I forgot mine in the locker room. He's a big impressive man and works hard at the game. He's building chemistry with Eli each and every day. So it's encouraging.
Q: What's it like to add to add two defensive veterans like [Duke] Ihenacho and [Devin] Taylor this late in the off-season?
A: They're two guys we took a look at yesterday and worked out. They looked good in their workout and we felt that they could add depth and some value and make a push.
Q: Is Taylor a guy that you think could play on the inside?
A: We'll see.
Q: Victor Cruz suggested that Eli was instructed not to throw to him last season? Would that happen in any way?
A: I don't have an answer for that question.
Q: Are you aware that it was said?
A: I heard a couple of things, but I have no response for that.
Q: Have you reached out to him?
A: Next question.
Q: Is it accurate?
A: There's no accuracy to it.
Q: What changed with [Ishaq] Williams? He was on the roster the final few games of the season, but it looks like you released him.
A: Ishaq is a guy we liked the way he worked when he was here. We'll leave that at that.
Q: Any thoughts on how Brandon Marshall’s presence will impact Sterling Shepard’s opportunities on the outside?
A: Anytime you have a chance to add someone who had those types of numbers and those types of abilities on the field outside, there's going to create some opportunities inside. There's no doubt.
Q: What do you feel about the new overtime rules?
A: It's five minutes shorter than the old one.
Q: Are you in favor of the change?
A: You play the game as it unfolds. It may change some things from a strategy standpoint, but obviously, you want to receive the ball, go down and score a touchdown and end the thing.
Q: What about the roster cut down date?
A: I'm pleased. I think it's a great opportunity. These young guys that come in here, they get a ton of reps in the off-season, and they get a ton of reps in your practice and training camp, and that's really an opportunity for you to showcase them and get an opportunity to make your roster; and if it's not your roster, then somebody else's roster in the league. So I think it's doing right by the players.
Q: What are you trying to accomplish in OTAs?
A: To me it's learning and communication. Those are two big things. Trying to teach the players on what we're looking for in practice, and being smart that way. Building some chemistry along the way, and trust.
Q: Thought on Mykkele [Thompson]?
A: Mykkele's a guy who has a lot of flexibility. He can do a lot of different things for us.
Benny Mac is learning.
Most teams don't even have two starting corners. He's not wrong.
A: It's five minutes shorter than the old one."
I know it's McAdoo talking but I can't help but picture Belichick in my mind.
A: It's five minutes shorter than the old one."
I know it's McAdoo talking but I can't help but picture Belichick in my mind.
He must have come in out of shape.
Name all the teams that can say they have three cornerbacks capable of being starters. I'm very interested.
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You must be loaded too
Name all the teams that can say they have three cornerbacks capable of being starters. I'm very interested.
I agree......most teams are delighted if they have two good corners that can compete.
Sure we'd like to have four in case someone gets hurt, but that's rarely going to be the case. And the main reason is, if you have that many good ones you're going to lose one quickly due to salary or free agency.
Quote:
Did something to piss the team off. I thought the timing of his release was a little odd, unless something happened for him to fall out of favor.
He must have come in out of shape.
"We liked the way he worked when he was here' implies he wasn't there the whole time (at least to me).
Confirms he was beasting out in the weight room and conditioning but also says just now he "has a chance to work on his technique".
Well it's great his continuing to toss plates around but S & C weren't his problem - deplorable technique was. Technique that he's lucky didn't get him kicked inside to G already.
I'd have much preferred hearing he's been working on applied technique since he clearly has miles to go before he sleeps.
His biggest problem last year was tiring out late in games.
But the problem is the fall off is dramatic to the rest of the guys. They are awful and are clear liabilities whereas other teams have serviceable backups.
But the problem is the fall off is dramatic to the rest of the guys. They are awful and are clear liabilities whereas other teams have serviceable backups.
I feel like that's a bit of grass is greener mentality. Look at the teams just in our division. There's ONE solid cornerback in the entire NFC east that isn't a Giant. The field is very weak leaguewide. A lot of the talent is concentrated on just a few teams.
Green Bay and Washington come to mind very quickly...
But the problem is the fall off is dramatic to the rest of the guys. They are awful and are clear liabilities whereas other teams have serviceable backups.
this is a valid point that most on site don't understand or get. "servicable" and "adequate" are key words that's not understood.
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is not that we don't have a nice trio of starting Cornerbacks. We do.
But the problem is the fall off is dramatic to the rest of the guys. They are awful and are clear liabilities whereas other teams have serviceable backups.
this is a valid point that most on site don't understand or get. "servicable" and "adequate" are key words that's not understood.
We have a bunch of Longshot guys with upside. A dubious vet or two. Maybe one from the first batch works out or even turns into a gem. If not, we'll have the option of a veteran FA pickup after the first game of the season. Going from 90 to 53 all at once, that's when all the other team's cuts will be signed.
Confirms he was beasting out in the weight room and conditioning but also says just now he "has a chance to work on his technique".
Well it's great his continuing to toss plates around but S & C weren't his problem - deplorable technique was. Technique that he's lucky didn't get him kicked inside to G already.
I'd have much preferred hearing he's been working on applied technique since he clearly has miles to go before he sleeps.
I think McAdoo was talking about technique in terms of an actual opportunity to line up opposite another player under coach's supervision and work on things.
Believe it or not, I'm pretty sure that I read here somewhere that by terms of the CBA that isn't allowed during the off-season except in OTA's. Flower's can take all the mental reps he wants by himself, but he can't get any actual coaching from the position guys.
I'm not saying Flowers wasnt working on technique vs live bodies on his own. I have no idea. And Im not saying getting better S&C is bad. Just saying the way Mac makes it sound, he hasnt really been doing technique work yet.
And that is what is absolutely killing him and Im sure we all agree.
Green Bay and Washington come to mind very quickly...
The Packers pass defense was bottom-five. That's not a roster you want to be looking to pick from.
And the Redskins pass defense was pretty mediocre too.
I am not talking about reserves that need to set defensive records. More about holding up and moving onto next game without being a crutch.
Our guys are a crutch...
So you're just going to ignore that most teams don't have two let alone three quality corners?
Cool.