Head Coach Ben McAdoo
August 3, 2016
Q: Is Odell making any progress?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Looks like he is doing some running and cutting.
A: Yeah, running and cutting and we will evaluate him each day.
Q: Does he looks close?
A: Yeah, looks close.
Q: Is tomorrow realistic in your mind?
A: We'll see how he responds. Every day is a new day. It's amazing what could happen over the course of a night.
Q: Any word on Matt LaCosse?
A: He has a knee. But he came back. Came back and fought through it.
Q: Josh Brown wasn't out there today.
A: Josh Brown was excused for personal reasons.
Q: What does a player like Will Johnson bring to the offense?
A: He's a versatile guy. He can play special teams, too, for us. He can line up in a variety of spots. We're getting him used to playing in a receiver stance, probably a little more than he is used to. But he's a guy that offers some nice versatility. Plays with a calm mind. Has a lot of football in him.
Q: Larry Donnell had another nice day. What can you say about the progress he's made?
A: Larry's had a very good camp so far. He's made some nice catches. He's improving as a blocker. He had a good day on special team, too, which is huge for us.
Q: Are you pleased with the direction that the special teams’ unit is going in?
A: We're making progress. Certain guys are making progress. Paul Perkins is a guy that jumped out to me on special teams today. Did some things well, as far as his efforts goes. If you throw effort at it, you can get better in a hurry in this league, and he is someone who recognizes the importance of special teams. That was evident today.
Q: Where do you think the secondary is at this point?
A: It’s tough to complete a ball against them. The first couple of groups are doing a nice job out there. They seem to be communicating fairly well, which is a big part of it. Allows them to play faster, allows them to play competitively, and they are making it tough on the offense.
Q: Is that your expectation, given how much an emphasis you put on that spot in the off-season?
A: Communication is a big part of what we do. We obviously want to make it tough to complete the ball.
Q: How do you evaluate the running game with Orleans Darkwa and Rashad Jennings?
A: We're evaluating all our backs right now. They are all getting plenty of reps. We're rolling them through. The combo half line drill is an important drill. We'll dust off the old nine-on-seven tomorrow, and get that going. But those periods early in practice, the fundamentals periods and the periods where we have a microscope on the run game, are very important for us.
Q: How do you think the players are taking some of the new drills? Have you received any feedback from them?
A: I think they like the half line drill. It's nice to come off the ball without having to worry about getting rolled up from the backside. Obviously you need the complete package out there at some point. We'll get there tomorrow.
Q: Is that the purpose of that?
A: Yeah, you want to be able to work the point of attack. You want to be able to fit your backside pad in. Defense wants to be able to get their hands inside and shed; work their arm over technique without having to worry about their backside. That’s where things get vulnerable. That's where the problems happen.
Q: Are you working drills with soccer balls?
A: We’ve got a little bit of everything out there. You’ve got to pay attention.
Q: What is the thinking behind the soccer balls?
A: We are trying to get our guys used to handling the ball as many different ways as we can to improve hand-eye coordination. Great questions. We have to try and keep it as interesting as we can post-practice, and get everyone with their hands on the football. Whatever the case may be, tennis balls.
Q: Preparation for London?
A: Not quite. There’ll be a soccer pitch.
Q: What do you like about Trevin Wade in the slot?
A: He played a lot in there for us last year. Almost came up with a nice pick today, would've been a nice play for him. I think the defense is really coming together for him. He understands it and he is able to play fast.
Q: He's one of the few guys with the first group who has experience playing that position. What does that do for him regarding his opportunities?
A: I think he's pretty natural in there. We saw that early last year from an offensive perspective, him inside. The more experience you have allows you to play a little bit faster. But he can also go outside and play a little bit out there as well.
Q: Do you give a player on a new team a little grace period. If so, do you give that to Janoris Jenkins?
A: No. I think he picked it up right away. I think he's playing fast and competitive and physical. He's everything we thought and more. I think he has some leadership potential. Does a nice job of taking the young guys under his wing.
Q: How is DRC doing in the slot?
A: He's making progress. He jumps in there quite a bit in the afternoon session. Looks like he is enjoying that process.
Q: He seems to be the one you're using in that position more than the other guys.
A: We cross train them all in there. It just depends on what specific drill it is and when it happens during the course of the day. So they all get it, especially in the afternoon.
Q: What kind of a leap do you think Jonathan Casillas will take this year from last year?
A: He's a guy that has played a lot of football. He's played a lot of different roles in the linebacker room, special teams. He's always been out front and I think he's done a nice job of leading that way.
Q: This team has had the luxury of having Eli all the time. Do you know what you would get from Ryan Nassib if he was forced to go in the game?
A: If Ryan was ever forced to go in, we would pick up where Eli has left off. We trust Ryan to go in and run the offense. We feel that we can put our players in a position to be successful.
Q: He has so little experience in three-plus years.
A: We feel that he can go in and do the job for us.
Q: Where is Jerell Adams right now? Is he about where you expected him to be in terms of adjusting to the offense?
A: He's a young player trying to pick up the offense, trying to learn the pro game and the pro fundamentals and it's a learning curve.
