Head Coach Ben McAdoo
June 2, 2017
We had an excellent day out there today. It was good to get out there on the grass. A lot of situational football, guys are working hard, working well together, that is what this time of year is about – a lot of teaching, a lot of learning, going in and fixing some mistakes afterwards. It was an encouraging day.
Q: How is Brandon Marshall feeling?
A: We have a couple guys who are sore, so we held them out today for precautionary reasons.
Q: Was today the first day that he has been out?
A: We were smart with him today. He is sore, so we don’t want to push the issue this time of the year.
Q: It looked like Darian Thompson was getting a couple more reps than he was getting last week?
A: He has been working the whole time back. He has been in a limited role, so we are being smart there, easing him back into it and he will get better as the offseason goes. He will have a couple weeks left there and then into training camp as well.
Q: What have you seen from [Darian Thompson] and B.J. Goodson?
A: Yeah, again this isn’t the time that you go out there and you necessarily want to evaluate performance. That is not what this time of year is about. It is about teaching; it is about learning and seeing guys grow. We are not out there counting numbers right now. Communication is a big part of it, but those two guys are definitely players who dive into the book and spend a lot of time in their book and it shows on the field with the way they communicate and the way they are working.
Q: Donte Deayon got some first team reps today. How do you think he responded?
A: He is a competitive guy. Double D works hard at it, brings a lot of energy to the game. He gets football and he did a nice job out there today. He has been doing a nice job all offseason.
Q: Are any of the rookies impressing you with how they are picking up the playbook?
A: Right now, mentally, it is heavy for them and they are working hard at it. They are getting a lot of meeting time in the afternoons. We keep them here as much as we can and they go out, they practice hard, they make some mistakes, they seem like a conscientious group that doesn’t repeat a lot of mistakes and that is a big advantage for them.
Q: Eli and a couple of the other quarterbacks were wearing gloves on their left hand. Is there any reason for that?
A: It was a little breezy and a little cool out there today.
Q: Eli was wearing it inside also.
A: That is a better question for Eli.
Q: Even in an environment like teaching, learning and watching guys grow, how much do fumbled snaps bother you?
A: Yeah, anytime the ball is on the ground, it is a problem. But at this time a year what you have to understand is that when you are under center, a lot of different combinations occur, especially at the end of practice when you have a lot of guys that are not normally working together and they get a chance to work together and communicate, and that is a part of it, but you don’t want the ball on the ground.
Q: Matt LaCosse is looking to return to the field after an injury-filled season last year. What can you say about the progress that he has made?
A: Yeah, he made some nice plays. He is a big target down there in the green zone. Matchup-wise, he gives you that length that you are looking for, he can run and he is a functional blocker, so he has a nice skillset.
Q: What kind of challenge is it for you as a coach to have guys coming in and out during OTAs? Six or seven guys weren’t here today.
A: Well, we did the attendance song and dance last week, so lets skip that this week.
Q: You mentioned that the offensive tackles had done everything that you have asked of them. What in particular have they done and how has that made them better in your opinion?
A: They really jumped in with both feet in the weight room working hard and working together competing in the weight room. That is where it starts and not just lifting weights, it is the functional mobility, those types of things where they can work on their flexibility, work on their mobility and really grow in that regard. They did everything that we asked them to do at this point. They are growing technique-wise. It will be exciting to see them with pads on. Again, we don’t want to evaluate guys right now running around in their underwear with their helmets on. So we want to see them with pads on and playing with their pad level low and playing with the fundamentals and physicality that we are looking for, but they are off to a good start.
Q: Do you think that your willingness to play younger guys last year kind of resonates with guys this year?
A: Yeah, I don’t give rookies that kind of credit if that is what you are asking. They are out there trying to learn right now and I think that once we get a little closer to it, they may figure it out and hear some stories. Tom Quinn does a good job of explaining it to them in the special teams meetings that they are going to have opportunities, but they are trying to figure a lot of things out right now.
Q: How about even some of the young guys that aren’t rookies? The Goodsons and the Darian Thompsons. Do you think they saw last year that there is an opportunity for younger guys to play?
A: Yeah, absolutely. I believe in playing young players, giving them an opportunity to grow, especially early in the season, so that you have the most competitive team early in the year.
Q: I know it is only June, but what gives you confidence that this team is going to be better than last year?
A: Yeah, I don’t even know who the team is right now. We are out there teaching, we are learning, we are working to get better skills and communications and working together. We are not competing against each other. Right now we are working with each other to get better, to learn, so that when we do get to camp and we do put the pads on and we start cracking the pads and get to the preseason games, that is when we will evaluate and that is when we will know more about the team that we have.
Q: Mykkele Thompson is at cornerback full-time now?
A: Mykkele is a guy that has a skillset and can work a variety of places.
Q: What position do you play in softball? Are you going to the game tonight?
A: Any event that benefits the Jay Fund is a great cause, so hopefully they get a great turnout.
A: It was a little breezy and a little cool out there today.