Transcript: Head Coach Ben McAdoo

Head Coach Ben McAdoo

June 13, 2017

Q: What is like to have Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon back?

A: It's good to have Odell and OV back. Glad to have them here, worked hard. Seem to be in great condition.

Q: Did you limit them today?

A: We were smart with everyone today, we were on and off the field pretty quickly.

Q: Was Owa Odighizuwa excused?

A: Yes, he's excused for personal reasons.

Q: Are you going to put him on NFI (non-football injury list)?

A: He's excused for personal reasons.

Q: What did you see from Odell today?

A: It's good to have him back. He seems like he's in good condition.

Q: Did you have a talk with him when he returned?

A: All personal conversations stay personal.

Q: Were you shorter today because of the weather?

A: No. It was planned that way. Tomorrow we'll build them up, we'll go a little bit longer. We'll have our longest practice of the offseason tomorrow.

Q: Is there an overall theme to what you're trying to get in this minicamp?

A: The minicamp, what it has turned into is just an extension of the offseason program, so it's really the last leg. We have a chance to have a few more practices in here and we just want to finish the offseason program strong.

Q: Why was Justin Pugh not working?

A: Justin is out right now. He's limited.

Q: Are Eli Apple and Darian Thompson here? Is all well?

A: They both were excused for an illness.

Q: Is Odell playing catch up this week?

A: He's been in the offense, great to have him back. He didn't miss a beat when he came in. He looks in good condition.

Q: Is this your new look with your hair?

A: Got to keep you all on your toes.

Q: Did you get any comments from the players?

A: They've been pushing me. Got to keep it fresh, right?

Q: How nice is it to see Odell out there with all the other offensive weapons that you have?

A: Sterling Shepard had a nice day today. I think he went out and had a strong first day in camp, he really showed up well inside. Made a lot of plays, so it's good to have everyone out here working.

Q: Is that good to see from him coming off his rookie season?

A: He's still a young player, but he works at it. He works hard, he's always looking to learn and grow, and he's taking a nice step here in the offseason.

Q: Are you okay with the way Odell handled his offseason? What is your opinion?

A: I'm glad Odell is here. He looks like he is in good condition. We're going to move on from there.

Q: Did practice run like you thought it would, with mistakes being minimal?

A: We were looking to be an hour and forty-one minutes on the field. We wanted to get on and off today. It was good to get out here in the heat. We haven't had a practice like that in a while. It was good to get on and off to build it up for tomorrow; we'll be about two hours and ten minutes tomorrow and have a chance to push it a little bit. But it was good to get out here, get on and off the field to build up for tomorrow.

Q: Are you putting more of an emphasis on having guys do multiple things this year, more so than last year?

A: The more you can do in this league, the greater chance you have to stick. We're giving players the opportunity at the end of practice to grow and play multiple positions. We call it our position flex period and they've taken to it.

Q: When you said Apple has an illness, you mean non-injury related?

A: Illness, yes.

Q: Are you going to have him back this week?

A: I'll check on it when I go in.

Q: Where is Geno Smith in his recovery?

A: He's progressing. We braced him up today. We put him out there, we had him do 7-on-7s with the half-line rush just to get some work against the rush so if he has to move and has to reset in the pocket, he has some experience doing that before we come back in training camp. It'll boost his confidence and I thought he had a good first day of it.

Q: How do you think J.T. Thomas is progressing?

A: Limited.

Q: Do you think Geno will be one hundred percent in training camp?

A: When he's clear, they'll let me know.

Q: Where is J.T. Thomas on his rehab?

A: He's limited. When he's clear, they'll let me know.

Q: What is Justin Pugh’s status?

A: Limited.

Q: Seems like Rhett Ellison did some walkthrough stuff today?

A: Yes, he's pushing. He's chomping at the bit to get back. I don't anticipate him going full go here in this minicamp. I anticipate him for training camp.

Q: What do you think when you have all your weapons on the field together?

A: It's nice to get the whole group out there. I know from the quarterback's perspective it's good to get the whole group out there, throwing catch a little bit, especially in individuals, working on timing and things like that. It's good to have all the guys back and they seem to be in condition.

Q: What do you make of the playmakers?

A: We'll see. It's early. We'll see when it gets to Sunday and the pads come on and the lights turn on to see how we do. But I'm confident and I'm excited.

Q: What you think of Eli Manning when all the weapons are here, what does he need to show you and what does he get out it?

A: He likes to work with all the guys. But that would be a better question for Eli than it is for me.

Q: Does it warm your heart to see Ereck Flowers wearing a hoodie sweatshirt in this weather?

A: Warm my heart? I don't mind guys getting in a lather, but maybe it's a little too toasty for that today. It was a quick on and off, and I think Ereck knew that.

Q: What are your thoughts on Mike McCarthy in Green Bay? He did something a little unorthodox this week by giving the five-year veterans off from minicamp.

A: That's another program. I don’t think it's his first time doing that. But that's the way they treat it.