S Landon Collins
Conference Call, April 9, 2018
Q: How is your arm doing?
A: My arm is doing great.
Q: What was the rehab process with that?
A: It was very minimum, but everything is back to 100 percent.
Q: Can you give us a few thoughts on your first impressions on the coaching staff and Coach Shurmur’s message to the team?
A: Basically just talking to the whole coaching staff and just all our coaches and just basically very stern, very serious, ready to get to work, excited to be back and ready to put this all together and ready to win some more football games and let’s get off this losing streak.
Q: What has been your impression so far of (defensive coordinator) James Bettcher?
A: Just going over the scheme a little bit. Today we went over two schemes and it's perfect. While he was going over it, it was like I was in college again. It was back to what I knew like the back of my hand and it's going to play fast because it's very stern. I really don't have any more thoughts about it.
Q: How do you turn the page from last year?
A: You just clear the slate. Everything that happened back then, you just let it roll over and it's in the back of your mind, but it's a new team, new year, new guys, new faces and we're just ready to get this party on the road.
Q: What makes the defense perfect?
A: Just as in saying that it's the rules are kind of out there, it's very plain; it's this way or no other way. There is no second-guessing it and you can play faster that way without having the thought in your mind about second-guessing yourself about playing on the field.
Q: How would you describe where things are in your relationship with Eli Apple?
A: Yeah, we talked. Definitely, we talked. We buried the hatchet a while ago. That's my guy, that's my brother. I'm always going to have his back and we know what we have to do. We know what kind of caliber player he is, we know what caliber player I am and we're just trying to get to work and make this season go.
Q: Are you glad to see him back?
A: Yeah, I'm glad to see him back. He's a great corner. He is very smart, I love that he comes up and lays the boom on guys and he's a great coverage guy. We need him and we're glad to have him back.
Q: You’re entering your last year of your rookie deal. Is there any thought in your mind to make a statement about a potential contract?
A: I'm just letting it just work itself out. I'm not really going through the negotiating part. I'm going to leave that between (general manager) Dave Gettleman and my agent and then go from there. From that point on, I'm just here trying to make new friends with my boys, new relationships and be a captain like I've always been.
Q: Have you done any studies on Cardinals tape to get a sense of what your role might be on this defense?
A: I'm kind of familiar with the defense after talking to coach and just looking at the old film. But my role? I couldn't tell you what my role is going to be. I just know coach said he's going to have me all over the field, so that's what I'm looking forward to.
Q: What do you think of the rule that you guys can’t talk football for three months?
A: It's my first time hearing the rule. It has its ups and downs because you want to keep everybody equal and even, but it's always ways around it. I'd rather be able to talk to my coach, talk football, ask them questions and stuff like that just to see how things go. But, it's a rule so from that point on we can't do it and we just stay that way.
Q: This is your third head coach in four years. How tough is that?
A: I wouldn't say it's too difficult. Every head coach comes in with their mindset. You just take it and run with it. You enhance it, you inhale it and you just go with it. I wouldn't say it is too difficult until we get more in depth with it, but it seems fine so far.
Q: Are there things that you focused on specifically in the offseason?
A: Mostly ankle mobility because I hurt my ankle last year. That's the thing I worked on the most and then endurance. Endurance to continue to be able to run around the field and make plays.
Q: Did you see Odell today and if you did talk to him, how did that conversation go?
A: Yeah, I saw him today. Our conversations are always at heart and it was very simple. We're just glad to be here and to be on the same team, to stay brothers and to be able to play football next to each other for another year.
Q: There are a lot of new faces in the secondary. What is the priority right now to get all those guys together on the same page?
A: Really just understand each other. Know everybody's personalities, know what they like, where they come from, who they are and from that point on we just become brothers from that point on because everybody has a background, everybody has a life, so it's just having that understanding between each other makes it a stronger bond.
