Thursday Media Transcript: Head Coach Pat Shurmur

Head Coach Pat Shurmur
July 26, 2018
 
 
We covered a lot of ground yesterday, so nothing really new other than we’ll get a chance to practice today. So, we had our first walk-thru. We’ll go back in and have lunch – another little meeting, and then we’ll come out this afternoon and get after it.
 
Q: What’s the latest status on the physical condition of (DB) Sam Beal?
A: We’re evaluating what’s happening with him. He was out here – and you saw him the last day of the rookie camp. He’s got a little thing going on with his shoulder that might need to get fixed.
 
Q: Prior to drafting Beal in the supplemental draft, were you all aware of the condition of his shoulder?
A: We knew there were some issues with his shoulder when we drafted him.
 
Q: You said that his shoulder might need to be fixed. Will he be out the duration of the season?
A: Possibly – we’ll see.
 
Q: Did everyone report yesterday and pass the conditioning test?
A: Everybody was here. It was a good day.
 
Q: How would you access the shape of the players after yesterday’s conditioning test?
A: I think everybody is ready to go.
 
Q: Does that mean everyone passed their conditioning test?
A: Everybody is ready to go.
 
Q: Will (WR) Odell Beckham be out there practicing today?
A: Odell will be out there working today. And again, like I mentioned yesterday, he’s coming back from injury. So, we’re going to be smart with how much we give him.
 
Q: Do you expect Odell to participate in the team drills?
A: I expect to see him out there getting ready to play against Jacksonville.
 
Q: What’s your schedule as far as progressively putting the pads on in practice?
A: We’re going to go a couple of days here, and then the pads will go on this weekend.
 
Q: How excited are you to get everyone back together and back in the swing of things?
A: This is terrific. I really enjoyed working with our team in the spring. They came back in good shape – refreshed. As players and coaches, this is what we do. This is our livelihood, this is our passion, and it’s our hobby. Playing football is what we do, and training camp is a part of getting ready for the upcoming season. There’s a lot of excitement in the building; very competitive guys that understand it’s very important to train as a team and get ready to play. I’m looking forward to a very competitive practice this afternoon.
 
Q: Is there any difference for you in terms of today’s practice, in comparison to those held in the spring?
A: Not really – until we put the pads on. Really, all NFL practices look primarily the same whether you have pads on or not. I think it’s very rare when you see a training session where everybody is tackling to the ground or low blocking, and doing some of the things that you have to get in the preseason games. Again, it’s new, it’s fresh, it’s the first time we’re doing it. So, you have all of that enthusiasm that goes with it. I’m much like the players, I’m looking forward to having it.
 
Q: Elaborate on what exactly your plan is to work Odell back into rotation coming off of injury.
A: We have a plan going out there of what we want to get done. Every player – you have rookies, you have veterans, in-between you have guys coming back from injury. Every player has a certain amount of work they need to get done before they play. So, that’s where we’re at with him as well.
 
Q: What are your impressions of (Safety) Andrew Adams?
A: Andrew is one of those selected vets we brought back early because he didn’t get a chance to do much in the spring – and he actually looked really good. He looked fast, he looked quick, and I can see there’s an excitement in him to get out there and get going. I’m looking forward to seeing him at full speed.
 
Q: Where do things stand with (DT) RJ McIntosh?
A: He was going through a medical issue coming out. We’re trying to get that rectified. We’ll just try to get him out there as quickly as possible.
 
Re: approach to practice
A: We talked about all of that in the meeting last night. We constantly talk about making sure this game is about the ball, this game is about negotiating the ground, this game is about defeating your matchup. Those are the things that keep coming back to the forefront. This game is about competing and finishing. That really never changes. When I said globally yesterday, we’re going to keep the focus on playing football, those are the things we constantly look back on.
 
Q: Did anyone besides you address the team yesterday?
A: We had the meeting. Obviously, I had many things to say. I had (General Manager) Dave (Gettleman) speak to the players. The players sort of left knowing that Dave was going through treatment. Dave’s treatment is going terrific – how he’s coming back. I thought it was important that he had a chance to visit with the team. There’s other things that we needed to go through in terms of league issues from player safety, etc.
 
Q: Did (Gettleman) discuss topics beyond football? Did he discuss his situation?
A: That was really between Dave and the team.
 
Q: What was the team’s reaction to seeing him (Gettleman)?
A: I think they were glad to see him – excited to see that he’s working through the treatment. Things look good.
 
Q: Did you get an opportunity to talk in depth to (CB) Janoris Jenkins in regards to this offseason and how he is doing?
A: I talked to Janoris, and he’s doing great.
 
Q: Do you think (LB) Lorenzo Carter is someone who can help you right away? Are there snaps for him on the field?
A: We’re hopeful. He needs to develop, like all rookies. He’s an edge player. He played in a base when we’re in five on the line. We’ll also play him as a pass rusher in a four-man front. We’ll see how far he can come. Very talented young man. Like all rookies, he’s got to get in there, battle around, go through training camp. We’re hopeful he’s going to have a great career.
 
Q: Now that you’ve been with him in the spring, have your thoughts changed on (T) Nate Solder or the role you have set for him?
A: Not at all. I think quickly when you get to know Nate, he’s all about business. He’s very thoughtful, he’s very competitive. He’s really interested the full process of football – from training, to playing, to recovery, everything involved with the game. That’s why he’s a true pro. Having been around him, he felt like we knew that about him. But having been around him now, it’s been confirmed for us.
 
Q: Is (RB) Saquon Barkley any different now that he’s gotten around the rest of the team? And what kind of things do you want to see him do heading into the first week of the season?
A: I think he needs to, number one, the last rookie that I was around was (RB) Dalvin Cook. They’re obviously different styles of runners. Dalvin was a guy that displayed a lot of the things that Saquon has showed us. He just needs to go through training camp, and work through the good days and the bad, and clear up the mistakes as they show up, and just keep competing. That’s really what we want to see from him.
 
Q: Do you view rookie (G) Will Hernandez in that same mold as (Vikings G Pat) Elflein for you last season? During the spring, did he earn some respect from the players on the defensive side of the ball?
A: I think the Pat Elflein comparison was very astute. Pat came in, and he and Will were very similar in the way they approach the game. Very similar in the amount of reps they got, and very similar how quickly they rose into the starting unit. So hopefully, Will can have that same path, because Pat had a great year last year.