TE Evan Engram Conference Call -- August 30, 2019
Q: How tough was it to see what happened with Scott Simonson last night?
A: That was tough, it was such a good moment with him making that great play and Kyle (Lauletta) throwing a great ball to him, finishing the play but it was just really unfortunate of what happened during the play so he’s in good spirits. He flew back with us and everything last night and we got to make sure he is good. He’s at the hospital today doing all the tests and stuff, so he feels good, we’re just praying for the best results.
Q: You mentioned Kyle (Lauletta) you guys were obviously teammates last year, how much improvement has he shown?
A: Its crazy seeing Kyle (Lauletta) grow, just attacking every day at camp and making the most out of each opportunity he has gotten, so he has definitely been putting the work in. He has that confidence, he has that swagger, That’s probably the thing I love about him the most and the fearlessness he plays with, and all of that showed last night.
Q: Speaking of opportunity, with Golden (Tate III) being out for the next month, can you talk about the receiving core around you, particularly the opportunity for Cody (Latimer) and Bennie (Fowler)
A: Yeah, it’s just what it’s always been, next man up mentality and everybody in that room is very talented and the guys, they know what they’re capable of. They know the system and they have been making plays all camp. It’s time for everybody to get into gear for Week 1 and a lot of people are going to have to step up and a lot of people are going to get a lot of opportunities and I know each one of those guys are going to be ready.
Q: What do you think those guys specifically they both kind of came together in the league and have been together.
A: They just know the game, they know how to get open, they know the system and they’re kind of natural leaders as well. They’re very versatile and very underrated guys that will wake up a lot of people with their route running and their big play making and the way they can keep the chains moving.
Q: There was so much focus on Daniel Jones this summer. What did you see from your starting quarterback (Eli) this summer, anything you’ve seen different in the past?
A: Yeah I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement with Eli. Each camp I’ve had with him he’s done really well and worked really hard, but for this camp it felt a little different. There’s more confidence, you could tell he’s more comfortable within the pocket and he’s been slinging the ball around all camp and hasn’t slowed down. I’m very excited to get on the roll with Eli, and just the things I’ve seen and the things we are talking as an offense and the things we are working towards – we’re kind of adding things to the system and putting guys in the right spots and trying our best to make him successful. I’m really excited about it. I can’t wait to get the first snap going.
Q: At the end of the game last night you guys kind of ran on the field like you made the playoffs, is there a different sense about this team?
A: We’re just a family, we have honestly just become a family. Everyone genuinely cares for the guy next to him and you can see that on the field the way that everyone has been playing this preseason and just the competitiveness we have had at camp. All the grinding we have done together, all the hanging out we have done with each other and growing as a team like I said we are becoming a family. We just love to see guys do well. Last night was a perfect way for us to finish this preseason strong. We had 19 points going into the second half and everybody just kind of clicked and everyone felt it coming. It was just a really good ending to a really good camp and like I said we became a family. It was a good moment for our team to celebrate together, in camp on the right foot.
Q: Can that be something good for the season?
A: Of course, when you come in each and every day and you’re working for the guy next to you and you’re playing with more humility and its becoming a culture that’s permanent in our building. That’s definitely going to help us on Sunday’s because we put ourselves in those moments each and every day at practice. We put ourselves in those moments in games and so when its regular season and it really counts we are ready for it. We can trust each other and we can depend on each other, that’s something that’s different about the team that we can keep building on going into the season.
