Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury Conference Call
Q: What was your pre-draft evaluation of Daniel Jones and did you ever consider taking him with the first pick?
A: We really liked him, I think you saw during his college career, he didn’t always have the top talent around him going against some very talented teams, but he always battled his tail off. He was a very productive player, very smart player, very tough player. We really liked him, but Kyler was our guy but it’s not surprising how well he’s played and the success he is having.
Q: Why did you have so much faith in Kyler Murray and what has he shown you as a NFL quarterback?
A: He’s shown he is willing to work and progress. He’s really adjusted his game over the first month and a half to fit what we do offensively and limit his negative plays. He’s doing all the things that we’ve asked him to do, which has been huge. We knew he had the talent to be a special player and it’s all about work ethic and the price you are willing to pay once you get here and he’s starting to show those things.
Q: How does Kyler’s skill set allow you to run the offense you want to run?
A: We’re still evolving as an offense. Any time you have a guy that can make plays with his feet like he can, it just adds that different dimension for us. He’s been able to make some off-schedule plays that have kept us on the field on third down or in the red zone. That’s been huge, and I think having that extra element has been a real plus to our offense so far.
Q: With the return of Patrick Peterson, will his snaps be monitored, or do you expect him to have a full workload?
A: They will be monitored, but he is one of the guys that takes great care of himself, so I expect him to play and play at a high level. We don’t know exactly how many snaps, but we are going to work through practice this week and take it from there.
Q: How much of James Bettcher’s defense is still being used since both teams use a 3-4 front?
A: I’m not sure there is any carry over. I know everybody here speaks very highly of him, and really liked what he was about. They thought he was a tremendous coach, tremendous person, I’ve heard nothing but good things. I don’t think there is a ton of carry over. Vance (Joseph) is kind of from his own tree and doing his own thing.
Q: After watching tape, why do you think the defense has struggled with opposing teams’ tight ends?
A: First and foremost, I think we have played really good tight ends and really good quarterbacks. We have to find an answer and we have to be better in that area. We know we are playing a great one in Engram, one of the most dynamic tight ends in the game and we better come up with some answers quick.
Q: Now that you have gotten to know Larry Fitzgerald, how is he able to still be productive at this point in his career?
A: He has an incredible desire to be great, you watch it in practice, I watched it all spring. He is going full speed in every rep he took all spring, all training camp, every practice. You have to kind of pull him off the field because he wants to get every rep and wants to continue to get better and wants to be coached. He’s just a unique talent, a unique person and I feel very lucky to be around him.
Q: Do you ever tell Kyler he cannot run on a given play or does he always have a green light?
A: He has a green light, I want him to play his game and use his instincts. I just want him to be smart and know when the party is over, know when to find the sideline or get down. He naturally does a really nice job of that.
Q: What do you remember about the 2002 game between Texas Tech and Ole Miss, and what do you remember about the quarterback you beat that day?
A: I remember I thought he was going to be really good and he went on to have a Hall of Fame career. It’s cool to see how successful Eli has been in this league, winning Super Bowls and he’s such a great ambassador for the game. He’s a great, humble person and it’s cool to see when good things happen to good people.
