Quarterback Tyrod Taylor
Q: How's camp going so far?
A: It's been going well. Guys are getting out and competing each and every day. I like the energy on the offense, and defense as well. I haven't gotten a chance to watch special teams, but I can hear them. It's been competition across the board.
Q: I read something yesterday that you and (Wide receiver) Darius Slayton go way back somehow?
A: Yeah, we've been training. So, he's from Georgia. I bought a house in Georgia about five years ago and I've been training down there. So, me and Darius have been amongst guys that have trained together for a number of years now. This year it made sense to get with even more with us being on the same team and speaking the same language. We've definitely gotten a chance to connect on a few balls throughout camp and I'm looking forward just to continuing to keep building that chemistry. I have all the trust in him as well as the other guys in that wide receiver room to go out and make plays. He's done a good job of doing that.
Q: What do you think as a quarterback, what's important to work on this early in camp?
A: Everyone has weaknesses in their game, so you try to attack it and that looks different for every person. Ultimately, it's about leading, responding, and how you respond in tough circumstances each and every day. It's a grind from the quarterback's perspective. It may not look as big of a grind because you know guys in the trenches go on one on one's, pads, receiver's legs are tired. It's easy to get into the lull of camp but it's like "how is the quarterback responding?", "how is he leading?", "How is going down to execute on long drives?" and just to detail the focus each and every play.
Q: How do you like to lead? What's leadership like to you in camp versus the game?
A: It's been different. If you would've asked me earlier in my career, I was always a lead by example. I think the older you get, the more experience you have you become more comfortable being vocal. Ultimately, how you play and how you execute is what guys are going to respond to the most. For me, go out and do your job each and every day, uplift guys and make the guys better, and trust them. Don't go out there and try to be Superman. There are 11 guys on the field playing for one goal and that's to win the rep and ultimately win the game. Each and every play, like I said just be detailed in your focus and execution.
Q: You didn't talk much about (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) last time when we spoke to you in the spring when you just got here. What have you learned about him and what have you seen from him in the last couple of weeks?
A: Great competitor, friendly, southern. Me and my friends go back and forth on whether Virginia is southern or not. It kind of reminds me of people I grew up with, Virginia, and North Carolina. Much respect for Daniel. The way he approaches his job each and every day and the way he goes out and leads. I think just the quarterback room as a whole, we all bring out the best in one another. Whether it's in competitions, whether it's in the weight room, whether it's on the field. We tally up who has the best throws for the day. If you see our board of tallies it can get crazy but much respect to Daniel. He's doing a great job throughout camp.
Q: Does it seem like things have clicked with him the first couple of days here?
A: I think he is going out there and making plays. Guys are helping him around. Guys on the receiving end, tight end, backfield. He is doing a great job of commanding the huddle and going out there and executing.
Q: How would you assess the progress of this offense so far? You've seen a bunch of different systems and a bunch of different training.
A: I think we've taken a step in the right direction each day. Throwing a lot of information in the spring. We were together, what? Nine weeks. I got a chance to get familiar with the offense so once we were able to get into training camp, it wasn't necessarily zero. We were already leaving on a high note, so we wanted to keep that energy rolling. I think (Head) coach (Brian Daboll) has done a great job of mixing different concepts but also allowing guys to do what they are most comfortable with. That's going out there and making plays. You see (Wide Receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) being moved around in different areas. You see (Wide Receiver) KG (Kenny Golladay), (Wide Receiver David) Sills, and I can go on and list. I don't leave receivers out saying that guys are outperforming others, but you see guys moving around in different spots making plays.
Q: I wanted to go back to when you came here, (Joe) Schoen was part of a front office that you were with in Buffalo. You played well and they traded you. Daboll had gotten there like three months before, you didn't get to work with him. Why'd you come here to guys that even when you performed well moved on from you?
A: That's the NFL. Sometimes it's business. More times than not, it's business. I don't hold any grudges. I know what I'm capable of doing in any setting and I think I've proved that every time I've had a chance to play. The opportunity presented itself for me to come in – I thought that it was the best decision out of the choices that were available. I'm happy with the decision I made, glad that I'm around such a great group of guys in the locker room as well as a great group of guys in the coaching staff as well, too.
Q: How are you looking? They were obviously very clear with you that you are the backup and Daniel Jones is the starter. You're a competitive guy so how do you look at that? You want to compete to win the job but they're not going to let you win the job because Daniel is the starter.
A: You can go back to my draft prep interviews; I've said this from day one -my job is to come in and prepare like a starter each and every day. I think that's just the mindset, that's not everybody but it's the mindset for me and I know it keeps me in a competitive state of mind. Also, it builds trust within your teammates. If there is no drop-off from the first, second and third group, the better our team is.
Q: I assume you didn't come in here saying, "I'm going to be the backup?"
A: I came in here ready to compete and that's what the nature of this game is. There is only one quarterback that can play, and you have to be ready at any time when that opportunity presents itself. I'm working each and every day just trying to get better and ready for the opportunity that presents itself.
Q: In your experience, does this offense require more communication between the quarterback and the receivers getting on the same page given the options that the receivers have?
A: I wouldn't say any more than any other, it's just a level of focus and detail in both the receiver and the quarterback have to be on the same page. There's definitely a lot of options in this offense for the wide receivers, a lot of opportunities, for a lack of a better term, freelancing to make plays. It's just more so just being on the same page. I think that's what the spring and training camp is for. For us to learn body language but also for us to learn different things and get comfortable with different schemes.
Q: In 12 years in the league, you've seen a lot of different coaches trying to install a culture that is conducive to winning. Is there anything that Brian Daboll has done that has impressed you in that context?
A: Each day he impresses me. The way he commands the locker room, the meeting rooms, and the respect that he has amongst the guys on the team, he does a great job of keeping everyone involved but also not withholding information. He's straightforward with us. One of the things that I like, just in our meetings – like today was a first and second down day, yesterday was third-and-10 – we talked about situations. Sometimes, you don't get to those conversations until the season but it's good to keep everybody abreast and keep everybody on the same page and understand where the focus of the team is for that day rather than just putting it on the table and talking about it later. I think he does a good job of communicating to each position group and to a man, I would say he has all the respect in the world.
Q: How important was it for you to get a two-year contract?
A: I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to sign a two-year deal here. It's no but, I'm thankful, let's get that fair and square. That's behind me now, the work is here and I'm just excited about getting out each and every day and getting better.
