Transcript: Head Coach Brian Daboll

Head Coach Brian Daboll

August 14, 2022

Daboll: How’s everybody doing? So, first of all, last day here of open practices. Really appreciate the fan support. Good attendance. I know it gives the guys juice. Good weather today. We’re moving on from last week, so we’re kind of done with last week. This is a fresh week. Have a lot to work on. We have two padded practices this week. One with shells. Good competitive periods. And just focus on getting better fundamentally and improve our techniques. And that’s kind of where we’re at.

Q: Can you update us on (Guard) Shane (Lemieux) and the other guys who were injured?
A: Shane won’t be out there today. He probably won’t be out there this week. We’ll see. We’ll kind of take it day-by-day. Who else?

Q: Who else is hurt? (Offensive Lineman) Jamil Douglas.
A: Jamil. He won’t be out. These guys will be rehabbing and doing the stuff they can, but he won’t be out either there to practice.

Q: Would you say with Shane it’s not a serious, long-term thing? Is that fair to say?
A: What’s long-term for you?

Q: Into the regular season.
A: We’ll see. We’ll see. He definitely, he did something, but we’re day-by-day with these injuries, we’ll see where he’s at. I know the guy will rehab the best he can to get available for us.

Q: Still called a toe injury?
A: Yeah. It’s something with his foot.

Q: How much preparation goes into a preseason game, or how much gameplanning actually happens that goes into a preseason game?
A: The last one, none. This one, probably not much either. I think really, you’re trying to evaluate players, which is most important. You know, we got those 85 on Tuesday, then 80 the next Tuesday, then 53 the next Tuesday, so it’s happening quick. But there’s not a lot of game planning, and you’re kind of running some core plays or plays you want to take a look at that you want to have guys run or run the route, run the blitz, run whatever it may be.

Q: Will you have (Guard) Josh (Ezeudu) go in for Shane?
A: He’s working back through some stuff, too. So, you’ll probably see (Guard Ben) Bredesen in there today a little bit.

Q: How’s (Defensive Back Cor’Dale) Flott? Cor’Dale Flott?
A: Same. He’ll be working back. We’ll see where he’s at by the end of the week. So, we had some guys that got a little big dinged up. I don’t think anything real serious, but also trying to do right by the players to get them back as healthy as we can.

Q: Is the amount of injuries causing you to adjust at all what you would’ve done this week?
A: Not to this point. We were going to go three days in pads. But I think after talking to the sports science and trainers, we did adjust one of those days to a no padded practice. But every team goes through it every year. It’s not much different than 15 years ago, 10 years ago, of teams I’ve been around. You’re constantly doing that.

Q: You know the fans won’t be here. It’s technically a closed camp. Will you continue your schedule the same way…?
A: Yeah. We’ll be the same with tweaks here or there. We’re always adjusting and on our off days seeing if we can do things better, structure things different. But I’ve liked the pace of it, the timing. It’s been good for the players.

Q: Are you expecting – are you hopeful that Josh can be ready for the game?
A: Tough to tell you right now. Probably questionable.

Q: What is it about (Offensive Line Coach) Bobby Johnson that you trusted him doing the job here?
A: I’ve been around him. I’ve worked with him for a few years. And I’ve seen how he operates. And I think he’s creative in the run game. He’s does a good job with the fundamentals. He relates well to the players. He’s a good football coach. I think the players respect him, and I think he offers a lot to the offensive staff.

Q: One of the first moves you made when you guys got here was bringing (Running Back) Antonio (Williams) with you. What did you see from him there, and what have you seen from him this summer?
A: Consummate pro. I mean, he took advantage of his opportunities. The best play he probably had was on the kickoff on the second half. He went down there and tackled a guy for not much of a gain. He was excited about that. He’s a guy that’s constantly working to try to stick on a roster, try to stick around. His mindset’s good. He’s smart. There’s good competition in that room.

Q: What do you see from (Wide Receiver) Kenny Golladay this summer? Because from our perspective – my perspective I’ll only speak for myself – when you see him run, the separation hasn’t really been there consistently. I’m curious what you see.
A: I think he’s acclimated himself well in terms of what we’re doing. Again, all receivers, they’re different. Some are really shifty and quick. Some are big and physical. It’s just a matter of when you have an opportunity to go out there and make plays, which he’s made some of them, that you go ahead and make them. I’ve been pleased with how he’s handled himself. He’s been a pro, and he’s competing everyday with those guys.

Q: In the preseason game, you were alright with the deep ball that (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) threw to him? You just wanted Daniel to kind of give him a chance to go make that play?
A: Yeah. There was a guy who buckled into Daniel’s knees, too. So, I’m over on the sideline talking to Daniel like, ‘Can we give the guy a chance?’ And to Daniel’s credit, I wish he would’ve, but he didn’t say there was a guy sitting in his knee. His back leg was – it wasn’t a great throwing posture.

Q: I’m just talking about, you’re fine with the separation he gets on that play? Because that’s what he did. You just want him to go up?
A: That’s a big body receiver. You’re going to go up and play like a big boy. And a quarterback’s going to have to give you a chance, and it’s going to be you and the defender. Kenny’s stacked guys plenty of times here, but if he’s not stacked or he’s fighting one-on-one and you like the matchup with a smaller corner, go ahead and give it go him.

Q: When we talk about separation from a receiver, is there an ideal number of yards? And the second part of the question is, how much of that is based on timing? So, if you’re expecting the receiver to have, I don’t know, three yards of separation and the timing is off, does that affect it that much?
A: Let’s just say in our league, it’s hard to create. When it’s man-to-man coverage, it’s press man-to-man coverage, it’s a little bit different in college where that goes into a whole other conversation of evaluating quarterbacks, receivers and trying to take off every man-to-man clip that’s press relative to some of the softer zone or maybe there’s just better players. Here, it’s pretty tight usually. Obviously, there’s some elite route runners that have great quickness, ability to get in and out of breaks. And even those, it’s not like they’re open by a ton. Again, different players get open different. I had a tight end that was a pretty good tight end – a big body guy that you just throw it up to him, and he makes plays when they’re right next to him. And those guys are good to have. Each of them are different. Every receiver’s different. Every skill guy’s different, whether it’s a back, a tight end. And you have to try to figure out, as a coaching staff, what their strengths are and let them try to go ahead and do it.

Q: On the third down play in the red zone, with Daniel throwing to Kenny, should (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) have chipped that blitzer on that opposite side, or no?
A: No.

Q: It’s not his job to do it?
A: No.

Q: Are any of these guys who are out like (Defensive Lineman) Leonard (Williams), (Inside Linebacker) Blake (Martinez), do any of them have an illness and not an injury?
A: No. They’re all working back from something here. Some will be back sooner than others. And there’s, oh. One guy that’s going to be back today is (Outside Linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari). So, he’ll be out there today, which is a good thing.

Q: What about (Tight End) Ricky Seals-Jones? We haven’t seen him. Is he?
A: Rehabbing.

Q: Like he’s going to be back?
A: Yeah. At some point. Again, you guys know me; I’m not going to give a timetable. Whenever they can be back, they’ll be back. They’re working. They’re rehabbing. They’re in the training room quite a bit. And whatever they can do, we ask them to do. And when they’re ready to go, we’ll put them out there.

Q: Do you expect (Wide Receiver Kadarius) Toney on the field this week?
A: Probably not. Probably not. I think he’ll be rehabbing still. He could towards the end of the week. But early in the week, we’re not there yet.

Q: You talked about your rep chart, not depth chart, back in the spring. When you come out of the first preseason game, I know injuries are one thing. Do you elevate guys now going into week 2? Guys you want to see get more reps or more with the ones or twos?
A: I think what we try to do if people are doing a good job at practice and they’re doing a good job in the meeting rooms and they deserve a chance to compete, we put them in there. I said it today, I think there’s a lot of competition for a lot of spots. And there’s only a few weeks left to go ahead and compete. So, we’re going to give multiple people multiple chances that have earned it. I think that’s important to create on your team where guys that maybe were – again, second, third, that’s fine and dandy – but guys that were going out there and working really hard, were able to stay on the field, make plays, they’re good in the classroom. If I was a player, I’d want an opportunity, too, to play. So, we’re going to mix them. We’ve been mixing them up. That’s why when you guys ask me about a second or third, we’ve been mixing them up. We’re going to mix them up some more to create as much competition as we can.

Q: Does that extend in the game? Let’s say you see a guy at a certain rep do something well. Do you say, ‘I kind of want to keep him out there while he’s kind of hot right now?’
A: Yeah. I think so. Again, I think what you owe the players is if they’re out there doing the right thing and they’re busting their tail and they’re producing, and it may not just be a catch or you see a tackle, but doing the right thing when they’re supposed to do it, and they’re showing dependability and intelligence, I think you try to give them opportunity. That’s where we’re at. We’re going to give as many people an opportunity to compete and show what they can do and figure out what’s best for our team.