Safety Julian Love
Q: Have you guys been giving the offense a hard time in the building after the last couple of days?
A: Yeah, as I said since the beginning of training camp it has been very competitive on the field and off the field in the locker room. Yeah, we're going to be tripping a little bit just hoping for a response, but it's just the nature of competition with them.
Q: Has there been any time where (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) to dial back, or maybe it's come down from (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs to dial back a little bit?
A: I think that's an upstairs thing. I'm sure they tell Wink like "hey, you have certain pressures you can run", or the amount of pressure they tell him. Like "hey, this is your allotted amount." But nothing to the players, whatever is called we're going to play it hard.
Q: What did you think of Thursday night?
A: I think it was good, I think it was good to see what you have in front of you. I think we have a lot of evaluation being done, top-down from starters on. So, it's big you want to see guys competing, you want to see guys getting after it in a game setting so, it was good. I think we got some good feedback on some things to improve on. It's the initial shock for a lot of young guys on what an NFL game can be. And so now, unfortunately, we played on Thursday, now we play Sunday, it is a little extra time in-between there, so we get after it in practice. I know we're looking forward to this next preseason game.
Q: Julian, it seems like they were throwing a lot of back shoulders in New England, is that something (Defensive Backs Coach) Jerome Henderson has been stressing with you guys this week?
A: Yeah, that was something I guess we haven't seen as much until the game. So, of course, you're going to see some stuff you weren't expecting maybe, so now we're learning to play the back shoulder, the ball out in front because that's the evolution of the game, that's what these games are for and it's important that we got those in the game because now guys can build off of that, and young guys can really learn how to play them.
Q: It seems like you guys are very athletic and very tough in the back end, do you think Wink is going to try and install more defensive pressure on the back end?
A: Yeah, he has it dialed up. His plan going for weeks one, two, and three in the regular season, he's pacing right now, he wants to show what he wants to in the preseason, and we're going to get to them eventually, but he has a plan. Some of them are going to be more exotic, some are going to be simple, whatever they scheme up and think is best for that opponent.
Q: Seems like there was a difference of perspective Thursday night, people in New England thought you blitzed a ton, but the feeling in your locker room was that you dialed it back and was as vanilla as it gets.
A: I know a lot happens between coaches before preseason games, gentleman agreements, or whatever. I thought we were fine, I thought everything we played was very standard in terms of what you want to see young guys getting. So, I'm not sure about all of that stuff but, I thought our plan wasn't anything exotic on defense. I thought it was very cut and dry on defense.
Q: To the point where maybe you even thought you'd blitz even more than what you did?
A: We knew because it was the first preseason game it was going to be a very vanilla game plan, to be simple. We want to just see young guys executing the calls that we've had since the beginning. You know those first few installs, that's what the game plan was for that.
Q: Julian are you excited now that the first game is under a month now as far as what Wink can draw for a regular season game?
A: Yeah, I'm excited. I've had a lot going on this offseason, but during it all, I've been putting into perspective what I want for myself in this upcoming year. Everybody knows I'm a pretty selfless guy, I try to do whatever that I can to help the team improve but now I'm excited to have that opportunity to take my game to the next level. So, yeah, this offseason it's been a lot of that, and I'm just waiting for week one. Obviously, I'm excited for Cincinnati (Bengals) and the (New York) Jets just to get into the flow so I can be hitting the ground running and we can hit the ground running in Week one. It's hard not to be excited, we want to win games, we want to see a new season, and get that bad taste out of our mouths as soon as possible.
Q: Not to pry, but what's going on that's competing with football?
A: I got married this summer, so yeah, I was a little locked into that. We were doing a lot of the pre-wedding stuff, which was exciting, I loved every part of it. It was a perfect day; the honeymoon was perfect. Work-life balance, I'm 100 percent looked into that stuff, and then when it's not time to pick flowers, it's time to visualize what I want for myself in the season and set goals for myself.
Q: You have a lot of young and improving guys battling for depth in the secondary, has anyone stood out to you and caught your eye?
A: Like you said, a lot of young unproven guys. That doesn't mean that we have any lack of talent, I think we're a talented group. I think personally, it stinks, but I liked what (Safety) Dane Belton has shown before he was out for a little bit, I like what (Cornerback) Zyon Gilbert has shown, he's a sneaky athlete, so it's exciting to see him get more and more. We have a good young group; I think we have some really good players. You saw (Cornerback) Darren Evans, D. Evans, he had a solid game, and I want to see more from (Cornerback Cordale) Flott. We've got some guys, this game and the next one, you want to see guys take the next step. This first one, coaches may feel a certain way, but I'm like, "it's their first game" let them ease into it. I'm also forgetting (Safety Trenton) Trent Thompson, he's been flashing all over the place. He's a guy who has really been earning his way from the bottom of the bottom to now earning some quality reps for us, I think that's someone to keep an eye out for sure.
Q: Did you complain to Wink when you didn't get the green dot?
A: No, Wink's good about the green dot. He's probably told you, that whoever is on the field at all times will get it. So, when (Safety) Xavier (McKinney) went out after that first series, I had the green dot for the second series. I'm a guy in the lineup for that, that's nothing uncommon, I can echo a call with the best of them. So, you never know what happens.
Q: What have you seen from (Tight End) Daniel Bellinger during camp so far?
A: I like Daniel. I think he's a tough kid. I think he's been improving more and more each day; a lot has been put on him honestly. Getting that first team job and he's learning each day. I think for a young guy right now, you want to absorb as much as you can each day, take the hits here and there, the bad and the good plays, but he's learning, and he's a good kid. When I'm out there guarding him with the first team and the first teams are going at each other, ill tell him this is what you need to do to be better at certain aspects. It's push and pull but he's absorbing everything. I expect bright things from him because he's just a good kid.
Q: What kind of a route runner is he?
A: He's learning to become a more proficient route runner, he's a big guy, he's strong, he's deceivingly strong, and just using his body more. You guys will see moving forward.
