Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey
Q: What do you think of (Running Back Jashaun) Corbin as a kick returner?
A: He's doing a nice job. We threw him in there last week just to kind of see what he can do. He's been taking practice reps. He's done a really nice job, so we'll just continue to let him work at it and we'll see what happens.
Q: When you send out special teams it seems like in the last game you are just gauging what a guy might do as opposed to 'these are the regular guys I'll have.'
A: Yeah, I mean right now we're in the evaluation process. We're trying to figure out who we have and what they can do so we are just letting them play. We're just throwing them out there in a very generic situation, nothing really game-plan wise, schematically. We're just trying to see who can run, hit and tackle. You hate to get to the first game, and you don't know what you have. Especially on your coverage unit. We're just trying to figure out who does what, who does what the best and we'll go from there.
Q: How is the depth chart set? Does (Head Coach Brian) Dabs (Daboll) tell you certain guys are kind of off limits or who you've got to work with?
A: Nobody is ever really off limits but obviously as a coordinator you've got to be smart in how you use guys. In the preseason there are certain guys you're going to pull back on and let's see what (Safety Yusuf) Corker can do, let's see what all the rest of these young guys can do. I think that's the best way to handle it.
Q: When (Running Back) Antonio Williams has the kind of hit that he had on that second half kickoff, is the process the proper way? Or do you see guys that run down there and try to make a hit?
A: No, that's part of the evaluation process. Antonio, he's shown it every day in practice, because we haven't physically been able to hit obviously in practice, you're not going to take anybody to the ground. But he shows the ability to maneuver and get through traffic and be able to accelerate to the ball and you saw him finish the other day. You like to see those things transfer from the team situations in practice into the game situations on the field. Right now, for him, it's definitely translating.
Q: You talked a lot last year about getting (Wide Receiver) Kadarius (Toney) into the return game. He hasn't done a lot this summer. Did that window close?
A: Well, he hasn't done a lot of anything right now. As soon as he gets back on the field, he'll be pushed right back into the mix. It's just a matter of him getting healed up and get to where he can just function as a football player.
Q: That kick return spot, we see (Wide Receiver) C.J. (Board) kind of at the top of the unofficial depth chart. For a young guy like Jashaun or anyone else to challenge for it, what are the top qualities you need to see out of a guy consistently?
A: Obviously, you want speed, dependability. You want a guy to be tough and be durable. That's a tough position. You take some shots as a kickoff returner. You want to have great vision and be fearless and all of those things but, just be productive. Guys that can make people miss in space and be physical, have agility and all of those things. Make their cuts at full speed and just make good decisions. All of those things kind of go into it, but we've got a few options back there. Those guys are doing a good job, they really are.
Q: On the punt return that C.J. let bounce, would you have liked to see him catch that or was that the right play based on how deep he was?
A: Yeah, he aligned himself way too deep – and that's my fault as a coach. We've got to make sure we set – he was almost 60 yards away from the ball and he knew it as soon as the ball was hit, he knew he was too far away from it. That was just a preseason, first game of the year mistake by a guy who has done it before.
Q: What did you think of (Punter) Jamie (Gillan)? Just as far as distance and how he did.
A: He did a hell of a job, he really did. He was player of the game. His first punt was 52 yards, 2 yards from the boundary. You couldn't walk down there and place it any better than that one. We've just got to make the play. (Safety Julian) J. Love's got to come down and take a shot. But Jamie, he did a heck of a job and he's getting better every day.
Q: You had a couple of kick returns that were probably a bit longer than you'd like. Do you get concerned about that this early? Or do you just look at that as information as far as who can do these jobs and who can't?
A: Well, you never want to give up anything. But it's the first game of the year and schematically we're not doing certain things on purpose because we want to see who can run and cover. There are some things that we can help ourselves out with in coverage and we will moving forward. There are some things that we needed to see. We'll continue to work on those things. Guys have got to show up and make plays when they get opportunities.
Q: It seems like gunner is wide open.
A: Yeah, wide open competition. We're trying to find out who's going to take it. C.J. was probably our only returner from last year. Then we've got guys like (Wide Receiver) Marcus (Kemp) and some of these other guys, it's wide open; (Cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott, all of those guys, (Cornerback Zyon) Gilbert. So, we'll find out. We'll see who takes the spot and who's going to make a play. We've got two games left, we'll see who can make them.
Q: (Kicker) Graham (Gano) had a really good practice a couple of days ago. Obviously, your comfort level is pretty high with him. Can you speak to the summer he's had and your comfort level with a veteran like that?
A: This is my fifth year with Graham, and I feel extremely comfortable with him. He knows himself, he knows what he needs to do to get himself prepared. Just adding Jamie into the mix of being able to bring him along, bring him up to speed in how Graham likes everything handled, and add him with (Long Snapper) Casey (Kreiter), it's been really good. The process has been good.
Q: Kicking game has always been very transient in the league. It seems now it's even more rare to have someone with the team more than a few years.
A: Graham got his lumps early in his career, but he's earned the right to do what he's doing. You're talking about being at 96 percent over the last four or five years in his career. He's earned that right. He's done a hell of a job for us, and we look forward to him making some big kicks for us.
Q: Did you get a chance to talk to (Patriots Offensive Assistant and Former Giants Head Coach) Joe Judge after the game?
A: I did. I actually talked to him before the game and it was good to catch up with Joe, Joe's a good man. But it was good to catch up with him. Hadn't seen him since he left.
