Cornerback Adoree' Jackson
Q. What do you think about drafting a first-round corner who obviously you'll have to mentor here a little bit going to be playing opposite you?
ADOREE' JACKSON: I'm excited. I think about when I was in Tennessee, and I had Logan Ryan being able to help me and mentor me. And the following year, I had Malcolm Butler. I always think of it as a added benefit to us as a whole, not just the defense but the team as a whole. So, I'm excited, watched his tape. Like him. Watched him go through the walk-throughs, different things. Talked to him. He's got a good head on his shoulder. Seems like a great guy. I was excited to get D(eonte) Banks.
Q. Do you see similarities? I would imagine you're working on film, what you're seeing on tape and out there in practice. But in terms of his personality, I would imagine as a veteran you know how personalities mesh in this locker room. Personality wise are you getting him to open up? Has that been a challenge?
ADOREE' JACKSON. It hasn't been a challenge. He's a great guy. He's been acceptable to the culture, what we're trying to build here. And I can't do anything but really appreciate him and welcoming him in the same as us; it takes a lot to gain so much trust and vice versa. He came up with open arms as we did. He's been a good guy, giving us laughs, singing and stuff, which is pretty cool to see him not shy away or be shy at all and trying to be one of us, it's dope to see.
Q. What do you think the best thing a veteran cornerback can teach a young cornerback is?
ADOREE' JACKSON: What Dick LeBeau taught me when I was in Tennessee, if something doesn't go my way or if a play doesn't go this, that or a third, he always told me his experiences and what goes on, just give him tools to make him better. I think that's the best thing a veteran cornerback can do, just let somebody learn from their mistakes and try to help them and be that voice of reason in their ear, how I would have wanted it vice versa. Just trying to be there as much as possible for him.
Q. By most metrics, I would think people say you had a really good season last year. I'm curious, how do you look at your season? And the one knock people have on you is not a lot of game-change -- turnovers, forced fumbles and such. Why do you think that is for a guy who is around the football as much as you?
ADOREE' JACKSON: I don't know. That's a good question. I feel like the season was all right. I feel like a good season. Going all the way, winning the whole thing. But I can't explain being around the ball a lot and not getting plays. Hopefully the Lord hears me put it up in existence, and he gives me a lot more this year.
Q. Is that something you think about, something you work on, trying to get more?
ADOREE' JACKSON: Trying to get the ball. It doesn't happen that way, I'm not going to beat myself over it and just think about I need to do this, do this, then I'm thinking about the wrong thing. And then something else happens, and I give up or a mess up a play somewhere else.
For me it's just being in the moment, be on that play and then clear it, be in next-play mentality, because say I do get a pick first quarter, I've still got three more quarters left to play -- or I do get a PB (pass breakup) or something happens. Wink always says give us two. For me, just try to play my game when opportunity comes, make the plays.
Q. Seems like it was a point of emphasis during the offseason, do you notice that the offense is markedly faster, the receivers faster than maybe they were last year?
ADOREE' JACKSON: I would say, being able to be familiar with the offense and having another year in it, Wink last year, and learning to come here April 4th, I always tell Dabs that was way too early to come in. But we benefit from it. But having Wink still here and Dabs, Kafka and having their same offense, and D.J. being under that system and being able to teach the guys. They went out to Arizona, were able to work together and get familiar with everything. I think that makes everything faster. Speed-wise, those guys are moving out there like -- this league now is offense dominated, in the passing lane, to be able to see that speed is great for us, because we're going to face a lot of guys, they do similar things on offense.
Q. Your match up with Waller. What's it like for a corner to see that guy line up on that side?
ADOREE' JACKSON: It's crazy. His catch radius being able to -- but you can jump a route and D.J. can throw it somewhere else, and he can still be able to do get to it. The speed he has, it's not like -- it's a different type of speed in a sense where he builds up his speed, just running strong. He's trying to run through you, run around you, whatever. But I love it because you never know what you're going to match up with. You can go against a 6'5 receiver or smaller guy. You just get different looks. I think that's what I appreciate most about this offense. You've got a lot of different type of body strengths; you got a lot of different attributes in front of these guys. And having everybody to help us be better as a defense.
Q. Guys who make the move from corner to safety, Logan obviously comes to mind. We saw Nick McCloud playing some safety today. How does he look there and that group as a whole trying to replace Julian?
ADOREE' JACKSON: I think Nick is a man, a Swiss Army knife. A guy that is going to do whatever you ask him to do, he's going to do it at a high level. One thing I can say I appreciate Nick never put his head down, never wavering, never being woe is me, just like, 'coach what do you need me to do'. Him being able to switch around it's great because we can utilize him in different ways. I say I just appreciate Nick for him being unselfish. A lot of guys probably would be mad or whatever it may be, but him just going out there and loving the game, having fun with it, good things happen. It gets him on the field as well.
