Head Coach Brian Daboll
Q. You always say how early it is when we ask you certain things. Obviously you sometimes say it's only April. Well it is April 15th. This is the start of something.
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure.
Q. What do you feel this is the start of? Is it first day of school? Do you give these guys a message? Do you just kind of say hello, catch up, and let them go do the weight training and things?
BRIAN DABOLL: It's the start of phase one, so what we had is a squad meeting today and talked a little bit about the expectations for phase one for this particular next two weeks.
I have strength and conditioning speak. I have Dr. Lani (Lawrence), our mental doctor speak. I have Ronnie Barnes, head of the athletic training department, speak. I have (Ed) Triggs speak on kind of the rules of what's expected for these next two weeks.
So I have a bunch of departments I think are all important in terms of helping the players be the best they can be at this time of the year and make sure that if they have any questions, they can put a face with a name to get those answered.
So we're doing our job in terms of helping them in this first phase.
I have some of the new players stand up, introduce themselves. Some of the new staff members introduce themselves. So it's really just an introduction meeting to the phase one portion of the off-season program. That's where we are at. It's good to see the turnout that we've had.
Q. You pleased with the turnout?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Very good turnout.
Q. I know you evaluate the quarterback class every year in the draft. 2018, you were part of a really extensive search. What did you take from that experience that you have been able to apply to the process you've gone through this pre-draft?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I did that then. I did it in 2010, '11, I think. Again, when you're evaluating that position, you know, you could spend hours upon hours talking to those guys that play that spot.
So Joe has had some familiarity with it. We just do our due diligence. Done it other years, too. Not just this year. It's important to try to get a feel for that position because you never know when they'll be available.
You get a chance to meet and interact with them and develop a relationship, I'll call it, for a couple weeks, maybe a month, but you never know how that's going to develop down the line, too.
So we spent a lot of time in that '18 year of doing a lot of the different things, as you do, whether it's schematics or players, whatever it may be. You're always trying to evolve.
It's been a good process, but it's been a good process with a lot of the other positions too we've been looking at, which is pretty much all of them. It's been between the visits and out on the road, our coaches and scouts have done a really good job of trying to cross every T and dot every I to get prepared for what's going to happen in a couple weeks.
Q. Where does Daniel Jones stand in his rehab process? Is he able to be on the field today throwing passes?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, no, it's day one of phase one. He's making progress. I don't want to say further ahead or behind. He's doing everything we need him to do, hitting it head on and making strides.
Q. Obviously you said phase one and you're bringing in Aaron Wellman and hired a new strength and conditioning coach. From your perspective, how much do you, before this comes up, work with them in terms of what their plans are? How important is it for them to get all the players together here today? We know the issues in the past you guys talked about at the end of the season. Joe Schoen made a point about how you felt as though there was a correlation between on-field and what the players have off the field in terms of injury prevention and stuff like that.
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, they've done -- some of the other new coaches have been very, very pleased of the things they've presented, how they want to do things, what they think can be better; been very easy to work with.
Have learned a good amount from those guys as well in terms of what they think is important, not just developing the core strength and the quickness, but the type of things they'll do with the players. They got up and spoke today in the team meeting, Aaron did, Frank (Piraino), and then the guys we retained from last year that were here.
But we've met, I've met with them quite a bit as you do to get ready for this particular phase one. I've met with them often about their structure, how they see things. We've done some different things to the weight room and improved some things in there I think. They've been getting after it all morning, which is good to see.
Those two guys heading up that area have done a great job for the couple months they've been here.
Q. Anything you can point to that might be the biggest noticeable change for players that come in? Is it approach?
BRIAN DABOLL: There is a little turf area in the weight room. The whole weight room is different. There is a different vibe in there. There's some things we can do a little bit more in there for them.
We've met here in the morning. There are out there working out right now. We'll get feedback and make sure we're trying to do everything we can do to help them be the best they can be.
Q. The turf for movement in the weight room?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, there's a little turf -- the weight room is set up a little bit differently, the configuration of it, trying to maximize our space and give those guys everything they need to perform their jobs.
So credit to the ownership for doing those type of things for the strength coaches and Joe. You know, it's a good start. Good to get everybody back in the building. I know that. There is a good vibe.
Q. Certainly not going to ask attendance about every single player there, but given Darren Waller's unique circumstances, is he there today? What are your expectations for him through the voluntary program? He said recently he's treating the end of OTAs as his deadline. Do you expect him for phase one, phase two?
BRIAN DABOLL: Understand the question completely; have nothing to add on that from what Joe talked about a couple weeks ago in the ownership meeting. You know, again, I just go back to our attendance. Was very happy and pleased with our attendance.
In terms of Darren's specific situation, I'm going to keep that in-house and nothing to add at this time.
Q. Joe had mentioned, I think it was actually at the combine, that Daniel could possibly get into drills at some point in the spring. How much is that your expectation? And what are you expecting him to do or be able to do this spring?
BRIAN DABOLL: Appreciate the question. It's day to day with these injuries. It's come in and be improved from where you were the day before, and I don't think too far ahead with that. He's been in meetings, rehabbing, doing his stuff.
Tomorrow we'll see if we can do a little bit more and next day build off that. More of a day to day proposition for us. What's going to happen two weeks, four weeks, I couldn't give that you answer right now.
Q. With with your playbook, how different is your defensive playbook, one, and even on the offensive side, obviously you guys go back there and --
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure.
Q. Mike Kafka said we come up with new things. How much change is there to the playbook that you give new guys now this year for the offensive side?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, sure. Every year there is change, whether it's personnel, scheme things, coaches, staff members. That's the NFL.
So certainly there is some changes within the offense. Defense is obviously a little bit different with a new coordinator. Same with special teams. Again, it's day one. Those guys will have an opportunity. We'll build up slowly in the next two weeks to get ready for phase two.
That's really the goal for phase one is to get them in here, get the physical stuff going. That's where I want them to spend most of their time in terms of weight room and with the strength coaches.
You do have a little bit of time to meet individually. That will be split up with groups, position groups with the position coaches. But there is a lot to learn. There always is every year, regardless if someone is here or not.
Q. I guess in two weeks we have a draft. I'm just wondering, how much time is there in a day for you now? You have the OTAs going on. Probably deep into the draft thought.
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure.
Q. How much time do you have to spend on both?
BRIAN DABOLL: Significant. Yeah, there is the process of getting ready for this type of setting, phase one, and making sure that's organized. You you spend a lot of time, you got a lot of catching up to do. Season ends, you start to evaluate, whether it's your roster, things you need to do better.
Free agents that are going to become available in the league. You get to the college deal, and our college scouts have done a fantastic job. They have the three years I've been here, leaded up by Joe and Brandon (Brown) and (Dennis) Hickey. So you're trying to catch up to – you're never going to fully catch up to them. They've been on the road and seen them in person, done a lot of things. Their work is really invaluable.
Then you start evaluating players and meet with them and maybe going on trips. Our coaches have been out a lot this spring evaluating guys, whether it's private workouts and pro days. And that's the way it's been the last couple years. It's part of the off-season. It's a good part of the off-season, but there is definitely things that you were behind on and you got to try and catch up on.
That's what we're trying to do.
Q. The mock drafts all seem that the quarterbacks go one, two three; Giants take whichever receiver is left. Is it that simple?
BRIAN DABOLL: I don't know. I think you could go back the last ten years and look at all the mock drafts and see where everything was before the draft and then after the draft. I got a great appreciation for everybody that puts time in, whether they are in the building or outside the building and people that evaluate players. It's time consuming. Those people that put those things together do a great job.
I would say you never really know until you're right in the moment of the day of the draft. Unless a trade happens before the draft. There is a lot of unknowns, a lot of uncertainties. You do the best job to prepare for it, and Joe has done a great job the last two years. He's doing a great job of leading the staff and the meetings they have.
You know, you just have a great appreciation for the work that people put into it, whether it's in our building or outside the building. It's time consuming.
You might see something different than I see. Not that it's wrong, but that's just the way it goes. The mock drafts, I look at them. I definitely look at them because there is probably some people that are communicating with other people and they think this and they think that.
I don't know if a mock draft has ever been 100% in terms of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, so you trust your work of your evaluation, the people in your building, and then make the best decision for yourself.
Q. You've been the sort of new guy in the building once or twice in your career. What are Shane (Bowen) and Michael (Ghobrial) doing today? How important is it for them to set a tone for what they hope to do for their units?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, really, it's an introductory meeting for the players. We don't play for a long time. We're really focused on kind of this phase of what we're trying to get accomplished. I don't think you can get too far down the road.
There is many, many months before that happens. I think meeting the players, being around them, letting them know about how they want to do things in the meetings and splitting it up with the position coaches. Obviously we have a lot of position coaches on the defensive side that were here before. Shane will go ahead and get up. I think his meeting starts at 10:30 today and he's in there right now with the guys and going through some things.
Really, it's an introduction to him, to the new coaches, to some of the philosophies and things that he's looking for in terms of meetings and things like that.
Same thing with Ghobs. Ghobs will meet with the guys. The whole team, he wanted to meet with the whole team to talk about special teams so that will be tomorrow for him.
Q. Do you find that you see a different side to your coaches? You've been working with them for a couple months now?
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure.
Q. Once the players get in the building, does that change a coach's personality?
BRIAN DABOLL: No, but it's a great day to have the players back. It's just you as a coaching staff and other staff members and a lot of people have been out, but it starts feeling like football a little bit, albeit four, five months away, but to have the players in and see them in the hallway, lunchroom, to interact with them, I think all the coaches are excited about the start of phase one.
Q. With Devin Singletary coming in, I'm interested to know what did you like about him as player during your time in Buffalo that made him a good fit here, and how has he grown or changed as player since then?
BRIAN DABOLL: He's been a durable player, whether it was when I was in Buffalo, last year at Houston. He is smart. He handles his responsibilties like a pro. He's got good quickness and vision. He's had a level of production every year that's been pretty consistent. He's a consistent person, he's a consistent player. I'm happy we have him.
He's got good leadership traits. He's been a good player for us when I was at Buffalo. He did a great job I thought last year at Houston. Thought he would be a good piece to add to not just our running back room, but to the offense and team in general.
Q. I know you're always talking about evolving the program, yourself, the players. You've had obviously year one was successful; last year was a little bit bumpy. Speak about the lessons you pulled from the first two years and how you expect to change and evolve the program going forward, including yourself.
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, that could be -- that's a long one. Great question. Look, you always self-assess for the program and for yourself and for your coaches and for the players.
That's something that you do every year, and you spend quite a bit of time doing it. That's right when the season ends, going into the evaluations, and then you sit there and talk about schematic evaluations, and that takes a long time.
And then you're talking about organizational structure and things you want to change or monitor based on scheduling, based on what you can do to help the players be more available.
That goes into phase one, phase two, how do we want to do this a little differently, what did we like from it, what are the new ideas being brought in? Goes right into the training camp aspect of it after the -- and even the OTAs. We spend a lot of time on that relative to -- there is a certain time frame that have to do it in, but how you move things around, we discuss that.
When to condition. When not to condition. How to do a certain drill. Maybe it's an up-tempo drill on one day and you cut it back a little bit more where last you're you did up-tempo, up-tempo, up-tempo. You're really looking at every aspect of it. Training camp, where did we stay, why did we stay there. Was it the right thing. The vehicles from training camp.
The details in everything we do in every department. You lean on the people in those departments that are responsible for those departments as well. You can give them direction, which is the job of a leader, is to give them direction, and then make sure that they're doing their job the way that they need to do their job to be successful.
So the communication aspect of that. That's always improving. I think it's important when you're at that seat, you know, sitting in that head coach, you have a lot of things coming your way. That's the nature of the position.
Again, fortunately I've had 28 years, this will be 24 years in the NFL. Seeing it from a different perspective the last two years as a head coach. But when someone comes into your room you have so many things on your plate and you're trying to do this. You've got to take a deep breath and make sure when they're in your room that's the most important thing to them. They wouldn't come in your room for any other reason. You've got to take a deep breath and make sure you become a really good listener in that regard.
Q. Have you found it hard to make changes and to adapt? You obviously do things a certain way for a number of years and if they don't work, do you find it hard to adapt?
BRIAN DABOLL: No, I think look, you're always adapting and adjusting. You have to, when you're a position coach, coordinator, obviously when you're a head coach. Look, we understand it's a results business, but there is a process to it, too. There is a process that I strongly believe in. Year one, there was a process. The process gave you these results. Year two there was another process. Not really different from year one too much. Some little changes that gave you other results.
Was it the process or what? Like, that's what you are always evaluating. What can you do with that to try to yield different results. It's a competitive, tough industry. Each year is a different year and we're focused on this year. We're excited to be back and it's been good to see everybody back in the building.
