Head Coach Brian Daboll
Q: Dabs, where is everything at with Daniel? You had left open the possibility of maybe by minicamp next week he would be out there in 11 on 11. Anything on that?
BRIAN DABOLL: No. He's still making progress. He'll be in 7 on 7 today. That's been the plan all along. We'll assess after this week. But he's coming along; making progress.
Q: Do you think Evan Neal will take any 11 on 11s?
BRIAN DABOLL: Not sure. Not sure yet. If he can, he will. If he can't, obviously he won't.
Q: Seen anything different from Jalin Hyatt coming in year two? And in what ways?
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure. Yeah, there's a lot to learn as a rookie, so he was trying to pick up how we do things here, the playbook.
I would say this off-season in terms of breaking the huddle, getting aligned, knowing what to do, I think he's made a tremendous improvement in that area.
You can tell he's been in the system for a year. He's playing with some confidence in terms of the pre-snap stuff which allows him to play faster post-snap.
So he's done a good job. He's improved from year one to year two. He's really done a good job here I would say in these OTAs of improving each day. Pleased with where he is at.
Q: Was his rookie year the way he adjusted normal or a little less or a little more? You know what I'm saying?
BRIAN DABOLL: They're all different. Every player is different. I've had some young -- let's just talk about receivers. I've had some young receivers, Deion Branch comes to mind at New England; second round pick out of Louisville who was probably one of the fastest guys at picking up I would say a tougher system.
Then I've had some other guys that it's taken -- takes almost a year to kind of really feel comfortable. Jalin has done a good job. He meets extra; Coach Groh does a great job with him. Those guys are constantly meeting. I think that has really helped him leading into this year. He still does that with Mike.
So he's made progress. He's done a good job in OTAs. I think he's improved, and happy with where he is.
Q: Those are one-on-ones?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. Sometimes he's just in there. Sometimes there is a couple other guys in there as well. Spends a lot of time at it. Works really hard at it.
Q: Expect to have a definitive word on Darren Waller at some point?
BRIAN DABOLL: At some point. Right now there is no change from the last couple times I talked to you guys. He's in the same spot.
Q: I guess mandatory minicamp is the next deadline.
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, what I said earlier is we're giving him his time. When he makes his decision, he makes his decision.
Q: When is the last name you talked to him?
BRIAN DABOLL: I've communicated with Darren throughout the off-season. Mostly via text.
Q: Have you seen his videos?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I have.
Q: The music?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yes.
Q: So many good receivers in this league now that I don't know if any team can get away with not having a No. 1 cornerback. You guys didn't make a big move at corner this off-season, which I think is a vote of confidence in Deonte Banks. Is he ready to step up and be on the No. 1 receivers in this league?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, obviously he played a lot for us last year. Liked him coming out of the University of Maryland. He's another guy like Hyatt in terms of the more he plays, the more comfortable he's gotten. He's playing some different things here with our new defense, but he's done a really good job I would say throughout the OTAs as well.
Q: Dabs, talk about your running back room. You've got two young guys. A veteran in Devin Singletary. Obviously, no Saquon. How is that shaping up for you and what do you like about these guys?
BRIAN DABOLL: I've had familiarity with Devin. Devin has been a productive back when he was with me at Buffalo, he did a good job at Houston. Has some good leadership traits about him.
You know, he's been in the league for a little bit here. He knows our system inside and out. He was in Houston for one year, but he's very comfortable with how we do things.
He's done a good job leading that room with some younger guys in there, whether it be Gray, Tracy. Tracy has been a good -- I wouldn't say surprise later round draft pick, but he's done a good job in this camp of picking up the information pretty quickly.
Joel Thomas has really done a good job with him; the rookies need extra. So I'm encouraged by the group until we get the pads on and taking shots and blitz pickup and things like that. Up to this point they're doing everything they can do to be as good as they can.
Q: Dabs, Devin has that personality where he shares with the rookies? He loves to take them under his wing?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's had some good mentors, too, in his career. I wouldn't say Motor is overly vocal, but he is a very smart, cerebral player. Understands how we do things. Very good in terms of assignments.
I think that helps the younger players and helps Coach Thomas, too.
Q: Dabs, when you go into an off-season and go into a new season, there is always so much talk about how are you going to fix a player, how are you going to get a player up to a certain level. Is it almost a lost art to be able to go in and take what you would consider good players and be able to identify things that can take them from good to maybe the next level that they could make?
BRIAN DABOLL: We spend a lot of time on that right at the end of the season of our evaluations. That's one of the most important things we can do is evaluate our players. Just use Dexter (Lawrence), for example. Dre Patterson has done a great job with him, along with Brian Cox of taking things -- that's what you try to do as a coach, no matter who you're coaching, is try to help improve your players, whether it be via technique, whether it be scheme.
So that's the job of a coach. Regardless of the talent of the player or where they rank or anything like that, that's our job, to evaluate them and then ultimately try to help them be as good as they can be.
Q: Has Tyler Nubin taken a lot of snaps with the ones that we haven't seen?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I would say this is OTAs, but ones, twos, three, a lot people mixing in there. Nubin is taking snaps with all of them. He's another really smart player. I think the scouting staff did a great job along with Jerome (Henderson) and (Michael) Treier of evaluating that.
You watch them over in individuals a lot of times, people are going through it and he's over there to the side before he gets his rep doing the exact same thing as (Jason) Pinnock. He asks a lot of questions. Very attentive. I'm glad we have him.
Q: Do you have high starting expectations for a second round rookie? Or do you look at it more like this guy is here to develop and if he doesn't start for us, that's okay?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think we throw them out there, give them as many reps as we can, do as much individual technique work as we can, and it's really up to the player in terms of how they progress, the production they have, the assignment execution we want them to have.
And regardless where they're drafted, whatever round, free agent, you try to play the best guys.
Q: Dabs, you said this is only OTAs, but how much can the work and the effort that you put in here develop the attitude for the season?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, the chemistry and the stuff that the players do off the field, along with the competitive style we have on the field, obviously there are certain rules we abide by.
It's important. Again, it's a voluntary camp, but we've had a great turnout. Again, this is really a teaching camp, too. It really is, particularly for the young players, so they're mentally prepared going into training camp in a month or so.
Q: Was Gunner's injury bad?
BRIAN DABOLL: It wasn't over the top. He won't practice today. He'll be good for training camp.
Q: What has impressed you about Alex Johnson?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, with all these guys, we're really rotating a lot of different people, and if they do good in one practice, we give them some more reps. But we're switching.
That's what this time of year is for relative to giving them as much as they can handle, move them around, see how they communicate with other players within the system, and then once training camp hits, obviously the closer it gets, the more you want to be set where you want to be.
Q: Is Gunner going to be able to go next week?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I don't think he'll go next week. Yeah, training camp I think he'll be -- should be ready to go in training camp.
Q: Jon Runyan, what does he bring to the room so far and is part of him being on the right side to help Evan Neal?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's played in multiple spots. He's a pro. Chris Rossetti and his staff and Joe have done a good job of identifying smart and tough. He communicates well. I think that's important between Jon and Evan to have good communicator. It's important on the left side with (Jermaine) Eluemenor and AT (Andrew Thomas) as well.
He's done a really good job since he's been here. He's a true pro.
Q: Dabs, you were asked about Banks. What about the depth behind him; where is that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, good competition. Looks good. Jerome (Henderson) is doing a really good job with those guys. They are improving every day. It will be good to get out here in a month for training camp and get the pads on and let them compete it out.
Q: I'm sure you saw the Nick Sirianni comments about how he responds to Giants fans. Any thoughts on that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I love Giants fans.
Q: What about Eagles fans? They get on you a lot here, too?
BRIAN DABOLL: I love Giants fans.
Q: Do you think that they got your best player?
BRIAN DABOLL: Look, I'm focused on OTAs, I'm focused on our football team going out here and having a good practice.
