Head Coach Brian Daboll
June 12, 2024
Q. What happened with Darius Slayton yesterday?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I would say the guys that were out yesterday, that went out, won't practice today. Should be ready to go by training camp.
Q. Daniel Bellinger said yesterday that he's stepped back to give the other tight ends more playing time this spring. What exactly happened there?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, something happened a few weeks ago. He's okay. He's probably good to go right now, but I'm being cautious with him. He'll be fine. He'll be good.
Q. What do you think you accomplished this spring?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, we had a lot of new people. We installed our systems. Again, it's a teaching camp, so you try to overload them with as much information as you can so that when they're able to come back, put the pads on and really be evaluated, you can play fast, not think as much.
So I think the coaches did a good job of that. The players came out and competed and worked hard to pick up some new systems and some young players learning, getting more reps.
So it's been a good camp. We have a good day ahead of us here. It’s been a productive camp.
Q. You mentioned evaluating in training camp. How important is that? What's the key of being able to evaluate your own players on a day to day basis?
BRIAN DABOLL: It's critical because you know what you're supposed to do. When you evaluate other players, you're maybe not exactly sure what the scheme is or what their responsibilities are. Each of our players know exactly what's expected of them. We know the calls; they know the calls.
So doing the right stuff is obviously important, and then letting their physical skillset take over. And you're always looking at that out here. I know I say it's a teaching camp, but really when training camp comes and they're playing with pads, because there are so many rules, you want to keep people off the ground and do it the right way. But it's very important to evaluate your players properly.
Q. Shane Bowen just talked about the idea he wants to see from his guys when you guys return back for camp, he wants to see guys go out and get it, go grab that opportunity. Is that always a fine line for you in the spring, because you want to keep it a teaching camp? It's not that you're taking the competition out, but also to remind guys that there still is a competition. You may not be the guy who has to win that route or do that, but it's still an underlying theme that should never go away?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, absolutely. I think we have a bunch of competitive players. This time you got to do a really good job of coaching of how you want them to practice. And, again, some of the competitive things that show up, whether it was a sack, wasn't a sack, there is no pads on, there is no cleaning the pocket, was it a pass break up, not a pass break up.
That's not really concerning to me. What's concerning or important to me is they know what to do, know how to practice, keep the competitive spirit up, but do it the right way. There will be plenty of time for that when the pads come on.
Q. Wan'Dale Robinson was one of your first draft picks when you got here. First offensive playmaker that you picked. Rookie season, got hurt. Where do you see him now? Where is he in terms of what you thought he could bring to this team?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's a good football player. We ask him to do a lot of things. I think he's got really good quickness, good speed, a very dependable player for us. For the quarterbacks, they know where he's going to be most of the time. He runs a variety of routes. Not just always inside, we’ve moved him outside too as well. Smart. Very, very smart. Does a good job in that room.
He was injured and is still a young player, and he's been very good for Malik (Nabers) and I would say (Jalin) Hyatt too with his communication process. We call a formation, he needs to bring a guy over, he knows really what all five players, including the running back, is supposed to do.
He's progressed well. He's had a good camp.
Q. You seem calmer during practice. Would you agree with that assessment? Has that been a concerted effort for you?
BRIAN DABOLL: Just coaching, yeah. Again, I've been obviously calling some of the plays, there’s an element of that.
But I think the coaches are doing a heck of a job. It's organized. They're coaching them up well. You know, the players are bought in. It's been a good camp.
Q. Mike Kafka was talking earlier about he developed with Kansas City where the head coach was the playcaller so the coordinators were not. He saw that dynamic. Do you think that will help him if this change does take place?
BRIAN DABOLL: Mike is a good teammate. Provides a lot of the value, has a lot of good insight. The new coaches -- Mike, obviously not a new coach, might be the longest tenured offensive coordinator I think at one place.
But the coaches are doing a great job. Tim Kelly, he’s been a coordinator before. Kafka obviously has done it. There has been a lot of good collaboration. Shea (Tierney) has been with us for a while, JT (Joel Thomas) down at New Orleans has been around Sean (Payton). Carm (Bricillo) coming in. He was with Josh (McDaniels) and in New England. It’s been a really good collaborative process of ideas and it’s a good time now to go ahead and look at things and see how they do.
Q. You emphasized that collaborative process. Is that something you feel like you needed to change? Was that a problem?
BRIAN DABOLL: No, I'm just going off this year, these guys working together, you know, a lot of good give and take. Not just with the coaches, but with the players as well.
That's important when you're just starting to build your team. We’re obviously a long way away, but it's an important ingredient for team chemistry, and I've been pleased with it.
Q. When I watch practice, Evan Neal stands really far from teammates. I don't know if that's by design or his choice. My real question I guess is: Are you certain when you come back for training camp he can be a participant on this offensive line and someone you can count on?
BRIAN DABOLL: That's what we're hoping for. We can count on him. He's in here, he’s working his butt off, and hopefully when everybody gets back, like I said yesterday, I'm hopeful we're going to have everybody ready to go in terms of how Ronnie Barnes has set it up and Aaron Wellman has set it up. They've done a good job. The strength staff has really done a good job. Frank (Piraino) has come in and those guys have worked hard.
Evan is on his program in terms of trying to get back as soon as he can. He’s doing everything he can do. Participating in the meetings. So very hopeful really with all our guys when we get back we'll all be ready to go.
Q. You mentioned the collaboration again. Some of the players talked about how the different position groups have seemingly worked together more early on this spring than maybe they have in the past. The idea of having the tight ends with the O-linemen and stuff like that, was that a concerted effort that you guys looked at and said we have to do more of this on both sides of the ball this spring?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, and that changes every year. You go back and say okay, what did we do the year before? Is that really what we should have done? Should we make some changes? Should we work more together, tight ends and tackles for example. Should we do some more stuff with the outside linebackers and defensive tackles and work together like Charlie (Bullen) and Dre (Andre Patterson) do.
Yeah, you look at all that when the season is over. You evaluate, you self-evaluate. We've talked about that before, like at the owner's meetings, try to make it as good as you can make it for this year for this team and do everything you can do to make it as good as you can.
Q. Another coaching developmental question. I'm sure every coach wants to start and go like this, nice steady and --
BRIAN DABOLL: Doesn't really happen in this league.
Q. Didn't for you certainly, right?
BRIAN DABOLL: Right. Good observation. (Laughter.)
Q. You've been at it a long time.
BRIAN DABOLL: Sure.
Q. Do these parts make you better? You get something and kind of lose something, does it help or can it crush you?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, no, I think every experience that you get…I probably assume that applies to any job, you should learn and grow from. I think the times it's more down at this end is the times you -- it's easy to be up and things are great. You're going to have tough times, whether in this business, whether it’s an iron worker like one of my buddies, whatever it may be.
You're going to have some tough times. There is always a lot to learn, a lot to self-evaluate. Again, you do everything -- you don't have all the answers. You do everything you can do every year to try to be as good as you can be.
You leave everything on the table. Like I said, you don't have every answer. You lean on a lot of people and try to grow and try to build the team you have for this year, whether that's in the leadership department, the plays, schemes, whatever it may be, the chemistry.
But certainly those lows, you're going to have them, particularly in this league. They're never fun, but they are very good learning tools if you use them the right way.
Q. After today, six weeks, these guys go home. Do you have to in today's society say, stay out of trouble and come back ready?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think when I first started in 2000, it's not the exact same speech. You have to grow and learn. Obviously it's different. Certainly you want to represent yourself, represent the organization the right way, be a pro both on and off the field, and let them know that we're here for them if anything does come up.
But they're so used to structure right now. The players have been here since April. They have a routine and then you go away and I have kids that are some of those rookies ages and of course you got to try to lead them, show them the right way.
But we have a lot of good young men who do things the right way. That's something we will address.
Q. What gives you hope that the offensive line can be better this year?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, again, it's more of a teaching camp. There is good communication. Those answers will all come as we get going in training camp. Got a little bit here before we start up here.
But the chemistry, the communication, those have been good. That's what you're looking for this time of year in an OTA without pads on. It's important. Half of your offense is basically the offensive line, so the more communication, the more looks they can get, that's where I told you one of the reasons I want to do so much team is for that reason. Team. Team reps.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
BRIAN DABOLL: A little bit, yeah. Want to make sure we're heading home healthy, ready to go.
