Head Coach Brian Daboll
August 29, 2024
Q: Can you take us back when (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) asked about number changes, what your kind of initial thought with what was available and the idea for number one?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, what I would say with that is, I know he's very appreciative to the (former Giant Ray) Flaherty family for allowing him to wear that number. I'd say ask (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) about the number. The most important thing for us is to help Malik (Nabers) be the best football player he can be. I know he's very appreciative to the family, I know he spoke to them, I know he spoke to (President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director) John (K. Mara). So, that's his number and we're getting ready to play football.
Q: What happened with the decision with (inside linebacker) Dyontae Johnson on IR?
BRIAN DABOLL: We've made some more roster changes. I know I told you guys it's fluid. That's something that we needed to do. He was injured, so we added some more people. We've added some more people this morning. We had some workouts. I'll try to keep you updated. I think these are finalized. So, there's quite a bit of them here. Art Green, he’s a corner(back). He signed to the practice squad. Elijah Garcia is a defensive tackle. Duke Shelley, corner(back), signed him. We're bringing (tight end/fullback) Jakob (Johnson) up.
Q: Are these all practice squad?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, they'll be out here today. They had to get their physicals. I just found out a few minutes ago. I'm trying to keep you updated. So, (tight end/fullback) Jakob (Johnson), we're going to bring him up to the 53 (man roster). We had to put (guard) Austin Schlottmann down, he got injured yesterday in practice, on IR (injured reserve). He hurt his leg. And I think that's where we're at right now.
Q: Is that a season-ending leg thing for (guard Austin) Schlottmann?
BRIAN DABOLL: It's weeks. He got rolled up on, so he's going to be out more than, I'd say, four weeks. Probably more than that, too. So, we made the move. (Tight end/fullback) Jakob (Johnson) is coming up, and I think that's it.
Q: How do you look at your backup center spot, then, at this point?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, (guard) GVR (Greg Van Roten) has played center. (Guard Jon) Runyan (Jr.) can play center. We have guys that can play center that have played it. I'm thankful GVR (Greg Van Roten) got those reps coming in to play center when he got here, because he can play it. And (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo) has had experience with him at the (Las Vegas) Raiders and felt confident that he could do that even before we signed him. So, they've all gotten reps there.
Q: (Cornerback Duke) Shelley is on the practice squad, too, right? No one else?
BRIAN DABOLL: He is.
Q: Just (tight end/fullback) Jakob (Johnson) to the 53 (man roster)?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. You guys got (linebacker Ty) Summers, right? Linebacker on the practice squad. (Linebacker Curtis) Bolton will be on the active. You all got that? Bolton, yep. (Safety) Anthony Johnson, you guys got that.
Q: Who is Bolton?
BRIAN DABOLL: Curtis.
Q: Linebacker?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yes.
Q: What's the weekend like for you, personally? Are you able to kind of put things in the drawer, or do you just push through?
BRIAN DABOLL: We'll continue to do… We've done a lot of work up to this point. This has kind of been like a regular season night week for the coaches. We'll do a lot of that again tomorrow. We'll see where we're at here, but we've put a lot of work into it, whether it's the offseason or this past week. But there is a lot of work that needs to be done, so we're in regular season mode.
Q: What did you see from the O-line (offensive line) yesterday together for the first time?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, did a good job. Good communicators. Again, there's some experience on that line. They’ve played a lot of football, but it was good to have them out there. Good communication. Had a good practice.
Q: How does the conversation go, as much as you can say, with a guy like (wide receiver) Isaiah Hodgins, who has been here, was a huge part of the team when you guys went to the playoffs? Had a 100-yard game in the playoffs. He's been with you for a long time, and then you're cutting him and asking him to come humbly back to the practice squad…
BRIAN DABOLL: I think you're just honest with the players. I'm not going to divulge too much, out of respect to Isaiah, but you're just clear. You're open with them. We wanted him to come back to the practice squad. Again, that's up to him, too, as well. But those conversations, they're never easy to have. It's 7 in the morning or 7:15. You're bringing them in off their off day, but you have to have them. You just try to be transparent. I think there's mutual respect. That's what you hope for.
Q: A guy like (cornerback Duke) Shelley has starting experience, veteran. Not to reveal your lineup but does he have a chance to compete for that opposite starting corner job?
BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say this. Let's get him out here. There's been tape on him, but let's get him out here these next few days, see where he's at. Again, we'll do whatever we think is best for the team, but let's evaluate him, teach him our system, let him get under his feet underneath him a little bit and we'll see where it goes.
Q: All three of those guys that you signed with the practice squad, they worked out here this morning?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, most. I think two of them did. We had a big – there was a lot of people this morning working out.
Q: We saw (wide receiver) Allen Robinson went to the Lions practice squad. Did you guys offer him a chance to come back to the practice squad?
BRIAN DABOLL: With those discussions, I'll keep it private. (Wide receiver) Allen (Robinson) was a great pro, so we'll see what happens.
Q: Along those lines, maybe not specifically, but when guys are moving around, veterans move to practice squads, other places, I would imagine the communication that you're talking about is pretty important, too, right? You never know when you're going to have a spot and a guy is sitting there on a practice squad somewhere else. Is that important for you, too, when they leave the building, to make sure, if this might be a guy that we might want to entice to come back, to keep that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I just think you've got to be transparent with the players and have open lines of communication and be upfront and honest with them. I think that's – if my son was in that situation, that's how I want people to treat my son, and be clear, open lines of communication. Again, if people go to another practice squad, if you need to get them off the practice squad, you can always do that as well. But I think being transparent, whether it's before they get here, during the process, at the cut-down date, I think that's important to be open and communicate clearly.
Q: It kind of happened last year with (former Giants guard) Tyre Phillips, right?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, and again, it's a long season. You never know what can happen. There's a lot of injuries that take place, spots to fill at times, and you just try to do people the right way.
Q: I know you said you're concentrating sort of on yourself this week. When do you sort of flip over to the Vikings?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, with the players, that's what we've been doing. This week is more our stuff or, like I said, issue plays that we want to get corrected off of cards. The coaches have been working quite a bit on, I would say, Minnesota here. We did it in the offseason some, but then you don't even know what team they have or the pieces they have and then you go and meet with the personnel department and review their roster that they have currently right now. I know they're still making changes or have made changes. But the coaches have been working on it for a while.
Q: With the players, when do you start?
BRIAN DABOLL: When they get back on Monday is when we'll go. But again, there's some stuff we need to make sure we clean up, but the coaches have put a lot of work into it.
Q: Are you operating as if (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) going to be your Week 1 punt returner?
BRIAN DABOLL: We'll see. I mean he's making progress. He was out here catching punts yesterday. I think he's making improvement. I would hope so, but again, it's 10 days or is it 10 days away, I think. 10 days, 11 days away. We'll see where he's at.
Q: What do you look at for your other options for that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, that's internal discussions. We have guys back there catching balls. There's always things we could do to add to the roster if we wanted to, but I think (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) is moving in the right direction.
Q: I know you put him on season-ending IR (injured reserve). What happened to (wide receiver) Isaiah McKenzie late in that Jets game?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he had a foot, so he's in a boot today. Again, another player like (wide receiver) Isaiah Hodgins that I'm very, very close with. You hate to see a player get injured. I feel bad for the guy. He's in his boot, but it's an unfortunate part of the business.
Q: Anyone else not going today?
BRIAN DABOLL: (Inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) will still be out. Everybody else to do stuff.
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