Opening Statement
Had a good mental day today, we’ve had nine tough physical practices. We’re trying to simulate a game week, so on Thursdays in game week, we’ll do things similar to this where we’ll have walkthroughs, we’ll have mental checks, it’s a really good day for our guys to recover physically, and yet still gain something. We had two walkthroughs today, one was in the morning, another one this afternoon, we really like their focus. Guys have been competing and it’s fun part of camp, we’re gonna get in that grueling grind phase once you get in that second or third week. Guys don’t see the light of day for the game, but our guys are still powering through it and that’s what’s encouraging.
What’s stood out to you with the inside linebackers
I think our guys are playing faster than they did in the springtime. They’ve got a much greater understanding of what we’re trying to do. When you do that you can play fast. We’ve had some really physical practices the last couple days, probably more physical than how we’ve practiced in the springtime, so it’s a matter of getting our guys to understand how to stay on your feet, how do you protect your teammates and still get the physicality done.
Has Gerran Brown been a pleasant surprise for you guys?
He really has. When he came in, nobody knew much about him, but he’s a very smart football player, seems to put himself in the right position to make plays, he’s got some decent athleticism, and I see him playing for us this year.
On Mekari adjusting to nose
Well he’s doing a good job, he’s a veteran, you know. Coach Azz does a tremendous job of teaching those guys, and he’s a guy who’s played before, So he understands how to play with great pad level, how to play with a great motor, and just the techniques he’s being taught that are a little bit different.
Is there a big difference in the DL technique due to the shift
Not really, we’re playing some even fronts, some shaded front stuff. Playing in a zero technique is a little bit different in just the way coach Azz drills those guys a little bit different, but again, he’s a veteran. He understands how to adjust, and he’s doing a really nice job.
Has he been going at DE?
What we try to do is have our big guys be able to play either the nose guard or the end position, and so again I love how coach Azz has those guys rotating so they all know what to do and we get the best on the field, so if someone goes down who maybe is a nose guard, the backup nose guard may not be as good as the third end, we’ll put the third end in there.
On Looney and his versatility
He’s really an explosive athlete, kind of unique for his size, being 285 or so pounds, and he gives us some versatility. When we go to our three man stuff he can be a nose guard, he can be an end. When we go to our even stuff, he can be an inside or an outside guy, and later on when we get into our big packages, he can even be an outside backer with his athleticism. So, he gives you some nice flexibility, can create some matchup problems for an offense trying to keep keep up with him if we’re putting him on a tight end.
How much of an asset is Alexander, who can keep up on the field and on social media?
Yeah, I haven’t seen him much on social media, but I hear the legend of it. He has a fantastic relationship with our players. He’s been where most of them want to go, he’s been in the National Football League. He’s also done a great a great job of studying the game so he can teach it. A lot of guys at that level, they do it based on natural ability and drive and all those things, but they’re not tremendous teachers. He’s a tremendous teacher. He’s a great fundamental teacher, great teacher of vision for his players, and because he’s got great energy and drive, and that probably reflects on social media, the players respect him and really appreciate the effort that he puts in.
What have you seen from the DBs?
I think we’ve got some guys that are really athletic out there. We’ve got tremendous competition, I think there’s at least two deep that we feel good about getting in a game and being able to compete with anybody. Some position battles, we got three guys battling, and so when you’ve got that kind of depth it really helps, and we’re talking today, personnel, how do we get different packages where we get our best 22 on the field at some point, and it’s a good problem to have when you’ve got a lot of athletic guys that are vying for different spots, whether he’s the third corner, can he be the nickel, can he be the dime, can he be the extra safety, we’re having those conversations with a bunch of guys.
What improvements have you seen from Saffle from the time you got him until now?
I think he’s much more fluid. I think he understands the defense much better so he can put himself into position to make plays, he’s a powerful guy off the edge, he’s really good with his hands, he’s done a nice job in pass rush and run at the point of attack, but the things that’s impressed me a little bit from him is that when he’s in space in the spring, there were times where it got a little ugly, but he’s gotten much more flexible and he’s doing a better job of sinking his hips, being able to change directions, and really being physical on receivers.
And he jumped that route the other day
Yeah, you would have liked to have seen him pick it, but we couldn’t have seen that from him in the springtime. Again, he’s anticipating great, he’s bursting, playing with his pads down, and it’s tough for guys where all they’ve done is go straight ahead his entire career and now we’re asking to backpedal at times, and so it took him a little bit to get it, but I really like the work that he’s put in.
On seeing Saffle drop back a lot more
Yeah, depending on what we call in our base defense our outside backers have to be able to rush or drop and so we’re teaching them the entire package, we’re not game planning anybody right now, so it’s teaching them all of our techniques.
How’s Allensworth doing so far?
He’s a veteran, and he understands what to do, how he’s got to do it, but I’ll tell you what, he’s being pushed big time by a bunch of guys. We’ve got two freshmen in Cam Bynum and Elijah Hicks that are gonna be special players in my opinion and they’re getting better everyday, so DA knows ‘if I don’t push, those guys are gonna take my job.’
On Luc Bequette
He’s been a little bit of a pleasant surprise. When we saw him in the springtime, we knew he was a big bodied guy, watched a little bit of tape on him last year, there wasn’t much, wasn’t sure about his athleticism, but I think in our package, and again coach Azz does a tremendous job teaching these guys how to play the way we want them to play, he’s really kinda found a niche in this package, he’s kind of a tweener guy. He’s not a defensive end, he’s not a true three technique, he’s not a true nose guard, but within our system playing a 4-I he’s done a nice job and playing a little bit of nose.
Had a good mental day today, we’ve had nine tough physical practices. We’re trying to simulate a game week, so on Thursdays in game week, we’ll do things similar to this where we’ll have walkthroughs, we’ll have mental checks, it’s a really good day for our guys to recover physically, and yet still gain something. We had two walkthroughs today, one was in the morning, another one this afternoon, we really like their focus. Guys have been competing and it’s fun part of camp, we’re gonna get in that grueling grind phase once you get in that second or third week. Guys don’t see the light of day for the game, but our guys are still powering through it and that’s what’s encouraging.
What’s stood out to you with the inside linebackers
I think our guys are playing faster than they did in the springtime. They’ve got a much greater understanding of what we’re trying to do. When you do that you can play fast. We’ve had some really physical practices the last couple days, probably more physical than how we’ve practiced in the springtime, so it’s a matter of getting our guys to understand how to stay on your feet, how do you protect your teammates and still get the physicality done.
Has Gerran Brown been a pleasant surprise for you guys?
He really has. When he came in, nobody knew much about him, but he’s a very smart football player, seems to put himself in the right position to make plays, he’s got some decent athleticism, and I see him playing for us this year.
On Mekari adjusting to nose
Well he’s doing a good job, he’s a veteran, you know. Coach Azz does a tremendous job of teaching those guys, and he’s a guy who’s played before, So he understands how to play with great pad level, how to play with a great motor, and just the techniques he’s being taught that are a little bit different.
Is there a big difference in the DL technique due to the shift
Not really, we’re playing some even fronts, some shaded front stuff. Playing in a zero technique is a little bit different in just the way coach Azz drills those guys a little bit different, but again, he’s a veteran. He understands how to adjust, and he’s doing a really nice job.
Has he been going at DE?
What we try to do is have our big guys be able to play either the nose guard or the end position, and so again I love how coach Azz has those guys rotating so they all know what to do and we get the best on the field, so if someone goes down who maybe is a nose guard, the backup nose guard may not be as good as the third end, we’ll put the third end in there.
On Looney and his versatility
He’s really an explosive athlete, kind of unique for his size, being 285 or so pounds, and he gives us some versatility. When we go to our three man stuff he can be a nose guard, he can be an end. When we go to our even stuff, he can be an inside or an outside guy, and later on when we get into our big packages, he can even be an outside backer with his athleticism. So, he gives you some nice flexibility, can create some matchup problems for an offense trying to keep keep up with him if we’re putting him on a tight end.
How much of an asset is Alexander, who can keep up on the field and on social media?
Yeah, I haven’t seen him much on social media, but I hear the legend of it. He has a fantastic relationship with our players. He’s been where most of them want to go, he’s been in the National Football League. He’s also done a great a great job of studying the game so he can teach it. A lot of guys at that level, they do it based on natural ability and drive and all those things, but they’re not tremendous teachers. He’s a tremendous teacher. He’s a great fundamental teacher, great teacher of vision for his players, and because he’s got great energy and drive, and that probably reflects on social media, the players respect him and really appreciate the effort that he puts in.
What have you seen from the DBs?
I think we’ve got some guys that are really athletic out there. We’ve got tremendous competition, I think there’s at least two deep that we feel good about getting in a game and being able to compete with anybody. Some position battles, we got three guys battling, and so when you’ve got that kind of depth it really helps, and we’re talking today, personnel, how do we get different packages where we get our best 22 on the field at some point, and it’s a good problem to have when you’ve got a lot of athletic guys that are vying for different spots, whether he’s the third corner, can he be the nickel, can he be the dime, can he be the extra safety, we’re having those conversations with a bunch of guys.
What improvements have you seen from Saffle from the time you got him until now?
I think he’s much more fluid. I think he understands the defense much better so he can put himself into position to make plays, he’s a powerful guy off the edge, he’s really good with his hands, he’s done a nice job in pass rush and run at the point of attack, but the things that’s impressed me a little bit from him is that when he’s in space in the spring, there were times where it got a little ugly, but he’s gotten much more flexible and he’s doing a better job of sinking his hips, being able to change directions, and really being physical on receivers.
And he jumped that route the other day
Yeah, you would have liked to have seen him pick it, but we couldn’t have seen that from him in the springtime. Again, he’s anticipating great, he’s bursting, playing with his pads down, and it’s tough for guys where all they’ve done is go straight ahead his entire career and now we’re asking to backpedal at times, and so it took him a little bit to get it, but I really like the work that he’s put in.
On seeing Saffle drop back a lot more
Yeah, depending on what we call in our base defense our outside backers have to be able to rush or drop and so we’re teaching them the entire package, we’re not game planning anybody right now, so it’s teaching them all of our techniques.
How’s Allensworth doing so far?
He’s a veteran, and he understands what to do, how he’s got to do it, but I’ll tell you what, he’s being pushed big time by a bunch of guys. We’ve got two freshmen in Cam Bynum and Elijah Hicks that are gonna be special players in my opinion and they’re getting better everyday, so DA knows ‘if I don’t push, those guys are gonna take my job.’
On Luc Bequette
He’s been a little bit of a pleasant surprise. When we saw him in the springtime, we knew he was a big bodied guy, watched a little bit of tape on him last year, there wasn’t much, wasn’t sure about his athleticism, but I think in our package, and again coach Azz does a tremendous job teaching these guys how to play the way we want them to play, he’s really kinda found a niche in this package, he’s kind of a tweener guy. He’s not a defensive end, he’s not a true three technique, he’s not a true nose guard, but within our system playing a 4-I he’s done a nice job and playing a little bit of nose.
