Speaker 1: You and me both good morning. Tell you five running backs?
Speaker 1: How do you plan use this group? What makes you
Speaker 1: think of running game better than well I think number one? Um,
Speaker 1: you know, uh, obviously we're not gonna take five into
Speaker 1: the into a game. One of them will be down obviously,
Speaker 1: maybe even two depending on our needs for that for
Speaker 1: that particular week. So um, and now that now that
Speaker 1: we get into these weeks, you know, we begin to
Speaker 1: game plan a little bit and get a little specific
Speaker 1: with guys by personnel, by play type, and uh really
Speaker 1: home that in this week. So um, it starts on Wednesday,
Speaker 1: we begin our base game plan and then we carry
Speaker 1: it on to Thursday, Friday, and and uh, get these guys,
Speaker 1: get these guys going game plan based which ones are
Speaker 1: up or will that be merit based? Now it's game
Speaker 1: plan specific. Um, we go into each game and of
Speaker 1: course injury obviously plays plays a part of that as
Speaker 1: we get going. But um, you know, by game plan
Speaker 1: and and and how we want to utilize uh you know,
Speaker 1: our running back. Um. So yeah, it's week to week.
Speaker 1: You have all fifty three healthy when you start practicing
Speaker 1: this week for the game. Yes, yes, how the other
Speaker 1: day said that there there's going to be a focus
Speaker 1: on developing the guys who they bring back or the
Speaker 1: guys that aren't starting, guys like a guy like Dylan Gordon,
Speaker 1: who I know, you guys think I have a lot
Speaker 1: of potential Bryce Tregs. Who was on your roster last year,
Speaker 1: Niate Jerry? Who you drafted this year? Is that a
Speaker 1: Will that be a change in how things are done?
Speaker 1: Will they get more reps because we don't see your
Speaker 1: practical we get more reps? Will they be included more
Speaker 1: more so? I think with the Yeah, I think with
Speaker 1: that bottom you know, bottom third or so of the roster,
Speaker 1: I think I think what one thing I'm going to
Speaker 1: implement this year is is uh um, actually time time
Speaker 1: spent after practice with those guys developing those their their talents.
Speaker 1: Uh They they more than likely don't get it, and
Speaker 1: they won't get a bunch of reps obviously with the
Speaker 1: with the offense or defense from a game plan standpoint, Um,
Speaker 1: they all the service team reps as you know. But
Speaker 1: at the same time, we want to make sure that
Speaker 1: we're maximizing their talents and also maximizing my younger coaches
Speaker 1: they're on staff and by by developing those guys and
Speaker 1: spending time after practice for for ten to twelve minutes
Speaker 1: and just going through drill work specific to what we're
Speaker 1: doing offensively and defensively. So we don't let those guys
Speaker 1: just sort of drift by the wayside, so to speak.
Speaker 1: We continue to watch their development, watch their growth. How
Speaker 1: much how much input can a person in your position
Speaker 1: or Frank Reich's position or gym sports and position have
Speaker 1: into that development considering your normal responsibilities, it won't fall
Speaker 1: on the coordinators as much. It'll fall on the position coaches,
Speaker 1: um and and they're responsible for for detailing the work
Speaker 1: of these younger players. And then and then our assistants
Speaker 1: that are you know, our quality control coaches and offense
Speaker 1: or defensive assistant coaches will be able to um take
Speaker 1: these players onto the field after practice and and and
Speaker 1: put them through some fundamentals and some some drill work
Speaker 1: that'll keep them keep them coming along. Um, you guys
Speaker 1: kept two guys who kind of fit in that category,
Speaker 1: and Denil Humphrey and Shelton Gibson. I mean, how important
Speaker 1: is it? I mean the fact that you used to
Speaker 1: roster spot for those guys but also to develop them
Speaker 1: and can you know, make sure they can do. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's very important that we continue to develop all those guys,
Speaker 1: especially the two you mentioned, because you never know they're
Speaker 1: they're one play away from being in a you know,
Speaker 1: being active, being in a football game. I've been in
Speaker 1: that situation before, so I understand. And and so you know,
Speaker 1: my message to the practice squad players, to the guys
Speaker 1: on the fifty three that could potentially be a be
Speaker 1: a healthy scratch on game day. You know, my message
Speaker 1: is this, you're you're you're a snap or two from
Speaker 1: from entering a football game. So we have to as
Speaker 1: as coaches, we got to make sure that we're doing
Speaker 1: our part by by helping them and developing them so
Speaker 1: that when, if, and when that day comes, they're ready
Speaker 1: to play. So how do you so did you keep
Speaker 1: these guys who you know, how we can have that
Speaker 1: long range goal in mind to develop these players, But
Speaker 1: you have to win each week. You have to look
Speaker 1: at it that way. How do you look at those
Speaker 1: roster decisions that might not help you win this week
Speaker 1: but could help you down the line. Well, I mean,
Speaker 1: you you it's a little bit of a fine line
Speaker 1: because I mean, obviously you know, my focus and a
Speaker 1: coordinator's focus and really the position. Our focus is on
Speaker 1: that specific game plan that week. But we also know
Speaker 1: that a part of our jobs too is to is
Speaker 1: to maintain um the development of our younger, younger players,
Speaker 1: and we just got to continue to do that. And really,
Speaker 1: you know, I've been on the practice squad, so I
Speaker 1: understand that it's it's you're you're constantly looking at a card,
Speaker 1: and it may not be what we do offensively or defensively,
Speaker 1: but to get those ten twelve minutes after practice repping
Speaker 1: plays that we do, or a route or a drop
Speaker 1: by a dB linebacker, I think is just valuable for
Speaker 1: that person's growth and development, you know, the entire season.
Speaker 1: He Doug Michael Lombardi took out a bit of a
Speaker 1: shot at you, questioning your qualifications. I know you've you've
Speaker 1: dealt with your you know, sheriff criticism, but uh, I
Speaker 1: wonder what your reaction is to that when it comes
Speaker 1: from somebody who's been in the NFL fraternity. I haven't
Speaker 1: seen the article. I'm not sure what you're talking about,
Speaker 1: so I don't I don't pay attention to that. I mean,
Speaker 1: I listen, I'm confident in what I do. Um, he's
Speaker 1: not in the building. I coaches, you know, I coach
Speaker 1: our coaches and coach our players, and I think if
Speaker 1: you ask any one of our players or assistant coaches,
Speaker 1: I think they would maybe say something a little bit different.
Speaker 1: I have not read the article, so I can't respond
Speaker 1: to It was about your your experience, um, and that
Speaker 1: you were that you were at least qualified head coach
Speaker 1: in the NFL and when you were hired comparatively speaking,
Speaker 1: I guess you were. I mean, how do you respond
Speaker 1: to that notion, um about your qualifications? Somebody here, mister Lurie,
Speaker 1: Howie the guys thought I was qualified, So UM, in
Speaker 1: my opinion, that's uh, that's good enough for me. Again,
Speaker 1: this is this organization is uh behind me one hundred percent.
Speaker 1: And um again, I think you could you could ask
Speaker 1: the guys in the locker room. And that's my that's
Speaker 1: my concern. That's my focuss year or two for you, obviously,
Speaker 1: alot of upheam will before last season eight days. How
Speaker 1: do you feel this year as far as the talent level.
Speaker 1: Do you have a lot of locker rooms? Do you
Speaker 1: see a big difference? Yeah, I think we're in a
Speaker 1: better position roster wise, obviously going into this season than
Speaker 1: we were a year ago. Um, definitely, we had the
Speaker 1: quarterback situation a year ago and now that's that's behind
Speaker 1: us and we're full steam ahead. So I'm excited about
Speaker 1: this week, this this week of practice. And um, you know,
Speaker 1: as I said all along in pre pre preseason that
Speaker 1: you know, just to just to watch these guys perform,
Speaker 1: and um, you know, put put our guys in position
Speaker 1: both offensively and defensively to be successful is our job
Speaker 1: as coaches. But at the same time to be able
Speaker 1: to let them play free and cut it loose. And um,
Speaker 1: I'm excited to watch him this week's featured running back.
Speaker 1: As far as parrying side, it's want a featured back
Speaker 1: as far as Parris who marry Um again, it goes
Speaker 1: back to the game plan. Quite honestly, we understand that
Speaker 1: that uh La Garrett you know, might be a little
Speaker 1: different runner even than Sprowls and Windell. So UM, I
Speaker 1: think it's game plan specific. It's hard to it's hard
Speaker 1: to go into a game saying, you know, uh La Garrett,
Speaker 1: you're gonna get X number of touches because you never
Speaker 1: know what the game's gonna you know, um, what circumstances
Speaker 1: might be posed during the game. So, UM, you know
Speaker 1: it's gonna be it's gonna be a great effort by
Speaker 1: all all three guys each and every week. UM and uh,
Speaker 1: UM want to get all of them obviously involved in
Speaker 1: the game plan to have a dominant Is it better
Speaker 1: for the Rhythmilly offense to have a dominant running back
Speaker 1: as opposed to splitting of our by committee? UM, I
Speaker 1: think you can. I think you can have a you know,
Speaker 1: a you know, m a runner that you kind of
Speaker 1: hang your hat on. Um. And again, I you know,
Speaker 1: I don't want to just sit here and say that
Speaker 1: you know, Darren you're obviously a third down guy, or
Speaker 1: Wendell you're a you're a first, second, third down guy,
Speaker 1: because you know, uh, we want to get all these
Speaker 1: guys involved in the game plan. I think it's I
Speaker 1: think it's important to what we do. And UM, you know,
Speaker 1: if if La Garrett has the hot hand, he he
Speaker 1: continues to carry the ball, if it's if it's Wendell,
Speaker 1: it's Wendell. So again it's it's I can't sit here
Speaker 1: and tell you exactly how many touches these guys are
Speaker 1: gonna get but at the same time, then when we
Speaker 1: put game plans together, we're very mindful of not only
Speaker 1: the run game, but also the uh um pass game
Speaker 1: with these guys too. Were you carry just seven offensive
Speaker 1: linement on on game days or als or all a seven?
Speaker 1: Doug What what have you learned from Alicean Jeffrey from
Speaker 1: the time he got here to now as you get
Speaker 1: ready for a week one, I'll tell you one thing
Speaker 1: is just his um, his attention to detail, his focus,
Speaker 1: his drive feels like and seems like that he's he's
Speaker 1: eager and ready to go, kind of chomping at the
Speaker 1: bid a little bit, you know, with with with my
Speaker 1: decision to kind of rest him during camp, and um,
Speaker 1: you know, he's he's he's obviously a big target. He's um,
Speaker 1: you know, you just go back and I spent the
Speaker 1: last couple of days just watching watching his targets over
Speaker 1: the last couple of seasons. It's just seeing how how
Speaker 1: he you know, runs routes and and how he uh
Speaker 1: you know, plays on game day and and uh it's
Speaker 1: exciting to watch him. He's he's a big physical guy
Speaker 1: that that we're excited to have on our team and
Speaker 1: and really look forward to he and Carson, you know,
Speaker 1: connecting and doors some good things. It's a long season.
Speaker 1: This is just one sixteenth though. It all that stuff,
Speaker 1: But how much how much stuck do you put in
Speaker 1: to the idea of an opener or maybe a first
Speaker 1: couple of games setting a tone helping the confidence in
Speaker 1: the locker room that hey, we can get something done
Speaker 1: this year. And and so how much do you frontload
Speaker 1: onto this game? Yeah, you know, it's it's it's a
Speaker 1: great opportunity for our for our team. Number one, we
Speaker 1: haven't done so well against this group, you know, going
Speaker 1: back a couple of seasons, and obviously you know last
Speaker 1: year with you know, losing twice, so and we didn't
Speaker 1: play well down there. Um. So I think it's a
Speaker 1: thing that it's in the back of our player's mind
Speaker 1: and it'll be be a focus for them. I think
Speaker 1: it just kind of it kind of draws you, especially
Speaker 1: to open the season with a division opponent. Um And
Speaker 1: we didn't do so well on the road last year either.
Speaker 1: So this is, uh, this is something that's important for
Speaker 1: our guys, for our coaching staff to uh embrace it
Speaker 1: this year, this this year, this week, um and and
Speaker 1: uh you know, yeah, you'd love to be able to
Speaker 1: come away with a victory. And I think that kind
Speaker 1: of sets the tone early in the season. Thing. How
Speaker 1: does the head coach prove these qualifies it? Wins and
Speaker 1: losses are intangibles or I think both. I mean, listen,
Speaker 1: it's kind of like quarterbacks. If you don't win the
Speaker 1: super Bowl, you're never going to the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1: I guess so, um, you know it. It wins and
Speaker 1: losses I think are are the biggest uh you know,
Speaker 1: biggest indicator. Uh maybe maybe a championship, obviously a super Bowl. Um,
Speaker 1: It's it's kind of mean to me. It's sometimes amazing
Speaker 1: how how people put just that. You know, obviously that's
Speaker 1: what that's what you see as the wins and losses
Speaker 1: and and nothing else. Um. You know, I pour myself
Speaker 1: into these guys each and every day. I want them
Speaker 1: to see that, and uh, you know, hey, if uh, um,
Speaker 1: I think you can ask these guys you know how
Speaker 1: how how well or you know the things I need
Speaker 1: to work on, Um, they'll tell you, and um, I
Speaker 1: will also tell you the good that's going on as well.
Speaker 1: Thank thank thank