Speaker 1: I've about here since two thy sixteen something else.
Speaker 2: Huh. Yeah, it's been a long road, buddy. You know,
Speaker 2: I really enjoy my time here and enjoy coaching these
Speaker 2: guys and the people in the building and everything like that.
Speaker 2: It's been awesome experience since i've been here.
Speaker 1: Yes, I've asked you this before, but what's been the
Speaker 1: key to your longevity? Because most of the time you
Speaker 1: don't see a special teams coordinator had this kind of
Speaker 1: tenure in the league.
Speaker 2: You know, I don't know, you know, to be honest
Speaker 2: with you, I just try to keep my head down
Speaker 2: and do my job, man, and you know, try to
Speaker 2: stay in my lane and do the best job I
Speaker 2: can and try to develop people and things like that.
Speaker 2: And fortunately enough, you know, especially for my family, that
Speaker 2: I haven't had to move my kids around and and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. And it's it's been, like I said,
Speaker 2: it's been a pleasure to be here or this long especially,
Speaker 2: I've been a real lucky guy.
Speaker 1: So many changes in special teams from a personnel perspective
Speaker 1: each year, So the challenge for you guys is incredible
Speaker 1: throughout the National Football League, not just Tier a lot
Speaker 1: of abs and flows, but last year one of your
Speaker 1: higher points. I would say, when you go back and
Speaker 1: look at yourself in twenty twenty three, as far as
Speaker 1: the season is concerned, what sticks out?
Speaker 2: You know, there there were a lot of positives I thought,
Speaker 2: but there's certainly a lot of things that I felt
Speaker 2: like we didn't do a very good job on. And
Speaker 2: you know the importance of fundamentals and everything which we're
Speaker 2: practicing the entire offseason. You know, you try to, you know,
Speaker 2: to attack those with tempo and trying to get everything
Speaker 2: right that you did you didn't do a very good
Speaker 2: job the year before while trying to do the same
Speaker 2: the things that you did well. You're still brushing up
Speaker 2: on those all the time. But you know, the fundamental
Speaker 2: part of special teams and good special teams play as
Speaker 2: everybody working together, being on the same page, and you know,
Speaker 2: every body knowing their stuff. And while I thought, like
Speaker 2: I said, I think I think we've did some some
Speaker 2: good things, there's some things that we certainly could be better.
Speaker 2: And uh, you know the stress that you know, the
Speaker 2: standard of which we need to perform is is uh,
Speaker 2: you know, at a really high level and you know
Speaker 2: that's how we coach them and and uh, the guys
Speaker 2: have bought in, and then you know, we've got a
Speaker 2: really good group of guys here that work hard and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, they're doing a nice job. Seems like they're
Speaker 2: they're getting the techniques uh down pretty good, and especially
Speaker 2: with all the unknowns with the new kickoff rules and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. So it'll be interesting to see how
Speaker 2: we do it. And and just excited to get it
Speaker 2: going and and uh see how we do.
Speaker 1: I think Rick Oslin does the best year by year
Speaker 1: special teams rankings. He's been doing it for decades and
Speaker 1: he had you guys number three overall last year. Let's
Speaker 1: start with a kicking duel both those guys, Tomas Mori
Speaker 1: Stak greg'ser line after the spring as free agents, how
Speaker 1: big is it that they're staying here?
Speaker 2: It's uh, it was, it was huge. It was you
Speaker 2: know number one and number two needs for for me
Speaker 2: to try to get back. But you talk of that
Speaker 2: whole trio of specialists with Hennessy and and Morstead and
Speaker 2: and and Zerolene and and all just great great guys
Speaker 2: and uh you know, great pros and and you know
Speaker 2: you never have to tell those guys to to help
Speaker 2: lead your room. You never have to tell those guys
Speaker 2: to go work. You never have to tell those guys
Speaker 2: to uh, you know, to do all the things that
Speaker 2: it is to be a pro taking care of your
Speaker 2: body and and uh and you know they perform at
Speaker 2: an elite level when when it comes down to it.
Speaker 2: And so you know, anytime you have three really good specialists,
Speaker 2: you know it certainly you can you can piece in
Speaker 2: the parts from there, and you know that's and that's
Speaker 2: what we're trying to do. Those guys are are some
Speaker 2: of the best in the league, if not the best.
Speaker 1: As a player or a coach. Have you ever experienced
Speaker 1: a kicking season like that from.
Speaker 2: A duel last year? Yeah, I don't think so. I
Speaker 2: think that's the best duel we've had. We've had some
Speaker 2: really good performances and stuff like that, but that that
Speaker 2: group really came along and did a really really good job.
Speaker 2: And I expect the same this year.
Speaker 1: Can you speak to zerline thriving not just in regular
Speaker 1: in game situations, but late It seemed like when he
Speaker 1: was asked, when he's called upon late he needed a kick,
Speaker 1: he gave.
Speaker 2: It to you, right. I think you know that that
Speaker 2: goes to a testament of him and his longevity in
Speaker 2: the league. You know, same with Morris, that's same with Hennessy.
Speaker 2: They're all pros, and you know when you put them
Speaker 2: in those situations and whether it's a game winner, whether
Speaker 2: it's a game to tie the game, everything like that.
Speaker 2: Like you, I don't even worry whether he's not going
Speaker 2: to make it and things like that. So you know,
Speaker 2: I have the utmost confidence in all those guys and
Speaker 2: the way they perform. And they had a heck of
Speaker 2: a year last year, and I see nothing but them
Speaker 2: getting better.
Speaker 1: To be honest with you, on a perfect day in
Speaker 1: my life, say it'd seventy two degrees early in season September,
Speaker 1: maybe it's Week four against the Broncos.
Speaker 3: What's his range?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 1: Little wind, a little just just just a gus.
Speaker 2: And I was seeing him, uh two days ago. I
Speaker 2: think he was kicking sixty five yarders, you know, And
Speaker 2: and you may get longer than that depending on a
Speaker 2: little wind here and there, you know. So he's got
Speaker 2: plenty of ag, that's for sure. Yeah, he does a
Speaker 2: great job all that. The operation there between those three
Speaker 2: guys is fantastic.
Speaker 3: What about more Stead.
Speaker 1: We've talked before about his expertise in directional kicking, and
Speaker 1: we saw that again last year. I thought the game
Speaker 1: against the Giants, and I'd like to get your thoughts
Speaker 1: on this was one of the best Plinny games that
Speaker 1: I've ever seen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he's he is uh, you know, like I said,
Speaker 2: all three of these guys are, but team always is A.
Speaker 2: He's a machine man and he and he just keeps
Speaker 2: going and going. And you know, a lot of guys
Speaker 2: will decline when they get older. It seems like these
Speaker 2: these three guys are are getting better. And uh, you know,
Speaker 2: I I appreciate the heck out of those guys. They
Speaker 2: actually came snowmobiling with me after the season and stuff
Speaker 2: in Utah, so we had a good time and and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, I kind of did it as a trip
Speaker 2: to thank him and stuff, you know, because they did
Speaker 2: such a good job. But morestead is A is a
Speaker 2: ultimate pro. He takes the leadership in our room. You know,
Speaker 2: the way he handles his punts directionally. Uh, he's a
Speaker 2: pleasure to beat around all the time. You know, you
Speaker 2: cannot say good enough stuff about him, and you know,
Speaker 2: all three of them, but you know, he's done a
Speaker 2: heck of a job. Since he's been here.
Speaker 3: So what was that time like in Utah?
Speaker 2: It was fun. Yeah. Yeah. We we rented a big
Speaker 2: house in in uh in Park City and took him
Speaker 2: snowmobilling a couple of them for the first time, and
Speaker 2: they had a blast.
Speaker 3: They had a lot of fun.
Speaker 2: Good yeah, good.
Speaker 3: Who's the best rider?
Speaker 2: Uh, I'd say more Stead was a little more daring
Speaker 2: than the other two then Hannah Nnessey. Uh, you know,
Speaker 2: he he would get after a little bit zerline, you know,
Speaker 2: after the first day he got used to it, and
Speaker 2: and uh, they were riding really well actually in the
Speaker 2: second day and and stuff. So we had fun.
Speaker 3: It was about storyteller of the bunch.
Speaker 2: Oh that's a tough one. Probably their line. He's got
Speaker 2: that dry sense of humor. Man, he's hilarious.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, kind of See you've mentioned him often, even
Speaker 1: when I asked his specifically about ze or more Stead.
Speaker 1: You make sure that he's not forgetting forgotten here. I
Speaker 1: mean it's like from a pitcher's perspective, the guy's just
Speaker 1: throwing perfect games after perfect games.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he since I've been here, you know, I don't
Speaker 2: know if I've ever had I've seriously and I can
Speaker 2: honestly say this, I don't know if I've got on
Speaker 2: him five five times. And because he does stuff right,
Speaker 2: he studies his stuff, he knows his stuff every week.
Speaker 2: He's consistent as there is, you know, as any snapper
Speaker 2: in the league, throws as good as ball as anybody
Speaker 2: in the league. And he's a huge part. That's why
Speaker 2: I mentioned him all the time of what those guys
Speaker 2: did last year specifically, and even when Morstead was here
Speaker 2: the first time and things like that. He's been a
Speaker 2: consistent here since I've been here, and and uh, you know,
Speaker 2: it's a it's a great thing to have those those
Speaker 2: three kind of great guys that that perform like that
Speaker 2: and and are such pros. I can't can't think of
Speaker 2: him enough, that's for sure.
Speaker 1: What's the landscape look for you now on the outside
Speaker 1: without Justin Hardy, who flourished here. He really took his
Speaker 1: game to the next level. You guys knew he was
Speaker 1: a good player in New Orleans. I thought he got
Speaker 1: even better in the Accolades camp.
Speaker 2: You know, certainly a guy like that is going to
Speaker 2: be missed, you know, but uh, you know, we have
Speaker 2: some very capable guys and uh, you know, there's a
Speaker 2: an army of people in camp right now that that uh,
Speaker 2: you know, you work and and some guys look really good.
Speaker 2: Some guys are really picking it up and and uh
Speaker 2: it all comes down to what happens in the preseason
Speaker 2: and and then you pick the best too and and
Speaker 2: roll with those gunners and and uh, you know, hopefully
Speaker 2: having Timo hit the edges, which is really good and
Speaker 2: and uh try to limit limit returns and and create
Speaker 2: filp is a you know. So you know, it's a
Speaker 2: good group of guys, uh that work hard and everything,
Speaker 2: and we'll see how it shakes out in the end.
Speaker 1: What's Irv's potential there? Because he made this roster primarily
Speaker 1: for his ability what he could do on teams. He's
Speaker 1: going to continue to develop as a receiver right now,
Speaker 1: he's working off to the side during.
Speaker 2: I think I think Irv's potential is is as high
Speaker 2: as anybody in the league as a special teams player. Well,
Speaker 2: I really truly believe that, you know, it was with
Speaker 2: some some detail work and stuff like that. Uh, the
Speaker 2: way he plays, how big, long and fast that kid is,
Speaker 2: and he's and he's really good in all phases. You know,
Speaker 2: a lot of guys are are are specialists so to speak,
Speaker 2: that are really good on punt and maybe kick off,
Speaker 2: but they're not so good in blocking phases and things
Speaker 2: like that. Irv's got the ability to do all four
Speaker 2: all four phases and and be a standout in all
Speaker 2: four phases and and so he's heavily relied on. And
Speaker 2: I think he can be as good special teams players
Speaker 2: as anybody in this league, I really do. Potential wise,
Speaker 2: do you.
Speaker 3: Talk to him about the opportunity that's a hand.
Speaker 2: Or he absolutely absolutely, I talk to him all the time. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think he gets tired of me, you know, getting
Speaker 2: after him and stuff like that, But I think he
Speaker 2: obviously knows that that, you know, I'm trying to get
Speaker 2: the best out of him. And as a worker. He's
Speaker 2: an awesome kid. You can't say enough good things about
Speaker 2: the kid.
Speaker 3: Big body dude, and he runnie.
Speaker 2: He's strong as hell too.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, how about Brandon Eckles. He's a guy who's been
Speaker 1: playing opposite Hardy for years now. I gotta imagine your
Speaker 1: expectation is maybe more of a leadership component.
Speaker 2: Yes, actually he's uh, I was going to say that
Speaker 2: he's you know, Eccles has been really good since he's
Speaker 2: been here, and he and he's done a really good
Speaker 2: job for us. And every time he gets out there,
Speaker 2: he is consistent, you know exactly what you're going to get,
Speaker 2: which which I really like. And uh, he's taken a
Speaker 2: more of a leadership approach this offseason with the young guys,
Speaker 2: and I really like that. And he's been a big
Speaker 2: part of what we're doing here since he's been here.
Speaker 2: For sure, I.
Speaker 1: Think I'm going to save the best for last, and
Speaker 1: that's a new kickoff return rules. We're going through personnel
Speaker 1: right now. Xavier Gibson to the house the dramatics in
Speaker 1: Week one last year. But what did you make of
Speaker 1: him as a rookie in both return phases. I was
Speaker 1: looking at his punt return stats, a lot of fair catches,
Speaker 1: but the counter on that is, well, he's catching the ball,
Speaker 1: and the other thing is when he did return it,
Speaker 1: his average was very good.
Speaker 2: Right. Yeah. I think I think you saw flashes of
Speaker 2: what he can be. And I think x can be
Speaker 2: a really really top ten kind of a good returner
Speaker 2: in this league. And I think he's proven that last year.
Speaker 2: You know, there's some stuff that you need to clean
Speaker 2: up with catching catching balls and not fair catching in
Speaker 2: some situations and stuff like that. All that happens because
Speaker 2: they're they're rookies. They're not used to being in those situations.
Speaker 2: I think you saw a big improvement of him getting
Speaker 2: vertical more instead of going sideways late in the year,
Speaker 2: you know, especially specifically excuse me in in uh the
Speaker 2: New England game and all that wind and he's going
Speaker 2: up there and catching it in the snow and and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, saving us a ton of field position, and
Speaker 2: the progression of of of him, you know, throughout the
Speaker 2: season I thought was really good, and especially his offensive
Speaker 2: role went way up. And I think that's where you know,
Speaker 2: I mean, he was playing a lot of offensive ball
Speaker 2: and and uh so I think that you know at
Speaker 2: times that he probably got a little worn down, to
Speaker 2: be honest with you, but he's he's an explosive playmaker,
Speaker 2: does a really good job. And uh, you know, I
Speaker 2: expect nothing to see, but you know, steps as he
Speaker 2: keeps getting better and better.
Speaker 3: You see a more confident cat out there on the field.
Speaker 2: Yeah. The way you see how he how he prepares,
Speaker 2: how he how he's working at practice. Everything's full speed,
Speaker 2: things like that, and that's all the stuff that we
Speaker 2: had worked on last year that he's now he's taken
Speaker 2: the next step of being a pro and practicing like
Speaker 2: a pro, and and uh, you know, he's taking a
Speaker 2: leadership role with all those returners back there, and and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, I tell him what he what we need
Speaker 2: and and you know he filters it through the room
Speaker 2: and stuff like that. So he's he's doing a great job.
Speaker 2: I expect really big things out of him this year.
Speaker 1: It was a cool moment the other day at practice
Speaker 1: when Aaron rolls to his right, looks down the field,
Speaker 1: down this sideline comes all the way.
Speaker 3: Back across the field. It's X for a fifty nine
Speaker 3: yard score.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's Uh, he's he's a Aaron's a heck
Speaker 2: of a guy, you know, you know, on a heck
Speaker 2: of a player, obviously, and he's been been so productive
Speaker 2: for so long. And and you know what I like
Speaker 2: about it. You know, I played with Dan Marino my rookiear.
Speaker 2: It reminds me so much as standing there back there
Speaker 2: watching him and how fast he gets rid of the
Speaker 2: ball and how easy it comes out of his hands,
Speaker 2: and the leadership that he has and and uh, it's been.
Speaker 2: It's it'll be really good for this football team, that's
Speaker 2: for sure.
Speaker 1: Can you speak to those similarities, just touch upon it
Speaker 1: a little bit. But when you look at Aaron practice
Speaker 1: and then you go back, yeah and watch those moments
Speaker 1: in Miami.
Speaker 2: Marine, it's just the way how fast he gets rid
Speaker 2: of the ball and how easy you know he he
Speaker 2: does that stuff and the no look passes and you know,
Speaker 2: obviously he's one of the best to ever do it.
Speaker 2: And but there are some similarities there that I that
Speaker 2: I see, you know, and the leadership component to it,
Speaker 2: where he's he's helping coach all those guys and if
Speaker 2: he sees something, he knows what the line's doing and
Speaker 2: and uh, you know what the backs are doing and
Speaker 2: he and he tries to correct him right away and
Speaker 2: and uh, you know, helping those guys get better and
Speaker 2: that that does nothing but lead to team success in
Speaker 2: my opinion. And and and Danny did that too down there.
Speaker 3: Have you talked to him about Marina, I haven't.
Speaker 1: I'm sure you liked those conversations because he's a guy
Speaker 1: who's he's definitely a history by right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, He's been really good to get to know here,
Speaker 2: and like I said, I think the biggest component is
Speaker 2: the leadership aspect of it, and let alone the supreme
Speaker 2: talent that that guy has. You know, it's going to
Speaker 2: help this team a bunch.
Speaker 1: All right, drum roll, what is that NFL's new kickoff roll?
Speaker 1: If you're at a dinner party somewhere in summer, maybe
Speaker 1: you're on the lake, you're fishing in Utah, somebody says,
Speaker 1: what's what's going on?
Speaker 3: What is his new kickoff role?
Speaker 2: I think it's uh, you know, they're trying to they're
Speaker 2: trying to constrict the space and the speed of the
Speaker 2: game and to limit injuries and uh. But I think
Speaker 2: what you're going to see this year is is it's
Speaker 2: almost an unknown because it's never been done here, you know,
Speaker 2: in the league before. And it's different than the XFL
Speaker 2: because we have more space. They pushed us back five
Speaker 2: yards even more than the XFL. So as much you
Speaker 2: know tape that we have studied in the last four months.
Speaker 2: When this this came about, it's it's a kind of
Speaker 2: a wait and see on what what you can get
Speaker 2: to what you can't. You know, we're experimenting every day
Speaker 2: that we do it. You know, the different kicks and
Speaker 2: and different strategies and and things like that, and different techniques.
Speaker 2: It's it's it's so much different for cover guys. They're
Speaker 2: going to be on top of you fast. You're not
Speaker 2: going to have as much space to beat them. It's
Speaker 2: going to be really interesting to see how it goes,
Speaker 2: how the rules may change in the preseason depending on
Speaker 2: on how people are approaching this rule. And so it's
Speaker 2: you don't know what you can do because you can't
Speaker 2: line up eleven against eleven and go full fill covers
Speaker 2: every five minutes down or every couple of minutes here,
Speaker 2: you know, And so you really don't know until the preseason,
Speaker 2: true preseason, where you can what returns, you can do
Speaker 2: everything like that, and where you can get your doubles
Speaker 2: from your traps, whatever you may be working on for
Speaker 2: the week. You know, where are those guys need to
Speaker 2: single all that stuff. Nobody knows until because nobody can
Speaker 2: go out there and practice full speed the way it
Speaker 2: needs to be practiced and do that because the players
Speaker 2: just you know, you can't do that in the offseason
Speaker 2: like you used to so much, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: So it's it's a lot of unknown, but I'm excited
Speaker 2: for it because it makes the players. I think it's
Speaker 2: really exciting for the players because the players are now
Speaker 2: special teams. Guys are valuable guys. They're gonna have to cover,
Speaker 2: you know. I bet you eighty percent of the kicks
Speaker 2: this year.
Speaker 1: So specifically, you're still kicking off from the thirty five.
Speaker 1: Your coverage unit now is on the plus forty. On
Speaker 1: the plus forty, yeah, and they can't.
Speaker 2: Move until the ball hits the ground or it's touched right,
Speaker 2: and so nor can the kick return team that's on
Speaker 2: the thirty five. They're only five yards away, you know.
Speaker 2: And then you have two more in the back end
Speaker 2: wherever you want to put them, and then two returners.
Speaker 2: You're going to have to have two returners as opposed
Speaker 2: to one all the time this year because of the
Speaker 2: balls these kickers will be able to hit.
Speaker 3: How does that change? And I don't I'm not asking you.
Speaker 1: To give away all your secrets here because some of
Speaker 1: this is experimentation, like you just talked about. But how
Speaker 1: does it change the role of a returner? You still
Speaker 1: want to take it to the house. But are you
Speaker 1: looking for as far as that skill set? Are you
Speaker 1: looking for a different player? Than maybe you did in
Speaker 1: the past.
Speaker 2: That's that's a really good question. I think that again,
Speaker 2: that's kind of a wait and see deal. I don't
Speaker 2: I think a good returner is going to flourish no
Speaker 2: matter what. And uh, and we we have got it.
Speaker 2: Gets our jobs as as coaches and as players and
Speaker 2: specifically the blockers and everything to to make the most
Speaker 2: of their talent and make make them right. Whatever their
Speaker 2: skill set is, it's our job to figure it out
Speaker 2: and to and to take advantage of it. I don't
Speaker 2: think you're going to see a monster difference of little
Speaker 2: scat kind of guys back there or big dudes that
Speaker 2: just putting their foot in their ground and get vertical.
Speaker 2: You know. I think that your scheme is your scheme
Speaker 2: when you come up with it and you tailor it
Speaker 2: to what the returner can do the best, and you
Speaker 2: try to do all the things that we've always tried
Speaker 2: to do since we've been here, and take advantage of
Speaker 2: their talents and try to feature those guys. But you know,
Speaker 2: I mean that returner, whoever that starting dual returner is,
Speaker 2: you know Gibson, you know, for an example, he's going
Speaker 2: to get probably eighty plus punt returns, and he's probably
Speaker 2: going to get guaranteed probably forty to fifty kick returns
Speaker 2: if he's the dual guy. So there's not one other
Speaker 2: player on this roster other than Aaron Rodgers or probably
Speaker 2: Breis Hall that are going to touch the ball that
Speaker 2: many times in a season, one hundred and thirty times
Speaker 2: in a season. And so I think it's paramount to
Speaker 2: have those kind of guys.
Speaker 3: And so you need a couple of guys.
Speaker 2: You have to have two guys and and uh, you
Speaker 2: know wherever they may shake out from, you know. And
Speaker 2: and we've got a bunch of good, good returners in
Speaker 2: here and and trying to get those guys going, and
Speaker 2: and you know, the Joe and his staff has done
Speaker 2: a nice job of bringing some guys in and and
Speaker 2: things like that. So it'll be interesting to see how
Speaker 2: it shakes out. But it really will.
Speaker 1: Jets fans have asked after the rule came out, bris
Speaker 1: saw man, he's a beast.
Speaker 3: It's up for four guy.
Speaker 1: Two hundred plus pounds knocking people over whatever. He doesn't
Speaker 1: need a lot of space. Take Briese's name out of it.
Speaker 1: Do you think there's gonna be more teams app to
Speaker 1: use running backs in that spot.
Speaker 2: Here in absolutely I think that you know, with their vision,
Speaker 2: their run skilled, they're used to run on those kind
Speaker 2: of tracks things like that. But you also have to
Speaker 2: be a decision maker and everything back there and and
Speaker 2: make good decisions. And the and the balls that you're
Speaker 2: going to see this year, I think are way different
Speaker 2: than it's ever been. I think you're going to see
Speaker 2: a ton of balls trying, a bunch of liners that
Speaker 2: are getting on the ground and stuff like that. Like
Speaker 2: obviously Breeze is an elite, elite talent. Would love to
Speaker 2: use him, but unfortunately I can't. But you know, those
Speaker 2: kind of guys would be unbelievable. He'd be an unbelievable
Speaker 2: kick returner. You know, if you're ever able to use him.
Speaker 3: Well, you never know.
Speaker 1: Back in the day Antonio Cramarti and that big playoff
Speaker 1: game obviously a different era against the Indianapolis Colts, but
Speaker 1: when the Jets need a big return to.
Speaker 3: Throw a crow back there and stuff like that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, obviously, cornerback three con what have you appreciated about
Speaker 1: his game from the time he entered the National Football
Speaker 1: League even back go back to when he came out,
Speaker 1: because I think you were a fan of him in college.
Speaker 2: I was a big fan. I think he's you know,
Speaker 2: I went down and worked him out. I believe it's
Speaker 2: North Carolina A and T or something like that, right,
Speaker 2: And uh, and I went and worked him out, and
Speaker 2: and I remember saying something to him like, dude, do
Speaker 2: you ever smile? You know, in the middle of the workout.
Speaker 2: I worked his butt off, you know, in the workout.
Speaker 2: And and uh, what I really liked about him and
Speaker 2: I appreciated was he was all business man. I mean
Speaker 2: he didn't smile one time. Yes, sir, did everything I
Speaker 2: asked him to do. And and uh, you know, I
Speaker 2: see a guy that you know specifically, uh you know,
Speaker 2: coming out of college that had unbelievable run, skill, vision talent,
Speaker 2: uh quickness, short area burst, long burst. I mean he
Speaker 2: was he was a complete returner and player. And and uh,
Speaker 2: I really like I did like him coming out and
Speaker 2: and uh, you know, he's doing a really good job
Speaker 2: since he's been here, and and uh, he don't say
Speaker 2: much and he just shows up, straps it on and
Speaker 2: goes to work and and uh, you really like guys
Speaker 2: like that.
Speaker 1: Alice, is he embracing this journey because he's went through
Speaker 1: a lot, yeah, late as injuries, a concern of really
Speaker 1: you know, his career is went on a detour. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and now he's trying to reignite it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's he's had some tough luck with injuries and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. And and uh, you know, I think
Speaker 2: you're you're starting to seem get healthy and get get
Speaker 2: the you know, get his stinger back, so to speak.
Speaker 2: You know, And Uh, I think he's Uh, he's a
Speaker 2: guy with that's going to be in that mix of
Speaker 2: returners for us, and and uh, we'll see how it
Speaker 2: shakes out in the end, but I'm excited to see
Speaker 2: what he can do in the preseason, that's for sure.
Speaker 3: Who else is in that mix right now?
Speaker 2: You mentioned that Davis and all those guys validate. I mean,
Speaker 2: we've got an army of guys back there.
Speaker 1: So I wanted I wanted to ask you about the
Speaker 1: young running backs because you just transition there, Isaiah Braylan.
Speaker 1: When you watch them college tape, do you see them
Speaker 1: on teams because they got the ball so much at Wisconsin, he.
Speaker 2: Didn't see much of it. So a lot of it's
Speaker 2: are projection, right, So you know, when you try to
Speaker 2: evaluate these guys, like just specifically for special teams. You know,
Speaker 2: if they're not playing much special teams, I want to
Speaker 2: see if they can block. Are they willing to stick
Speaker 2: their face in there?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: And then when you see them run the ball, what's
Speaker 2: their vision? Like, what's their run skill? Like? You know,
Speaker 2: can they set up returns? You know, stuff like that,
Speaker 2: because the returner is the best blocker that that you have,
Speaker 2: and and the way he sets up returns and and
Speaker 2: things like that, and how we show him around here.
Speaker 2: You know, I think that Uh, those young kids specifically,
Speaker 2: you know, you watch watch Davis, and you watch Allen
Speaker 2: and and they've been awesome since they've been here. This
Speaker 2: is a really good group of guys throughout the whole dealing,
Speaker 2: and especially the rookies have come in this year and
Speaker 2: they've done a really good job, almost as good as
Speaker 2: any rookie class that I've seen. You know, it's not
Speaker 2: perfect all the time, but but uh, specifically, this rookie
Speaker 2: class has come in, learned really well and and and
Speaker 2: bought in. You know, people aren't walking in late and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. Like years of past that sometimes that
Speaker 2: you had to get after people and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: This this class has not. For yeah, it's uh. They
Speaker 2: they've done a great job since I've been here. And
Speaker 2: and like I said, they've picked up stuff really really well.
Speaker 2: And uh so now instead of leaving it with one position,
Speaker 2: I'm starting to move him around and stuff like that,
Speaker 2: because once they get one position down, I'm changing them sides.
Speaker 2: I'm moving them to the other side in case, you know,
Speaker 2: you have injuries in a game and stuff like that
Speaker 2: where you're not gonna have to move three people around
Speaker 2: for one guy if somebody goes down. And so you
Speaker 2: try to develop you know, scheme flex with those guys,
Speaker 2: and and they've handled it pretty good. And you know,
Speaker 2: like I said, is it always perfect, No, But uh,
Speaker 2: this this group specifically has been has been pretty dang good.
Speaker 3: Speaking of scheme flex, how about Corley.
Speaker 2: Cory's Corley has done a nice job since he's been here.
Speaker 2: You know, he's got he's got some stuff to fix.
Speaker 2: But just like anybody, we all do, coaches players, everybody.
Speaker 2: But he's certainly a talented kid, and he's a physical
Speaker 2: guy when he gets the ball in his hands, and
Speaker 2: and uh, you know, uh, we'll see how that shakes
Speaker 2: out in the end.
Speaker 3: The young DBS, Stiggers and key. How have they adapted
Speaker 3: so far?
Speaker 2: Uh? Really well, I think they've done a really nice job,
Speaker 2: you know. I think that you'll be able to use
Speaker 2: those guys uh pretty much anywhere, you know. And there's
Speaker 2: some free agents too that are that are really coming
Speaker 2: along doing a nice job and and uh, whether that's corner, safety, linebacker,
Speaker 2: there's some receivers that can really run and and stuff
Speaker 2: like that. So it'll be interesting to see how it
Speaker 2: shakes out. And then when when we get the roster
Speaker 2: finalized and everything, you see who you got and uh,
Speaker 2: let them hunt, you know.
Speaker 3: Yeah, So.
Speaker 1: What's your thoughts always heading into a training camp as
Speaker 1: far as what you just spoke about is that there
Speaker 1: might be a guy who's very good at teams, but
Speaker 1: maybe the need is there more at the position group,
Speaker 1: an ultimately guy doesn't make the roster.
Speaker 3: So, like, can you.
Speaker 1: Talk about what goes through your mind in roster construction
Speaker 1: because it's got to be difficult every year for every
Speaker 1: position coach, but for you specifically.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, I mean life of a special teams
Speaker 2: coach is basically you're putting a puzzle together all the time. Yeah,
Speaker 2: and because you never know who you're going to end
Speaker 2: up with with, you know, especially specifically like the you know,
Speaker 2: a few spots here and there. I think you have
Speaker 2: a pretty good idea. But you know, but that's really
Speaker 2: what I appreciate about the job. And it's and it's
Speaker 2: a big challenge to find out what can this kid
Speaker 2: excel and what can he do and what can he
Speaker 2: not do? And where do I put those guys and
Speaker 2: how do I piece this puzzle together? And uh, you
Speaker 2: know the progression of coaching and playing and stuff like that,
Speaker 2: and how those guys fit into specific environments, how to
Speaker 2: what like I said, taking advantage of their skill sets
Speaker 2: and where do you put them and within your scheme?
Speaker 2: And I think that's you know, it's tough sometimes to
Speaker 2: to have some guys that you really like and you
Speaker 2: don't get them and stuff like that. That happens every
Speaker 2: year and that's part of the business and and I'm
Speaker 2: on good with it, you know, but it is it
Speaker 2: is challenging at times. But like I said, that's part
Speaker 2: of what makes it really cool because because you have
Speaker 2: a special teams coordinator, you talk to the whole team
Speaker 2: and and uh, you have a relationship with all these
Speaker 2: guys and and you you you know, Smash and everybody
Speaker 2: who helps on teams and even the position coaches and
Speaker 2: Sola and everybody, they stress the importance of it. And
Speaker 2: and I think that's made a big difference here. And
Speaker 2: so you know, they stress the importance of special teams
Speaker 2: and field position and they try to help me as
Speaker 2: much as they can. And and uh, I think that's
Speaker 2: you know, when you get when you get help like
Speaker 2: that from your your coaches and things like that, it
Speaker 2: just you know, goes down to the players and then
Speaker 2: it's a matter of finding out what they do well
Speaker 2: and taking advantage of their skill sets.
Speaker 1: I know for years a lot of guys in the
Speaker 1: league were worried that they're going to take kickoffs out
Speaker 1: of the National Football League, out of the game.
Speaker 3: They were phasing it out.
Speaker 1: So once you heard the league proposal goes through in
Speaker 1: Florida at the league meetings, how energized were you.
Speaker 2: I think it's uh, you know, you're going to go
Speaker 2: from I think it was twenty two percent return kickoffs
Speaker 2: last year in the league. I think you're going to
Speaker 2: go to seventy five eighty percent returns this year. Well,
Speaker 2: and so it's going to be a big different. Like
Speaker 2: I said, it's gonna it's gonna look different. There's gonna
Speaker 2: be a lot of balls rolling on the ground just
Speaker 2: because of how they're going to try to attack everybody.
Speaker 2: You know. Uh, it's going to look totally different to
Speaker 2: the average fan, just like it does to anybody in
Speaker 2: the league right now. And uh, it's going to be
Speaker 2: interesting to see how it goes. I think there's gonna
Speaker 2: be some opportunities for some some big plays with the
Speaker 2: new rules and everything and how how everybody's going to
Speaker 2: be approaching it. So, you know, we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 2: I'm excited about it because it makes especially those young
Speaker 2: men that play on all these teams and everything that
Speaker 2: that were almost an afterthought. Now that now that now
Speaker 2: the guys that I made a career trying to do
Speaker 2: it myself is is you know, those guys that are
Speaker 2: playing all special teams, You're you're going to have to
Speaker 2: cover you know, eighty kicks this year, maybe ninety kicks,
Speaker 2: where last year we didn't cover very many.
Speaker 3: He can't go get your beer anymore.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, true.
Speaker 3: You mentioned Zerline a couple of times.
Speaker 1: As far as the kicks are concerned, you said you're
Speaker 1: going to see a lot of different kickoffs. How much
Speaker 1: is he practicing on that right now throughout the sprint
Speaker 1: quite a bit?
Speaker 2: You know, I think this is you know, for a
Speaker 2: guy like like Greg, he's got all the kicks in
Speaker 2: his in his repertoire anyway, but these are certainly different kicks.
Speaker 2: And uh, you know, we're experimenting with him here and there,
Speaker 2: but he's got a ramp up period that he that
Speaker 2: he works on, you know, specifically, and and uh that
Speaker 2: you ramp up and you touch on little things that
Speaker 2: you want to work when he when he's here, and uh,
Speaker 2: and then when he goes home this summer, he'll have
Speaker 2: you know, a bunch of stuff that that that he'll
Speaker 2: work on and and uh, you know, as they as
Speaker 2: they progress and start getting better and better and the
Speaker 2: locations get better and all this stuff that like, it's
Speaker 2: going to be interesting to see how it plays out
Speaker 2: and where how it all works, because nobody.
Speaker 1: Knows somebody who has been here for a long time
Speaker 1: and has seen a lot of rosters and played in
Speaker 1: the league for more than a decade, what do you
Speaker 1: think about the talent?
Speaker 3: I know it's just on paper.
Speaker 1: I'm not asking about wins and losses, but as far
Speaker 1: as this roster is concerned, what are the New York Jets?
Speaker 3: What can they be?
Speaker 2: You know, I don't want to give any projections, I
Speaker 2: really don't, but I think that Joe and Sola and
Speaker 2: all their staff, uh, you know, I think they've done
Speaker 2: a really good job of of trying to fill the
Speaker 2: holes where the holes were needed and and that needed
Speaker 2: to be filled, and uh, you know, I see a
Speaker 2: pretty talented group, and I see, you know, if if
Speaker 2: we don't turn the ball over and uh, you know,
Speaker 2: we we play complimentary football in all three phases and
Speaker 2: everything like that. You know, I think that that we're
Speaker 2: going to have a good year. I really do. And
Speaker 2: and we'll see how it plays out. And obviously there's
Speaker 2: a lot of unknowns, but certainly I think that Joe, Joe,
Speaker 2: they have done a good job of filling out this
Speaker 2: roster and really helping this football team.
Speaker 3: But before that, plenty of fish to catch in Utah.
Speaker 3: What do you catch, ul.
Speaker 2: Troutut I'll be floating down rivers in Wyoming, Montana, and
Speaker 2: Utah for probably twenty out of the thirty days I'm home,
Speaker 2: So it'll be.
Speaker 1: Fun enjoy it brother. We will see you back here
Speaker 1: for training camp.
Speaker 2: All right. Appreciate you, Bud.