Speaker 1: So for today's practice, Alan Barber will we'll hold him
Speaker 1: out of today's practice with the with the hamstring, just
Speaker 1: uh again day to day. We'll see where he's at
Speaker 1: again tomorrow. Jordan Matthews the same way with the ankle.
Speaker 1: We'll just keep him out of today's practice. But all
Speaker 1: the indication is that he should be okay and and well. Again,
Speaker 1: we'll monitor him, uh day by day on that and
Speaker 1: then uh, the other guys, it'll go today. Jordan Hicks
Speaker 1: ankle sprain, he'll be fine, Isaac is okay, Big V's good,
Speaker 1: Jaylen Watkins um is good as well. So um, everybody
Speaker 1: else's is full strength. Roster spot, what are you gonna
Speaker 1: do with it? I haven't done anything yet again, as
Speaker 1: kind of what we've done in the past. We just
Speaker 1: kind of wait and see how the week goes. And
Speaker 1: and we do have Watson obviously on the practice squad
Speaker 1: and that's definitely a possibility, but nothing at this time
Speaker 1: Marshall ready. But there's to handle like a lot of
Speaker 1: if you need him, I think so. I think so.
Speaker 1: You know, he's been here all season and went through
Speaker 1: camp with us and very familiar with offensively what we're doing,
Speaker 1: and it's been in on all the meetings and Deuced
Speaker 1: does a great job of getting THO those guys prepared.
Speaker 1: So um, his role obviously will we'll pick up a
Speaker 1: little bit more this week. Did a third spot running back?
Speaker 1: I mean you know, yeah, I would like for it
Speaker 1: to be a running back, um, you know, and again
Speaker 1: with with Watson sitting right there, it'd be a it'd
Speaker 1: be a no brainer for us. But again we'll wait
Speaker 1: and see later in the week. How how how things go?
Speaker 1: Pretty good? Chance if you guys see Marshall Navy in
Speaker 1: some extended role on Sunday, I think so you know, um,
Speaker 1: right now, the plan is, you know, Darren, but uh
Speaker 1: for sure see see Byron a little bit more on
Speaker 1: first and second down probably and even you know, some
Speaker 1: third down situations. Uh. I think he's um, he learned
Speaker 1: a lot from the Baltimore game playing and then sort
Speaker 1: of you know, calling himself down in that game. And
Speaker 1: he had a nice uh a couple of nice runs,
Speaker 1: had a nice little twelve yard in a game. Something
Speaker 1: to learn and build from. But his role will definitely
Speaker 1: increase this week a little bit, blocking his reving that
Speaker 1: kind of thing, receiving I think It's probably one of
Speaker 1: his strength. I think. I think out of the backfield,
Speaker 1: he's he's extremely elusive. Out of the backfield, He's quick
Speaker 1: um as a runner um, He's got a great uh
Speaker 1: sort of a first jump cut type move that that
Speaker 1: is very elusive, and you see it in practice when
Speaker 1: he's going against our defense. And and those are things
Speaker 1: that we gotta we gotta see carry over obviously into
Speaker 1: a game. Having a big play in the last game,
Speaker 1: how important going into the off season with confidence in
Speaker 1: a high No could could this game be for him
Speaker 1: to do some good things? I think it's it's not
Speaker 1: only big for him, but I think I think for
Speaker 1: a lot of guys, you know, on the team, for
Speaker 1: for us, if we can somehow figure it out and
Speaker 1: win this football game Sunday, I think I think it's
Speaker 1: big for for a lot of reasons and for a
Speaker 1: lot of guys, and for for our team going into
Speaker 1: the off season. But for Nelson, I think it would
Speaker 1: be uh be extremely beneficial and and and just it
Speaker 1: it leaves you with that great taste and that great feel,
Speaker 1: you know, going into the off season. It kind of
Speaker 1: gives you that offense looking forward to to OTAs and
Speaker 1: and obviously next years, do you see any decline in
Speaker 1: his quickness or his first I don't, UM, you know,
Speaker 1: he's he's still very explosive. UM. You know you saw
Speaker 1: the uh obviously just a couple of weeks ago, the
Speaker 1: punt return that was you know, obviously called back. But
Speaker 1: you saw the punt return. And you're seeing some things
Speaker 1: with him out of the backfield that can keep him,
Speaker 1: keep him going, you know. And and so there's been
Speaker 1: no um really from the beginning of the years. And
Speaker 1: it really goes to the way he practices. You know,
Speaker 1: you watch him on the practice fielding. He's full speed,
Speaker 1: whether being a walkthrough or or in the regular course
Speaker 1: of practice. And it's just the way he prepares himself.
Speaker 1: And and uh a veteran through and through play guard.
Speaker 1: And how puntful would you deal with him? I think
Speaker 1: he was what are at the center may being able
Speaker 1: to make a la hole. I would have no hesitation,
Speaker 1: um if he had to play center. You know. I
Speaker 1: think it's just where he's at as a as a
Speaker 1: as a as a player. UM. The ability to make
Speaker 1: all the calls. UM, we give them, you know, give
Speaker 1: them a couple reps here and there, even on the
Speaker 1: service team, you know, at center during the course of
Speaker 1: the year, and just want to keep him keep him
Speaker 1: going from from that standpoint, but um, you know, he's
Speaker 1: been such a versatile offensive lineman for us that would
Speaker 1: have no no issues if he had to play center.
Speaker 1: Any assistance on your staff that you think are deserving
Speaker 1: of some head coaching looks well. Obviously there's there's talk
Speaker 1: out there of of you know, the two coordinators, um
Speaker 1: right now and um and listen, I was in that
Speaker 1: spot once and and UM, I think that obviously they
Speaker 1: would be they'd be great, great candidates. They they you know,
Speaker 1: obviously in Schwartz's case, he's been there before, he understands it,
Speaker 1: and and uh, you know, um, and and in Frank's case,
Speaker 1: I think I think he's he's you know, he's had
Speaker 1: interviews in the past, and so he's kind of been
Speaker 1: through the process, sess and and uh, you know, you
Speaker 1: hate to see because I hand picked all these guys.
Speaker 1: You know, you hate to see any of them go
Speaker 1: because I feel like we've got some special going and uh,
Speaker 1: I would love to keep them all here if I could.
Speaker 1: How would you evaluate Schwartz? I know you're not in
Speaker 1: a full season evaluation yet but a defense has started
Speaker 1: all really strong and then uh, you know it has
Speaker 1: has tailed off a little bit. Well, yeah, I think
Speaker 1: I think that uh you know, you look at what
Speaker 1: he's um, what he's put together, and what they've accomplished
Speaker 1: and and and really defensively from numbers even stats, I mean,
Speaker 1: they've been relatively high. You know, all season long. There's
Speaker 1: been a couple of weeks, a little drop off here
Speaker 1: and there, but for the most part, with with the
Speaker 1: guys that have that have been healthy and playing, he's
Speaker 1: kept that thing together. And uh, you know, the one
Speaker 1: thing that really intrigued me about about Schwartz and his
Speaker 1: style was that it was it was a very simplistic scheme.
Speaker 1: It wasn't even when you get into sub packages and stuff,
Speaker 1: it wasn't a lot of you know, different calls and
Speaker 1: different defenses. And I think that's what makes I think
Speaker 1: that's what makes any good coordinator, um great in this league.
Speaker 1: Is it the ability to keep it, keep it simple,
Speaker 1: to allow your guys to play fast and and uh,
Speaker 1: um that you know, are there going to be setbacks,
Speaker 1: There's going to be setbacks throughout the year, but again,
Speaker 1: you just stay true to your process, stay true to
Speaker 1: your scheme, and uh, you know it usually it usually
Speaker 1: works itself out. Aside from those two coordinators, Um, your
Speaker 1: special teams coordinators had a pretty good season. What do
Speaker 1: you see from Dave FIfF And do you think he
Speaker 1: has that kind of potential to be a head coach? One, Dad, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I do. I think he. I think he's very capable,
Speaker 1: you know, next to myself, he's the he's the next
Speaker 1: coach on the staff that really is in front of
Speaker 1: the team, you know, talking and can you know, coordinate
Speaker 1: meetings and things of that nature. And and um, I
Speaker 1: think that he'd be uh, you know, uh right for
Speaker 1: the for for for a job, you know, for an opportunity,
Speaker 1: and and um, he's very detailed on his work. He's
Speaker 1: very thorough in his work. He he gets the guys
Speaker 1: to practice fast, and and uh again he's another one
Speaker 1: that uh as a coach, he keeps things very simplistic
Speaker 1: for the guys and able to execute and go out
Speaker 1: and and uh, you know, play the scheme fast and aggressively.
Speaker 1: Yesterday that there don't seem to be five year rebuilding
Speaker 1: plans in the league anymore, that there's an urgency when
Speaker 1: a new regime comes in to get it right and
Speaker 1: get it right quickly. How does that kind of how
Speaker 1: do you balance what you do on a day to
Speaker 1: day basis with wanting to win and knowing that you
Speaker 1: probably have to win relatively soon versus you know, some
Speaker 1: of the things you want to do with a long
Speaker 1: term developing Carson, rebuilding a roster, doing implementing some things
Speaker 1: you want into Well, I think I think that um,
Speaker 1: you know, it starts with the support of your owner.
Speaker 1: And I think that's where it starts with with Jeffrey
Speaker 1: and the support that he has of me. And he
Speaker 1: understands where we are as a football team, and you know,
Speaker 1: one of it, one of the big um, you know,
Speaker 1: he was on board with everything and the decisions that
Speaker 1: we made to go out and get Carson. You know
Speaker 1: this spring he felt like that, uh, you know, in
Speaker 1: order to have success in this league, you know, uh,
Speaker 1: you got to have a quarterback and and so it
Speaker 1: started there and uh, you know, quarterback of the future,
Speaker 1: and um, you know, if you don't have that type
Speaker 1: of support, it makes it a little more difficult, you know,
Speaker 1: because the pressure is to to really win from day
Speaker 1: one and uh, and sometimes maybe you're not built that
Speaker 1: way because you're coming in and you're changing scheme and
Speaker 1: you're maybe guys are playing you know, a position they
Speaker 1: hadn't played before or in you know, in a few years,
Speaker 1: and um, you know, you just got to get everybody
Speaker 1: to believe. But um, you know that, and that's the
Speaker 1: challenging thing. But but having that support from from the
Speaker 1: top down, um gives you gives you that a little
Speaker 1: bit of time, not a lot, not a lot of time,
Speaker 1: but a little bit of time to uh, to get
Speaker 1: this thing going in the right direction. And then and
Speaker 1: then ultimately, uh, you know, um it comes down to
Speaker 1: me as the head football coach to make sure the
Speaker 1: thing's going and staying in that right direction. Doug Loves
Speaker 1: made halfway through the season about Kelsey's performance, and he
Speaker 1: was pretty honest about his own play, and you know said,
Speaker 1: if I don't play better, I'm not going to be here.
Speaker 1: How have you seen him over the second half of
Speaker 1: the season, if you've seen any change and his you know,
Speaker 1: you haven't really seen any changes in him. The way
Speaker 1: he practices, the way he plays. I mean it's a again,
Speaker 1: he's a he's another one of those you know, pro
Speaker 1: athlete players that gets himself ready every single day, and
Speaker 1: he's so smart and a great athlete, and um, you know,
Speaker 1: I think I think he was one of the guys
Speaker 1: that was just kind of putting too much pressure on
Speaker 1: himself to perform and instead of just kind of letting
Speaker 1: the game happen and um, wanting to do things right
Speaker 1: all the time, which which I really appreciate from any
Speaker 1: from any player and in all players. But I think
Speaker 1: that's the thing that I think this the second half
Speaker 1: of the years, he's just kind of, you know, it's
Speaker 1: settled down for him, meaning meaning he's not letting he's
Speaker 1: letting the game come to him, you know, which we've
Speaker 1: talked about, and I think you're seeing it in his
Speaker 1: play and and he's he's done. He's done a really
Speaker 1: good job here in these last few weeks. Given John's
Speaker 1: success down in Baltimore, given all the things you said
Speaker 1: about the appeal of a special teams coach as far
Speaker 1: as being qualified for head coaching jobs, why do you
Speaker 1: think so many, so so little are being have been
Speaker 1: seriously considered since John took the Baltimore Joe, I think
Speaker 1: it's it's interesting, and you know, I think too sometimes
Speaker 1: you know, um, you know, of course each team, each
Speaker 1: ownership is different, but you know, um, obviously, I think
Speaker 1: I think you look at the quarterback position, you know, offensively,
Speaker 1: and you kind of start start there, um, you know,
Speaker 1: and and and say, okay, do you want a guy
Speaker 1: that's offensive driven? Do you want a guy that's defensive driven?
Speaker 1: Do you want a guy that's that's proven in the league. Um,
Speaker 1: those are all questions that that that ownership obviously has
Speaker 1: to answer. And and I think sometimes that um again,
Speaker 1: for whatever reason, I think sometimes special teams gets gets
Speaker 1: kind of snubbed a little bit, and and it's unfortunate
Speaker 1: because there are some great special teams coaches in the
Speaker 1: league that, um, you know, I came from Kansas City
Speaker 1: where Dave Tobs another one that said had great success
Speaker 1: as a special teams coordinator. And you know, it seems
Speaker 1: like year and year you know, goes by and these
Speaker 1: guys kind of get overlooked. But who says they're not qualified,
Speaker 1: Who says they're not very capable of because again, they're
Speaker 1: the ones that are they're addressing the team, they're standing
Speaker 1: up in front of the team and just like I am,
Speaker 1: you know, and so um, you applaud obviously what Harps
Speaker 1: has done, because he's gone out and he's he's he's
Speaker 1: he's hired great coordinators. And I think that's where where
Speaker 1: it starts too. You know, you you hire the right
Speaker 1: guy for the for the head job, but at the
Speaker 1: same time making sure that the coordinators are the are
Speaker 1: the right guys too to run your offense and defense.
Speaker 1: It's it's gonna be sixteen starts with forward Carson in
Speaker 1: terms of res durability. Was that's something you would concerned
Speaker 1: about going into the year and what do you make
Speaker 1: out the fact that it was last You know, the
Speaker 1: durability was really never an issue UM with me. Um.
Speaker 1: You know, I know we had to address some of
Speaker 1: the sliding and getting out of bounds and protecting himself
Speaker 1: a little bit early on, and he's done that. UM,
Speaker 1: so we kind of got that fixed. UM. You know
Speaker 1: the thing the thing with with him as a rookie. UM,
Speaker 1: just mentioning this earlier, UM, Derek and I were talking
Speaker 1: about it. Just he's played a ton of football here
Speaker 1: in the last year, and you think about his progression
Speaker 1: from one double A national championship to right into the
Speaker 1: Senior Bowl, to combine prep to you know, pro days
Speaker 1: and workouts and then OTAs and you know, right into camp,
Speaker 1: so he really hasn't had a break and for him
Speaker 1: to be playing what we feel really he's playing his
Speaker 1: best football right now at the end of the year,
Speaker 1: just goes to show the type of type of player
Speaker 1: he is, the type of professional that he is, and
Speaker 1: how he's learning each week, and how the um, how
Speaker 1: he's attacking each week, and by the way he studies
Speaker 1: and prepares and takes care of his body. Um. And
Speaker 1: then a lot of the credit to obviously falls on
Speaker 1: the offensive line for for protecting him this season, and
Speaker 1: it's just been, Uh, it's something that we can definitely
Speaker 1: build on for them for the future. And how they've
Speaker 1: had a lot of success obvious starts with the running
Speaker 1: the ball. It's like that served them well this year.
Speaker 1: The investments in the offensive line served them well in
Speaker 1: twenty fourteen when they be in the playoffs. Uh, you know,
Speaker 1: the trickle down, the effect of the run game, quarterback
Speaker 1: not having the past as bunch of the defense not
Speaker 1: being on the field as much. Is that a strategy
Speaker 1: you would like to emulate moving forward? Yeah, you know,
Speaker 1: it is a strategy obviously for success um, and and
Speaker 1: and really you know you look at you know, Carson's
Speaker 1: attempts and and per game and Dacks attempts. I mean,
Speaker 1: I think it's within four or five attempts per games.
Speaker 1: It was not that far off. And even our rushing
Speaker 1: attempts or our tenth in the National Football League right now,
Speaker 1: so you know, it feels like we're throwing the ball
Speaker 1: a bunch. Um. But I think the obviously a recipe
Speaker 1: for successes is lower those attempts, keep im in that
Speaker 1: manageable thirty three, thirty four, maybe thirty attempts a game,
Speaker 1: but still being the ability to run the ball just
Speaker 1: just as equally. Um, I think our our our our
Speaker 1: formula's first success. And I then play obviously played great
Speaker 1: defense and special teams. Okay, thanks guys,