WEBVTT - Press Pass: Frank Reich 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.040 First preseason game on Thursday. What are you most looking 0:00:03.080 --> 0:00:05.840 forward to seeing out of the offensive unit? You know, 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:09.440 we're looking for just good execution, you know, good football, 0:00:09.480 --> 0:00:12.720 smart discipline, tough football. Really just started out. That's what 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:15.080 you want to do. Will keep a simple form, let 0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:18.439 him play fast and play discipline and play smart and 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:21.000 play tough. What's the biggest goal for you coming out 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:23.400 of the first game, you know, I mean, we always 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.439 want to win the game, even though it's preseason, But 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:27.800 for us as coaches, there's a lot of evaluation going 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.760 on in a lot of competition at roster spots. So 0:00:30.920 --> 0:00:33.680 there's you know, let's win the game, but in the 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.120 big picture, we're also trying to put together a fifty 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:38.560 three man roster. How would you evaluate Carson and his 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:40.720 performance at this point in training camp. I think, you know, 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:43.599 he's had an excellent camp. His whole off season has 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:47.280 been excellent, really throwing the deep ball well, seeing things well. 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:53.080 Very pleased with his progress. Frank, is Jordan Matthews the 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:55.720 slide receiver going into the season or is that spot 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:58.640 up for competition or year? Well, every spots up for competition. 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:00.520 I mean the way we kind of roll things is 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:03.880 you know, Uh, we're always looking for guys who make plays. 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:06.560 So um, you know, Nelson's had a real strong spring 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.040 and camp. So uh, the way we do it is, 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:12.959 it's kind of by play. You know. Sometimes we'll we'll 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.800 switch guys up. You know, we see what a defense 0:01:15.840 --> 0:01:18.640 does from a coverage standpoint, and then we want to 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:21.480 attack that coverage. And within that coverage, we have matchups. 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:23.600 And then within those matchups there are are certain routes that 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:27.200 fit certain guys better than others. So Jordan, we play 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:30.319 to the player's strengths and and good thing is we 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:33.560 have some players who have strengths to play to. That 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:36.480 different from last year where it seemed like Jordan was 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.399 the slack off, you know. I mean I think right 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:41.760 now that whole, the whole receiver room is more competitive. 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:44.000 So so yeah, I think it is a little bit 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:47.240 different than last year. As far as Nelson, Frank, the 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:50.120 separation seems to be there on a consistent basis. Do 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:52.040 you think he's gotten over that hump when it comes 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.240 to catching the football as far as consistency, get yeah, 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.600 really good thing Nelson's you know, gotten over the hump 0:01:57.640 --> 0:01:59.400 and have been had a great spring and a great 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:01.720 training camp. You know, he's just making a ton of 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:03.520 plays out here. I mean we're always going to have 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:07.080 a miss or two. Every position does so, um, but 0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:09.480 we're very pleased with how he's playing, making a lot 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:11.720 of plays. You know, when he's on the field. I 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:13.519 think the defense knows when he's on the field. I 0:02:13.560 --> 0:02:16.480 mean he's been he's been a threat. What is it 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.000 about make Row that's allowed the receiver group as a 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.400 whole to develop the way it has this offseason. You know, 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:25.240 Mike's an excellent coach. He's he's really he pushes them hard, 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.600 he coaches him hard, um, and he's done a fantastic 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:33.400 job with fundamentals and technique. You can't underestimate that. I 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:35.280 think it's also been aided by you know, we brought 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:37.239 in some new you know, you bring in Aushine, you 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:41.240 bring in Tory. Those guys have made the room better. Uh, 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:43.520 good leaders on and off the field. I think that 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:45.520 keim with the guys that we had here who are 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:47.600 already strong in that area. So it's been a good 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:52.880 dynamic for Jordan. Where can Jordan do well? Jordan can 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:54.720 play it, you know outside we can we can be 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:57.079 in four receivers and have two slots. Um. You know, 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:58.680 I mean, we don't want to take our tight ends 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:00.600 off the field too much. But you know, we have 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:03.600 a bunch of different personnel packages and we'll just continue 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.919 to mix them up week by week. You want to 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:09.840 take us, well, you did, you did work a lot 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:12.880 of three tight end sets that you expected user tight 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.720 as war this year differently, you know, I think last year. 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:20.240 I think last year we're used them pretty well. Um. 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:21.920 You know, I think Trey had a good year. I mean, 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:24.440 Brent is always going to play the way he plays 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:27.120 as a great player, and Arts had a good year 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:29.919 as well. So we're gonna mix it in those packages again. 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.160 It's going to be a week by week almost a 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:35.640 serious by serious thing. You know, how we can attack 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:38.600 what matchups we get. Um, we have we have some 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.720 really good playmaking tight ends, So there's times where that's 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.200 an advantage to us to do um and then there's 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.240 times where we'll want to be in four wide receivers 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.640 or three wids. We're just got to keep mixing it up, 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.480 keep teams off bounced they don't know what's what we're 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.000 going to do, and play to the strengths of our 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:57.800 players and the plays that we run. I mean, I 0:03:57.920 --> 0:04:00.400 think Frank toy Smith seemed to be like limping back 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:03.840 to the huddle. Left. What is this? What's going on 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.120 with him? Is he obviously would have come out if 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.320 he were really hurt? Yeah, you know, yeah I would. Yeah, 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:11.880 I think so too. Probably, who knows it could be 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:15.200 I really don't know the answer to it. I mean sometimes, yeah, 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:16.640 I noticed one time it looked like it was almost 0:04:16.680 --> 0:04:18.720 limping back a little bit. Could be a blister. Who knows, 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:27.839 a little soreness after a plan. Yeah, I mean, you 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:30.200 know we're out there just when they're getting the huddle. 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:33.200 I assume I assumed they're ready to go. Chance Warman 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:34.920 guys are working with the first team. You have both 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.159 left the right guard. What have you seen from him 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.400 as he's in his first camp here with the team? 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:42.520 You know, I think Chance has gotten better every week. Um, 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.560 you know, really embraced what we do and how we 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.960 do it. Obviously, being reunited with Stout has been a 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:52.400 good thing. So a great room, it's a great culture 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:56.320 in that room. So he's very tough, physical, strong hands, um, 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:59.240 very good run blockers. So those are the things you 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:02.560 see in his Frank and Carson's preseason last year, he 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.640 obviously lost it in the first game. What can he 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.800 get out of a full preseason this year? That will 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:10.480 all have been a conceptember down, you know, it's it's 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:13.640 it's every game snap you can get as valuable. But 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:16.040 obviously he's not going to play a ton in the preseason, 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.920 so it's more just about the consistency of practicing every day, 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:21.680 you know, where last year he missed so much time, 0:05:22.240 --> 0:05:24.320 but you do there's something to build in the chemistry 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:27.120 with your guys in the huddle and having some success, 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.480 you want to build that confidence. So, um, we certainly 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:33.240 are expecting that. Last year it seemed like it was 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:36.039 like a really big effort to get Zach Ertz involved 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:39.400 in the game. This year, it seems it's coming more naturally. 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.120 Is that an accurate statement? Yeah, I mean, I think 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:46.000 Carson and Zach just have really built a great chemistry 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:49.080 last year. Just a lot of confidence there. I think 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:51.440 they play they're playing at a high level and really 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:53.479 have a good feel for each other. Well with a 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.920 guy that Canel Comfrey, who was like an every down, 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:58.680 you know, ball carrier in college. And so what's the 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:03.400 biggest adjustment as far as catchalls, you know. I mean 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:07.440 I think just just developing that route tree, you know, 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.240 developing that route tree. Like you said, he was primarily 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:14.159 in every down back Um. But as we've talked about 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:17.080 this before, where I think he's adapting well and developing 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:19.760 well at not only running routes from the backfield, but 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:21.359 the little bit he gets up in the slot or 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:23.800 when we put him outside. You know, you start with 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:27.680 a handful of routes. And I give him credit, he's 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:29.720 worked hard at it. It's important to him. He knows 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:32.080 that's a way he can get on the field. He's 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.320 got a he's got a flash. He's got a flash 0:06:34.360 --> 0:06:36.200 to get on the field. We got we got too 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.000 many guys who are playmakers. If he wants to get 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:39.360 on the field, he's got to show that he can 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:41.800 do that. Back in your day you had, you had 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.599 Jim Kelly, Keith mckiller um as a quarter back. What 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:48.400 is it about the tight end that makes that such 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.920 a favorable target for it, especially for a young quarter Well, 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:52.720 you work the inside of the field, you know, shorter 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.040 throws balls in the air less time. You're working against 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.920 linebackers who aren't as good in coverage or possibly safeties, 0:06:58.360 --> 0:06:59.720 you know, and you have many of these tight ends 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:04.279 are almost like receivers. M and safeties are you know, 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:06.560 say there's some good really cover safeties. We have a 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:08.839 couple of safeties that are fairly good cover guys. But 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.440 it's just gonna we just think that's a real strong 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:13.800 matchup when you get a guy like Art's or Trey 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:17.920 and even Seli. Selik is a master route runner, whether 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:20.000 we're on a linebacker or a safety. We just feel 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:21.480 like that's going to be a win for us. And 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:24.280 then on top of it, it's inside okay, so the 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.760 ball's not in the air very long, the defense doesn't 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:29.640 have as much time to react, and you hurt him 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.720 up the middle. It's it's good for the offense. Jordan, 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:35.720 he was one of the franchise's most productive wide receivers 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:37.240 of the first three years of a career. Been down 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:38.880 in here four. We're talking about him maybe seeing a 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:42.040 reduced rule. What do you attribute that career, Artie, Well, 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.040 I'm not sure if we you know, I don't know 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.440 how it's going to play out about is it going 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.240 to be a reduced role is it not. I think 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:50.840 that's to be determined and that's going to be determined 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:53.320 by how things roll out. Half of how he plays 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:56.520 and how things uh and how things play out. You 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.720 know that in that room competitively, so um what you see, 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:03.240 whether it's with receivers or back Sometimes somebody gets a 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.960 hot hand and you just build chemistry. Last year, you know, 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:09.520 last year, Jordan and Carson early in the year, we're 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:11.880 like almost like Zach and Carson weren't at the end 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:14.239 of the year. So we know there's something there between 0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:16.520 those two guys. So we look to develop that and 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:20.000 certainly expect big plays out of Jordan. Thanks you guys.