Speaker 1: Be here. It didn't take me long to really realize
Speaker 1: why this place is so successful. Uh. You see it
Speaker 1: from the outside from afar. But once I got here
Speaker 1: and had the opportunity to meet ownership, UH, to spend
Speaker 1: some time with John and Kyle, UH, it ain't it
Speaker 1: all came to reality for me. So UH to be
Speaker 1: here is definitely a blessing for me. UH to be
Speaker 1: around this talented defense, the players that we have, UH,
Speaker 1: and the things that we were able to do in
Speaker 1: free agency and also in the draft. I'm extremely excited
Speaker 1: and looking forward to the season. So I know you
Speaker 1: guys have tons of questions, and with that, I open
Speaker 1: up the floor.
Speaker 2: Going to the place where what has worked or what
Speaker 2: has been done in the past has worked. How do
Speaker 2: you balance that putting your own stamp on the team
Speaker 2: while just keeping things the.
Speaker 1: Way they were. I think you have to embrace the
Speaker 1: success that they've had here. I think it's a foundation
Speaker 1: that we all agree we wanted to keep, and I
Speaker 1: think as an opportunity as we go through the process,
Speaker 1: which we already have, is to try to tweak things
Speaker 1: a little bit. You know, I still think there's room
Speaker 1: for improvement. If you talk to the players, they would
Speaker 1: tell you the same. So when it's not broke, you
Speaker 1: don't really want to try to fix it. And once again,
Speaker 1: we've had a lot of success around here and we
Speaker 1: just want to continue to build on that.
Speaker 3: I imagine that one of the things he wanted you
Speaker 3: to do first was to look back at all six
Speaker 3: years you know of this regime and the defense that
Speaker 3: they had instilled before. What was your biggest takeaway or
Speaker 3: what have been your biggest takeaways looking what the forty
Speaker 3: Anders have done since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 1: Well, I think and my philosophy is the same. I've
Speaker 1: always had this Everything we do starts up front, you know.
Speaker 1: When you look at how dominant we've been over the
Speaker 1: years is because of our defense flying, you know, and
Speaker 1: we've done a great job building that through the draft,
Speaker 1: as I just alluded to, we did some great things
Speaker 1: in free agency this past year. So Causeric does a
Speaker 1: tremendous job. He's one of the best in the business
Speaker 1: of what he does, and he's had a major impact
Speaker 1: on this defense. So that was really the biggest thing
Speaker 1: that stood out to me was just how great we
Speaker 1: were up front consistently over the years.
Speaker 4: And John Lynch talked about how the defensive line was
Speaker 4: really stellar back in twenty nineteen and it could have
Speaker 4: dropped off a little bit even though they were ranked
Speaker 4: a number two top type five defense last year. What
Speaker 4: have you seen from the progress of the defensive line
Speaker 4: and then looking forward with the draft picks and the
Speaker 4: free agent signings.
Speaker 1: Well, I think again you have to go back to personnel,
Speaker 1: and I think you've seen what we've been able to
Speaker 1: do for is drafting certain guys. Ken Law has just
Speaker 1: been tremendous since I've been here. I mean the day
Speaker 1: that I came in on my interview, he was here
Speaker 1: working out. He has not missed it day of all
Speaker 1: season training. So I'm excited to see exactly where he's
Speaker 1: gonna be. The same thing with Drake. Drake has been
Speaker 1: here all summer, working out all spring rather doing the
Speaker 1: things that he needs to do to improve, you know,
Speaker 1: his game. He's gained a lot of weight. He's in
Speaker 1: there with Casseric, and I'm just excited to see exactly
Speaker 1: what he's gonna do and how he's gonna progress in
Speaker 1: the second year. You know what we did in free
Speaker 1: agency with jaybon so one of the best three techniques
Speaker 1: in terror lineman in the National Football League. So I'm
Speaker 1: excited and I can say I can be up here
Speaker 1: all day long talking about the defensive player of the year.
Speaker 1: So we have a great front. We gotta continue to
Speaker 1: build on that. And the one thing that I'm emphasizing
Speaker 1: and talking about, We've got to compliment each other, you know.
Speaker 1: So there's different layers to this defense, and the back
Speaker 1: end has to do a great job.
Speaker 2: As a player. The here you speak, what jumps out
Speaker 2: at you, What kind of interactions have you in the.
Speaker 1: Last few months, just through texts, and they all been great.
Speaker 1: I've only heard great things about him even before I
Speaker 1: got here, just his personality just going around the league,
Speaker 1: different guys that I know, and how they just ramp
Speaker 1: and rave about him. The work ethic that he has,
Speaker 1: most importantly is just across the board. The standard is
Speaker 1: set here. These guys worked extremely hard, and I'm so
Speaker 1: impressed of just just watching those guys work. Even in
Speaker 1: phage one. I would just watch the individual period and
Speaker 1: just every day and just see how they work in
Speaker 1: all three levels of the defense. And Bose is a
Speaker 1: leader of that. He exemplifies that each and every day.
Speaker 1: He's played zone coverage at a very high level for
Speaker 1: a while.
Speaker 3: Talking to Darrell Ludther junior yesterday, the rookie, he said
Speaker 3: he played mostly press man coverage in college.
Speaker 1: Is that an element you would like to incorporate in
Speaker 1: this defense a little bit more? I think you have
Speaker 1: to explore an experience, experiment with everything. You know. My
Speaker 1: background is divers in zone as well as man, and
Speaker 1: I think it can each week based off your opponent
Speaker 1: who you playing. Do I feel like we have the
Speaker 1: skill set uh to play more man? Yes? You know
Speaker 1: at times, do I wanna be a little bit more
Speaker 1: aggressive with the talent and athletic system that we have
Speaker 1: at linebacker? Yes?
Speaker 2: And when you say that aggressive with the talent you
Speaker 2: have at linebacker, what do you what are you referring to? Uh?
Speaker 1: I'm referring to exactly the the question they just talked
Speaker 1: about in regards to probably blitzing a little bit more. Uh.
Speaker 1: I I believe in zone eyes. I think that's how
Speaker 1: you make UH plays on the football, uh, particularly from
Speaker 1: the underneath positions. UH. So zone is still gonna be
Speaker 1: a high element of what we do. UH. But I
Speaker 1: feel like we have the skill set and the talent
Speaker 1: to be able to get in you know, a guy's
Speaker 1: face pressed, man make the quarterback hold the ball, particularly
Speaker 1: with our front mission.
Speaker 5: Drake Jackson, what what did you see from him when
Speaker 5: you reviewed his his rookie tape?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 1: A lot of inconsistency, you know.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: I saw a lot of talent, a lot of skill set,
Speaker 1: but someone that needs to really as he as I
Speaker 1: just uh talked about, get a little strong, longer, get
Speaker 1: a little bigger.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: And he's working hard. So I'm looking forward to him
Speaker 1: once again taking that sophomore leap, uh, you know that
Speaker 1: that second year and really improving and doing some good things.
Speaker 1: Go back to after Carolina made the decision they did.
Speaker 1: But what was your level of disappointment, Derek?
Speaker 5: What were the things that were important to you for.
Speaker 1: Your next I'm asking I'm gonna answer the second question first.
Speaker 1: My next thought was surrounding myself with good people. I
Speaker 1: think that's the key to everything that you do. You
Speaker 1: can have the talent and the skill set, but you
Speaker 1: need players. You need an organization that's committed. You need
Speaker 1: a coach at a head coach and at GM that's
Speaker 1: aligned with one another. And when the opportunity came when
Speaker 1: I got the phone call, this was a perfect fit
Speaker 1: for me.
Speaker 4: You mentioned Javon Hartgrave. How much time have you spent
Speaker 4: with him this offseason and with both of you coming
Speaker 4: and new, what kind of unique perspectives A second, you.
Speaker 1: Guys having spent a lot of time with him, We've
Speaker 1: been talking back and forth. We do have a connection,
Speaker 1: just for from the mere fact that you know he
Speaker 1: resides and lives in Charlotte as well born and raised
Speaker 1: right outside of Charlotte and Salisbury. So a lot of
Speaker 1: guys that I coach he's real close with, So just
Speaker 1: that mutual friendship that we have. But I'm excited to
Speaker 1: have him part of the forty nine ers. I know
Speaker 1: he's going to be a huge addition for us this year.
Speaker 5: Let's talk to how his dad, you know, when he's
Speaker 5: in the offense coordinator here in ninety four, similar situation.
Speaker 5: Do you enjoyed aploiting the very successful party organization? Everything's
Speaker 5: kind of in place, and he stayed boy from his
Speaker 5: family and was here for three months. I don't know
Speaker 5: if that was a mandate your family behind, but what
Speaker 5: I mean, was there this kind of three month process
Speaker 5: of just absorbing this defense.
Speaker 2: And learning everything you could.
Speaker 1: Yes, and you know, it's still an ongoing process. The
Speaker 1: thing that in regards to just making the move with
Speaker 1: my family, we were all on the same page in
Speaker 1: this decision. I don't make any decisions without really involving
Speaker 1: my family, so I had total support there. But I
Speaker 1: think always in the transition of going to a new place,
Speaker 1: you want to have that extra time just to be
Speaker 1: able to dive into watching more tapes, stand here late,
Speaker 1: you know, trying to get to know the guys a
Speaker 1: little bit more, build relationships. I think it's critical, So
Speaker 1: that was part of the process.
Speaker 4: They're on the other side of the ball. But Christian
Speaker 4: McCaffrey and Sam Donald, you know them very well with
Speaker 4: being how do you see their paths going forward here?
Speaker 1: Well, hopefully they're gonna have a lot of success. Both
Speaker 1: of those guys are extremely talented. I'm glad you know
Speaker 1: that they're on our team. I'm glad we're here together.
Speaker 1: You know, it was disappointing to lose Christian last year,
Speaker 1: but he has definitely made a difference here with the
Speaker 1: forty nine ers, and I'm glad to be able to
Speaker 1: be a part of that. Now.
Speaker 2: That's what you brought in Hartsfield from Carolina and all over.
Speaker 3: Can you talk a little bit about them and how
Speaker 3: they f defense.
Speaker 1: I think it's always important if you can have someone
Speaker 1: whether there's a player or coach that's somewhat familiar with
Speaker 1: your system or or in this situation, your philosophy, you know,
Speaker 1: and he can be an extension of you on the field,
Speaker 1: coaching the guys, also in the locker room, uh, and
Speaker 1: then also in the classroom. So if that was a
Speaker 1: important factor for me. He's a good football player as well.
Speaker 1: Oliver is someone that had the opportunity to go against
Speaker 1: being in that division, and you know, we didn't know
Speaker 1: exactly what was gonna happen in free agency with Jimmy
Speaker 1: and when then that didn't happen, you know, we wanted
Speaker 1: to make sure that we sort of got the best,
Speaker 1: you know, Nickel and free agency, and that's what we
Speaker 1: went out and did. So I'm excited about Oliver. He's long, Uh,
Speaker 1: he's physical, Uh, can tackle, can cover. Uh. He's gonna
Speaker 1: be a good blitzer for us everything that we do
Speaker 1: within this defense.
Speaker 4: She talked a lot about the collaboration between the scouting
Speaker 4: personelle department and the coaching staff during the draft. What
Speaker 4: type of role did you have during this draft of
Speaker 4: the forty nine ers.
Speaker 1: Just like all the assistant coaches, we go through the
Speaker 1: process of what personnel gives us and evaluating different guys
Speaker 1: at our position. I think we do a great job
Speaker 1: of really, as John alluded to, collaborating and getting everybody's
Speaker 1: thoughts and opinions. And when it came down to a
Speaker 1: particularly one guy, JAHI Brown, we were all on the
Speaker 1: same page in regards to how we felt about him
Speaker 1: and what he could bring to the forty nine ers.
Speaker 4: Drug enough to stand on the table for him?
Speaker 1: What was it about him that made you well, his
Speaker 1: tape just jumped off at you. You know, he just
Speaker 1: makes plays. But having an opportunity. You know, we didn't
Speaker 1: go to the combine. We did zooms. But even when
Speaker 1: you are there, those fifteen minute excuse me, don't give
Speaker 1: justice for us really trying to get to know someone.
Speaker 1: And we do a huge thing here where we bring
Speaker 1: our thirty in all that same time, we have dinner,
Speaker 1: top golf, and as you get into a social setting,
Speaker 1: I think you have you know, more conversations, and I
Speaker 1: just started he just started growing on me, just the
Speaker 1: conversation that we're having, his dedication to the game. You know,
Speaker 1: he's mature, he sees it at it with a different lens,
Speaker 1: and uh I said, this guy right here can be
Speaker 1: the future for it. So uh I was excited about it,
Speaker 1: and I'm glad we got him.
Speaker 5: The head coach came in again in the next cycle.
Speaker 5: Was there a discussion about.
Speaker 1: How long I'm gonna tell you? And this is not
Speaker 1: a just an answer to throw you off or anything
Speaker 1: like that, but I believe in being where your feet are.
Speaker 1: Be where your feet are, and take care of what's
Speaker 1: in front of you. I started out at Johnson C.
Speaker 1: Smith University Division two school, small school right there in Charlotte,
Speaker 1: North Carolina. I didn't think about where I would be.
Speaker 1: I had dreams of it, but I've always just, you know,
Speaker 1: tried to win the day. And that's why i'm right now.
Speaker 1: I'm not even looking beyond you know. So I just
Speaker 1: want to make sure this defense is the best it
Speaker 1: can be and we're going to continue to build this
Speaker 1: thing in layers. I appreciate you, guys. Thank you