Speaker 1: True practice today. Did you say normal length practices or
Speaker 1: is typically what you have normal? Is a normal Tuesday?
Speaker 1: Do you have any sense of zach Ertz and what
Speaker 1: his situation is going to the opening? What'll monitorum during
Speaker 1: the week. But he's cleared to go today, so we'll
Speaker 1: see how how he handles it. Parker Smith is cleared
Speaker 1: to go today, so we'll see how he handles it. Also,
Speaker 1: so in the preseason kind of impacted your ability to
Speaker 1: judge his progress as a blocker. Yeah, I mean we
Speaker 1: didn't get him into game, so but I think he
Speaker 1: has improved. You can tell from a technical standpoint what
Speaker 1: he's done, and Justin can tell that during drill work
Speaker 1: what he's what he's done to improve from that standpoint,
Speaker 1: soaring for a new coach and running ahead the yeah,
Speaker 1: you don't. You know, you just got some preseason games
Speaker 1: and obviously I don't think Dan used everything in the preseason,
Speaker 1: both offensively and defensively. Um, you know, just because of
Speaker 1: the how preseason expresses itself. So you got to kind
Speaker 1: of look at the coordinators and where they came from
Speaker 1: and kind of match up what you think is going
Speaker 1: to happen. But they'll have to be some in game
Speaker 1: adjustments both offensively and defensively in terms of what we're
Speaker 1: preparing for. He did, but also their coordinator came from Denver,
Speaker 1: so you know, I think you got to look at
Speaker 1: where they all came from. Same thing. Offensively, Kyle's there,
Speaker 1: but it's not exactly what he did at Washington because
Speaker 1: obviously Matt Ryan's a little bit different than RG three.
Speaker 1: But UM, you know, you got a understanding of what
Speaker 1: they're gonna do. But there'll be things that they show
Speaker 1: um in the first game that they didn't show in
Speaker 1: the preseason. We just had him. He was our highest
Speaker 1: we have everybody rated. He was the highest rated guy
Speaker 1: that was available after the waiver wire went through, So, um,
Speaker 1: you know, we like his arm. He's got a really
Speaker 1: really strong arm. Uh quickly. Jeff Stoutland knows him pretty well.
Speaker 1: Was actually at Miami when he played there, so uh
Speaker 1: kind of know the makeup of the player. UM talked
Speaker 1: to him back when he was coming through the draft process,
Speaker 1: so kind of relied on all of our information that
Speaker 1: we had, But he was the highest rated guy we
Speaker 1: had that was on the waive of wire. Behind those
Speaker 1: decisions to it. Now, I just don't want to have
Speaker 1: a lot of free agents when season ends next year,
Speaker 1: next at the end of the season. So say Gardner
Speaker 1: is the garden now, yeah he's starting during game week. Yah,
Speaker 1: so we got the game week he's the starting record.
Speaker 1: You have advantage back here. First game, did you feel
Speaker 1: like because he knew what exactly you were going to
Speaker 1: break the appro game with two guys, So, I mean,
Speaker 1: you guys jumped in Washington, now, but I mean we
Speaker 1: did what we did in the preseason though, So it
Speaker 1: wasn't like we didn't do anything really different in that
Speaker 1: first game that we didn't do um in the preseason.
Speaker 1: So the second there was going to be tested right
Speaker 1: out of the shoot Lion Leo drones to talk about
Speaker 1: Roddy White and Tammy and there's a lot of a
Speaker 1: lot of good players down there, So, um, that's gonna
Speaker 1: be a big matchup. You know, generating a pass rush. Obviously,
Speaker 1: pass defense consists of you know, pass rush and pass coverage. So, um,
Speaker 1: try to get to Matt so we can get the
Speaker 1: ball out of his hands a little bit quicker than
Speaker 1: probably he hopes to get it out. But you know,
Speaker 1: it depends on how their protection can hold up versus
Speaker 1: our rush, and then how does our coverage hold up
Speaker 1: against some really talented receivers, and especially Julio and Roddy
Speaker 1: those are two of the tops and in a really
Speaker 1: good pair, you know. So it's not like you can
Speaker 1: just always single one guy out that we feel like
Speaker 1: they've got a couple of guys there that you have
Speaker 1: to really put a lot of attention up. Yeah, we
Speaker 1: did a little mind backer. Then you start of the
Speaker 1: year last year, after the preseason, how confident you go
Speaker 1: to your pass rush? Where do you think that they
Speaker 1: are going into We'll see a lot of things Billy
Speaker 1: did Billy that we didn't do a lot of stuff
Speaker 1: in the preseason. It was just we did a lot
Speaker 1: of coverage, did a lot of just four and three
Speaker 1: man rushes. So, um, you know, try to try to
Speaker 1: see mix that in with what else we'll do in
Speaker 1: terms of game playing for Atlanta. But will confident going
Speaker 1: in the game. As far as Gordon, what did he
Speaker 1: do from the time he came in last or I
Speaker 1: guess last ring now that earned as I did commit.
Speaker 1: I just think he's a lot more consistent. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: we were excited with how he played during the end
Speaker 1: of last year. Now he played an extensive amount after
Speaker 1: Todd get hurt. So, um, it's got a real good
Speaker 1: grasp of what we're doing. I think he's a real
Speaker 1: smart football player. Um. And he's always where he's supposed
Speaker 1: to be when he's supposed to be. There's a lot
Speaker 1: of consistency and Andrew's play earlier about but Cox being
Speaker 1: able to play every spot on the line? Was he
Speaker 1: that way when you got here? Did he turn himself
Speaker 1: into that kind of player? No, I just think I
Speaker 1: think he was like that. I think he's a multi
Speaker 1: position player along the defensive front, so can play defensive enforcing,
Speaker 1: can also play nose force. Um. But I think all
Speaker 1: three of those guys I think said can do that,
Speaker 1: and I think Benny can do that also. So um.
Speaker 1: But that's what you know, that's what he was like
Speaker 1: when we got here. He's he's very talented player. Sea
Speaker 1: last year really shut your offense down better than anybody
Speaker 1: with win. Was it their personnel or was it something
Speaker 1: they were doing schematically? Well both. I mean they are
Speaker 1: extremely talented defense. You know, probably the best corner in
Speaker 1: the league, best safety in the league. Um, best para
Speaker 1: safety is in the league. Too, so you know they
Speaker 1: they had talent across the front. But Dan does a
Speaker 1: good job. It's a very sound scheme, you know, and
Speaker 1: so um it makes you you'll know they'll be prepared,
Speaker 1: so you know you have to be prepared when you
Speaker 1: go against them. Can you talk a little bit about
Speaker 1: your philosophy of good people making good football players and
Speaker 1: how that applies specifically to Connor Marwin? I just think
Speaker 1: that's kind of simple. I mean, if if someone is
Speaker 1: doing the right things all the time, I think what
Speaker 1: you do off the field carries over to on the field.
Speaker 1: So I think Connor's a prime example of that. Play
Speaker 1: the pass rush of the season, hopefully the same role
Speaker 1: he had last year. I think he led the NFC
Speaker 1: in sax So um, you know we're hoping we can
Speaker 1: get the similar type production ofut of this year. Is
Speaker 1: there a growth far enough longer you can have a
Speaker 1: significant roll right down to the shoot? Where does he
Speaker 1: still need some more seasons in here? I think Eric
Speaker 1: and have a significant roll right out the shoot? So um,
Speaker 1: we're confident in Eric going into this game. He tried
Speaker 1: so many different combinations in that secondaries. Do you anticipated
Speaker 1: being a kind of a continuing process for you want
Speaker 1: to just kind of get settled Monday and go to
Speaker 1: the same leap and especially in the slot, and uh,
Speaker 1: whatever's best rust to win is what we're gonna go.
Speaker 1: With their defense, you know, I think they've got a
Speaker 1: good rush. The front four can get after the quarterback
Speaker 1: just in a four man rush. UM coverage wise, you
Speaker 1: know Trufon as a kid, I know him really well,
Speaker 1: played against him when he was at Washington. He did
Speaker 1: not play in the preseason, but has had an outstanding
Speaker 1: career so far down at in Atlanta. UM. I think
Speaker 1: their linebackers are active, and I think they've picked up
Speaker 1: on what Dan is trying to do. They look sound
Speaker 1: and and everybody on the same page. And in the
Speaker 1: preseason games that we said easily good dynamic pass rusher,
Speaker 1: you know, think you know, they try to always get
Speaker 1: him to the open side, so he's not always lined
Speaker 1: up on one side, so he'll he'll be a that'll
Speaker 1: be a good test for both JP and Lane. Looking
Speaker 1: back to year Temple shirt, Rock in the Temple shirt,
Speaker 1: I like it. You walked off the field the Giants team.
Speaker 1: Did you visit as much change as there's been as
Speaker 1: your head in Orlando. I mean I didn't walk off
Speaker 1: the Giants field thinking about any type of change. I
Speaker 1: was worried about the bus ride home, to be honest
Speaker 1: with And just every offseason there's always turnover on a team.
Speaker 1: I don't think the turnover when it's finally settled and
Speaker 1: how many players we have knew was really not any
Speaker 1: different than any team that this. You know, that's just
Speaker 1: kind of what happens in this league. That's a nature
Speaker 1: of the business. So are you guys, like at the
Speaker 1: point where you're pretty sure, like what you're gonna do
Speaker 1: is with regards to like the nicol and there's third safety,
Speaker 1: or you're still experimenting and or how's that now we
Speaker 1: get a game plan? What's up? Yeah, if it benefited us,
Speaker 1: I would, But I don't see it benefiting us. Does it?
Speaker 1: The Mets on other Laeael Zoe? You know, you just
Speaker 1: watch how hard they played. Um, you know, got a
Speaker 1: chance to watch their game on Saturday, and uh, and
Speaker 1: I've seen a lot of their games. You know, I
Speaker 1: go over We have practiced on Saturday on Saturday morning
Speaker 1: and then we'll go over and catch some games over there.
Speaker 1: So I've seen him play you know, the last couple
Speaker 1: of years and I see the team keep improving. He's
Speaker 1: doing a hell of a job. We're really talking about
Speaker 1: text messages between two men right now. I said, congratulations
Speaker 1: on the winning bat. And running backs were banged up
Speaker 1: one preseason, but you get a sense of their running games, yeah,
Speaker 1: because they're rookies, you know. And so you look at
Speaker 1: Tevin Coleman when he what he did at Indiana, you know,
Speaker 1: kind of look at that. He didn't play a ton
Speaker 1: of stunts, but he did play in the last preseason game,
Speaker 1: so you know, you get a chance to see him
Speaker 1: a little bit and he's a big, physical back, runs downhill,
Speaker 1: plays behind his path. So um got a pretty good
Speaker 1: field just off of what anybody would have with any
Speaker 1: type of rookie playing, uh, playing in his first game.
Speaker 1: But he's a tough, hard nosed, physical running game. Did
Speaker 1: were a lot of penough surprises where she Bailey wasn't
Speaker 1: put on the practice squad. What went into the thinking
Speaker 1: and smiling, you know, pretty more team. We just great
Speaker 1: every player and we had you know, she did a
Speaker 1: really nice job here. But when you look at inside receiver,
Speaker 1: outside receiver, special teams, we just had Freddie and Koran
Speaker 1: rated higher. Something she needs to do to be in NFL.
Speaker 1: We just needs to continue to improve. But I mean
Speaker 1: it's it's a tough deal now, you know, making an
Speaker 1: NFL team and uh, whether it's on the fifty three
Speaker 1: man roster or the practice squad. Um. But he he
Speaker 1: coming from where he came from. I thought he had,
Speaker 1: you know, really worked extremely hard at it. I actually
Speaker 1: talked to a CFL team called about him yesterday. So
Speaker 1: I hope he continues to play because I think he's
Speaker 1: got a bright future. But we just go on who
Speaker 1: we got graded higher and who the best are at
Speaker 1: that position. So Johnson said, a three steady transition in
Speaker 1: the NFL compared to some other players at this position.
Speaker 1: What do you think the key to that has been?
Speaker 1: Is it playing with a good line? Is it just
Speaker 1: something Lane does? Now? I think it's based on the individual,
Speaker 1: you know, and I think Lane, we were excited that
Speaker 1: we had an opportunity to get in mind it. We
Speaker 1: didn't know he was gonna be around when we picked it.
Speaker 1: Four Um, but he's got a great skill set. He's tall,
Speaker 1: he's long, Uh, he's physical, he runs extremely well for
Speaker 1: someone that size. Um, in the big thing with Lanez,
Speaker 1: he was just raw. I didn't play, he didn't have
Speaker 1: a ton of snaps at tackle. You know, he can
Speaker 1: started off as a JC kid that was a quarterback,
Speaker 1: then played some tight end, then played some defensive ent
Speaker 1: and just had a minimum amount of snaps um as
Speaker 1: an offensive tackle compared to some other guys. But I
Speaker 1: think what we saw is a guy that had a
Speaker 1: great potential and I think he's he's fulfilling that potential
Speaker 1: right now, who was so raw and inexperienced able to
Speaker 1: kind of avoid some of the bumps in the road
Speaker 1: that that a looted with the other guys at those
Speaker 1: one on one positions kind of. I think he had
Speaker 1: some bumps when he was a rookie, just like anybody else.
Speaker 1: But I think it goes to his work ethic and
Speaker 1: how hard he works at his craft. So outside linebacker
Speaker 1: kind of settling on that he had is there's no
Speaker 1: dry setbacks with Marcus being a guy. It depends really
Speaker 1: what happens with Marcus health buys. But you know, Vinnie's
Speaker 1: out there full time now. So um, you got any
Speaker 1: you got Matt, you got, I mean, you have Vinnie
Speaker 1: got Brad Jones and you've got Brian Brayman. If Simitty
Speaker 1: can't go to see Sam play full NFL game, which
Speaker 1: really hasn't thought it for two years, not very I
Speaker 1: mean it's not a big deal. I mean, I'm we're
Speaker 1: eager to go play. So it's not about watching one
Speaker 1: guy play, and am I eager to see Sam play
Speaker 1: as opposed to to Marco play or anybody else that's
Speaker 1: new or Byron Maxwell. It's we're just excited to go
Speaker 1: play a game, play exclusively at outside. I did not
Speaker 1: say that. I said Vinnie's at yeah, in meetings and
Speaker 1: in practice, but Vinnie can still play defensive line because
Speaker 1: he has a tad bit of experience at playing the
Speaker 1: defensive line position. So when I referenced ten linebackers the
Speaker 1: other day, less and you were confused, we count Vinnie
Speaker 1: as an outside linebacker in our mix. We have six
Speaker 1: outside linebackers, four inside linebackers as six defensive linement. But
Speaker 1: that doesn't mean Vinnie's not gonna line up on the
Speaker 1: defensive line in the Atlanta game. So don't come back
Speaker 1: in on Tuesday and say you didn't say Vinny wasn't
Speaker 1: gonna play on the defensive line. He'll play defensive line,
Speaker 1: he'll play nose guard, he'll play for yes, you will lesson, Yeah,
Speaker 1: you'll find something to complain about. What time. I mean,
Speaker 1: he's still getting reps down at the end of Yeah,
Speaker 1: everybody gets reps. But he's meeting with the outside linebackers
Speaker 1: now because he's been in the defensive line meeting room
Speaker 1: for a long time. So he didn't see a lot
Speaker 1: of wits. He didn't see a lot of witzing. Is
Speaker 1: that kind of the last thing he has to answer? Oh,
Speaker 1: I think he's up blitz. Did you see the Backers game? Yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean the touchdown passed he threw with a guy
Speaker 1: and his girl I think was a blitz on fourth
Speaker 1: and three. So yeah, I mean there were people came
Speaker 1: after him. Tim get hit around a little bit. Kay, Thanks,
Speaker 1: Thanks getting sh