ROYC75
08-07-2006, 08:05 PM
Q&A with HERM EDWARDS - 8/7
Aug 07, 2006, 1:02:36 PM
Herm Edwards Day 11 - Windows Media | Real Video
TRAINING CAMP
HERM EDWARDS: “It was a little sluggish early which I anticipated when you give them a night off. But I thought the last couple of periods the tempo picked up.
“We’re starting to move some young guys into the first group and I think that’s important. I think they’ve earned the opportunity to go with the first group. Obviously, if you watched practice they’re playing different positions. For the most part, there are some young guys that have been here who have an opportunity to play a lot of football for us, and I think what you have to do is put them in position to go with the first group at times to see if they can handle it. That’s kind of how we’ll handle it in the pre-season, too.
“Young guys will play. Veteran guys will play a certain amount of plays this week. I’ve always done it that way. Certain guys you’re going to protect, but at the end of the day we’ll make sure that our veteran guys who are going to start for us will have enough time in the pre-season so there will be ready for the opener.”
Q: You have Ryan Sims in a rotation and now I’ve noticed the last few days that he’s been second team or third team. What’s going on with him?
EDWARDS: “Nothing. He’s doing a good job of competing every day. He’s realizing that he needs to be a consistent player for us. There are certain things we’re asking these guys to do and if they don’t do them obviously we’re not getting to them and that’s important to do.
“But for the most part, any coach is always looking for consistency from his players. I think Ryan is working on that, but he’s not working with the first team as much as he was earlier in camp. But he hasn’t quit working and that’s probably the most important thing: don’t quit working. There’s no starting roster at this point. You have to understand that. That’s what training camp is about: it’s about competing.”
Q: So he’s not getting the consistency that you would like?
EDWARDS: “No, he is, at times. We have real high expectations for him, and there’s a certain standard we want him to play at. We’re going to try and help him do that and he’s putting forth a good effort to do that.”
Q: Ideally, you don’t want him running down with anything but the first team do you?
EDWARDS: “For the defensive line — probably at the end of the day when the season kicks off – there are going to be six guys that are running on the first team. You’ve got to understand that because we’re going to rotate these guys. They’re not going to play 60 plays. It’s impossible for them given what we’re asking them to do. We’re asking our guys to run. Our defensive line is almost like linebackers. We’re asking them to make plays if the ball is anywhere inside the numbers, they’ve got to go run and pursue and make the play. It’s not like you take two steps if you’re a defensive lineman and say, ‘well you know what, I’ve done my job.’” That’s not true in this defense and this being said, you’re talking about 300 pound guys you want to sprint. They’re not built to do that so there will be a rotation you’ll see when the season starts including six guys and maybe seven.”
Q: So that it’s not a demotion?
EDWARDS: “No there’s no demotion. When you talk about starters – especially on our defense – you’ll realize right away especially with the inside guys like the linemen and the interior guys that they are going to rotate. Now, on the program you’ve got to list 11 guys, but at the end of the day when you count the reps a lot of those guys will have an equal amount of reps. They’re all going to play and that’s why it’s important for some of our starters to get in shape. We’re getting them more reps in practice because in the pre-season games, as you know, they don’t play a lot. And, if you don’t play your starters a lot they’re going to get out of shape.”
Q: How’s Casey Printers looking in practice?
EDWARDS: “He’s doing OK. He practices well and now what he has to do is apply what we’re asking him to do in practice on the field. In Minnesota he got a little out of whack but he’s a talented guy, got a strong arm, is a knowledgeable kid and wants to learn. It’s good to have and as the pre-season goes it’ll be fun to watch him cause he’s going to make a lot of plays.”
Q: What about Brodie Croyle getting back today?
EDWARDS: “He’s not ready to throw full-out yet. We’ll just manage him day to day.”
Q: Any idea when Michael Bennett will come back?
EDWARDS: “Probably won’t play this week. Probably next week he’ll be in the fray. He’ll probably do some individual stuff at most, but not a whole lot. A hamstring (strain) and we’re going to baby it; we don’t want the guy to come out and tear his hamstring and then it’s a real problem.”
Q: You talked all last week about a backup running back and he appears to be your guy. Doesn’t he give you capabilities that you didn’t have?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, because he’s a speed guy who can break the big run. He’s different than the guys that we have.”
Q: Does that mean you can expand your playbook a little bit?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, but it’s a matter of plays. We’re going to have to put a package in him for when Larry needs a blow. That’s understandable. But our main thing is to get our young players caught up right now with what we want to do. He’s going to be a guy that’s going to have to learn our offense. It’s a big playbook.”
Q: You had yesterday off, so why did you give so many players the morning off?
EDWARDS: “Because some of them are one-a-day. Some will come back this afternoon. We know who they are and we schedule it that way. We’ve talked about it. Turley had a (morning) off today but he’ll come back this afternoon.”
Q: Is Craphonso Thorpe’s injury…..
EDWARDS: “He’s got a shoulder; he’s got to get well. I don’t know him because I haven’t been here long. He’s been a little bit nicked. But Maxy’s come back and Hodge, too. That’s good and we signed Shane Burton who was with me in New York at inside tackle. We were down on inside guys and he’s got a chance.”
Q: Anything new on the Brian Waters front?
EDWARDS: “He’s out this week for sure. I don’t anticipate him playing this week or next.”
Q: Have you talked to Willie Roaf yet?
EDWARDS: “I haven’t talked to him. I know he’s out of the country yet. I always say be patient. I was pretty patient with Ty Law and it all sort of worked out.”
Q: Who has impressed you from your young guys?
EDWARDS: “I think the safeties have kind of shown they’ve got something to them. I think Jeff Webb has a lot of potential and some young linebackers who have done a good job. Our first pick will be a pretty good player. He’s got a great motor. What we saw in college he shows he can do here, too. We’ll see how the season goes.
“I think Dee Brown is having a good camp. I saw something I needed to see against Minnesota. I saw some toughness. He’s a smart, dependable guy you can trust. I like him.”
Q: It seems you like you have a lot of interior linemen in there?
EDWARDS: “You’ve got to create competition and that’s how your players get better. I believe that and I think that’s how your players get better and your football team gets better, too. They’ve got to compete; they’ve got to work every day. No one’s making this team on default. I told them that. They’re not going to make the team on default. Whoever you are you are.
“At that position we’ve got some guys nicked. We went into Minnesota with only eight defensive linemen. In the preseason you can’t have eight defensive linemen and survive it. We need more guys there and we have some guys who are nicked and that puts all the burden on the guys that are working. You wear those guys out. Our tempo is not going to slow down. And when those new DB’s showed up today you had another pair of fresh legs. That’s more reps for them and less for the others.”
Q: John Browning wasn’t out there today.
EDWARDS: “He’s got a back (problem). He’s out for at least six weeks. We’ll see what happens.”
Q: Is that one of the reasons you brought Burton in?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, cause (Browning’s) hurt and we lost an interior guy. Generally, you dress seven (defensive linemen). If it’s real hot opening day and you play a team that passes a lot then you’ll dress eight because of what you’re asking them to do. You never know how many you’re going to dress. I’ve always done it that way. No doubt about it.”
Q: What do you remember about Burton?
EDWARDS: “Very, very tough guy, smart guy. Plays well with his hands. The year I was with him he had about six batted balls. It was kind of amazing. He does a great job of getting his hands up and knock balls down.”
Q: With Kyle Turley being gone from the game for two years, do you see him trying to find that mean streak when he played?
EDWARDS: “I don’t think that left. When you’re mean you’re mean. You don’t lose that. You got mean grandparents, they’re old and they’re still mean. I don’t think he lost that. He’s a tough guy and a mentally tough guy. For a guy who’s been out for two years he’s doing a good job of working his way back into shape. He’s a guy we’ve got to watch, too, because he’s a guy who won’t rest and you’ve got to protect him a little bit.”
Q: Is he a much more mature player?
EDWARDS: “No doubt about it. It ain’t even close and he’s been out of football for two years and that helps. Sitting on the couch and watching you say, ‘I’m still young; I can play this game.’ He missed it. He really did.”
Aug 07, 2006, 1:02:36 PM
Herm Edwards Day 11 - Windows Media | Real Video
TRAINING CAMP
HERM EDWARDS: “It was a little sluggish early which I anticipated when you give them a night off. But I thought the last couple of periods the tempo picked up.
“We’re starting to move some young guys into the first group and I think that’s important. I think they’ve earned the opportunity to go with the first group. Obviously, if you watched practice they’re playing different positions. For the most part, there are some young guys that have been here who have an opportunity to play a lot of football for us, and I think what you have to do is put them in position to go with the first group at times to see if they can handle it. That’s kind of how we’ll handle it in the pre-season, too.
“Young guys will play. Veteran guys will play a certain amount of plays this week. I’ve always done it that way. Certain guys you’re going to protect, but at the end of the day we’ll make sure that our veteran guys who are going to start for us will have enough time in the pre-season so there will be ready for the opener.”
Q: You have Ryan Sims in a rotation and now I’ve noticed the last few days that he’s been second team or third team. What’s going on with him?
EDWARDS: “Nothing. He’s doing a good job of competing every day. He’s realizing that he needs to be a consistent player for us. There are certain things we’re asking these guys to do and if they don’t do them obviously we’re not getting to them and that’s important to do.
“But for the most part, any coach is always looking for consistency from his players. I think Ryan is working on that, but he’s not working with the first team as much as he was earlier in camp. But he hasn’t quit working and that’s probably the most important thing: don’t quit working. There’s no starting roster at this point. You have to understand that. That’s what training camp is about: it’s about competing.”
Q: So he’s not getting the consistency that you would like?
EDWARDS: “No, he is, at times. We have real high expectations for him, and there’s a certain standard we want him to play at. We’re going to try and help him do that and he’s putting forth a good effort to do that.”
Q: Ideally, you don’t want him running down with anything but the first team do you?
EDWARDS: “For the defensive line — probably at the end of the day when the season kicks off – there are going to be six guys that are running on the first team. You’ve got to understand that because we’re going to rotate these guys. They’re not going to play 60 plays. It’s impossible for them given what we’re asking them to do. We’re asking our guys to run. Our defensive line is almost like linebackers. We’re asking them to make plays if the ball is anywhere inside the numbers, they’ve got to go run and pursue and make the play. It’s not like you take two steps if you’re a defensive lineman and say, ‘well you know what, I’ve done my job.’” That’s not true in this defense and this being said, you’re talking about 300 pound guys you want to sprint. They’re not built to do that so there will be a rotation you’ll see when the season starts including six guys and maybe seven.”
Q: So that it’s not a demotion?
EDWARDS: “No there’s no demotion. When you talk about starters – especially on our defense – you’ll realize right away especially with the inside guys like the linemen and the interior guys that they are going to rotate. Now, on the program you’ve got to list 11 guys, but at the end of the day when you count the reps a lot of those guys will have an equal amount of reps. They’re all going to play and that’s why it’s important for some of our starters to get in shape. We’re getting them more reps in practice because in the pre-season games, as you know, they don’t play a lot. And, if you don’t play your starters a lot they’re going to get out of shape.”
Q: How’s Casey Printers looking in practice?
EDWARDS: “He’s doing OK. He practices well and now what he has to do is apply what we’re asking him to do in practice on the field. In Minnesota he got a little out of whack but he’s a talented guy, got a strong arm, is a knowledgeable kid and wants to learn. It’s good to have and as the pre-season goes it’ll be fun to watch him cause he’s going to make a lot of plays.”
Q: What about Brodie Croyle getting back today?
EDWARDS: “He’s not ready to throw full-out yet. We’ll just manage him day to day.”
Q: Any idea when Michael Bennett will come back?
EDWARDS: “Probably won’t play this week. Probably next week he’ll be in the fray. He’ll probably do some individual stuff at most, but not a whole lot. A hamstring (strain) and we’re going to baby it; we don’t want the guy to come out and tear his hamstring and then it’s a real problem.”
Q: You talked all last week about a backup running back and he appears to be your guy. Doesn’t he give you capabilities that you didn’t have?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, because he’s a speed guy who can break the big run. He’s different than the guys that we have.”
Q: Does that mean you can expand your playbook a little bit?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, but it’s a matter of plays. We’re going to have to put a package in him for when Larry needs a blow. That’s understandable. But our main thing is to get our young players caught up right now with what we want to do. He’s going to be a guy that’s going to have to learn our offense. It’s a big playbook.”
Q: You had yesterday off, so why did you give so many players the morning off?
EDWARDS: “Because some of them are one-a-day. Some will come back this afternoon. We know who they are and we schedule it that way. We’ve talked about it. Turley had a (morning) off today but he’ll come back this afternoon.”
Q: Is Craphonso Thorpe’s injury…..
EDWARDS: “He’s got a shoulder; he’s got to get well. I don’t know him because I haven’t been here long. He’s been a little bit nicked. But Maxy’s come back and Hodge, too. That’s good and we signed Shane Burton who was with me in New York at inside tackle. We were down on inside guys and he’s got a chance.”
Q: Anything new on the Brian Waters front?
EDWARDS: “He’s out this week for sure. I don’t anticipate him playing this week or next.”
Q: Have you talked to Willie Roaf yet?
EDWARDS: “I haven’t talked to him. I know he’s out of the country yet. I always say be patient. I was pretty patient with Ty Law and it all sort of worked out.”
Q: Who has impressed you from your young guys?
EDWARDS: “I think the safeties have kind of shown they’ve got something to them. I think Jeff Webb has a lot of potential and some young linebackers who have done a good job. Our first pick will be a pretty good player. He’s got a great motor. What we saw in college he shows he can do here, too. We’ll see how the season goes.
“I think Dee Brown is having a good camp. I saw something I needed to see against Minnesota. I saw some toughness. He’s a smart, dependable guy you can trust. I like him.”
Q: It seems you like you have a lot of interior linemen in there?
EDWARDS: “You’ve got to create competition and that’s how your players get better. I believe that and I think that’s how your players get better and your football team gets better, too. They’ve got to compete; they’ve got to work every day. No one’s making this team on default. I told them that. They’re not going to make the team on default. Whoever you are you are.
“At that position we’ve got some guys nicked. We went into Minnesota with only eight defensive linemen. In the preseason you can’t have eight defensive linemen and survive it. We need more guys there and we have some guys who are nicked and that puts all the burden on the guys that are working. You wear those guys out. Our tempo is not going to slow down. And when those new DB’s showed up today you had another pair of fresh legs. That’s more reps for them and less for the others.”
Q: John Browning wasn’t out there today.
EDWARDS: “He’s got a back (problem). He’s out for at least six weeks. We’ll see what happens.”
Q: Is that one of the reasons you brought Burton in?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, cause (Browning’s) hurt and we lost an interior guy. Generally, you dress seven (defensive linemen). If it’s real hot opening day and you play a team that passes a lot then you’ll dress eight because of what you’re asking them to do. You never know how many you’re going to dress. I’ve always done it that way. No doubt about it.”
Q: What do you remember about Burton?
EDWARDS: “Very, very tough guy, smart guy. Plays well with his hands. The year I was with him he had about six batted balls. It was kind of amazing. He does a great job of getting his hands up and knock balls down.”
Q: With Kyle Turley being gone from the game for two years, do you see him trying to find that mean streak when he played?
EDWARDS: “I don’t think that left. When you’re mean you’re mean. You don’t lose that. You got mean grandparents, they’re old and they’re still mean. I don’t think he lost that. He’s a tough guy and a mentally tough guy. For a guy who’s been out for two years he’s doing a good job of working his way back into shape. He’s a guy we’ve got to watch, too, because he’s a guy who won’t rest and you’ve got to protect him a little bit.”
Q: Is he a much more mature player?
EDWARDS: “No doubt about it. It ain’t even close and he’s been out of football for two years and that helps. Sitting on the couch and watching you say, ‘I’m still young; I can play this game.’ He missed it. He really did.”