Coogs
06-01-2009, 05:12 PM
I about posted this in the other 6/1 thread, but that one was sort of taking on a different direction.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/06/01/qa_with_todd_haley__61/
Q&A with TODD HALEY - 6/1
Jun 01, 2009, 4:36:08 PM
OTA #5
Q: The linebacker position has changed quite a bit this spring. How do you see that coming along?
TODD HALEY: “I think I’m generally encouraged by the linebackers and the progress they’re making. LB Zach Thomas coming into the picture has helped give them some direction all the time. So, I would say generally I’m encouraged. They’re getting in shape. They’re getting stronger. When you watch them out there, I think we’ve got a chance to get something out of them.”
Q: How are the holdovers from full-time 4-3 defense doing in their transition?
HALEY: “Well, it’s such a big change for a couple of those guys. I don’t think you can judge them too quick on anything that they’re doing. But, there’s nobody that we look at and say, ‘no chance,’ so far to this point. The dropping and those guys that have been defensive ends that are now stand-up and dropping and doing those things, that’s a big change for them. But, again, I think we’re seeing progress every day and that’s good.”
Q: With a mandatory mini-camp this weekend do you expect to have everybody here?
HALEY: “Yes, I expect everybody to be here, being mandatory.”
Q: “What kind of leadership does LB Zach Thomas provide to the other linebackers and other guys on the team?”
HALEY: “Well, Zach is not an overly-vocal guy, so his leadership is more by example. I think there’s a great respect for a player that has done what he’s done over the course of his career, especially being what I pointed out to the team is that he wasn’t expected to do what he’s done and have the career he’s had to this point. So, he’s done it for a reason and that’s by hard work. It’s pretty much like clockwork, when I’m in there on the treadmill at 6:50 a.m. or so, I know Zach is rolling through at right around there every day. I think he shows these guys, they’re smart enough to look at him and say, ‘This guy made it. Let me watch what he’s doing.’ And then they see what he’s doing and it’s just consistency. He’s the same guy every day. There’s not a lot of up-and-down or yo-yo with Zach. You’re getting the same guy every day and if we can get everybody preparing and being the same guy every day, being that that’s a hard-working guy that’s doing the things necessary to get himself ready, we’ll have a chance.”
Q: How about LB Derrick Johnson? He’s gone through several coaching changes in professional football. Do you think this defense will allow him to look like a first-round draft pick?”
HALEY: “I’m not going to get in to where he was drafted because that doesn’t really matter to me now. What matters to me is that I’ve got guys that can help us win and I would say the position he’s playing gives him a chance to excel. Derrick’s been following Zach around and you can see that there’s some chemistry building between that group in general. I like the way that he’s worked this off-season. He’s been a consistent guy, always here, always working, up in the room studying and trying to get better. I think he has a chance to get better this year.”
Q: You mentioned not having to worry about where he was drafted. Is that an advantage for you coming in now that it’s a whole new regime?
HALEY: “No, because the first thing I said to this entire group was, ‘I don’t care how you got here. Whether you were a free agent, trade, draft pick, first pick, last pick, whatever it was.’ The best guys are going to play all the time here. Whether this is my first year, fifth year, sixth year, that’s just always the way that I’ve coached and been taught to coach. That’s the way I think. There will be no justifying anybody. It’ll be the best guys, the guys that give us the best chance to win will play all the time.”
Q: “How about dealing with the different personalities? Some coaches treat star players differently. Will there be guys that you will handle differently?”
HALEY: “I think everybody is going to get treated the way they deserve to be treated. If I’ve got a consistent guy that I can count on all the time, who doesn’t give me any problems and doesn’t give the team any problems, then he’ll get treated one way. If I’ve got a guy that’s late or is doing things that are hurting our chances to win, then he’ll be treated a different way. So, everybody will be treated the way they need to be treated as best as I can determine.”
Q: Are there any guys that have stepped up more so than others where you’ve started to build that confidence?
HALEY: “Yes, I’d say that you start to see signs. If I just see a consistent, good pattern then you start to feel alright and I don’t have to worry about him right now and let’s worry about someone else. But, yes, I think that all is part of the process.”
Q: Is this coming weekend any more important than the last few weeks?
HALEY: “To me, it’s not any more important. As I said early on, the off-season to me is the most important thing that we have to get done here. We have to get in conditioning and we have to get strong in order to have any chance to compete. Because if we don’t do that, no matter what else we’re doing, we have no shot, or very little shot. So that’s number one. Each and every one of these OTAs is extremely important to me. I can’t see the importance going up any because it’s the mini-camp. We’ll just have two practices on Friday and two on Saturday. That’s the only difference to me.”
Q: Do you see any players who have talents in a different system which led them to be selected here?
HALEY: “Obviously, with the changes we’re making defensively, there’s going to be some obvious ones … LB Tamba Hali, LB Turk McBride, LB (Andy) Studebaker. There are some guys who have played defensive end for most of their careers that now are standing up and doing some different things, so those are the obvious ones. Again, I already touched on that. I think that’s part of the process here for us.”
Q: Is the biggest change mentally or physically for those guys making the transition from defensive end to linebacker?
HALEY: “I think it’s both, mental and physical. Because when a guy for most of his life been in a three-point stance and now all of a sudden you’re standing in a two-point stance, it changes drastically. Physically, you’re going to drop a lot more as an outside backer in a 3-4 than you do as a defensive end, although as a defensive end you have to drop some. I’d say it’s the whole deal, physically and mentally. I don’t think I could weigh one more than the other.”
Q: How are has the team progressed after your fifth OTA compared to when you started the off-season program?
HALEY: “I’d say it’s night and day from when we started back in March with the off-season. We’ve done everything together and that’s part of the process. Everything we do together as a group involves some form of sweating or studying, I think that’s good. It’s been night and day to me of where we started from to where we’re at and that’s really just part of the educational process to the players of letting them know what we want. As I said, there’s not going to be a lot of gray area, it’s going to be pretty black and white. If you’re doing it, you’ll be alright if you’re good enough and if you’re not doing it, then you probably won’t be around.”
Q: “How do you feel about your running backs?”
HALEY: “I’m excited about our backs. I think we’ve got a nice mix of different guys and different styles. They’re all working extremely hard and improving in all areas. I’m excited about our running back and even fullback group for that matter.”
Q: Does it matter to you that QB Matt Cassel has not signed a long-term contract?
HALEY: “No, I don’t care about any of that. That’s for (GM) Scott (Pioli) to worry about and the player and whoever he’s involved with (agent). I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Matt Cassel right now with what he’s doing and what he’s brought to this building.”
Q: As an organization, might you be able to benefit too if he plays for the one-year deal and then you can have another evaluation period?
HALEY: “I’m just trying to win games. I’m trying to do my part to win games this year.”
Q: How much do you look forward to seeing LB Mike Vrabel this weekend?
HALEY: “I’m excited to see all our players. I’ll be excited to get any of those players who haven’t been here into the mix and trying to get them ready to try to help us in some way, shape or form.”
Q: “How confident are you that G Brian Waters will be here this weekend?”
HALEY: “I’m assuming that since it’s a mandatory camp that everyone will be here.”
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/06/01/qa_with_todd_haley__61/
Q&A with TODD HALEY - 6/1
Jun 01, 2009, 4:36:08 PM
OTA #5
Q: The linebacker position has changed quite a bit this spring. How do you see that coming along?
TODD HALEY: “I think I’m generally encouraged by the linebackers and the progress they’re making. LB Zach Thomas coming into the picture has helped give them some direction all the time. So, I would say generally I’m encouraged. They’re getting in shape. They’re getting stronger. When you watch them out there, I think we’ve got a chance to get something out of them.”
Q: How are the holdovers from full-time 4-3 defense doing in their transition?
HALEY: “Well, it’s such a big change for a couple of those guys. I don’t think you can judge them too quick on anything that they’re doing. But, there’s nobody that we look at and say, ‘no chance,’ so far to this point. The dropping and those guys that have been defensive ends that are now stand-up and dropping and doing those things, that’s a big change for them. But, again, I think we’re seeing progress every day and that’s good.”
Q: With a mandatory mini-camp this weekend do you expect to have everybody here?
HALEY: “Yes, I expect everybody to be here, being mandatory.”
Q: “What kind of leadership does LB Zach Thomas provide to the other linebackers and other guys on the team?”
HALEY: “Well, Zach is not an overly-vocal guy, so his leadership is more by example. I think there’s a great respect for a player that has done what he’s done over the course of his career, especially being what I pointed out to the team is that he wasn’t expected to do what he’s done and have the career he’s had to this point. So, he’s done it for a reason and that’s by hard work. It’s pretty much like clockwork, when I’m in there on the treadmill at 6:50 a.m. or so, I know Zach is rolling through at right around there every day. I think he shows these guys, they’re smart enough to look at him and say, ‘This guy made it. Let me watch what he’s doing.’ And then they see what he’s doing and it’s just consistency. He’s the same guy every day. There’s not a lot of up-and-down or yo-yo with Zach. You’re getting the same guy every day and if we can get everybody preparing and being the same guy every day, being that that’s a hard-working guy that’s doing the things necessary to get himself ready, we’ll have a chance.”
Q: How about LB Derrick Johnson? He’s gone through several coaching changes in professional football. Do you think this defense will allow him to look like a first-round draft pick?”
HALEY: “I’m not going to get in to where he was drafted because that doesn’t really matter to me now. What matters to me is that I’ve got guys that can help us win and I would say the position he’s playing gives him a chance to excel. Derrick’s been following Zach around and you can see that there’s some chemistry building between that group in general. I like the way that he’s worked this off-season. He’s been a consistent guy, always here, always working, up in the room studying and trying to get better. I think he has a chance to get better this year.”
Q: You mentioned not having to worry about where he was drafted. Is that an advantage for you coming in now that it’s a whole new regime?
HALEY: “No, because the first thing I said to this entire group was, ‘I don’t care how you got here. Whether you were a free agent, trade, draft pick, first pick, last pick, whatever it was.’ The best guys are going to play all the time here. Whether this is my first year, fifth year, sixth year, that’s just always the way that I’ve coached and been taught to coach. That’s the way I think. There will be no justifying anybody. It’ll be the best guys, the guys that give us the best chance to win will play all the time.”
Q: “How about dealing with the different personalities? Some coaches treat star players differently. Will there be guys that you will handle differently?”
HALEY: “I think everybody is going to get treated the way they deserve to be treated. If I’ve got a consistent guy that I can count on all the time, who doesn’t give me any problems and doesn’t give the team any problems, then he’ll get treated one way. If I’ve got a guy that’s late or is doing things that are hurting our chances to win, then he’ll be treated a different way. So, everybody will be treated the way they need to be treated as best as I can determine.”
Q: Are there any guys that have stepped up more so than others where you’ve started to build that confidence?
HALEY: “Yes, I’d say that you start to see signs. If I just see a consistent, good pattern then you start to feel alright and I don’t have to worry about him right now and let’s worry about someone else. But, yes, I think that all is part of the process.”
Q: Is this coming weekend any more important than the last few weeks?
HALEY: “To me, it’s not any more important. As I said early on, the off-season to me is the most important thing that we have to get done here. We have to get in conditioning and we have to get strong in order to have any chance to compete. Because if we don’t do that, no matter what else we’re doing, we have no shot, or very little shot. So that’s number one. Each and every one of these OTAs is extremely important to me. I can’t see the importance going up any because it’s the mini-camp. We’ll just have two practices on Friday and two on Saturday. That’s the only difference to me.”
Q: Do you see any players who have talents in a different system which led them to be selected here?
HALEY: “Obviously, with the changes we’re making defensively, there’s going to be some obvious ones … LB Tamba Hali, LB Turk McBride, LB (Andy) Studebaker. There are some guys who have played defensive end for most of their careers that now are standing up and doing some different things, so those are the obvious ones. Again, I already touched on that. I think that’s part of the process here for us.”
Q: Is the biggest change mentally or physically for those guys making the transition from defensive end to linebacker?
HALEY: “I think it’s both, mental and physical. Because when a guy for most of his life been in a three-point stance and now all of a sudden you’re standing in a two-point stance, it changes drastically. Physically, you’re going to drop a lot more as an outside backer in a 3-4 than you do as a defensive end, although as a defensive end you have to drop some. I’d say it’s the whole deal, physically and mentally. I don’t think I could weigh one more than the other.”
Q: How are has the team progressed after your fifth OTA compared to when you started the off-season program?
HALEY: “I’d say it’s night and day from when we started back in March with the off-season. We’ve done everything together and that’s part of the process. Everything we do together as a group involves some form of sweating or studying, I think that’s good. It’s been night and day to me of where we started from to where we’re at and that’s really just part of the educational process to the players of letting them know what we want. As I said, there’s not going to be a lot of gray area, it’s going to be pretty black and white. If you’re doing it, you’ll be alright if you’re good enough and if you’re not doing it, then you probably won’t be around.”
Q: “How do you feel about your running backs?”
HALEY: “I’m excited about our backs. I think we’ve got a nice mix of different guys and different styles. They’re all working extremely hard and improving in all areas. I’m excited about our running back and even fullback group for that matter.”
Q: Does it matter to you that QB Matt Cassel has not signed a long-term contract?
HALEY: “No, I don’t care about any of that. That’s for (GM) Scott (Pioli) to worry about and the player and whoever he’s involved with (agent). I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Matt Cassel right now with what he’s doing and what he’s brought to this building.”
Q: As an organization, might you be able to benefit too if he plays for the one-year deal and then you can have another evaluation period?
HALEY: “I’m just trying to win games. I’m trying to do my part to win games this year.”
Q: How much do you look forward to seeing LB Mike Vrabel this weekend?
HALEY: “I’m excited to see all our players. I’ll be excited to get any of those players who haven’t been here into the mix and trying to get them ready to try to help us in some way, shape or form.”
Q: “How confident are you that G Brian Waters will be here this weekend?”
HALEY: “I’m assuming that since it’s a mandatory camp that everyone will be here.”