On Reggie Wilkerson’s performance to date in fall camp:
Oh he’s doing well. I mean he’s still in the learning process. Everything’s new to him, all the verbage is new, not being here obviously in the spring. But he’s having a great camp so far.
On the toughest part of being a player coming into a new system:
Terminology, that’s the biggest thing. He’s played all the things that we’re playing. I mean it’s like NFL or college, everybody’s playing somewhat of the same defenses, same offenses. Terminology becomes the biggest change and then some of the techniques of how we do some of the stuff we do.
On Wilkerson’s weight gain and how it’s benefitting him:
Oh it’s helped him a ton. I think it’s given him some endurance, some stability out there, being a little bit bigger body.
On practices schedule changes affecting the defense:
I don’t think it really affects you. It’s change for sure, it’s different, the whole schedule’s different. Personally I like it. I think our guys are responding well. I think it’s all what you get done. It’s all the how you do things. But it is different, there’s no question. As long as I’ve been doing this, it’s different. But I think I like the schedule. Coach Campbell’s done a great job of organizing what we’re doing and we’re maximizing every single minute of every single day for sure.
On the competition at the STAR position with D’Andre Payne moved to CB:
It’s the same. We’re just doing the same things we’ve done. All that is pretty similar in what we’re doing. I think it’s given us a little bit of depth by where we’re putting some different people and that kind of thing. I just think it’s the personnel of who we’re playing in spots. And trying to get some depth along the way, getting pairs and spares in there.
On evaluating the defense as a whole 10 days into camp:
We evaluate it every player, every play, every day. Grade every single snap of film. You evaluate all that stuff. We’re still inputting, we’re still putting in game plan, we’re still adding stuff every day. We did goal line today, short yardage today. That was all completely new. Yesterday we did third down and long. So the third down package, some of those base fundamentals, are in. We’re still implementing stuff through this weekend and I then I think by Sunday we’ll sit down and say this is the direction we need to go, this is the direction we can’t go. And we’ll sort it out from there. But we’re still putting stuff in right now.
On Marcel Spears’ development at linebacker:
He’s done a good job. He’s gotten better. He gets better every day. Really athletic, very explosive. And runs really well, can cover in space. Can do those kinds of things we need him to do.
On Spears’ role changing this year:
Oh, I don’t know. I think it’ll change some. He’s earned the right to play some more. I think that’s the biggest thing you would say.
On feeling better about defensive depth this season:
I still think we have to work on depth. I feel better about it, yes. We still have a lot of new faces out there. That’s what’s crazy. Not necessarily young faces but new faces. And with new faces there’s learning curve, you’re getting terminology, still putting things in. I feel better about it, I think, you know. Again, there’s a lot of new faces and we’re still teaching. But I love the want to and the will to for sure.
On the various roles of Mackenro Alexander this season:
He’ll be the nickel guy, he’ll be some linebacker guy, very versatile, very tough, plays fast. Again we’re still in that process of where we’re putting everybody and what we’re doing with them. But definitely playing nickel and some linebacker.
On what’s allowed Alexander to progress as he has:
I think being here a year. Same thing we’re talking about with all the other guys. The experience of terminology and understanding what we’re expecting and what we’re doing with that position’s role. All those kinds of things.
On Joel Lanning’s progression at linebacker:
He’s getting better every day. Every snap is a learning experience for him. Every day you’ll see him make a couple more plays. But again I keep it all in perspective. The guy’s played MIKE linebacker for fifteen practices plus the eight we’ve had now. So he’s as good as he can be for linebacker 20-some. He’ll do nothing but get better and better and better. Made two more plays today that were incredible.
On expectation for Lanning being where he’s at right now:
Oh yeah, I do. Just being around him. Sure you do. There’s nothing that guy, there’s no can’t or won’t. That blood system in [him] doesn’t work that way. No I’m not surprised at all.
On examples of Lanning’s big plays in practices:
The idea that what he sees he reacts to. He’s starting to trust what he sees now. Whereas before it was just, oh my gosh, now I think it’s, hey there’s a seam go make a play. He made a couple again today, run throughs, just some natural things that you would think guys that have played that position for four years would do. Naturally he’s starting to do some of those.
On Lanning being better in run defense or pass defense:
I don’t know. I think he’s doing a good job, he’s learning both. Again it’s all different for him. The one thing that allows him to do both of those, in all fairness, is he can run. The guy can athletically run. You’ve seen him do that on offense. He can run with two up the seam. He can run with a man-to-man coverage. He can athletically run and cover people and do things. And that’s a blessing when you’re trying to do what he’s trying to do.
On younger guys standing out for the defense:
I like our younger crew, I really do. The young corners I think are solid. Our secondary guys that came in are solid. That whole group is solid. The linebackers have been good. Our guys up front, they’re really big-eyed. But you just sit and watch them. We just scrimmaged with them for about a half an hour and I like all those guys. I wouldn’t individually point a guy out. I think they’ve all done a really good job. I think we have some guys that could possibly help us down the stretch. It’s a long way from that yet but there’s some talent in that group for sure.
On Kamari Cotton-Moya benefitting from surgery and time off in spring:
Oh I think so. I don’t know if you ever benefit from taking time off. I don’t think he would look at it that way. But I think benefitted from getting the surgery. I think he feels better. I think he’s mentally better. He’s had a really good camp so far. Had a great summer. Had trained like crazy. So I think, yes, the advantage of him having what he had done has mentally helped him to play faster. He still, again, missed spring ball with a new staff. So he’s still catching up on some things but, man, I love what he’s doing out there. Had a great summer, great summer.
On the big receivers that the corners have to face in practice:
Really big dudes, for sure. I looked out there yesterday and you look across those four or five guys that they send out there. There’s big bodies out there, there’s athletic bodies out there. They’re all over the place. They’re moving around doing all kinds of unique things. The bottom line is they can all run fast and catch and that’s what they’ve been doing. It’s a great challenge for us; I love it. It will do nothing but make us better, absolutely. If you’re a secondary coach, you want to go against real dudes every day and hope they wear you out some days. And hope some days you get them. And that’s what we’re getting, it’s great competition. Those corners and veteran safeties and that group of wideouts, it’s competition, it’s the real deal out there every day.
Oh he’s doing well. I mean he’s still in the learning process. Everything’s new to him, all the verbage is new, not being here obviously in the spring. But he’s having a great camp so far.
On the toughest part of being a player coming into a new system:
Terminology, that’s the biggest thing. He’s played all the things that we’re playing. I mean it’s like NFL or college, everybody’s playing somewhat of the same defenses, same offenses. Terminology becomes the biggest change and then some of the techniques of how we do some of the stuff we do.
On Wilkerson’s weight gain and how it’s benefitting him:
Oh it’s helped him a ton. I think it’s given him some endurance, some stability out there, being a little bit bigger body.
On practices schedule changes affecting the defense:
I don’t think it really affects you. It’s change for sure, it’s different, the whole schedule’s different. Personally I like it. I think our guys are responding well. I think it’s all what you get done. It’s all the how you do things. But it is different, there’s no question. As long as I’ve been doing this, it’s different. But I think I like the schedule. Coach Campbell’s done a great job of organizing what we’re doing and we’re maximizing every single minute of every single day for sure.
On the competition at the STAR position with D’Andre Payne moved to CB:
It’s the same. We’re just doing the same things we’ve done. All that is pretty similar in what we’re doing. I think it’s given us a little bit of depth by where we’re putting some different people and that kind of thing. I just think it’s the personnel of who we’re playing in spots. And trying to get some depth along the way, getting pairs and spares in there.
On evaluating the defense as a whole 10 days into camp:
We evaluate it every player, every play, every day. Grade every single snap of film. You evaluate all that stuff. We’re still inputting, we’re still putting in game plan, we’re still adding stuff every day. We did goal line today, short yardage today. That was all completely new. Yesterday we did third down and long. So the third down package, some of those base fundamentals, are in. We’re still implementing stuff through this weekend and I then I think by Sunday we’ll sit down and say this is the direction we need to go, this is the direction we can’t go. And we’ll sort it out from there. But we’re still putting stuff in right now.
On Marcel Spears’ development at linebacker:
He’s done a good job. He’s gotten better. He gets better every day. Really athletic, very explosive. And runs really well, can cover in space. Can do those kinds of things we need him to do.
On Spears’ role changing this year:
Oh, I don’t know. I think it’ll change some. He’s earned the right to play some more. I think that’s the biggest thing you would say.
On feeling better about defensive depth this season:
I still think we have to work on depth. I feel better about it, yes. We still have a lot of new faces out there. That’s what’s crazy. Not necessarily young faces but new faces. And with new faces there’s learning curve, you’re getting terminology, still putting things in. I feel better about it, I think, you know. Again, there’s a lot of new faces and we’re still teaching. But I love the want to and the will to for sure.
On the various roles of Mackenro Alexander this season:
He’ll be the nickel guy, he’ll be some linebacker guy, very versatile, very tough, plays fast. Again we’re still in that process of where we’re putting everybody and what we’re doing with them. But definitely playing nickel and some linebacker.
On what’s allowed Alexander to progress as he has:
I think being here a year. Same thing we’re talking about with all the other guys. The experience of terminology and understanding what we’re expecting and what we’re doing with that position’s role. All those kinds of things.
On Joel Lanning’s progression at linebacker:
He’s getting better every day. Every snap is a learning experience for him. Every day you’ll see him make a couple more plays. But again I keep it all in perspective. The guy’s played MIKE linebacker for fifteen practices plus the eight we’ve had now. So he’s as good as he can be for linebacker 20-some. He’ll do nothing but get better and better and better. Made two more plays today that were incredible.
On expectation for Lanning being where he’s at right now:
Oh yeah, I do. Just being around him. Sure you do. There’s nothing that guy, there’s no can’t or won’t. That blood system in [him] doesn’t work that way. No I’m not surprised at all.
On examples of Lanning’s big plays in practices:
The idea that what he sees he reacts to. He’s starting to trust what he sees now. Whereas before it was just, oh my gosh, now I think it’s, hey there’s a seam go make a play. He made a couple again today, run throughs, just some natural things that you would think guys that have played that position for four years would do. Naturally he’s starting to do some of those.
On Lanning being better in run defense or pass defense:
I don’t know. I think he’s doing a good job, he’s learning both. Again it’s all different for him. The one thing that allows him to do both of those, in all fairness, is he can run. The guy can athletically run. You’ve seen him do that on offense. He can run with two up the seam. He can run with a man-to-man coverage. He can athletically run and cover people and do things. And that’s a blessing when you’re trying to do what he’s trying to do.
On younger guys standing out for the defense:
I like our younger crew, I really do. The young corners I think are solid. Our secondary guys that came in are solid. That whole group is solid. The linebackers have been good. Our guys up front, they’re really big-eyed. But you just sit and watch them. We just scrimmaged with them for about a half an hour and I like all those guys. I wouldn’t individually point a guy out. I think they’ve all done a really good job. I think we have some guys that could possibly help us down the stretch. It’s a long way from that yet but there’s some talent in that group for sure.
On Kamari Cotton-Moya benefitting from surgery and time off in spring:
Oh I think so. I don’t know if you ever benefit from taking time off. I don’t think he would look at it that way. But I think benefitted from getting the surgery. I think he feels better. I think he’s mentally better. He’s had a really good camp so far. Had a great summer. Had trained like crazy. So I think, yes, the advantage of him having what he had done has mentally helped him to play faster. He still, again, missed spring ball with a new staff. So he’s still catching up on some things but, man, I love what he’s doing out there. Had a great summer, great summer.
On the big receivers that the corners have to face in practice:
Really big dudes, for sure. I looked out there yesterday and you look across those four or five guys that they send out there. There’s big bodies out there, there’s athletic bodies out there. They’re all over the place. They’re moving around doing all kinds of unique things. The bottom line is they can all run fast and catch and that’s what they’ve been doing. It’s a great challenge for us; I love it. It will do nothing but make us better, absolutely. If you’re a secondary coach, you want to go against real dudes every day and hope they wear you out some days. And hope some days you get them. And that’s what we’re getting, it’s great competition. Those corners and veteran safeties and that group of wideouts, it’s competition, it’s the real deal out there every day.
