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August 10, 2015
Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center – Richmond, Va.
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the team’s injury status:
“There’s no new injuries to speak of. [Jamison] Crowder, we’ll probably hold out another day with his hamstring. Other than that, the practice was pretty limited because of the fight so nobody else got hurt. Matt Jones is going to be limited. He’ll probably just do individual. He re-tweaked his knee a little bit. But I think other than that, I think it’s the same.”
On the plan for the starters for Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns:
“We’re going to go today. We’re in shoulder pads today. We’ll finish practice today then make our final decisions as far as who’s playing how much. It’ll be injury related, I’m sure. But for the most part, we’ll make that decision closer to game day.”
On if he feels comfortable with how the team looks going into the first preseason game:
“We do have a lot of stuff especially with the secondary with all the injuries that have taken place. We want them to jell back there but with all the injuries to Jeron [Johnson] and [Bashaud] Breeland and [David] Amerson and [DeAngelo] D-Hall, it’s been hard for them to get all the reps together. That’s the one concern that I have. Overall though, I feel good about where we’re progressing — the quarterbacks, the offensive line, the running game. All that, I feel good offensively. And then, defensively, it’s just a matter of getting the starting group together, which is going to be important.”
On if he will discipline the team for its actions on Saturday:
“No, there is no disciplinary action, other than the ones who didn’t stick up for me when I was getting beat up [laughter]. No, it was just training camp and both teams were a little hot headed and things happen.”
On Niles Paul being listed as the unofficial starter at tight end:
“I think Niles Paul is probably a little bit more of a complete [tight end] when you are talking about blocking also – when you are talking about your base offense where you go one fullback, one running back and one tight end where the running game and pass blocking is very important for that guy. Niles has emerged as the starter. Jordan [Reed] will play a lot in our three-receiver sets, one-tight-end set, obviously. He is probably the starter in that particular group. When we go two tight ends it will be Niles and Jordan. We change personnel so often, they will both get a lot of playing time. But if you just go with one fullback, one running back and one tight end, it will be Niles that’ll start.”
On the change in Paul since last year:
“He is one of our strongest players. He is self-made. He works very hard in the weight room. He is very explosive. You can just see since I got here… Even obviously converting from a receiver to a tight end, to put on the bulk and the mass that he has and the upper body strength, lower body strength has been very impressive. That’s the biggest change. He has been able to be a receiver. He’s got great speed. He’s worked to improve his body so he can stand in there and block is the biggest improvement.”
On if he has seen any negative effects from Paul adding weight this season:
“I have not seen any except for the positives. He does look more explosive. He hasn’t lost any speed that I can tell. Like I said, he’s a very complete player right now. Hats off to him for putting the work in.”
On if he is looking forward to facing game situations on Thursday:
“Yeah, I am. I’m excited, especially to see some of these young guys. I want to see our veteran guys progress, however much they play – if it’s a quarter, if it’s a half, I don’t know yet – but I want to see how they’re progressing in year two of our system. And then obviously the young guys, I want to see how they step up when the lights are on. You’ve got the Cleveland Browns’ players fighting for jobs, we’re fighting for jobs. We’ll see how we compete and how we fare against another team, so it’ll be exciting.”
On if kicker Kai Forbath’s consistency is becoming a concern:
“A little bit, because the strength of Kai’s game is his accuracy. That’s surprising right now but we’ve just got to get his confidence up. We’ll have him kick some today and hopefully he knocks them all through. Kai has been a very accurate kicker for this organization for a long time and it’s a little puzzling right now that he’s missed some kicks that he normally makes. We just got to figure out what it is – his timing, his confidence – whatever it might be we got to get it back for him.”
On Forbath performing better in games than practices:
“I think that will help once he knocks a couple through in a game-type situation. I think that will help his confidence. Out here he’s struggled a little bit for a starting kicker in the NFL. It’s important for him to get in some kind of rhythm where he gets that confidence back.”
On the depth chart:
“If I had my druthers, there wouldn’t be a depth chart until Miami. It’s silly to me. Like I said, it could change next week. It could change tomorrow for all I know. These guys out here are competing and there’s nothing etched in stone – first string, second string, third string, whatever it might be. It’s important for these guys to continue to compete, let them know we’ve got our eyes on them. If they perform better than the guy in front of them then they’ll play. Being a starter, you’ve got to deserve that right, you’ve got to earn that right and you’ve got to keep that right. We just put that out there for y’all, but for us, we’re letting our guys go out there and compete every day and we can make changes as necessary.”
On if there is an advantage to playing a team in consecutive preseasons:
"Not really any. It was so long ago I don't even remember the game, to be honest with you. The big thing about the preseason games is we’re just trying to let our guys go out there and play and see who stands up to the competition, who shows up. That's the most important thing getting out of it. Like I said, we're trying to build our foundation. We're trying to make sure we go out there and play the right way with great effort and great energy. And in the meantime we're trying to take a look at our best players. I'm not really interested in the scheme of the Cleveland Browns. We're not trying to trick them or any of that stuff right now. We're just trying to line up, put the ball in play and see who shows up."
On Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel:
"Johnny, I think in year two, he's a more mature player. That's what happens. You have a rookie and then your second year is very, very important. The second year is very important for our guys – Trent Murphy, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long, Bashaud Breeland. It's very important to see that they go to an organization to see what the NFL is all about and then year two they kind of settle in and I expect Johnny to perform a lot better. He's a heck of a talented quarterback and I'm sure he's going to push their starter for reps. But everything that I've seen, everything that I know, he's a pretty good quarterback."
On if he knows how many plays the starters, including Robert Griffin III, will play Thursday:
"No. Not yet, not yet. We'll see. I would think at least a quarter right now, just off the top of my head, but we'll see. Could be longer. Just depends on how many plays you get. We'll probably have a pitch count on him and go from there."
On if there was anything he didn’t see in joint practices that he wants to see from Griffin on Thursday:
“No, we just want to continue to see him improve. Really the big thing is tempo – in and out of the huddle and getting plays called and then making good decisions and accurate decisions and then just delivering the ball on time and accurately. So we’ll see. I don’t expect him to go a perfect 20-for-20 for five touchdowns or any of that matter, but I do expect him to have more confidence in the system, get us in the right play when we ask him to do so and make good sound decisions. It’s up to the rest of the guys to do work around him.”
On if he can watch Hard Knocks before it is released:
“Do I get to look at it? No.”
On if there are any positive takeaways from the fight:
“Yeah, I think so. I think it brought us together a little bit actually. You know, when you watch the tape – who is right and who is wrong – when you see Redskins players helping Redskins, that’s a good thing. Obviously on game day, you make a big deal about you can’t come off the bench and you can’t enter fights on game day, it’s 15-yard penalties and possible suspensions, so we made a big deal about that, but in that setting, there’s no choice but for people to go protect one another. It was good to see that. I think it brought everybody closer together.”
On if defensive end Jason Hatcher and running back Chris Thompson have gotten him involved in hot yoga:
“I’m a regular yoga [guy]. I’ve tried yoga a few times. I do like yoga and there’s some merit to it. I’m glad Jason is doing it. I know a couple of our coaches do it and they enjoy it. We actually made it available for our players if they wanted to do it. It’s a great chance for them to relax and get some good stretching.”
On tackle Ty Nsekhe:
“Ty is a giant, man. He’s an enormous guy. The big thing with him is he’s obviously got the physical tools, now it’s about learning the system and eliminating some of the mentals [mental mistakes]. He’s an athletic guy. He’s a guy that we’ve really got to take a look at in the preseason games. He’s one of those guys that can really take a step towards being here as far as making the roster if he performs well in the games.”
On how he feels about the new defensive system and the talent on that unit:
“I like it. I think the defense has shown they can be multiple. They don’t have to be aggressive every snap. They can play their loaded zones, and they can be aggressive when need be. So far I think they’re coming along. Like I said before, the biggest concern I have is the secondary not playing together. That’s a big thing. It’s important for us to get our starters in there and get them playing together, get them healthy, number one, but to get them playing together. But overall, I like the progress that our defense is making, I like the depth of our defensive line. I think when Junior [Galette] gets in here 100 percent he’s going to help to our pass rush. Overall I think we’ve got the makings of a good defense. Now it’s about coming together, eliminating mental mistakes and then consistently having great pursuit angles and great tackling – fundamental tackling.”
On linebacker Preston Smith's development:
"Well obviously he is a rookie and he is coming along. The injury a couple days ago lost a chance for him to compete against the Texans on Saturday and Friday. But he is coming along, really, a lot to learn for a guy especially moving him to outside linebacker. At Mississippi State he played defensive end and he played nose guard. He moved around a lot, but playing base 3-4 outside linebacker in base situations is a little bit different. When we go to nickel and he is a defensive end, he is more comfortable. I like his progress. We just have got to keep him healthy."
On the weight he puts into the preseason:
"The weight we are putting into it is we want to set our standards on how we are going to play, how hard we play, the effort that we play with, obviously. Then obviously you want to try to take a look at your best players. The outcomes of the games, you always want to win whenever you step out onto the field but the big thing is coming out of there healthy and then finding your best 53 guys. However you do that – 4-0, 0-4, 2-2 – they don't count. They are important as far as your confidence is concerned, possibly. It would be nice for us to get some wins in there but ultimately it is about finding our best 53 guys."
On if cornerback Justin Rogers is taking advantage of opportunities:
"That is exactly what he is doing. The injuries took place and Justin was second and third team and then all of a sudden we have some injuries and now he is in there with the first team. He has taken advantage of the reps both at nickel and at corner. Very, very important for him to get all this work and I like what he is doing at nickel, I really do. And he is also doing very good for Ben [Kotwica] on special teams. He has definitely made his presence felt and he is doing a good job."
On his favorite yoga pose:
"That I do? Yeah, I like the downward dog [laughter]."
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center – Richmond, Va.
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the team’s injury status:
“There’s no new injuries to speak of. [Jamison] Crowder, we’ll probably hold out another day with his hamstring. Other than that, the practice was pretty limited because of the fight so nobody else got hurt. Matt Jones is going to be limited. He’ll probably just do individual. He re-tweaked his knee a little bit. But I think other than that, I think it’s the same.”
On the plan for the starters for Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns:
“We’re going to go today. We’re in shoulder pads today. We’ll finish practice today then make our final decisions as far as who’s playing how much. It’ll be injury related, I’m sure. But for the most part, we’ll make that decision closer to game day.”
On if he feels comfortable with how the team looks going into the first preseason game:
“We do have a lot of stuff especially with the secondary with all the injuries that have taken place. We want them to jell back there but with all the injuries to Jeron [Johnson] and [Bashaud] Breeland and [David] Amerson and [DeAngelo] D-Hall, it’s been hard for them to get all the reps together. That’s the one concern that I have. Overall though, I feel good about where we’re progressing — the quarterbacks, the offensive line, the running game. All that, I feel good offensively. And then, defensively, it’s just a matter of getting the starting group together, which is going to be important.”
On if he will discipline the team for its actions on Saturday:
“No, there is no disciplinary action, other than the ones who didn’t stick up for me when I was getting beat up [laughter]. No, it was just training camp and both teams were a little hot headed and things happen.”
On Niles Paul being listed as the unofficial starter at tight end:
“I think Niles Paul is probably a little bit more of a complete [tight end] when you are talking about blocking also – when you are talking about your base offense where you go one fullback, one running back and one tight end where the running game and pass blocking is very important for that guy. Niles has emerged as the starter. Jordan [Reed] will play a lot in our three-receiver sets, one-tight-end set, obviously. He is probably the starter in that particular group. When we go two tight ends it will be Niles and Jordan. We change personnel so often, they will both get a lot of playing time. But if you just go with one fullback, one running back and one tight end, it will be Niles that’ll start.”
On the change in Paul since last year:
“He is one of our strongest players. He is self-made. He works very hard in the weight room. He is very explosive. You can just see since I got here… Even obviously converting from a receiver to a tight end, to put on the bulk and the mass that he has and the upper body strength, lower body strength has been very impressive. That’s the biggest change. He has been able to be a receiver. He’s got great speed. He’s worked to improve his body so he can stand in there and block is the biggest improvement.”
On if he has seen any negative effects from Paul adding weight this season:
“I have not seen any except for the positives. He does look more explosive. He hasn’t lost any speed that I can tell. Like I said, he’s a very complete player right now. Hats off to him for putting the work in.”
On if he is looking forward to facing game situations on Thursday:
“Yeah, I am. I’m excited, especially to see some of these young guys. I want to see our veteran guys progress, however much they play – if it’s a quarter, if it’s a half, I don’t know yet – but I want to see how they’re progressing in year two of our system. And then obviously the young guys, I want to see how they step up when the lights are on. You’ve got the Cleveland Browns’ players fighting for jobs, we’re fighting for jobs. We’ll see how we compete and how we fare against another team, so it’ll be exciting.”
On if kicker Kai Forbath’s consistency is becoming a concern:
“A little bit, because the strength of Kai’s game is his accuracy. That’s surprising right now but we’ve just got to get his confidence up. We’ll have him kick some today and hopefully he knocks them all through. Kai has been a very accurate kicker for this organization for a long time and it’s a little puzzling right now that he’s missed some kicks that he normally makes. We just got to figure out what it is – his timing, his confidence – whatever it might be we got to get it back for him.”
On Forbath performing better in games than practices:
“I think that will help once he knocks a couple through in a game-type situation. I think that will help his confidence. Out here he’s struggled a little bit for a starting kicker in the NFL. It’s important for him to get in some kind of rhythm where he gets that confidence back.”
On the depth chart:
“If I had my druthers, there wouldn’t be a depth chart until Miami. It’s silly to me. Like I said, it could change next week. It could change tomorrow for all I know. These guys out here are competing and there’s nothing etched in stone – first string, second string, third string, whatever it might be. It’s important for these guys to continue to compete, let them know we’ve got our eyes on them. If they perform better than the guy in front of them then they’ll play. Being a starter, you’ve got to deserve that right, you’ve got to earn that right and you’ve got to keep that right. We just put that out there for y’all, but for us, we’re letting our guys go out there and compete every day and we can make changes as necessary.”
On if there is an advantage to playing a team in consecutive preseasons:
"Not really any. It was so long ago I don't even remember the game, to be honest with you. The big thing about the preseason games is we’re just trying to let our guys go out there and play and see who stands up to the competition, who shows up. That's the most important thing getting out of it. Like I said, we're trying to build our foundation. We're trying to make sure we go out there and play the right way with great effort and great energy. And in the meantime we're trying to take a look at our best players. I'm not really interested in the scheme of the Cleveland Browns. We're not trying to trick them or any of that stuff right now. We're just trying to line up, put the ball in play and see who shows up."
On Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel:
"Johnny, I think in year two, he's a more mature player. That's what happens. You have a rookie and then your second year is very, very important. The second year is very important for our guys – Trent Murphy, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long, Bashaud Breeland. It's very important to see that they go to an organization to see what the NFL is all about and then year two they kind of settle in and I expect Johnny to perform a lot better. He's a heck of a talented quarterback and I'm sure he's going to push their starter for reps. But everything that I've seen, everything that I know, he's a pretty good quarterback."
On if he knows how many plays the starters, including Robert Griffin III, will play Thursday:
"No. Not yet, not yet. We'll see. I would think at least a quarter right now, just off the top of my head, but we'll see. Could be longer. Just depends on how many plays you get. We'll probably have a pitch count on him and go from there."
On if there was anything he didn’t see in joint practices that he wants to see from Griffin on Thursday:
“No, we just want to continue to see him improve. Really the big thing is tempo – in and out of the huddle and getting plays called and then making good decisions and accurate decisions and then just delivering the ball on time and accurately. So we’ll see. I don’t expect him to go a perfect 20-for-20 for five touchdowns or any of that matter, but I do expect him to have more confidence in the system, get us in the right play when we ask him to do so and make good sound decisions. It’s up to the rest of the guys to do work around him.”
On if he can watch Hard Knocks before it is released:
“Do I get to look at it? No.”
On if there are any positive takeaways from the fight:
“Yeah, I think so. I think it brought us together a little bit actually. You know, when you watch the tape – who is right and who is wrong – when you see Redskins players helping Redskins, that’s a good thing. Obviously on game day, you make a big deal about you can’t come off the bench and you can’t enter fights on game day, it’s 15-yard penalties and possible suspensions, so we made a big deal about that, but in that setting, there’s no choice but for people to go protect one another. It was good to see that. I think it brought everybody closer together.”
On if defensive end Jason Hatcher and running back Chris Thompson have gotten him involved in hot yoga:
“I’m a regular yoga [guy]. I’ve tried yoga a few times. I do like yoga and there’s some merit to it. I’m glad Jason is doing it. I know a couple of our coaches do it and they enjoy it. We actually made it available for our players if they wanted to do it. It’s a great chance for them to relax and get some good stretching.”
On tackle Ty Nsekhe:
“Ty is a giant, man. He’s an enormous guy. The big thing with him is he’s obviously got the physical tools, now it’s about learning the system and eliminating some of the mentals [mental mistakes]. He’s an athletic guy. He’s a guy that we’ve really got to take a look at in the preseason games. He’s one of those guys that can really take a step towards being here as far as making the roster if he performs well in the games.”
On how he feels about the new defensive system and the talent on that unit:
“I like it. I think the defense has shown they can be multiple. They don’t have to be aggressive every snap. They can play their loaded zones, and they can be aggressive when need be. So far I think they’re coming along. Like I said before, the biggest concern I have is the secondary not playing together. That’s a big thing. It’s important for us to get our starters in there and get them playing together, get them healthy, number one, but to get them playing together. But overall, I like the progress that our defense is making, I like the depth of our defensive line. I think when Junior [Galette] gets in here 100 percent he’s going to help to our pass rush. Overall I think we’ve got the makings of a good defense. Now it’s about coming together, eliminating mental mistakes and then consistently having great pursuit angles and great tackling – fundamental tackling.”
On linebacker Preston Smith's development:
"Well obviously he is a rookie and he is coming along. The injury a couple days ago lost a chance for him to compete against the Texans on Saturday and Friday. But he is coming along, really, a lot to learn for a guy especially moving him to outside linebacker. At Mississippi State he played defensive end and he played nose guard. He moved around a lot, but playing base 3-4 outside linebacker in base situations is a little bit different. When we go to nickel and he is a defensive end, he is more comfortable. I like his progress. We just have got to keep him healthy."
On the weight he puts into the preseason:
"The weight we are putting into it is we want to set our standards on how we are going to play, how hard we play, the effort that we play with, obviously. Then obviously you want to try to take a look at your best players. The outcomes of the games, you always want to win whenever you step out onto the field but the big thing is coming out of there healthy and then finding your best 53 guys. However you do that – 4-0, 0-4, 2-2 – they don't count. They are important as far as your confidence is concerned, possibly. It would be nice for us to get some wins in there but ultimately it is about finding our best 53 guys."
On if cornerback Justin Rogers is taking advantage of opportunities:
"That is exactly what he is doing. The injuries took place and Justin was second and third team and then all of a sudden we have some injuries and now he is in there with the first team. He has taken advantage of the reps both at nickel and at corner. Very, very important for him to get all this work and I like what he is doing at nickel, I really do. And he is also doing very good for Ben [Kotwica] on special teams. He has definitely made his presence felt and he is doing a good job."
On his favorite yoga pose:
"That I do? Yeah, I like the downward dog [laughter]."
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Again, I'm not 'down' on Paul, I just don't ever think he'll be the weapon Reed is. If Reed can figure out how to stay healthy, he's a top 5 TE. He'd have broken 80 receptions last season if he hadn't missed 5 games.
