Q: There was a lot of work for Michael Hoomanawanui in yesterday’s practice. What are the things that make him valuable to your offense?
BB: Mike has been really dependable for us, been very consistent. He’s very smart. He’s able to handle a lot of different assignments, depending on who the other tight ends are, depending on what we want him to do. He’s a pretty versatile player, and he’s been durable and dependable through the years for us. He’s played a lot of football in a lot of different situations, some contributions in the kicking game. And he’s been a first, second and third down player offensively depending on what we needed and what the circumstances have been, but he’s played on all three downs and to some degree on fourth down. So, he’s got a lot of versatility and he’s a smart guy. He does make adjustments quickly and understands what’s going on, so if we need to change or adapt or make some type of adjustment, he’s good at that, and at the tight end position, which is really where a lot of learning has to take place. A lot of formationing is done by the tight end, and therefore their assignments are based on a lot of different things – defensive ends, linebackers, safeties – there’s really a lot for them to recognize at that position that fluctuates quite a bit. I’d say he does a good job of all that, too. Mentally, it’s a hard position to play because of the amount, the volume, and then also the variables that come into play.
Q: When you watch a guy like Hoomanawanui or when rookies come in, how much of it is you thinking that he can do something when he gets here as opposed to when he actually gets here and you start giving him more and more based on what you’ve seen with your own eyes?
BB: I’d say it’s pretty true of every position. I think we have a basic set of criteria – this is what the player needs to be able to do. Some guys can handle that. Some guys handle a little less than that. Some guys handle a little more than that. I don’t think you really know for sure how that’s going to go until you actually get him here and get him in it. You might have an idea, but I’d say we’ve all misjudged that one way or the other before. You just do the best you can, but as they can handle more, then you give him more. Once you kind of reach the cap, then you probably need to stop it there at least for a little while until that gets solidified, and then maybe you can build on it.