TRANSCRIPT: Mike Vrabel Press Conference 8/1
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Here’s what head coach Mike Vrabel had to say during his press conference on Friday before the team’s in-stadium practice:
On the fact Terry McLaurin and Micah Parsons requested trades from their teams and if he feels teams should honor those trade requests, and if he’ll kick the tires on either player:
“Karen [Guregian], I’m not going to comment on players that are under contract on other teams. Let’s focus on the ones that are here that we’re working with. We see all these things happen in the National Football League, whether it’s the offseason, whether it’s before the season starts. Everybody’s working with different situations. Those respective players and respective teams will focus on their situations, and we’ll focus on ours.”
On the fact they still have the most amount of salary cap pace and how he views that level of flexibility at this stage of the season:
“If something were to present itself, then we would be able to do some things. So right now, we’re focused on the roster that we have. I think we tried to be as close to the plan as we could, going through free agency and how we wanted to allocate it over the next two years, counting this year and next year when we look at the cap going out over two years.”
On the one-on-one reps on offense in practice and how much of it is about winning the rep versus maybe trying something new:
“Well, and tried to touch on this before, and I think those are great opportunities to practice and to work on things. Then does it translate to the team periods? I think those are the ones that are critical. I think that there’s the ability to find the quarterback as he moves around in the pocket or he climbs the pocket. So there’s all different ways to be able to evaluate the one-on-ones. But certainly, you want to have great technique. You want to be sound in what you’re doing, stay inside out as an offensive lineman. You want to be able to pressure edges and reduce surface area as a defensive lineman and bend in corner. So we take all those reps seriously, but that is an opportunity to work on some things and some different sets. We have different sets based on different plays that we’re running offensively. Those are all things that go into it.”
On when he thinks about the final 53 man roster, how does special teams’ contributions play into those final decisions and if there’s anything players can specifically do on special teams to help earn their spot:
“I think that the kickoff, when you talk about special teams, it’s going to be the kickoff and the kickoff return are going to be critical phases this year with the rule change. Who can protect on a kickoff return? Who can return a kickoff and help us create field position. There’s just not going to be a ton of touchbacks. I would imagine certain situations. But who can do that on those phases without fouling or creating a penalty is going to be something to look at. We know how critical the punt team is and special teams in general, guys that can return, guys that can put their… Having the ability to go and block a punt is a unique skill. And I think that all our players in those positions that are tight-end, linebacker, outside linebacker, some receivers, running backs, safeties, they all know the importance of special teams. And you have to kind of strike a good balance between those premium special teams players, maybe some players that you want to develop at a position, they may be a backup, and where they’re at as a special teams.”‘
On how he approaches the upcoming in-stadium practice and the goals:
“Just real quick, out for tonight, Mack Hollins, Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez], [Carlton] Davis, [Keion] White, [Vederian] Lowe, [Garrett], [Garrett] Bradbury, [Antonio] Gibson, [Jahlani] Ta’Vai, [Joshua] Farmer, and Sidy [Sow]. Those players won’t be participating in tonight’s deal. Real quick, just so I probably nip this in the bud here. The blue team’s head coach is Zak Kuhr. Offensive coordinator will be Josh McDaniels. The white team’s head coach is Thomas Brown, and offensive coordinator, and Terrell Williams will be the defensive coordinator on the white team. Blue captains, Drake [Maye], Christian Ellis, and [Jaylinn] Hawkins, the white captains, Hunter Henry, Jabrill Peppers, and Brenden Schooler. So, try to approach it as close to a game as we can. We have special teams. We’ll keep punting the football. We’ll have punt return. We’ll have returners back there. We’ll have a couple of full field covers. We’ll have some plus 50. We’ll have some different kicking situations. And then just see where, put the ball, move it, and we have officials. So there’s things that I need to try to create and may extend drives with a phantom illegal contact or roughing the passer that probably, hopefully, didn’t happen in tonight’s practice. But I’ve already told the team those are things that may happen so that we can continue to get whatever we need to get done, get some red zone, get some end of game 2-minute, and really just have fun. We had a draft, those coaches drafted, and there was a coin flip, and we’ll let you figure out who won the coin flip and go from there. So the players are excited. We split the coaches up, and me and Stretch [John Streicher] are the only ones that are impartial. Everybody else is going against each other.
On if this is also about getting the coaches some reps too:
“Trying to have fun, and certainly any chance you have to call a game or be a play caller. Our practices, a lot of them aren’t scripted anyway. We do that as well throughout the preseason, throughout training camp, and do that.”
[Inaudible]
“Yeah, the players like it. We’ll see some trick plays. We’ll see what works and if we can carry through the season. Both sides were drawing it up. I give them two trick plays each that they’ll come up with that we haven’t run thus far in camp.”
On how the captains were decided:
“I let the coaches pick. I let Zak and Thomas pick who they fought based on them being the head coach for tonight.”
On the fact in situations like this with the offensive line, not all of those guys have had a chance to work with each other and how important one of these nights is when you’re watching an individual play:
“Who can communicate, who can work with somebody that maybe they didn’t work with in previous practices. Not sure how many lineups stay the same throughout the course of a 17-game schedule. So I think this is a great opportunity for these guys to have fun, to compete, to have some energy, to do it in our stadium. This is all new for everybody here. It’s a pregame opportunity to go out and go through that operation before we play Washington. And just want to be intentional, but also want to have fun and let these guys go and play and have the officials here. So I’m hoping for a good night.”
On the fact [Jared] Wilson has been the top left guard the past couple of practices and if it’s too early to say if he’s won that competition and what he’s done to earn that spot:
“Well, no, I don’t think it’s… And nothing’s set in stone with the roster or the lineup, but certainly want to give Jared the opportunity that he’s deserved, which I think is to be out there with the ones in the last couple of days and going forward into next week. I think we talked about the players don’t participate in practice but have the ability to stay engaged with the installation and stay up with the installation. And he did that through the spring. Wasn’t able to be out there physically, but was able to learn all the interior line positions and then really got off to a good start here in training camp. So try to tell the team that take advantage of your opportunities and you get more opportunity.”
On the fact so far it seems like he’s spending more of his time with the offense, (he’s been on the scout team against the offense) and the reasoing for that, and if that’s consistent with what he did in Tennessee:
“I think it’s probably a way for me to continue to learn this system so that I can coach it and be an asset, I think, and try to help just as we install. I’m very familiar with what we’re doing defensively, and then try to give a defensive perspective to what we’re doing offensively. And I try to get around as much as possible. I think that that group period just gives me a chance to see how things are running, and the defense may have other things that they’re doing and adjustments, but that’s kind of what I’ve done, I would say, in the past. I think that’s probably consistent, but I do try to get and to be everywhere and see every position or talk to every position. That may change, but I think it’s probably consistent.”
On Wilson at left guard and Will Campbell at left tackle and what gives him the confidence that those two guys can handle it, both being first year players:
“I think they’ve earned the right to be out there. Whether they’re 20 years old or 40, I mean, that doesn’t … We look at whether they can play and whether they’ve earned the right to be out there. I think that those two have right now.”
On how he’s seen Ben Brown rise to the opportunity of that “next man up” mentality:
“I think he’s an improved player. I think that he came mid-season here and had to play, and did a decent job. I think he put the work in and I think that these padded practices, I’ve seen him improve. Again, you’re excited for those players that have improved through the spring and that were here in the spring or whatever, and came into training camp ready to go. I think once the pads guy came on, I think Ben settled. It was good to see him just settle down and really notice him, which is good for a center.”
On Truman Jones and the fact he seems like he’s taking advantage of his opportunities:
“Yeah, he was an offseason award winner. He worked extremely hard. Knows both spots, outside linebacker. He’s improved, I think, special teams. I think his special teams has improved. Looking forward to seeing that tonight, hopefully, and see that stuff tonight. But he’s a smart player who, I think, physically has changed his body and is on par with what those outside linebackers look like.”
On how much urgency he feels to win this year, obviously he wants to builda team for years to come, but whether or not he’d be willing to part with [theoretically] a high pick.
“We can talk about a million different things. Let’s just focus on we should feel the urgency to win every day that we come to work. But let that be the focus of your question. You guys are in a competitive field, somebody breaks a scoop or you got this story or that story, it’s the same thing. We should want to win every single day. In the National Football League, expectations are high, and they should be, rightfully so. So we’re going to prepare the football team like that, and we’re going to try each and every week to put a plan in front of them that they believe in and that we believe is going to be the best way for us to win the game, and then have the ability to, if that one isn’t any good, to adjust as quickly as possible.”
On the chemistry that’s developed between Barmore and Milton and what he sees from those guys as a combination so far:
“That’s all we’re trying to do, is bring guys together that are going to be working closely with each other, that are lining up next to each other, that communicate, that spend a lot of time together. We feel like that connection is something that is going to help us through some of those bumps in the road that occur in every NFL season. I’m excited to where their growth is and when we get them out there at the same time and they continue to grow and develop, and their connection off the field that will lead to very positive results for us on the field.”
On the fact they rotate players in practice but in terms of reps heading into this one, if that’s up to the respective coaches in terms of how those decisions will be made:
“Well, there are certain decisions that I still get to be in charge of tonight. So that was controlled by me. Some will do more than others, but I just want to have a good time and get certain things accomplished and looked at and put on field. So it’ll try to be similar. Each team will kind of get the same amount of snaps at the same amount of areas, most likely. And I think the scoring will be, like I told the team, you want to complain about the scoring, talk to Stretch. He’s doing the scorekeeping. So any score-related issues, talk to Stretch.”
“Thanks, guys.”
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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Surprised Vrabel would even confirm Jared Wilson earned to “run with the ones” and will be as such next week. Media was right on that. But gosh it’s early in camp for that. Regards the $60M cap and Parsons and or McLauren, the media knows the pats are $13-14M over the cap next year, and that the pats will want to carry over a good chunk of that $60M so they can sign some of their own guys next off-season (like Chaisson, Marcus Jones etc)…and…as well be a player in the FA market. They also now have some budding talent… Read more »