On how he would sum up mini-camp…
We got a lot of things accomplished mentally. Again, the chemistry is growing. I can’t wait to get to training camp. We finished the last two days on good notes and the guys are upbeat as they should be. They just have to come back healthy and ready to go.
On his overall impression of Teddy Bridgewater in the spring…
The biggest thing is that he was healthy and he was moving around and he fit right in with the other two, with Josh (McCown) and Sam (Darnold). He was throwing the ball well. He grasped the offense well. We will be excited to see him in training camp.
On if this was a “successful spring” for Darnold…
It was a learning spring. I don’t think anyone has success in the spring in a t-shirt and shorts. It was a process of learning for him that I thought was pretty good that will help him come training camp.
On Darnold grasping the offense and reading plays…
I think he understands it pretty well. But as you run plays and you make the mistakes, you learn from them. He learns from his mistakes very well. So from that standpoint, he did a pretty good job and the more he sees, the more comfortable he gets.
On if McCown will begin training camp as the starter…
Josh will start come training camp and we will see what happens at the end of training camp.
On if he has formulated how he will divide the reps for the quarterbacks during training camp…
Not at this time, but I have an idea. When I do, I will talk to Jeremy (Bates) over the summer and we will go from there.
On who the number two quarterback will be for camp…
Teddy will line up as number two. It will be no different from the spring going in. The competition will heat up because we are in pads and lot of things count.
On when he will reassess the quarterback rotation…
We will come up with a plan over the summer. Right now, I do not have that answer. As the summer goes forward and we formulate what we want to do, we will have that answer, but right now I don’t.
On if McCown will receive a reduced number of reps during training camp since he is familiar with the offense…
Again, we haven’t formulated a plan one way or the other yet. We will talk about it this summer and as we go forward, we will make those decisions.
On if it will be hard to get all three quarterbacks ready with the practice constraints…
Three guys are better than four guys. We will get those reps in pretty good and we will have set days and set plans where some will get more than others, but it will even out in the end and we will get to see what we need to see.
On players who surprised him during the offseason…
They moved around. Leonard Williams came back in a lot better shape than he was last year. Again, it is the spring, but he moved around well and we liked some of the things he did. There were a lot of other guys, probably too many to mention, but again it is spring training. We will wait until the summer until these guys get evaluated in pads before we start putting guys on pedestals or making guys crash and burn.
On whether he can identify the players who have most improved from last offseason to this point…
There are some improved from a lifting standpoint and a running and conditioning standpoint. From a football standpoint, it remains to be seen right now.
On his preference for Lawrence Thomas’ weight and whether Thomas is currently at his listed weight of 280…
I would want him at 281 (joking, laughing).
On Thomas’ current weight…
280.5, he’s got another half-pound to go (joking, laughing).
On the honest answer of Thomas’ weight…
You want the honest answer. I’m not giving you his weight and nor are we going to discuss it. But, he’s fine, he was big when we put him there. And, he moved around well and we’re comfortable with him where he is. We’re not trying to make him lose anymore or gain anymore, he’s (a) good size and he moves well enough where he is.
On if it is tough for Thomas to earn a roster spot at fullback when initially earned a spot as a defensive lineman in 2016…
No, it’s not. He is still an emergency defensive lineman by trait. But, he was a fullback in college before he moved to defensive lineman and people are forgetting that. He blocked for Le’Veon Bell so it’s not a foreign position to him, he’s not just learning it, he’s played the position. We needed a guy back there. He was the best one on our roster to fit the bill and he ended up being pretty good at it. So, we kept him there.
On what Dimitri Flowers has to do to win the fullback job…
We have to see him in camp and see him play. We liked some of the things he did on film in college, and we bought him in for a reason. The good thing about this year is we’re like two or three deep from a competitive standpoint, more than we’ve ever been at more positions than we’ve ever had. It’s going to be a good training camp.
On running backs Coach Stump Mitchell comparing Eli McGuire’s skillset to LaDainian Tomlinson…
I think old school players and old school coaches compare new school guys to old school guys; and that’s what he did.
On if there is a comparison between McGuire and Tomlinson on a skill-set basis…
I never coached LaDainian. I know he’s legendary and we’ll see what Eli does. Eli is a good athlete. That’s a lot to live up to. But, he doesn’t have to live up LaDainian. He just has to live up to being Eli.
On entering camp with competition and depth at a number of positions…
It’s a good thing because can’t nobody take a break. We got guys that, obviously, it was a talent gap in between certain guys, but this is the closest it’s been since I’ve been here at a lot of positions. We expect it to be hot and heated come training camp.
On if he plans on making changes to his coaching approach…
I’ve made quite a few changes, none to speak of. You try to get better every year or see what you can do different or scale back or put in. You get input from everybody and you kind of see what’s around you and you come to those type of conclusion. I will continue to do that this summer and we will see what training camp brings.
On if he feels more comfortable now than his first year as head coach…
The thing in this job – your never comfortable. You kind of make do. I’m about the same from a comfortability standpoint.
On how this group compares to the roster last year during this point…
Unknown, remains to be seen. Everything on paper I don’t count. We have yet to put on pads at practice as a team. Roster-wise, you can have all the names and non-names you want until we come together with a chemistry standpoint as a team. Come training camp, it’s unknown and the jury is out.
On how much of a better coach he believes he is now than 2015…
Well, we get judged off wins and losses. So right now, I’m not a very good coach. Hopefully, we can win a lot of ball games and I can become a very good coach. But from that standpoint, you get judged so that’s really all you take it as. Anything else as far as the small things I’ve learned, you just try to apply it toward helping the team and go from there.
On injured players who will not be ready for training camp…
Still some unknowns, all of them can be ready depending on the time or they can miss a day or two or weeks. So it’s still unknown. It can change. I can sit here and tell you one thing and it changes into another. we’re just going to let it play out and see.
On if anyone other than Rontez Miles will miss significant amount of time…
Not to my knowledge, no.
On what has been bothering Jordan Jenkins and why he has been out…
He has a nicked-up shoulder.
On which shoulder…
I’m not elaborating anymore.
On if it is difficult transitioning from a veteran team to a younger team…
No, I don’t think it is because you treat them all the same from a teaching standpoint. The minute you start separating veterans from rookies and teaching them differently, you’ve lost some of your coaching edge. You treat them differently from a mental standpoint, but you teach them all the same as if they are just coming in. So that part has been pretty easy.
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