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Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On if guard Kory Lichtensteiger was resting:
“Yeah, we just gave him a third day off to try not to over work him. He played a couple good days.”;
On linebacker Jonathan Goff’s knee:
“We don’t know anything yet. We’ll get him an MRI sometime this evening and know something then… He’s feeling pretty good. You’ve got to have an MRI to make sure.”;
On guard Josh LeRibeus working with the first team:
“Yeah he did a very good job for their first day. And he played center and guard right away is pretty tough for anybody coming in, but he’s extremely bright and I thought he did a good job.”;
On how he feels the rest of the rookie draft picks are doing:
“Well, this is just the third day and so you take a look at Josh [LeRibeus] like we talked about and I think he’s done a good job. And you look at Keenan [Robinson] and he’s getting used to the linebacker position. He’s always tough, especially on the inside, running game and passing game. I thought he’s did a great job. [Adam] Gettis is very quick at the guard position. Looks like he’s got a chance to help us out. And you take a look at [Tom] Compton, he’s done a good job as well playing the left tackle position. He’s got good foot quickness. [He] needs that experience with reps but he did get a lot of them here in those first few days. [Alfred] Morris has also done a very good job. You get more reps and you see his natural running ability, but you really don’t know for sure with those running backs until they play in game situations. [Jordan] Bernstine, he’s done an excellent job at the safety position. He’s got corner speed, you’re always looking for that and [Richard] Crawford has been looking good as well. And he can play inside and outside in plays with him so far. It’s so early in camp, a few days, you haven’t seen them play any game situations.”;
On if the rookies are more ready for the NFL than when he first started coaching:
“I’ll be honest with you, this year with the eight weeks with the offseason conditioning program, that’s kind of typical for an offseason. But what’s not typical is all the meeting time we’ve had with these guys. We had a chance once the rookies came in and the veterans came in to watch a lot of film. They get a feel of the terminology, much further ahead than most rookies over the last 10 years, at least with us.”;
On his evaluation of Robert Griffin III after the first three days:
“Good. Like we talked about from day one, every day is a learning experience. The more reps you get, the better you feel about the system, the better you feel about NFL defenses, your teammates, what they can do, what they can’t do. You’ve got check-offs, you’ve got nickel, you’ve got base defenses, 3-man fronts, 4-man fronts. That’s why they say it’s a hard position to play in all of sports. I really believe it is because there’s so much to learn. You’ve got to be extremely bright. You’ve got to really want it bad. You’ve got to be a good athlete and have all the intangibles. You’ve got to come to work every day, and that’s what he’s been doing. He’s getting better every day.”;
On comparing Robert Griffin III to different successful quarterbacks:
“You know, I’ve been through a lot of different scenarios. I talk about some of the young guys, hall of famers, that didn’t have any success in their first year, other guys that are playing right now that’s had some success. You know, one guy can’t get the job done, as I tell our football team. It’s got to be a collection of a lot people going in the same direction. And if you do that, then you have a chance to have some success.”;
On if Pierre Garçon looks like the No. 1 receiver:
“Well, there’s no question. You know, he can be a No. 1 receiver. But I’ve been very impressed with the way he’s practiced, the way he’s handled himself, since he’s been here. He’s got a ton of ability. And until someone actually comes in and actually sees the way he practices, the way he handles himself, his speed, his strength, you don’t know for sure. But I’ve been very happy how he’s handling himself.”;
On if Robert Griffin III is able to immediately correct his mistakes during practice:
“Yeah, you correct it right away. But until you put him in that situation, probably two, three, four more times, you don’t know for sure. And that’s what our job is as coaches, just like teachers. You’re trying to give him some repetition, give him the right repetition, so it becomes automatic. He doesn’t have to think. He can react. There’s a learning curve there. Nobody learns it just like that. It takes some time. And that’s what you look for—is guys that want to learn, guys that will do anything to get the extra work, to make it automatic for him. And that’s what he’s been doing. He’s been working extremely hard—looking at film, practice, drill work. Everything that gives you a chance to be successful, he’s doing.
On Robert Griffin III has to be reminded to be patient with himself:
“Yes, you are constantly reminding him number of different things. He’s got to do his job and everybody has to do their job around him. So if he can focus on his job and really kind of concentrate on what he is doing, then you have a chance for good things to happen.”;
On wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe off the field:
“We have a good feel when we bring people in what they’ve got on the field, what they’ve got off the field. If they don’t do the right things off the field, they’re not with us anymore. We give people opportunities. Once they get here, they have to prove that they handle themselves the right way. And if they don’t, they won’t be a Washington Redskin.”;
On Defensive Backs Coach Raheem Morris’ recommendation for Dezmon Briscoe:
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve looked at him on film. I liked him. We ended up claiming him on the waivers. One of our pro scouts talked to Raheem and he gave him a positive recommendation. Like all people you go through somebody’s strengths and weaknesses and I get a chance to sit down and talked to him and tell him what I expect of him once he comes to our organization.”;
On Dezmon Briscoe’s film:
“Take a look at how many touchdown catches he had last year, what he did in college, good size. So I’ll give him a chance and see what he can do.”;
On safety Brandon Meriweather:
“Well, you can see he plays with a lot of confidence. He loves to play football, he loves to practice. He gives us some energy out there. I really like the way he handled himself. He practiced with shoulder pads on. He enjoys playing the safety position. I think he fits in to our scheme perfectly and I like what I’ve seen thus far.”;
On safety Madieu Williams developing chemistry with Brandon Meriweather:
“You’re hoping everytime out there your guys are creating more chemistry between each other. You’re talking about two pros, two guys that understand what it’s like to play in the NFL. There are that have worked extremely hard since they’ve been here and they want to be leaders on this team. It’s great compettion there and it will be interesting to see. At the end of camp we will know who our starters will be.”;
On Barry Cofield’s comfort:
“I think everybody knows Barry, with his background with giants, what type of leader he was for the Giants. As you could see it when you went against his football team, exactly what he brought to their organization. Once he came in here, you could see what type of worker he was and what type of leader he was. I think Barry feels a lot more comfortable this year with our scheme and therefore his leadership has shown up more than a year ago because he’s more confident with the people around him, the supporting cast.”;
On if Jammal Brown dislocated his hip:
“It’s quite sore, I don’t know if it is dislocated or not.”;
On if Jammal Brown will have surgery:
“I don’t know what he is going to have. He hasn’t had a MRI. We have no idea. All we know is he’s sore and he can’t practice. We will have to see his doctor. He was out of town last week, and he has surgery on Monday. The first time he is going to get a chance to talk to him is on Tuesday. Nobody knows.”;
On the best player he has ever picked up on waivers:
“That’s a good question. Let me think about that because I picked up a bunch of them and I would hate to say it before I know for sure. That’s a good question.”;
On if Jammal Brown has been working with his doctor specifically in the last couple years:
“No, I don’t think he has seen this doctor for a while. But, I can tell you exactly when he did see him. I’m sure before he started the yoga and really worked on the flexibility he did talk to him. I’d have to talk to [Head athletic trainer Larry Hess] Larry for sure to tell you when he talked to him. I just know that it is a little unusual that we have to wait a few days to have a MRI but the only reason we are doing it is he wants his doctor to look at his hip. It is a little bit sore. He can’t practice anyhow so we have to try to find out from his doctor what he says after the MRI. I’ll let you guys know.”;
On Barry Cofield’s role of leadership and responsibility:
“People are going to be themselves. Barry is a quiet guy, very smart guy. He talked before we played the Giants and you can see he is a natural leader. First time we played them as well as the second time we played them. But, you don’t really ask a guy to be vocal or speak a certain way. They have a way of handling themselves; Barry is a guy that is very respected on this football team. When you have guys that work that hard and guys that make plays you’re hoping that they develop as one of your team leaders and he will be one of those guys in the future.”;
On running back Alfred Morris:
“He has been impressive. I like the way he runs. When he first came in his hands looked a little suspect. You can see him working on catching the ball. That’s improved. I think everybody can see his natural instincts in terms of his running ability, I guess here in practice you can see he is pretty impressive. But, again, with running backs, you really don’t know until you put them in game situations and I am looking forward to see how he reacts.”;
Nose Tackle Barry Cofield
On how his familiarity with the scheme will help him this year:
“I think it’ll make a huge difference. Honestly, I go back and review myself last year and I’ve played a lot better than that. It was a growing process. I gave myself some leeway for that, but having a true offseason this year, being able to watch a lot of tape and do all the learning and having this training camp and us as a unit… The great thing is that they brought Adam [Carriker] back. I think that did a lot for continuity. Then you add [Jarvis] Jenkins back into the mix and Chris Neild played well. We’ve got a lot of guys and I think our depth is going to be surprising to a lot of people.”;
On a specific aspect of his game that he feels should have been better last year:
“Nothing specific, just doing everything better. I go back and watch a lot of Casey Hampton Steelers tape throughout the years. He’s kind of the godfather of the nose tackle position as we play it today and he did it well. He did some things better than me and there are some things that I can do with my natural ability, with my athleticism, that I bring to the position that not a lot of other guys can do. So it’s just getting better at everything and have everything be second-nature. By the time I left New York, everything was second nature. People had to catch up with me. Last year, I felt like I was playing catch-up. I can already see a difference in the beginning of camp.”;
On if his knowledge of blocking schemes or technique makes him more comfortable:
“It was both. You see a lot of different schemes. Playing a head-up zero nose, you don’t get that upfield charge so you have to rely a lot on technique to brace yourself. The lineman is running off the ball and you have to react to him whereas a 3-4 guy is taking a step and generating power. So you have to be able to brace yourself. You’ve got to be powerful, but technique and leverage and things like that can make up for those things. Like I said, I wasn’t happy with the way I played last year. [Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Jim] Haslett and [Defensive Line] Coach [Jacob] Burney were always positive. They actually said they heard from coaches around the league that they felt like I was going to be one of the best nose tackles in the league. So it’s up to me to execute it, but I’m always hard on myself and I expect a lot of growth this year.”;
On if he has a relationship with Casey Hampton:
“I’ve never spoken to him. I actually talked to some of the Steelers coaches. Obviously Haslett came from Pittsburgh so they’re all one big brotherhood with the [3-4], that system that they love and has been, quite frankly, extremely successful. Pittsburgh is one of the top defenses year in and year out so I feel like with the personnel we have this year and the fact that we’re growing together – a team like Pittsburgh, those defensive linemen were together forever. They’re getting older now and it’s new guys being infused, but I feel like the longer we stay together as a unit – me, [Stephen] Bowen and Adam [Carriker], I feel like we’re just going to continue to get better and eventually we’ll be the best front in this league.”;
On if he reached out to any other nose tackles during the offseason:
“I did not do that. I just spent most of my time talking to Coach Burney and Coach Haslett because they worked with guys and they know what I’m trying to accomplish just as good as any nose tackle or better than myself. That’s why I laugh when I read that people had graded my performance and what they had to say, and it’s like there’s no way they know what I’m trying to accomplish. They’re not in that room. There’s no way they know. There’s no way they can give me a minus because they don’t know what I’m doing. I barely know what I’m doing half the time out there. After sitting down and reviewing and talking to the coaches, they were very optimistic. After the spring, I feel like I’ve gotten off to a good start and I feel like I’ll be a different player on the field this year.”;
On the defense’s accomplishments last year and what they expect for the upcoming year:
“I think there was a lot of growth. I think statistically they were maybe 31st two years ago and middle of the pack pretty much last year. I think the whole team coming together, special teams continuing to excel, the better we get on offense, the more we’re able to control the ball and stay on the field and do those types of things, I think we’ll all feed off each other. I think we made a huge stride last year. If nothing else, putting the proper personnel in. If nothing else, our personnel this year has just grown together. There’s not as many new faces as there were last year. A couple in the secondary, but up front in the front seven, we’re just learning to play together. Everyone’s just a year more experienced and a year better in the defense.”;
On the impact he will have on the field:
“Realistically it’s not going to be a ton of big plays. That’s just not what the position entails. The one thing that I do rest on from last year is that [linebacker] London [Fletcher] led the league in tackles and made it to the Pro Bowl. He obviously appreciated the work I did up front, but I just feel like I can do it better. I feel like I can make a few more big plays. I feel like I can be in the quarterback’s face. We’re doing some things differently up front that are going to hopefully get the nose tackle some one-on-ones to be able to push the pocket and harass quarterbacks and even get some sacks. Last year I think I had two, three sacks. That’s not horrible for a nose tackle, but I feel like with the skillset I have I can improve and I want to get a couple more.”;
On how he compensates for his lack of bulk as a nose tackle:
“First off I’m bigger than the 306 than I was at the combine, so I’m not the smallest guy on the field by any stretch of the imagination. It’s really just about technique, pad level, and just work in the weight room. I kind of took a different approach last season. It was in the lockout. I didn’t know where I would be. I didn’t know if I was going to go to a team where I was going to be getting up the field, or I was going to be a 3-4 end, 3-4 nose. I had no idea, so I didn’t know how to train. I was just trying to be in shape. But now having a specific guideline, knowing what I was expected to do, knowing what kind of blocking schemes I’m going to see, I was able to take a different approach this offseason - really train my core and my leg strength and things that you might not even associate with a nose tackle. You think of a gut, but you don’t realize that you can have a gut but you can have a strong core up under that stomach. There’s a lot of things that we work on that you don’t see on Sundays, but they’re crucial for our position. I feel like myself, Chris Neild, and Chris Baker, we’re all off to a fast start this year.”;
On batted balls by defensive linemen:
“It’s not as sexy as getting a sack. You don’t really get to celebrate a lot after a batted pass. You get to the huddle, and you get a high-five. That’s it. Coach Burney, he loves that. A batted ball is very frustrating for a quarterback, frustrating for an offensive lineman because their coach is always telling them to keep those hands down. Every once in a while you can bat one in the air, and it can be interception, so it’s a big play. I was happy with how many I had, but it’s something that you can’t really practice. It just has to come naturally to you. Get your hands on a few balls, and if I can infuse that with a few more sacks, then I’ll be very happy.”
On establishing himself as a leader in his second season with the Redskins:
“Absolutely, and I think that had changed by the end of last year. I actually spoke to the team when we played that second Giants game, and I felt like right then, the words I said, the positive response I got from the guys, I think they wanted to hear more from me. It’s just about earning your respect. This league is all about what have you done for me lately. Nothing I had done prior to coming here warranted anybody respecting me or treating me like anything more than another guy trying to make the team. With my play last year, leading by example and doing the right things on and off the field, you gain that respect. And then you can assert yourself, and I feel like I am in a position where guys respect me and look up to me at this point.”;
On if Jarvis Jenkins looks healthy:
“I think so. That’s the only positive thing about getting hurt is he had a long time to rehab. It’s not like he got hurt in the Super Bowl, and he’s still in the rehab process. He looked good to me in the OTA’s. He looks even better now, so him working on that rotation with Bowen and Adam, with that depth with him coming in on nickel and pushing the pocket, that makes us even more dangerous.”;
On if adding Jenkins to the defensive line rotation will keep him fresher:
“Yeah, I think so. Talking to the coaches, they felt like I played too many snaps last year, so they want to try to spell me a little more this year. I’m all for it. I’m not going to complain about playing time. I just want to help the team, and I feel like the more fresh bodies… That’s what I was used to my whole career, just coming in waves. A lot of bodies are all hungry and are all talented enough to warrant being out there, but I think we have that here. And I think it will show.”;
On his relationship with linebacker London Fletcher:
“London was a guy I looked up to even before I got here. He’s a Cleveland guy. He’s a guy I had met before I got here, and I already had a lot of respect for him with the way he performs, first and foremost, and the way he prepares. He’s done nothing but reiterate to me that he’s a quality football player and a great leader, one of the best I’ve ever been around. Any time I get the chance to talk to him, I’m going to jump at it. A lot of times we talk about non-football stuff because that’s the kind of relationship we’re developing. I was thrilled to see him go to the Pro Bowl. I talked to him around that time. I talked to him just because he wasn’t even signed actually for a while. I wanted to stay in the loop to make sure they got him re-signed. We talk a lot of football, and we talk just in general. Nose tackle and middle linebacker, we’re almost like a center and quarterback. It’s my job to keep him clean, and the more success he has, I take pride in that. Our relationship has grown, as has the whole defense. For that reason, I think we should be more productive this year.”
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