 I think it's been good, you know it's been good competition on both ends you know office defense or even special teams you know we had some drills going against the guys and the special teams drill so I think it's just been really solid competition back and forth you know we're kind of building those building blocks for what we're trying to see and you see like come out today versus like last week the first couple days guys a little bit better in shape you know not as gas myself included so I think it's it's a lot of good progress up a little bit after coming off a day off oh for sure you know I think everybody's already excited you know I tell people all the time like you know I make the joke like oh we're gonna really see who can hit now like you know it's a national football league you you probably wouldn't make it this far if you didn't know how to tackle it so I think it's just you know that next phase that next step to getting to where we're trying to go so it's just elevating and you know it's one more extra thing that you got to do but you really you practice the same way the only difference is now you get the guy in front of you could that him up so I don't think it really changes the mentality or anything like that kind of just the finish so you just see guys being themselves you know there's different type of leaders on this team and I think you know they're all leading their own way you know from Derrick to KB you know to Ryan myself you know Jeff everybody kind of has their own style of how they lead their group and their unit and you know it all comes together you know people picking each other up feeding off of each other's energy so I like I said I just think it's really good back and forth competition which is you know right now a weekend that's all you really can ask for and that's what you want to see obviously like mistakes are gonna be made things like that you got stuff to build off of but it's it's been really good so far I've embraced it really since the first day I got here I knew that was a part of you know just me as a person that I felt like I could bring to my room and help to this defense and this team so it's not I think it's something that you can't really like you know you can't fake it you know you got to be yourself and be authentic and that's what I try to do and I think it kind of shows itself you know leading by example helping the guys out coaching the guys up even the guys who are across from us you know going against the running backs whether it's one-on-ones whatever you know letting them know hey I played it this way because I saw you do this or vice versa so you know it's just allowing us all to like sharpen our tools because when the season starts I'm not trying to beat him I'm trying to beat somebody else so now I want him to be as good as he can be and I know they want me to be as good as I can be so we can go into the season and you know get some wins I mean I embrace it I think it's even in San Francisco me and Fred Fred had the green dot but in practice you know we both had to use it and I was you know the backup middle linebacker so I would have to call the stuff as well and when Fred went down during the season in the last four years that I've been there I was always doing it so it was something that wasn't new to me at all I think you know just from I guess you guys perspective you guys don't really like understand to know that like you know in a real game yeah it's only one person but in practice you know whoever is the backup like even right now Jack Gibbons and Monty Rice they have the mics as well so that you know you have to make the call so it's something that you know I've already been comfortable with doing but obviously you know when you got the green dot and you're expecting to have it you know going into the season that's a it's a good feeling here you know I embrace that that role oh yeah I think you know not just the front seven but even you know the back seven I think the whole defensive unit but you talk about that D line like like I told people all the time like I've been real blessed I've been with two really really really really really good defensive lines you know with San Francisco and now obviously being here so it really feels the same for me I don't know anything different you know like all the stuff that I'm seeing out there right now is exactly what I was seeing for the last four years so I'm just grateful to be a part of that which is a part of why I felt like it would be good for me to come here seeing that from the from the D line so I think it's just like I said a little bit earlier like it's a national football league you know like like Oklahoma drills first day it's like high school I just see it as like some little league stuff like at the end of the day we're in the NFL it's as high as it gets this is the best of the best your technique everything that you do you know with or without pads for me has always been the same I'm taking the same approach the same technique only difference is the finish you know now as opposed to two days ago I was finishing just punching or moving out the way letting them run whereas now I could finish get a good thought up and then still just move out the way and let them run so I think you know it's just the same intensity like we don't really change how we how we do things is just the finish at the end is what you change so obviously you're able to be a little bit more physical but overall I think it's just the same mentality for a lot of guys it's band on Jack as a running partner and how you view kind of the two of you together how how that puzzle fits I think right now you know it's just a different guys rotating in and out you know trying different things and Jack I think it's coming along really well really smart player and really just you know trying to feed off of each other help each other out on the field and I think it's just been good so far you know and even other guys rotating in so we're kind of like like I said it's the first week of training camp so you really don't have so you really don't have like anything set in stone but it's been good so far I think it's all the same money is like I tell him all time he reminds me that old-school linebacker he loved to hit you know he loves to make plays in the run game and I think he's just overall solid player and just trying to build off of that and you know continue to grow so I think that's the biggest thing for everybody we're all doing the same thing trying to get better every day Oh yeah for sure I think I'm know the fun part is like it is hot you know it's training camp and to be out here you know this is my job I love what I do but it's my job and you know all those kids I told the guys when we're breaking it down like I remember being a child like if I could come to NFL practice and see NFL players is you know eight-year-old nine-year-old ten-year-old like it would have made my whole world so for me those type of things I think are always important because you never know who you're like motivating or you know who you're inspiring by just signing an autograph for a shirt that they probably won't fit a year from now so I think it's just special you know and I embrace the whole city of Nashville like it's close to the home for me you know being from Tampa and you know I like that Southern feel I don't know if I can get with the cowboy boots and the hats and stuff but everything else has been really good I never met one yeah I I never ever I never knew nobody that went to the NFL I never knew nobody I even went to college so for me you know I had to kind of see something that wasn't there that didn't exist so it was tough for me growing up so I think that's why it motivates me a little bit more to you know do things like that because I know what I didn't get and I would never want somebody to be here and me be here and you know take five minutes extra minutes on my day to just sign an autograph and I got could change somebody's whole life so what did you do? Tampa, Florida. Thank you sir. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. How does it feel to be kind of the last man standing from the 22-0 line? Well it's a different feeling but I'm feeling good man. I like the new group of guys I'm with still keeping contact with my old guys too so it's a good feeling. How hard is it for everyone going to continuity? Is it a big part of every offensive line really starting with four or five new guys? How hard is it to build that? I don't feel like it's tough because we are professionals here and so I must say everybody across the line to play before other than Peter he knew here but we getting them along pretty well so like it's been good like we've been here since the spring been bonded so I feel like we're pretty tight now. You mentioned keeping the old guys still. You're about to change here from Ben Jones before camp? Wishing you a luck or something like that? Oh yeah Ben's been like we on Instagram are shooting each other DM's every day. Just funny videos just chopping it up little tips here and there so yeah I'm still talking to my guy. What does he tell you and maybe how much impact has he had on your career? He had a big impact on my career like just me coming in as a rookie like looking up to him like looking how he carried himself like like his knowledge of the game you know everybody know Ben Jones was a guru in this football he could be a coach. So just picking his brain and he give me little pointers here about center like reading defenses and all sorts of things like that. How good is it to have a front like that? Watch you guys 101's you know you and Simmons, Arden Key everybody how good is it to have that group to kind of iron shoppers iron? No that's great as you said iron shoppers iron so like just being there to compete with the best of the best like every Simmons he won the top defense line man in the league and I say Arden Key he up there as well so like just having them guys and us going back and forth just getting the best out of each other that's that's amazing that's a blessing. Do you think like the Simmons power that archer just a blend of everything we were like you can go on and on. Does that really give you an opportunity to see pretty much everything you're going to encounter this evening? Right right that's exactly what it is like you get to see you get the power you get the speed you get the finesse like you getting best above where you see it and everything you're going to see. Are your snaps the same to all three guys or is there any alteration for any of them? One more time? Your snaps and then the same for all three quarterbacks or do you have to alter anything for any of them? No we keep it pretty consistent like we want to all be on the same page so no matter what center out there or what quarterback out there we all want to be consistent on the same page. Aaron how much do you weight now? Same my best thing 285-290 I stay between that range. Did you try gaining weight in the offseason or what was that like? I've been up there before like I didn't touch 300 before when I was college it was uncomfortable I done been at 295 before it's just a comfortable weight for my body and just my friend. How's Keranski doing? You worked in there beside of him what are you seeing out of him that maybe he's good maybe he's a little work whatever? He's like a hit his game I would say like he got good power good base like pass for a wild run game like he's a talented young dude he always got like some little things to work on but he's a solid player. What's he like off the field how does he get to know him going? He's a cool guy he's pretty chill he's pretty laid back talking in there with he's a chill guy. What's the process of building the offensive line in the chemistry how and toward are the next couple weeks with the pads on to taking it to the next step? This is very important because you know you just got to get that real feel like being in a pass getting that contact again so that's a big part. Pete was carrying four shoulder pads on himself he was walking out the field and carrying four helmets you guys kind of giving him a little rookie treatment? That's all the rookies it's not even just Pete OJ Jalen and say uh that's their job. Is it easier for him to be a little bit lighter centered than it was to be a little bit lighter guard? Absolutely because you know at guard like it's a contact every play you got the three tags two odds like you getting there every play so when you have there in the middle like you kind of assistant people you got your big nose guards or whatever but you pulling the ball so you setting the tempo for everything so it's a little different. Being a little lighter is it easier sometimes to slip through the crack and get to the second level on that linebacker? Absolutely I got like that's one of my pros about me like I'm fast so yeah. Coach said it would take 35 five-year-olds to tackle Derrick Henry in your box. 35 five-year-olds to tackle Derrick Henry in the box? I don't think it'd take 35 I think it'd take about a good like 200 maybe? 35 not enough. When you were five would you have taken on that task? I would. I went at them ankles. Uh no I love to talk. I love to talk like that. We just pushing each other. Just a little trash talking and nothing wrong with it. I enjoy it. I go back and forth with Jeff all day. What about Orton? Has he brought something extra to it as well? Oh yeah Orton like he high energy like he got that juice like all day every day that's just Orton so yeah he for sure got that juice. He talking a little trash here and there and he joking around but he all he gonna go out there and compete every day. We know all about who the best talkers on defense are. Who are the best talkers on you guys to say? The best talkers? Trash talkers? I don't see too many people trash talking. I say it's probably been me. Got good? Thanks. Appreciate it. I'm here. One of us. Obviously there's the first day in pads but how's the chemistry on the offensive line coming in and do you have a timetable even if you're not going to share it with us of when you'd like to settle in those first five? No don't really have anything. We'll kind of know when we've figured it out and we'll work through the games and you know a lot of practices were just a few days in here. You know looked like there were some good things there today. We'll see take a look at the tape but you know felt like there was good energy throughout the practice on both sides special teams drill so I thought we practiced with some speed. I thought there we stayed up and try to take care of each other and you know that's what we'll have to do come back tomorrow and do it again. Will kind of managing the ups and downs of this kind of work you started and how do you think you did today? I thought there were some good balls. I thought there were some good decisions down in the red zone. I thought he'd deliver the ball with some accuracy try to push it down the field and you know work the concepts that we had going in today just in the red zone so you know take a day by day there's going to be some good days there's going to be some bad days and you know learn from them and keep progressing but I thought you know offensively at least from the quarterback position we got you know some pretty good work today they were able to extend some plays or you know take off and run in the red zone which you know we have to be great at defensively as these quarterbacks that we play against their athletic and you know the reward for taking off in a red zone is a touchdown so you know we have to be great on our rush lanes and be able to affect the quarterback but you know not you know give up lanes where Malik took off today and Ryan took off once too. Tight spaces of the red zone maybe favorable for his quick release Will? You know I mean I hope that the accuracy and the decision making you know being on time and then certainly that the release anytime that you can you know get rid of the football and make it accurate that's always going to help. Brad J.P.B. is one of the award winners this off season just kind of what's he done differently this year? I think he's just moving better another year development and understanding what the NFL game is he's an intelligent player he knows all the spots across the front from base and nickel and understanding how to use his length he's such a long player be able to use his length without raising up and I think physically he's better he's better than where he was last year so I think that helps and you know he's out there so that means he's most likely improving and trying to develop a role. How is the caliber defensive line you have as good as what that group is how much does that help you as you're evaluating the offensive line and getting them ready? Well I mean I think that that group you know again we're not crowning anybody but you know they work hard and I think they're a world coach I think there's some talent and you know we hold them to a high standard so they're just working like everybody else you know I think some of the matchups you look at and again we're not game planning for Jeff or we're not game planning for anybody right now we're just trying to install and so you're able to evaluate you know how competitive they are against starting caliber football players How do you differentiate Gibbons and Rice? In what regard just be more specific here just trying to work through a competition yeah how are the games different strengths and weaknesses? I don't think just right now they're just trying to develop a role on this football team obviously you know Gibby's got a little bit more length Monny's probably a little bit you know quicker and maybe a little faster but other than that they both have been productive thus far and I thought they both showed up today you know I saw Monny show up on the sideline being able to run and go chase down Taj you know on a run so he showed up and again that's the play speed that we're talking about at that times last year about being around the ball and flying and that's good to see and so we'll keep having them in a competition and know that they'll continue to both get better President Matt seems to be catching passes more out front not letting me get into his body so much to give him a chance to turn up field and run is that something that maybe was a point of emphasis this off-season trip it's a point of emphasis for everybody to catch the ball in front of your eyes and not let it get into your body and where it bounces off a shoulder pad and into a safety's arm so they hear that ad nauseam you know from me and you know talking about doing that and letting him run through to catch and things like that and body control and stand on your feet and doing all those things after the catch where my blessings at since he's gotten his hand on a ball and there's both good today has he been everything you expected him to be since he's been it? Certainly having some consistency and a great understanding of what we're trying to do and the different coverages yeah keep working and jump in there and help the sound on punt return and I'm going to make sure that all those corners understand that they're going to play defense they're also going to have to have a role we'll have to have that from them but I think he's been consistent each and every day and understanding what we're asking him to do and each of the coverages players mentioned that they didn't want to get in any scrubs or fights because they'll be sent straight to the sand pit is that something you kind of addressed ahead of time and did you like that battle yeah I mean I think it's lazy I think it's it hurts the team you get thrown out of a game and so you throw a punch in the game they're going to throw you out of the game they're just going to review it I mean they're going to remove you from the game so we might as well practice those things now you know and try to make it an emphasis go as hard as you want don't throw a punch don't be the second guy they are going to see the second guy to retaliate it may even be a 15-yard penalty so you might as well practice the way we're hopefully going to play did you say corner or quarter well yeah I think it's been great you know I think it's been great I think that they you know all push each other and again you see them getting excited for each other and you're allowed to do that and still compete and still want to try to win the competition so I think they both have done some really good things there's some plays that both of them would like to have back again one day isn't going to make or break anything but hopefully we can come back tomorrow without a script and put the ball down and see how they function and operate and move through the different situations that we give them tomorrow and see how they lead their unit whether it's the second group or the third group and they'll both have opportunities with each of those different groups so I just I like where both of them are at it's I guess it's nice to have two young guys here that you can develop and work with I mean when he needs to throw it you know a little harder we want him to throw a little harder when when he needs to layer the football then we want him to layer it and not just layer it for the sake of layering it there was a ball yesterday where he should have ripped and he layered and Tray Sean made a hell of a catch but you know I don't think you kind of have to know when you need to put it on there with some heat and when you need to take a little bit off continue to move through with the installation you know tomorrow we'll start to you know we'll give them a script tonight and understand that no excuse me give them a game plan like a mock game plan like okay this is what we're gonna have up you know we've got five days of installation not all those plays will be up go home study these plays these are the plays in the first and second down different personnel so this will be our third down package and starting to understand that and see how they respond tomorrow to not having a script and looking at it in the morning and knowing oh I got this play I'm lining up here I think this is gonna be a huge day for us that we had today which was great and then tomorrow you know taking that next step of going out and just playing the game coming from the sideline that's what we'll probably do tonight and then obviously moving on to the other situations later in the week I mean yeah I mean it's just have to get open catch the ball and he's done that he's shown up different team periods and you know again playing that position as a young player there's a lot of stuff a lot of details a lot of alignments and motions and shifts and things that we try to do so the more that they can understand that and get lined up it gives them a chance to execute I mean I think everybody does that and that's what we ask them to do whether it's you know Ryan today had one behind you know DHOP and so you know he'll come out tomorrow and spot a couple of those throws up to DeAndre Will's gonna do the same thing with the things that Timmy and Charles and Pat will talk to him about this afternoon and Malik will do the same thing so I think they all you know everybody I think is coachable I think that's something that I love about this team is that they are coachable we're gonna try to coach as much as we can you know get them to the game and let them go play well again this is a player's league you know this is ultimately a player's league I love Chris's energy I think that they are coming together as a unit which I really love I think that you know I've seen development I've seen you know that connection with Christian and Roger so that's important and I think that's been something that's been great and always find ways to teach you know love the energy and love the way that those guys on the back end with Buck and Justin Hamilton and obviously Chris you know you see them all being able to grab guys that's the beauty of having all those guys there that they can all grab guys some young guys Jay Hamm meets with the young guys you know in the morning to get them prepared so I think they're off to a good start I don't even know if they could how many kids would die in the process I would imagine I don't know do I need to give you a number like a legitimate number what kind of how what's the area is it confined space within like they have okay so let's say he's got a ten-yard wide space it would probably take 35 you want to try it test it out sure as long as you're one of the five-year-olds good play speed I think that again he's got good ability to break on the football and run and I think that his speed and his is going to hopefully create some turnovers for us I think he's just got a good overall I mean he's been effective Blitzen when we've sent him so far and a lot of these some of these techniques are probably new and some of the defenses are probably new compared to where he was coming from but he's been open to learning them and receptive to that last one since you're in a seemingly good mood to answer this question ruin it by saying that all right jersey numbers that guys wear you wore 50 at New England I think you wore 93 maybe at Pittsburgh I had like five numbers in Pittsburgh I had whatever one that they gave me how attached were you to a jersey number did it mean anything in particular at 50 probably meant it did only mean something if you do something in it I guess or you're effective player literally I went through like three numbers in Pittsburgh you know I mean like my poor grandma couldn't keep track she didn't know I still played for the Steelers anymore I said no I changed my number she's like oh I didn't know you still played and I was like yeah I went from like 96 to 56 you know I mean I'd take like oh yeah I'll change 500 bucks you can have it