 What is the one thing you want to see this offense get better at this this season? No, I think we're trying to get better in everything we do trying to get better the way we Run the football the way that we protect the way we throw efficiency You know, that's what you do every year defense will have to try to get better and you know where we do things on special teams That's you know, that's all just part of it and you know, this is the next step right here Going down on an OTA's Well, I think if you know you look at what the program how the off-season schedule with you know phase one and conditioning You know you try to work you try to lift you try to install the stuff that you want to start doing Phase two allows you to start working some of those techniques that you'll be using And then the OTA the practice part of it allows you to try to go out there and use it to some degree You know against You know teammates and how we practice and so some of the run game stuff. I don't think is going to really translate and I'm certainly emphasis on throwing the ball and then protecting against live bodies and You know So I think that's we I thought we were more urgent today. I'm glad you guys weren't here yesterday But I thought that there was a sense urgency to get in and out of the huddle to communicate to get lined up So I think from that standpoint it was pretty functional Where have you seen improvement from Malik so far in the off-season program and what and what all does he need to show you to? earn a bigger role Well, we're only on play one quarterback Yep, so a bigger role Is going to be we're all they're all they're all trying to earn a starting position On every spot at every spot trying to earn a role But what we'd asked Malik to do is come back with a presence to him you know making sure that you know when you're the you know the quarterback and 32 NFL franchises, there's a certain demeanor or the way you have to carry yourself in a presence and You know a leadership and there's a lot that goes into That other than just delivering the football yet be really good at delivering the football and being accurate making great decisions with it and and making sure that it goes where it's supposed to go and and I felt like he did that he came back and you know was into it and You know there was certainly a bounce to him and he's continued to do that and Just early on in the in the evaluation process, but that's what he's done How have you seen obviously it's only been you know so long But how have you seen like that foundation being set for that fair competition between everyone and just you know No one backstabbing they're trying to help each other, but also make each other better Well, I would imagine that that's gone on You know since I would hope since I've been here, you know, I mean that we're gonna we're trying to provide competition at each and every spot and The players understand that that's our role. That's that's what we have to do as an organization And I think that they you know at each position Kind of figure that out and and understand that then when they take it You know when they it's their turn to have a rep or an opportunity And everybody else is encouraging them and also You know still trying to compete with them. So I don't think that that's ever been an issue It doesn't seem to generally but when you after the draft you automatically say you know wills third That's because Malik's been here, right? So how does that kind of nice? That's where you know things were going to start off You got to have some sort of order When you have Three players at one position whether that be an outside linebacker or running back You know so we're just we're going to evaluate them each and every day and continue to coach them and then You know got a long process go ahead I think what we'll have to do is keep the best in the right 53 and however that shakes out You know based on where we're at When we get to the end of August so You know if you keep three quarterbacks or you put a quarterback on the active roster on Saturday afternoon and put them on the 53 then He can dress until the other two guys Allegedly get hurt You're on the competition committee what's your thoughts is it does it help with the safety of the game or is it more of a We haven't done it so I couldn't tell you No, I know Teresa. I know just let me finish here and I'll do my best to answer your question I don't know if it's going to help With the safety because we haven't done it. The hope is that that it will Limit, you know the concussions that that occur on that play, you know, that's a highly If you just look at the percentages, you know and you know do you track them? And again, we understand that there's going to be some injuries involved in professional football and football at all levels We're just trying to mitigate those risks You know the average starting position after a kickoff was a 25.3 So, you know, I get there's gonna be some arguments against it. There's gonna be a lot of arguments for it I think it's a one-year trial And we'll go from there Dealing with injuries, you know since he's gotten here but said he's kind of figured things out this off-season in terms of How to manage that just what do you see his role being and he mentioned versatile to you wants to be more versatile Yeah, we've actually played him in the back part of the field a little bit and I think that'll be good for him It'll it'll help him You know expand that role and expand his versatility So they can easily come down and play play a nickel and you know, he was our pp on the punt team today So those are those are three valuable roles for a young defensive player and We need it we need every player that we can get out there healthy and and being able to use that versatility You know, we've talked about it, you know We talked about it in the off-season and just where we may need some some depth and what might him, you know with your playing You know substituted defense First different person else where you may want players we played Amani at nickel We played Elijah at nickel. We played a lot of guys in there and you know, it's more or less to try to give him another role Outside of just a nickel or maybe we're in a game We're playing a lot of base defense and and you need a Safety so instead of just having them always just being the being a corner conversation Figured it would translate from the nickel back to safety This drainage system on on that field last year and now Did you ever give any thought to making one of these fields turf to match? What's going in Nissan and is there any validity to the idea of practicing sometimes on what you play in outdoor? We give a lot of thought to a lot of different things and I would say that I thought of most of those things that you just brought up Why don't you decide that? Don't stop for him bad. Sorry When you have a leader like Kevin Byrd who isn't here, I mean obviously voluntary But did you keep in keep in touch with him kind of see what he's doing to kind of keep abreast with how he's Yeah, so I'm at the golf course on Sunday looks great and a great conversation So that was fun expect him to be here at OTA says I would expect him at some point time. Yeah Here no Sure the leadership I think is important I mean bet we guys all know Ben You know how much you know Ben meant to this organization is franchise to me personally as the teammates and so That the brew has to lead and we all know that that center is critical You know being being the keystone of that that offensive line And being able to lead in his own way and not try to be bad and have those conversations and you know I think he's off to a good start It's not perfect, but you could see his energy his enthusiasm and you hear him out there talking to guys and making checks so Yeah, I think you we're off to a good start, but it's early on why isn't practicing on the same stuff You'll play on something that you've thought to be Work I had I told you I have thought about it. I said everything that you mentioned I've thought about Because we can always just go to the stadium if we need to be on turf or for the turf in the bubble Being out there today still not signed but but going out there and going with you guys he show you anything in that regard No, I mean, I think the tarts working hard. I think he's trying to Continue to do the things that we're asking them to do and continue to to grow as a impactful disruptive Productive defensive linemen work on his conditioning and his health and his technique and you know, this is good This isn't his passing camp is good. You can work on body control and pass rush and You know saw some of those things today, which is which is good What what specifically are you looking for the next couple of weeks to take those next steps as you get closer? Well, I just did it's the operation, you know at this point in time. It's the conditioning It's how we it's how we're able to to compete against each other stay off the ground Stay away from the quarterback avoid collisions a lot of that is this time of year is just being able to know how to practice how to practice with speed without pads on and explaining that to to the rookies and understanding that That's a critical develop, you know for us to be able to evaluate them is how they can function and and go out There and play and practice when we don't have pads on Well, I mean, I think that they've they've adjusted well I think I didn't have a chance to watch the the end part there But you know, we'll see how that seven-on-seven looked and I think You're seeing guys getting lined up You're not seeing the quarterback having to stop or get guys on the other side and you know, so they've worked hard To try to figure out where they're supposed to be and you know continue to develop a role and working hard on special teams Dillard settled in here with the organization and just the way that he's adapting in that line room Well, I mean, I think you know, there's some new faces in there and so, you know, that takes time But you know, we're off to a good start and it continuing to grow and we'll keep coaching these guys as hard as they'll allow us And you know that that cohesion up front is critical You know with those five guys and you hear the D line communicating and talking and you know The old line has to be able to do the same thing and in work as a unit I mean think we're always trying to you know, there's a fine line between building a Relationship and making a connection, you know with these guys and then also holding them accountable And I think that that's the one thing that I've tried to do Since I've been here is to make sure that everybody is respected and make sure that everybody respects the people that work here and That helps us, you know help us all do our jobs and do them efficiently Chris has been a great Addition is a professional. He knows where to be knows what to do compete So we're happy to have him and I'm glad that he's you know recognized You know the the the the program or the culture that we've put in place here Tim was talking through some of the wide receivers and saying you can see what they do in their best work You know pointed to Nick in Washington and some of the other guys best games And just wondering if you look at the flip side of that is is it danger, you know Nick Nick did that had that great game in Washington But there was another game where he dropped a couple balls and you came in upset with him And if it's important to look at the total body of work or the mean as as what you've got Yeah, and I think there's the looking at when you look at any player or your evaluate You know, what is the reason? What is the reason for the mistake? You know trying to just get below the surface and you know Was it just a drop was it a focus was it? You know a timing issue, you know when you talk about a receiver or why did a player make a miss a tackle, you know Is it was a technique or was the guy just better? So I think that you know we can look at to the positives certainly, you know want to coach and then correct the things that You know weren't weren't very good What we call it a good the bad and the stuff to get you beat so When you look at it good, I think it's just being able to reinforce what they're capable of doing But then you know we have to eliminate some of the some of the mistakes that are made or We're talking about receivers making sure that they're playing to their strengths or what their route craft is and you know That we're making sure that we're asking them to do things that they can do Charles London taking part in the coach accelerate report or have good opportunities that for them And what do you hope they take from it? Well, I hope they take advantage of the opportunity I hope they go up there and they show show everyone involved their personality their Make a connection with those potential You know men and women that are going to be making the hiring those are two valuable people of our staff and we've got much more deserving People as well, but the NFL had decided to make it You know, I think it'll maybe a little smaller than last year and then really wanted to have Some of the people that that went there last year come back. I think that was part of their you know program We had we nominated as many people that we felt like we're deserving But then ultimately they're the ones that decide and you know happy for Charles and Tony and text them in the morning each And every morning and just said hey, we miss you but you know Make sure that you guys do a great job up there and present yourselves the the way that you want everybody to see you Peter out here when he gets a chance to go up against like Jeff as coach you look forward to that moment Well, they don't have pads on you know, I mean, but I think that this is a great opportunity for you know any young player that you know sees You know a veteran player that they've watched on TV or they've seen in the Pro Bowl or they've seen have a lot of success and You know, I'm sure there's a little bit of You know something that may go down the inside of their pant leg the first or second time But they'll get over it. You know, I mean like that that's part of this game and the learning process and we've all been there and You know Jeff Jeff's bark is a lot worse than his bite. I told him don't worry about it. They'll be fine But and then you see Jeff encouraging these guys and coming to the offense I mean, he knows how to practice and I we're very thankful and appreciative of the effort that he goes and we got to you know, take care of him plays a lot of snaps for us But you know, that's good that these guys can go against him at year and ardent and all these guys and hopefully pretty soon You know Harold and you know try to make each other better gentry. Go ahead. I know you've been waiting Kb's always been a guy such high-fi How concerning is it to you when that guy, you know, isn't here right now No, I mean, there's been there's been years where Kb hasn't been here You know, I mean, I know Kb's working hard and we're staying in contact with him and you know Buck meets with him on zoom and get the installation and I mean if we're concerned about Kb and his level of fitness and commitment That that's that's not a concern. I mean he has a family and he's an established player and we would want them all here But it's voluntary and there were told these guys there were years where I didn't go to New England You communicate and he's communicated and so I'm very very confident that you know when Kb comes back He'll be in shape and he'll be ready to go and he'll know what to do and he'll be the same great teammate that he always is Talk from the players about a little bit more up-tempo here in the off-season so far Kind of can you tell us what you can about that and you know why that might be important and you know kind of what you're looking to accomplish? Yeah We want to make sure that that we're as efficient as we can be. Okay, whether you want to call out tempo Playing fast, whatever it may be. We want to make sure that we that we're efficient Efficient in how I communicate with the quarterbacks Efficient how the quarterbacks communicate with with the line of scrimmage at the line of scrimmage And really try to take as much thinking out of it as possible We want our guys to be able to go up there and and play fast and And I think all that starts with with really the communication portion of it Willis this off-season obviously you're changing the offense, but you're also asking him to change kind of the style he plays Yeah, you know with Malik he's done a great job of doing everything that we've asked him to do He's come in. He's put in the time. He's put in extra work Studying our offense studying defensive football Malik's done a great job of doing all that and as far as changing, you know, how he plays I don't know if that's a fair thing to say. He's got such a unique skill skill set and You know, when he's out there and he's playing fast, you can really see those those traits flourish So we want to make sure that that as we do with everybody We want to continue to put our guys in in positions and spots to where they can go out And they they can execute and they can play to their strengths No, you want him to develop and you still you have a rookie now and levers as you have to develop How do you go about distributing the reps and getting tannahill ready in your new office? Yeah you know that that's a Big part of our job, especially at this time of year. So Our guys again in the classroom going through all the work up until this point have been good Learning asking questions one another Asking questions that Charles to J. Oh to myself who whoever You know can help him out with the answer And and as far as developing, you know Malik He's you know yesterday came out here and did a good job executing on the opportunity Opportunities that he got and so each day we're gonna look to do the same thing there You have special stuff built for him I mean, we're gonna have special things built for for all of our people that have unique skill sets Well, that's trailing or whether that's Ryan or whether that's Derek, you know chig the Kyle You have a list of players that all all provide different You know skills and can provide different advantages if we do a good job of using them properly Like this coming in maybe with some of the early things he needs to hone in on as he starts his career Sure, obviously the physical traits, you know, he's big. He's strong. He's fast. He's got a good release Quick release is very smart So, you know, he's he's done a good job being able to come in and we've thrown a lot of Adam early on And like any rookie, right? He's he's learning how to be a pro and there's different challenges that go along with that But we'll done a good job of of being able to put in the time putting the work and Really come and do things the way that we want him to do it Yeah Mentioned him kind of you taking him under his wing last year as a rookie How have you seen his growth and what do you see in terms of his potential this season? Yeah, ultimately we want to see trailing out there playing fast again, I know Kind of the theme has been the tempo and all that or not But being able to go out there and play fast and and again eliminate the thinking and let him go and do what he does best Be big be strong, you know play strong with the ball in his hands. Go be physical And you know, he's done a great job of that. Obviously, we've only been playing football really against the defense for a day But everything that he's displayed so far throughout the coaching sessions and obviously yesterday He's done a good job doing that Yeah, you know, there's obviously growth there And again a lot of it comes back to What's going to be best for us? What players are going to be on the field that are going to allow us to take advantage of different mismatches and different opportunities? And again similar to the different players that we've already talked about Obviously, there's different guys with different skill sets back there You mentioned Kyle obviously last year we didn't get to see a lot of them based based on the injuries How much of a weapon can he be and how different is he maybe then then most of your offensive weapon? Yeah, you know Kyle's Kyle's got a good feel for for running routes went in his routes Being able to utilize a shorter-air quickness, you know, you see similar traits with Mason Kinsey his ability to play inside of the formation You know be able to get into different match-ups, you know with with different types of players inside So, you know all those guys is especially that kind of fit that mold Are gonna are gonna allow us to be able to take advantage of different match-ups if the opportunity presents themselves This are different in regards to installation and such or some easier summer harder So far how you felt that everybody's adapted to this as you've gone along Yeah, you know, I've been pleased again, we've I think we had whatever it was 20 snaps of football yesterday So, you know as as the installation starts to build hopefully I still feel the same way But again, though the work ethic that the guys are showing coming in every day and learning and We haven't really you know pulled any punches. We've been giving them everything and Seeing what they can retain seeing what they can handle And so far things have been good Dillard and kind of going back and forth between those two to you have a plan as to you know Given so many reps to one so near up to the other. Yeah, you know just like every other position on our team It's gonna be all about you know the competition and figuring out which group of guys up front is gonna give us the best chance to be successful With this offense, how is it? Is it something where you came in and re-overhauled everything? Is it more tweaks and just you know working around the edges and trying to get improvement with the personnel on hand? Yeah, I wouldn't say it's a complete overhaul. I mean obviously there's this this program There's done a lot of really good things offensively throughout the year So you know just like we talked about whenever the last time I talked to you guys was it was it's gonna be about make sure that We're accentuated the things that we do well and being able to make minor adjustments to some of the areas where we need to Yeah, you know again, I feel like it would be unfair for me to give that answer right now just because there's such a small sample size You know once we start getting going and once they they they get in a good shape And they're really running out there and playing fast and I think we'll have a better Measure as to where they're at really but like I said, I'm pleased with how yesterday went Last year before he got hurt there was a sense of excitement and build up around racing McMath Where does he stand now? Yeah, I mean, I think he stands with everybody in that room was who's coming I mean he's been here every day, and he's been running they've all been running and they've been doing a great job trying to build chemistry With Ryan with Malika and over the past, you know week or so with will So he's he's been out here every single day putting in the time and he looks great running Dissertively faster on offense, which was a theme I mean Yeah, if we can go up and again some of it comes into Our ability to go out and execute in and play to their to their speed whether it that's a 4-4 or 4-6 whatever Our job is coaches to make sure that those guys are playing as fast as they can and making sure that they're playing as efficiently as possible and More in the process of doing that, but again, I think we're off to a good start Chris Moore is doing a great job. Obviously have some experience with him with our time back in Houston He's a pro. He comes in every day. He prepares. He works. He runs And he's been a good addition in the room Yeah, I mean, I think it's fair to say that that Everybody up front right now is competing for a job. You know I mean so it we've got a long time until we play our first game And so, you know, we're gonna figure out which five is gonna give us the best chance to win Because I've seen these guys play I've seen these guys make plays in big games. You want to talk about Nick Westbrook You can go watch the Washington Redskins or the commander's film Excuse me last year when he went up and made a huge play for us You want to talk about Kyle Phillips? You can go and watch the New York Giants film when he caught a play or Blow out at the end of the two-minute drive to put us in position to win the game You want to talk about trailing Berks? You can go ahead and watch the Cincinnati Bangles game when he went up over the top on the deep ball I mean, there's examples you can Turn on the Cowboys game won't go watch Racy. You can watch all the catches that Chris had There's enough examples of all these guys making plays at this level It's just our job to make sure that we can get him to do it consistently That's the best film of every guy in Envision now I mean, I think you watched Talking about their games where Nick was dropping balls where where Racy, you know, has four career catches or something like that There's a lot of film that doesn't show what you're talking about So what's the question there so so is it your strategy or your philosophy that you look at the best film and Envision? That's what a guy is. Yeah, you know different than some people obviously, you know Folks on the negative is no way to kind of go through life So we don't really want to do that Paul We want to make sure that we're doing a good job of helping our guys go out there and reach their potential And again, I think as you turn on the tape You're able to see these guys make plays and it's at the highest level of competition So I've got to do a good job Our position coaches have to do a good job of making sure that we're able to put those guys in positions Consistently to where they can go and win What about the tight end position? You know, you already you already have chig now you add Josh Wiley How excited are you to have a couple guys that you know could do so many things? Yeah, you know, that's a In this offense, it's a tough position to learn because we're gonna ask them to do a lot They're involved in the run game. They're involved the past protection. They're involved in getting out in the past game And having having players again with versatile skill sets that we can go out there and ask them to do multiple things in the line Of different positions is only going to help their their value and help us get them on the field on Sundays You mentioned the offensive line, but you didn't mention MPF. How has he progressed from his rookie season to what you've seen so far? I mean, I think you guys will see him when he comes out here. He's bigger. He's stronger. He's playing with more confidence And again, I think that's fair to say about most of these second-year players now They know what that what it means to be a pro and and what our expectations are and what our standards are here But Nick's had a good a good however many weeks since he's been here And we're looking to see that that growth continue As a compliment to Derek and maybe what could he bring new to this office that it hasn't had yeah I mean, I wouldn't say that we haven't had it But they have they have totally different skill sets. Obviously you just look at them walk inside by side And I think that's pretty clear to see But no Taj has done a good job coming here and and again with as much as we put on them and you know Obviously running the ball and past protection and then being able to take advantage of his skill set to be able to go and win One-on-one matchups He's done a good job. So hopefully he can put another good day together. We can continue to grow Seeing Harold, I don't know at what stage he is right now, but just the fact that he is kind of back presumably You know working out and so forth. Oh, is that yeah, it's good. It's good to have him back I mean anytime those guys go through injuries like that during the season. They kind of dripped off Drift away go get their surgeries and rehab and we're so consumed with everything going on a week to week It's hard to really stay connected to those guys. So now having them here working I know he's gonna be working as hard as anybody to get back out there Been a long process for him here leading up to this point and he's in meetings He's back in involved with the guys and rounds. So it's great to have Case-by-case basis, but there's a bit of a cautionary tale with ACL returns here With what we saw from Bud on the other side of the ball with Lawn and Conklin first year back has been kind of a Trial what what kind of do you talk to a guy? About like the expectations coming back from that. Yeah, I think you said it I mean, I think all of them are case-by-case and has a lot to do with the injury how severe of the extent of it Everybody kind of heals differently from that stuff. I think the mindset's a big part of it Whenever these guys are coming back just where their minds that obviously taking that first hit whatever that might be The confidence they have in that ACL Repair as they get back to it But the expectation for Harold man is just do everything you can to get as healthy as strong as you can possibly be Stay engaged with us meeting wise and he's always been smart. He's always been able to handle everything. We've asked of him And then just be ready to go and we got to really take it based on what he says Like it's up to Harold ultimately with where he's at and as things progress and we'll kind of see where he is as we get going At the end of last season that he had had the surgery he felt like that would cause his speed to return How's he looked thus far? Yeah, he's working his way back right now. So I mean, he's a meeting He's doing stuff But he continues to work with Todd in our training staff to do things to get himself ready to go and whenever he's Available to us to get back out and do some things it will be I know Kevin wasn't initially at OTA. I don't know if he is there or not, but I Guess how much of an absence if he's not here, you know, does that mean for leadership? Yeah Obviously, he's he's a huge part of what we do here He's been our leader him along with Jeff Harold some of these guys that played a ton of snaps for us They're reliable. They're dependable in all aspects of what it takes to play at this level at a high level so Again, like it's a business. We all understand that Everybody has a different way about how they train in the offseason. It's no no secret Some guys do things differently. Some guys are here. Some guys aren't it's not just Kevin, you know, so He's a big part of what we do. I will say I think for the young guys, they miss it You know, like I have I have zero zero doubt that Kevin Byers not gonna be ready to go when he gets here All right, he's he works his butt off. He does everything the right way. He's a pro's pro He knows what we do schematically. He communicates. I think really for me. It's the It's the leadership that those young guys see and they're gonna learn pretty quickly what Kevin Byer it is And why he's so successful the moment he steps in this door, but I mean It's part of the business, you know, it's part of the league some guys here some art and I have no doubt Kevin's gonna be ready to go when he does walk through that door Do you feel comfortable that he's in a good spot with the team? Yeah, we'll see. I mean, I think so I have no I have no reservations about Kevin When it comes to Christian Fulton and just kind of the injuries he dealt with throughout the season What was the importance that you stressed going into the offseason for him because it looks like he's been doing a lot Different workouts. I don't know where he is. Yeah Yeah, he looks he looks good. He looks bigger. He looks stronger. He looks healthier It's a big year for Christian. He knows it. We know it going in the final year of his deal So I would expect him to put his best foot forward to do everything he can to be out there It's tough to produce tough to eventually earn a contract if you're not out there doing it So everything you can preventive lies to get himself ready to go where he can last 17 games 18 games, whatever it might end up being for us Think about disease before he got here and maybe one of your early impressions been of him Yeah, he He's a pro like you can tell he's he understands football. He's passionate about football He's a leader. You hear him talking to younger guys. You hear him talking to the unit Very very excited about him and what he's gonna add to our defense I'm extremely excited to add Chris the energy you feel it every single minute from him I think just his perspective on the back end some different things Schematically technique wise think it's refreshing for those guys. They hear something new He's been really good for so far and I'm excited about where this thing goes with him here Leading into training camp, what are the one or two most important things you really want to accomplish right now? Yeah, I think for us like There's a lot of competition for us defensively. There is maybe not at some starting spots But in terms of our depth and everything else, so I want to see guys start to grasp What they're what we're asking them to do Understanding the scheme and then find ways to separate themselves We're looking for guys who are ready to kind of take the next step and Embrace the opportunity and grab hold of some of those roles that are out there right now Yeah, he he's very versatile like he's rushed inside plays outside He'll be on the edge for us and then he's got the versatility to go inside if we need him to and he's had success at both spots So he's another great addition for us his energy is Contagious throughout the room when he's when he's not here, you you know like you know, he's not here Whether somebody tells you or not just because you don't feel his presence I think he's got a good rapport with all the guys that we brought in and the guys that are here that we've had here So I'm excited about art and I think there's a lot of big things ahead of him for here for him Stay with crow now or you're a lot thinner at defensive end. Is he more of a Yeah, he's kind of went back and forth throughout his time here last year. He was in crow's room, you know So he's he's been in crow's room. We do a lot like when we get to some of the sub stuff We do a lot together in there. Anyway, those those four are usually all meeting together So there'll be times he's he's with crow those be times He's got to go with T for certain things that we're doing schematically but really I mean like a lot of teams only have a D line coach they coach the heads you guys in the inside guys Right, so there's a lot of similarities among them. We're all speaking the same language When you reviewed last year, what you're not like, what are some of the things this off-season that you're working on from the get-go to get better at? Yeah, I think I mean going back to our bi-week from last year early in the year It was the X place like the explosive passing place killed us That's something we got to get corrected We got to start out the gate trying to limit those make these offenses earn it and drive the field That's one area continuing to enhance our pass coverage Obviously not good enough and we saw we saw a lot more passes than any other team I think we're close to over 50 more passes against us than any other team whether that's the tribute to teams wanting to throw the ball on us because they have success or us being able to stop the run But we got to continue to enhance and we got to improve our pass coverage whether whatever the scheme is just our execution And with that comes the rush obviously it's all tied together, but that's another bigger focus for us this off-season Yeah, I mean anytime your rotating guys and playing different guys that comes into play a little bit I've spoken up before the communication back there. It's critical I mean we're in a unit meeting this morning I was talking to the guys about the line and messes up and they're not on the same page You got a linebacker a safety a corner. Somebody's usually gonna make them right for a minimal game If you ain't right in the back end, it's usually a touchdown, right? So just their their understanding of how important Having each other's backs and being on the same page and being able to execute whatever we ask of them But do you feel like the front four the guys you've got there how heavily invested you are gives you a chance in every game Yeah, that's the expectation like they're they're out there They're here for a reason and it's to be disruptive to cause havoc and to do whatever we can to keep the other team from scoring, right? That's our job We got exceptional exceptional players up front. I'm excited about them. I'm excited about where this thing's going I think we've added some really good pieces as well We just got to continue to work continue to mesh Get the new guys implemented in the kind of our system what we do, but I do I think we got a talented group up there What about weaver and who may be else on this roster right now somebody that can step up on the day Yeah, we've stepped up for us last year. He did a really good job when he was in there for us last year He's working his butt off right now the same things Progressing improving. I was talked about year one to year two. He showed improvement, right? And he was injured I think early year one and now getting getting the year two to year three is time for him to take another big Step and I think he expects it of himself and we expect of him He's fighting in the mix for you and does he push who's that Murphy bunting and does he end up maybe pushing Roger? Inside or have you made that decision? Yeah I think anytime we can add quality football players out there whether they play inside whether put they play outside the versatility is always a Plus right when you got the flexibility to move guys based on injury or based on Whoever you're possibly going up against is a plus for us, but having him here has been a good addition I think just the experience He's kind of taking a leadership in that leadership role in that room already You know just from being around from playing having success in this league, so I'm encouraged I think the competition out there is going to be high here as we get going in OTA's in a training camp and hopefully pushes all of them to improve Yeah, I mean we just found out about it that the league just end up approving it So we're probably going to dig into it a little bit more You know these next couple days and find out what's what's really going on as far as all the rules are So we'll find out here in the next couple days of what we like and what we don't like about it Sure sure obviously if you call for a fair catch and You know you end up catching the ball it'll start at the 25-yard line So there's going to be a bunch of different things you could have two returners instead of one back there There could be all different types of things scenarios that could happen with that so again We'll dig into it and find out what works best for us You know it's it's early on obviously this is what the all season is for we're going to try a lot of guys out there We obviously like his skill set coming out of college, so But yes, it's a little bit too early, but we're going to try them out there and see how that works Yeah, you can look at it two different ways a running back obviously he's going to run it there He's going to see gaps a little bit different than a wide receiver because the receivers out there in space a little bit more We're a running back They're going to be able to set things up a little bit more on their running style So I don't know if it's good To either have a running back or a receiver whoever fits best is going to be back there Cordell Patterson obviously came in as a wide receiver and he's one of the top guys to ever play it So yeah, it really doesn't really matter as far as the skill set receiver or running back We just want to find the best guy back there As far as returners, yeah Again, we'll all season here We're going to try out as many guys as we possibly can pump returner with Kyle Phillips back there We'll try Tajay out there It's just going to be a number of guys that are going to be back there and we'll find out who's best for our team Yeah, obviously cable shoot act He's one of the guys Trey Wolf we brought him in as an undrafted free agent Those guys have been doing a really good job this all season and we'll let them battle it out through OTA's veteran mini camp and then training camp and we'll see who ends up winning But feel really good about both of them right now Both obviously have some good strengths and some weaknesses and we'll continue to work with them and find out who's the best for us I mean we're always looking But we like what they're doing right now In fact, I think both of them only missed two kicks so far this year as far as the offseason is concerned So they're doing a really good job But we'll always be looking and trying to find ways to improve our football team and You know if Caleb or Trey ends up winning the battle will be a hundred percent behind them and see what goes on from there Yeah, I mean as far as the return game is we just got to have someone back there who can catch the ball consistently you know we tried some guys out in the past and You know, we'll continue to work with new guys and find that out and then once we catch the ball I think when you look back at our some of our stats We do a pretty good job when Kyle Phillips caught the very first one. He had 46 yards We just got to continue to work with him being more consistent obviously of catching the ball And I'm sorry your second part of your question besides the return game Yeah, you know, that's that's probably the million-dollar question that everyone asks every year is what's going on with the kicker part But we're we're continue to look Just like the answer I said beforehand of finding new competition We thought Randy was you know, he was 17 for 20 at 85 percent last year Which is I wouldn't say it's the top, but it's it's a pretty good average when you get up close to 85 percent How much does need a guy who can hit from consistently from 50 plus need to be a factor? Yeah, I you know, yeah, you can look at it that way, but I'm looking at more of the money zone from 40 to 49 yards You know if we can make consistently consistent kicks from there great 50 50 plus With also great too, but I wouldn't say that that's a major thing that we're gonna be looking at We just want to come have a guy that's gonna be consistent in everything that he does Standards of love for for returners you want them to catch the ball for kickers 49 yards is your limit meanwhile around the league that kicks over 50 yards or off the charts and Catching the ball is a presumption that every team sure I would say going on to the kicking part first I want to say 49 is our top limit. I just want our 40 to 49 to be very consistent And then with 50 plus that's great. You're right We got a kick field goals from 50 plus. There's no doubt about that We're really focused in on the 40 to 49 right now in the off-season and we'll continue to work with 50 or 50 plus Going to your punt returner situation. Yes, we want more than just a guy that can go and catch the ball Obviously, that's not what we're looking for. We're looking for a guy who can catch it Make a guy missing space get us the first first down is what we're looking for And be able to break a big one But as you can see from last year, we just want a guy that's back there catch the ball Get up field get that first first down and go Great rookie season, but what are some of the things that you sent him into the off-season with and that you guys are good? Continue to harp on this year. Yeah You know Ryan obviously had a great year last year the best part about him the day after our last game he was in my office trying to find ways to improve and That's the type of player he is and so we'll can we'll continue to work with him on more hang time That's going to be one of the biggest things that we're going to work on in the off-season is We want to match that distance with hang time We don't want a ball that's 70 yards and the hang time at 4.0. That's not good for our coverage units We want to try to match that as much as possible So we're going to be looking to get a little bit more hang time Allowing our guys to go down there and make plays last year We only had four fair catches in field punts. So we want that number to be a lot higher than it was So that's one of the biggest things that we're working on with Ryan What was it that made you want to bring Anthony Levine aboard and how do you see his role? You know helping you out on special team. Great question. Here's when I Really saw Anthony Levine And a guy that I always looked at as being a smart intelligent Football player we played them a couple years ago at Baltimore and we ran a fake with Logan Woodside We brought our quarterback in to play PP. Well, they didn't have a corner outside One of their guys didn't show up Anthony was smart enough to see it. He went out there and almost broke up the pass. We still completed on him, but But that's the type of player. That's a smart instinctual player And I've heard a bunch of great things about him being a leader when he was a player there He worked in the personnel worked in the coaching aspect and just a lot of people end up talking about What a great guy that he is and players looked up to him and a Lot of the people there for the Ravens thought he had a bright future and he's been great Players have really bought into him already So I'm really excited He's gonna bring plenty energy when you guys see him out on the practice field, which is awesome Yeah, he's going on a 17th year in the league 11 years as a special teams coordinator Very similar to what chase was as far as another guy had been a special teams coordinator So it's gonna be great to bounce ideas off of him him coming into my office a bunch and we're just talking football scheme related Personnel obviously he's been around the NFL for a very long time. So I'm really looking forward to developing that relationship even more with him Because a guy who has close to 17 years in the NFL I mean if we don't use him to our advantage, that's just bad on our part Obviously 180 players in two years is challenging on every coach on the staff But you're generally working with the back half of the roster. How challenging has been for you with that rotation? Well, I think that's the best part about being a special teams coordinator each year. You're working with new players Whether it's in the offseason training camp during the season Like you said, we've used plenty of players But I think that's the best part of my job is I get to work with a bunch of different guys and try to develop them on the field technique Fundamentals and then also building some leadership qualities with those guys This year we've got, you know, totally new team basically We lost Joe Jones Dylan Cole guys who have been really successful in special teams the past couple years So looking forward to some guys stepping up, you know, we have Morgan Cox Who's been around the league for a very long time Luke Gifford we signed with from the Cowboys Looking for those guys to step up a little bit and then our younger guys who did a really good job for us chig and Asan Haskins we're looking for them to take the next step up for us