 It was just the best thing for me and my family to take in a couple extra weeks finishing up a renovation in Florida and it felt like the best thing for me to mentally and physically prepare was spend a couple extra weeks with my family and then started phase two here to work with the guys on the field. Do you think there's a leadership element to the starting quarterback being here or do you think it doesn't matter? You know I think that it's important to get on the same page with the guys and that's what the spring is for to reinforce the details and the fundamentals that this organization is built on and we got plenty of time, a lot of time to be able to do that. We're able to kind of slow things down at this time of the year and focus on the details. We're doing that right now in the meeting room on the field, translating it from the meeting room to the field able to talk through the details on all the reps with the receivers. So we're getting some really good working right now and you know thankful to be here and have the time to do it. Did you consider optics at all when you're sending out social media stuff from the boat or up to 20 questions while guys are here together? Yeah I'm working just because I was at home doesn't mean I was you know relaxing. You know I'm working, I'm throwing, I'm running, I'm getting myself mentally and physically ready to go. I'm having conversations with Tide, making sure I'm on top of all the information that the guys are getting. You know we've been through it the past couple years of no off season, of kind of a shorter off season last year where I was just here for OTA's and you know I've kind of figured out that you know one size doesn't fit all for the off season program and I kind of know what I need to do mentally and physically to get myself in the best position to go in with a full head of steam into August and training camp into the season and you know that's what I do. Have you ever set the media boards off putting the fans in the last time they saw you? I mean that's them, they'll be the judge. You know I don't post a whole lot on social media. You know some of the stuff that I did post was taken in March and April and just put it up in that time. So wasn't, I think you may be referring to a post, Celsius post that I was on the boat, you know that was taken in March. You know I wasn't even on the boat last week so you know I think you read too much into that and you can read it how you want but at the end of the day I know I'm doing whatever I need to do to get myself you know ready to go and communicating to get on the same page with my teammates and get us all ready to go and win games in the fall. How much is it? The playoff loss still linger with you and bother you and do you I guess listen to any of the things that are said you know in terms of people wanting to put the blame on you for that loss? It's a scar, it's a deep scar you know it was a lot of sleepless nights. Every time I closed my eyes I was rewatching the game in my head. Didn't get a whole lot of sleep for weeks and weeks after the game. Was in a dark place and took me a while and a lot of work to get out of it. You know it wasn't something that went away easily and it's still a scar that I'll carry with me you know throughout the rest of my life you know but just like a cut on your arm you know starts off as a wound you're able to heal from it and it turns into a scar. It never leaves you but it's always there and it can remind you and now it's fuel for me. It's fuel for me to work and get ready with a passion and come into the season with a fire and you know a desire to win like I've never had before. What's your reaction to losing AJ who was your top target the last three years? How it hurt you know obviously professionally it hurt you know top target you know heck of a football player made big plays for us consistently over the last three years. Personally it hurt you know AJ is a good friend have a lot of great times great memories on and off the field with him just not being able to see him see him on a daily basis is it's gonna be different it's gonna be hard you know happy to see him you know get get get what he wanted but at the end of the day it hurts and it hurts. Do you know that's where the relationship between the two sides was heading when you were close? Yeah I was in communication with AJ you know kind of throughout the whole off season honestly I thought you're gonna get it done you know I thought it was you know everyone trying to play their leverage as part of the game you know you know everyone's trying to get the best deal the team's trying to do the best thing for the team and the players trying to do the best thing for the player and just in my heart I thought we're gonna have AJ here for a long time and unfortunately it didn't work out you know we had to do what had to be done but it doesn't take this thing away you know I think I was shocked I when I first found out I'm like you know this isn't real this isn't happening it's a rumor and then talk to AJ found out it was real and you know slept terrible that night and you know kept thinking like it's just a bad dream but that's where we're at. Do you have a suitable contender without him? Yeah no doubt I think we can be you know obviously every every year is a new journey it's a new opportunity to build a new team we're adding new pieces you know I'm excited about trailing a guy who you know has a lot of traits and characteristics that I think fit our team well had some great conversations with him and excited to add him to the mix you know I don't think we can mix the two of losing AJ and the pain let that take away anything that trailing brings to the table you know and I told trailing that yeah I was tight with AJ I am tight with AJ gonna miss him but I'm also excited to add trailing and what he brings I think he has you know a lot of things like I said they can help us it's just a matter of getting him up to speed and getting on the same page it's gonna take a lot of work a lot of effort from everyone involved myself coaching staff trailing and all the rookies you know it's not just trailing you know it's a bunch of guys we've added and it's every year it takes a lot of effort and intentionality and time but you know if we do it right we'll be able to build a team and go win games in the fall Did you first talk to trailing and do you see like similarities between his game and AJ's game like yards after the catch etc. Yeah I text trailing the night of the draft you know I didn't hear back from him I'd be calling him the next day and having a conversation with him or Sunday maybe and having a conversation Saturday having a conversation with him yeah I think obviously he's big he's strong he's tough he's physical you know just talking to him he's excited he wants to work and that's kind of what this team this organization is built upon is we're gonna work hard we're gonna have a specific mindset and take that to the field every time we touch it so I think he kind of initially fits what we're looking for you know only time will tell if we can really you know get his best out of him and if he's going to come in and make the impact we think he can and you know did that come as a surprise to you and you know what have your conversations been like with John and Mike and I guess even Malik since then yeah I texted Malik right after we drafted him as well yeah I wasn't informed of that beforehand but same thing with AJ right the team's gonna do the best thing that they think is best interest of the team and you know I have no problem with Malik and you know we're looking to add talent and guys that can help us so you know we'll add him to the room and go from there you mentioned being in a dark place after the Bengals game what did it take to get out of that or do you feel like you're still maybe in that dark place no I've kind of worked through it you know like I said it's a scar that sticks with me but therapy you know talking to people time all the above yeah it was tough you know it was tough you know it's not a situation you want to be in you know you prepare so long and so hard to put yourself in the position to go chase your dreams and to go out and play beneath the standard that I have for myself it's stung, hurt and like I said a lot of sleepless nights a lot of reflecting re-watching the game over and over in my head but yeah it took a lot of work to get through it you know it wasn't a day it wasn't a week it was weeks and weeks and weeks to to get through it you know a lot of sessions and you know at this point I can look back at it recognize it for what it was and learn from it and move on had therapy been something you'd done before Ryan or was that new after this? no I've you know been doing that for a little while now but definitely you know I think this is the first time that probably I absolutely needed to pull me out of a dark space with the team working out how much will that also help the healing process putting in those reps getting back to work in that routine how much are you looking forward to that and also kind of helping towards that healing process all together yeah no doubt you know I think you know as the offseason kind of went on and I started to get through those things then then we kind of go through free agency and you know start to get that spark back start to get that excitement that energy back then obviously being here this week and being in the building being around the guys being on the field able to talk through we have so many guys that are working hard and trying to absorb as much information as they can so being able to coach them on the field and go through these reps has really been really good for me and I think all of us so yeah just carrying that spark with me that fire with me that you know I can think back to that scar that I got in January and carry that fire with me forward you talked to Robert Woods and what's a guy like that him and Austin here both bring to the team yeah really excited about Robert man he's a he's a good dude obviously a talented player veteran player he's played a lot of football knows the game really well you talk to him and you can just feel his passion his energy you know excited to leave this and go watch tape with him you know after this this session here so I'm looking forward to get to know even better but it fits what we were all about here and a guy who wants to make an impact for us you know not as good as your 20 or 19 season I think a lot of good a lot of good and a lot of bad and a lot of things went into it you know it wasn't one thing or another you know we broke down all the turnovers and what led to those and it wasn't you know any one specific area that they really jumped up you know it was just you know a little bit here a little bit here with some and you get the you know the big growth so just taking a step back and re-evaluating those things and you know seeing where I can improve upon going forward Tim Kelly and how much have you gotten to know him and what do you expect him to bring to the passing game yeah I just met him yesterday you know been on the field with him a couple days now obviously a veteran coach he's been around knows the game really well he's coaching hard out there he's very involved in and what we're doing so you know excited to have him on board anytime you can add a good quality coach it's going to help you so we'll get to know him better as as the year goes on but excited to have a veteran coach who knows the game it's going to help us to tweak or just kind of start the process yeah we're just starting the process you know we're early on you know I'm here second day here so you know I'll get to know him better as as the the off season goes on the year goes on but like I said excited to have another veteran coach on board Ryan what would you say to those who think you're not the quarterback to leave this team to a Super Bowl I mean everyone's entitled to their own opinion but I have the utmost confidence in myself and know I have everything it takes so I know I'm going to come come this year with a fire and a passion like I've talked about and and attack this season and know that you know I have to go play my best football in January so you know like I said everyone's entitled to their own opinion but I have the utmost confidence in myself you know I think my teammates have confidence in me and so at the end of the day that's all that matters to me obviously you negotiate everything you could your reps did and the restructure that will put you with the highest cap number in the league which is one of the things that kind of handcuffs things like signing AJ Brown is that kind of a complicated thing to be in the middle of financially I mean that was done that was done last year and you know the deal was done three years ago at this point so you know I don't overthink overthink that type of thing it kind of is what it is you know you look around the league and and every guy is trying to do what's best for him and every team is trying to do what's best for him so I don't overthink that no injuries and what happened in Miami the trade and coming here but this is kind of the first time I've really faced it here what made it so hard compared to what you went through earlier in your career and do you feel more pressure now coming into this season to I guess prove yourself all over again yeah I don't know if I'm going to prove myself you know I have a a personal desire to go win at the end of the day that's what fuels me is my personal desire I love winning I love competing with my teammates I love the work that goes into preparing and the payoff you get when you do win you know so that's what I'm going to do is attack every day like I always have with a little more action a little more fire and excited to go out this season and play my best ball the option is obvious ultimately probably his goal is to take your job I mean that's part of being in a quarterback room in the same room you know we're competing against each other we're you know watching the same tape we're doing the same drills I don't think it's my job to mentor him but you know if he learns from me along the way then then that's a great thing without AJ what are you missing in terms of energy and emotion this year too yeah we'll see you know we haven't completely formed our team right we're still waiting for a bunch of guys to get here we added some new pieces that are new and we're just kind of figuring all that out right now have a long way to go a lot of work to put in and all that will start coming together with time how contagious was his sort of energy and his competitiveness do you think? yeah AJ is a great guy to have in your locker room right he's got that big smile flash the best smile around he's got good energy about him and obviously played with a toughness and made big place for us so definitely was a big contributor and we're going to miss him I had to watch the tight end you guys got a cockle but a lot of similarities to John who's Smith if you have watched him what are some of the things that you like that he brings to the table yeah I don't know him obviously yet but had a sex exchange with him watched his tape yesterday with Todd and as soon as he turned on the tape told Todd man this guy looks the part I don't know much about him yet but the guy looks the part he's big he's long looks strong we saw a couple plays where he's catching a flat route turning it up breaking tackles seems to be strong hands so I like some things that I saw on tape obviously have to get him here and implement him into our system but definitely has some traits that have me excited are you happy with your contract and your status with the organization right now I'm not worried about that you know I'm worried about going out and winning games this fall whenever that comes up that will come up but right now I'm just worried about putting myself in a position to lead this team and go win games in the fall yeah as far as I know I mean I talked to him yesterday I talked to him on the field I mean you don't have to ask him but from my point of view seems like a good spot