Head Coach Brian Daboll

Daboll: How's everybody doing? Kind of cranking right along now. It's the dog days here. We kind of had a ramp up period, if you will, up until the scrimmage. In terms of the amount of reps and things we were doing, we'll increase them this week now that we got through this first, we'll call it, eight practices. We continue to work situations but amp up some of the reps, some of the conditioning, some of the things you need to do at this time of year. So, that's kind of where we're at. I thought it was a competitive practice, scrimmage, what you call if the other night. It was great support from the fans. Still got a long way to go. We'll be back into the red zone today. An important next few days for us in terms of improving as a football team mentally, physically, every area you're going to need to continue to get ready for the regular season.

Q: What's the process of ramping up for a preseason– especially the first game?

A: You asking about playtime?

Q: Or just in terms of how you prepare for the first preseason game.

A: Yeah, we're really focused on us right now and improving our fundamentals and techniques and execution and assignments and conditioning. That's where we're at. That's where we're going to spend the next three days, on really focusing on what we can do better collectively: coaches, players, staff. That's where we need to be.

Q: Brian, you mentioned conditioning a few times the other night and again today. Are the players farther behind than you would like at point conditioning-wise?

A: No. Again, that was the ramp up period relative to what we were doing. Soft tissue injuries, keeping them healthy. It was really the plan. Pressed them a little bit that night with long drives; the sports science people say that we had 34 plays in 45 minutes, and that was kind of the plan of going into it for the ones to press them a little bit so we could get going this week. Again, the intensity, the effort, the energy has been good. We're just going to increase it a little bit relative to reps or extra conditioning, if you will, in between. You'll see one, we're going to do a red zone period today at some point, and then we're all going to sprint to the other end of the field and keep the same group on and day two more plays in the red zone. Or we might sprint a little bit – some quick sprints before a period – and then have another period right after that. So, all part of the plan in terms of the offseason and talking with the sports science and the trainers. And you tweak things here and there. But that's kind of where we planned to be this week.

Q: I know you weren't a head coach last year, but you were obviously …

A: Every year. Any year. (Laughs)

Q: How did you see the preparation for the preseason change when they took the fourth game away? Did you guys change anything specific? Do you have a better understanding of how to handle it this year now?

A: That's a good question. It was always kind of the same for each team 20 years ago. And I think every coach has their own philosophy. There's people who don't play their guys at all. There's people that play them a little bit more than others. I think you have to do –what I've learned – is what's best for your team. Being around different teams and different coaches, kind of what you need as your team and your team development. Being our first year, we'll try to decide what's best for us with our guys.

Q: What's your philosophy generally? Where do you stand on that?

A: I think it's a collective effort. I think it's an individual basis with the players. Some guys have played a lot of football. Some have played less. Everybody's, in new systems here. With our system on offense, our system on defense, the kicking game is similar. But I think that's important to play football: to have live reps. How many reps that's going to be, I can't tell you right now. I think it's going to be less for some and more for others, and each game will have a plan going into it. I anticipate all of our guys playing on Thursday. I haven't even talked about it with the players either. I think our focus is really on getting better. Probably should've told them before I told you.

Q: When you hired (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Bryan Cox, he'd been out of the league for five years. I'm just curious what that process was like. What appealed to you to think he was right to bring him in?

A: Well, I was with Bryan when he was a player, and he was one of the best leaders I've ever been around. As a linebacker, he was smart, tough, dependable. You know, back when we were playing at New England, he had an unbelievable hit on (Former Colts Wide Receiver Jerome) Pathon. We were 0-2 going into a game if I'm not mistaken and heavy underdogs. Early in the game, he set the tempo. He was always there as a player. Then, I've been around him as he started his coaching career at different spots. He's a very loyal person. He's smart. He's played a lot. He was a linebacker. But he was basically like a defensive lineman playing linebacker back in those days. But I thought he could add value to the staff. There were a lot of people in the room when he was interviewed, asking him questions. He's a good teammate. A lot of good things.

Q: Do you have any idea when (Defensive Line coach) Andre (Patterson) might be back?

A: No. I talk to him a lot. Sooner rather than later. But there's not like a set date. He's still working through some things medically, and he knows we're there for him.

Q: Brian, how would rate the attitude of this team from day one, and how important is that for the success of a team?

A: They've been good. They've come in here and have done everything they've been asked to do. They come in with a good attitude each day. They take corrections well. They try to improve them. They have good energy out on the practice field. They give good effort. There was kind of a rest day for them yesterday – day off. And there was so many guys in here getting treatments, workouts, taking care of their bodies, and that's on their own time. So, it's good to see those guys come in and take care of their most important tool, which is their body. They've been a good group to work with. Study hard. Good communicators. So, it's been a good group to work with.

Q: In football terms, are they where you expected them to be two weeks into camp?

A: I don't have any expectations. I just expect them to get better each day. There's a lot of stuff to clean up. There always is every training camp regardless of any team you're with. But I would say especially a new team with new systems and new communication and different things. I think we've made progress. I think we still have a long way to go.

Q: Brian, you have lost (Offensive Tackle) Matt Gono and (Offensive Lineman Marcus) McKethan. Is there a need for maybe not a UFA flyer but a guy who has played a bunch of games in the NFL for the second team offensive line?

A: Yeah. I think (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and his staff – the scouting department – are going to look at every avenue to try to improve that situation. You obviously can't, you don't have a crystal ball when that stuff happens. And it's too bad, by the way, about Marcus. I spoke to him yesterday. For a young player to have a non-contact injury, it was tough. But he's in good spirits. So, he'll have to start rehabbing. But we'll try to do whatever we need to do. Whatever it needs to do, we're going to try to do.

Q: How much does that situation with the line accelerate (Offensive Lineman Josh Ezeudu) Josh's development and what you need from him?

A: I don't think there's any pressure in terms of that. I think we've put him in a lot of different spots early on in camp, and that's not always easy for a rookie. But we're going to need him to be flexible. You'd like him to be able to let him sit at one spot as a young player, but where we are, and he did a good job in spring and up to this point right now of being able to play both spots. We'll need him at each spot.

Q: Brian, what have you seen from day one from Andre Miller, a guy who obviously is changing positions and is getting some first team reps out here?

A: He has some good quickness, and he's got good ball skills. He was a receiver at Maine. So, to come in here and switch positions, it's not the easiest thing. I was around a fullback by the name of (New England Patriots) James Develin, who was one of the all-time great players to be around – smart, tough, dependable – was a defensive end. Went through all of these different leagues. And he learned to play that position at a high level, but it was a work in progress. I'd say that's where Andre is. He does some things well. Some of the things he's doing for the first time ever. It's such a different game when you're in the backfield and looking to block guys in the box rather than outside running against the corner, whoever it may be. So, he's studying hard. He's got a long way to go to continue to improve, but he has a skillset that he's done a good job with it so far.

Q: You mentioned sports science a little bit earlier. You obviously were part of staffs when there were two-a-days. So, I understand like the health aspect of it, but have you found it's a little bit more challenging to get guys ready for season opener now with the restrictions that are placed on you?

A: No, because each year you evolve from two-a-days. You evolve to one-a-day. There's more sports science. There's more analytics involved. I'd say I learned a lot from my time at Buffalo, where they've gotten off to historically fast starts. Very healthy roster. So, I was thankful for my time learning under (Bills General Manager) Brandon (Beane) and (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) and how they did things there. And I think you just adapt every year. Adjust and adapt to whatever the rules are. How much practice time, the structure of it. I think that's what you get paid to do as a coach.

Q: How were you able to do that – to get off to those fast starts despite the less time to prepare for it?

A: Well, you have good players that go out there and execute well under pressure. They were healthy. I think Coach McDermott does a great job with those guys at Buffalo of getting them ready to go early, and at the end of the day, it's about the players going out there and executing, performing under pressure, and making the plays when they need to.

Q: When you went out there when you had the scrimmage the other day, and you went back and watched it, was there anything you came away saying, 'Okay. This is – went really well or need to work on,' or anyone in particular that really stood out to you?

A: Yeah. Good question. A lot of things to work on. The coaches came back and watched it right after the scrimmage.

Q: I'm just wondering if today when you go out there you say, 'We didn't do this, so we're going to do this.'

A: It was good to see the threes get some live tackling reps in there to evaluate it. But I think you're always working. It's a constant battle of certain things you want to work on each day. There's nothing that we have set in stone right now in terms of, 'We're doing this so great.' We're a long way to go. Whether it's how to rush the passer, blitz pick-up, getting open, catching the ball, covering downfield, different play recognitions, total effort. I'd say coaching staff, substitutions, getting the right guys on the field, getting the calls in quickly. I think we're so far away from where we need to be, but that's usually where most teams are in the beginning of camps. Thirty days away, there's a lot to work on, which is a good thing. We certainly need it.

Center Jon Feliciano

Q: How are you feeling?

A: Great. I feel good. Happy to be back out there.

Q: What happened after that practice?

A: Right after the practice, got in the cold tubs. Went through and got an I.V. And then, I'm kind of a hard stick sometimes. And then, missed me a few times. And then after that, I started profusely sweating. And then, I just started full body cramping. Good times.

Q: Anything happened to you like that before?

A: My freshman year at Miami. Like the third training camp day. Almost the same. Not fun.

Q: So, they just over the course of the next few days gave you some I.V.s, rehydrated you?

A: They did a lot. They looked out for me, and they brought me back in slowly. I appreciate them, but I was fighting tooth and nail to get back out there.

Q: Were you at the facility the whole time, or did you have to go – you didn't go to the hospital or anything did you?

A: No. I was here most of the time.

Q: Did you know what was happening? I mean from the old experience.

A: Yeah. I went into the cold tub right after practice, and I was like, 'Ah I should probably be safe and get an I.V.' And then it was probably just, they missed me. And I started sweating more. I didn't really have much liquid in my body to sweat like that. And I kind of just went downhill very quickly.

Q: Was it scary?

A: It wasn't scary, it's just not a fun time. Imagine your muscles just – especially my legs mostly cramped up just like that for a while.

Q: How do you prevent that in the future?

A: I think if I would have gotten stuck the first time, I would have been alight. Staying hydrated and that's really it.

Q: Any other symptoms that happen? Forgive me for not knowing about heat exhaustion, were you vomiting?

A: No, just yelling from cramping.

Q: How do you like having your reps managed at practices?

A: I'm a little older now so it's not that bad. I come from a place where good ole Rodney Hudson, before I was in Buffalo when I was in Oakland, a guy that never practiced. You should see him now in Arizona. I'm just playing. No, it was cool but with our numbers dropping, I feel bad for the guys. Definitely getting back out there and taking all the reps.

Q: What do you make of this offensive line so far? Obviously, it's an area that needed a lot of improvement and they were able to do some things this offseason to work on that. Where do you think you guys are in terms of being the type of line that this fanbase envisions?

A: We got a lot of work to do. I think we can be; the thing is I think we can be really good. It's all about getting our reps together and getting our verbiage the same. Early on, it's just like guys are saying things but they're saying things from different systems, or in the heat of the moment, we got to get our communication down the best we can. (Offensive Lineman) Evan (Neal) and (Tackle) AT (Andrew Thomas), I've been around some good tackles in my career and I've never seen a rookie in Evan be a vet so early on. That dude is, after every meeting, at night we walk by the weight room and he's foam rolling or doing something. He's well beyond his years in that regard of taking care of his body and having AT back out there, in OTAs he wasn't there, is great. He's a really good young player and it's kind of my job to make sure that all they have to worry about is blocking the guy in front of them and not thinking about things.

Q: Evan has lost his share of the one-on-one reps. How have you seen him bounce back from that? He probably didn't lose many of those at all in college.

A: It's one-on-ones, it's a defensive drill and he's also working through some new techniques that he's getting better with. Honestly, one-on-ones right now this early in camp – we want him to, we don't want him to get beat, we want him to go out there and try things so that he can perfect them for the regular season.

Q: Are some of the communication things you talked about, do they contribute to some of the protection issues that you guys had the other night in the scrimmage?

A: It's my job, with (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones), to try to figure out (Defensive Coordinator) Wink's (Martindale) defense and try to get us all going in the right way. I embrace the challenge; it makes coming to work fun every day so it's not just the monotony – I actually have to make sure I'm sharp mentally every day to deal with good ole Wink.

Q: I know (Offensive Line Coach) Bobby Johnson is very aggressive and wants you to be aggressive with your sets. I'm wondering, how has that been received by you guys? I know you just mentioned Evan having to maybe learn some techniques.

A: That's our starting point. If you are playing a guy that's a double arm, swipe big guy – a guy that is going to try to play the edges – we have different things to deal with that sort of thing. Our whole philosophy as the o-line is staying in the depth and width of the pocket so we can get on a guy early and quick so it will help with the depth of the pocket.

Q: When you watch film of the line after practice, do you sit there and say when you see Saquon Barkley 'This could be pretty good this year?'

A: Yeah, I mean Saquon – he's definitely up there. I've played with great backs like Marshawn (Lynch) and Duke Johnson, Latavius Murray. A lot of guys. Saquon is definitely up there in talent level. More importantly, I'm impressed with his questions of the game. He's always picking my mind and trying to just understand this new offense for him. Some of these runs are different than he is used to so it's just impressive, he's always asking me some kind of question about it. It's refreshing to have those kinds of insightful questions.

Q: Do you think this team is in football shape and how has this team received Brian Daboll saying we need to get better at this conditioning thing?

A: I think we can be better. Yeah, I think we can be better, and we will be.

Q: We haven't seen, for his first four years, Saquon Barkley in practice ever get taken to the ground. That kind of physicality is not really present in training camp for the run game. You guys had a pretty physical day today. Do you like that? Do you guys like getting to it early rather than waiting and waiting?

A: Yeah, today was basically like inside run for four periods. As a lineman, and Saquon in the huddle is all fired up, we are all out there having fun for probably after the first period and then we started realizing what kind of day it was going to be and, at least for me, practice got easier the longer we went. Just because run plays for a lineman, we like putting our bodies on people.

Q: Out of all the changes on the second team offensive line UNSURE- does that the wave behind you isn't really going to push you so you have to push yourselves?

A: not really. You just kind of feel for the guys like (Offensive Lineman) Jamil (Douglas) and (Offensive Guard Ben Bredeson) Bob, we call him Bob. It was more of after I got done with my reps just trying to make sure to give them some water and give them some encouragement because they are taking a lot more reps than we are and most of the other guys are.

Q: Why Bob?

A: You've got to ask OG (Bobby Johnson). That was OG, OG calls him Bob. I think there was some billboard of, I don't know if it was Bob Sandwiches or Bob something and Ben looks like that guy, so we just call him Bob.

Q: Was it like "Bob's Burgers" or something?

A: Yeah, it was something I don't remember. But yeah, good ole' Bob.

Q: You've been in the league here for quite a while, you've seen different situations obviously with what this team would say, rebuilding, the expectations are low. What do you guys think of that and what do you make of that?

A: We're just trying to win the day. We aren't here to make all; I'm not going to give you a record thing. As long as we win the day every day, the records should take care of themselves. I have full confidence in (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dab's and,Bobby and (Offensive Coordinator Mike) Khakfa and, Wink. We'll see but I'm confident and I'm excited to get this going.

Q: This is Brian Daboll's first time being the head coach. The way he runs camp – is it different than other places?

A: Yeah, he lets us sleep in, which is great. Our first thing starts at 9 a.m. Usually, the first thing starts at 7:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. at the latest. With that extra time, you get to sleep in if you need some extra sleep or you get to come in early and get some treatment before practice. It's been great and I'm really happy to be here. I'm happy for him just to see the way he is handling this new job.

Q: So, you guys basically show up for work and get right on the field?

A: We go on at 10 a.m. We've got our first meeting at 9 a.m., just a little five-minute meeting, then we just get ready to go out there.

Q: Have you noticed that there are some places where the offensive line fly under the radar. Have you noticed yet that's not the case with the Giants?

A: Yeah. The last place I was we were kind of the thorn in the heel. Here it's different. It's nice being here and Dab's has really been honest and given us love so it's been great. I'm happy to be here and happy to be with Dabs.

Safety Yusuf Corker

Q: I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the scrimmage. How were you feeling after getting that pick?

A: It was a great feeling. Before the scrimmage we all had a defensive group meeting and I basically told everybody I was going to get a turnover that game. You know, it was a pretty bold statement, but I believed in myself. Just running to the ball, good things always come when you run to the ball, so that's how I got it.

Q: Did you have any more predictions?

A: Some of my goals for preseason is to show the team that I'm a good tackler, a smart player, and hopefully get some more turnovers during the preseason.

Q: Do you know about special teams?

A: Of course, I know about special teams.

Q: Undrafted, right?

A: Yes, sir.

Q: I went undrafted, I played nine years, won a couple of Super Bowls and ended up being a captain of this team. I started on the same path as you. Undrafted and got nine total reps in preseason. How do you feel about preseason knowing that you as second, third team, you might not get as many reps as you think should get?

A: That just comes with always having questions, asking the vets, when you are on the sideline taking mental reps so when you get in there you make the most of your opportunities. Show them that, "Hey I've been paying attention, I've been learning, I've been working," because like you said, we won't get many reps. So, once you mess up, you are out of there.

Q: Word of advice – special teams, sell out.

A: Of course, of course.

Q: What do you want people to know about your work ethic?

A: Basically, I'm just a guy that comes in every day and works hard. I'm studying right now trying to learn a different position. I feel like right now I'm doing a good job of just learning my position safety, but also just trying to show my versatility at other positions. Also, just learning the whole scheme of the defense and the whole scheme of the special teams.

Q: What else are you trying to learn?

A: Just different positions. The whole secondary, what the linebackers do and things like that. As a safety, you are the quarterback of the defense so when you see something wrong you've got to make it right. If everybody is doing their job and one person messes up, that could lead to a touchdown.

Q: We know on the first team that (Safety Xavier) McKinney has the green dot. Are you doing that on the second team? Who is doing that on the second team?

A: I do have the green dot with the second and third team.

Q: How's that going?

A: It is going good. At first, I was a little nervous getting the calls because it was my first time ever having a radio. In college we really didn't do the radio thing, we signaled from the sidelines. I think showing that they trust me to get the calls out there and make the checks.