Q: Tell me about Jason Pierre-Paul and what he brings to the table for you guys.
A: Another pass rusher. Obviously he's developing and what's important now is that we're going to take it slow with him, and he's picking up things day to day. I'm excited to see what he's going to be able to do when we get the pads and we really start throwing things at him. Him and Linval, they're throwing a lot at them, just to see what they're capable of and what positions they can play and things of that nature. It's a day to day process and we're going to keep watching, and hopefully he's going to continue to get better.
* Q: A guy like that who really only has five years of football experience, he's very raw.*
A: He is, and I think that's a good thing, the thing about being raw and this level is that you've got great coaches around you, so you really don't pick up any bad habits. So like I said, it's a day to day thing and hopefully he's going to go a long way. I think he's going to continue to get a lot better.
* Q: Do you think he just makes your depth that much better?*
Absolutely, everyone knows Mathias [Kiwanuka], Osi [Umenyiora], Dave [Tolefson], myself and now you throw him in the mix, and it's a good problem to have, I'll say that. There's a lot of dogs on the football field and not enough bones but that's actually a good problem to have so we'll figure it out.
* Q: How important are these days at training camp, especially the early days?*
A: I think it's very important. I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm not excited to be at training camp but we understand that especially these first couple of days will be important, especially that everyone's been running and everyone has to be in great shape but there's a difference between running and putting the pads on and pushing around 300 pounders. So there are better days but you realize that it's football, not running sprints, so it's just about getting in shape, adjusting to the banging, the moving around and changing direction. You get through these first couple of days and you start to build on what this team is going to be about.
* Q: Personally, how do you judge these first couple of days from the standpoint of being in shape and being where you want to be, at what point does that kick in and you're there?*
A: I don't know. We're not going to really be in game shape until I think the last pre-season game. Every level you go to there's a different intensity. The first practice there's a certain intensity, the first day of pads there's a different intensity, and the first pre-season game there's a certain intensity, so you can't really judge how things are going to be yet. But we're going to have a good opportunity to test ourselves and see how we hold up.
* Q: With all of the talent on the defense, not only how much better will that make the defense, but help the offense?*
A: Like I said, I hope we go to the Super Bowl. The one thing we have to be careful about is locking into that word "talent." We had the same talent last year, and we all know what happened last year, so I only focus on working and taking that talent and getting some production behind it. The healthier we can stay this year, the more we can stay on the football field, take reps and the better we'll be.
Q: Does Perry [Fewell] have the same kind of energy in the meetings and off the field?
A: He does, he's energetic all around. And you can tell the passion and the love he has for football, he brings that to the meeting room, to the field or walking into the cafeteria. You can tell he's happy to be out here, he's smiling all over the place and he enjoys what he does.
Q: With you and Osi [Osi Umenyiora] and Kiwi [Mathias Kiwanuka], is there going to be enough playing time for all of you?
A: I hope so. We're all competitors; none of us ever want to come off the football field. But the thing we are is a team first. And we understand that there's going to be some certain sacrifices that need to be made to make this team better and we're all willing to do it.
Q: What did you think of the signing of Keith Bulluck. Do you think he'll be that guy who's able to replace Antonio Pierce?
A: I hope so. A lot of people take shots at our linebacking corps, I mean they're young and a little inexperienced but they're very talented and that's a dangerous word but the more they work, the more they get accustomed to the system and how coach wants them to play, they're a talented bunch of guys and I think the signing of Keith is good because he's a veteran and he's been around the league and he knows how to win games and what it takes on defense to win games and I think that's something that [Jonathon] Goff and all the rest of the guys can pick his brain about.
