Q: Do you consider this training camp an adjustment for you?A: It's definitely an adjustment for me. I'm playing a completely different position. The schedule and the way things are run are a lot different than the camps in the past. Each and every rep, it makes it that much more important. To make sure that you continue to make progress from the day before, because you only get a limited number of reps. The good thing is that we have a bunch of film time to catch up the young guys and the new guys who are just getting here and have time to go through corrections and do all of that stuff. The schedule is laid out the way that Coach Coughlin thought was for the best for us. It just makes you feel how important each and every day you come out here is, because you don't have those two practices.
Q: Can you talk about the offensive line and developing the chemistry that you've had in the past?A: It's going well. David Baas is doing a great job of stepping in and really getting involved in the offense. It's nice having a veteran coming in who is very familiar with the terminology and the language of things. And also with William [Beatty] stepping in at left tackle, now getting his opportunity to start – these are things that we're consciously working on because we have to have that cohesion come week one when we play the Redskins. We're watching extra film, we're working, we're making sure that we're doing a lot of verbal communication to get everything hammered out here throughout practice. We're looking forward to finally play some live action. Obviously, when you're using so much communication, our D-linemen have been around our offense for so long that we're kind of giving them an advantage at times. But we're going to do whatever we need to do to get things right right now.
Q: How important is this first preseason game for the offensive line getting it together?A: I really wouldn't call it getting it together. I think we're doing a good job of playing and playing with one another and working. I don't think it's [getting it together.] I think it's just the communication and getting those things figured out. I have no idea, they haven't told us how many reps we're going to play. You just want to go out there and whatever the opportunities you have, you want to be successful and I have a feeling we're going to do that.
Q: What do you expect overall in this first game?A: It's excitement to finally get back to playing. Obviously, it doesn't have the regular season excitement, but it's been a long time since we've played a game. It's just nice to not be hitting your own players and your own defensive guys and to be able to go out there and not worry about your coach right behind you, especially for the young guys. This is a time where they get to go out there and just play and play the game that they love. It's exciting to get back to it.
Q: Is the physical part going to be a problem on opening day?A: We just went six full-padded days in a row, so I think we're getting the hitting in. The more you play, the more you get adjusted. I think all of us by now are pretty much adjusted to hitting and smashing and playing. We've done our inside run drills. We've done all of those things. I think we're on pace and we're on record. I'll tell you what, September 11 is going to be an exciting day.