Hi, Cleland, when you were making a decision, you saw what Chris Caserak has been able to do with some other defensive lineman's in the way he's been able to benefit their career. How much of a factor was that?
I think, I think anytime, you know, this is my first time going through free agency, I think for me, the biggest the biggest deal was I had to fall in love with, you know, regardless when you look at it from a D line standpoint, I think, you know, the whole money aspect of you know, players that have came in and you know, have have projected themselves after this.
I think for me, I really just fell a little with the way that they played defense here and coach Chris is obviously a staple in that and I truly believe that just by the way that he really believes and you know it being a rushman led defense, you know, so the front is when the front comes alive, everything else kind of falls into the place. So I think for me that I was the biggest thing, definitely, you know, knowing his background and obviously me being coached by guys
like Rod Marnelly around the league. I've seen it before, so it wasn't something that you know, I kind of already believed in the things that they were doing here to make me, you know, so it was just kind of checking that box for sure. Cleveland kind of kind
of fallowing up on that. Uh did have you, you know, paid attention to some of the guys you know, Art and Key was a former Raider and some those guys who who've who've come through these doors and had success and then gone on to nice contracts or you talk to guys like that at all. I mean I have a lot of I have a lot of good friends around the league. You know, I tell people this all the time. The NFL, it's it's not a family, it's
a brotherhood. And you know even guys guys like Art and guys like Eric, guys like even Javon, even Nicky you know Nick, I say, NICKI, Nick and Nick you know we've we've all trained together and been toxtending, you know, around each other. Whether I played against Vannah College or I trained with Nick before training with Eric, train with Art and train with Solomon time it's trained with more research.
So I just have a a good base of players around and have you know, kind of especially that ones that have been here to kind of you know, give me just really good feedback and you kind of solidified things that or any questions that I may have had going into the process. So I definitely, you know, take heed and look look look at those guys you know history and see you know where it projects. Sure, you mentioned the forty nine ers style of defensive line play.
How does that compare to what you've done in the past. Have you ever played in a system that just kind of allows you to pin your ears back the way the forty nine ers two, I've experienced it, you know, to an extent with the with the Raiders before um with Roan mary Neetlli. He was someone who you know, I take a lot of I give a lot of credit to just in regards to you know, the type
of things that he taught us. But obviously, you know, I feel like the forty nine ers, especially, you know, this team, they've kind of been like the forefront of it for the league, you know, obviously having number one defense last year, and I just feel like, you know, I've seen I've seen in my career times where it has where I've seen the way they play and I've seen it in examples around the league, But I think this it's like the true from what coach, from what
coach Chris has built. This is kind of like the this is kind of where you want to be if you really want to exemplify that, you know, to the full extent. So I think it's a it's a very very good system. It's a very very good plan and the way that we play, and I think the forty nine is for sure been a team that has kind
of led the charge on that. Like Cleland Javon was just in here and said that, you know, the fort nage being a contender going after him and the way they run the defenses always attracted him, even though there are other offers on the table. Was it similar for you, Uh,
I don't. I don't want to. I don't want to get into comparing, you know, the my situation someone else, but mine definitely was someone you know, I had, I had teams interested and when it came down to it, you know, obviously I had a It came down to probably around about three or four teams that I you know, had I had pretty serious, you know, interesting, but the forty nineager stood out just because you know, obviously I've
I've been watching them for a very long time. You know, I started out in Oakland my rookie year, so I've I've already known what the robbery was, and basically having really having good friends and having a good relationships from guys around the league that have told me good things about and kind of just reassured everything that I had to hear about Coach Chris or Coach Shanahan or even John Lynch you know upstairs. So um, I think that that relationship as I've really homed in a for sure,
just just really trusting, you know, my guys. You know, like I said, it's a brotherhood, So understanding understanding that that those relationships and things that have kind of carried me through a little bit of guidance, you know, and through this process for sure. Hey there, when you mentioned that, or when the Raiders moved from Oakland to Vegas, you mentioned that you were really going to miss the Bay area. Are you looking forward to being back? Oh, I can't wait.
I can't wait. Last time I was in the Bay I was just telling somebody this last time I was in the Bay and I was playing and I was playing football. It was playing MC hammer in NWA in the state and now now I get to hit some E forty, you know, thumping off in the back. So I'm excited. I can't wait. It's gonna be fine, Clint. And I'm sure you know you've taken criticism and been banged around as a number four pack and I haven't
done this, haven't done that. Isn't the criticism fair? And also how have you I don't know, just dealing with that? How is how is it shaped here? How have you grown since you've been in the NFL. Answering your first question, I mean, is it fair? I think criticism isn't regardless of the regardless of whether it's fair enough, It just says what it is. You know, it comes with the territory, you know what I mean. People always have whatever things they may have as far as an opinion to say.
I think for me, man, I think it's really been a blessing being, you know whatever, my journey has been the league because what many people don't know is, you know, all these guys in the league were still young men developing at the same time I would come into this very high status, you know job. So I think going through the different you know, ups and downs, whether good
days bad days. Throughout my career, I've had I've had time to really grow a mature into a man, you know, just because you're making grown man decisions, grown man mistakes, and you know sometimes it's like, especially me, I moved from the East Coast to the West coast, so you know, you can't call on mom or call on your brothers
all the time for everything. So I think it's been a really really good transition for me, and I think that for my career moving forward is really on the show that got you know, I really appreciate those years for sure, whether it's been arden Key or Charles many Hue, the forty nine ers have had success and taking guys who are quote unquote defensive ends and lining them up inside on passing downs, and I'm just wondering how much you've done of that in the past, and whether that's
been discussed as a as a possible role for you with the forty nine ers. I think being planned for this team, I think anything you know, in regards to where you could be lining that back in regards to being a pass rusher, you know, you just take the ceilings off. So it's nothing that I feel like, you know, throughout my past that I haven't been you know, asked to do. It was just in regards to I've I've dropped in the coverage, I've rushed inside, I played five
technique guys, I lined up sometimes a corner sometimes. But I think being here, you know, I'm really just buying in. I have an open mind to whatever coach Chris you know, has for me, because regardless of the fact, I'm still a very young player and I still have a lot of you know, time to develop it, and you know, I really don't think I've tapped into my potential. So I'm just coming in with an open mind and I'm
really excited, ready to hit the ground running. Well, you're just kind of alluded to it, the potential that you still have an upside how much kind of going into this process and you've talked about a little bit along the way here, but were you looking for a place where you could just kind of re set and give yourself an opportunity to reach that potential? And it's you know, I hate I hate that word potential because I hate
talking about it. But definitely, regardless of the fact, I think you just want, you know, progression, and I feel like, regardless of the fact whether I were too, it wasn't about whether I feel like I could progress here and not anywhere else. It was really more so which way that I feel like it was going to make me progress in the way that I feel like would have been the best benefit for the team I'm playing for.
And I feel like my skill set specifically it just fits, you know, the identity and the culture of this team. You know, I've always been someone where regardless of the fact, I enjoy the fact that people, you know, the more responsibility that the front four has, you know, obviously it's the more responsibility we have to get things wrong and get things right. So I've always been someone that never shied away from an opportunity to be in that role, if that makes sense, right. So I enjoy it. I
enjoy it. You know, if you don't wear the crown as far as the D line like you gotta you gotta take everything and they come with it. So I look forward to it. Yeah, Cleveland, you came out for the draft of same year as Nick Boson. I'm wondering if your paths crossed very much during that process, and do you know him at all or have you guys as he shot you a text when for for coming to the forty niners or oh yeah now when uh it's kind of crazy get a little back job story.
But um yeah, me and Nick got drafted, um same class and even even coming out of college, like we was like neck and neck for like, you know, trying to see who was gonna be Like I guess you could see the guy you know regards to college football DNS. But actually when covid at first hit, we was all, um, we was all training together down in Florida. So we were down there for a long period of time. Me and It's it's crazy me, Nick, even Joey, uh, Eric
the Forest Buckler, all of us. We have a pretty good you know they kind they kind of had joined up, but we have a pretty good nucleus of like like I said, it's a brotherhood. So a lot of d linement around the league, work out together, and during that co the time was the time we really got to you know, get it, get it in, really get some good working pass for us. We worked out together, you know,
just through that whole processes in the gym. So I think that was a time paid where we really got familiar and I really got to, you know, have a newfound respect for Nick because you know, he obviously is a very very hard work and he takes it. He takes our crab very very seriously. So that was like my first real glimpse. And then you know, obviously I'm excited now because I get a chance to play with a you know, a very very highly talented guy in the league, one of the best players that we have.
So I'm excited. I believe you said that you lined up at cornerback in the past. What was the circumstance of Cleveland Chartle playing cornerback and how did you do at cornerback? No, it wasn't. It was a nothing like. It wasn't I'm joking on it on the cornerback there, but it was kind of like, uh, where you you spy guys. You know what I'm saying that you got an offensive player, that's someone who you know you want
to get hands on. Well, you know, there's a couple of times where they may be lined up extra y, so I gotta step out there and I'm looking like I'm out there a corner or something like that. But never like, never, nothing where I'm actually locked in on it, but it was just like a couple of times where it can look it can look like I'm playing it for sure,