We've had.
I think I think that's number six. That's six, Yeah, I think that's number six.
Six.
Good practices. They're working really hard, got a long ways to go. We've stayed relatively injury free in terms of the big stuff. We'll see how Trent is. But other than that, you know, guys have just pushed through any pain. And like I said to me, a sign of an increase in talent is guys staying on their feet. When guys stay on their feet in football, they don't typically get hurt. So we're doing a good job of that
and just really competitive practices. We end every day with a you know, got a habit period like we had the day two minutes today and it's just hyper competitive after you know, two and a half to actually two forty five almost three hours.
It's great to see. So, I mean, he's good right now.
There's a lot of talk about your skill players and those guys, but the defense won that last time.
Yeah, to end today, it's it's like every day, it's kind of back and forth. Yeah, it's and that you want to see that, you know, I mean, you don't want to see it if it's bad football, but when it's good football. You want to see that, you know, just hyper competitive, and we have we have two periods during the day where the losers run and you know, we've had six practices, so twelve of those periods and it's probably you know, five to seven and I don't.
Know who's seven to five. I'm not even sure who's winning.
So those are great periods for us just to compete and go after each other other.
Guys you brought in defensively are all older in some experience. How much does that help sort of accelerate the process.
It helps because they played football at this level. They understand what it takes. They have some background in terms of techniques that you know, we're coaching.
We're teaching. It's a new scheme and they're playing next to.
New players, so they've got to obviously, you know, adjust each other. But I haven't I haven't seen it be a problem that we have so many new guys. I've seen it be really a positive. But we've still got to we still got a jet, you know, the stuff to learn how to trust each other and count on each other, and they're doing that every day in practice.
How do you see it being a positive?
What's that the older guys, more maturity, more football experience, more football knowledge. You know, guys that have been in the fire, that understand how to prepare themselves to get ready.
For a game.
You know what it takes to play a game at this level against really good competition and win. And so to me, those are all positives. The challenge, obviously is putting together you know, kind of.
A new group each year.
But that's where we are right now, and I think we've picked the right types of men to come in here and help us. You know, the guys that we've brought in so far, what I've seen is that they are team oriented. They they are have high standards for themselves, they have leadership qualities, and so everything so far is good. You know, when we hit a little adversity, that will
show us a lot. But what we're trying to do every day is creative versity on the field and create pressure situations so that if there's something bubbling under the surface, if somebody needs to get straightened out, you know, we can get it fixed before the season starts. Jim alex Sonick's a guy we're gonna get a chance to talk to football journey of different positions different schools, different countries.
What do you what do you make of everything he's done for himself in the sport and what have you come to appreciate.
About I mean, he's just he's a really good man, you know, first and foremost, he's a dependable, conscientious Uh, He's he's empathetic, he's tough, he's demanding, he's straightforward, he tells the truth. You know, he's everything you want in terms of character as a football player. I mean he's big, he's physical, he's athletic. You know, he can he can block at the line of scrimmage. He can catch down
the field. You had three touchdown catches last year. It's just a matter of, you know, finding the best way to utilize him. But you know, he's Feldman's super freaks or whatever. And I read the thing that he said and it kind of is him to a t. You know, he was an intern in the weight in the weight room in the off season. He's the ultimate team player,
you know, and we're really fortunate that he's here. And you know, there are people that came after him in the off season, and there's people that you know, read it, offer him a lot of money and the fact that he stayed here and stayed with us, I think it just speaks volumes about him and what he's all about as a person and as a player.
So we depend on him, you know, on and off the field. I mean, you have to for up a little bit more money.
So you know, we have our budget and we stay within it, but you know, we yeah, I mean, you know it's a money game now, it really is. And I think I told you guys just the first day is during that second portal period in the after spring ball, we had really good players that left three point three or three and a half million dollars in offers, whether they were tampering offers or guys were in the portal offers mostly tampering offers on the table to come back here.
And Alex is one of them. And you know, to me, that says a whole lot about those guys. You know, you look at Sky, he's over there, he's out here. You know, we got he's been out here for almost four hours and he's still catching the ball, so you know, and he was another guy that decided.
To stay here.
So you just want to populate your team with guys like Alex, Honik and Skylar Bell.
And those kinds of guys. Something something interesting in that article. They're talking that some scouts think that Alex could be offensive line but the next level and he's big, he's six seven two seven to do whatever that may be.
That in the cards at all, not for us. He's a tight end for us. What happens at the next level is, you know, up to them and up to Alex.
I mean, I.
I'm sure that athletically they like that and length and all those things, but I you know, I don't know that he can't be a tight end. I mean, tight ends become a premium position in the NFL. And when you can get a guy that's six foot seven two and thirty pounds can run like he can can jump the way he can is athletic and smart and tough and team oriented. You know, I'm sure that the stardom it is a tight end, and maybe he grows into
being alignment. But you know, offensive lineman in the in the NFL, like they're three hundred and thirty pounds, so he'd have to put on sixty pounds.
That's a lot of pounds.
Yeah, So I think he's a tight end, but I'm not in the NFL anymore.
You mentioned bringing a lot of older guys. Does it help from a leadership standpoint? I don't know that, You're that's a good question. You know, player driven is usually the best.
You're absolutely right, it's the best. It's by far the best. And I don't know yet. That's a great question. And that's one of the things we're trying to find out out here, you know, And in the meetings.
It's like who who steps forward? Who steps up?
And is it legitimate or is it just you know, hot air, And we're identifying those guys. And you know, everyone on the team has a chance to be a leader, you know. I mean, you can have one hundred and whatever, we end up with one hundred and fifteen guys on this roster, and every single one of those guys can be a leader in their own way, and that's really what you want. But yeah, you need some guys that
are you know, that that everybody listens to. And I think we've got some of those guys that are that we're here. I think, you know, Demon Brentson, everyone listens Tomon Brinson, Donovan Branch doesn't say a lot, but everyone listens to Donovan branch. Everyone listens to Camra, which everyone listens to Joe. You know, everyone's listens to Alex. But yeah, some of those guys that we just got here, they're
still finding their way. But we need some guys that we can depend on, you know, that do it right all the time. Because that's what leaders do. They do it right all the time. They embrace your Culture's gonna ask.
You about the part it seems like to me, the sort of setting the tone competitively that he always does. Man, he's something.
No, he just brings juice, you know, that's who he's become. It's like, and he's just got great energy. He loves to play football and he lets it out on the field. You know, he doesn't hold back, and and it's always good natured.
You know.
I mean he'll rub the other guy, he'll rib the other the other guys, you know, the offensive guys.
But he does it with a smile on his face. You know, he's just trying to promote competition and create energy. And I love that about the kid. Man.
I mean, he's come so far since the first day he walked on this campus.
He's awesome. Have you seen growth and mil Brown maturity?
He actually talks every once in a while, he smiles a little bit. But what I've seen is a guy that really understands this offense now, and it's a great offense for him. You know, the wide zone stuff that we do, the outside zone stuff is really meant for him. He's really good at setting up the defense and slipping
a hole. And then I've seen you know, he I don't know if you guys remember last year, guys are running backs snytime they break when they'd run all the way to the ends, and you saw Cam do it today. You know, Mel kind of started that last year and it just kind of caught on and he did it yesterday and now the backs are starting to do that. So he kind of talked about a guy who's a leader without really saying a lot.
That's that's kind of what Mel is like. We look at him. He's tough. Guys looked at him. You know, he does it right.
The five point seven yards per Carrie last year, not a not a fluke. I mean, he just has that alusiveness about him.
Yeah, he's got something about him.
And there was a couple of scouts out here the other day and I asked who you're looking at And both of them said, mel Brown, you know, And that's good to hear. It means that you know that he's opened some eyes. But I don't think it's a fluke. I think it's he's the real deal. And I think, you know, in stature, he might be short, but he's not small. He's you know, he's stout, and he just knows how to find. He knows how to set the
defense up, find the whole. He's got great cutback ability, great e loosiveness in the open field, and he catches the ball well. And the thing that did you ask me how he's grown or did you ask me how he knows grown?
Pass protection? That's how he's grown too. Pass protection. He sticks his nose.
In there and he's become stout and pass protection. That's an overlooked value for running back.
Kim Edwards had a couple of catches today. Is that an area of his game that can grow for.
You guys, Well, he's surprisingly been.
He's got probably one of the best sets of hands on it to I believe that now.
I mean, he really catches the ball well consistently, Like when he drops one, it's like whoa cam dropped one, you know, and yeah, I mean you'll catch in the check down and him in the open field and guy's trying to make a one on one tackle on him that's hard, or.
Throwing a screen to him, you know, melling him. Are both really good screen runners.
So you know, anytime a back can be a good runner obviously can catch the ballut of the backfield or run routes when they're not aligned in the backfield and protect. I mean, you got you got the real deal, and I think we've got some really good backs.
He didn't lose faith in faith in Chris Freeman last year, and he kind of paid you back in the end. Have you seen continued growth? I mean, do you expect bigger things out of him this year?
I think he's special, I do. I think he's got something about him.
His demeanor. Number one.
For a kicker, you've got to be steady and consistent in the way that you approach your craft. You know, it's a lot like golf. You know, every shots his own shot. He's a pretty good darn good golfer. But I think he's the real deal. I think he's got leg strength. I think he's got consistency. I think that he's got accuracy. I think he's very mature, you know, I think he's kind of got.
It figured out. So yeah, I have a lot of faith in him.
Think he's going to be a really good football player. I think he's got a chance to play at the next level for sure. You know, he's got to keep working on his consistency.
See addition to Alex, your tight end room looks like it has some talent.
I mean his size and talent.
Yeah, there's some big guys. You're pretty pleased with what you have in there.
Yeah, I think we're pleased. I you know, I'm a big fan of tight ends. I think is a defensive coordinator. You know, in my day, trying to defend the Tony Gonzalezes and you know, those types of guys, it was hard, you know, And I think they're a great mismatch.
I mean, who do you put on Alex. He's six seven to two seven, and he.
Runs fast, like if you put a little dB on him and then he's just gonna muscle him. If you put a linebacker on him, he's got a chance to outrun him. You know, he's got those special traits. And I think tight ends are the guys that you can find mismatches with, and that's what we try to do with our guys. And we've got kind of all different types of bodies and different speeds and talent basis. So we like that room a lot. We've got nine guys on the roster playing tight end.
That's a lot, you know.
So Billy Bivarro, you're a Giants fan, Oh oh, yeah, he.
Was the best man. He was great in til Ronnie Lott lit his ass up.