Press Pass: Frank Reich

play tough. What's the biggest goal for you coming out of the first game, you know, I mean, we always want to win the game, even though it's preseason, But for us as coaches, there's a lot of evaluation going on in a lot of competition at roster spots. So there's you know, let's win the game, but in the big picture, we're also trying to put together a fifty three man roster. How would you evaluate Carson and his performance at this point in training camp. I think, you know,

he's had an excellent camp. His whole off season has been excellent, really throwing the deep ball well, seeing things well. Very pleased with his progress. Frank, is Jordan Matthews the slide receiver going into the season or is that spot up for competition or year? Well, every spots up for competition. I mean the way we kind of roll things is you know, Uh, we're always looking for guys who make plays. So um, you know, Nelson's had a real strong spring and camp. So uh, the way we do it is,

it's kind of by play. You know. Sometimes we'll we'll switch guys up. You know, we see what a defense does from a coverage standpoint, and then we want to attack that coverage. And within that coverage, we have matchups. And then within those matchups there are are certain routes that fit certain guys better than others. So Jordan, we play to the player's strengths and and good thing is we

have some players who have strengths to play to. That different from last year where it seemed like Jordan was the slack off, you know. I mean I think right now that whole, the whole receiver room is more competitive. So so yeah, I think it is a little bit different than last year. As far as Nelson, Frank, the

separation seems to be there on a consistent basis. Do you think he's gotten over that hump when it comes to catching the football as far as consistency, get yeah, really good thing Nelson's you know, gotten over the hump and have been had a great spring and a great training camp. You know, he's just making a ton of plays out here. I mean we're always going to have a miss or two. Every position does so, um, but we're very pleased with how he's playing, making a lot

of plays. You know, when he's on the field. I think the defense knows when he's on the field. I mean he's been he's been a threat. What is it about make Row that's allowed the receiver group as a whole to develop the way it has this offseason. You know, Mike's an excellent coach. He's he's really he pushes them hard, he coaches him hard, um, and he's done a fantastic

job with fundamentals and technique. You can't underestimate that. I think it's also been aided by you know, we brought in some new you know, you bring in Aushine, you bring in Tory. Those guys have made the room better. Uh, good leaders on and off the field. I think that keim with the guys that we had here who are already strong in that area. So it's been a good dynamic for Jordan. Where can Jordan do well? Jordan can play it, you know outside we can we can be

in four receivers and have two slots. Um. You know, I mean, we don't want to take our tight ends off the field too much. But you know, we have a bunch of different personnel packages and we'll just continue to mix them up week by week. You want to take us, well, you did, you did work a lot of three tight end sets that you expected user tight as war this year differently, you know, I think last year. I think last year we're used them pretty well. Um.

You know, I think Trey had a good year. I mean, Brent is always going to play the way he plays as a great player, and Arts had a good year as well. So we're gonna mix it in those packages again. It's going to be a week by week almost a serious by serious thing. You know, how we can attack what matchups we get. Um, we have we have some really good playmaking tight ends, So there's times where that's an advantage to us to do um and then there's times where we'll want to be in four wide receivers

or three wids. We're just got to keep mixing it up, keep teams off bounced they don't know what's what we're going to do, and play to the strengths of our players and the plays that we run. I mean, I think Frank toy Smith seemed to be like limping back to the huddle. Left. What is this? What's going on with him? Is he obviously would have come out if he were really hurt? Yeah, you know, yeah I would. Yeah, I think so too. Probably, who knows it could be

I really don't know the answer to it. I mean sometimes, yeah, I noticed one time it looked like it was almost limping back a little bit. Could be a blister. Who knows, a little soreness after a plan. Yeah, I mean, you know we're out there just when they're getting the huddle. I assume I assumed they're ready to go. Chance Warman guys are working with the first team. You have both left the right guard. What have you seen from him as he's in his first camp here with the team?

You know, I think Chance has gotten better every week. Um, you know, really embraced what we do and how we do it. Obviously, being reunited with Stout has been a good thing. So a great room, it's a great culture in that room. So he's very tough, physical, strong hands, um, very good run blockers. So those are the things you see in his Frank and Carson's preseason last year, he obviously lost it in the first game. What can he

get out of a full preseason this year? That will all have been a conceptember down, you know, it's it's it's every game snap you can get as valuable. But obviously he's not going to play a ton in the preseason, so it's more just about the consistency of practicing every day, you know, where last year he missed so much time, but you do there's something to build in the chemistry with your guys in the huddle and having some success, you want to build that confidence. So, um, we certainly

are expecting that. Last year it seemed like it was like a really big effort to get Zach Ertz involved in the game. This year, it seems it's coming more naturally. Is that an accurate statement? Yeah, I mean, I think Carson and Zach just have really built a great chemistry last year. Just a lot of confidence there. I think they play they're playing at a high level and really have a good feel for each other. Well with a guy that Canel Comfrey, who was like an every down,

you know, ball carrier in college. And so what's the biggest adjustment as far as catchalls, you know. I mean I think just just developing that route tree, you know, developing that route tree. Like you said, he was primarily in every down back Um. But as we've talked about this before, where I think he's adapting well and developing well at not only running routes from the backfield, but the little bit he gets up in the slot or when we put him outside. You know, you start with

a handful of routes. And I give him credit, he's worked hard at it. It's important to him. He knows that's a way he can get on the field. He's got a he's got a flash. He's got a flash to get on the field. We got we got too many guys who are playmakers. If he wants to get on the field, he's got to show that he can do that. Back in your day you had, you had

Jim Kelly, Keith mckiller um as a quarter back. What is it about the tight end that makes that such a favorable target for it, especially for a young quarter Well, you work the inside of the field, you know, shorter throws balls in the air less time. You're working against linebackers who aren't as good in coverage or possibly safeties, you know, and you have many of these tight ends are almost like receivers. M and safeties are you know, say there's some good really cover safeties. We have a

couple of safeties that are fairly good cover guys. But it's just gonna we just think that's a real strong matchup when you get a guy like Art's or Trey and even Seli. Selik is a master route runner, whether we're on a linebacker or a safety. We just feel like that's going to be a win for us. And then on top of it, it's inside okay, so the ball's not in the air very long, the defense doesn't have as much time to react, and you hurt him

up the middle. It's it's good for the offense. Jordan, he was one of the franchise's most productive wide receivers of the first three years of a career. Been down in here four. We're talking about him maybe seeing a reduced rule. What do you attribute that career, Artie, Well, I'm not sure if we you know, I don't know how it's going to play out about is it going to be a reduced role is it not. I think that's to be determined and that's going to be determined

by how things roll out. Half of how he plays and how things uh and how things play out. You know that in that room competitively, so um what you see, whether it's with receivers or back Sometimes somebody gets a hot hand and you just build chemistry. Last year, you know, last year, Jordan and Carson early in the year, we're like almost like Zach and Carson weren't at the end of the year. So we know there's something there between those two guys. So we look to develop that and

certainly expect big plays out of Jordan. Thanks you guys.