I mean it's been a lot of surprises obviously, but um, you know, he's second round pick. Guy, has been played real well for us last year. But you know it's a he's he's in a competitive room. Uh So the same thing with you know, Sam is things that all of our control. Um, you know, you just kind of roll with the punches madly. How much different is it when the previous staff view him as a as a long time potential starter and obviously he's traded now, how
much different is this? S commatically for the defensive backs. Um, it's not it's not much different. I think, you know, I think the biggest difference in our room compared to the last two years, it's a lot more competitive. I think guys, you know, whether it be free agents we brought in or guys who've been here for a while, um, have all really stepped it up and in a competition. All camp and all season has been really really close
and really hard to call. And I think, you know, Eric kind of found itself on the bottom into that. I'm at you prepare for this offense. Obviously you watch Hugh from Cincinnati, but they have a totally different quarterback than you had. Yeah, in Cincinnati. I mean it's a little bit of both, you know. Um, you know, you go off of what they've shown on tape, what are
some of their core concepts. Um, But there's there's guaranteed to be some stuff that you know that we haven't gone over that that will be new and specifically for us we've seen you know, even in Cincinnati, they do a lot of stuff, um to get you sidetrack, get you confused, whether it's split in lineing out our receiver or doing some of his z own read stuff, shifts and motions that you know almost every play. UM, So
we know we'll get some of that stuff. The kid is just handling it, UM, staying settled, getting getting the flow of the game, communicating. But you know, we can't be shocked if you see something that we ain't seen on tape. You guys expect RG three to be the RG three so a few years ago or what do you mean by that? Um? Do you expect him to be as dynamic as he wants? Was? Um? You know, we don't know. I mean, so far we've seen in
preseason he's still got a big arm. Um. You know, he's got to roll prior and the outside that they can stretch the field with UM and when given time, he throws one of the better deep balls in his league. Um. You know. So I think the keys is going to be to not get him comfortable. And obviously, when he does decide to use his mobility, we got to be able to contain that. And I think that's when he's at his best, when he's got a clean pocket, UM. And when he does get get loose, um, you know,
there's there's space and defense for him to run. So those are the two things I think we need to take away, um to stop him from looking like the RG three of old. I think the defense as your defense is supposed to the world was last year, how ahead, how how aheaded it with a new new concept that killed in terms of where you wanted the schemes and everything else. Uh yeah, I guess we'll probably figure that out Sunday. You know. Um, nothing we've done so far
as counted UM. So it's been good too. I think everybody's happy with the start. We've had some good practice runs and good drive runs. But you know, well, we'll see you after Sunday. Candid that you like playing in the squad, do you think you'll get that opportunity to see I'm not sure, um, probably not right now to start out, but I think it's basically, um mostly to be game playing, depending on what our matchups are. UM, like I said, you know, like I said at the beginning,
it's been a really tight competition in our room. A lot of guys that can play, and so far right now, it's just figuring out what what are the best five dvs and what positions as those In the best two years, you've taken on a heavy special team's responsibility for a starter. Is that still the case or do you want to scale back in that area now? I see it still
be in the case. I mean, we don't have likes our depth and the way our roster filled out, there's gonna be a lot of starters that are gonna probably have to play a lot of special teams. Um, you know, so we're getting ready for that. I don't think that role will change what your reaction to the trade of Eric Row, Um, you know, it was surprising. I mean at you know, once you after the same things, like
nothing was really good? That surprising. Um, you know, it's just it's just one of those things you hate to see a teammates teammate go, especially somebody like Eric Um. You know who's played some good ball for US, promising young UM player, but you know he who has success Um in New England or wherever he ends up. It's just been it's been a competitive, competitive offseason in that dB room, a lot of guys fighting for position new and old Um. You know. Unfortunately he was on the
back end of that. What do you think the biggest challenges for a rookie head coach? How do you think Douggas handled to whatever challenges? Yeah, I mean I think that the challenges are, you know, endless. You can make it. You can look at every aspect of the game, from just what you do from a day to day standpoint, logistics and all the way to the exits and those. I think it's a lot of um, a lot of unknown things that he's never had to do before as a coach that now he has to do. And I
think the biggest thing is just a supporting cast. And I think that's that's one thing he's done as a head coach. He hadn't tried to tackle everything on his own. Um. He knows he's not a defensive guy. So he allows the defense to kind of do their own thing and let Jim run that side of the team so he can focus more on offense. He delegates stuff so so that he doesn't have to, you know, trip up, trip
himself up and doing everything. But I think he's done a good job of keeping his messages consistent so that everybody kind of knows how we're being evaluated. We know what is being an act of the players, acts of the coaches. And that's the biggest thing from a young, young head coach is just delegating and then keeping the messages consistent so that everybody can buy into what you're selling. Well,
I'm getting back to RG three, Robert Griffin. He's a guy, one of the better quarterbacks that pushing the ball down the field. Do you look at Corey Coleman, Terrell Prior, how important is it for you to be able to stay at home and not fight on those teas or routes, the need to not give up the big Yeah, I mean that's you know, especially this preseason, they did a
really good job of getting the ball downfield. Uh, they'll get into some max protection looks and and and let them throw it and like I said, he's probably one of the better deep ball throwers in the in the in the league, when you know, when he's got a clean pocket. Terrell prior as deceptive speed. You know on tape he doesn't look like he's moving fast, but he's consistently running by guys. So they've got the speed to
stretch the field. And I think those are that's the area that we will have to shut down because their offense, you know, thrives off of those big plays. They've got a lot of vertical routes down the field. Um, just trying to get a chunk play and get them get the drive going, put themselves in position to the school. Even considered a leader here since she arrived, do you see some little same leadership characteristics and Carson Um, I mean, it's it's yet to be to be seen. You know.
It's a little different than my situation where you know, I came here and was pushing into a leadership role that was kind of expected on me. Uh. He's he came in and not much was really expected of him this year, and I think and all in the matter of a couple of days now he's leading his team in the battle. So I think you know from a leadership standpoint, that will come, you know, as as he develops, and that's not something you want to try to fabricate,
you know. If I think those those qualities will start to show as the season goes on going on with Sam being traded and the very being traded, one of the changes that remain, you know, by and how is a veteran group just how confident are you et cetera are yet about the season. As a group was to consensus some of us, the betters about how the team today. We're still excited, you know. Um, you know, luckily all of that stuff happened before today, which is really our
first work day, so you know, nothing's really changed. Um, you know, it's it's obviously shocking news when you see it come across as the sports ticker, but you know after that is still status quo. You still got the same goals and same agenda when you come into come into the building. Guys are still excited. You know, it's still the season opener, so nothing's changed. Of course with a rookie starting the quarterback, how does that impact the
defense your team? Students? Yeah, I mean I think you know, selfishly, we we feel like, you know, it's a little bit more on our plate, like we need to um, you know, the small things matter, just eat a little bit more, you know. So penalties that that oakstend to drive matter, field position matter, third down is going to be crucial for us to get off the field, keep field position. Um. And then you know we've we've harped on takeaways, but now you know those takeaways need to need to turn
into scores. You know, we need to be as devastating as we can on defense to give our opportunity to give our team the best opportunity to win. Not that we got to go out there and winning on our own, but we're gonna have to set an environment that that gives our offense, um, you know, a little less stressed. We can't go out there and tell Carson to win
this game, and that's that's not fair for him. So I think you know, some of the veterans on the on the defense kind of already had that mentality, but you know, it's probably a little more emphasized now. Obviously with all the moves may be a dangerous thing though, like maybe some one's trying to do a little bit
too much. After I don't know. I mean, we're still only gonna make the plays that come, you know, but um, the the ability to take advantage of those opportunities and sometimes create your own opportunities, um, you know, or just at a premium, like I said, you know, getting off the field on third down. You know, we don't need you to make a play that's not yours. Just just make the one of these yours and get off the field. Um you know. So all of those things are not
nothing new. Nobody has to do anything extraordinary in order to win us a game. Is just do your job, you know, to a t and then that I hope it's one. Two more persons, guys, do you ever anyone? Do you know anybody in the vacans them? So, did they call you say what are we getting? In saying? Did you ever? I don't know anybody on the team. I mean they got they got a veteran quarterback who can throw the ball, who's probably got the biggest ship on the shoulder out of any quarterback in this league
right now. So I think they're getting a good, you know, a good quarterback. I think he's going to be in a good situation, um you know, So I I think they'll be excited, especially after losing their staughter. Cool, no problem, yeah h