Redskins Misc News & Info

[Caliskinsfan]

Warrior

 

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[Stymietee]

Roster Move: #Redskins sign WR Shakeir Ryan to practice squad.

Shakeir Ryan # WR

Washington | Official Team Site

Height: 5-8 Weight: 169 Age: 22

Born: 8/11/1995

College: Northwestern State-Louisiana

Experience: Rookie

High School:

There's not a lot on this player beyond the fact that he went undrafted, yet beat the odds in making an NFL team(Rams). I did manage to find this bit about him.

Standing at 5'8'' and weighing 169 pounds, Ryan has a similar body type to that of Jamison Crowder, however his best bet to break the roster in the future may come at special teams. Ryan was the Demons leading punt return man during his NCAA career, returning 19 kicks for 192 yards, a better than 10 yards per return average.

Ryan was one of the surprising performers during the Rams preseason, impressing with his quickness and agility.

The 22-year-old was used in the slot at wideout, hauling in 32 catches for 197 yards and one touchdown during his final season.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Sportster 72]

Oh man!! Put that kid in a Penn State outfit.

 

[Sportster 72]

Several Redskins ranked in NFL Top 10 stats after first quarter of season

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Mini me - gotta keep those guns in shape...

 

[Krusheasy]

monday presser

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

October 11, 2017



Head Coach Jay Gruden



On injuries:

“Did not participate today was Josh Norman, rib; Zach Brown, illness; Ty Nsekhe, his core muscle; Deshazor Everett, hamstring; Rob Kelley, ankle; Trent Williams, knee. Limited was D.J. Swearinger with a hamstring. Full were [Josh] Doctson, [Montae] Nicholson and [Mason] Foster.”



On T Trent Williams:

“I think he can possibly play, but we’ll wait and see. He’s a little sore right now but it’s all on how he progresses throughout the week.”



On what it will take for Williams to play this week:

“He’s just going to have to get more work tomorrow out there with the trainers, maybe get limited basis in team, and we’ll see where he is Friday and Saturday.”



On LB Zach Brown’s illness:

“It’s a lingering bug.”



On if he expects Brown to play Sunday:

“I hope so. Hopefully it doesn’t linger that long.”



On RB Rob Kelley:

“For Rob, it’s probably a long shot this week. I think he’s going to have to make major strides, which, it’s already Wednesday so it’s not looking great. But Rob is a tough guy, we’ll have to wait and see.”



On RB Samaje Perine:

“He’s been progressing fine. He has. He’s doing a good job, he’s running physical still. This will be a great week for him if Rob can’t go. So he’ll get a majority of the carries, with [Mack] Brown and obviously Chris Thompson sprinkled in there.”



On QB Kirk Cousins’ progression:

“His entire game is evolving. He’s a young quarterback. So that’s not going to change at the quarterback position. He’s just going to continue to see things and adjust to the different defenses and the fronts and the coverage that he sees, understand different concepts are good for different coverages, and then sometimes you’re going to have to ad-lib, like he did against Kansas City a few times and he’s getting better at that. Playing quarterback is all about experiences, learning from your mistakes, moving forward and continuing to compete at a high level – on a consistent high level. And that’s what he’s so far doing.”



On if it’s human nature to underprepare for a winless team:

“Well, I hope not. We’re 2-2, it’s not like we’re defending Super Bowl champs or anything. We still have a lot to prove ourselves. They have a lot of good players over there, I’ve made it known – today in the meeting, in team meeting today – that they’re four plays away from being 4-1, without a doubt. A lot of first-rounders there on defense, lot of skill on defense. Offensively they have a lot of speed, a physical runner and a nice offensive line. So it’s a competitive football team and if you take anybody for granted in the league, you’re an idiot. That won’t happen here.”



On CB Fabian Moreau:

“Well, he has speed. It helps… [Quinton] Dunbar and Fabian both are very, very fast and that helps when you’re playing against a world-class sprinter like Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick [Robinson]. They’re both very, very fast. So it’s very important we try to match some speed with speed and those guys can both run, but still it’s a great challenge. But their skill set is coming along. Fabian has not played a lot of pro football, has not gotten a lot of reps in game situations, but he might have to be thrown into the fire. We’re trying to get him more and more reps as the season goes on. Dunbar will take over the starting reps right now while Josh [Norman] is out, and we feel good about where he’s at.”



On Perine’s success in the shotgun compared to Kelley’s success with the quarterback under center:

“I don’t know. That’s a good question. I didn’t know that was the case, but maybe it is. Samaje is a power runner. He should be good under center or in a shotgun with the insides, tracks and all that stuff, he reads them out pretty good. I think maybe some of the runs from under center, some of the outside zones and stuff, he’s still feeling his way through some of those cuts and staying on course. And that happens to a lot of young backs. A lot of them are so anxious to cut back up into the hole, they don’t read them out all the way. When you’re in the gun, you just press the line of scrimmage and make one cut and go. I think, under center, he’s just got to be a little more patient with his reads.”



On CB Josh Norman:

“Same thing, just a fractured rib. So it’s just going to take time to heal.’



On WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.’s progress:

“Like I’ve said before, he’s still evolving as a wide receiver. A year and a half of playing wide receiver or whatever it is, he’s going to still… there’s still some growing pains there. But you see a skill set there that we like – his height, obviously, his speed, his length. But there are some things that we just have to continue to clean up. He’s all for it. He’s a very coachable guy. Kirk [Cousins] loves working with him. The guys behind him are doing well. [Josh] Doctson is getting better, obviously Ryan Grant, [Jamison] Crowder. So we have a good group of wide receivers that kind of help out. We spread the ball around here. We don’t need to feature one guy in this offense. We have a lot of guys that can get the ball, get open in man-to-man coverages, and when it’s zone, we can read it out and throw it to the guys.”



On who is continuing to help Quinton Dunbar’s transition from receiver to cornerback:

“James Rowe, our assistant defensive backs coach, does a great job. He’s getting coached and he’s come a long way. He’s probably one of the guys, obviously that have come the longest way from obviously the college days of being a wide receiver to being a starting defensive back in the NFL in just over a year. It’s a great story and a great tribute to him and how hard he works, and how natural of a… how great his length is and how fast he is and how natural of an athlete he is. I’m excited to see him play on a longer basis, see what he can do because he can bump and run. He’s got long arms and he can run, see how he does out in space. But we’re excited to see him.”



On if his reputation in Cincinnati for passing too much was true:

“No, I don’t think it’s ever been true, really. But, if the play doesn’t work and you throw it, then you should’ve run it. If the play doesn’t work when you run it, you should’ve thrown it. That’s just the way it is. But we had very good skill people in Cincinnati. We had [Jermaine] Gresham, [Tyler] Eifert, Giovani Bernard, A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Mo Sanu, and that was the strength of our football team, quite frankly. Our strength wasn’t running the football, but we still ran the ball I thought. We like to be balanced, and that’s the key to pro football in my opinion, to be balanced. It helps the quarterback, it helps the whole entire team. Offensive lineman perform better, produce better, because they’re not always in a pass stance, working on stunts and blitzes and all that stuff. You can put your hand on the ground and knock some people off the ball. It’s a key component to pro football, being balanced, but you also have to understand who your players are and get the ball to your playmakers. And there are extensions of the running game – screens, bubble screens and that nature – that don’t count as runs but really they are runs that you don’t get credit for. Try to be balanced. It’s always a key.”



On Dunbar:

“Dunbar is a unique person. [Smiling] I don’t think he’s really smart enough to know the magnitude of the situation he’s in [laughing], you know? He just goes out and plays. He just loves playing football, he loves to compete. Man, he thinks he can cover anybody, anytime, anywhere. And that’s a great mentality to have as a corner and that’s the way he feels. He’s been out here at practice covering DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon last year, and this year with all these other guys. He’s just, ‘Line ‘em up,’ he’s just bump and run. That’s the mindset that he has and that’s a great mindset to have. He’s got a short memory. If he does get beat, he’ll come right back up and play bump and run and cover you. We’re excited to watch him play.”



On Dunbar’s performance last year:

“He did good. He did good. Yeah, no problems.”



On if injuries have affected WR Jamison Crowder’s performance:

“I think a little bit, possibly. I think you’ll see more of Jamison Crowder hopefully. He is one of our best skill players. We have got to get him more involved in the offense. That is partly my fault, to get more balls targeted for him. Whether it’s quick game, whether it’s getting the ball out in space somehow, bubble screen, whatever it might be, I have got to get the ball to him in space more often and get him in the flow early. Jordan Reed is the same way. Those are two of our key playmakers. Fortunately for us, we have quite the dilemma. Chris Thompson has been obviously performing quite well. We like to run the ball with our backs and obviously Terrelle Pryor, we just mentioned, and Josh Doctson also. We have a number of guys that we need to get the ball to, but it is key for us to just be patient, spread the ball and get the ball to the open guy.”



On if he has talked to Cousins about getting those players involved early:

“Yeah, it’s the offense. The offense – the ball has to go to the open guy, the guy that the progression... It’s a pure progression-based offense most of the time. Sometimes we read the coverage. Sometimes we read people, but for the most part we are going to get the ball to the open guy hopefully, whether it’s Crowder on the underneath route or Doctson on a deep dig or whatever it might be. People just have to be patient and stay within the offense and the balls will come.”



On inserting a player like T T.J. Clemmings into an experienced offensive line:

“Well, it’s tough because we have a very good offensive line. When your depth becomes an issue, you know like Ty Nsekhe even though he doesn’t play a lot, he is our core backup tackle, now all of a sudden you are to your fourth. We just picked up T.J. and now he is our third, he could be our second. That’s just the way it is in pro football and that’s why it is important we continue to work with our practice squad guys, our seventh and eighth offensive linemen, make sure they get the reps so when their number is called, they can perform. But when you’re talking about possibly taking Trent Williams out of the lineup, I don’t care who you put in there, you’re going to have a drop-off. That’s just the way it is because he’s the best in the league. But, we expect him to step up and play well and do the job.”

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins presser

QB Kirk Cousins



On facing 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and WR Pierre Garçon:

“I’m used to going against Kyle from a preseason game when he was in Cleveland and then he was in Atlanta a couple years ago and we played down there. Pierre will be different because it has been five years and all I’ve known in the NFL in the past has been Pierre on the Washington Redskins, so it will be interesting having him on the other side – especially at FedExField. It will be a different experience but I guess that’s the way the league works. As we’ve said, people move on. Change happens. I’m rooting for both those guys as we go forward but hopefully we get the job done on Sunday.”



On his son, Cooper:

“He’s doing well. It’s been a good first couple of weeks and Julie’s done a great job. We’re sleeping pretty well, so all things considered, it hasn’t been too bad. I’ve heard horror stories or people warning me about how tough it is, and knock on wood, that hasn’t happened yet. So it’s been a positive first couple of weeks.”



On what’s evolved in his game since he played for Shanahan:

“Well, I’ve developed every area of my game from the end of year two to now in the middle of year six. Everything from protections, audibles, understanding the run game, reads, coverage recognition, blitz recognition, just how to handle a 16-game season and how to win in this league, how to play on the road. There’s so many elements of being a quarterback that as I’ve played, I’ve picked them all up and I feel like every year I take another step.”



On if the bye week came at the right time:

“I think we were fortunate with the timing of our baby’s arrival that the bye week came when it did, but it’s always tough when it’s so early. You prefer a bye week later in the year when it’s really a halftime of the season, but we’ll take what we can get. Earlier in the year, I guess, like I said, we had the benefit with our baby and when you go back and look at the start of training camp and how long we’ve been going at it, it probably is about halfway now. We’ll take advantage of the time we rested and got recharged and we’re ready to go now.”



On his “dad swag”:

“I felt like I had dad swag before I was a dad. I’m the kind of guy in high school who would wear a braided belt and cargo shorts, white socks that came up half way up my ankles. I was probably one step away from Velcro shoes and a visor and an oversized polo tucked in, maybe even a Palm Pilot on my belt. Actually Kyle Shanahan of all people used to tell me when he saw me in my game uniform, he said, ‘Kirk, your swag is having no swag.’ That’s kind of always been my vibe and I guess I’ll stick with it. But, yeah, I guess I fit the dad vibe for the most part.”



On if he has seen a change in himself since the birth of his son:

“I think perspective is the thing that I’ve learned. When you throw a few interceptions and come home from a tough loss, I think it’s going to eat at you a little less. I think when you’re on top of the world after a big win you’re going to come home and realize that you’re not as big of a deal as you think you are. I think that’s a healthy thing. I remember reading in Drew Brees’ book, he talked about how after having his first son that his time management was better at work because he wanted to get home and be with his son and so he wanted to maximize his time at work and be efficient, and I think all those things come into play. Hopefully it makes me a better player. Ray Wright, our old strength coach who’s now in San Francisco, when I got married said, ‘I believe you’re not your best self as a player until you’re married. A lot of times guys play better once they’re married.’ And I’d maybe even say the same thing about having a son. I think you could maybe even become a better football player after that happens.”



On what stands out about Shanahan as a coach:

“I’ve been fortunate – not every player in the league can say this – to have been surrounded by so many good coaches. I don’t know that every player… I think most of us need to have great people around us to be successful – maybe not the case with every player, but most of us do – and I’m no different. I’ve been so fortunate to have Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, those people leading me my first few years. And then to have Sean McVay, Jay Gruden, Matt Cavanaugh, I’ve felt like has had a big impact on my career, and now Kevin O’Connell. I really feel like that’s seven coaches that I would really – if I was ever head coach, I would want to hire all of them to be on my staff because I think so highly of them. [I’m] very fortunate. Kyle stands out looking back just because the information we have now, we didn’t have then. No one knew what was going to happen and Kyle believed in me when it was just potential. There was no production. I hadn’t done anything to earn his belief and he believed in me, and Mike did too, and Matt LaFleur for that matter. I think that’s when I look back and say, ‘Wow, those guys knew what they were talking about because I hadn’t done anything and they told me I had a lot of potential and could do something.’ I think that’s when I look back and then respect their knowledge of the quarterback position and what it takes to play well in this league.”



On the process of communicating with his receivers:

“It’s an ongoing process but there’s no doubt that every game we come out of it and say, ‘Hey, I need you to be a little deeper there. Get your depth.’ The route may change versus a certain coverage and we’re trying to recognize that same coverage so that we’re on the same page. There’s a lot of precision with these routes – the spacing and the timing and the depth and the motions, and all that comes with reps and experience. I’ve been encouraged just because everybody in our offense wants to be on the details. Occasionally you can get with guys who don’t care about the details and you want them to do a certain thing but you can tell deep down they don’t care. That’s not the case with our guys. We really care about the details and want to do it right and so it’s fun then to work with them and coach them up and vice versa. I respect them when they have something for me because I understand they’re trying to do it the right way.”



On if those conversations are mostly 1-on-1 or if they involve coaches:

“It varies. It could be any of those. I could be passing Ike [Hilliard] in the hall and say, ‘Hey, tell Josh [Doctson] on his thunder to get his shoulders down,’ or it could be me passing Josh in the hall and saying the same thing. It could be us in a meeting with Jay saying, ‘Hey, why are we doing it this way? Did we tell Terrelle [Pryor Sr.] that already?’ So it’s an ongoing conversation throughout the day, and because we all love football, we all are junkies and kind of eat it up and want to talk ball throughout the entire day.”



On what it meant to him when Shanahan said he had potential:

“Some guys come into the league really having a lot of confidence and believing, ‘I’m going to be a Pro-Bowler someday. I’m going to be a Hall of Famer. It’s just a matter of time.’ That really wasn’t my mindset. My mindset was, ‘I’ve got to make the team and I’ve got to find a way to stay in this league,’ and I never felt like next year was promised. Hearing that belief from Mike, from Kyle, from Matt right away, gave me a chance to set my sights a little higher and to expect a little more out of myself and to work for more. It certainly is a shot in the arm when someone believes in you and that was the case, and like I said, I’ve been fortunate to have that really all the way through my career.”

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Krusheasy]

thursday presser

1/2

October 12, 2017

Head Coach Jay Gruden

On injuries:
“Did not participate is the same as yesterday. [Josh] Norman, [Deshazor] Everett, [Rob] Kelley, [Ty] Nsekhe and [Trent] Williams… Zach Brown was back.”

On LB Zach Brown:
“He’s fine. He was just sick so he’s in good shape, good spirits. [He] ran around.”

On if there’s still hope that T Trent Williams will play Sunday:
“Always going to hold out hope for Trent, yes.”

On if Williams’ injury has improved at all:
“I think… I don’t know. A little bit. I hope.”

On his comfort level with T T.J. Clemmings:
“Well, you know, the negative is Trent hasn’t been able to practice. The positive, we’re getting T.J. a lot of reps and a lot of work. He hasn’t had a lot of work with Kirk [Cousins] as far as cadence, rhythm of the game, protections, all that stuff. This is new to him, he just got here a few weeks ago so it’s really good to get him schooled with Ty Nsekhe being out also. We have to get him up to speed and it’s been a great couple days for him. He’s doing a much better job.”

On if they will go with three safeties on Sunday if S Deshazor Everett is out:
“That’s a good question. We’ll probably have to wait and see on Friday, see where we are everywhere else at every other position. There’s a chance we would go three safeties. Kendall [Fuller] has been schooled a little bit at safety. [Joshua] Holsey would probably be up and he can play obviously nickel and corner, so the fourth safety would probably be Kendall if we needed to. Don’t tell him that [laughter].”

On T Ty Nsekhe’s injury:
“He’s going to go back and see a specialist one more time, just get it looked at again. Just make sure everything’s on point and on schedule for him to recover. Hopefully we’ll get him back next week a little bit for maybe walkthroughs and stuff like that, but we’re taking it slow, just make sure he’s right. Tough injury for a big man.”

On the timetable for Nsekhe:
“Probably I would say we’re hopeful for Philly but probably the following week, probably be safe. Hopefully.”

On TE Jordan Reed:
“Yeah, if he’s not on here [the injury report], he’s 100 percent. He’s looking great. He really is. I think he’s got no problems whatsoever with his sternum or whatever the heck it was, his collar bone. He looks good. He’s running around very well.”

On 49ers WR Pierre Garçon and how he plays “angry”:
“Yeah, he’s always been angry. He was angry at me the whole time he was here [laughter]. I think that’s what people appreciate about him – when you compete with him or against him – you see the anger that he plays with on tape. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing for a wide receiver. Not many wide receivers are like that. He likes the tough, physical play of playing out there. The tough catches – the across the middle catches – he thrives on that stuff and running through traffic and making the hard catches with his big hands and the physical play after the catch. Just a total pro and a great receiver for a long time.”

On how RB Mack Brown is different than the team’s other backs and if he could be involved this week:
“Yeah, we’ll try to, we’ll try to. We’ll see how the flow goes, as always. We try to get everybody a touch or two but Mack does give you something different which is a good thing. Samaje [Perine] and he are quite different, as with Rob [Kelley]. [It’s a] change of pace with Chris [Thompson] and Mack. Mack can do a little bit more inside the tackles also, but he’s fairly young and inexperienced, so to speak, but he’s going to get experience pretty quick here soon.”

On if there is concern with the inexperience of Brown and Samaje Perine as the primary running backs:
“A little bit, yeah, without a doubt, but I have faith that these guys have been coached very well by Randy [Jordan] and they’re prepared and ready. Now it’s just a matter of them getting in the game and performing at a high level and getting them opportunities. That’s the big thing, and then they have to take advantage of the opportunities if they want more and more and more. We’re going to rely on the running game like we have when we’re successful and hopefully those guys will be willing to carry the load and protect the football and then hit the holes like they’re supposed to.”

On things Williams can do that other tackles can’t do:
“Well, I think there’s nothing that he can’t do. He can pull. He can run. He can get out on screens. He can protect. He can run block. When you’re talking about protection and you’re talking about taking deeper drops and waiting for plays to develop down the field, you may limit some of those and work on maybe quicker passing game and more play-action stuff – get some help for the tackle here and there where Trent doesn’t want any help. If I give him help, he gets upset. But, I feel good about T.J. and where he’s at. I don’t think we’ll have to change a whole lot. We just have to be aware that sometimes the open side left tackle – we’re so used to having Trent in there that when he’s not in there, we just have to be aware of that. That’s all.”

On WR Jamison Crowder’s production:
“I think we anticipate him being more productive, without a doubt. The Kansas City game was a little odd that he didn’t get many catches, or just the one catch when he threw it backwards to Kirk so that was a little different. But we only had 14 completions in the game, so I think the more you throw, the more opportunities he’s going to get. When you want to be balanced and you want to be… if you have 55 plays in the game, you’re running 28 times, 27 passes, if 20 of those are complete, that’s going to be spread around and nobody is going to be as productive as you think. Jordan [Reed] only had three catches I think against Kansas City. Josh [Doctson] only had one or two. Just the way it is.”

On if teams are playing Crowder differently this year:
“The Chiefs were a little bit different. The Chiefs, they have a lot of help underneath. They play a lot of man coverage with outside leverage. They had three-man rushes with guys dropping in the middle and it was hard to get the ball to Chris [Thompson] and Jamison, quite frankly. Really, the outside receivers played a major role in that game plan.”

On if there is a different dynamic with this team than in years past:
“Yeah, it seems that way. I think people are confident. I think around here, regardless of the year, I think everybody should be confident that things are going to happen good. That hasn’t changed. But I think everybody can see the talent on the tape a little bit more clearly offensively, defensively, and special team wise. I think we’re better at all three phases. People can argue, ‘You lose DeSean [Jackson] and Pierre [Garçon], you’re not as good at receiver.’ But Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis and Niles Paul and [Jamison] Crowder and [Ryan] Grant and [Josh] Doctson and all those guys – I think we’re pretty good. Running game is better, which helps out the balance. Defensively, I think our defensive line, our linebacker play and our safety play is much better. I think overall we have better talent which makes us more confident, but we still have a lot to prove and a lot to show – and a lot more we can get better at.”

On what he recalls from working in Tampa Bay with 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan:
“He is very smart, without a doubt. I was just a fly on the wall at that time really. I was coaching Arena League and playing in Arena League, I think, and I was coming up there during the season. I was trying to learn the outdoor game. I only knew eight-on-eight. So I was trying to learn from those guys and he was a quality control guy. He was in his office typing and doing all the grunt work but we got along good. I just knew he was a very bright guy, good guy.”

On if it means anything for him to face a coach that is returning to Washington:
“Not for me, no, but for him I’m sure it does. I’m sure he wants this win very badly, as anybody would if they got let go from a job and you go back and play that team. So I am sure he is very motivated, as is Pierre [Garçon], as is Aldrick Robinson, as is Logan [Paulsen] and any ex-Redskin coming back. Like Vernon Davis is, like [Jim] Tomsula, like [Greg] Manusky, even Matt Cavanaugh was a quarterback for the 49ers back in the day for two games. [He] got benched for the terrible Joe Montana [laughing], if you can believe that. I’m sure he is ticked off. So there is a lot of reason to be motivated. He has probably a little bit more reason, so to speak, as do we. We are all very hungry for this one and I’m sure they are too.”

On the 49ers’ defensive line:
“They have been impressive, man. They are young and long and physical, really. They do a good job. They hit Carson Palmer – I don’t know how many times – about 25 I think. They got after [Jacoby] Brissett pretty good and Goff pretty good. They have talent. We are talking about [DeForest] Buckner and [Arik] Armstead, Solomon Thomas and then they bring [Elvis] Dumervil off the bench for third down rusher. [Aaron] Lynch is a good rusher. So they are very talented, without a doubt. The linebacker play has been solid and obviously they have safeties out the kazoo with Jimmie Ward and [Eric] Reid and the other one – I forgot his name but he is good too – [Jaquiski] Tartt.”

 

[Krusheasy]

thursday presser

2/2

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky


On the 49ers’ offense:

“I think they do a great job of running the football. Over the last couple of weeks they’ve done a great job of getting positive yards with their running back. They have a good offensive line. They have a good fullback, a good tailback and then they have got a little bit of explosiveness with Pierre [Garçon] and the other receivers down the field. They’re doing a good job.”



On if the defense changes without CB Josh Norman:

“A little bit, but I think overall we’ve been running the same things during training camp and during the regular season with Dunny [Quinton Dunbar] in there and Fabian [Moreau]. So it is going to change a little bit, but not that much.”



On making adjustments to the scheme this week without Norman:

“Well, I think it is also during the game as well. I think what we have got to do is make sure we maintain what we have to do. Communication is always the most important thing between the safeties and the corners. But during the game if things happen for a reason, we will change up and do something different, but overall we have our plan kind of set of what we are going to do and we will take it from there.”



On 49ers WR Pierre Garçon:

“[He’s] a very good route runner. I think he does a great job of running routes. I think he is in pretty good communication with the quarterbacks off the routes that he is running and he is an explosive player. Once he gets the ball in his hands he can break tackles and get vertical. He was a very good player here and he is doing the same thing this past year.”



On the defensive rookies and their performance this season:

“I think anytime you can get these guys in the game early in their career they get in the regimen of listening to the calls, understanding the calls and practicing the calls, they keep on getting better each and every week. For those guys that get in there… And really for us we did it in the preseason a lot, flipping those guys in and out, so it was good for us to get those guys those reps and I am excited for the young guys. They’re doing a great job.”



On Defensive Line Coach Jim Tomsula:

“He is a good friend of mine. He does a great job of coaching these defensive linemen, all of them. They have been having success and we have got to continue that success. It’s good to… back in the day when we were coaching together, just having that camaraderie to know, ‘Hey, you remember this?’ ‘Yeah we did it this way.’ So it doesn’t take much time and we just go through the process. It’s great to have him here.”



On what makes Tomsula a good coach:

“Technician. I think any coach that is a technician at their position, what your eyes are looking at, the fundamentals and the technique that he teaches to them, and they respond to it.”



On his assessment of the defense through four games:

“We are all right. I think we can get better. I think each and every day that we step on the field, we have got to get better. Yesterday wasn’t a great day. Today was a better day. So we are always looking towards the future and towards the opponents that we have. The sky is the limit for the guys. I think we are talented up front. I think we are talented in the back end and the linebackers. So it is where they want to take it, not so much me.”



On if he will speak to his players about Garçon trying to get in their heads:

“That’s his game. The players that were here prior to him [leaving] know that’s his game. It’s a part of his game that he excels at, I should say. It was great when he was here, but right now we have to make sure we defend him because he is a top-notch receiver in the league.”



On CB Fabian Moreau and his tackles on special teams:

“I think that’s one thing that is very dynamic about him in general because even on the sidelines I watch the punts and it’s unbelievable how much ground he gains and beating defenders. It’s exciting for me because I love special teams, always did. He is doing a great job.”



On if LB Zach Brown will be ready for Sunday:

“I think he will be ready. He had a good day today. We are excited to have him back. Yesterday was a situation where he was a little bit under the weather and now he is ready to roll.”

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Damn injuries. Lanier will play in Allens spot

 

[Sportster 72]

Losing Allen is a big loss. That kid was playing some ball.

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser 1 of 2

October 16, 2017


Head Coach Jay Gruden


On injuries:

“Jonathan Allen has a Lisfranc sprain. He’s seeing Dr. Anderson for the review. It could take some time. [Dustin] Hopkins has a right hip rotator muscle strain – he’ll be week-to-week. We’ll probably work out some kickers tomorrow. [Stefan] McClure has a knee hyperextension – he’ll be week-to-week. [Bashaud] Breeland has a knee sprain – hopefully we’ll get him up this week. [Montae] Nicholson has shoulder aggravation. Other bumps and bruises we’ll update later in the week.”



On how long DL Jonathan Allen will be out:

“If I would guess right now, it would probably be three to four weeks probably. Hopefully.”



On the impact of Allen’s absence:

“It’s an impact. He’s been playing well. We have a good group of defensive lineman. We had a good, strong rotation going. Now we’ve just got to get Anthony Lanier as part of that.”



On when K Dustin Hopkins’ injured his hip:

“He was dealing with a little bit of a… I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. I just found out about it this morning and he’s pretty sore so he got an MRI and we’ll have to see how it is later in the week. We’ll have to work out some other kickers just in case.”



On if Hopkins could miss this week:

“Yeah, it’s a possibility. If it’s his right hip rotator muscle strain, then I’d imagine it’s pretty significant for a kicker.”



On if CB Bashaud Breeland’s injury is severe enough to keep him out of Monday’s game:

“Yeah, I don’t know. I think Breeland’s always been a fast healer. He’s like Gumby. I mean, he took a pretty big shot on that play and I thought he was going to be out for a little bit of time but he recovers quickly. We’ll see.”



On his confidence level in the young defensive backs against QB Carson Wentz if Breeland can’t play:

“Well, it’ll be a great challenge because he’s playing extremely well. They’re 5-1 for a reason and he’s a major part of that. He’s got a great rapport with the receivers right now. They’re playing at a high level, so our guys will have to step up. That’s just the way it is. There’s a lot of teams around the National Football League this time of the year that are dealing with key injuries at certain positions and we just had a couple of them at the corner spot. So Fabian [Moreau], [Quinton] Dunbar – they’ll have to step up and play well – [Joshua] Holsey, [Kendall] Fuller.”



On trying to finish teams after strong starts:

“Yeah, we started fast, which was good. It was a big emphasis coming off the bye to start fast and we did that. We had a little lull there – we had a third-down-and-one that we didn’t make and convert on. A couple third downs offensively that looking at the film we had opportunities to make some plays and we didn’t. And then defensively, at the end of the half, the fourth-down-and-two penalty was critical. Gave them a touchdown and then the fumble. I don’t know if it has a lot to do with play calling or what, but we’ve just got to execute a little bit better and perform a little bit better when we have the lead.”



On why the pass rush wasn’t as strong as he’d hoped Sunday:

“I don’t know, I just… We had the young quarterback in the game. [C.J.] Beathard is starting or playing for his first significant time in the National Football League and I was hoping we’d get a little bit more pressure on him, make it harder on him but he made some good plays. We had some people around him from time to time, but I still think we can get more. Junior [Galette], Preston [Smith], Ryan [Kerrigan] – those guys are very good pass rushers and they did get around them at certain times of the game, but from a consistent pass rush standpoint, it probably wasn’t up to par for any of those guys but they did OK.”



On the hit Breeland took:

“It was out in space and the lineman just caught Breeland off guard a little bit. His leg was planted in the ground. I didn’t think it was an illegal play, no.”


On areas in which DL Anthony Lanier II has made progress:

“He has gotten progress in the weight room, that’s for sure. He is a lot stronger and that’s a good thing. [He’s] a small college guy and he came in and got some experience last year and then hopefully parlays that on to a good strong preseason and training camp. We will see how it translates on game day. He will be a part of the rotation, not just on third down. He might have to play some early downs. He is a guy that hopefully is getting better not just at rushing the passer, but playing the run.”



On things Allen was doing that were above his expectations:

“I think just playing the position like a veteran, really. He is a young player, but he plays it like a veteran. He has got great fundamentals. He’s got a great idea of run/pass, how to get off blocks. He has got strong hands and he was getting a pretty consistent pass rush push. He doesn’t have a lot of sacks obviously, but he was getting push in the pocket which was critical for the interior guys so the edge guys can get home. Just all around, he has played well.”



On the run game:

“We put some of our guys in tough situations. Our tight ends were trying to block some of these big defensive ends and hold up for a long time and it didn’t work out quite as well. We had our receivers try to crack down a couple times on the defensive ends and it didn’t work out a couple times. But the linemen played pretty well. Not to say the tight ends and receivers didn’t play well; they just were put in some tough situations against some very big men. But overall I think there are some things that we can clean up and get our running game back to where we need it.”



On if he has noticed offenses attacking S Montae Nicholson differently:

“No, not really.”



On if he is looking to actively expand WR Josh Doctson’s role:

“Yeah, we are going to actively expand it, without a doubt. He didn’t get as many reps as I would like at the end of the day when you look at the numbers, but it’s our job. We have got to get him in there more and expand it.”



On the decision-making process for determining Doctson’s role:

“Yeah, we have personnel groups where he is definitely in for sure, and other ones he needs to sub in and out of. So we just have got to do a better job of the personnel groups that he is not a starter in to get him in.”