July 29, 2015
Bon Secours
Washington Redskins Training Center – Richmond, Va.
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the team’s
conditioning today:
“Everybody looked
good out there. We just did a simple conditioning test just to get a gauge on
where they are. We let them know before they left for their vacation what the
test was going to be so they had a chance to prepare for it. It was pretty
simple for everybody and everybody looked good running it.”
On players who missed
time earlier in the offseason with injuries:
“We got a clearance
on all of those guys – all five of those guys that you mentioned. We expect
them to be full-go. We’ll monitor them as we go but we expect good things from
all five of those guys. Trent [Williams], Jordan [Reed], DeAngelo [Hall], Ryan
[Kerrigan] and Morgan [Moses] — they’ve all got a clean bill.”
On how important it
was to extend linebacker Ryan Kerrigan’s contract before training camp:
“That’s exciting for
him, man. I’m happy for him. Great kid, obviously. Drafted here as a Redskin.
He loves the area and loves this football team. You love rewarding guys like
that that actually perform and play well for you and play hard. He’s one of the
guys we lean on, both on and off the field — a locker room leader. We’re happy
to have him. We’d love to have a locker room full of Ryan Kerrigans, that’s for
sure. We’re happy for him. I’m happy they got the deal done and he can put it
behind him. He can just move forward and do what he always does and that’s just
prepare hard and play hard.”
On if he gets a sense
during camp for if the team is good or if he can just evaluate who will make
the team:
“We’re trying to do
both. We’re trying to improve as a football team, number one. That’s all we’re
trying to do every day is improve a certain area of our game. Then, we’re also
trying to critique our players and find out who our best 53 are. That’s an
ongoing process that will take place all throughout the preseason and something
we’ve got to be very good about. We feel very good about 90 guys we have in
this locker room right now. There’s going to be great competition at every spot
— for the first team, for the second team, for the third team obviously, so
we’re excited about the process moving forward. We just want to make sure we
give everybody ample opportunity to make this team and prove what they can do.
We’ve got a good look at them at OTAs and now training camp they will hopefully
take it to the next level and show us what they have.”
On what the team
needs out of Kerrigan this year:
“He’s obviously one
of our top players on defense. He’s been rewarded for it for his production
throughout the years. He’s just a guy that plays every down. He’s a guy that
can stop the run obviously, very good at the point of attack and he’s a guy
that can get after the quarterback. We’re going to get consistent play out of
Ryan. We need people around Ryan. He needs to continue to improve himself
obviously and he will. He’s that type of guy. He sets the tone for other
people. When you see somebody like that get rewarded and you see the work he
puts in, both on and off the field, it shows young guys what we’re all about
here at the Washington Redskins. Other guys will follow. And that’s what we
need. We need more guys to perform like that and play like that.”
On comments written
about quarterback Robert Griffin III in the offseason:
“Well, there's always
comments about the quarterback position, both good and bad, no matter where you
are. It's just something you have to deal with as a quarterback, no matter who
says it. If you're an unnamed source, you don't give a whole lot of credibility
to them because you don't know who's saying it. It could be a guy who's never
played the game or coached the game or been a part of the game. One of the most
important criteria for a quarterback is to be mentally tough and I feel like
Robert is and he is going to handle the adversity that's he's handled already
both with injuries and with some of the play we’ve had, the production, 4-12
last year. He's going to get better. He's that type of guy. We're excited about
him here, the work he's put in to get his body right, the work he's put in to
get his mind right. And now it's just a matter of going out here and continuing
to coach our offense and watching him get better. It's a fun deal to watch, it
really is, to watch a player like that improve himself every day.”
On if Kerrigan can
take his game to another level:
“He can get to
another level. We have to give him a better chance to get to another level.
We've got to play with a lead, make teams have to throw, you know, in the
fourth quarter, where he can get his numbers up, his fantasy football numbers.
You say 13 sacks, there's guys with more. Unfortunately, we were behind a lot
of games in the fourth quarter. Teams were grinding out the clock on us, but when
teams have to throw on third and eight, we feel good about having Ryan Kerrigan
as a defensive end or playing inside as a stand-up guy or dropping. He can do
it all. He's an accountable guy. He's never had an issue off the field here,
being late to a meeting. Like I said, his work ethic is outstanding. He's a
great example for younger players and he's going to get better as years go on.”
On negotiations with
tackle Trent Williams:
“They're in talks
right now, that's all I can say. That's Bruce [Allen] and Scot [McCloughan]
working with him and his agent. Whatever happens happens, but we expect Trent
to be full go. I saw him out there running today and he looked like a gazelle.
He is in great shape, man, and great spirits. He's going to work hard no matter
what the contract situation is, I know it. We'll let that work out. All we're
worried about is the first day of training camp, installing our offense,
installing our core values here tonight and tomorrow and watching these guys go
out and play and compete. Trent is going to be a big part of our team.”
On building a team of
“big, tough guys”:
“Yeah, we’re working
on that. I think in football you want to have tough guys. Last time I checked
it’s a tough sport. We’re working to try to change our approach or mentality,
so to speak, to have some bigger, tough, physical football players. It starts out
here on the practice field. Some of the guys that we have in-house weren’t
asked to do some of the tough things we’re asking them to do. We’ll see how it
transpires in camp – offensive line, defensive line, tight ends, backs – we
expect tough football players – linebackers. It’s going to start in training
camp right now, day one and what we expect. We can’t let anything slip under
the cracks and we just got to continue to coach them and make sure we demand a
lot out of them.”
On the importance of
the changes to the coaching staff from last season:
“I mentioned at the
end of the season we had to make some changes, couldn’t keep everything status
quo or we’d probably get the same results, unfortunately. So we made some
changes in the roster, made some changes in the building – coaching staff,
weight staff, strength staff. Really all across the board in our organization
we were evaluated, and we made some necessary changes we think are for the
better. We’ve got some energetic coaches, Joe Barry obviously, Perry Fewell,
good coaches, Coach [Robb] Akey our strength coach Mike Clark we feel really
good about, obviously Bill Callahan coming in. So we’ve made some positive
changes along this staff. The big thing we’re just trying to do is make sure we
maintain a level of excellence that our staff is responsible for and we have to
carry it down to our players; great teachers that have great passion for
football, and we feel like we got a great one in here.”
On how this camp will
be similar or different from last year:
“We’re still going to
do some of the things similar, we’re just changing times a little bit. We’re
able to bring another team in here which is going to be similar. We’re going to
just try to really focus on situational football – 1st and 10, third down, red
zone - key situations that we have to really master that we probably weren’t so
good at last year, and it starts in training camp. If you don’t focus on them
now, then when they show up in a game time you’re not quite as prepared. We
want to make sure that when we go out on game day we’re prepared for every
situation possible. Also, we have to make sure we’re physically in good shape.
Not so much running them to death out here, but making sure they’re at 100
percent – a full tank of gas on Sunday. There’s a fine line between wearing
them out, out here, and keeping them fresh. We’ve just got to make sure we know
that fine line and really understand our players, where they are at physically,
where they are at mentally, and continue to challenge them every day in the
classroom and on the field.”
On his biggest
takeaways coming into his second season:
“Well, obviously,
year one wasn’t good enough. You know, our standards are a lot higher than what
we showed last year. Obviously, we are all disappointed at the finish but last
year is over. Moving forward, we want to make sure that we continue to really
focus on having a positive approach with our players. Our coaches are making
sure that we have an impact on this football team in a good way and, like I said,
it starts in the classroom, in the meeting room, where we make sure we maintain
their attention and challenge them mentally and come out here and just coach
them. We are trying to develop players and develop men here that the Washington
Redskin faithful can be proud of, and when they come to a game on Sunday, they
know that they are going to get a heck of a battle from our football team. They
are a competitive group, a focused group and a group that is going to do
whatever it takes to try to win the football game. We are pushing our core
values at them and continuing to watch these young guys develop and the veteran
players lead. Great things will happen if we do things the right way.”
On the energy of the
coaching staff:
“The players feel the
energy and the true passion of the coaches. I know they feel it. They want to
be coached; there is no question about it. At the end of the day, when the
players are laying in bed after a long, physical, grinding day, they want to
feel like they got better. We feel like we have the people in this building to
make the players get better. That’s what it’s all about. We are just trying to
get better every day.”
On if he has any
comment on the situation with the New England Patriots:
“I don’t have any
comment on that. I have been kind of out of the loop on that.”
On if he feels better
about the roster entering this season:
“No question I feel
better. I feel like we are a lot better, no question about it. We attacked free
agency in a positive way. We have more depth on the defensive line. We got some
safeties. We got some corners that can play. We did a good job in the draft. We
got some young players with some very talented skills. We feel good about
moving forward. We also feel good about the guys we had last year that have a
year with our system on offense and have developed. We feel good about coaching
them and developing them. They know what to expect from me and a lot of our
staff. Moving forward it’s all about learning from last year’s mistakes,
learning from what we did last year and getting better into this year. Watching
these players grow and developing the young players, it’s a fun process. I feel
very good about where we are.”
On what he wants to
see from the fans this year during training camp:
“Love the energy.
Lots of energy, man. Give these guys a hand. They’re going to be working hard.
When they make a great play, cheer for them. The good thing is that on every
play there’s a good play. Either the defense makes a great play or offense
makes a good play. So, there should be a lot of cheering going on. Last year, I
felt the energy was good out here. Hopefully they come out here and enjoy the
team and our team will be receptive to give them autographs I hope and things
will go well. It’s a great environment here. We love the area, we love the
city, and we love coming down here. The players like performing in front of the
crowd that’s for sure. As practice goes, we have a little bit more pep in our
step when we have a good crowd out here. So we welcome everybody to come out
and enjoy the time.”
On his confidence in
the defense with the new additions:
“I’m very confident.
You talk about the new guys, but I talk about the guys that are coming back
also. Like the Ryan Kerrigans and Chris Bakers, you know, Keenan Robinson,
Perry Riley. We have some guys that have been here also that are going to get
better also. We feel good. We just have got to make sure we figure out ways and
make sure we mesh as a unit and we play together as a team. That’s the biggest
thing we’re trying to do is make sure we’re all on the same page mentally.
Physically, with the athleticism we have and the ability to rush the passer
that I think we have, and the ability to cover, I think things will work out.
The biggest thing is just trying to get these guys to mesh, find our best guys,
and the best situation and get them prepared.”
On the offensive line
and how important it is to find the “right guy” at left tackle:
“Trent? Yeah, he’s
the right guy. [Laughter] He’s pretty good. Trent is our starting left tackle
right now and he’s excellent. He had a couple of nagging injuries last year
with his ankle. Morgan Moses stepped in as a rookie, had his struggles but he’s
also developing as a player, then he got hurt. We drafted Brandon [Scherff] obviously
to play the right side. We have Tom Compton in house, he’s also playing, so we
feel good about the tackle spot. We have Ty [Nsekhe] in here who is going to
give us some depth. We have some tackles in here that can compete, that’s for
sure. You have to have more than one and Trent’s a great one to have, and we
have got to make sure we develop all the ones in case something happens to
them. We feel about Trent obviously as the left tackle. He’s as good as anybody
in the league.”
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
On signing of his new five-year contract:
"Yeah a little bit, I
mean, it's close. But this is an unbelievable experience. I don't know
if it's quite hit me yet. I really got to thank Mr. Snyder, Bruce Allen,
Scot McCloughan and particularly, Eric Schaffer,
who spent a lot of time with my agent the past couple of weeks trying
to get this done. When you come into the NFL, you get drafted by a
certain team, you immediately develop a certain affinity for that team
and that organization, that city, and I certainly
feel that way about the Redskins. And for them to give me this kind of
vote of confidence to hopefully finish out my career as a Redskin means
the world to me."
On how much he was involved in getting the contract done:
"Yeah, I mean, it's
mainly between my agent and the front office. They worked really hard to
get this done and like I said I owe a lot to the front office for
getting this done before training camp."
On goals for this year and training camp in particular:
"I'm just looking
forward to playing again. I mean it really sucked, for lack of a better
term, to not be able to do OTAs and mini-camp and whatnot. So, I'm
looking forward to getting out there tomorrow, knocking
off the rust, and just getting back to playing, and hopefully getting this team on the right track.
On the timing of the extension and if it eliminated any distractions prior to training camp:
"Yeah, I mean it's nice
to get it done. I don't think it would've been a distraction had I not
gotten it done because I would've been under contract for another season
anyways. So, nothing would have changed had
I not gotten it done and nothing's going to change now that I do have
it done. Because, I mean , I have a lot to prove this year to myself, to
rest of the football world, and we got a lot of making up to do for the
past couple of years"
On his injury status going into camp:
“I mean I’m ready to go. I know the coaches will
have a certain plan for me as far as when I am practicing and when I’m
not. As for tomorrow, I’m going and I like it that way. I want to be out there, I don’t want to be standing around watching
practice so I’m going to be glad to be practicing.”
On his excitement about how he will be utilized in the new defense:
“In studying the playbook and then seeing what
other guys were doing during minicamp and OTA’s, I’m really champing at
the bit to get out there and get to work under this defense. It’s a
defense that allows the front guys to play in the
opponent’s backfield a lot. That's always a great thing when you can
put an opponent in a negative yardage situation. That’s the thing that
has excited me the most about this new.”
On whether or not recuperating has helped his stability and longevity:
“There is a positive way you could look at that; a
few less reps, a few less hits on your body, but at the same time it’s
not easy watching. Ultimately, the surgery was a good thing, so I do
feel a lot better now and I’m really glad I
got it done.”
On becoming the veteran leader of the linebacker s:
“Yeah, it has been a slow transition into me being
one of the older guys in the room, but I like that. I like the role that
I have now, I like that a lot of the guys kind of look up to me in some
way. That feels good and I look forward
to being able to help not only in the meeting room, but the defense and
the team in general.”
On if he needs to be more of a leader following veteran linebacker departures and his new contract:
“I don’t necessarily think that means being a vocal
leader or being a rah-rah guy. Because, that’s not me and it never has,
probably won’t ever be me. I’ve always been a guy that works hard, but
now with this kind of contract and being
an older guy in the room, I have to work even harder. I have to do the
right things to an even greater level, and do all the little things that
are going to help not only make myself better, but help make the team
better.
On his family's reaction to the contract extension:
"Yeah, it's a great level of excitement for them,
as well. Yeah, you know, I've always had great support system with my
family, we're very close, and I called them last night and told them
that we have come to an agreement. They are very
happy for me, happy that I'll be staying there too because they like
the way Redskins fans and the areas have embraced me. I'm glad that I am
staying."
On how he landed his opportunity on Sharknado 3:
"Eric Shuster from CSN asked me if I wanted to be a
part of it. He asked myself, and Tom Compton. And I said, 'Yeah,
Absolutely I'd love to be in Sharknado and that's it. It was a lot of
fun to shoot that."
On his performance in Sharknado 3 and how it helped his new deal:
"I mean it's kind of coincidental, you know, it
gets done after seeing my Oscar award winning performance of mine in
Sharknado (3)"
On if he wished he had time to celebrate his new deal:
"That's fine; I wouldn't have done a whole lot of
celebrating either with the season being as close as it was. The fact
that it got done is the biggest thing, Not that it got done a week ago,
but it got done. And I'm really excited, it
will hit me at some point, it's just all about football right now."
