Comments from Redskins Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry by Redskins PR

On his enthusiasm on the field:

“That’s kind of my personality. I’m very hands-on, I’m very enthusiastic. But I think that’s obviously my style and the way I coach. That’s also… I’m kind of that way in the hallways during the day at work. That’s just who I am. I’m very hands-on.”

On players commenting that they believe his system is more aggressive than last year’s system:

”We’re aggressive. I would absolutely say that. It’s hard to do a lot in OTAs right now, just because of the rules, we can’t really do a lot. We’re really stressing effort. We’re really stressing playing fast, playing with good fundamentals, having our knees bent, sprinting to the ball, things like that. In OTAs, when you can’t do a lot of the physical stuff, we’re going to be physical with our effort and playing really fast and playing really hard. So, yes, it is something we’ll stress and will continue to stress.”

On linebacker Preston Smith:

“I think Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen and Coach Gruden [and] our whole scouting staff, I think we had a very successful free agency. We brought some new pieces in here, obviously, and the draft is no different. I think they did a great job, and to get Preston where we got him, we were very excited. But he is a good, young, talented kid, and I’m sure his head is spinning a little bit right now, like most rookies. But he comes to work every day and he’s doing a great job, and after – what’s today? – five OTAs, I’m really excited with where he’s at.”

On if he is looking to move players between safety and cornerback:

“Well, no. Corners are corners. Safeties are safeties. We ask, respectively, both sets – both our corners and our safeties – we ask them to do a lot. We ask them to blitz, we ask them to cover, we ask them to play zone coverage, we ask them to defend the run. So, yes, they’re interchangeable in that sense, but no – our corners are going to play corner and our safeties are going to play safety.”

On how the players are picking up his system:

“It’s a process, but the way we have the offseason set up, it’s in phases. So we have Phase 1, which is a series of meetings. We have Phase 2, which is meetings and then we actually get to get out on the field a little bit with the guys. And then obviously Phase 3 is the OTAs. So we tried to install everything with them in Phase 1, then go back and re-install with them in Phase 2. So this is really the third time that it’s been installed with them. But it’s brand new. It’s a different language. From system to system, that’s the biggest difference is the terminology. What guys have maybe been considering apples, now we’re calling it oranges and they’ve got to change it over in their head a little bit. So it’s just the terminology, but, like I said, I love where we are at right now.”

On the development of cornerback David Amerson:

“One thing that you’re going to get with me, guys, is that I’m a ‘look through the windshield’ guy. I’m never going to look in the rearview mirror. So, David and every other player, I’ve been around them for two months and that’s what I’m judging everything on. He’s been outstanding in everything that he’s done so far. He’s been here the entire offseason, he’s been great in the meeting room, taking notes and learning it. Again, after five practices, I’m very happy with where he is at. Now, I want him to continue to develop, no question about it, because he’s a young, talented kid. There is no doubt about it. Where he is at right now, I am pleased with his progress, no doubt.”

On getting players lined up correctly in multiple fronts:

“It’s definitely a process, and we’re in the fifth OTA of the offseason. We have good plays during the day and we have bad plays during the day, but that’s what we’re here for – we’re teachers. That’s the No. 1 thing that as a coach you have got to do, you have got to teach. It’s definitely a process, but like I said, there is a lot more good out there right now than bad and I’m very happy with where we are at as a unit.”

On if there was any consideration to changing the front to a 4-3:

“Not with me. I think we’re going to have the ability to be multiple and jump in and out of 4-3 fronts, 3-4 fronts. We’re structurally based out of a 3-4, there’s no doubt about it. I wouldn’t go as far as saying -- it’s kind of the trendy word to say ‘hybrid’ these days – but I wouldn’t go that far. But we are very multiple. We’re going to give you a bunch of different looks when we are in our base group and when we are in our sub groups.”

On the defensive staff:

“It’s really been good. I couldn’t be more pleased with the staff that Jay has put together. To get a guy like Perry Fewell, who has unbelievable experience and I’ve got all the respect in the world for, we’ve gotten to be very close over the last 15 years. Robb Akey, who has been a head coach before and was a defensive coordinator at Washington State, so what he brings to the table also is very impressive. You guys all know Kirk Olivadotti. We got to be very good friends over the years being linebacker coaches, so I have a chance to work with him. And we have two young coaches that I think are outstanding in Chad Grimm and Aubrey Pleasant. I love our staff. I love where we’re at. Just like players, they have got to learn the new system also, and it hasn’t been much of an offseason this year for us because we’ve been having in-season-like hours, but they’ve done a great job and I couldn’t be more pleased with the staff.”

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On mixing new faces and returning players on defense:

“I don’t want to say that’s never an issue, but it hasn’t been an issue with us. I think it’s all in our approach. I think the No. 1 thing, again back to Scot and his scouting staff, is we’ve not only brought in good football players, we’ve brought in good guys, good character guys. I think that’s important when you bring guys into the locker room. You want good football players, but you want good people and we’ve done that. The character on this team is outstanding. There are going to be ups and downs in a season, and that’s when you really need those character guys. That’s when you need veteran leadership. I think at each group we really have great veteran leadership. You’ve got a guy like Jason Hatcher with the front, you’ve got a guy like Ryan Kerrigan with the linebackers, you’ve got a guy like Dashon Goldson and DeAngelo Hall in the back end. That’s what you want. You want great players, but you want great players with great character and we got that.”

On if any individuals have stood out during OTAs:

“You know what, I wouldn’t single out one specific guy. The great thing about OTAs for me is that we’ve got 90 guys on our roster right now, and the way we divvy up practice – everyone gets… if we have a 12-play period, everybody gets equal amount of work. The first group gets four plays, the second group gets four plays and the third group gets four plays. So I’m happy with a bunch of guys, I really am. I think a bunch of guys are stepping up. I think a bunch of veterans are showing their leadership. I think a bunch of the young guys are stepping up, competing for a position on this team. I wouldn’t single one individual out. I think as a group, as a unit, we’re doing really good.”

On what excited him to come to Washington beyond the opportunity to be a coordinator:

“I’ve been fortunate to be in this league for a long time, and when you think of the Washington Redskins, the history, the tradition, the Super Bowl trophies right when you walk in the building, that’s exciting. I think every team, every organization goes through ups and downs, but just the chance to be able to come in here and work with a Bruce Allen, work with a Scot McCloughan, work for a Jay Gruden, that’s exciting. I don’t know if you guys realize this, but as an outsider coming in and coming here to play the Washington Redskins over the years, this is an unbelievable place as far as the talent, from a town, a fan base. It’s unbelievably rich in tradition, and I think that’s the most exciting thing is being able to come here and be a part of that.”

On if he was concerned he wouldn’t get another chance as a coordinator after his time in Detroit:

“Oh, sure, but again… absolutely. That was a major concern of mine because I do – selfishly, individually – I do have high aspirations for myself. So, yes, that was a concern, but like I said and I’ll repeat myself, I’ll say it many times, I’m a ‘look forward’ guy. I’m never going to look behind me. I learned from that. I became a better coach walking out of that situation, and I think I learned from it and became a better coach seven years later.”

On when he expects cornerback DeAngelo Hall to return to the field:

“When he is 100 percent healthy and cleared ready to go. I have no idea when that is going to be. I know the little bit of what he was able to do in Phase 2 with us exceeded my expectations. So, again, it says ‘Defensive Coordinator’ on my business card, not ‘M.D.’ So I have no idea when that magic day is going to be, but I do know he’s progressing great. The leadership that he’s been showing with not practicing, I’ve really been impressed with DeAngelo. He’s been in every single meeting for the last six weeks. He’s taking notes. He’s a phenomenal leader. I’ve really, really been pleasantly surprised with D-Hall with that. He’s really impressed me with his leadership role. But we’ll eventually get him on the field, whenever that is is when he’ll be 100 percent ready to go.”

On comparing Defensive Backs Coach Perry Fewell to Raheem Morris and if Fewell is a disciplinarian:

“Oh, sure. That’s the thing that people don’t realize is Perry was a defensive coordinator for nine years, but before that, Perry was an unbelievable secondary coach. [He] had great success in Jacksonville and St. Louis and Chicago, very accomplished as a secondary coach. So, Raheem  is one of my best friends in life, so I don’t want to ever compare the two but I think both in their own right are both great secondary coaches, but Perry’s style – I would say that. Perry is no-nonsense, great teacher. And again, I think he has an unbelievable wealth of knowledge that he is going to be able to bring to that DB room and it’s definitely showed – at least in the first five practices.”