HC ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT:"The injuries are the same ones that you were given yesterday, there's nothing new. We had a 10-10-10 practice today. It was good to have fans out for that. They're phenomenal. And we had some good work today. The 10-10-10 practice – the offense serves the defense and then vice versa. Each group gets 30 plays and ten play intervals. And then we have 15 minutes of special teams practice in between each of the rotations. We were able to get some good work done. It was a non-padded practice today."
Q:How have the wide receivers been looking?
REID: "They've done a good job. It looks like they're on the same page with the quarterbacks. That's how I evaluated it today. They're working hard. Jeremy (Maclin) was a great teacher for them. Understand how you practice, how you play and prepare for both practice and games. These guys were lucky to be around him and have that opportunity to learn from him."
Q: What about your running backs? You learn anything from Kereem Hunt or C.J. Spiller after a couple days in pads?
REID: "Yeah I mean I like what I see so far. We have not had any live periods or games so I'm curious to see how that goes. They're working their tails off, both of them. EB (Eric Bieniemy) is very demanding of them. He comes right after them. He's been there, he's done it. They're like sponges right now, absorbing everything."
Q: Does Kareem Hunt look differently in pads?
REID: "He looks pretty good. He's put together well. He has a very strong lower body, we saw that at Toledo. It looks like the same thing. We're expecting good things from him, we'll just have to see. He's young. We just have to keep teaching him."
Q: What's the most encouraging thing you've seen so far in the week and a half in practice?
REID: "I think the retention of what they've left with. To bring it back and being able to retain it for these practices. Particularly the young guys. When they came back to the rookie camp, I was surprised on how much it actually retained and they could come out here and execute it. We put together pretty good practices, we were able to put something together and coach them on the next point from what you're talking about from the OTA's. And they've done a good job here transitioning into the pads and competing in the practices. With the exception of not tackling, everything else is fast and I think they've stepped up for that."
Q: From your experience, what point do you see the rookies stop to think less and react more and play faster?
REID: "I think you get through this preseason and you'll get to see that. Everybody learns at a different rate. You're patient to a point. But these kids want to make the team. There's a point where the patience gets thrown out there and expectation and reality sets in and you've got to function. It's a profession. You've got to be able to study, retain and then function in a nano-second."
Q: With respect to making the team, is your evaluation process a little bit different now that you only have one cut down day instead of two like in the past?
REID: "I'm glad the league did that. I like that rule. It makes that fourth game exciting. The fans can sit there and see the same thing we're seeing and be able to evaluate the young guys. They'll get a little more opportunity to play there, and I think that'll make it a better fourth game for the fans. So for practice it's great. To have those numbers, it's a positive thing. I'm glad the owners and the commissioner did that."
Q: How close are your number two and three quarterbacks? And how much of your evaluation is what is here versus behind the scenes?
REID: "You kind of take it and put it in the bowl. We've got to finish this up. Being able to sustain as we're cranking plays at them and stay mentally tough and discipline and all the things that need to be done there. And then you add the games in there – are you doing the same things with those. Then you can come up with a decent evaluation."
Q: How close are those two guys?
REID: "Well they're competing right now. Obviously Tyler (Bray) has been here and knows it a little better but they're competing. I like what I've seen from all three of them. All three of them have done a nice job. We've still got another six good loads coming in at them with install so just got to stay sharp with them."
Q: When you're watching those guys play, watching (Tyler) Bray and (Patrick) Mahomes, when they're on the field when there's miscommunication when the pass goes somewhere it isn't – how often is it the quarterback that throws the ball in the wrong spot versus the wide receiver running in the wrong spot?
REID: "Because we have so many adjustments, it can be either or. If it's one guy's fault it's everyone's fault. We just throw it in the hopper. Starting with me. We're going to have a few of those. For the most part they've done pretty well."
Q: Can you speak to the competition level in inside linebacker? Josh (Mauga) is back and all kinds of starters now.
REID: "We'll get DJ (Derrick Johnson) back with the tooth pulled. I like the competition that's in there. We're rolling. We've got a little bit of young and a little bit of old. Those young guys are full of energy and they even push the old guys by just energy level. The old guys push the young guys with the mental part of the game. It ends up being pretty good chemistry and good competition. So we'll see how that all shakes out when it's done."
Q: What have you seen from Seantavius Jones so far?
REID: "I like what I've seen. He's a big guy that can run and he attacks the ball, which I appreciate. For the most part there's trust. I think that's a positive there."
Q: Should we discount that because the defense is not hitting yet or should we be impressed?
REID: "I would hold off on evaluations until somebody gets smacked around a little bit. Now is a different deal. You maintain that same focus. He has done that before for us so I have seen it, but he has to do it now. It is all about right now."
Q: Patrick Mahomes has been doing well with the criticism, but does every young quarterback have a breaking point?
REID: "This is the deal. You have to be a tough son of a gun to play that position. You have a lot on your shoulders and you have a lot of people relying on your abilities there. As a coach, we are there to teach and make sure that they understand the urgency level. There is a different urgency level here at this level than it is at the college level. Not that it is not important to the football team there but you get up here now and there is a massive amount of pressure. Now how you handle that is very important. I am not sure there is a breaking point. That is not what we are trying to get to. We are trying to make sure that right here is like a vault man. It is strong, sturdy and you have all of the knowledge in it and that you can go play."
S DANIEL SORENSEN
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Q: You had kind of a breakout year last year. How are you doing preparing for this year?
SORENSEN: "I am looking forward to this year. We have a great schedule in front of us. We got our team back. I am looking to improve on everything. I am looking forward to it."
Q: Do you like opening on Thursday Night Football against the Patriots? It will be a challenging game.
SORENSEN: "Absolutely! We encourage it and we invite it. We want it that way. Let's take them on first week and that is the best opportunity we got."
Q: What does the close playoff loss motivate you for this season?
SORENSEN: "Oh it is everything. It is the bad taste that is left in our mouth that motivates us during the tough times and training camp. That is what we are looking forward to and building upon is to not repeat what we did last year and to take the next step."
Q: What is the next step in the defense? Where do you think you need to get better?
SORENSEN: "It is not like there is one thing that you would say we are lacking. It is just to get better and to improve every aspect. We have a standard to uphold and that is a standard that we try to keep and maintain and just improve all around the board."
Q: What is the most encouraging thing you have seen this camp?
SORENSEN: "Speaking from a defensive back's perspective and on the defensive side, a lot of balls are being contested. There are tough throws for quarterbacks and tough catches for the receivers and that is all you can ask for, right? To challenge the throws and challenge those completions."
CB STEVEN NELSON
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Q:What are your initial impressions of De'Vante Bausby?
NESLON:"I see Bausby coming along. He has been here before so he knows our system. I think he is fitting in well for what we have going on."
Q:Have you been trying to forge an identity among the secondary?
NELSON:"I don't think we have a name for ourselves, but I think we hold ourselves to a higher standard than most other teams and defenses out there. We want to just play well at a high level."
Q:Knowing everyone is back from injury, how does that help you guys on the field? What is the tangible result of that on the field?
NELSON:"It just gives us momentum. It just gives us the chance to keep building and helping each other out. There is a lot of competition out there so every day is a work day."
WR ALBERT WILSON
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Q:You guys have great competition going with the receivers. Guys like Seantavius Jones are coming along. You have the rookie Jehu Chesson. What do you think you have going in your advantage?
WILSON: "I feel like we're all doing a great job and the key is that we're competing against each other. That's what's making us better every day. We come out here and know that we want to be the best and we are just competing against each other."
Q:We haven't had a chance to talk to you since J Mac [Jeremy Maclin] got released. What kind of influence was he and how is the room different without him in there now?
WILSON:"I was very young when he came in. So what I'm going off of is the things he taught me. I wouldn't say the room changed very much besides the age limit, I'm the oldest person in the room. He taught me to be a pro on and off the field and to be able to help the ones who are coming up because at the end of the day we are a team and we want to get better. So we compete against each other, we go day in and day out and try to outwork everybody on the field and try to be the best position group out there."
Q:What's Greg Lewis been like as a coach to work with?
WILSON:"He's great. I'm learning a lot from him. From the day he stepped in the room he's definitely been teaching me a lot. He's been with Coach Reid, so he knows exactly how he wants things done as a receiver and we're definitely learning a lot from him."
