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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – July 31, 2013
[stl]9eda4d67-25a1-4a8f-a1a6-7c709d2025a0[/stl]
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(On how Wednesday’s practice went)
“Yeah, they look forward to the first one (padded practice). The second one, there temperature picked up a little bit and they just, they got a little antsy I think, but they pushed through it. It wasn’t our best practice, but you’re going to have one of those every once in a while. You’ve got to push through it and correct it and explain to them how important every rep is.”
(On his philosophy on tackling in practice)
“We practice tackling every day that we’re going to have shoulder pads on. We don’t take them to the ground, but we practice tackling. It’s important. Our drills, they’re basic drills. They’re close line drills, they’re not a lot of distance, not a high impact. It’s more about technique.”
(On why players like TE Jared Cook are so important in modern offenses)
“You need big targets down the field. What you’re looking for in an ideal situation is a big target that can run but that can also help in the run game on the edge. When ‘Cookie’s’ in there, he’s not a receiver. You load up with receivers where you’re anticipating a situational pass. But when Jared is in there, we’re still able to run it. We’re balanced, and then because of his downfield threat, it pushes the defense further down the field.”
(On the mismatches Cook creates)
“Yeah, you just move him around and you get him lined up – based on formations and motions and shifts – you should get him lined up on certain individuals sometimes.”
(On the difference between WR Brian Quick this year’s training camp and last)
“I think it’s just the year, it’s the offseason, the offseason program. Last year when he came in, he was learning something totally new. This year he came in and there was a lot more recall. He’s a lot more comfortable. He’s not necessarily thinking as much. The huddle is called and you go back to the play in the playbook and then you’re at the line of scrimmage. Now you just pick it up.”
(On if the changes to the Pro Bowl could provide a testing ground for the competition committee for future rule changes)
“No, this is all set up just because of the quality. You’ve seen the last few Pro Bowls now. Last year’s Pro Bowl picked up a little bit, but the one prior and the two before that, there just wasn’t much football there. At one point there was some consideration about eliminating it. The changes that were made I think everyone’s excited about. The NFL is excited about it. The Players Association is excited about it. The players are excited and so are the fans. We’ve had one way of doing things since 1971 and now it’s going to change. It appears that the changes will make the game better.”
(On if he thinks Barrett Jones has a chance to compete for a starting job at guard this season)
“Barrett’s actually playing center. He’s got the ability to move around and play different positions, but we’ve got him locked into the one position right now at center. He’s done well. This was his second practice and both have been in pads. He’s a ways away. He didn’t benefit from the offseason programs that the guys did. He’s got a ways to go but right now we think he’s better suited at center and kind of a backup at the other positions.”
(On WR Justin Veltung)
“Our numbers went down a little bit for a short period of time. Seattle for some reason released him. What you do when you’re looking to bring players in is you’re looking for guys that have been in camps – been in minicamps, OTAs and been in training camp because the conditioning level is different. They’re able to just come right in and play. He’s got return skills. He fought through injuries in college. He’s got both punt return, kickoff return skills and he made some plays out here today.”
Rams QB Sam Bradford – Post-Practice – July 31, 2013
[stl]552a8e2a-e7ce-4a83-baf5-e25bf989a4c8[/stl]
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center/videos/QB-Sam-Bradford-Press-Conference-/552a8e2a-e7ce-4a83-baf5-e25bf989a4c8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center ... 5bf989a4c8</a>
(On how training camp has been going so far)
“It’s been really good so far. I think that we’ve been really crisp up to this point. I think the challenge for us going forward is that we keep installing and so we keep adding to the playbook. Some of the younger guys, just to keep hammering the stuff that we’ve already done and then try to stay up with the new stuff. But so far, I’ve been very pleased with the work that we’ve gotten in.”
(On where the current roster ranks in speed and skill since he has been with the Rams)
“It’s probably hard to really assess that right now only going into our second day of pads and we haven’t really seen any live action yet. But, I think if you look at it from a speed standpoint, it’s easy to say that this is the fastest group of skill players that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
(On what he likes from what he’s seen out of WR Brian Quick in training camp)
“I think we all got really excited yesterday with his physicality. There was a run play yesterday and he came in and cracked the WIL linebacker and put him on the ground. A couple plays later he was run blocking a corner and he threw him on the ground. There was another catch yesterday, I think it might have been a couple days ago, where he used his body and went over a guy and it’s just really nice to see that from Quick because he has all the physical ability in the world. To see him finally using his strength and his size is a really good sign.”
(On what he thinks about WR Tavon Austin’s performance thus far in camp)
“Tavon’s playing really well right now. We’re asking him to do a lot, obviously moving him around quite a bit, putting him outside and in the slot, but he’s handled everything very well. He’s really exciting when he gets the ball in his hands, you guys have seen it. We’re all excited about that and hopefully he just continues to improve.”
(On the significance of TE Jared Cook in today’s NFL offense)
“It just gives us so many more options. When you have a tight end that you’re able to move out wide and he can run wide receiver routes, you can do so many more things, and a defense has to prepare for so many different sets and different route combinations. When Cook’s in the game, it’s not like he’s going to line up in the traditional tight end spot every time. We can flex him out wide, he can play as the ‘X’, he can play in the slot, as the number two in a three-by-one set, and it really forces the defense to think a lot. A lot of times, when you’re in 11 (-personnel set), you’ve got one tight end, it’s really easy for them to say, ‘Alright the tight end is going to be right here, this is what they’re going to do’. But with Cook, that’s not the case. It just allows us to open up a whole another part of the playbook.”
(On how Cook opens up a part of the playbook the offense did not even acknowledge last season)
“Exactly. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily a new play, but it’s out of a different formation or a different personnel grouping. Where last year we might not have been able to run that personnel group, but now that we have Cook, we’re able to and it’s one more thing that the defense has to prepare for.”
(On TE Lance Kendricks’ injury setting him back a few more weeks)
“Obviously, we would love to have Lance out here. You can’t replace training camp, just the amount of snaps and the amount of reps that we get during these couple weeks before the season starts – they’re really important. But I think the good news is that Lance has a year in his system so he understands what he’s going to be asked to do once he comes back. I expect him – after a couple days – he should be back up to speed.”
(On if this is ‘his’ team because of his leadership qualities)
“I think going into my fourth year, the natural progression was for me to take more control of this offense, and with ‘Jack’ (Steven Jackson) gone, there’s obviously a huge void. So, I think that makes it a little easier for me.”
(On how well the team has been retaining the playbook and techniques)
“It’s been really good. I’ve been very pleased with the things that we’ve been able to do these first couple days. Like I said, I think it’s going to be challenging over these next couple days because we’ve still got some big installs ahead of us. The plays are going to continue to pile on, so everyone’s going to have to stay dialed in through this next week or so until we get everything in and make sure everything is crisp and everything is together when we come out here.”
(On if he sees multiple running backs contributing in the backfield)
“Absolutely. I think at that position, there’s a lot of guys who are going to get playing time and are going to get touches. I’ve been very, very impressed with both (RBs) Daryl (Richardson) and Isaiah (Pead). I think they have done a tremendous job so far. I think they have grown up a ton since last year and I’m really excited to watch them play this year.”
(On RB Zac Stacy)
“I think Zac’s doing a great job, too. Obviously, it’s tougher for him – he’s coming in as a rookie – he only had the OTAs, he didn’t have the experience from last year. But I think he’s done a great job, too. I’ve been very impressed with his ability to pick up blitzes. For young guys, that’s a part of the game that a lot of guys struggle with and he seems to do a really good job with that.”
(On what has impressed him the most about camp)
“The coolest thing for me is that we’re so much further ahead than we have been in the past. Just going into year two, some of the things that we’re able to do as an offense – the walk-thrus that we have in the middle of the day. We just ran a blitz period with things that we’re able to talk about and pick up. It’s pretty exciting as a quarterback because it’s way advanced compared to where we were at this point last year.”
[stl]9eda4d67-25a1-4a8f-a1a6-7c709d2025a0[/stl]
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center/videos/Head-Coach-Jeff-Fisher-Press-Conference/9eda4d67-25a1-4a8f-a1a6-7c709d2025a0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center ... 709d2025a0</a>
(On how Wednesday’s practice went)
“Yeah, they look forward to the first one (padded practice). The second one, there temperature picked up a little bit and they just, they got a little antsy I think, but they pushed through it. It wasn’t our best practice, but you’re going to have one of those every once in a while. You’ve got to push through it and correct it and explain to them how important every rep is.”
(On his philosophy on tackling in practice)
“We practice tackling every day that we’re going to have shoulder pads on. We don’t take them to the ground, but we practice tackling. It’s important. Our drills, they’re basic drills. They’re close line drills, they’re not a lot of distance, not a high impact. It’s more about technique.”
(On why players like TE Jared Cook are so important in modern offenses)
“You need big targets down the field. What you’re looking for in an ideal situation is a big target that can run but that can also help in the run game on the edge. When ‘Cookie’s’ in there, he’s not a receiver. You load up with receivers where you’re anticipating a situational pass. But when Jared is in there, we’re still able to run it. We’re balanced, and then because of his downfield threat, it pushes the defense further down the field.”
(On the mismatches Cook creates)
“Yeah, you just move him around and you get him lined up – based on formations and motions and shifts – you should get him lined up on certain individuals sometimes.”
(On the difference between WR Brian Quick this year’s training camp and last)
“I think it’s just the year, it’s the offseason, the offseason program. Last year when he came in, he was learning something totally new. This year he came in and there was a lot more recall. He’s a lot more comfortable. He’s not necessarily thinking as much. The huddle is called and you go back to the play in the playbook and then you’re at the line of scrimmage. Now you just pick it up.”
(On if the changes to the Pro Bowl could provide a testing ground for the competition committee for future rule changes)
“No, this is all set up just because of the quality. You’ve seen the last few Pro Bowls now. Last year’s Pro Bowl picked up a little bit, but the one prior and the two before that, there just wasn’t much football there. At one point there was some consideration about eliminating it. The changes that were made I think everyone’s excited about. The NFL is excited about it. The Players Association is excited about it. The players are excited and so are the fans. We’ve had one way of doing things since 1971 and now it’s going to change. It appears that the changes will make the game better.”
(On if he thinks Barrett Jones has a chance to compete for a starting job at guard this season)
“Barrett’s actually playing center. He’s got the ability to move around and play different positions, but we’ve got him locked into the one position right now at center. He’s done well. This was his second practice and both have been in pads. He’s a ways away. He didn’t benefit from the offseason programs that the guys did. He’s got a ways to go but right now we think he’s better suited at center and kind of a backup at the other positions.”
(On WR Justin Veltung)
“Our numbers went down a little bit for a short period of time. Seattle for some reason released him. What you do when you’re looking to bring players in is you’re looking for guys that have been in camps – been in minicamps, OTAs and been in training camp because the conditioning level is different. They’re able to just come right in and play. He’s got return skills. He fought through injuries in college. He’s got both punt return, kickoff return skills and he made some plays out here today.”
Rams QB Sam Bradford – Post-Practice – July 31, 2013
[stl]552a8e2a-e7ce-4a83-baf5-e25bf989a4c8[/stl]
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center/videos/QB-Sam-Bradford-Press-Conference-/552a8e2a-e7ce-4a83-baf5-e25bf989a4c8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center ... 5bf989a4c8</a>
(On how training camp has been going so far)
“It’s been really good so far. I think that we’ve been really crisp up to this point. I think the challenge for us going forward is that we keep installing and so we keep adding to the playbook. Some of the younger guys, just to keep hammering the stuff that we’ve already done and then try to stay up with the new stuff. But so far, I’ve been very pleased with the work that we’ve gotten in.”
(On where the current roster ranks in speed and skill since he has been with the Rams)
“It’s probably hard to really assess that right now only going into our second day of pads and we haven’t really seen any live action yet. But, I think if you look at it from a speed standpoint, it’s easy to say that this is the fastest group of skill players that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
(On what he likes from what he’s seen out of WR Brian Quick in training camp)
“I think we all got really excited yesterday with his physicality. There was a run play yesterday and he came in and cracked the WIL linebacker and put him on the ground. A couple plays later he was run blocking a corner and he threw him on the ground. There was another catch yesterday, I think it might have been a couple days ago, where he used his body and went over a guy and it’s just really nice to see that from Quick because he has all the physical ability in the world. To see him finally using his strength and his size is a really good sign.”
(On what he thinks about WR Tavon Austin’s performance thus far in camp)
“Tavon’s playing really well right now. We’re asking him to do a lot, obviously moving him around quite a bit, putting him outside and in the slot, but he’s handled everything very well. He’s really exciting when he gets the ball in his hands, you guys have seen it. We’re all excited about that and hopefully he just continues to improve.”
(On the significance of TE Jared Cook in today’s NFL offense)
“It just gives us so many more options. When you have a tight end that you’re able to move out wide and he can run wide receiver routes, you can do so many more things, and a defense has to prepare for so many different sets and different route combinations. When Cook’s in the game, it’s not like he’s going to line up in the traditional tight end spot every time. We can flex him out wide, he can play as the ‘X’, he can play in the slot, as the number two in a three-by-one set, and it really forces the defense to think a lot. A lot of times, when you’re in 11 (-personnel set), you’ve got one tight end, it’s really easy for them to say, ‘Alright the tight end is going to be right here, this is what they’re going to do’. But with Cook, that’s not the case. It just allows us to open up a whole another part of the playbook.”
(On how Cook opens up a part of the playbook the offense did not even acknowledge last season)
“Exactly. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily a new play, but it’s out of a different formation or a different personnel grouping. Where last year we might not have been able to run that personnel group, but now that we have Cook, we’re able to and it’s one more thing that the defense has to prepare for.”
(On TE Lance Kendricks’ injury setting him back a few more weeks)
“Obviously, we would love to have Lance out here. You can’t replace training camp, just the amount of snaps and the amount of reps that we get during these couple weeks before the season starts – they’re really important. But I think the good news is that Lance has a year in his system so he understands what he’s going to be asked to do once he comes back. I expect him – after a couple days – he should be back up to speed.”
(On if this is ‘his’ team because of his leadership qualities)
“I think going into my fourth year, the natural progression was for me to take more control of this offense, and with ‘Jack’ (Steven Jackson) gone, there’s obviously a huge void. So, I think that makes it a little easier for me.”
(On how well the team has been retaining the playbook and techniques)
“It’s been really good. I’ve been very pleased with the things that we’ve been able to do these first couple days. Like I said, I think it’s going to be challenging over these next couple days because we’ve still got some big installs ahead of us. The plays are going to continue to pile on, so everyone’s going to have to stay dialed in through this next week or so until we get everything in and make sure everything is crisp and everything is together when we come out here.”
(On if he sees multiple running backs contributing in the backfield)
“Absolutely. I think at that position, there’s a lot of guys who are going to get playing time and are going to get touches. I’ve been very, very impressed with both (RBs) Daryl (Richardson) and Isaiah (Pead). I think they have done a tremendous job so far. I think they have grown up a ton since last year and I’m really excited to watch them play this year.”
(On RB Zac Stacy)
“I think Zac’s doing a great job, too. Obviously, it’s tougher for him – he’s coming in as a rookie – he only had the OTAs, he didn’t have the experience from last year. But I think he’s done a great job, too. I’ve been very impressed with his ability to pick up blitzes. For young guys, that’s a part of the game that a lot of guys struggle with and he seems to do a really good job with that.”
(On what has impressed him the most about camp)
“The coolest thing for me is that we’re so much further ahead than we have been in the past. Just going into year two, some of the things that we’re able to do as an offense – the walk-thrus that we have in the middle of the day. We just ran a blitz period with things that we’re able to talk about and pick up. It’s pretty exciting as a quarterback because it’s way advanced compared to where we were at this point last year.”
