General Manager Thomas Dimitroff
Opening Statement:
“To recap, we’re excited. We feel we had a really productive day today. We got an opportunity to land what we consider our future franchise quarterback and follow up with a very legitimate left tackle. With a run on offensive linemen we feel very comfortable with what we did with Sam Baker. He’s a very talented individual on the left side. He’s very versatile and we’re excited about having him on board not only with his versatility but his ability to be very consistent and not give up tackles in the Pac 10. So he showed a lot of production there. Then following up with our last pick today with Curtis Lofton. He’s a heck of an athlete, a tough guy and he’ll really shore up our inside as well as his versatility to play multiple positions at the linebacker spot. So we’re excited about Lofton being on board as well.”
Q: How did the deal come about with the Redskins that allowed you to go up and get Sam Baker?
A: “We started looking at the draft order and we started analyzing which teams we exactly thought might be interested in left tackles. We knew there would be a run on tackles at the outset of this draft. So as we started to really hone in on the teams that needed the tackle, we contacted Washington and they were interested. They had contacted me yesterday with the possibility they might be interested in moving out of the 20s. We figured in going up to where we did at No. 21 and we were being aggressive with it. We also knew that there were three other teams behind us and we saw that there were three teams there, at least one in particular that ended up taking a tackle so we knew we needed to be aggressive in going up to get Sam Baker.”
Q: With the first day completed, what are some of the depth areas still on the board for Sunday?
A: “We’re still in the market for more defensive players. We need to continue to increase the speed of the team so we’re looking in that area across the defensive board. We still have some places along the passing game that we’re looking to shore up.”
Head Coach Mike Smith
Q: What did you see regarding Sam Baker from your perspective?
A: “From my perspective, I saw a young man that started 49 out of 52 games in the Pac 10 as a left tackle, and had a pretty good run with Coach (Pete) Carroll. He’s a very efficient pass blocker and outstanding athlete. I really think he’ll be a cornerstone for us on the offensive line to protect our quarterback and also to open up holes for our running.”
Q: What did you see in Curtis Lofton and how do you see him fitting in?
A; “Curtis Lofton is a tackling machine. He’s a guy that made a lot of tackles. There’s been a number of outstanding linebackers to play at the University if Oklahoma over the last few years. Coach (Bob) Stoops said that Curtis may the best one he’s had. He’s got versatility, he played Sam linebacker early in his career and was moved to the Mike linebacker position this year. He’s a guy that can make plays all over the field.”
General Manager Thomas Dimitroff
Q: Do you project Sam Baker as a left tackle, or do you think he’ll be moved around a little bit, and there’s talk about his arm length, do you think he’s a left tackle?
A: “I’m not concerned about his arm length. He definitely has versatility to play left tackle and he can play guard as well. His versatility is a very interesting thing for us.”
Q: Would you want to move him around at first, or take him right away at left tackle?
A: “We would jump in at left tackle.”
Q: What are your overall thoughts?
A: “I’m very excited about our moves today. I think we satisfied some of our needs. We still have a number of needs left and a number of picks left. I’m very pleased with what happened today.”
Q: Are guys on your radar screen for day two?
A: “We definitely believe there are people out there that we can get. We still have a hefty board at certain positions and there’s still some nice depth there. We feel that we can land one of those players.”
Q: What was it like to be at the helm on your first day at the draft?
A: “During the Washington move there was a lot going on there. We were trying to decide what would be a fair exchange of picks. That was pretty interesting and how fast it was working. Being at the helm was pretty enjoyable and somewhat innovating. There were some high-fives and some strong handshakes.”
Q: Can you Talk about moving back into the first round for a trade?
A: “We had targeted the twenties. We weren’t exactly sure who we were going to go after. We were definitely analyzing what was happening with the offensive tackles. It’s not always easy moving up. There’s a lot of talk going into the draft and you’d hope that you can land a trade. A lot of times people push you off. We were pleased that we were able to move up to No. 21.”
Q: Were you surprised about the amount of offensive lineman drafted in the first round?
A: “We weren’t surprised at all. We talked to so many different teams. You know the needs out there and we analyzed the rosters. We knew where he was probably going to go. The ability to land a legitimate left tackle at No. 34 is something that we could not pass up.”
Q: Can you talk about players coming from strong college programs?
A: “I think winning is very important. When you have a guy that comes from a winning program he knows how to compete and win. All three of those guys have outstanding character with no off-the-field issues. They were team leaders on their football teams.”
RELATED LINKS:
- NEWS: Falcons select Ryan third overall | Quotes
- TRADE: Draft-day trade opens door to select Baker
- NEWS: Birds trade up to land Baker | Quotes
- NEWS: Falcons select Lofton in third round | Quotes
- QUOTABLE: Draft Day Presser Part One | Part Two
