Head Coach Mike Smith, July 26
Q: How did it go out there today?
A: "I thought it was a good morning. I think our guys got a little bit of a break with great cloud cover. It was nice to get out there again. We have been off and our coaching staff reintroduced the players last night and this morning to our schemes, our verbage and I thought they retained it extremely well. They have been tested in the offseason when they were off via email to make sure our guys were getting their stuff and they came back pretty well. I was pleased with the shape that our guys came in with. I am really excited about training camp and as a coach you have to be. It is not necessarily fun all of the time going through two-a-days. It’s not fun for coaches or players and it’s not fun for you guys covering it. It can be a grind but we’re excited about getting started.”
Q: Sam Baker signed his contract last night. How did that go?
A: "First, I want to thank Thomas (Dimitroff), Rich (McKay), Nick Polk and his staff for getting that done. I know we went up to the wire with a couple of those guys but anytime you don’t have any distractions and you have all of your players here it’s a good start to the season and a good start to the camp. I am really excited about that because they got it done and I am really appreciative for them.”
Q: What did you say to the team last night?
A: “The first meeting is really a logistics meeting. In fact basically the support staff from community relations to the PR department, trainers, video, player personnel department and all the people that are part of the team got a chance to be introduced to our football team. We had some changes and we had not had a chance to discuss that. The big thing that I and every coach in the league try to drive home is their goals and our goals. We are going to try and get to the opening game as healthy as possible. That’s a tough task when you are preparing and going through the rigors of training camp. We want to be as healthy as we possibly can but at the same time we have got to go out there, work and have some padded practices. I also spoke to them about defining their roles and it’s something Thomas (Dimitroff) and I have talked about. We want everyone to have definable roles on this football team and understand those roles are always changing. The dynamics of a football team change everyday because there are o many factors. You have injuries, guys playing better, and guys stepping up and doing things. Those dynamics can change everyone and the organization is expecting the next guy to step up and be ready to play. That really was the point that we made.”
Q: This is the first time you are in charge of the camp. How does it feel to be the man in charge, going from field to field?
A: “I had a little experience with the OTA’s and it was different from that first practice. Now, I really didn’t know where to stand. I was kind of lost out there. I kind of got an idea now how to operate it and it’s a good feeling the way our coaches and players went about their business. They are familiar with it and we have gone through the OTA’s. I felt they went about their business in a very workman-like process. When Thomas (Dimitroff) and I were hired we talked about the process and we plan to be systematic about how we approach things. Training camp is just another step in the process. The next thing up after we get through this training camp is the opportunity to play against somebody else in the preseason.”
Q: How does it feel to get OL Todd Weiner back after he was cleared last week?
A: “Todd got cleared last week and he went through the individual period today. We’re going to bring Todd along very slowly. We’re going to have to manage him through training camp because of his age and injury situation. There are a number of guys who we will have to manage through training camp. Guys who have been in the league nine or 10 years need to be ready to go and they will get some time off, not days off though. We will bring Todd around slowly. He went through individuals today and some team periods were more of a walk-through getting him back into the swing of things. With a guy like Todd, we are probably going to have to hold him back more than anything. Once he gets out there he is such a competitive football player and he’s going to want to get out there and play.”
Q: What is WR Joe Horn’s offensive role on the team?
A: “Joe is here to play football and he has been doing this a long time. There is a negotiating season, a pay season, and a play season. It is play season and Joe is a football player. He is out here to compete and win a position on this football team. I spoke with Joe yesterday, we had a nice conversation and he’s all in.”
Q: How important is it for you to keep the players fresh?
A: “It is very important. You have to have a plan and you have to stick to that plan. From day one I said, ‘When we work we’re going to work.’ We want it to be intense but we are going to give you periods of time when it’s going to be walk and talk with a lot of coaching periods. Also, the way we put together our practices in the afternoons once we get into our padded practices will be a little lighter. On Sunday we will give them the entire time off and it’s by design. Their bodies will be prepared, but at the same time they will be well rested and ready to go in September.”
Q: Talk about the progression of CB Brent Grimes?
A: “Brent has been working with the first team since the halfway point through our OTA’s. He’s a young guy that was a free agent from a small college. He’s been on the practice squad and he has been through NFL Europa. He’s paid his dues and worked extremely hard to get here. He’s got an opportunity to be a starter in this league. We’re very impressed by the plays he has made on the ball during OTA’s and it will be fun to watch that competition in the secondary.”
Q: Do you think what the team went through last year will affect what will happen this year?
A: “Whether it’s a team, family, or business you want to keep things going smoothly in terms of how you do business and that’s what we want our guys to understand and how we will operate. What I mean by that is how we handle meetings and how we handle the practice field. It’s going to be interesting because we do have two different types of practices that we have not actually gone through. We have padded practices that will take place on Monday and tomorrow morning we have a shells practice as well. That will be the first time they’re in that gear and have gone through the sequence. But, I think it’s very important to eliminate distractions and be task masters all the way across the board. All players and coaches understand what the task is and that’s for us to go out and put a competitive football team on the field.”
Q: Talk about a veteran LB Keith Brooking coming to camp?
A: “Keith likes being the weakside linebacker and he’s been to five pro bowls at that position. For him individually, he has got to be excited about that opportunity. As a staff, we think that is the best position for him on our football team. Keith is a pro, he comes to work everyday with a smile on his face and he loves the game of football. He is passionate about it. He is a leader and that is what these young guys need to see. He has been doing this for a long time. Lawyer Milloy comes to work everyday with a passion and a drive to be as good as he can be. You have to have those veterans on your football team to bring these young guys along. We do have a lot of young guys on our team.”
Q: Are you excited to see how player positions evolve over the next couple of weeks?
A: “It’s a competition and we love to compete. That’s what it is all about. I’m excited because it will bring some clarity to our football team and we want to clear up some questions we have. We won’t know these answers in two weeks and it will probably take four weeks before we know that because we want to give everyone an opportunity. What I mean by competing on the field is in games. When we go out there, it is full speed and you are taking guys to the ground, tackling, and everybody is live. That’s when you get a true evaluation of your players.”
RELATED LINKS:
- COVERAGE: Click here for complete Russell Falcons Training Camp coverage
- NOTEBOOK: Rookies energetic on first day
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith
- AUDIO: Keith Brooking
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Matt Ryan | Chris Redman | Roddy White
- VIDEO: Sam Baker | Curtis Lofton | Harry Douglas | Joey Harrington
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: The Show Must Go On | Welcome to Camp! | Chewing the QB's Ear
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: Injury Update | Closing Thoughts from Day One
- FALCON AL'S BLOG: New Media Studio | The Media Room | The 'Other' Roddy White
- TWIG'S BLOG: Sprouting
- MOOKIE'S BLOG: Tag Team Back Again
- MOD'S BLOG: It's On Like Donkey Kong | Sounds of the Game
