Latest / Press Pass / Press Pass | Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson Recap Day 2 of the NFL Draft

Transcript

Press Pass | Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson Recap Day 2 of the NFL Draft · Press Pass

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Can you ask coach the first question? Geane, please go ahead.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Could you just talk a little bit about why you
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: had to you felt like you had to wait this
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: long to get to get a cornerback? Is it just
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: a was was trade up? Trading up not an option
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: in the second round? Just is it just the way
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: the board fell?
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's really the way the board fell. I mean
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: we looked at opportunities to trade up in the in
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the second round and that didn't go our way. And
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: really excited about the player we got. You know, he
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: was someone that we had targeted. We we spent a
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: lot of time with him. We sent a couple of
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: coaches to work him out personally on a private workout
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: which went exceptionally well. Uh, you know, he's one hundred
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: percent cleared from the from the knee that he suffered
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: two years ago. And uh, you know again, like like
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I've always said, you follow your board and you got
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: more than one need. You know, we had a need
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: at that position and we filled it.
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: How much does what he did this past year seemed
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: to be much better as a as a nickel? I mean,
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: how much did that and seems to be better in
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: man coverage as well, how much did that impact your
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: decision to take a guy that quite frankly, a lot
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: of other people didn't have as highly rated.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Well, again, I don't know how other people rate the players,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: you know, and where he was on everybody's board. I
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: just know he's a good football player. You know. We
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: spent a lot of time with him when he came
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: in for the local pro day and hung out with
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: the coaches, stayed, stayed extra, spent a couple hours with him,
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: you know, and sat down with them personally. Coach I know,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: sat down with him. You know. He's a young guy
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: that converted wide receiver learning the cornerback position, and he showed,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: you know, through the course of the year, especially as
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: the year went on, that he has a real knack
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: for it and he can play inside and outside. He's
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: not just a nickel. He's five to eleven and change.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: He's one hundred night andy plus pollens. He runs four
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: three nine. He can play outside and inside, but he
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: happened to play primarily inside. There.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: What is it about Mason Smith that you loved?
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: Six five six five, real five big guy, you know,
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: just again, another player that that is explosive, can move
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: his lateral quickness. You know, you just watch his tape
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: and you see him, you know, chasing chasing some ball
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: carriers down. He can hold the point of attack. He's
• 2:27
  Speaker 4: a he's a space eater in there. He can push
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: the interior of the pocket. He's long, obviously, you know,
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: and and obviously he had the injury, but I think
• 2:37
  Speaker 4: prior to the injury, he's a you know, he was
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: talked about going you know, possibly in one, you know,
• 2:43
  Speaker 4: and things of that nature. So I feel like we've
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: got a really good player there obviously, and looking forward
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: to getting both these guys here how much.
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: I mean, I know, obviously he's a big dude, but
• 2:55
  Speaker 5: is there.
• 2:56
  Speaker 6: Some stuff there?
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: I think there's some things you can develop, you know,
• 2:59
  Speaker 4: with his athletics, and it's his power, you know, and
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: and just being able to just push the pocket and
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: just you know, sometimes you don't have to hit the
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: quarterback as much as just disrupt and and and get
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: him off his spot. And then that's what he's capable
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: of doing.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: On the edge to a little bit or.
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: Just well, I mean, not like Josh Allen, but yeah, no,
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: you're not like that. I mean, obviously we got the
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: edge kind of covered. But uh, you know right now,
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: just would we would keep him at one position, you know,
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: and and and see if see where where he plugs
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: in and and and look he's he is coming off
• 3:32
  Speaker 4: the entry to and and you know, he did play.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: So there's gonna be some a little bit of a
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: little bit of growing with him, you know, as we
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: as we get him, you know, mixed in with our players.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: How much did Matt House and Ryan Nielsen and even
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: Garrett I think how much did they play in in
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: in him coming here.
• 3:49
  Speaker 7: Having guys on staff who know him knowing.
• 3:51
  Speaker 6: Pretty well, Oh it helps, Yeah, yeah, I mean that's
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: obviously Matt was the decordinator there for two years and
• 4:00
  Speaker 6: understands him well, spoke very highly of him, you know,
• 4:04
  Speaker 6: his football, his passion for the game and stuff, and
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: we got to realize.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: You know, he's coming off that. But he did play
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: this year, and as the end as he got to
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: the end of the tape, you know, he was he
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: was probably ninety percent by the time the end of
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: the year came around, and one hundred percent when we
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: went and worked him out. You know, he's running full speed.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: There's no there's no lingering issues, you know, he's a
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: young man that's you know, got to have a little
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: more time on task, but he's his upside substantial.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: I think Mason said he felt like it was uncommon
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: favor that let him here, and he talked about how
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: the when he got the phone call, his heart hunter
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: drop because he just felt like this was a perfect thing.
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: When you guys, hear a guy that on night one
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: is that ready to go and it's so ready to
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: play for this organization just doesn't mean to you both.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Well, it means a lot. You know, you hope they
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: have a great experience, whether we meet him here, you know,
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: on one of the thirty visits, or at the Combine
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: or wherever. You hope you present the organization well, and
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: you hope they they they see that, you know, they
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: see the passion that we have for this organization and
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: the jobs that we do. And you hope they understand that,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: see that, feel that and want to be a part
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: of it.
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: How much you can help a guy like Mason coming
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: into a room with veterans like Eric and Roy.
• 5:18
  Speaker 4: And all those guys, I think it's huge. I think
• 5:21
  Speaker 4: it's huge, you know, to have guys that have been there,
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: done that you know, have battled a diversity themselves, you know,
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: the course of their careers, and it's a really good room.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: There's some great leaders in there, and he's coming into
• 5:35
  Speaker 4: that room and and he can just soak up all
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: that knowledge and just learn from those guys you mentioned.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Ear the first thing you mentioned about when Mason's name
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: was brought up and started with the sis factor, and
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Trent made it clear at the season ending press conference
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: about how much you wanted to get more physical inside.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: How much of taking Mason was really about that.
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: That's part of it. You know, you definitely have to
• 6:00
  Speaker 4: control the line of scrimmage, both sides of the ball,
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: offense and defensive lines. And and obviously we feel that
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: adding Mason to that, to that room, you know, gets
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: us to that point where we can control, you know,
• 6:12
  Speaker 4: the line of scrimmage. And and you have to be physical.
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: I mean, that's a physical position as a you know,
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: uh anyway, and and you know, again a guy that
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: that is that is big, powerful athletic as he is.
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: You know, it's just a great addition to to an
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: already good room.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: You can kind of walk through the process with Jerry
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: and a little bit more how you guys identify him
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: and if you believe he is a club and play
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: guy that could play, we won well. We identified him
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: early on in the process. I mean, we had the
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: scouts in there, you know, during the fall of the year,
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: identified him as a as a prospect and upper level prospect,
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: and then you go through the whole process with him.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: You know, you go through the pro days and in
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: the combine and all the things that go with at
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the thirty visits. He wasn't one of the thirty visits
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: because he came here on the local pro day, so
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: we got a chance to spend a lot of time
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: with him. You know, you love his energy. You know
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: you're gonna feel it. We just got off a zoom
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: call with him. You'll feel his energy as soon as
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: he gets here. He loves football, you know, and you
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: can't have enough of those guys. The game's hard, and
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: you know guys that just just like it, struggle when
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: things get tough. When guys love it, they fight through adversity.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: And he's a young man that's had a lot of
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: adversity in his life, will continue to fight through it.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: And you just love the passion. You evaluated the quarterback
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: class have you found yourself maybe looking at this class.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: You know, you mentioned the flavors.
• 7:45
  Speaker 5: Have you been looking at it through a different lensdowing
• 7:47
  Speaker 5: that Ryan is the defense for Mayor and the style
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: defense and wants.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Ryan and Chris and Corey, they've played a big
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: role in the evaluation of these guys, you know. And
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: the board fell pretty true to what he felt that
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: was gonna fall, you know. And I never worry about
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: the players we didn't get. You know, you can spend
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: hours and hours thinking through all the things you could
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: have done or but you worry about the ones you
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: got because that's the most important thing. And we're excited
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: about these three guys that we've added up to, you know.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: And then we got a big day tomorrow to add
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: some more guys to this locker room leadership.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: Go ahead.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: Jones won the Leadership Award at FSU.
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: How much of the person he is off the field
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: ways into bringing the guy in with a pick.
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: Well again, I think, you know, I'll let you all
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: judge for yourself when he gets here. The energy that
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: he has and just just the way he approaches the game.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: I mean, this is a this is a loved guy
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: and he's gonna bring to bring the energy on a
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: daily basis, you know. And you'd rather have those guys
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: that you got to say whoa and pull them back
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: a little bit sometimes rather than always have to kick
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: them in the side. And he's one of those guys
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: that you're never gonna have to worry about coming to
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: work work.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Was there some concern on your I'm sorry, let's go.
• 9:05
  Speaker 5: Mason has obviously incredible length, arm, wingspan, uh private, best
• 9:11
  Speaker 5: of all the defensive tackles in the draft. How important
• 9:15
  Speaker 5: is that when you evaluate a player and does he
• 9:17
  Speaker 5: use that well when you watch him on film? How
• 9:20
  Speaker 5: much of a challenge cannot be for the opponent?
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he certainly does, and to me, it's
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: a huge advantage, especially if they use it. And he's
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: a young man that uses it. You know. When I
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: was in San Francisco, we drafted Buckner and Armstead, both
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: taller interior players. You know, we studied Chris Jones, one
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: of the better interior players in the league right now.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: And with that kind of size and that kind of length,
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: and I'm not saying this guy is going to be
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: any of those three, you know, but he certainly has
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: a chance to be a very good football player. So
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: I think all those traits played play to his advantage.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Now you've got to take advantage of it and use
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: him a couple more.
• 10:01
  Speaker 7: When when four cornerbacks went off the board in succession
• 10:05
  Speaker 7: fairly early in the second round, did you sort of
• 10:09
  Speaker 7: just kind of was kind of hoping that that wasn't
• 10:13
  Speaker 7: going to happen, or did you fully expect there was
• 10:15
  Speaker 7: going to be a run before you get to forty eight.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: Well, if you look historically at the draft in the
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: second round, there's a run and on corners usually, you know,
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: and when they start coming, they come off quick, you know.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: So it wasn't something that was not expected, you know.
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: And again you try to you look at things, you
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: try to move. Sometimes you can move, sometimes you can't.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: Houston obviously wasn't going to trade their pick, you know.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: See you just again, the board is the board, you know.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: And we feel really good about the players we got
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: and Jerrying the addition to Jerrian, we feel very strong
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: you can come in here and compete and help fairly
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: early on.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: You've said before that sometimes you've got to get lucky
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: in the draft. Was that it did you feel that
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: was an instance where you got maybe a little bit unlucky.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: No, no, again, you know, we had Mason targeted as well,
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: and you know you can't, you can't. We have a
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: need there as well. You know, it's not like we
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: didn't have other needs other than corners. You know, you know,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: we got another another day in this draft, you know,
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: with I think what we got five or six picks left.
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: I don't know exactly what the number is, but uh,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: you know there's there's a lot of guys left on
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: the board that can help us.
• 11:32
  Speaker 5: Where do you envision Jerry and starting day one?
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: I see him. You know, he is definitely a position
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: fke sky. I could see him playing inside you know,
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: day one. He's also a really good special teams player,
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: so he's gonna give us value there as well.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: You would want to stick to one position to start with,
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: similar to Mason, or would you move him around?
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: You know, it depends on sometimes the player too, you know.
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: We we we target a position and we say, hey,
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: let's learn this position. Let's get good at this position.
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: As they grow and develop, then you can you know,
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: then you can maybe use him another in other spots,
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: and he's you know, so getting him in here. You know,
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: two weeks from now, when we have our our rookie
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: uh mini camp, right in a couple of weeks, you know,
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: then we can really start honing in and getting him
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: locked in in one position. Plus again the special teams factor, right,
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: so we add that to him as well and and
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: let him let him work from there.
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: He had one of the better combines I think for
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: for a quarterback.
• 12:29
  Speaker 7: How much does the traits that you saw in that,
• 12:32
  Speaker 7: you know, sort of stand out our team?
• 12:34
  Speaker 4: I mean it shows up on film, you know, that's
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: one one of the things. He's a he's a he's
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: a good athlete, good mover, a physical player too, you
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: know which which you like? You like to see the
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: tackling and getting after guys, and and as Trent mentioned,
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: he's he's a high a high energy guy. You know,
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: just tonight he's emotional and he's high energy, and he's
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: excited to get here.