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AJ Barner: "The Tights Ends Are Tone Setters" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Yo, what up? What up?
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: A couple of days into training camp?
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: What's happening? What's going on? Shoot?
• 0:09
  Speaker 3: Good to be back. Good to be back with the guys.
• 0:11
  Speaker 3: I always say there's no better place to be than
• 0:13
  Speaker 3: on Lake Washington. I mean, like, this time of year
• 0:15
  Speaker 3: is gorgeous, great football weather, not too hot. So it's
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: great to be back.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: What was your reaction when you've heard about Noah and
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: that they were cutting him.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, unfortunately part of the part of the league.
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: No it was always great to me when he was here,
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: really really talented player. But the show goes on, and honestly,
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: like you know, a big opportunity for myself and the
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: rest of the guys in the room.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I step into that song.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Great.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: How do you stepping out of putting too much pressure
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: on yourself?
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: I think just continue to build off what I did
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: last year and just know that there's gonna be more
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: opportunities as long as I as I do it, I
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: should So really nothing changes, but maybe more of a
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: leadership role as well. And I think it's kind of
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: a clean slate on offense, so that was kind of
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: a given anyway, you know, went.
• 0:58
  Speaker 4: Back and looked at the film that you had from
• 1:00
  Speaker 4: last year or what were some things that jumped out
• 1:02
  Speaker 4: as far as what you were happy with in terms
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: of your play and some clear areas like hey, this
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: is what I attacked with my first full NFL offseason.
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think consistency with it because the type of
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: tight end that I play, you know, I can kind
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: of do the run block, the pass block to catching
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: the ball. So I think just playing a full game
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: of starter minutes and being consistent, because like you feel
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: like you had some good things on tape, then you
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: turned back on it a year later and you're like, Yo,
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: what was I doing there?
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: You know?
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: So just like putting a full game, fifty plus snaps
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: together of like really really good football, just a lot
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: of the point of attack really, like the tight ends,
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: the tip of the spear leading the charge.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Really like obviously the whole line.
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: Is going to be in the front line with it,
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: but like we're on the edge. We've got to make
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: sure we create a new line of scrimmage. And like
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: that's something that I'm very passionate about and very excited
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: to do because it's something that I can be one
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: of the best in you get doing and you mentioned
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: it but what kind of vote of confidence would give
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: you that they made to move with Noah when they Yeah,
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: I mean honestly, like the organization, the Seahawks, ever since
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: I got here, they've really believed in me. I felt
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: like and like a lot of people throughout the pre
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: draft process kind of pigeonholed me, But I feel like
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: as soon as I got here, like I really felt
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: the belief in me and the organization. So it was just,
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: you know, a good opportunity for me. But again, like
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: I really enjoyed having Noah here and the new guys
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: that we have too, Like it's gonna be a full
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: group effort, and uh, we got some really good players
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: in the tight end room.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: What do you think? So what do you think so
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: far from Elijah Royo? How is your name and his name?
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: Very different?
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: Very very talented player, easy mover, really good kid too
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: and takes the time to you know, learn the playbook
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: and all that. And I expect great things from Elijah
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: and I think it's gonna be a big year for him,
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: and I'm gonna do anything I can to help them.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: And I think both of us are on the same
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: page where it's like, you know, it's not a one
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: man show, and the whole room is gonna is gonna
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: go along with that. So I'm really excited that he's
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: here along with the other guys.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Derek Salbert. What are the kind of guys got to.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Know about him?
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: Great vet been in the league nine years now, been
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: in the system too, which is a huge helping hand.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: And just the leadership as well, because I feel like
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: I kind of have taken over some of that role
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: and Sob has been right by my side to help
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: with that, and I think just any questions that the
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: whole room has, He's a really good guy to go to.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: On that front.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: What has he kind of been able to tell you
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: about the system and how to.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: See you guys and what you guys can do.
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: Just a lot of the stuff in the run game,
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: running off the ball, the outside zone, and just like
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: you know, the little vet things about you know, the
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: mental stuff within the game of you know, like just
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: it being a long year, being long practices and just
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: like to keep going with the flow and you know,
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: not put too much stress on yourself and just having
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: him here has been great. So I'm really excited about Sob,
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: and he's gonna be a huge help to us.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: Over the years.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: How think you guys feel your position.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: For can be offense massive? I think again, like we're
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: tone setters. I think of spoon on the defensive side,
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: Like that's how I kind of want my role in
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: the rest of the tight ends to be, like we're
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: we're bringing juice where we're setting the tone and playing defense,
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: but on offense with the ball in our hands and
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: and blocking.
• 4:27
  Speaker 4: New quarterbacks that you get to work without. With Sam
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: being the starter, what's that process been like? Getting to
• 4:32
  Speaker 4: know him on off the field, building chemistry with him
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: as a pass catcher.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: Sam's been phenomenal. Really takes the time to get with
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: the guys. Uh, He's open about you know, communication back
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: and forth about what you see. And I think, you know,
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: his timing is really something that I've really, you know,
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: taken notice on and think that he's very very good at,
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: like when he hits his drop and when he sees
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: it like the ball is going to.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Be out before you're out of your break.
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: So I'm really excited to work with him, and I think, uh,
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league, no
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: doubt about it.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: And we're gonna show it.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: This year d Locke as well, kind of bringing Hill back.
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: But yeah, yeah, yeah, been around in Seattle. I know
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: the fans love Lock. We love Lock in the locker room,
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: the tight ends love Lock. He'll get the ball to
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: the tights for sure. So good to have him here
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: and I know that, and we all know that when
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: we need him to play, he's gonna step up. Were
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: down in LA with him, Yeah, yeah, what made you.
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: Want to go?
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah?
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I train out in LA, so that made it
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: easy for me. And anytime we can get the guys together, like, yeah,
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: I'm gonna be there. I think that's kind of one
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: of my ms. Like if we're gonna get together wherever
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: that may be here in Seattle, here in LA. If
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: I got to go across the country, fine, Like, if
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: we're gonna get together, I'm gonna be there.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Those experts like being around something.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, great experience. Uh.
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: I was able to learn a lot and I felt
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: the respect from the other tight Ends, Like I know,
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: guys came up to me and said I put good
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: things on tapes. That was good to hear, Like really
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: cool to just learn from all the guys that have
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: been in the league for a long time and ask
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: questions and have fun too.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Did you go to the concert then?
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, that was good time. Yeah, it was a
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: good time. I'm a big country music fan, all types
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: of music. I figured you probably asked if I met
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: Taylor Swift. I'm a Cleveland guy, so I was more
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: excited to meet Kelsey because you know he's from Cleveland,
• 6:24
  Speaker 3: and you know she was there, but it seemed like
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: a normal girl. I didn't talk to her, but uh, yeah,
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: it was a cool experience.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: You were down with Darnold? What kind of leader was
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: he was? He can't like for the party? Was he
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: host of the most? Was the vibe? Quarterback vibes strictly?
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, business on the field and uh leadership off it
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: Like there was no no going out.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: We had a good dinner.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: Not that I'd be against that, but but uh no,
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: it was a.
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: Good time and I'm glad that we did that.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: And yeah, like I said, Sam's been phenomenon and I'm
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: stoked to play with play with him.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: How many days were you, guys?
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: Two days, like on the north side of town, so
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: a little outside of l A.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Anything else, guys. Thanks