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Mike Macdonald: "This Is A Fun Group To Work With" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Right, We've got a good career today, great to be back,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: great practice, guys are on it. Just the spirit of
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: practice is right where we needed this time of year.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: So I got another great opportunity tomorrow to stack another
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: one and then off we go. But let's make sure
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: we're taking advantage of the time we've been given now
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  Speaker 1: and the guys are doing that. So just really pleased
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  Speaker 1: with effort, attitude, intent, spirit, A lot of stuff to
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  Speaker 1: work on. You know, we've got a long journey ahead
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  Speaker 1: of us, but for right now, I'm just really excited
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  Speaker 1: about you know, the effort, enthusiasm with the team and
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: and it's a fun group to work with.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: So go ahead, all right, how do.
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  Speaker 3: You decide to divvy up your time at practice? Where
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: you spend your time? And it is different than last year.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: It's completely random now early in practice, I like to
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  Speaker 1: spend more time with the offense during more of like
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: the individual periods.
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  Speaker 2: That's an opportunity for me to deal with those guys.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Adie and I have been splitting up a good bit
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  Speaker 1: of the call up periods and he's doing a great job.
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  Speaker 1: When when I'm kind of managing the clock and working
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  Speaker 1: with Clint, so it's a great little operation.
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  Speaker 2: We got going fun to work with.
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  Speaker 1: Varies by day, you know, different than last year.
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  Speaker 2: Uh, I don't know. I don't remember what I was
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: singing last year, honestly, So what are.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: You It's part about the new offensive coaches and how
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: they try to coach.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: Him the field and needs some time.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, look, they're we're they're doing a great job. I
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  Speaker 1: think you know, how we want to operate as a
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  Speaker 1: team is you know, be demanding, but let the guys go,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: you know, let it rip and and practice the right way.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: And we got a lot of offense in which is awesome.
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  Speaker 1: You know, they've been exposed to a lot over the
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  Speaker 1: course of the spring, but the standards are high. There's clarity,
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  Speaker 1: a lot of great coaching going on, a lot of
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  Speaker 1: great teaching, a lot of great enthusiasm.
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  Speaker 2: It's unique to them and.
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  Speaker 1: Their personalities, which is which is what you want, you know,
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  Speaker 1: that's why we hired them.
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  Speaker 2: Is the is the people and the men that they are.
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  Speaker 1: So a lot of positive things right now, and the
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: guys know what the you know what's expected, which is great.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: So they can go back and we'll go watch the
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  Speaker 1: tape and get better and go fix it tomorrow.
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  Speaker 2: With how are you seeing Sam Pitt into this? Yeah, Sam,
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  Speaker 2: Sam's doing a great job. Like the Sam.
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  Speaker 1: Is a great feel for the offense right now in
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  Speaker 1: terms of like growing every day, so.
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  Speaker 2: You can feel the growth, you can feel.
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  Speaker 1: Uh, the improvement, the confidence that that we're doing on
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  Speaker 1: that side of the ball and that we're growing and uh,
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  Speaker 1: and it's exciting to work with. He's he's he's a
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  Speaker 1: heck of a competitor and uh, you know this time
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  Speaker 1: of the year, it's hard to with all the competition
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  Speaker 1: periods you're trying to create, you know a bunch of
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  Speaker 1: situations where there's technically a winter or a loser, but
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: you're really trying to just get great situational work where
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  Speaker 1: you're making great decisions.
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  Speaker 2: And we're doing that on both sides.
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  Speaker 1: But uh, those are fun periods that you know when
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  Speaker 1: you feel is his competitiveness and uh, really all three quarterbacks,
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  Speaker 1: you know you feel their competitives, competitiveness and just the
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  Speaker 1: sense of improving every day.
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: Is he like a fiery guy who's like a yeller.
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  Speaker 2: Some stuff to him? Did that surprise you, No, we
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: went against him. We felt it.
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  Speaker 3: But how does the leadership that does he get his
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  Speaker 3: own eat ship?
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  Speaker 4: Did you recognize or what's the leader?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, the thing you love about Sam is he's just
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  Speaker 1: a he's a distict dude. Man, He's just a just
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  Speaker 1: a he's like one of the guys. There's a there's
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  Speaker 1: a sense of he's one.
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  Speaker 2: Of the guys.
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  Speaker 1: So he's you know, right there with him and all
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  Speaker 1: the things. And but he's that's him. But there's some
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  Speaker 1: there's some.
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  Speaker 2: There's some there's some ship to him, like he's like
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  Speaker 2: the mess with him.
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  Speaker 1: You know, he's he's got that edge to him, that competitiveness,
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  Speaker 1: and the guys respect that and uh yeah, but he's him.
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  Speaker 1: You know, he's not trying to be anybody else and
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  Speaker 1: you got to respect that about him.
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  Speaker 4: He hasn't played with any of these receivers previously in
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  Speaker 4: the NFL. But how much does it help having a
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  Speaker 4: guy like Cooper Cup who's played in a similar system,
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  Speaker 4: And then about about this amily who last.
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  Speaker 2: You played for Cooper?
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  Speaker 4: How much it helping to have two guys like that
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  Speaker 4: when this new look receiver court help get this offense? Still?
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Well, I don't want to, I don't I haven't asked
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  Speaker 1: them that question specifically, but you know, talking about Quez
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  Speaker 1: and and especially Coop just just just just the the
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  Speaker 1: they're attacking every day, man, like just trying to master
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  Speaker 1: the playbook, all the formations, all the route stems, all
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  Speaker 1: the timing. Just like if you if you have that
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  Speaker 1: spirit about you every day. I mean, it's contagious one
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  Speaker 1: with the rest of it was with the rest of
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  Speaker 1: the room, with the rest of the offense, the whole team.
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  Speaker 2: And uh, it.
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  Speaker 1: Makes it fun to go to work and like enjoy
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  Speaker 1: the process. But of course that's going to expedite your
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  Speaker 1: growth when you got guys like that. It's offense sharks. Well,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: we're seeing a lot. We're seeing a lot you see. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: Clint's doing a great job mixing up the looks. There's
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  Speaker 1: a lot of motions and shifts and pictures and you
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  Speaker 1: got to you know, counts they are changing.
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  Speaker 2: On the fly.
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  Speaker 1: And uh, it's a lot of stress on us on defense.
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  Speaker 1: So and I gotta give our defense a lot of credit.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, and these guys they're on a mission right now,
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  Speaker 1: and we got to respect that about them every opportunity
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  Speaker 1: we have, whether it's a walkthrough or an act practice
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  Speaker 1: at the end at the end, here you just you
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  Speaker 1: really you really there's a competitive spirit about you know,
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  Speaker 1: doing it the right way, mastering what we're trying to
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  Speaker 1: do as a system, and uh, and that's the expectation
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  Speaker 1: as it should be. So it's great stuff all the way.
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  Speaker 2: Around the heart of the practice.
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  Speaker 3: How much are those TVs in particular just kind of add.
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  Speaker 2: The deduce out there?
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  Speaker 1: Well, again, it's great and you know, hopefully they hear
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  Speaker 1: this when we're talking about how we're evaluating them right now.
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  Speaker 1: But they're not really expected to make the plays. I
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: mean they're they're they're expected to be in position to
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  Speaker 1: make the plays. But this time of year, and you know,
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: in these types of you know, practices, we're we're chasing execution,
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  Speaker 1: we're chasing about being in the right spots. Ultimately we're
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: you know, we're yielding to the offense for the most part.
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  Speaker 2: Uh.
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  Speaker 1: But in doing that, you know, trying to make sure
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  Speaker 1: that like they know, they know when they can make
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  Speaker 1: the plays when they can't. There's you're right there and uh,
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: it's a great room.
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  Speaker 2: They push each other. Uh. Carl and Jefford are doing
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  Speaker 2: an awesome job.
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  Speaker 4: Up a little bit with the schedule moving medi camp
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  Speaker 4: for this week, what was kind of thought process.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it was several things.
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  Speaker 1: Uh, but our guys just they did such a great
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  Speaker 1: job this offseason and phases one through three, and uh
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  Speaker 1: felt like it was a.
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  Speaker 2: Good time, good change up to go knock.
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  Speaker 1: This week out of the park, rookies, get to stick
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  Speaker 1: around for a little bit longer and uh then give
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  Speaker 1: them a chance to you know, get a break, get
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  Speaker 1: their bodies right, get away, and then come back better
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  Speaker 1: than ever for training camp.
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  Speaker 3: Paper Cup said that you were in in your office
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  Speaker 3: and you were geeking out about some stuff on the
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  Speaker 3: defensive side. You are the guys that are most frequent
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  Speaker 3: visitors to your office. You can add about football.
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  Speaker 2: Well, Nick keeps showing up.
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  Speaker 1: I gotta tell them, hey, man, like doors closed, like knock,
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  Speaker 1: Uh now Nick, Nick's been up there, bon me look
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  Speaker 1: we want to It's I'm proud of the atmosphere they
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: were creating where guys are in and out of the
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: offices talking on coaches, not necessarily about football, but just
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  Speaker 1: what's going on. H feels a lot like we had
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  Speaker 1: going on at Michigan to a certain extent, and that
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  Speaker 1: speaks to the guys that are in the building, our coaches,
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  Speaker 1: the job they're doing.
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  Speaker 2: The relationships are building.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, anytime you're talking ball, especially with the guys,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, doesn't get much better than that. And look,
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  Speaker 1: I mean Coops, he's he's gone against our defense and
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  Speaker 1: he kind of knows how people attack us. And why
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: wouldn't you run some ideas by him to see what
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  Speaker 1: he thinks. So I think we've got some approval on
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  Speaker 1: that front.
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  Speaker 3: Have Evan worry it looks like you're moving him around
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  Speaker 3: find it or you uould in some different spots or
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  Speaker 3: do you kind of like that hid theek You see.
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  Speaker 2: That as well.
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  Speaker 1: The first thing Impothsis like the vets in the room
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  Speaker 1: are really leading him and they're doing a great job
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  Speaker 1: of setting the expectation bring him along. You know, he's
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  Speaker 1: understanding he's a rookie, but hey, man, like, let's let's go.
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  Speaker 1: You know, you're with us, but there's there's a certain
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  Speaker 1: standard that you're gonna have to buy by and Nick
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  Speaker 1: has the humility to do that and to operate that way.
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  Speaker 2: So but to his credit, he's we're giving him a lot.
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  Speaker 1: You know, the bullets aren't live yet, so you know
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  Speaker 1: it's the next step for him, the show he can
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  Speaker 1: handle it in those types of situations.
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  Speaker 2: But he's gonna be able to do that. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: he's he's really poised.
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  Speaker 1: Uh, he's got a great he's got a great he
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  Speaker 1: just understands ball and he loved I think again, he
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  Speaker 1: really likes.
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  Speaker 2: The process of doing football all the time.
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  Speaker 1: And Uh, Jeff doing a great job with him coaching
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  Speaker 1: him up all the time.
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  Speaker 2: So really pleased with with with nick him come off
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  Speaker 2: the edge as a blitzer. And is there a potential
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  Speaker 2: for that as a rookie.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, he's Uh, I mean that shows up on
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  Speaker 1: college tape, his blitz ability. Uh, there's some things that
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: we're working with him, you know, technically speaking, but you
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: don't want to you want to teach pass rush and
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: how to win on edges and things like that. But
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  Speaker 1: there's also a playmaking ability, you know, playmaking aspect to
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  Speaker 1: it as well that you don't want to take away
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  Speaker 1: from him. So we need to balance that out. But yeah,
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  Speaker 1: hopefully he's blitzing a lot. Mentioned in the sense that
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  Speaker 1: the defense is on amission right now.
• 9:00
  Speaker 4: I was kind of skilled over time or is that
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  Speaker 4: the character for those guys are Where do you think
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  Speaker 4: that's feeling?
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  Speaker 5: Help us?
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: Well, it's I would like to think that it started
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: when the first day we walked in the door, you know,
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  Speaker 1: but those relationships do you know, you do have to
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: work on that over time. So, uh, you just feel
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  Speaker 1: a lot of buying from the guys. I mean it
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  Speaker 1: goes to the attendants. The guys were here on their own,
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: on their own volition, and and it's it's their defense.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: You can feel that when we when we walk into
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  Speaker 1: a defensive meeting room, it's not just me, you know.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: Just blah blah blah blah blah. It's it's it's a
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: d kicking butt CP.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: All of our coaches are getting in front of the room,
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  Speaker 1: our players are get in front of the rest of
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: the room, you know, talking about all sorts of different things,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: and it's just it's just a great spirit they have
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: going on. So it's a collective buying that I think
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: that you're experiencing and and they're taking control and and
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: taking responsibility for for for their group.
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: Souh. That's exciting when you have.
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: Ownership like Dixon and protract, Michael takes a contract extension.
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: Was your reaction to that and how much of an
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: asset has even for the franchise here?
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, really excited to get to get to get Michael done.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Great job by the guys on the in the front office.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Just but Dicko is the I mean, he's the premiere
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: punter in the league. So hopefully we showed that with
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: numbers involved.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: But he plays. He's a weapon for us. I mean
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: the stats show it, you know, the film shows it.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: And he's got a great again, he's got a great
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: just attitude about him, great personality.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: Guys love him. Uh but yeah, I really excited to
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: have him here for the long hold.
• 10:33
  Speaker 5: When you get ownership buy in from the players, just
• 10:37
  Speaker 5: what does that say about your process? I mean, I
• 10:40
  Speaker 5: know you're to pat yourself in the back, but it's
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: got to help you believe that you all are moving
• 10:43
  Speaker 5: forward as as well.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: We're trying to do it together.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's again, it's not just yeah, we're it's
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: all these tiny conversations that you're just these incremental gains
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: that you're trying to shoot for every day. And then
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: you look back, you know, a year or two into
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: the whole process, and you feel like we've made a lot.
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: Of a lot of progress.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: But it's everybody pushing. Everybody has to push in that direction.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: That's how you get progress. It can't just be me,
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: so our coach's staff, everybody in the building. You know,
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: you really feel that we're pushing the same direction. That's
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: really exciting, seeming for.
• 11:15
  Speaker 5: Some intentionality and how you're practicing from last year from
• 11:19
  Speaker 5: this side. Is that part of what happens familiarity expectations,
• 11:23
  Speaker 5: people know.
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: The expectations are the same.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, but again, you're going through it. The
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: guys understand what we're trying to get done. I'm probably
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: communicating it better, you know, the way I'm word and
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: stuff and how we how we phrased it and message it.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: It's probably better the second time around. But uh, yeah,
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: it's the expectations are the same last year.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: Honestly, we've seen Christa Hayes play center a little bit.
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess what's the thought or the thought behind that.
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: You kind of wouldn't have seen that.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Well, I think it goes up, you know, the interior
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: part of our line. We're mixing the matching right now.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: It's a lot of great competition and Christians showing the
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: abilities app so we've given some opportunities.
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: To do so and water a dealer with something. Yeah,
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: he's working through an ankle, but he should be fine.
• 12:07
  Speaker 4: If you've said the free Bullets aren't playing yet, but
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: Smart and Charles and Anthony Bell will make us place
• 12:13
  Speaker 4: out here.
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: What did you see for those guys in free agency?
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: These fellas get thin and where they mess.
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: With Well, there are some familiar tolar staff in our
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: pro personnel department that brought those guys in. And again
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: it's an understanding about the type of people want to
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: bring into our building and under our team. And they've
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: shown that just the work ethic. So it's a different
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: system that they they're used to playing. But frankly, the
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Special Team's ability is probably you know, the tip of
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: the spear in that argument. So I'm excited to see
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: what they do when they get their shot in the preseason.
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: Like this awesome last system, this offensive test them. How
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: much is it complimenting that you can control games with
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: the defense if you do succeed in running the ball,
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: it's not just scoring as many points as you can,
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: but controlling the game. If that makes sense.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: A name of that offense, Yeah, I think.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: I haven't looked at it through like the lens of Hey,
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: our defense is going to go dominate games and offenses. No,
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: it's just they're gonna play our style of football, you know,
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: the Seahawk style of ball that we're trying to create
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: and talk about like methods and principles about how we operate.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: I mean, this is just a different method.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: You know, this system, it's a tried and true system.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: They're coaching the heck out of it that they believe
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: in and it'll come to life, you know, the way
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: that we want to.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: It's going to be unique to us, which is exciting.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: And that's the process that we're in right now, like
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: you know, kind of where it goes throughout camp.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: But the principle that's not negotiable is how.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: We play and taking care of the ball and being
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: physical upfront and running off the rock and you know,
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: separating the defense and doing all those things you know,
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: circle in the defense, protecting the quarterback. I mean that
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: that stuff's you need to be able to do that
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: to win in this league, as we know, and they
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: showed the ability.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: To do that. All right, thank you, Okay, all right,
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: thank you