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Jay Harbaugh: "The Players' Perspective Is Invaluable" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What do you guys got And I'm trying.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: To feel about your returns right.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Now and you kick in, Uh, we have a lot
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: of work to do. There's a lot of you know
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: this time of you're alloted in the in the flux
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: in terms of who's going to be on the team
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: and everything like that, so you're trying to build flexibility
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  Speaker 1: of okay, if the roster goes this way that way,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: you have answers and you're trying to get guys experience.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: So you know, I feel differently if it was the
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  Speaker 1: first first week coming up, but uh, you know, we're
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  Speaker 1: in that process of evaluating and seeing what guys can
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: take it from the field into a from the practice
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  Speaker 1: field to a competitive atmosphere with the rule.
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  Speaker 3: Change in deciding kind of how you're going to adapt
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  Speaker 3: it out.
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  Speaker 1: Of the return Yeah, I don't expect much to change.
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  Speaker 1: I think you'll see more more returns and more kicks covered,
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  Speaker 1: But outside of that, I don't expect it to be
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: a ton different.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Do you think the makeup of the coverage units change
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  Speaker 2: is all compared to what the kickoffs used to be,
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  Speaker 2: compared to how you would ideal what I certain players
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  Speaker 2: out there, if I can go a linebackers.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Or something makeup where and are you talking about specifically
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: the body types or or like the guys you know
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: cover like, Yeah, I think last last year, I think
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  Speaker 1: we saw that some. I don't think it changed the
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: roster because you still have the same offensive and defensive
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: jobs that have to get done. So I don't think
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: it's affecting the roster as much as it's affecting certain players'
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: ability to have a role in the kicking game, where yeah,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: there's gonna be bigger guys that maybe would have been
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: precluded before that have a role. So I think that
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: will continue in the sense that you'll see some bigger
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  Speaker 1: bodies and then maybe some players that two years ago
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  Speaker 1: wouldn't have been on kickoff are now because it is
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  Speaker 1: it's a lot less uh demanding of a play from
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  Speaker 1: a linear speed perspective and h exertion, So probably a
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  Speaker 1: little bit of both play.
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  Speaker 4: What was like the little surprising thing that you learned
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  Speaker 4: just based on what you kind of it might look
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: like or play out going into it, and then how
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  Speaker 4: it actually.
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  Speaker 1: Did playoff About the kickoff structure and kick return, that's
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: an interesting question because there's a lot of stuff it's
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: pretty hard to say one thing. I think in general,
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: the the timing and the angles in the spacing, like
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: you get such a in football. Over time, you have
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: such you just get used to, Like, Okay, you throw
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  Speaker 1: a slant, this is exactly what it's going to look
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  Speaker 1: like at like virtually every level of football. The timing,
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  Speaker 1: where the ball goes, where the ball is caught, et cetera.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: You just get used to it. And so I think
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  Speaker 1: when you introduce a play that has a different structure,
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  Speaker 1: different starting mechanism and stuff, it's just yet it's new,
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  Speaker 1: and so it takes a while to realize what that
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  Speaker 1: norm is of Okay, the ball that's caught here, this
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  Speaker 1: is where it's going to end up. This is where
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  Speaker 1: you know it's gonna affect the decisions I'm making as
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  Speaker 1: a blocker or as a cover guy, things like that.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: That's a little abstract, but it's just yeah, you you
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: weren't used to it. So I think everyone players, coaches
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: getting a feel for the timing, the angles, and the spacing.
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  Speaker 1: That would be that would be my answer.
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  Speaker 4: When you're getting a rookie like ready to potentially return punts,
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: what do you tell them about what is the biggest
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: difference between aside the players you're going up against, but
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: like returning punts in college versus the NFL, just the
• 3:26
  Speaker 4: hashes really change things.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: For there's a lot that's different. The Obviously, the quality
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  Speaker 1: of punting is probably the biggest thing, just in terms
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  Speaker 1: of the the height and the distance of the of
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  Speaker 1: the punts. But in a way that's a good thing
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: because it is probably a little more predictable. There's there's
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: punters that have tougher balls to catch, but in college
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: you can get one week of fifty eight yarder and
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: then the next punt could be thirty two and then
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  Speaker 1: you's rugby and rugby and crossfields. So yeah, the punters
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  Speaker 1: are the punter. The distance, the hang and some of
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  Speaker 1: the trickiness of the punt as probably the biggest difference.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: But.
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  Speaker 1: Overall overall them being able to they're just more consistence.
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  Speaker 1: The returners are able to have some comfort and like, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: this guy can hit these crazy punts, but it's you
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  Speaker 1: see it week in and week out, and it's it's
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  Speaker 1: uh be able to prepare better for that than maybe
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  Speaker 1: in college where it's more erratic, or the fact they
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  Speaker 1: made there. That's really tough to say. Maybe, yeah, probably,
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  Speaker 1: but it's like you're talking about such a small that
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  Speaker 1: the the intent is for it to be an incremental change.
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  Speaker 1: So what does that mean. It means, yeah, maybe your
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  Speaker 1: favorite team gets one more than they did the previous year,
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  Speaker 1: and that happens to two or three teams and that
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  Speaker 1: would be it. So I don't think that's going to
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  Speaker 1: be like noticeable league wide, but that still might those
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  Speaker 1: those two or three plays might check the box of hey,
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  Speaker 1: this worked, It'll be it'll be interesting to see Jay
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: when you're.
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  Speaker 3: At a period like this where it's all about evaluation
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  Speaker 3: when there's offense versus defense going on.
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  Speaker 1: As a special.
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  Speaker 3: Teams coach, are there certain things that you prioritize when
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  Speaker 3: you're watching offense and defense in terms of thinking for
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  Speaker 3: the special teams.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a cool question. I would say if I'm
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  Speaker 1: not with the the specialists, just watching the guys and
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  Speaker 1: their you know, their day jobs so to speak, and
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  Speaker 1: seeing what things they're asked to do. That would translate.
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  Speaker 1: You know, guys making a certain block on on offense
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  Speaker 1: at tight end or at receiver and hey, that's the
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  Speaker 1: same as you know on this kick return or whatever,
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  Speaker 1: and trying to create that carryover where where you know
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  Speaker 1: they're like, oh yeah, I see that, and as a player,
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  Speaker 1: it's like, okay, well that's I'm When I'm doing special
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  Speaker 1: team stuff, I'm not just working on hunt return or
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  Speaker 1: kick return. I'm also getting better for offense and vice versa.
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  Speaker 1: Learning learning the game of football, So looking for things
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  Speaker 1: that translate, looking for maybe a particular movement that a
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: guy might make where it's triggered something in your mind
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  Speaker 1: of hey, we could have this guy you know, do
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: this punt rush or play this position on kickoff, that
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: kind of thing. I don't know if that answers the question, But.
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  Speaker 3: In terms of kickoffs and kick returns, how important is
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  Speaker 3: communication and what have you seen.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: On the communication side. Could you clarify a little bit,
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  Speaker 1: like you said communication on kickoff and kick return just
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: knowing what to do at the right time. Yeah, so
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: definitely more for kick return, way more applicable. Kickoff, not
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: so much. There could be things that come up specific
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: like game plan wise or something, but kick return. The
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  Speaker 1: big thing that you'll see is, especially with the new format,
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  Speaker 1: is okay, guys want to try and kickballs that are lower,
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  Speaker 1: trying to get them to hit the ground. That happened
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  Speaker 1: to us in the game. And it's a situation where
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: the play is beginning and you know, maybe the the
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  Speaker 1: guys that are blocking aren't sure which return is catching it.
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: You know, some teams will check and say, hey, if
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: this guy catches it, we're gonna run it that way.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: If this guy catches over here, we'll go that way. Okay, well,
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  Speaker 1: the ball hit the ground. What's gonna happen? Uh? So
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  Speaker 1: you got to have clean rules that are simple so
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: that guys can you know, when things are happening fast
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  Speaker 1: and and and it's loud and you're tired, you know
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  Speaker 1: exactly what to do. And so I guess in a
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  Speaker 1: way being prepared enough that you can maybe avoid communication
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  Speaker 1: sometimes because we know exactly what's happening already. Yeah, he's
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  Speaker 1: a he's a total total stud and the experience that
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  Speaker 1: your reference totally shows up. He's got just a wealth
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  Speaker 1: of knowledge experience of different ways of doing that. But
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  Speaker 1: he also has a cool humility about him of of okay,
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  Speaker 1: how do we do it? How do we okay, why
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  Speaker 1: do we do it that way? Okay, awesome, I'm all
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  Speaker 1: in or hey, have you tried doing it this? Way.
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  Speaker 1: So he's he's all about the team, he's all about winning,
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  Speaker 1: wants to contribute, wants to do it our way. But
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  Speaker 1: he also brings it as ideas suggestions, teaches other guys
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  Speaker 1: kind of tricks of the trade that he's learned over time.
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  Speaker 1: So he's been fantastic to have him, really really thankful
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  Speaker 1: that he's here. Probably I'm really open minded to anything
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  Speaker 1: that any player has. That's that's they're the ones out
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  Speaker 1: there doing it, and so they'll see things that that
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  Speaker 1: we've never experienced, especially talking about the new kickoff. You know,
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  Speaker 1: their perspective is invaluable of what it's actually like out there,
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  Speaker 1: what they're seeing, what they're feeling. So a guy like
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  Speaker 1: that who is really football smart and he has a
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  Speaker 1: wealth of experience to back it up when he says something, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: you'll totally totally consider. And I'm sure I have at
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  Speaker 1: the top of my head. I'm not positive, but I
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  Speaker 1: would imagine so.
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  Speaker 4: As the comings League all the time, who are maybe
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  Speaker 4: stars in college and didn't do a lot of special
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  Speaker 4: teams and then they're a late round pick or whatever,
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  Speaker 4: and they're expected to what's the challenge may you get
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  Speaker 4: guys up to see who might.
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  Speaker 2: Show up for the first training I've.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Ever never really played it. Yeah, it can be a lot.
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  Speaker 1: The main thing is just as long as the guys
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  Speaker 1: want to and they're into it and our guys are,
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  Speaker 1: then it's work. But you'll get it done, no problem
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  Speaker 1: to get that. Just a lot of learning of what
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  Speaker 1: to do in this situation. That situation, like we were
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  Speaker 1: talking about before, it's all the same stuff. It's all football.
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  Speaker 1: You're just changing the angles, changing the amount of space,
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  Speaker 1: changing the timing, but it's all the same fundamentals of
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: blocking and tackling, and you're near foot, being in the
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: ground on contact and being aware of the location of
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: the ball in the field and relation to your man.
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  Speaker 1: All that stuff is the same. So the more the
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  Speaker 1: guys are into it, then they'll start seeing those parallels
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  Speaker 1: relating it to things that they know. And our job
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: is just meet them where they are and teach them,
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  Speaker 1: encourage them, coach them. They'll get better. And once they
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: have a little bit of success and they make a
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: play and they realize, like, man, this is really fun.
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  Speaker 1: Usually that kind of it just dominos from there and
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  Speaker 1: they get more into it, more exciting and get better
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: and better.
• 10:01
  Speaker 5: Or is it to have a player like Salber come
• 10:04
  Speaker 5: in that has had a long career because of primarily
• 10:06
  Speaker 5: played special teams to try to sell that to maybe
• 10:09
  Speaker 5: somebody like a Damie Martinez that didn't play much special
• 10:12
  Speaker 5: teams in college and now you're seventh rounder and hey,
• 10:14
  Speaker 5: this is how you get on the roster? How im
• 10:16
  Speaker 5: cooard is it to have a guy and it's kind
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: of blue guy like that that can help influence.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: The old layers like that, I think in general, just
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: on your whole team, it's it's a it's a valuable
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: thing to have veteran presence that are that you know,
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: have a great message to share and want to share
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: it and it's coming from the right place. And we
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: have a ton of those guys offense, defense and special
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: teams for you know, they're there and they're available, and
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: they're they're offering up you know, their wisdom to the
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: young guys and and uh, you know, it's the kind
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: of thing everyone can probably relate to when you're you're
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: a kid, or if you have kids and you you
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: know it's best for them and you can see around
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: the corner and you're trying to tell them and sometimes
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: you know, sometimes guys have to figure it out the
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: hard way, right, We've all been there before. Uh. But
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: it's yeah, it's invaluable to have those people that can
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: kind of show you the ropes and and and be
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: a positive example. Uh for the younger guys. And yes,
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: and the other guys we have. We have a bunch
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: of guys like that, even like we have a lot
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: of younger guys that fit into that role that you
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: wouldn't expect, like charbon A. Uh, I mean, he's would
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: be one of the better special teams players in the league.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: That's what his role was. Guys like Julian Love He
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: I mean he played a bunch of us last year,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: and Kobe and guys who are starters or fringe starters
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: that have a good background in team. So we have
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: no shortage of of that type of leadership, which is
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: really neat Jamie Martine draft Miami organ today, you said
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: what kind of viable option like in uh in terms
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: of why Uh yeah, So kind of going back to
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: one of the initial questions like right now, you know
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: we're you're evaluating, you're developing. You don't know exactly what
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: the what the roster will look like. So I would say, yeah,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: the best approach is to to get as many guys
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: ready to contribute as they can. And to your point
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: on him, yeah, it's an example of he has a
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: great skill set. There's the reason why he's in the NFL,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: and he's in off talented running back and all that
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: stuff and has a lot of great tape. And his
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: challenge will be Okay, now you've got to get better
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: at this other thing that you haven't done, and yeah, great,
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: just buy into it, work hard, listen to the older guys,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: make mistakes, you screw it up, you get better, and
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: you just stack up that over and over and eventually, yeah,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: he'll be able to contribute. And he's not the only
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: one that's that's like that all the there's tons of
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: our young guys that are in that boat that need
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: to get better and better, and we're just trying to
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: get get everyone in the very best possible just readiness
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: to be able to play for us. And you know
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: that's gonna benefit them, whether it's here or eventually on
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: another team whatever it might be. At this point, not really,
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: you don't have the luxury of being able to know,
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: in my issues exactly how it's gonna shake out. So
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: it's it's like, yeah, we just want everyone to get
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: as good as possible.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Who won your team's best and bodies?
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: What you want out of a special teams player?
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: I love that. That's a hard answer, I really do.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I would say Brady Russell would be the one, but like,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: there's a bunch of guys that come into my mind,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: the guys Brady and and Bobo and guys like Dureek
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: and the Anthony Bell, Drake Thomas, Josh Ross. I mean,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: it's it's there's there's a there's a lot of people.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: Mike Morris, me and my approach it towards towards the
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: end of the year when he was playing more, he
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: was playing awesome. There's there's a ton of people, and
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: that's that's what you want, right is It's like there
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: might be a guy who's kind of the the flag
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: bear whatever. Brady literally is the flag bear. But the
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: where it's like, yeah, dude, everyone understands what the standard is,
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: we're working to live up to it all the time,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: and uh, we're going in that direction. I believe the snapper,
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: he said, that's the snapper. Oh uh, he's he's pretty good. Yeah,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: he's actually pretty good, all good. Appreciate you guys, thanks
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: for coming out.