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John Schneider: "We're Excited To Get Going" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Thanks for coming out gorgeous day. I just want to
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: thank everybody, especially the personnel guys this weekend, all the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: work that goes into this roster cut down of fifty three.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: I can't tell you how much work that is going
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: on behind the scenes, all the hours and hours of studying.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: And it's not just for the weekend. It's not just
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: for you know, getting to fifty three establishing your practice squad.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: It's really establishing the whole landscape for what the whole
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: season is going to look like. And it's just really
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: really thankful to the way Noaen and Trent and Willie
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: and Matt Barry, everybody, the way everything was organized and
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: all the work that went into it, And thankful for
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: the coaching staff staying up late last night when we
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: chipped up some guys to check out and everything after
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  Speaker 1: they had worked all day working on Denver stuff. And
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  Speaker 1: then obviously the players. Thankful for the players that came
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  Speaker 1: back decided to come back and be on your practice squad,
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  Speaker 1: and very thankful especially with the players that uh, you know,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: put all in all the hard work throughout the off
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: season and aren't with us right now. They know that,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: you know, they're welcome to come back here, and they
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  Speaker 1: need to be ready when they're called upon. And yeah,
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  Speaker 1: just uh excited to get going. Really. Uh, it's really
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: impressed with Coach Mike and his staff, the communication, the
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  Speaker 1: the clarity of what they want, the uh, the intent
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  Speaker 1: that's put into everything. It's it's been it's been an
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: amazing training camp to see and uh, yeah, we're just
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: excited to get going, happy for the guys that are here.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: But you know, as you guys know, as you all know,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: it's a long process. We're building this thing all year.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: So uh yeah, with that, like my friend Andy Reid says,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: the time is yours, except he says it in a
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: much cooler man than I do. Yeah, you've been.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Working with Lege McDonald for about seven months. Now, what
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: have you worked on him.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: At this time? Yeah? Yeah, like I said, probably the
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  Speaker 1: probably intent clarity, Uh knows exactly what he wants. Humble
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  Speaker 1: is you know, knows what he doesn't know and and
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  Speaker 1: knows uh knows what he wants and knows how to
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: attack it, and uh, you know, every every he's still
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  Speaker 1: learning each other. Seven months really feels like you know,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: maybe a month. You know, the time's gone really fast. So,
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  Speaker 1: uh yeah, just really impressed with with the teaching that's
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: going on here. And like I said, the one thing
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: that really stands out everybodys asked me, you know, you know,
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: what would you say about this coach or that coach
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: with with with like I would say, uh, clarity and
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: uh there's a there's an intent to everything that we're doing.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: You mention that journey, what is it drip like going
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: back to change?
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Wait?
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  Speaker 3: Every step a long waited Now have officer somewhat finalized
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: that people team had actually seen somebody overseas games.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's it's been it's been a whirlwind. I mean,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: it really truly feels like we just you know, Arizona
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: just missed that field goal and win the game down there,
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  Speaker 1: and we've just had our head going the whole time.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: And now you you know, you look up and here
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  Speaker 1: we are and getting ready play Denver. Ready. You know,
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  Speaker 1: it's been an every day, you know, every day grind.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: But it's been fun and and everybody's everybody's had a ayays,
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  Speaker 1: had a great time with it. There's been a lot
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  Speaker 1: of great communication going on. It's been cool to see
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: the other coaches come from different from different clubs. We
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: talk about no walls and constant communication, and you know
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  Speaker 1: it's okay to go into everybody's offices and talk and
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  Speaker 1: work things out, and and uh, it's we've We've been
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  Speaker 1: doing that since twenty ten.
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  Speaker 3: John, you should have won Executive the Year a couple
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  Speaker 3: of times already. You know, I'm gonna answer the question,
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: how do you compare this first offseason where you hired
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  Speaker 3: coaches as well as the talent you brought in, and
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  Speaker 3: how much better do you think the team is now
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  Speaker 3: than it was a year.
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  Speaker 1: Ago then a year ago? It's hard to tell because
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: especially after appreciate the kind words, by the way, but
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  Speaker 1: especially after this I say this last weekend, but it's
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  Speaker 1: really been like all of camp. But I know it's
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: today's Wednesday, but it feels like you know, a Friday,
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  Speaker 1: satur or Sunday when you're you know, putting this team,
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  Speaker 1: like the final part of putting the team together. So
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  Speaker 1: it's hard to say, like, Okay, is this team more
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  Speaker 1: talented and this area of that area, because the way
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: we approach it is you're looking at all these players,
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: all these teams and trying to figure out what everybody
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: else is doing so that you know how to adjust,
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  Speaker 1: whether it's in October, late November, late late January, making
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  Speaker 1: sure you have enough depth in your on your practice squad.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: You know, we talk about sixty nine players, not fifty
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  Speaker 1: three or forty eight. And then really truly we'll have
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  Speaker 1: you know, we want one hundred players that we want
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  Speaker 1: a hundred guys like that we can count on. So
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: we'll have a ton of players through We probably bring
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  Speaker 1: about one hundred and maybe about one hundred and twenty
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  Speaker 1: five hundred and thirty players through here a year, uh,
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  Speaker 1: to get physical, to spend time with the coaches, so
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  Speaker 1: that so that they're ready to go. But to say
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  Speaker 1: you know, this team's better than that team, it's it's
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  Speaker 1: it's too early, it's it's too hard to do, and
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  Speaker 1: I don't have clarity on that after watching and everything
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  Speaker 1: we've watched last several.
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  Speaker 2: Days, Trevis, was that anticipation of not having Channa from
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  Speaker 2: with it. Yes, we tried.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: We tried signing them a couple of times, so I
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  Speaker 1: was giving them grief though, I was like, hey man,
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  Speaker 1: you can't like you can't make a choice to go
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  Speaker 1: somewhere else now because like we actually traded for you
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  Speaker 1: this time. So we signed papers and stuff, so you're coming.
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  Speaker 2: Enna's not on IR obviously no sign that he'll be
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  Speaker 2: back in.
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  Speaker 1: A comple Yeah, we hope. So, I mean it's like
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: you know, if you if you guys have spend time
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  Speaker 1: with Chenna, like this is a this is a pro now,
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  Speaker 1: like the guy attacks attacks a day like you know,
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: you want every every professional football player to attack it.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: He's he's a man now, and uh, he's gonna do
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: everything he can to get back.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Do you think that his whole possibility there?
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: Are you think right now? Yeah?
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: You put me back by a week one.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: I don't know that too early for that. Yeah, I mean,
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: you know he's made progress. You know, it's it's an
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: injury that you know, it kind of have to take
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: day by day.
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  Speaker 3: Really, how do you feel about your inside life back.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: The whole position there?
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  Speaker 2: And obviously you kind of you.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah with you know, good for good for for Johnny.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: You know, going to Carolina, we have a bunch of
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: coaches that know him really well. Obviously being there, you know,
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: Drake just came off you know, the pup and he's
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: been doing a great job. He's really attacked his rehab.
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  Speaker 1: So he's done a really nice job, real smart and
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  Speaker 1: stick the player. Yeah, we we like the group. We
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: like the group. We're gonna keep just like every position,
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  Speaker 1: we're gonna keep working it. And you know, there's not
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: four guys. It should be six to eight to ten.
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  Speaker 1: You know, same thing with defensive line six to eight
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  Speaker 1: to You know, you can never you can never have enough. Guy,
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  Speaker 1: we're not doing our job if we if we just
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: say okay, we got you know, there's four guys and
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: here we go. We're uh a girl baker, he'll be
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  Speaker 1: ready kinds practicing.
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  Speaker 3: You after looking at uh the preseason story, keep me yes,
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  Speaker 3: he's what's his status of ornosis between four?
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we're we're we're gonna play a long game with
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  Speaker 1: him and make sure we're doing things appropriately Like this
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  Speaker 1: is for his career, it's not just you know, for
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four season. We wanna we wanna make
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: sure that we're doing the right thing by Abe and
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: and uh, which also is the right thing for the
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: Seattle Seahawks. And you know, we have to be careful
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: with it. Sam and And and David Strickland and those
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  Speaker 1: guys have a great plan form and we'll keep working
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  Speaker 1: that plan and it has nothing to do with abes
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  Speaker 1: like uh, work ethic or anything. He's attacked this thing
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  Speaker 1: as much as he possibly can. So it's just we're
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: we are right now, right. No, Greg, I'm not gonna
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  Speaker 1: get into specifics with it.
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  Speaker 2: Are you looking at the preseason that that Sam had
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  Speaker 2: for you? Pick up first impression?
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry, gin what just because what?
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  Speaker 2: What's your assessment of how confident you are in your
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: your cutighbor? You give into the preseason that Gail like
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: Sam fo.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought Gino looked amazing and and uh, you
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  Speaker 1: know all the practices and everything, and you know, I
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: got banged up there a little bit for that week.
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  Speaker 1: And uh, but Sam, like Samson, and Sam's did a
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  Speaker 1: great job coming in learning a new offense. You gotta remember,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: this is like learning a whole new language for these guys.
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  Speaker 1: It's a it's a hard it's a hard deal for uh.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it's a hard it's the hardest job in
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: football period.
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  Speaker 3: You kept the eleven offensive lineman, which is funny more
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: because you sure you've you've done, but obviously you kept
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  Speaker 3: all the rookies kind of a sign that you like
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  Speaker 3: all those.
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  Speaker 1: Guys and one of the Yeah, I mean we thought
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  Speaker 1: about twelve. I mean, that's just that's just you know,
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  Speaker 1: the landscape with the with the National Football League looks
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: like not just the National Football League, it's college football.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: It's it's We've talked about this before too, right, Bob.
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  Speaker 1: It's it's it's it's not a position of great depth.
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  Speaker 1: And you need a group, you know, you need a
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  Speaker 1: whole group of guys working as one, and so you
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: need to you know, you need to continue to just
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: keep trying to figure out like I think there's several
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  Speaker 1: teams that kept eleven, maybe twelve. I know, I think
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: there's a couple of teams that kept twenty two on
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  Speaker 1: both sides of the ball, the interior, you know, and
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: then you know, you figure out your back end later
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: and you'll see much more you know, roster movement over
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: the next several days as people kind of get settled
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: and get ready for you know, the kind of the
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: deadline is really kind of like next Tuesday at one.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: Hey, John, last.
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  Speaker 3: Time Siak developed a Pro Bowl offensive lineman was twenty ten.
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: Only two All Pros in the last twenty six years.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: Talk about why it's hard to draft and develop offensive linemen.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Like I said, I think it's probably that you know,
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: working as one and everybody's got to be functioning. So
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: you have to the guy that the guys next. You
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: have to be on top of the game as well. Uh,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: you know, it's it's it's a it's a position where
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: you know, it's it's it's a mentality position, it's a unit,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: it's it's a group. It's not you know, usually you
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: can see guys that are like Pro Bowl players, difference makers,
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: and and they might be the only real talented guy
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: on the in the group. So it's really a it's
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: a position. That's that's that's. Uh, you have to have
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: your you have to have a specific skill set, you
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: have to have a specific mentality, you have to you
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: have to be coaches you know, a specific sorry, a
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: specific way. But then you also have to like be
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: able to work together. And so I think it takes
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: time and you have to have that continuity. You know,
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: it's and it's rare to have that continuity. You know.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: We were in when we were in Green Bay, we
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: were blessed to have like five guys that played together
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: for ten years, which is and then like three of
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: them developed and became three three or four of them
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: kind of you know, became like probo caliber players. So
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: it's it's a it's a function of the whole group.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: At what point did Connor Williams become the Bible option
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: for you? And when did you know he could play
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: this year?
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: It was the spring, Greg before we I'm sorry, not
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: the spring, It was kind of ota, so like mid June.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: And uh, you know when you hear those when you
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: hear messages from agents, you know that that their players
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: doing great, and you know he'sa be ready to play
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: and they're coming off significant injuries. You have to evaluate
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: the agent as well. And we have a great relationship
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: with his his agent, so we we trusted it, and
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: we we jumped in as quickly as we could and
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: and and tried to get in line. And you know,
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: Connor is a very talented player. Uh obviously worked his
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: tail off to get back and and uh yeah, so
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: I'd say mid June, and then you know, uh, credit
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: to wille Schneider. He just kept sticking with it and
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: calling like every week, just grinding on his agent and
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: uh drew and and making sure that we were still
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: gonna have the opportunity to uh to visit him first,
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: and he came in and had a great had a
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: great workout, great visit, went through all the testing with us,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: and and uh we figured out where he was and
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: then you know, we probably had like maybe two three
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: weeks in there where we worked with him to uh,
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: you know, try to get right and come on in.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: He got close to signing with another with two other clubs,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: and uh, yeah, we just stuck with it at him.
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: Again, sorry, because he had offered from other clubs and
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: you have to come back to him again.
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: With another one.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: We didn't have to come back. We were just oh yeah,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: we negotiated for sure, but we were we were kind
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: of with him the whole time.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: What do you like about Conards?
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Famed down? Oh, quickness, intelligence, He's played up and down
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: a line of scrimmage, you know, played outside in college
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know moving inside to play center. You know,
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: we had we had projected him. Matt Barry really liked
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: him as a center. He's like, man, this guy's gonna
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: be a phenomenal center. But again, you know, with those
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: numbers like offensive tackles, it's it's hard. There's a lack
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: of lack of depth at the position, so he was
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: drafted to play tackle. He went and played, and then Yeah,
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Matt was always like, if we could ever play him
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: at center, I'd be he'd be a great guy. And
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know Dallas or I'm sorry Miami ended
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: up doing with him. And yeah, I would say that
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: the quickness, intelligence, leadership, uh, toughness, getting the second level
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: his movement stuff is. You can see him on screens
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: and stuff out like running in space and he's he's uh,
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: he's just got a really cool like spatial awareness to
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: him when he's out there, and he's a really good
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: athlete for his size. What you guys have seen, how.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: I expect clear You think he'll be able to go
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: for the next week.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: We don't know that yet, you know. I think that's
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: gonna be up to uh, you know, Mike and the
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: coaching staff and and the offensive coaches and uh Sam
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: and Strick and see how Ruddy feels about it. He's
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: doing whatever we can to get ready. Concern that he
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: looked at play, I don't know, Nope. I think we're
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: just being as cautious as we possibly can.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: And another you guys came young and Jered Rered, how
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: are they progressed and when do you think they might
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: be able to come back to you?
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Actually, yeah, all three of them are doing great. Yeah,
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: they're all they're all busting their tails to get ready,
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: and you know there'll be in a window that you
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: know we're gonna get Unfortunately, you know we're gonna get
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: banged up throughout the season and and these are three
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: extremely talented guys to you know, kind of have ready
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: at you know, a later date in the season two, Uh,
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: to be able to go to if need be. And
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: you know, hopefully when they're when they're ready to rip,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: we can do it. But it depends on uh, you know,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: what what your death looks like at that at a
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: certain time of the year. Right, So it's not like, hey,
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: they're ready to go and you just you just you know, Rocket,
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: you have to be patient, says the other three. He's
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: doing well. Yeah, he's doing well. He was out running
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: this morning. I think everybody feels good about where he's at.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: He's made progress. But you know, whether or not he's
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: able to go, we don't. We don't know that yet.
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: What did Jalb said? What did he kind of side late?
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: You think fifty three.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: How do you guys kind of quite.
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Where he how does he go? Yeah, we drafted him late. Uh,
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: he worked out at Ohio State. He was he was
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: a guy that was going to be a rookie free
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: agent and when he once he went to the Ohio
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: State workout, he had a phenomenal workout and our coaches
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: did a great job of spending time with him and
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: getting to know his the person and the football intelligence
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: and you know, understanding how far he had to come
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know, he came in and it hasn't
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: been too big for him. He had a he had
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: a big learning curve and the coach has done a
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: great job of, you know, just taking it step by
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: step with him. You know, Uh, brick by brick if
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: you will, Dave, they referred to it as you know,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: so that's a Niner joke right there. You mentioned Mike
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: has a lot of clarity with what he wants.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: Yes, can you expand on that a little bit?
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: Is it just he knew early on decisively with character
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: traits or skills with certain guys where maybe you would
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: have been surprised as the youngest NFL head coach that
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: he knows so much more what he wants. It's not
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: necessarily from a personnel standpoint, it's just, uh, what he
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: thinks about player of personnel is what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, No,
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: he knows what he wants. He knows that, but he
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: knows the personnel side of it, but also just you know,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: understanding what he wants out of certain positions schematically, working
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: through the issues that go on behind closed doors every
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: day that you know, head coaches just aren't I'm sorry,
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: assistant coaches aren't exposed to usually, and so for him
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: to come in and you know, understand what you know,
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: certain certain situations look like, and understand it and be
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: able to work with him and make quick decisions and
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: you know what we feel our correct decisions. You know,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: it's a there's a there's just a clarity to it.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: That's the best way I can describe it.
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: John Mike has said a couple of times that your
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: relationship or chemistry and the reputation you had that the
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: people recommending you is a big part of why he
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: chose to come here. What advice would you give a
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: new GM to kind of build that kind of reputation.
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: Across the league? Honestly, I think, you know, starting with Pete,
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: that's a great question. I think when Pete and I
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: got together in twenty ten, to Pete's crowdit, he was like, hey,
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: we're gonna make this the best marriage in the National
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Football League. And I always knew after getting fired with
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: with the Redskins, when I was working with, you know,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: hand in hand with coach Schottenheimer, I was like, Okay,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: I know, it's like, the next time this happens, I can't,
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: I can't screw this up. So I had been fired,
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: Pete had been fired, you knew, We knew exactly like
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: how we had to try to handle things. And that's
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: like putting your ego aside and just doing the right
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: thing by the club every day, every hour, like like
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: there's nothing like it's not like I'm smarter than you,
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: You're smarter than me. You know, we're just gonna work
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: hand in hand and and try to try to get
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: better every single day. And I think that's you know,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: I think if there's advice to other general managers, really
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: like the ego part of it and just being yourself
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: and not trying to you know, not trying to. I
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: learned a lot from Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson and
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: Carl Peterson and the you know these people, these you know,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: big name guys that I work for, but I'm not.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: I'm not those guys. And you have to just be
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: yourself and and kind of be understanding and have a
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: lot of empathy with you know, your your your partner,
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: because like Pete said, I mean, it truly is a marriage.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: You spend a ton of time together, You're making decisions
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: all the time. You're kind of you're kind of in
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: a constant negotiation, like am I doing the dishes? Are
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: you doing the dishes? Are you drying? You're washing? You
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: drying like I got the guard, you know what I mean.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: It's like a It truly is like that. It's like
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: every day so uh yeah, yes, it's keep. You just
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: have to keep. You have to keep working everything, like
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: every single day. Like on your relationship Mike mcgonnd's a.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: Complete opposite to where areas of you had to step in.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: A hellhow what do you mean the opposite, the youngest in.
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: The NFL, the first time in the job, you've been
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: in the job now fourteen years.
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah, all these opposite. I mean, I think it's like
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: a middle ground, like he's younger.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, to ask was what what areas have you had
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: to help him through?
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: Being a head coach.
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: Response goes beyond a coordinator level, eaches of steam and
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: design and things like that.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: I think just being there for him, like, hey, this
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: is what I've experienced in the past, Like you know,
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: this is what coach Homegren staff look like. Uh, this
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: is what Coach Schottenheimer's staff was like, this is what
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: Pete's staff was like, these are the issues that may
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: pop up, These are the things that you need to
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: nip in the bud right away. And then just being there,
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: like just being able to listen to him and then
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: be able to just use yeah you did just made
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: me feel oh Greg you day. Yeah, just be able
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: to listen to him and and uh, you know, try
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: to assist him. And you know, there's certain things that
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: you know, he may feel like he can't share with people,
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: and he can share it with me and we can
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: we can help work things out togethers phrase, you know,
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: like just two sent the teams have the same like yeah,
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: I mean l Less is awesome, right, tons of experience
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know Super Bowl Shuffle and all that stuff.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: I think he was in the Super Bowl shuffle, wasn't
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: he Yeah? Yeah, but uh that was a joke, like
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: you're not like I don't get anything from you, Like
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: I mean, is that a funny Like you know, I
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: don't know. Uh yeah, I just think. You know, Mike's
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: a great listener. He really is. He's just got that
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: like he could take the information in and and and
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: make decisions and and it's been really impressive to watch.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: And he's, like I said, he's like a very direct communicator.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: He's gonna give me the information. I got it, I'm
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: gonna take it over here, and I'm gonna have the
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: conversation and we're gonna move on.
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: There was there there was a requt that Genos can't
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: approach the new contract to talk with you. Was that accurate?
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah, like broch the new contract, I think, like, you know,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: I'll leave contract stuff aside. There's a lot of there's
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: a lot of people that want contract extensions, and I'm
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: not gonna get into like specifics of who they are
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: and all that. But that's part of the job. I mean,
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: it happens every year all the time.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: Is it accurate to say you guys discussed the new contract?
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: No criminality with the kis that on your fifty one roster?
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: As is the commonality and when they emulates to what
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: might done like kind.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: Of smart and they you know without wonder teaching.
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, a great question going into each of them. Yeah,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: that's a great question. I would say the commonality would
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: just be that, you know, going through the process with
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: the coaches for the first time, you know, with this
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: new group, with this new staff, they were they were
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: really bought into the guys they wanted, you know, so
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: it was like, hey, okay, cool, Like we're gonna, we're gonna,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: we're gonna draft this guy. We're all in, We're gonna
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: with this bar And that's like I would say that
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: for all of them, the Pats.
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: Your outfensive, blind John, just with the new pieces you
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: have there, and coach and Scott.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: Where you think now for guests for that position, Oh,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: I think it's I mean, it's gonna be working progress.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: But but we like the guys, we like the group,
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: like Scott, you know, Scott and uh coach Nugent, you
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: know those guys. Those guys do a great job working
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: in tandem with every butt with with with the whole group.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: But it's a lot of guys. You know, it's a
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: it's a big group to work with, and so yeah,
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: we we we like the group. But it's again, there's
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: like moving pieces in there, like so many left tackles
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: completely different than the right tackle and left you know,
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: the guards. You know, we have the three centers right now.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: So yeah, there's a lot going on there. The different
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: types of different styles within that position are always it's
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: always a challenge for coaches to be able to place those.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: Guys party party Birthday. It looked bad on Saturday when
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: he was carted.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: Off, but he's, yeah, you got banged up a little
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: bit today practice, But you know, he responded, so you know,
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: I'm not it's it's some sort of toe thing going on,
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: but it's not. It didn't appear to be that bad.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Did these are painful? You know you were like that
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: smash mine like at San Diego State like ten years ago,
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: and I still feel it did. Did the new kickoff
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: rule change anything with how you put the team good?
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: Did you feel ultimately like it changed much with the
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: roster of construction?
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: Uh? Not really. No. You know, there's you can you
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: can have bigger people playing on kick return. There's not
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: as much space, so maybe you know bigger guys playing
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: back there that you may not have in the past,
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: you know, like maybe you know, bigger than linebacker bodies,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: you know.
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: Challenging player acquisitions, but you have three new systems you
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: did know you didn't have experienced any player.
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it was challenging. But to have them
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: spend as much time with with the guys as as
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: they did, you know, on the zoom calls and phone calls, meetings,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: you know, the thirty visits you're talking all throughout the
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: off season, right, yeah, yeah, exactly grew. Yeah, that's uh,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: it was. It was really important that those guys you know,
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: spent time with them and they were comfortable with with
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: the learning and the person It.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: Seems like this might be as deepest secondary group that
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: you guys have had in.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: A wild d Do you agree with that and.
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: And what's your kind of outlook for that?
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: Wow, it's a it's a really fun group. There's no
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: question like it's a like they all have they all
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: have a ton of juice about them and uh, yeah,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: we love that group and we're just trying to figure out,
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: you know, how we again, how we you know, who
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: is you know who's the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth guy
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: in that group. So we'll continue to do that and
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: try to place those guys in our practice squad.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: Do you have a third quarterback you're granted.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: Not yet? Yes, I mean maybe maybe PG, maybe back.
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure.
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: We're still working through a lot of that stuff, John,
• 25:06
  Speaker 3: all pro players, best players of the position usually are
• 25:09
  Speaker 3: with determined super bowls. Are there some players on this
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: roster that you think are ready.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: To take that step? Yeah? I do.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: He came back.
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: Cavan, Reek Will and the fact they really took a
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: big step. Are those two guys that have the potential
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: to reach that level?
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah? You know, Reek was injured last year. He had
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: a bad knee injury in the offseason, so he was
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: kind of behind the eight ball all year. DK's always
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: been dominant in my opinion.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: Everything else.
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: Oka, I appreciate you guys,