Head Coach Hue Jackson:
On how he sees DB Calvin Pryor fitting in on defense and what position he will play:
"Obviously he is a young talented player that we have added to our secondary. He is a safety that we feel good about. He will play back there in the secondary at safety and we will give him an opportunity to compete and play."
On if Pryor plays the same position as Jabrill Peppers:
"He can play either or. Again, (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams) finds ways to make sure that we put the best guys out there. I am not concerned about that. We just want to get a guy–which, we made a decision to trade a guy (LB Demario Davis) and add a guy to our team–and what we are going to do is get him with the rest of the guys and when it is all said and done, we are going to play the best four guys that are able to play. It is not so much, 'If a guy is at this position, that position." One thing about Gregg, he has a lot of flexibility in his system to be able to play guys wherever we need to play them."
On if he would consider having the best five DBs on the field at the same time:"Absolutely. Yeah, because these offenses are in nickel a lot. Defenses have to play with five DBs in the game quite a bit and we have a lot of different packages that we play, so we could and we could not. It all depends on who we are playing and how we are playing."
On Tank Carder playing middle linebacker today and what other options they have at that spot:
"We have other guys, obviously. There are other guys on the roster, but those are the first three guys that we stepped out there today. Tank has done a good job and we will keep going from there."
On if Christian Kirksey can play middle linebacker:
"Again, we have a lot of different ways to play that group. Chris could play in there, Jamie (Collins Sr.) could play in there. I don't want to get locked into, it could be this guy or that guy. Everybody can play a lot of different spots there. Like I said, we have a lot of different packages of defense that we play and I think all those guys have to be capable. I think (linebackers coach) Blake Williams does a good job with preparing them, so guys are playing a lot of different spots as we go through the year."
On if DL Myles Garrett is participating in practice every day or if he is alternating days:
"He is alternating. I'm going to make sure—I will keep saying it until I know for sure that we are totally healthy or where we need to be—there is some football that he has missed and so, we are working him back. He had a good practice today. I can't wait to watch the tape. We will get him back out there again before this OTA session is done."
On how Garrett's explosion off the line makes him feel:
"Really good and if I was a quarterback, really scared. He is talented. I think we all know that. He has just got to continue to integrate himself within our defense and our system. He's a very eager and willing young man. He has worked extremely hard. I think hopefully you guys saw the talent today, and we'll keep pushing him and getting him to where he needs to be."
On what he has seen from TE Seth DeValve:
"Seth has done a good job. Seth is an emerging player. It's his second year. This is not the same Seth as a year ago. He came out and was banged up and learning his way in the National Football League. I'm sure he'd probably tell you he felt a little overmatched. But I think he's worked extremely hard, and I think it shows in what he's done this offseason to give himself a chance to compete and I think he's done a good job."
On if Kirksey is ready for a big leadership role:
"I think he's ready. I think that has always been a part of his makeup. I think he has that ability to do it. I think any time when there has been another real vocal person in the group, and when that person goes, it allows another person to start to step up. I think Christian is doing what I know he can do, and it's important. We need that kind of guy."
On if the offense knows what the defense is going to run in practice:
"Yeah, just like the offense calls what we want and they don't know what's coming. This is not about defeating our defense. We don't play our defense. We compete with our defense right now."
On the defense trying to defeat the offense in practice:
"That's their nature. Our nature is the same way too. Last time I checked, we were going up and down the field too, but that's good competition. That's the way it should be. That's the way you want practice to be."
On if he knows what Gregg Williams is calling in practice:
"No, I never look. I'm not going to know what the other team is going to do. I don't know what Gregg does at night. I know what I do at night, and it sure isn't looking at the defense. No, I'm teasing, but we don't know. We can't. That's not what we're trying to accomplish. We are trying to install our offensive scheme, our defensive scheme, our special teams and let them fall where they may. If you start skipping steps trying to compete against each other and get away from a strategic standpoint, then you lose out on the things you need for the season. So, it is important that we truly install our offense, defense and special teams the right way."
On if he will keep the QB rotation will remain the same throughout minicamp:
"I could. I could not, too. Again, I think guys are emerging. I think guys are working hard. I think the whole group has improved, but again, I am going to take a look at it after we get done with OTAs and see where we are. I think guys are making strides. I see it all the time, and they have got to continue to work and work hard. The young guys are getting better. Cody (Kessler) has improved. Brock (Osweiler) is doing well. We are going to take it all into account and see where we are."
On the problems big TEs like Seth DeValve and David Njoku can cause for opposing defenses:
"It can cause problems. Those guys have got to be ready to play. They have got to be accountable, dependable, be out there every day and be able to make those plays when the opportunities come."
On a report that the team inquired about WR Jeremy Maclin:
"That's a good thing if we did. I don't know much about that. One thing I know about our group is that we're going to continue to look at ways to improve our football team. I've said that numerous times, and I give Sashi (Brown) a lot of credit for that. I think we're always out there looking. If there's a player available, we're going to take a look at him and see if he can help our football team."
On if certain trades just 'pop up' or if they are 'always in the works':
"No, those things just kind of pop up. They do. It's unfortunate, but those things are going to happen sometime. You have to make those decisions because of your football team–where you're headed and what you're doing. That's just a part of this business. I think we all know it. It's unfortunate, but those things do happen and we understand it. Once we make a decision, we make a decision and move forward."
On how hard it is for the QBs to not have WRs Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman at practices:
"It would be different if we didn't have them at all. We have had Corey a little bit. We've had Kenny more, So there's things that I want to make sure that they understand and know the foundation of what we are doing. Corey more so than Kenny right now, because Corey has been here, he knows the language and understands it. Kenny, it's important that he's out there as much as he has been, because he needs to make sure that he knows how to do things. I think the group, once we get them all back and get them healthy, I think we will represent ourselves well."
On DB Joe Haden not practicing:
"Obviously, the guy had two groin surgeries. You start getting a lot of wear and tear when you're going every day like that. When you haven't done much work at this level, again, guys start to get a little sore. We just take care of them a little bit and make sure that they are okay."
On what major areas he looks for when judging the QBs:
"The accuracy and consistency, running our offense and not turning the ball over. In order to play for us, we cannot turn the ball over. That is one thing that I have stressed, we turned it over way too much. Now, everybody is involved in that, that is not just them. That is an offensive unit issue. We have to solve that, and I think that is something that we are working on."
On the defense's emphasis on getting the ball:
"See ball, find ball, get ball. That's what they believe in. That is something that he preaches every day, you have got to get the ball. We need more turnovers on defense. Let's see if an official can make a bad decision, say that was a turnover, and get it and go the other way."
On if all the backup centers can also play guard:
"They have the versatility to do it, so we give them the chance to. Some are just strictly playing guard, and some are playing center and guard. Again, because of the numbers, we've got some guys that still aren't practicing yet. We're trying to give guys the best opportunity to have a chance to make our football team. I think that is what's important."
