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BUCCANEERS TRAINING CAMP QUOTES
TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2008
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HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN
(On practice and CB Torrie Cox)
"I was very pleased with this morning's practice, in all phases really. We still have plenty to clean up – we've got to eliminate some penalties – but it was a much better practice from start to finish. One announcement: Torrie Cox has injured his left knee and unfortunately he'll be out for the season. He'll be placed on injured reserve today and that's a big blow for us. He's not only a very good special teams player but was a guy that was going to be in competition for not only a roster spot but playing time. So we wish him the best and that's a big blow to us."
(On who needs to step up at cornerback)
"Well, whoever's in camp. Everybody in camp. Somebody goes down, somebody steps up – that's been our theme here."
(On WR Joey Galloway)
"He ran 20 hundred-yard dashes yesterday and he looked pretty good to me. I wish I could have run them that fast. But we're still canceling flights today and probably tomorrow."
(On the wide receivers as a whole)
"I'm really impressed. Granted, it's early and we haven't played deep into training camp, but the versatility that these guys are showing is very impressive. With Galloway out, guys have stepped up. Paris Warren is playing well. Antonio Bryant is a good receiver. Maurice Stovall has been impressive. Really, from top to bottom, any guy you want to talk about has done a nice job for us. Hopefully it continues."
(On Jeff Garcia saying last year that playmakers need to step up)
"We did some good things last year and guys did make some plays. Yeah, that's a good way to put it. I would tend to agree with him. And the coaches have to step up; we all do."
(On if he's seeing more speed and quickness from Michael Clayton)
"Yep, I sure do. That's a 208-pound man right now and he's running all kinds of routes. You see him as an outside receiver, he's working the slot, he's playing three different positions and he's been very, very good to this point in training camp. That's what we've talked about, just string days together and if he does that we all know he's a heck of a football player. We like what we see so far."
(On if conditioning is a factor with Jeff Garcia)
"It's probably all that California air he's been breathing. He's sucking air a little bit; it's hot here. That’s what you get when you miss a few days. But, no, he made some great throws. He hit nine or 10 in a row in 7-on-7, was very good in the red zone – he's sharp. We've just got to work the deep ball a little bit more. He'll measure it, he'll be fine."
(On if the tent has been a big factor)
"It hasn't been cooler. The heat index on our report card is over 100 every day. One good thing is, in the afternoon we don't administer any IVs. It gives the guys a chance to recover a little bit, obviously, and we also get a lot of work done in that little bubble there."
(On Donte Nicholson and Sabby Piscitelli making big plays)
"Yeah, they sure did. We're trying strategically on our scripts to not only work the offense, but as the head coach you try to take a good look at this player here and that player there. So Monte Kiffin and I meet early, early in the morning and try to get what we need to see not only from a scheme standpoint but to try to put some players in vulnerable, playmaking positions. And we have very good safeties here that can cover grass in a hurry. That's a strength of our football team right now. Phillips is playing great and Tanard Jackson, I think, could be one of the game's best safeties. I believe that."
(On the other safeties like Piscitelli playing well)
"That's the way it is. We've got competition at every position and hopefully he continues to do what he's doing. Who says we can't play three safeties at a time? Other teams have played dime defense here and there. He'll work his way onto the field if he keeps doing what he's doing."
(On QB Jeff Garcia blocking out distractions)
"You know what, I don't know what we're talking about. I'm so tired of it, really. He's one of the most mentally-tough human beings I've been around. If you know Jeff Garcia, you know what I'm talking about. I really don't think this is worth talking about, personally. He's doing a great job as he always does. He's one of the most mentally-tough guys I've ever met and I'll leave it at that."
(On signing a player to fill Cox's spot)
"Well, we're going to look at that, obviously not only at the corner position but at another position. You've got to have as many people as you can working on the field. We've had a couple linemen in to workout, we might bring in a couple receivers. Who knows who we're going to bring in, but we will fill that roster spot as soon as possible."
(On if returns will be Dexter Jackson's sole duty)
"We don't want him to think like that. We want him to be not only an outstanding return guy and a reliable one at that, we want him to be an excellent receiver. He's just a rookie and he's learning fast but we've got a lot on his plate. The more he can eat and swallow, the more he'll get."
(On if Jackson needs to add weight)
"No, he's actually a pretty thick guy. He's thick, very fast and quick and I think as he matures physically over time he'll gain a little bit of muscle and mass. But we don't want to change too much. We like that 4.28 [40-yard dash time]. There's not a lot of guys in the world that can do that."
(On Ronde Barber's red socks)
"He's a sharp guy. We don't let anybody else do that. Ronde has his own freedom to express himself. He's earned that."
(On Ryan Sims)
"We like him a lot. He's a load in there. He can play nose or under tackle. He is a big, physical presence. He's a great pocket-pusher. It's hard to step up in there when he's generating that type of push. I'm really impressed with him. Again, we have a long way to go, but we said some good things about Ryan last year and we're saying some good things about him this year. Maybe we should learn from Earnest Graham and get him on the field."
(On how the offensive line improved in 2007)
"They blocked better. They executed their assignments better and they were much more physical than we've been. And to be honest with you, we had continuity really from left guard to right tackle for most of the year, with the exception of [Luke] Petitgout. They're very accountable, physical guys and they have a lot of pride."
(On if the current O-Line is one of the best in team history)
"No, I wouldn't go that far. We'll get what we deserve. I like to keep it that way. Offensive linemen – the last thing you want to do is let these guys get their own press agents and have their own little world of compliments. We like to yell at them and keep them normal. They regulate the team. They're regular guys and they get no credit for anything."
(On how to keep players focused during camp)
"I think they understand. We talk about it a lot, that this 16, 20-day period will set the tone for the season. You're isolated, we all are from our families and from everyday life. It's an opportunity to really focus on your football. We realize when we break camp there are tremendous distractions for a lot of reasons. This is the time right now when you study your football, you get your body ready to roll and you come together as a unit."
(On how often he notices heat impacting play in the morning)
"It's hot everywhere. It's hot everywhere in the country. It's hard. It's an endurance contest. You've got to be mentally tough."
(On Day Two in pads)
"That's what I said. I started the press conference with that. It was a very good, physical practice. In between the tackles, particularly on our inside runs, there was some real good physical play on both sides of the ball. That's what it's going to take to be a successful running team. If you're going to stop the run you're going to have to be a physical outfit."
(On Matt Bryant's camp)
"He's been awesome. He's putting it between the goal posts. I even saw him punt the ball inside the three today. He's really been good and we feel great about both our specialists – Josh Bidwell. And obviously [Andrew] Economos is a key there, too. He shoots it back there with good time and accuracy."
(On if it's comforting to know his special teams battery is in place)
"Yeah, I remember our first year here we went through three different long-snappers and there were some sleepless nights there. But Economos is outstanding. We're happy to have re-signed him. And I think if you ask Bidwell, he's a very good snapper in any kind of situation. He's a strength and he's a key to our success."
(On if it's hard to find a good snapper)
"Yeah, it is."
LB CATO JUNE
(On training camp)
“We’re trying to accomplish a lot in a little period of time. We’re out here and we’re trying to just come together as a unit and as a team. Offense is trying to get their things together. Defensively we’re trying to get our things together, all of the things we did poorly last year, all of the things we did well, try to continue to do those. Just trying to take it another step forward because it’s a long season, a lot happens during the season. We want to be consistent week in and week out and that’s what we want to do everyday at practice.”
(On the carry over of material from mini-camps and OTAs)
“There’s definitely a carry over, starting from OTAs and then going to mini-camps and now fall camp. We’re running the same stuff so we have a little familiarity with the things we’ve been doing all year and the things we were doing last year so it’s not a lot of new things going in. It’s just tweaking the things that we already know how to do. For the new guys it’s all new. But we’re just trying to get better and more consistent at the way that we play.”
(On not playing in the playoff game)
“You go through all the camps and the offseason and that’s the goal, to get to the postseason. The postseason is when it really matters, and not being able to play with your teammates is very frustrating. There are some things you can’t control, injuries, but it’s one of those things where you have to bounce back and make sure next year you are setting yourself up for the same situation. Once everybody is in the tournament anybody can win. We saw that the past three or four years.”
(On risk of coming to Tampa Bay)
“If it was any risk at all in leaving it was a very minimal risk because I was leaving one system and going into the one that actually created it. Being in the Tampa 2 defense is very comfortable for me, and essentially I was playing the same thing. I don’t think it was much risk. The only thing was that learning curve and learning to learn the players around me and that sort of thing.”
(On the Super Bowl being in Tampa Bay)
“Nobody has done it before (playing a Super Bowl at home). Every year every team has that goal coming out, to get to the Super Bowl no matter where it is, and it just happens to be in our stadium this year. We have that same goal. It’s just that much more centered because it will be played right there in our city.”
(On how Monte Kiffin has challenged the defense this year)
“Well, last year we wanted to cap off, get a lot of guys to the football. We were coming off a year that didn’t play up to the Bucs D standards, and last year we got back to that. Last year we were second in the league. We definitely want to be first, number one. We have a lot of things we can improve on. We left a lot of plays on the field, looking back on it, and we threw some different coverages in that we hadn’t played in the past. Now we’re fine tuning that. We’re becoming more comfortable as a unit playing in those different coverages and those different defenses along with the all-mighty Tampa 2.”
(On being more aggressive with the linebackers blitzing)
“If we can all be on the same page and have guys that can blitz and blitz well, because there is no sense in blitzing if you are not getting pressure. It starts up front, but it also is good to throw something new at the offense from time to time. We just have to make sure that we are all on the same page once you start to do a lot of blitzing.”
(On individual improvements)
“First and foremost is learning the system. Learning the verbage and language for your team. You also want to be more knowledgeable of what is going on around you. It is not enough to just know what system you are in and what your role in that system is, but you also need to learn what the left end is going to be doing that very same play even though I am on the right side. How the offenses are going to attack us. I think that is one reason that Derrick Brooks is so successful, because he has a complete grasp of everything that is going on around him at all times.”
(On working with Barrett Ruud)
“I just sat back last year and watched and learned. Barrett was stepping into a new role and did great. We watch a lot of film together which is a benefit. As a linebacker corps we learn things together which makes us become one.”
(On the linebacker depth)
“Of course I will be biased, but I think we have a great group. We have a group that has played a lot of great football and that has played in that system for a number of years. We have a lot of young talent behind us, that I believe could go play anywhere if they were not here. We have a great group in the secondary too and our d-line is coming together, so it is a challenge between the three of us to go out there and put it together and see who can make the plays.”
(On Derrick Brooks)
“He makes us better and makes me better and the more that I can learn from him is great for me as a football player.”
(On being motivated by expectations)
“You can’t really pay too much attention to that. They spend all offseason ranking players and teams, but a lot happens in the offseason and a lot will happen from now until the start of the season. Someone could get hurt or traded. We just want to focus on us, and make sure we are preparing ourselves the best we know how and putting it together. We have to take the things that we learned from the classroom and on the practice field to the game field.”
(On preseason injuries)
“You see it you whole career unfortunately. It is not something you really think about on the practice field, because that is not something you can concentrate on. You feel sorry for that person because they worked just as hard as you in offseason and they want the same thing as you want, and that is to be a champion. Unfortunately, it happens to a lot of people all season…their season gets cut prematurely because of an injury and you have to overcome it as a team and wish them the best.”
(On taking advantage of your playing time)
“Anytime you are not on the field you are going to be frustrated. My take on it is, when you are out there and given an opportunity you must capitalize on the plays that you are supposed to make. There were times out there I feel like I left a few plays on the field, like dropping an interception. That for me is what I focus on instead of how much I might play.”
(On the heat of training camp)
“The heat affects everybody equally. It is brutal, but you have to fight through it. I think it is a benefit for us because you can not simulate that type of heat outside this area.”
(On signs that the heat is affecting you)
“When I get a little sunburned I probably need to put a little sunscreen on. I keep my water right there and keep myself hydrated. If you get to the point you feel you need an IV or get dizzy that is a sign you have not been drinking your fluids, so the main thing is to keep your body hydrated.”
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