Dallas Cowboys Press Conference — 7-28-26 — Dallas Cowboys 2026

[13:39] okay okay okay boss hello everybody welcome to camp hmm everybody let's go um just a reminder [13:54] that i'll call on you flag me down i got a list and um please let us know your name and your [14:02] platform before your question the first question that you ask with that we will get started with [14:12] calvin watkins calvin watkins dallas morning news good morning morning jay what have you seen uh [14:20] offseason that gives you confidence that this team can get back to the playoffs well um maybe [14:25] confidence is uh not the word i might use uh what i've seen in the offseason uh uh gives us a chance [14:36] and we have the goods so to speak to uh really change up parts of the team that had nine of [14:47] 11 coaches uh on defense uh that's a material change and the system that's going to go with it [14:56] that's a material change so what i'm excited about is that i really believe that we can [15:03] uh do something the last time there were this many changes of any team that i've been involved in [15:10] uh where we changed the system changed out all the players and plus changed out the coaches [15:18] was the first year with jimmy johnson and we won one football game so we know that changing out and [15:26] starting new can obviously create quite a challenge but i like what we've got to work with i of course [15:33] have a lot of confidence in our head coach shoddy and have a lot of confidence in uh the uh coaches [15:41] that he's involved i believe we ran it up we uh probably uh interviewed uh as many as 40 it could [15:48] be 45 coaches that we interviewed and uh so uh we uh we're looking for the best that we could get our [15:56] hands on and uh uh made the decision with the ones that we've got i think that's going to make a [16:01] uh gives us something to be positive about i think we can build on it and i think we can [16:06] have some success prescott had a super bowl jersey excuse me excuse me super bowl shirt t-shirt on [16:12] tala smith said it's realistic we can get to the super bowl what do you guys think about [16:17] those uh aspirations well i sure like to i'll speak first i like the idea that uh uh thinking uh [16:26] uh thinking that positive about uh what we're going to work for uh we've got a long way to go [16:32] starting really having started in our spring but uh that that's uh good to me to be uh positive [16:40] especially uh coming from him uh he's a big part he's got a first-hand feel for what we can do [16:48] certainly on his side of the ball and uh uh i like it i like uh him to be thinking uh of that [16:57] success level clarence dlls cowboys uh welcome back here we haven't heard from you since the track [17:05] uh it's been a drama free off season can you just talk about if you feel that way there's like no [17:12] contract issues or anything over and over this team does that uh lend yourself to believe that [17:18] we have a different outcome coming this year yeah and uh clarence i never left so don't need to tell [17:24] me welcome back you and i just haven't been laying eyes on each other okay [17:31] so seriously seriously uh uh i like the idea that the word is uh that we have had a quiet [17:46] off season relative to uh dare i say off the field uh noise or or uh chatter chatter whatever you want [17:56] to call it i like that that hasn't been the case we've had a lot going on and uh we've had to really [18:04] scramble a lot the kind of stuff that you don't see uh but that's uh that should be that way it's [18:12] supposed to be hard uh but we've had a very active we have made a lot of decisions uh we have made a lot [18:20] of difficult decisions in my mind uh but uh consequently what might have started out as a [18:28] really nice uh let's take it in and let's get it all let's uh take it to the shop and repair it up [18:36] what started out that way especially on defense uh we ended up uh turning it into something [18:43] completely different than it was when we started so we even did more than i could have anticipated [18:49] when we started and uh i like i personally like the fact that the perception is that it's been a [18:57] quiet non-concentrational off season that's good i have really a lot of that [19:07] where i live in my mind i do but i have some times when uh it's not fun too so uh all that's [19:16] good i like the mood i like what we're coming to camp with the super bowl talk uh real quick [19:22] so dax said he feels you have a better chance to get to the super bowl this year because of all the [19:26] changes you've made he said you know our goal is super bowl every year but this year we have a [19:31] better chance because of the things you did off season do you feel the same way well i would say [19:35] this dax feeling about it is more important than me feeling about it because dax actually tangibly [19:42] can cause his teammates to play at a higher level than i can so when dax is that positive about it [19:50] uh that adds some credibility to it uh i too can say that the fact that dax is looking at what he's [19:59] looking at causes me to feel the same way i think we've got a chance to uh uh really be good it's [20:06] going to be hard uh it's going to be uh it's going to be nipping uh nick and nip and tuck uh as old [20:13] switcher used to say we're going to burn some of these wagons on the way to california for firewood [20:18] we're going to lose some folks we're going to have some barn but the wagon train is going to get there [20:23] so uh bottom line is uh i love uh the excitement uh you guys for all practical purposes don't expect [20:32] us to be a contender in the super bowl y'all don't why would you uh i like that i do i like that and [20:41] uh i like what we put together to uh show you that uh we can do it lindsey hi jerry lindsey theory [20:52] from espn um you said you like the perception that it's been a quiet off season a year ago you [20:59] did mention that you like to sometimes stir things up so that we are always talking about you so was [21:04] it kind of a conscientious decision going into this off season to keep what you guys were busy with [21:09] quiet and more behind the scenes than being maybe stirring things up on in front yeah um [21:15] uh i've never thought that there was anything uh uh quiet or subdued about the dallas cowboys [21:24] uh i i've never thought of it that way uh but i have been guilty of stirring it up and um uh and you [21:35] guys help me and we've been and we have been a great team i promise you that for the last 30 [21:42] something years and so uh that does happen and it is good i don't believe it makes one iota worth [21:51] of difference on whether or not we block the guy or go off tackle but i do like the perception that [21:57] we've had a quite uneventful off season and let's see how we can work in that perception is big [22:03] perception is big uh but uh what i will tell you is i don't plan on doing anything around here [22:10] for the next few days to stir anything up john john with athletic for steven as you come out here [22:19] you look at your roster do you feel like everything you need is on this current roster could there still [22:25] be potential moves to be made i think there's always moves uh that you can make to be better [22:29] i mean we we're entertaining uh thoughts on players as we speak uh right now i mean will does an amazing [22:36] job of uh you know getting the players and putting them in front of jerry myself uh shoddy and so we're [22:43] always looking uh for ways to get better i will say that i think we've done a good job of putting [22:49] together a roster that's going to take the field today they were out there working some uh working [22:55] out uh you know that gives us a great opportunity to really uh do the things that we want to do which [23:02] is uh be a lot better than we were last year and uh hopefully compete uh for a super bowl that's [23:09] every team's goal i'm sure if you ask 31 other teams in this league their goals to win the super [23:14] bowl and uh certainly when we go to work uh every off season that's our goal and uh but i do feel like [23:22] uh you know we've done a really uh good job of uh you know doing the things that we need to do [23:29] to improve uh not only coaching but also players uh to give us that opportunity and but the other [23:37] answer to your question is no we're not finished i mean we're going to look for opportunities uh you [23:42] know every day uh to improve this roster and obviously guys will go out on that field they'll [23:48] compete and some guys will really show up you'll be really pleased and you know like any team in any [23:54] given year even in years where we won super bowls you're looking for ways to improve uh you know as [24:00] you uh go through training camp into the preseason and then ultimately into the season uh you're [24:06] always looking for ways to make your team better uh with donovan azaracho duran bland you expect them [24:12] both to hit the ground running right from the beginning of camp or will they need some time to [24:16] get acclimated and is there any other players that might know easy and duran will be the two guys [24:20] that we'll just monitor but we don't see any restrictions we're just gonna be smart with them [24:24] because they missed the spring uh but we're very very healthy going into camp and uh hope that that [24:29] continues thompson's ready to go yeah doing great we don't see any pups or nfis at this point uh you [24:36] know obviously you got to do a little workout here and we'll we'll see but uh right now uh you know [24:42] talking to jim and brit uh we don't feel like we'll have anybody start on the pup or the nfi [24:47] nick nick harris for star telegram jerry you kind of alluded to it a bit ago a lot of change on the [24:53] defense side of the ball so there's a process that you're going to have to trust throughout [24:56] training camp in this season how do you balance trusting that process but also with the urgency [25:00] to win we don't have any alternative we've we've uh we made that bed when we brought in new uh new [25:09] scheme new coaches uh new players we're going with new right there uh so i've bought into that [25:17] that's going to happen we're here now we've been dealing with it we've got to start out here right [25:23] now doing as best we can and and bringing that thing to opening day and having these guys as ready [25:29] to go and having the new guys that are new to being here at oxford and cowboys have them ready to go [25:36] uh one other thing i'd say that stephen was commenting on is uh candidly i'd be very interested [25:42] i'd give up future to add substantive to where we are today as to a player to give you an idea [25:50] about would i invest uh something substantive to get the right kind of deal to improve us opening day [25:58] i would i feel that good about this thing this year and of course you know that i haven't seen this team [26:05] play together and so uh but in general looking ahead i think we've got a chance [26:12] to be worthy of spending some future if we saw an opportunity conversations that are ongoing or is [26:18] that something hey let's look at the first two weeks of camp and then address to see if you want [26:22] to put something i talked to uh i talked to uh uh yesterday i talked about a situation yesterday [26:28] with another team and another owner yesterday patrick hey guys patrick walker dallas cowboys.com [26:38] jerry steven coach brian uh welcome back thank you this is more so to you uh coach shoddy [26:44] obviously you come out to oxnard just like last year this year your your task list is probably a [26:49] little bit longer because you have some things that you want to improve upon over last season [26:52] speaking generally leaving oxnard in the next three plus weeks what do you need to see happen out here [27:00] to be able to say you know what we did everything that we needed to do to be contenders to start the [27:03] season yeah i think it comes down to the the work ethic the the way we practice you know i've made it [27:08] you know very clear we expect to have very physical practices not only against ourselves but we've got [27:13] the two joint practices against new orleans and and the rams um and so i look forward to that um [27:19] you know i'm going to go back to nick's point like you know competing against the defense every day [27:25] uh i'm very confident in what they can do um you know the the scheme uh is it fits us well the [27:33] personnel moves that we made and bringing in rashawn gary and d winners and uh caleb downs and malachi [27:39] lawrence all those moves that we made uh it was not a quiet off season for us and uh it was a great [27:45] off season for us and uh one that we worked extremely hard on starting with the coaching search and [27:49] uh i feel amazing about what we did bringing in the defensive staff changes with christian parker [27:54] leading the way and then into you know free agency and getting jalen thompson a guy i mean it has not [27:59] been a quiet off season it's been an awesome off season and i think that's why we're excited but now [28:04] the goal is the super bowl we we don't shy away from that but you got to trust the process you know [28:09] we haven't even had one practice yet we've had a little bit of mobility run today but the first [28:13] practice is tomorrow we get through this ramp up but um i think you're going to see a very very [28:17] confident football team coming out of oxnard i know that you want to have physical practices and [28:23] what's the challenge though of upping the ante in that capacity but also living within the cba [28:29] restrictions and doing so yeah there's less restrictions there's more caps when you get [28:33] to training camp the spring practices or the otas have more restrictions than we do but [28:37] uh we do everything letter of the law uh and if it's an hour 30 minute which is what tomorrow will [28:42] be we'll be right at that but uh you got to get better playing football by playing football and uh [28:47] that's what we're excited about jane jerry you didn't say it loudly but the word substantive stood [28:55] out to me you were engaging with the raiders about giving something up substantive as it related to max [29:01] crosby now you don't have to tell me it is max but could you one why did you walk away from max crosby [29:07] when it fell apart with the ravens and not revisit that then we didn't no no because there's nothing [29:22] more to elaborate about but we did not walk away uh that's about all there is to say because uh but [29:32] uh we uh understood uh his injury well and uh so uh we thought he could help us uh uh then and uh [29:46] we're surprised the way that was resolved but uh uh uh to basically take what happened with him after uh he [29:57] came home from the time to the right back to the ragers uh to inject anything about what we're [30:04] thinking or doing and because he went back to the raiders would be a mistake he's a raider he's a raider [30:11] said would a player of that caliber be someone that you would be willing to engage with another team [30:19] in two weeks so that we're not we're not all speculating again let's don't let's don't [30:23] hypothetical here and be you specifically a player in a hypothetical situation that is tamper that [30:33] really is and so we don't want to talk like that and act like that but uh we uh uh that is a good [30:41] example of what uh you can stand ready if in fact you think the rest of your uh team uh is coming along [30:54] well then those things stay alive if all of a sudden you don't think it's coming along well [31:00] then those things don't stay alive it is a good indicator of how good we feel about [31:06] uh the team the fact that we could do things like you're talking about right there now i really got [31:12] to emphasize here because it is flat he is such a raider he's complete a raider happy raider everything [31:19] in the book and uh we shouldn't be having this kind of discussion with him i just wanted to follow [31:26] up though in terms of when you said that you would be interested in adding those players has that been [31:30] part of the process this year of you know you guys really you've talked in the past about looking in [31:35] the mirror you've talked about the windows closing and the last time that you really did this sort of [31:41] soft rebuild was back in the early 90s have you guys been very deliberate as it relates to this [31:46] roster and then waiting to not get one of these big fishes possibly in the offseason but waiting to [31:52] see what your team looks like heading into camp no let me say this and that was a mouthful for your [31:57] question and a good one uh uh all seriously very much in that look is looking right over and looking hard [32:08] and looking at our coach okay well how how is he this is uh second year his 33rd year in the nfl on [32:18] a coaching staff but his second year as coach or some number but you look at that you look at uh [32:23] what we have you look at our quarterback you look at our quarterback room you look at all of that and [32:29] then you come up with a feeling the feeling is that if we could get some things done right avoid that [32:37] injury bug get some key areas we got a shot to uh uh make something happen here i think the the uh [32:47] material so to speak are the players the scheme uh the measure of success we had on offense last year [32:56] the uh projecting of our offensive line being more efficient than it was last year whether it be the [33:02] player whether it be as a group as team itself all of those things are in place and uh it feels good [33:09] now we're going to have to read the tea leaves as we go but uh we're operating as though we've got a [33:15] chance to be one of the better teams joe trahan uh joe joe trahan joe trahan wfaa tv um this question's [33:24] for jerry and shoddy and it's about the scope and impact of the brand on your players um because your [33:32] brand is so paramount we can't talk about the the lack of super bowl success for the last three [33:38] decades we just can't because you're too big my question is about the message to your players [33:44] in terms of what you tell them about dealing with the brand itself and also not letting that shadow [33:52] affect their performance and how they get to be the best players that they can be if we had done [33:58] nothing but win super bowls over the period of time you're talking about what i'm going to talk [34:05] to them about in a few minutes wouldn't have helped them at all with what's ahead of them tomorrow the [34:12] next day opening day and this season it is inconsequential okay so it really is whether we [34:23] have the kind of execution we want in the offensive line or whether or not we have the kind of discipline [34:30] we want on our defense as much as i'm a big believer in tradition and it's such a big part of the [34:38] entertainment and the game it is not a prerequisite to being a good team this year as to what we have done [34:47] the last few years now if there are players on this team and coaches on this team that one of the [34:53] reasons we haven't been to a super bowl they're there and they don't improve that's legitimate [35:01] but it's not legitimate worrying about how long it's been since you've been to a super bowl [35:06] as to the first step they make on this football field out here so that's the approach what i'm [35:13] saying right 30 years ago has nothing to do with you know what they're trying to do what's the message [35:18] because again we're in a different world here with the scope of social media and what these guys have [35:23] to deal with as players and unfortunately they can't tune it out the way you'd love for them to [35:28] just say hey filter out the noise it can't happen anymore because social media has become too big [35:34] so how do you manage that and foster the message well you talk about the pride the pride of putting [35:39] on that star is different you know i get up every morning i put on this this this shacket whatever [35:44] i call the visor our guys put on their jerseys and their helmets and they're they're they're proud of [35:50] being a part of this that's why we go to the lengths of having the legends back and we let [35:54] drew pearson stand up in front of the team and talk about their time and that was their time and it was [36:00] awesome but it's our time now and now what we do on the field is what matters and so uh we celebrate [36:05] the tradition we're proud of what this team has done winning the five super bowls and we are in [36:10] pursuit of that every day to get that sixth one and not just for any one of us but for them you know [36:16] for the guys that have put so much into this game that they love so much so uh it's very easy i mean [36:22] it it's a pride thing and uh i talked to more people uh around the league and uh there's a lot [36:27] of people that want to be a part of what we're building because it's special but also because [36:31] the cowboys hi uh 1989 we rolled up out here on a bus we were down at thousand oaks we came up here to [36:41] have a practice against the raiders al davis met us right out here on the field around this field [36:48] were green fence and green tarp as i think it might have been as tall as these uh structures right [36:56] here i mean it was high there a cricket couldn't see in to watch the practice practice it was that [37:04] void of anybody being around or having any kind of any kind of influence on what goes on at practice [37:16] we have always been the opposite we have wanted to practice in front of thousands i personally believe [37:24] that when you're out there your pride and you're doing a drill that if you're sitting there doing [37:30] it in front of thousands of people that adds some uh that adds some something to it that adds some [37:38] not discipline it just adds what you do when you're an athlete i've always believed that we've done that [37:44] since the day we got here when i used to practice in college we'd go out there and practice and 15 feet [37:51] away from me there were a thousand people sitting on noel sitting there watching it you did not want to [37:56] get your ass beat on a one-on-one drill in front of all those people and that you played above your [38:03] play level you practiced above it with that gift that's why philosophically i think it helps the [38:08] team to have the visibility joy joy dallas morning news uh steven there's a shifting defensive tackle [38:16] market right now jalen carter signed a record setting deal today vito vail wants to trade obviously [38:20] you guys are very polish on quinnon williams is that something you anticipate maybe having to talk with [38:24] him and negotiate here in training camp absolutely i mean we're uh very open to that uh we want to [38:30] hear we want quinnon here for the long haul uh obviously we've got a lot of resources tied up in [38:36] him and uh he knows what we think about him we've you know had some discussions with the agent about how [38:42] to go about the process but uh certainly he's one of the best in the business and uh uh we know [38:50] you know kind of what that market is obviously it evolves and changes you know with each new deal [38:55] which is the case you know at any position but uh certainly he's at the top of the list in terms of [39:01] people that we want to uh keep around here uh long term uh you know and there's other players on the [39:08] roster that we may take a look at as well uh as we move forward camp seems to always be a nice time [39:15] you know to look at something like that you guys told george pretty early you did not want to [39:19] negotiate him with him long term and wanted him to play in the franchise tag he responded by showing [39:23] up for mandatory events and obviously coming to training camp what does that tell you as the [39:27] owner that george pickens is doing all these things well uh he's a valued part of our aspirations [39:37] and our potential success uh the combination that he has with the other talent on the team [39:45] i think uh will make you uh feel pretty positive about what we've got a chance to do uh that uh for [39:56] the way we have worked this out is the way it fit i'm proud that he uh will work it that way i'm proud [40:06] that he will uh i hope that he comes out here and is the most prolific successful receiver in the nfl this [40:17] year now how would you like to be a free agent and with his credentials and step out there and have [40:22] a year like that so i i wish him i wish all of that because if that happens that was good for us and we [40:29] did it the way that we thought was best for everybody concerned nick even nick even dallas cowboys.com [40:37] this is for you coach you've talked about five offensive linemen the best offensive linemen [40:42] on the field together how do you go about finding that but also building the continuity [40:47] of the offensive line at the same time yeah it's a good question uh obviously nick there's a ton of [40:52] reps out here uh you know we're going to this deal where you know from left to right tyler guyton tyler [40:58] smith cooper bb tyler booker terrence steel but we're going to move guys around and pieces around and [41:03] at the end of the day we've been very open about the fact we're going to play the five best guys [41:08] we'll find time to move terrence steel around we'll find ways to move tyler smith around but [41:13] you know at the end of the day the otas are good for teaching scheme and some skill development [41:18] but it's not until we put the pads on for an offensive lineman that you can get the real true [41:22] evaluation of those guys and uh we kind of have a a a timing period that we think we want to have that [41:30] sorted out but it's it's a ways from now smith sounded yesterday a different answer than we've [41:35] heard that he said he wasn't exactly sure is anything changed on his front of where he's going [41:39] to play he's going to start at left guard and uh we're going to get him some reps to tackle why just [41:43] because we got to be ready but that's no different than tyler booker having to get some snaps at center [41:47] um because at the end of the day we're committed to winning and winning now and we're going to play [41:51] the five best guys but again i'm really excited to see tyler guide and nate thomas drew shelton [41:57] you know those guys compete at tackle as well so tim tim calishaw the dallas morning news still [42:03] printing seven days a week um is that your helicopter by the way uh i'll tell you this long way out in a [42:14] helicopter you're gonna scrimmage the rams in a couple weeks and they won a super bowl four years [42:22] ago and you talked about them betting it all for one year back in the championship game last year [42:28] they made huge moves to get mcduffie and miles garrett can you look at them and see maybe there's a way [42:36] more aggression more being more aggressive than you have been that works in this era you look at them [42:42] as a model for that because you're talking about making a kind of move that you haven't been making [42:47] yes yes i've had the discussion uh coming to camp with all of us i admire the job that the rams have [42:57] done and how they've done it uh that uh that swapping quarterbacks was gutsy and so they've they've done [43:06] it they've done it and yes i admire the way they have put teams together and the way they have competed [43:12] and sustained the competition yes uh when you look at last year you're an offensive coordinator coming [43:20] in the offense was great beyond all the changes coaching and players you look at anything you want [43:26] to do personally differently and how you look at defense and how you examine or coach defense this year [43:33] yeah and tim it's it's it started early on i mean we first started with the otas i spent a lot more [43:38] time on defense than i did last year i think part of that is again uh excited to hear what christian [43:43] and the staff are doing um you know him coming from the fan geo tree and the problems that it's kind [43:48] of given us uh over the past you know 10 12 years of my time calling plays uh but also i think it's a [43:55] lot to do with my confidence in clayton adams and the job that he's done i mean this guy um is someone [44:03] that i just think the world of no different than what we did with christian we went through this process [44:07] jerry steve and myself last year when we found clayton adams and so um we'll have some really [44:12] cool comp days at practice where i won't call the plays and i'll let clayton and christian you know [44:18] dial it up against each other and um you know i'm looking forward to that because um you know we need [44:23] to win as a football team you know and uh we didn't do that enough last year and that's why we made some [44:29] of the tough decisions that we made and uh you make those decisions to make changes you better get it right [44:34] and i think we did that tommy tommy you've seen christian work a little bit in the ota [44:43] setting but what stood out to you about his plan over these next three and a half weeks to get [44:47] his players ready to play his defense incredible communicator i can't say that enough um the way [44:53] you know he's an elite coach tommy is when you walk by his office and players i mean multiple players [44:58] are in there wanting to listen and talk to him about scheme and things like that um but the organization [45:05] you know the way he's organized this camp on the defensive side of the ball from the individual [45:10] section to the tackling circuit drills to the ball disruption drills to uh the install packages from [45:16] first and second down fronts pressures coverages things like that um he is a first-time coordinator [45:21] that doesn't act like a first-time coordinator in your first year doing it you had it as a head [45:27] coach last year like you mentioned this is his year as a coordinator to put together a plan like that [45:31] for the first time i i think if you've never thought about it in your you know years prior [45:37] it's really hard but christian's been preparing for this for four five six years he's known that [45:43] this is where he wanted to be in the defensive coordinator chair of an nfl football team and [45:48] again maybe the hardest working coach i've ever been around and that's why we're so excited about [45:54] not just him but the staff that we put together the amount of hours that went into identifying the [45:59] strengths of christian parker chedera derrick ansley these guys i mean it was tireless and so that's [46:06] why i laugh about it was a quiet off season it was on the outside maybe with storylines but for us [46:11] we worked our asses off and i'm excited to finally see it all come out into real football [46:16] michelle michelle montane wfa jerry do you personally feel pressure to win this season yes yes i do [46:29] for all the obvious reasons uh um uh we've got certain things in place here that won't stay in [46:40] place uh we've uh uh now i personally uh think that when you haven't done it before when you're not [46:50] necessarily young you just haven't done it before i think that is a huge value to your associates i think [46:59] that you not not ever uh not ever uh being uh some of the things you've always wanted to do and i [47:09] think we're going to get a lot of that obviously it's a great thing to have experience if somebody [47:14] that's done something for 20 years but that is a good pressure to be involved with a group that has [47:25] really they can do something they haven't been a part of i saw where williams said he's never been [47:32] a part of a playoff team now think about that player and there's as accomplished as he is hadn't [47:39] been a part of a football of a playoff well there is a big plus there that's good so uh i like to make up [47:48] i i'm aware that we're doing some things for the first time in a lot of places but i think that's [47:55] going to be offset by uh with our coaching the makeup of the coaching and frankly the mix of some of [48:03] the new guys yet they are veteran players as they mix with some of the newer guys that are if you will [48:11] last year we play in college i think all that is a a big plus we'll see uh if i don't care where [48:19] whether they are rookies or whether they're 10-year guys if they can't communicate with each other [48:26] when they get out there it didn't make any difference on an individual basis where they were [48:31] and uh one of the main things that i have heard us talk about and say in interviews countless [48:38] interviews and after we made the decision of who's going to be doing the coaching [48:44] the word of communicate talking to each other understanding what it is that the other one is [48:50] expects of the other one this thing has been is ad nauseum the chant if you listen real hard out there [48:57] when you're watching practice you'll hear it be one of the real focal points of this whole camp [49:03] is communication deuce mike ducie fox four uh brian you may have answered this in part but in spite [49:12] of how long you've been around the game were there things or maybe one thing in particular [49:17] you experienced having gone through this yourself the first time last year that will serve you [49:22] especially well in year two yeah i mean mike you know it's a longer story than just one response [49:29] i mean you learn things every day when you go through this process i think um you know [49:34] there's countless lessons that you learn i'm real big into doing after action reports on everything [49:39] that we do uh from the way we you know grade film the way we throw a practice the way we have a mock [49:44] the way we have a meeting things like that um and i'm also real big on not rinsing and repeating [49:49] what i mean by that is i don't like the first team meeting to feel like the same first team meeting [49:54] that was last year right i think players in this era tune you out so um but the big thing coming out [49:59] here is is is i want us to practice and i want us to have uh you know really physical practices and [50:05] you know we know how to practice the right way we know how to protect one another uh but uh you know [50:10] we're uh we're excited about getting out there on the grass and playing real football and um you know [50:16] but there's a number of things i'm always learning and i honestly i lean on everybody i lean on the [50:20] players i leave on jerry and steven and will and um you know the way i make decisions is by talking and [50:25] it helps me to to think out loud like that come up a dozen times here already with that said what [50:33] would have to happen for you to consider this a successful season for your football game oh i think [50:39] to contend for a super bowl which would if you contend you got a real chance of being in it and [50:47] being in the game i think those are the kinds of things that i don't believe are an outlandish or a [50:53] reach to expect and so uh that's a successful season i expect us to be significantly improved [51:04] defensively significantly improved and i actually expect us to improve over on the offense and i [51:13] expect the enthusiasm that coach has talked about here to be contagious on the field and if something [51:21] like that happened you can have somebody get in the get in the big hunt and get in the deal that maybe [51:27] a lot of people didn't think were ready for it so uh i've uh let me let me let me just say this uh [51:37] there's no way that i would do anything that would delay until next year or the next year [51:49] to try to get to a super bowl this year i feel that good about what we're starting with that [51:56] and it kind of alludes over to what we were talking about if a trade or something like that came along [52:03] uh we we certainly can think about uh as far as my focus my individual focus is concerned uh i'm [52:11] interested in being as good as we can opening day there's so much talking we're talking about a quiet [52:18] off season and i guess what we mean is there's no drama right how did you ever done any work uh did [52:25] you learn anything from last year dealing with micah and how you dealt with pickings to eliminate drama [52:30] this offseason well they're two different really uh two completely different situations and uh uh different [52:43] people uh i want to i want to give uh shoddy uh really accolade for how he worked through this [52:56] with george and in terms of not him but how he helped us communicate and work through it [53:07] this can be a very win-win thing that we've done here us george and george being on the team make no [53:15] mistake about it george could be a cowboy cowboy for the rest of his career and that be a long time [53:22] make no mistake about it uh this just fit for us and thank goodness it fit for him and we got it done [53:30] and let's uh let's look at that it's not uncommon with these teams around the nfl to have this tension [53:40] going on regarding players and contracts and things we of course are focused when it's us but this is [53:49] not uncommon to have happen it gave us an opportunity uh the process gave us an opportunity to make some [53:59] decisions last year a lot of people disagree with some of the decisions that we made but it gave us an [54:06] opportunity to make some decisions i think going forward here we're going to see hopefully the [54:11] positiveness of some of those decisions reflected in this year's football team yeah i want to talk [54:18] about the the cornerback room obviously going to be one of the more heated competitions you guys see [54:22] out here in oxnard what's your confidence level and how excited are you to see that competition yeah [54:27] i'm really excited uh i think you know when you look at you know from top to bottom uh duran obviously [54:33] did a great job coming back he feels great uh excited to get him back out there uh you know [54:37] siobhan revel was finally you know feeling great and i thought he had a really good offseason i'm [54:41] really very very pleased with the ability of you know da and ryan smith and christian parker uh to [54:48] you know really dive into the finer details of how you play certain coverages and the techniques like [54:53] they spend you know ad nauseum amounts of time talking about fundamentals over scheme we all have the [54:58] same scheme it's the way you teach the fundamentals that make the difference i thought kobe durant was [55:03] uh an awesome uh pickup for us you know darion kendrick um it's going to be a uh a fun battle [55:09] to watch and they're going to be able to go up against some of the most elite receivers in the [55:13] league which i think is important as well and um but what i expect to see is the confidence of that [55:19] group grow and that starts by getting in these practices and and getting into the one-on-ones and [55:24] some of the seven-on-sevens and team drills that we do and watching those guys compete and uh the thing [55:29] that will be definitely different this year with cp is the trash talk because he's pretty good before [55:36] we close out i want to give a shout out to espn's todd archer who would have been here he's uh he placed [55:43] himself on the non-football related injury list and we miss him but i know he's watching observing [55:51] monitoring getting ready to write tweeting uh all of that we look forward to him getting back at it and [55:59] joining us back back here because he's he's one of our regular uh long time beats and we miss him so [56:05] thank you todd all right everybody that's uh gonna wrap it up for today thank you