Head Coach Brian Daboll & General Manager Joe Schoen
BRIAN DABOLL: How's everybody doing? You had a good summer? Good to be back here. Start training camp, start a football season. I think you saw the list for the PUP guys, Eric (Gray) and Andrew (Thomas). Those guys are rehabbing. They'll be back when they're ready to be back. Vic (Victor Dimukeje) on NFI and everybody else ready to go. So excited to be back. Looking forward to a good training camp
Q: Coach, every year is something new, what excites you guys about this particular team going into training camp?
DABOLL: Everything is new each year. We like the guys we've brought in, the additions, we like the draft picks that we've had, how they've worked. I like how we competed in the spring, so I'm looking forward to training camp. This is the start of the season. We've got a long way to go. Got a lot of things we got to continue to improve on day by day with the goal to be ready to go at the start of the season.
Q: Joe (Schoen), Brian (Daboll), you guys have made it clear who your week one starter is under center, but how important is the development of Jaxson Dart, not just to the offense but to the franchise in years to come?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think it's important for all the players to develop. That's what this time of year is for. And then once we're ready to go against Washington, we put the best guys out there that we see fit. Russell's (Wilson) had a really good spring, the other quarterbacks have as well. I like that room. I like the direction the room is headed. But for all young players, I know you asked about Jaxson, but it's really every young player, our goal is to develop those guys and when they're called upon, be ready to go.
Q: What did you see from Jaxson this spring?
JOE SCHOEN: He had a good spring. Again he's a rookie so there's going to be some mistakes obviously, and it's good. The makeup of the room allows him to learn from some of his peers. To echo what Dabs just said, I really like the room so he was in there early, working hard, still learning the offense. It's a lot and you got to know what everybody's doing, but you saw leadership, you saw arm talent, you saw athleticism and again, he's a rookie. He's got a long way to go and again, he's got a really good supporting cast in there to help. We've got a really good coaching staff as well, so he's in a good spot right now.
Q: Brian, you've been pretty clear with Russ is QB1, is QB2 open for grabs? Can anybody else in the room win QB2?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we're going to go out here, we're going to practice, guys are going to compete and the roster will be set when the roster's set. Our goal right now is just to improve each person every day and we'll take it from there.
Q: How do you plan on handling Jaxson though the summer in regards to development? What are your goals for him throughout the summer?
BRIAN DABOLL: To get better every day.
Q: Malik Nabers expects to be on the field fully today?
BRIAN DABOLL: He does, he's ready to go.
Q: What do you want to see from him?
BRIAN DABOLL: Same thing, keep improving.
Q: Where can he specifically improve after what was a pretty dazzling rookie year?
BRIAN DABOLL: I think everybody's at different levels. Every player is at a different level and each person on our football team has different things to improve on. Coaches, players, we all do. Everybody's got a specific plan on things that we need to help them with and that goes for everybody on the team.
Q: You obviously have your own plans and ideas and outline for quarterbacks but when you have a quarterback like Russ who's been around so long, do you listen to him a little more closely about what's worked him in the past, what he might want and incorporate that?
BRIAN DABOLL: I think I've covered this a couple times here but I understand the question. He's a guy who's done it for a long time. He's got a lot of experiences. He's been in a number of systems, he's played a lot of football, he's seen a lot of things. He's made a lot of adjustments and I think there's a lot of good give and take in our quarterback room. I think you need to have that. Those are the guys that are playing behind center and they have to be very comfortable with what we're asking them to do. And you certainly listen to those guys, all four of them. One guy might not like one thing, they might like it all. I think when you're developing an offense, you come out here, you practice a lot of different things and then you hone in on what those guys are doing well so that you're very good at the things that you're asking them to do. But he's a guy that, he has been great in room, he's got tremendous leadership. You saw what he did, having everybody out there (in San Diego), but he's done this for a long time and we have a very good working and I'd say personal relationship.
Q: Any examples of something that he brought to you?
BRIAN DABOLL: There's so many different plays you can run in this league and you do a lot of research on the guys that you acquire, not just Russ but other players, but particularly Russ. You watch some old things. You talk about, hey, this is how we've read this play before. This is the cover two side of it that we put in here. Hey, I kind of like it when the back does this relative to that, alright, why do you like that? This is why I like it, if the linebacker does this or I can control him with my eyes. You're continuing to learn as a coach. I've done this, this is 25th or 26th training camp with a lot of different players and I think all the coaches, I want them to do that with their players too. They're the ones out there on the field playing. We have to put a good plan together and then we have to work together to try to execute that plan.
Q: What's your plan for training camp? I'm sure keeping the players healthy is at or near the top of your priority, preparing them, keeping healthy. How do you juggle, I got to get them ready to play, but I want this roster to be healthy at the start of the year.
BRIAN DABOLL: Well that's football, so there's going to be injuries. There's injuries every year. I think you rely on your supporting cast, our trainers, our nutritionist who we hired this past season who's done a fabulous job. Matt Frakes, he talked to the team this morning. You try to educate them on the things that you can educate them on. Hydration, lifting, stretching, prehab work, what they do in a hot tub, cold tub, the training staff and then you go out there and play and there's going to be injuries. You wish there wasn't, but there is. And then you make sure that people behind the people that get injured are ready to go.
Q: Joe, how do you attack this from your position training camp as a GM? Not just here, but obviously what goes on elsewhere?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, once the preseason starts and there's other games again, there's going to be roughly 1200 to 1300 players cut that Labor Day weekend. So the pro staff does a fabulous job led by Chris Rossetti, Brandon Brown, Tim McDonnell, Dennis Hickey, and they do a great job canvassing the entire league and we divvy up the league and they're in charge of teams as if they're the GMs of the team. So whether it's trade candidates, whether it's cap casualties, injuries that you're talking about, we will track all that stuff. And from a roster procurement standpoint, we're third in the claiming order, so this will be a big preseason for us in terms of when players are released during that time. If the first two teams don't claim a player, now it comes to us and we've had some success claiming some players since we've been here at the, we call it the second draft, that time of year. It's a busy time of year. It's a lot of players to work through, a lot of film to watch. We will evaluate that and then as Dabs was just talking about, there are injuries and the roster may look different a week from now just because of injuries. And we made a transaction yesterday with bringing in K'Von Wallace. There are injuries, you're trying to keep everybody fresh, so you need everybody out there on the field to take the reps. We've got an emergency list that's ready to go if a player gets hurt at a certain position. We have workouts during this time, it's a busy time of year, but it's fun, it's great. We're glad to be back to work and excited for the season.
Q: Abdul Carter is a guy that people think can contribute immediately. What do you want to see in his first NFL training camp going through his rookie season?
BRIAN DABOLL: Know what to do, then go out there and do it at a high level. He has a skillset. Joe did a great job of selecting him in the draft. He's been good since he's been here. Again, we've got a couple days here without pads, but once the pads come out, I want him to play fast, I want him to play aggressive, physical, no fear mentality. Get after the quarterback, stop the run, everything that's required for him and his position.
Q: Joe, is there any concern with Andrew Thomas for the opener at all or are you under the impression that this period is going to be a quick one?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, he should be ready for the opener. Again, things change. You can never be one hundred percent, but we're going to take it day by day with him. When he is ready, he'll be out there, but we anticipate him to be ready for the opener.
Q: Joe, from what you've seen so far from Jaxson Dart about his disposition, the way he carries himself that suggests to you that he'll be a good fit as a leader for this organization and in the market?
JOE SCHOEN: We will see how that transpires. He's a young kid, he's only been here for a couple months, but watching and talking to people down at Ole Miss, we went to school and the leadership that he showed down there and what we've seen just personality wise from him here, but that can be tough at first. We've been around some quarterbacks when you come in as a 21, 22-year-old and now it's tough to go lead grown men that have been in the league for a long time. So it'll happen organically. But we like the personality traits, the character traits, the leadership traits that he possessed at Ole Miss. And from what we've seen so far.
Q: Joe, it takes time to build depth on a roster, concentrate on the starters and all that, but where do you think it's now, do you think the team is short in any place?
JOE SCHOEN: We'll see. Just going into day one, there's some young guys that we've just seen in shorts and t-shirts, so once the pads come on, interior O-line, D-line, we will get a chance to see how those guys do when the pads come on. We feel good about where the roster is right now with the 91 players that we have with the international exemption. Now is when the competition really begins over the next few weeks in training camp and I'm looking forward to that. We like the 91 we have now. We're always going to be looking if there's transactions or some of these cuts or trades, whatever it is, we're always going to look to do what's best for the team.
Q: So do you feel like you built the playoff team, a playoff caliber team?
JOE SCHOEN: We're just starting camp today. I understand the question, but the expectation is we're going to be a competitive team, a competitive roster. And again, all that starts today.
Q: Dabs, you always evaluate your process, but the last two years you guys haven't started well. Is there anything in the process maybe that you're thinking about changing in hopes of changing that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we've changed on a yearly basis and we think we have a process set in place with the players that we have right now to be ready to go. We're going to have to be, but it's the first day, as Joe just mentioned, we have a long 30 days or whatever it is. We play a preseason game in 15 days, I think. But our focus is going to be on us and the improvements that we need to make and like I said, I like the additions that we've added to our football team. Personalities, competitiveness of these players, some of which played in the league at a high level and the young players that we've added. So again, it takes time to build the team here. This is the time to do it in training camp, learn from mistakes, grow each day and continue to improve all the way up until the start of the season.
Q: In your mind, can any of the other quarterbacks challenge Russell for the starting job?
BRIAN DABOLL: Like I said, these guys will be out here competing, but Russ is our starter.
Q: For both of you guys, when you came here originally it was always about a united front, the two of you together. I'm just curious, how has your relationship, your working relationship developed over time? How much Joe have you learned about Dabs and what you guys have gone through? And then maybe vice versa, Dabs, what have you learned about Joe and his team and what he has to do for you guys?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, there's a lot that goes on to running an operation. We laugh about it all the time, ten things that come up between 6 in the morning and 9, like it did today. Different things, organizationally, players from a rehab standpoint and then you work together. Look, we got a great personal relationship, we spend a lot of time together outside the building and a great working relationship. There's things you learn every year, maybe I shouldn't have handled it this way, what do you see from your end outside looking in and he asks the same thing and that's how you try to get better. You make mistakes, you communicate, try to get through the things you need to get through and improve on them, ask for advice, get advice. But the good thing is we do a lot of things, like I said, outside the building as well. I think that helps. I think it helps the team when players do things outside the building. So that when you hit rocky times or tough times or a decision that needs to be made that you can sit there and talk about it and then again, don't be disagreeable. You can disagree but you're not going to be disagreeable all the time. Have good discussions, do what's best for the team and that's why I enjoy working with Joe.
Q: Joe, you feel the same way?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I would say that the relationship outside the building, inside the building and the communication and the respect that we have for each other, both have been doing it for a long time and the ability to have hard, honest conversations together with each other behind a closed door and evaluate decisions, whether it's things we did in-game or draft picks or players that walked out, came in, traded for, whatever we did. We're always evaluating our decisions, but those hard, honest conversations and the amount of respect that we have for one another helps this thing work.
BRIAN DABOLL: I think it sucks when you're going through it, but the tough times help. We've certainly had a few tough times, but that's when you grow closer too. That's when you're able to have those honest conversations and you never want to go through those tough times. You wish you never lost a game, wish you were where you wanted to be at the end of every season. But that hasn't been the case, but those help you in the long run.
Q: Brian, when you're assessing the quarterback position, how do you balance a situation where you have a veteran but you know what you're going to get from him, you know what he can do in the league versus a young guy who when he shows he's ready, maybe he's not as savvy as the veteran but has more upside. How do you kind of balance those two?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well first, it's a little bit different because even though we have some quarterbacks that have been in the league, they're in a new system. So the verbiage, the cadence, the checks, the signals, all the things that you need to do to play at a high level at that position, we're still going through that with these guys. But you evaluate the players I would say the same, but you also understand at this time of year, it's easy to look at veteran players, not just at the quarterback position and guys that have had a lot of experience in the league and have been through things and you kind of know, alright, they got it, they're not going to make a lot of mistakes, you trust them as a coach. Versus some young players who are pretty skillful, maybe they're a little quicker, maybe they're a little faster, but there's two or three mistakes a day. What you evaluate is are you an error repeater, you make the same mistake the next day and then the next day. And if that's the case, it's hard to put a player out there that does that. If they're learning from their mistakes, which all players are going to learn from them. But these young players, they got to learn quick. Like I said, this time of year, OTAs are great, we got a lot accomplished. Think we did a really good job as a staff and as players out there, but time's short, we don't have a lot of it before the first game and we have to know what our vision is leading up to September here. So you evaluate 'em, you give them ample opportunity, we'll do another period at the end, which is a young player period where they get a few more reps, but they got to go and they got to learn from the mistakes that they make and if they don't make them the next time, you keep developing them. If they keep making the same one over and over, it's hard to put them out there.
Q: Joe, from your perspective, what will determine when Jaxson Dart is ready to play? How will you know?
JOE SCHOEN: That's probably more of a question for him (Daboll). Yeah, I'll lean on him for that. Again, he just talked about error repeaters. I can watch practice and you guys can watch it and then you get back and even after games, I get in there with Dabs on a Monday morning or after practice and oh, he was supposed to run this, that wasn't on Jaxson. So I'm not in the meetings every day, I lean on those guys in our personnel meetings and these guys have been doing it a long time. We've got a really good offensive staff and when they feel he's ready, the time's right or the circumstance is right, then we'll have those conversations.
Q: Through the spring, how has Jaxson been with those errors? Is he a repeater? How has he been?
BRIAN DABOLL: He's done good. I said that I think the last day I was here, he had a good spring and we need to build. When you go away for a month you forget things too, so we're not starting over. But yesterday we had an hour and a half, an hour and 45 minute meeting. We didn't have a meeting before this practice, so we're going out there and we're going right away. We'll see how these guys do every day. But Jaxson's a guy that puts the time in, has got the right qualities, as Joe mentioned. He'll continue to get better day by day and that's what we're going to ask of him.
Q: Obviously Russell is the starter, I'm wondering how you generally feel about redshirting a quarterback or a first round pick?
JOE SCHOEN: Going through the process, we have Mike Kafka on the staff obviously as our offensive coordinator. He was in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes. I think he played one game at the end of the year. So we've seen that. Our plan in Buffalo was for Josh (Allen) to probably not play much his first year, but the way it worked out, halftime of the first game, we got blown out by Baltimore and we put him in and he played the rest of the year. I think there's some real benefits from sitting and learning specifically from some of the guys in the room that have the experience that they have. But if the coaching staff at some point feels it's right and he's ready, then I'll leave that up to them.
Q: Brian, what rookies have you had your eyes on or expect to stand out during the training camp?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, this is a good time for these rookies. They've had an OTA, a bunch of them, but now we really get to see them once the pads come on and the preseason games and how they're developing and how they can improve each day. And then these preseason games are important when you see live action where you can actually tackle and hit the quarterback and do all those types of things. I've said this before, I think Joe and his staff did a great job with the draft, thought that last year. I like the young guys that we have and now they have to go out there and do it though. It's not going to be handed to them. They got to go out there and they got to perform at a high level with great discipline and attention to detail and a team-first attitude and tremendous work ethic and that goes for all the players.
Q: We didn't see Cam Skattebo or Darius Alexander, are they ready to go?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yep, ready to go.
Quarterback Russell Wilson
Q: The first snap we saw you take today, laser to the end zone. Just how did day one overall go for you?
RUSSELL WILSON: It was a great first day. I thought we did a really good job. I thought we executed well. I thought we did some really good things, there's always things that we could always get better at after first day especially, but I thought we did a really good job. Obviously (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) in the first play, scoring a sweet touchdown. Just some of the things we did well. I thought (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) had two or three nice touchdowns. Some guys made some big-time plays. (Running back, Tyrone) Tracy had a good day in the end zone, as I mentioned, Wan'Dale, the offensive line did a great job communicating and being crisp and we're so much further ahead than where we were in OTAs, but we still got more to go, so that's the good part.
Q: What did you see in the second or third team reps from (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart), from (quarterback) Jameis (Winston)?
RUSSELL WILSON: The guys did well, they executed, they made plays I thought offensively and there's some highs and lows throughout those moments, but I thought we did a good job of just staying the course.
Q: Russ, when you go back to your rookie year, you were a third-round pick coming in and obviously you had to make plays for the vets to stand out and speak on your behalf. Now looking at it, when you see some of these younger receivers in a crowded room, how do you speak life to those guys and who are some of those younger guys that you've seen that you say, "hey, this guy, okay, keep on your track?"
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I think we have a lot of great young talent across the board. I mean, our whole team's super young. Guys who are vibrant, hardworking, they are dedicated to their craft. I just go back to when we started in the offseason getting together, guys came out to San Diego, I went out to Atlanta to throw with guys. I spent a lot of time with those guys. And then getting here in OTAs all the extra work before and after practice, all the extra meetings that we could do during our time periods and then as well as those guys come out to San Diego in the offseason, we had a great time for a little minicamp of our own. Just to see the evolution of the guys daily and the focus and the championship level that we want to practice at and play at every day and habits, your habits have to align as well. And our guys have great habits and that's the good thing about it. And they've got some guys to look up to. Obviously, guys like (wide receiver, Darius) Slayton who's been here for a while, true pro. And then I think our young stars obviously and Wan'Dale and Malik and what they're able to do, guys to really look up to as well. And so I think guys like (wide receiver, Beaux) Collins has really shown some unbelievable growth. I think (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt, he's a guy who was a super high draft pick, he's so talented and he's got so much ability and I think he's going to really shine for us. I think he hasn't done what he's wanted to do yet, but I think part of that is just the dialogue between me and him is so close and just all the communication that really showed up in the off season. I think the most important part is we've got youth that is on a constant quest for knowledge and learning.
Q: Russ, when you look at Malik last year in this season he had expectations being very high for him this year. How important is it for you specifically to mentor him and establish some really strong chemistry?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, Malik and I have a great relationship. He has the locker right next to me actually, and we got to spend a lot of time in San Diego together. I just love how he works. A lot of times you get talented guys and their work ethic is super high, but can they keep it consistent? That's what you're always looking for. And I think his consistency and his love for the game, his consistency in his playmaking, his tenacity for the game, his leadership, his thought process, communication. He's not shy, he's great in the meetings. Anytime you have a young star receiver for me and especially when you have our meetings with the receivers and tight ends and stuff like that, it's the communication that we always have. But then also you want those guys to be interactive and communicate too. And he does a tremendous job of that. He's communicating to the other guys about what he sees, what he would do, all these different things. I thought he had a great day today. He made some really big plays. I think he had probably two or three touchdowns down there for sure. I think there's going to be more to him and we're going to keep developing. Obviously, we're just getting started and just kind of warming up and getting hot, but we're excited to work together.
Q: When we spoke to (general manager) Joe (Schoen) and (head coach) Brian (Daboll) earlier, they said the guys are going to be competing, but Russ is our starter. What does that mean to you at this point in your career and how beneficial is that to know that you're kind of locked into that role and I can concentrate on getting ready for week one at this point?
RUSSELL WILSON: I'm always just focused on being the best version of me every day. For me, my mentality is always to be the best in the world. I don't know anything else other than that. Just having that mentality and helping our football team win. I think that's the big thing that I'm really highly focused on is elevating our practice, elevating our play, elevating our mentality and having a championship mentality daily. And I think that we're on that path, but we got to keep doing it daily and it starts with me and my mindset and my energy and the way that I step into the huddle every day. And that's what's important.
Q: Going back to New York and New Jersey, have you and your family gotten some time to spend around here?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I mean obviously I've been in New York a bunch in the past, have a lot of family, have been here and lived here and stuff like that and all that. But we love it here. It's just a great city. New York is amazing, Jersey as well. I think what I love is the fans, the sports culture. Obviously for Ciara, the music culture is great too, and I think that's great. But I think just for me, I've always been a fast-paced guy. I don't know if everybody knows me really well. I'm constantly just highly focused. I was always taking 18 credits in college, playing football, baseball. I just like being occupied. And at the same time, the number one part of it all is the game that I love. That's the best part about it. I get to do what I love to do and these guys love doing it together and we're spending a lot of time together. So, these moments, like this training camp, is the part where you love those bonding at the hotel, the bonding early in the mornings, the late at night, the extra film, that time that you spend together talking ball. I mean that's the part that you forever remember.
Q: Did Ciara push you a little bit to come to New York?
RUSSELL WILSON: No, she loves New York. I love New York too, but it was all about ball.
Q: Going back to Malik just for a second, he mentioned a ton of your leadership traits and qualities. How important is that not just with the team, have those traits, but he mentioned with the chefs, the cooks and other people in this building. How important is that to you to come in and establish that type of culture?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think leadership is about 100% of the time. It's not 80% of the time or 90% of the time. It's got to be 100% of the time. I think that it gets lonely sometimes, it can, but I think that when you have great people around you, it doesn't the best part, it's the comradery, it's the fellowship, it's the time together, it's the leading other groups and other guys to believe more than they even it can even see sometimes. And I think that's really important. I think, and it's not just the players, it's everybody in the building. Like you mentioned it's the training staff, to the chefs, to everybody that's helping early in the mornings and late at nights that you don't see. And I think that's what matters more than anything else. And then obviously the culture that we continue to establish and bring daily and the energy, we get the best jobs, I was telling the guys on the practice field, halfway through, "man, we got the best job in the world. We get to play with the New York Giants," the opportunity we have, the gift that it is to play the game. And so man, don't forget about that part, the gratitude part of it and we have gratitude and joy. It takes the fear away. A lot of times you're able to focus on the moments and focus on the actual moment of getting to step on that field. And I get to see some young kids out there that dream to be like us one day. And that's the best part about practice after you have a great day is seeing the young kids want to be like you. And if you can inspire one, you get to change somebody's life. And I think that's why we get to do what we get to do.
Q: You mentioned earlier that you know people are watching you to see your energy and your nature and things. Do you ever need a recharge? Do you ever need to have someone be a Russell Wilson to you?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think that's a great question. I think, I don't know, maybe I'm the energizer bunny a lot of the times, but I think I'm always constantly working on me. We're all growing, we're all learning, we're all developing. We all have highs and lows. I've had a lot of highs and the lows are just lessons along the way, not losses. They're just lessons. And I think a lot of times you are able to really grow and really just know that you're battle tested. If anybody's battle tested, I am. I can handle anything. And I think the best part about it too is that as a leader, you want everybody to know what they're getting every day. And I think that's what I want to be able to establish every day. Like I said, it's a 100% of the time, it's not 80, it's not 90, it's a 100% every day a 100% of the time every day. And so that's the great part about it and that's the gift that God's given me and to be able to lead and to be able to play and love the game that I love and play the game I love.
Q: You've won a lot in your career. The guy who's so to speak, the quarterback of the defense, (defensive lineman) Dexter Lawrence has not won a lot in his career. He was just here talking about the urgency he feels. I'm wondering if you sensed that from him?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think when you play in the National Football League, the one thing that I've always believed in as a professional in general is no matter what the circumstances are, your urgency should always be high. I think the urgency that we have and urgency that we constantly are focused on is just being the best version of us individually, and then collectively. You can be the best version of you, then fast forward, it makes us as a collective team better. I think a guy like Dexter Lawrence, he's the A+ player of them all. He's a guy that's world class. I remember playing him last year, I was like, "hey, this guy's all over the field." I remember he sacked me one time and I had to get up. I was like, man, that's a big boy. To play with a guy like that and to know we have a lot of guys like that on the defensive side and the ball, particularly in defensive line and just across the board, I think guys like (inside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke), who's a tremendous football player as well at the backer position and some of the other guys we've added (cornerback Paulson) Adebo and (safety Jevon) Holland and all those guys that we have on the secondary, I'm excited for (cornerback Deonte) Banks too, what he can do. It is a group effort, like I said, and it's not just one man, it's all of us together. And I think the best part about winning is that it's the incremental moments, the game altering plays, the gap plays I call it, that help you win. And I think those small incremental gains throughout the day, throughout the weeks, throughout the training camps, moments like this that you kind of gain ground. And I think that's what we can do here and hopefully I can bring some of that winning culture and winning mindset. Like I said, daily.
Q: Russ, did you say anything to Jaxson after his pick six or is that not your lane here?
RUSSELL WILSON: I just told him "next play." I don't know if you even heard me, it's loud out there, but I just told him next play. But he's got a good head on his shoulders and there's going to be plays that people make, you got to be able to think like a quarterback. You got to be able to move on to the next play, good or bad. And I think that's what we have to be able to do.
Q: How much has he leaned on your experience and what is your message to him?
RUSSELL WILSON: Jax sits next to me in the meeting rooms and stuff like that. So, we get to talk a lot. I really like him. He's definitely asked a lot of questions and stuff and I'm not one to hold back, I just give all my thoughts. I just believe in much is given, much required. So just you keep sharing and you keep learning as you're sharing, you're learning too. You're constantly growing and constantly reminding yourself too, oh yeah, that's a good point. Those little things. I think that's an important to keep helping him in whatever way, which in turn helps us and helps me as a player, as a leader and all of us. We all want to be great. We want every player to be great. How great can we get to collectively and we can do that individually and add it up. We've got a good football team.
Q: Have you ever not been confident in what you do? And because you come off so confident, do you have to make sure that when you show your confidence that people believe it's genuine confidence and it's not just trying to say things for the sake of saying it?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think first of all you gain confidence by a few things. I think first of all, what you say in between your own ears is important. It's not even just the external part, but it's my internal language. I think my internal language has been great throughout my career. But really, I dedicated that to my parents, my mom and my dad always encouraging rather than discouraging, lifting me up highs and lows, been through some stuff, seeing my dad pass away. I've been through some things in life. I grew up with no hot water, sometimes no water at all. I saw my parents' work, the sacrifice they gave, I get to do the best thing in the world is play quarterback of the New York Giants and play in the National Football League for 14 years. What a gift. For me, I got no other choice but to be confident because of what I've been through and what I've gone through and where I've been and all the success too. And that's the second part of it is as you practice and you get better and you do the things right, fundamentally over and over and over and over again. Part of success is not the moments, the singular moments, it's a collection of moments that you add up when you add those collection of moments through practice and through your habits daily on and off the field. I think that gives you a great chance to give you your confidence and give you success more times than not. And then I think the third part to it is the ability to go through adversity. And I think it was (former baseball player and former manager) Joe Girardi talking about, I'm paraphrasing here, but talking about (former New York Yankee) Derek Jeter. His best attribute was he was always consistent, but he was also consistently great at adjusting. And I think that's one of the things that you have to be able to do as a guy, a leader, as a player, is be able to consistently adjust and consistently grow. And the last part of it is, like I said, is when you get to do it for so long, there's this internal, I've been here before and that internal language is a big part of it, but also too, it's the visualization that you picture. It's the plays, it's the obsession with studying, it's the obsession with film, it's all of that. And when you've seen it and you can anticipate it and you have a process elimination, understand what may happen, what may not happen here, that gives you confidence. And at the end of the day, you got to make plays. I've been fortunate to able to make plays for a long time and it's on film. A lot of it is just you study it, you learn it and grow and keep getting better and you ignore the noise and you keep your head down and keep working. I also work on it too. I think the last piece of it is that, I think my mental aptitude is definitely very strong, but it doesn't mean I'm done with it. You have to keep growing just like anything, you keep working on it. And so, a big part of it for me, even myself, is I had Trevor Moawad in my world for a long, long time as my mental coach for 12, 13 years. He passed away to cancer. He was the number one sports psychologist in the world. And I called my brother about it, and a big part of it was just really trying to find that part of it again. So, for me, I ended up bringing this guy on, Josh Lifrak, who's a mental coach, helped with the Cubs when they won the World Series. He was Trevor's best friend, got a very similar dialogue and language. So, we get to talk about it a lot. And then ultimately you got to have faith in what God's giving you. And so those things are how I build my confidence, how I keep it there. And then you keep growing and you keep building off of it.
Wide Receiver Malik Nabers
Q: How did day one overall go for you working with three new quarterbacks?
A: Day one was good. I got a good few throws from (quarterback) Russ (Wilson), got a few throws from (quarterback Jaxson) Dart, so it was good seeing those guys out there competing. It's the first day at camp, so everybody's jittery to get out here. It was a good day.
Q: What's your impression of Russell?
A: He's a great leader. He's one of those quarterbacks that gets everybody going, so we needed that in the huddle today. We kind of started off slow, but with Russ's leadership, we picked things up at the end.
Q: How's the toe doing?
A: The toe is good. In spring, we had a great rehab to try to get me back, so I'm back feeling good, feeling a little bit better and healthy. Out there running around, I feel good.
Q: Is the toe injury something you expect will be managed as you go through camp?
A: I'm sure it will be something that I've got to take up with (Head Coach Brian) Dabs (Daboll) and the guys upstairs and training staff, but I think we've got a great plan going on day by day. That's probably it.
Q: Did you ever think about surgery or anything like that with it?
A: That's not up in the air but decisions will be made when the time is made. Right now, I'm just focusing on locking in, getting ready for the season, being out there with my guys. It felt good to get out there and run around.
Q: Is it something they expect to go away?
A: Not sure. Time will tell.
Q: You said the surgery is up in the air so is that something you've discussed in the past?
A: There's been talk about it. It just never really came to a complete thought in mind for me to do it, but I've been managing it well, been running around feeling pretty good. Everything has been going good with the rehab, so my toe is feeling better. I'm just happy to be out there with my guys now.
Q: After the way last year went for you, there's obviously a lot of expectations surrounding how you can follow that up. How do you manage that?
A: With the work ethic that I have, the work that I put in. Expectations are always high for me, but the work will show during the season, whether you stayed at home doing nothing or you put your foot forward and try to get better. I think I did a great job this off season of trying to get better, so the work will show in the season.
Q: What is your early sense of what this offense could be?
A: I think we can be very, very explosive. We've got a lot of talent on our side of the football. We just have to load the mental errors down, make sure we're all confident in what we're doing, and I'll say the sky is the limit for us. We've just got to narrow some of the little things down and we should be up and rolling.
Q: When you got here last year, the quarterback room was in flux. When you think of the future, do you think of you and quarterback Jaxson Dart growing together?
A: That's the main thought of why they drafted him is to come in, learn a lot and when his time comes, his time comes, and we can develop that on-the-field relationship, but the past was the past. Now is the future and we're just focused on moving forward right now and that's really our thought in our head right now.
Q: What kind of relationship do you have with Dart? I know you know him through (Chargers wide receiver) Tre (Harris), so is that a little bit different than starting from scratch with a different quarterback?
A: I mean it's not really any different. I feel – me and Dart, like you said, with Tre, I've got a good relationship with him. I asked a lot of questions about Dart and Tre had a lot of great things to say. Dart is one of those guys, he loves to be around his receivers for sure. We go out to dinner, so we have a lot of conversations just getting to know each other. I think when it's his time, we should be clicking moving forward.
Q: How long have you been watching Russell Wilson? What's it like to be catching passes from him?
A: I've been watching him since the Super Bowl when he won, so I've been watching him a long time. My favorite team was the Seahawks at the time, but I was really on defense at the time, so Legion of Boom was really going up. I've been watching him a long time and to get great passes from him, get to see his leadership – I understand now why he's been doing it for so long. To have that on side of me in my locker room is just an extra mentor that I have on side of me. I'm kind of taking that challenge up to move forward and better myself and hopefully we can do some great things this year.
Q: What is it about that leadership from Russ that sticks out?
A: The overall talking, making sure we're all on the same page, making sure our guys are in and out, making sure we know what we are doing. Having that relationship with everybody in the building, that's a leader. When you have relationships with the staff, the cook, the people upstairs, the training staff, I think it shows a different kind of leader of why he's been in the game so long and what he's able to do off the field, that's carried on the field. That's what makes him so great and those are the things that he's showing to me now. I'm taking it bit by bit, step by step. Looking up to him has been a great person to have on that side of it.
Q: You put up some big numbers during your rookie season, the team didn't win much. It's only been a year, but what do you know now about success in the league and your own success now that you didn't know what year ago?
A: I mean granted, like you said, I had a lot of success, but there's a lot more success that I wanted to have. I missed two games. Moving forward, what I know now is I can play in the league, I can do great things, but it's all about how you look at last year, try to clean up a lot of little mental errors, little steps that I had last year. I was just locked in on finding those little things to better myself. I feel like once you better yourself, every year in the league, you start to make more and more progress as you go. That's the biggest step that I took.
Q: Can you be the best receiver in the league?
A: I can be. Like I said, the work is going to always show. There are a lot of guys that work all year round so the work will show. I feel like I should be one of those top guys in a few years, if not next year. That's just me personally, but time will tell.
Q: You came from a winning program in college. How much did all of that losing last year wear on you?
A: Losing is part of the game. There's failure with the championships that have been won. There's failure with the greats. You've always got to take a step backwards in life sometimes to move forward, so I mean that was just my step back. Like you said, I come from a winning program, but I've got to take this winning program here now, to be a leader myself, to get guys going with me. That's how you create a winning atmosphere around here and I feel like (those are) the steps that we're taking this year. The guys upstairs, management, the team, Dabs, upstairs did a great job of putting more leaders in this building and moving forward I'm really having a good feeling about this upcoming season.
Q: Wide receiver is such a dependent position. How much interest did you have during the offseason when the Giants were bringing in Russ, Jameis Winston and drafting Jaxson?
A: I think Dabs did a great job of asking me questions about making moves, and me and him were in contact about moves to be made. That was a great job of him reaching out to the players about things that we were missing that we want. I think they did an amazing job of putting a lot of great leaders in this building, especially with Jameis also. I ask him a lot of questions too. I think the leaders that we have, like (safety) Jevon Holland – those guys, they're all leaders on the defensive side also. I see him talking to (cornerback) Dru (Phillips), him talking to (cornerback) Tae (Banks). Having those leaders on the other side of the ball and our side of the ball has been great.
Q: What was your experience like at the Pro Bowl? Playing with great quarterbacks, you were able to show some of the things that you maybe weren't able to show during the regular season.
A: Like you said, they had a lot of great, talented quarterbacks there. I was a young buck just trying to get as many open opportunities as I could, but those guys did a great job delivering the football.
Q: Are you talking about being consulted on specific moves or being asked in general by Daboll and those guys what you thought might help this team go forward?
A: Just what I thought just on the offensive side of the ball. I didn't really have a say on the defensive side. I'm on the offense. But with Dabs, he was really (asking) me, 'How do you like this decision? How do you like this decision?' It was a relationship that me and Dabs established last year that created this relationship over the off season. He was able to ask me questions like that because he knew I was going to give great feedback. Having that as a head coach to come to a rookie player to decide on what decisions to be made with the team next year, I feel like it shows the confidence that he has in me, the confidence that the organization has in me and I'm hoping that we made some of the great decisions to be made.
Q: You talked last year about how you love to watch young players, watching greatness elsewhere. I don't know if you've interacted much, but what are your impressions of (linebacker) Abdul Carter and what do you see in him as a player?
A: A very explosive player. I feel like he's one of those dogs that we needed to add on the team, so I'm glad we decided to make that pick. You can put him anywhere on the football field whether its linebacker, whether it's end, whether it's tackle, having that guy on that side of the ball that has that much speed and power, it's going to give a lot of guys hell this year and I'm excited to see it. I watched him when he came in the spring. I'm sure we all have seen some of the moves he's put on the internet, but I got to see a lot more plays that he's been making and I'm excited to go see him play. He's a dog and I'm ready to go see him make some tackles.
Defensive Lineman Dexter Lawrence
Q: How are you feeling? How'd the recovery go? Everything like that.
A: Still in that process, but it's going good. I think we all have a good plan right now. I got some reps in today, felt good, felt solid. It is a day-by-day thing, but I'm feeling good.
Q: What was the atmosphere like coming back here at this time?
A: It's exciting, it's new challenges. As a leader I try to challenge everybody to prove themselves every day, even myself. Prove who we can be. Yesterday I challenged the defense. They want to talk about our D-line and all this, but we haven't done anything yet and we have to come out here every day and improve and get better and challenge each other and just work and be critical and be coachable.
Q: Are you excited by the pass rush opportunities that arise if you and those three outside edges are on the field at the same time together?
A: If we can get teams to pass the ball. So, we have to win on the first and second down first, and that's the most important thing. We can't get to third without winning first and second. And that's the challenge.
Q: You're like the senior guy here in some ways. Do you feel like you have to step out and be out front in that leadership role?
A: I think it naturally is happening. I don't say much, but I think what I have to say is it's pretty good and pretty powerful. But I let my play do a lot of talking and I let my work ethic talk and I just let the things I do on the field talk a lot. But if I see something, I'm more comfortable to say something because I have that respect.
Q: What has that energy been like on that defensive line with all those edge rushes and how does that help you?
A: It's our first day out here and I didn't do much in the spring, so today was the first day to run around with them and go against the offense. You are going to see what the tape looks like, it's never as good as you think and never as bad as you think. I'm excited just for these days to stack each other and us to keep growing together.
Q: Now that you've grown into this role of being a leader and being a little bit more vocal, feeling comfortably being vocal, do you find yourself getting a little bit more involved in, "hey, this scheme may work best if we do X, Y and Z" as opposed to sitting back and doing what you're told?
A: No, I mean I trust the coaches that I have. Coach Dre (defensive line coach, Andre Patterson) and (defensive coordinator, Shane) Bowen I think they have a good plan for us right now and seeing everything, how it's developed. Right now, I'm soaking it in. If I do think something, I'll probably say something, but right now it's learning the schemes that they put together and entrusting it.
Q: How much urgency do you feel like two years ago during training camp you said "I'm done rebuilding" or "I want to start winning," and obviously that hasn't happened. You're in your prime years as one of the best players in the NFL. How much urgency do you feel that now is the time?
A: It is a very important thing to me and that's my challenge. I didn't hold back meeting with the defense, letting them know if we want to get where we want to go, and that's the Super Bowl, that's the ultimate goal, we got to prepare for that every day. We got to train like that every day. We got to recover like that every day. You got to meet like that every day, you know what I'm saying? So, it's a process. Everything's a process and you have to enjoy it. And if you get bored, find something, challenge yourself like what can I work on today? What can I improve today? And that's the challenge and that's where you see greatness and that's when you get in the flow state.
Q: You talked in the past about how you just focus on dominating your opponent. You let other people talk about expectations. Does it get to a point in your game where you now want to take your game to another level, you know where you're at, but how do you get there? How do you get to where you want to be even if you're not vocalizing it?
A: I think just coming out with a purpose, coming out every day with a purpose. When I step in this building, I have a purpose. I'm critical of myself. I make more corrections on myself than the coach make, and I think that's what I have to do. And to be mentally strong and through all of this because you can go here and you can go here, it is a wave. And to keep rising you have to keep growing. And I'm not afraid to grow. I'm not afraid to get uncomfortable. And I think that's what makes you special
Q: Does your sense of urgency and challenge come from you being hurt last year and missing the last five games?
A: Not really, no. Injuries are a part of the game. I just know I got to do a little more. You get a little older, you got to do a little more. I'm putting a lot of things in place so that can possibly not happen again.
Q: What was the toughest part of the rehab for you?
A: Showering.
Q: What is it that you see or what gives you hope that this team is going to be better this year?
A: I think it is different guys like Tae (cornerback Deonte Banks) speaking up a little bit. (cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott speaking up a little bit. Different guys like that who have been here for a little bit who haven't spoken much, but they're more comfortable in their roles, whatever it is. I think that's what a team is. You got to understand your roles. If you're special teams, you're special teams. You're a superstar, you're a superstar, you're a backup, you're a backup and flourishing in those roles, because you never know where it can go. I think we're all part of a body and the body is this team and this organization, and everybody [has] to do their specific role every day so we can get what we want to get.
Q: How long does it take to get a sense of what this team is capable of? Is that something that you feel you have a good sense of by the time first game rolls around?
A: That's what training camp is for – just getting that feel each and every day, seeing how guys work, seeing when they're hurt, seeing when they're tired, seeing when they're a little fatigue or the day is getting tedious, how you come out to practice and how you approach the meetings and little things like that. That's how you get the feel. Right now, I see guys getting a little extra on the field talking to each other. I think my challenge also was to learn, 'Why are you doing something? Why are you putting your hands here? Why are you stepping this way? Why are you looking this way? Why?' Ask the question why, and that's how you grow.
Q: You came in with (Colts quarterback) Daniel (Jones) obviously, it's the other side of the ball but you know what a quarterback means to a team. He's been here your whole stretch. You've got three new quarterbacks now. What's your sense of the new quarterback group, what they bring and what was maybe missing?
A: I think they're working well together. (Quarterback Jaxson) Dart has a lot of confidence in himself and he walks around like it, but you want that and I respect that from him. And (quarterback) Russ (Wilson) is a great leader. (Quarterback) Jamies (Winston) is a great leader and I see them talking to him a lot. Russ handles his business really well so for him to learn from that and them to be unselfish to teach that to him, it is only an up trajectory.
Q: A lot of people view you as the top of the defensive tackle market, but your contract annual average salary doesn't reflect that. Is that something you want sweetened or is that not something you care about at this moment?
A: I do what I do. It is going to take care of itself. I mean right now I just want to win. I know if I do that and I keep being who I know I am, it is all going to take care of itself and that's all I can do.
Q: Have you guys talked about that at all, like your side and them or no?
A: No, I'm just going handle my business.
Q: What do you do off of the field to help your performance mental health wise?
A: I sleep and I breathe. I do a lot of breath work. I talk to my wife, little things like that. I don't bring a lot of stresses that I have at work home and she understands that. I think just having a good healthy off the field life is the best thing. I don't know, I chill. I play my video game (laughs). I pray.
Q: You've got two highly drafted young guys on the defensive side of the ball in (linebacker) Abdul Carter and (defensive lineman) Darius Alexander. What are your thoughts on them so far?
A: I trained with Darius this offseason. He was with me at Clemson. His tape at Toledo is very impressive. I think for him it's just continue to learn his position for both of them, I think. You have to be smart to play this game and you got to learn your position and you got to learn why and you got to learn how. I think if you're willing to do that, it's nowhere that you can't go.
Q: What's your first impression of Abdul Carter?
A: He's swift. He can move really well and his tape is unbelievable as well. But like I said, it's the beginning of training camp and you chase perfection, but it'll never be perfection. So, I think that's the challenge.
