General Manager Joe Schoen

JOE SCHOEN: Welcome to West Virginia. First off, I'd like to thank the Greenbrier for hosting us. I don't know how much you guys have been around, but beautiful property that's set up for this. We're able to plug and play, which leads me to there's a lot of people behind the scenes that have been working on this for well over a year to make it as easy as a transition as possible to get down here. (Vice President of Football Operations) Jim Phelan, (Director of Team Operations) Jeff Conroy, (Director of Equipment Operations) Timmy Slaman, the equipment staff, (SVP Medical Services) Ronnie Barnes, (Head Athletic Trainer) Adam Bennett, the training staff, (Vice President of Information Technology) Justin Warren, the IT staff, I can go on and on to the fact that we were able to just arrive last night, lockers are set up, plug in today, the printers work, the film works. So, a lot of people behind the scenes, (Senior Vice President and Chief Security Office) Jerry Meade and his crew played a big part in this. And I know the players appreciate it, so just wanted to acknowledge those folks before we get started. So, open up to any questions."

Q: Have you ever been here before?

JOE SCHOEN: I have not been here. Talked to several general managers and head coaches that have been here, and it's everything they said it would be. I mean, it's beautiful. I think it was 60 degrees this morning when we woke up and came over here. So yeah, it's a beautiful setting and again, they were ready for us and I'm thoroughly impressed with the facilities.

Q: What are you looking to get out of the first few weeks of training camp on the road?

JOE SCHOEN: That's a good question. When I started, I was with the Carolina Panthers and we went away every year to Spartanburg. And then Buffalo, we did the same thing. So roughly half of my NFL career, we've went away. So, I certainly think there's some benefits to getting away from any type of distractions, whatever those may be locally or at home or whatever it may be, even myself just sitting there maybe I feel guilty about maybe not being at my son's practice or something when I can watch two more hours of film or you're hanging with the staff and the players are together the entire time and we're here to do football and that's what it's all about and that's what we're going to do while we're here. So, I do think there's some benefits. It feels like camp, going away for me, especially as much as I've done it. And then again, this property and this facility's amazing.

Q: What are WR Malik Nabers' chances for Week 1?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we're going to see. Again, this is day one here, so we've got a really good plan for him. The medical staff has a really good plan for him, and we're going to, always say listen to the patients. So, we're going to see how he reacts. And again, we got a good plan in place, so as long as everything goes as planned we'll listen to the to Malik and his body and again, hopefully he'll be ready and we'll see how it plays out. But no predictions right now, just because we have a long way to go, still a lot of camp.

Q: What will Nabers be doing at the start of camp?

JOE SCHOEN: He'll be out here. He'll be out here. You'll get to see what he's doing. Again, we got a plan in place and we're going to listen to him on, we had a flight yesterday and he's still working through some things. So, you guys will see him out here today and see what he's going to do.

Q: Has Nabers been cutting and running routes?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah. Yeah, he's been in individual, they reported earlier so he's been doing some of that stuff.

Q: How did signing Head Coach John Harbaugh equip this team to be competitive moving forward?
JOE SCHOEN: John's record speaks for itself. He's a tremendous leader, very organized, very detailed. And again, his record speaks for itself, but we got to go out and still do it. We got to build the team. Every year's different and today's day one of building the 2026 New York Giants. We had a really good offseason, really good spring, he also hired a really good coaching staff. We got a really qualified coaching staff that I've been impressed with. So, along with some of the young nucleus and the players that are here, again, we got to go out and do it and see how it all comes together but I like where we are right now, again, coming off the spring and where we are health-wise.

Q: What did it mean to get an extension?
JOE SCHOEN: Again, very thankful to the Mara and the Tisch families for the extension. And again, it's been a little bit of a whirlwind offseason with the coaching change and just it all happened so fast. So again, just grateful and looking forward to the season.

Q: What does the commitment along with the commitment to Harbaugh say about the direction of the franchise?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, again, like I said, controlling what I control and coach and I are going to work together and try to put together the best roster we can and go out win games. And again, it doesn't matter how long you have on your contract it's always going to be year to year. So, you just go out and do the best we can and try to put the best team on the field for 2026. And I feel like we've done that this offseason.

Q: Can you comment on how long the extension you signed was?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we're not going to, we didn't obviously report that. We're not going to report on the years of that.

Q: How's RB Cam Skattebo looking?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, he's good to go. I'm sure you guys saw the video (laughter), but yeah, he's been busting his tail. The video shows a little bit about how good his rehab's been, that he's able to not land it and still be okay. So yeah, he'll be out here, he'll be ready to go today, and he'll be doing everything.

Q: What have your conversations with Skattebo looked like following the video?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we have, but again, he's a young man that's still getting used to the spotlight and in New York City and you got to be conscious of your actions, not only from a health standpoint, but a perception standpoint. But he knows I'd rather him not do that, especially this close to camp. But also a testament to how good of a job our training staff did and medical staff did in terms of getting him back and ready to go here as we start camp.

Q: How did you see the video?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I was on vacation with a couple families and friends that are also in the NFL and personnel department, and we were out to dinner when it was brought to my attention, so.

Q: What was your first reaction to the video?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I think Harbs (Harbaugh) said, "If you're going to do it, at least land it, you know?".

Q: Were you able to finish dinner?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fired off a quick text and confirmed he was alright so we were good.

Q: Where do you feel the team is and what work is there still left to do?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I like where we are right now, but one of the things with Coach Harbaugh, we talk all the time about, I mean, you saw the workout we had the other day. We're going to continue to try to churn the roster and make it as competitive as possible. So, if there's any opportunities, whether it's trade, claiming, guys off the street, whatever it may be, we're always going to continue to try to improve the roster. But I'm excited about some of the roster battles. The corner position is one that stands out, there's some good options there. Receiver, excited about some of the competition there. So again, safety, we got some depth there and guys we like. Again, you can go on and on, but like the competition and there's some position battles that we're excited to see as we go into camp. And again, maybe where we lack depth or whatever it may be, we're going to continue to churn the roster. We're still fifth in the claiming order, so you have an opportunity at the final cut down to potentially add guys too. So, daily we're going to continue to look and try to get better wherever we can.

Q: What roster changes were made to make you think the run defense will be improved?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we'll see. Again, signed (DT) D.J. Reader and (DT) Shelby (Harris) and then I feel like we turned over that inside linebacker position, bringing back the outside backers that we had before. So, again, Harbs has said it multiple times about stopping the run, it's an emphasis. We talk about it all the time. And again, it's day one here, we're not in pads yet, but we're going to continue to work on that and do whatever we can to be better than we have in the past.

Q: What will we see from a John Harbaugh training camp?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, you guys were at the mandatory minicamp, so I think it's going to look like that with pads on. I mean, we're going to be very detailed. There's going to be a purpose to everything we do throughout each period. And again, it's still training camp. Again, depending on who the head coach is or whatever it may be, it's still training camp. It's nowhere near what it was 20 years ago when we were going two days right off the bat. I remember (Former Carolina Panther Head Coach) John Fox, nine a.m., we were pads the first day, and then we practiced again at three o'clock, you know? So, it's nowhere near what it used to be, but again, I haven't seen it, so I'm looking forward to see. I got an idea of what it's going to look like based on the spring. And again, I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out."

Q: How do you balance tough practices and avoiding injuries?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, naturally it's something I've never gotten over because it is football, so there's always anxiety out there because there's, again, there's some players that you just can't replace. And then you see, I know Carolina lost a player the first day, and Dan's (Carolina Panther General Manager Dan Morgan) one of my good buddies. And you just hate to see that because you can have the best plan in place and injuries are part of it, so that's our job. We got to continue to create as much depth and competition as we can, so injuries are going to happen, and when they do, that we can still go out and be competitive and win games. So again, it's out of my hands. There's nothing you can do about it. It is always something that's on my mind. It's the, "Hey, let's run one more or let's run that back on the last play," or something like that. You're like, "Okay, let's just get out of here." But it's part of the game and that's our job to continue to build depth on the roster when injuries do occur, that we still go out and win games.

Q: What do you think about WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Braxton Berrios?
JOE SCHOEN: Yes, same thing I was just saying, always going to continue to build as much competition and depth as we can and signing those three players who have all been successful in the league and have skins on the wall And Braxton brings a return element to it. So, again, more depth, more competition. All three of those guys came in, they were in shape and had good springs. And then, yeah, now you bring Malik back, you bring back (WR Darius) Slayton, you added (WR) Malachi (Fields). So, I mean, that's going to be a position group that I'm excited to see how it plays out here throughout camp. But certainly some good players in that group, some names in that group. And again, now that we get out here and get going, it's not the spring anymore, it's real football and we're trying to make roster decisions. I'm excited to see how it plays out.

Q: What are your expectations for QB Jaxon Dart?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, that's one of those, when you take a quarterback high like that you hope there's continuity because it's hard to learn an offense and then year two have to learn another offense. But it's not always the case. There's (Chicago Bears QB) Caleb Williams who went through the same thing I think at three because the interim OC during the season and then (New England Patriots QB) Drake Maye a year ago. So again, the offensive staff has a lot of experience, two former head coaches with (Offensive Coordinator Matt) Nagy and (Quarterbacks Coach Brian) Callahan in there with him. He's had a really good spring, so again, just continue to build off of last season. He played at a high level throughout last season, so, continue to see him to ascend. And again, really good staff, really good plan, scheme in place and excited for his year two and how he does.

Q: Why should the fans be excited for this season?
JOE SCHOEN: Well, again, obviously, the new head coach, I'm excited about the new head coach. I'm excited about that. Track record speaks for itself and some of the offseason additions along with some of the players that we've had here in the past. Again, we've got to go out and do it. I certainly think we have the ability with the players on offense, defense, special teams to go out and be competitive week in and week out. And our goal, like Coach Harbaugh said, is go out and win every week. So, like the pieces in place, like the staff. And again, we got to go out and do it. And it starts today with this first practice, bringing everything together and going out and executing. And I'm just excited to see all that come together.

Q: What's your outlook on Kayvon Thibodeaux?
JOE SCHOEN: I'm excited about Kayvon. He looked great. He's been here training and after the conditioning test he did extra and it was a difficult conditioning test. So, he's in great shape. He's going to be a big part of this roster. He'll be an important part of our defense. He had a really good spring. So again, he's going to be an important part of the team this year.

Q: What are your thoughts on the defensive tackle position?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, when the (Cincinnati Bengals DT) Dexter (Lawrence) trade happened, again, free agency's going, it's past that time, so whatever's out there is what you could do. And we had conversations with Reader and Shelby. So, we were able to bring those guys in and we're excited to do that. Obviously, (DT) Darius Alexander going into year two, so expecting a jump from him. And again, he's another player that had a good spring and the coaches are excited about. So, yeah, a little bit by committee, the rotation will be part of it. The inside linebacker upgrades I think will help too. So yeah, there'll be a little bit by committee. Those guys are a little bit older, so we have some depth there, so if we need vet days or give guys breathers during camp. So, when you think about the 91 guys we have here, you're thinking of all those things. Like, okay, who's going to need reps if two guys may need days off? Do we have enough bodies? So, you're trying to put it all together so you can still practice. Also, keeping your guys fresh and ready to go when season starts.

Q: What are your expectations for the season?
JOE SCHOEN: Again, it's all going to come together. It's hard to tell now. I'm happy where we were this spring. Again, I like the staff, I like the guys that are out there. But we got to go out and do it. Again, I feel like you say this a lot, but how are we going to react when we're down seven? How are we going to react when we're up 14? Or you have a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. How are you going to react? Can you finish games? So, those are all things that we got to see how we're going to come together as a group, and are we going to be able to finish those games? But again, I like the nucleus that we have, the coaching staff, and again, excited to see how it all comes together.

Q: Why did you choose to come to West Virginia?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah again, a lot of it was different general managers or clubs or teams that even travel in season from West to East will stay here. And again, once we did our research and talked to those coaches, and they talked about how easy it was to transition from plugging in your computer and you could watch the film, where they have a weight room, they have a training room, they have the space. The fields are excellent. The accommodations are great. So, for us, we looked locally at some places, and then we also looked down here, and this one just made the most sense for what our needs were. So, happy to be here. Appreciate you coming out.

Q: What have you seen from Beckham Jr.?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, how well he moved. I would say after taking a year off, not being in the league in 2025, then our first workout, he looked good, probably needed to get in a little bit better shape. Brought him back again, and coach had challenged him and he was in better shape. So again, he can still get open, he's still got really good hands, catches the ball well. And again, he was there for a short time in the spring, so again, we'll see how this looks, and was in really good shape for the conditioning test, and excited to see what he looks like with more time around him.

Q: What have you seen from Beckham's personality?
JOE SCHOEN: First time I met him was, I think it was in 2022. We brought him in late in the season and he ended up signing that year and then had dinner with him, and so kind of got to know him a little bit there, but very humble around me, communicates well, just wants to win and truly cares about the organization, the New York Giants, and truly grateful for the opportunity he has right now to be back.

Head Coach John Harbaugh

JOHN HARBAUGH: Good seeing everybody. I sure appreciate you being here in this beautiful setting. This is a really, really great place. I was really, really happy with practice. I'm really happy with the situation as far as what we found here when we got here. Thought our staff did a phenomenal job, led by (Assistant to the Head Coach/Defensive Assistant) Megan Rosburg and many, many others. Just did a great job of getting us on point. I just can't say enough about that. And then the Greenbrier people, too. So accommodating, so welcoming. Not just roll out the red carpet, but try to make it the most productive that they can for us. The fields are in great shape. Probably the number one thing is the fields and they are in a great shape. So, I'm really, really happy about that. And then the mountains are really incredible. Who drove up? How was the drive?

Q. Some torrential downpour.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, I'll bet. It was tough getting out of Newark. It's been that way lately.

So, we're excited, we're off to a good start and we're looking forward to taking it one day at a time.

Q. What did you think of the spirit, the energy, the overall enthusiasm of your group?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I was really happy with it. I thought we were on point. There was determination. Nobody was happy-go-lucky coming in. Everybody was in good spirits. But more than that, they were focused and determined to get off to a good start. I saw that from when they reported over there at the facility, did the conditioning test and all that back at our place in East Rutherford, and then here when we got here, and then today. So, I expect that to continue.

Q. What was it like having WR Malik (Nabers) back out there?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It was great. It was great, yeah. You saw him. He looked good. He's got a process going. Thought he looked good.

Q. What's the next step for him? Is it just to see how the body feels? What is next for him?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Next will be tomorrow. We'll see where he's at. Part of it will be that, how it feels, how it responds, how it reacts, all those things. I think our guys, our trainers and staff, will be monitoring. See how the knee responds more than anything. We'll just take it one day at a time. It was encouraging today.

Q. Is there a long-term plan for him, like a bigger plan? Is it getting him ready for the preseason? Is it getting him ready for week one? How do you guys approach that?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I think you take it one day at a time. We'll meet the circumstances where we find them every single day. I mean, maybe he'll get way ahead, maybe he won't, whatever. You can't really put a timetable on it exactly, I don't think. I think you just see where it goes because we want him to be at his best. So, when he's ready to be at his best, he'll be at his best. And if you work hard every day, the body's amazing. So, he's been doing that. So, that's really what matters, and that's all we try to really measure.

Q. It looked like he went inside at one point. Is that part of his own plan?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah. He'll do as much as we kind of – we have plans each day. So, we'll have a plan tomorrow, how much he's supposed to do, and then see how he feels when he's out there. If you push it a little bit, or you pull it back a little bit, that could happen from day to day. He wasn't scheduled for a full practice today. I don't think he'll be scheduled for a full practice for a little while yet. So, we'll see where we go.

Q. John, is he further along than you expected him to be, maybe say back in May? Did he put in a lot of work to get to the point he is now?

JOHN HARBAUGH: He did put in a lot of work. I think that's probably the answer to the question. Really no expectation. I've learned that you really just – there's no predicting anything, really. But he has put in a lot of work. I mean, I really am impressed with how hard he's worked. (Head Athletic Trainer) Adam (Bennett) has been working with him personally, along with (Coordinator of Rehabilitation & Return to Play) Alli (Allison Boudreau). I just think he's worked really hard. He deserves to be out there doing what he did today. It's really cool to see.

Q. John, last year at this time you weren't here, obviously. QB Jaxson (Dart) was a rookie taking second team reps, third team reps. What do you see – he comes in here, he's the established number one, even though he's younger. What do you see from day one of him today?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I thought he had a good day today. He had us in and out of the huddle, called everything correctly, did a great job with the cadence at the line, did a great job with the motions, all those things, those pre-snap things that are so important. And then he executed the plays well. So, he looked good day one, and try to build from that.

Q. Did it hit you at all today that you're the head coach of the New York Giants on this field this training camp?

JOHN HARBAUGH: You mean like in some emotional kind of a way?

Q. No, just the feeling.

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, I didn't think about it, to be honest with you. I mean, it's cool seeing the colors and the logo. Probably more – once you're out there at practice, you're just working, right? But driving in on the buses last night, maybe. When you drive up to the facility off the plane and you see all the signage and all that. It's Giants. That was a pretty cool moment.

Q. John, at one point I saw you talking to one of the officials. What was that all about?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Well, I just was reminding them that you don't blow it dead when the defense is in the neutral zone. I think they do that in his league. So, there's different rules in different leagues and stuff like that. We don't have the NFL guys here, but these guys were great today. This crew is, I think, college guys from the local area and West Virginia's league. They did well, but I think the rule is different, so that's all.

Q. John, is it a feel thing for you, through the years, just based on your experience, of when to push them, when to pull back collectively as a team when you put together your practice schedule and camp?

JOHN HARBAUGH: You do a little bit of that. Yeah, sure. Really with individual players or with groups and things like that, there's a lot of ways to manage all those kinds of things, but we have a lot of really good people that are involved in that and a lot of science that is involved in that. So, we've got a really good plan in terms of all those types of things. I mean, we can measure how much they sweat. We're certainly measuring their heart rate, breathing and energy output and things like that. So, it's just come a long way.

Q. You had said in the spring about the Achilles, that you guys were going to put things into it. Has that come to fruition at all? Anything that you think changed that, all of a sudden, now we're able to implement it?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Well, I'd love to tell you that there was some magic thing for Achilles, but there hasn't been. More than anything, there's a certain body position that you try to keep guys out of with that. So, we've tried to coach the guys up on that, our strength staff and performance staff has.

Q. It's a little cooler here than back home. How much work do you put in as a coaching staff in terms of heat safety for the players to make sure that they're not succumbing to the heat?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, great question. It's a good follow up to what we've been talking about. We've come a long way with all that. It's not as much a guessing game anymore. I mean, you feel it a little bit to the point in terms of your team, but that's later in camp. But we're monitoring every guy down to how much they sweat. We know those things in real time with the data. So, it's just a lot of good, valuable tools.

Q. Coach, any thoughts about specifically being in West Virginia?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Thrilled to be here. The opening song of our meeting today was, of course, (Country Roads). You better believe it. It was great. And a lot of the guys knew the words. I knew the words. So, it was fun to kind of just get here and be a part of it. I'm just really appreciative of the people here. How good they've been. I mean, every single person says, "We appreciate you being here. What can we do for you?" Make you feel welcome.

Q. How did (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.) look to you today?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I thought he looked good. I thought it looked good, what I saw. I'll get a chance to watch the tape after practice and kind of look at everybody in a little more depth, but I thought he looked good.

Q. John, early in a camp like this, what are you evaluating? Are you harsh on the details and mistakes right away? Are you watching more guys, how they're moving physically and if they're prepared?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, we're chasing execution. We're chasing execution. We're at a stage now, we're getting ready for the games. I mean, that's what practice is for. We're not here to practice. It's not a training camp exercise. We're here to prepare for the games that we're going to play. What plays we call, how we practice, all those things. We're not just running plays out here to run plays. That's why we want to keep our plays to ourselves when we're doing them out here. So, that's what we're evaluating, is our execution.

Q. What have you learned about Jaxson's relationship with his teammates in the meeting rooms and on the field?

JOHN HARBAUGH: He's got a great relationship. He's a charismatic guy, but he wants to win and he expects everybody else to want to win. We've got a bunch of guys that respond, but also a bunch of guys that feel the same way. So, I just think he's got a good relationship with the guys.

Q. John, what did you think of RB (Cam) Skattebo? The first practice he's done full, really since the injury.

JOHN HARBAUGH: He got through it just fine. Looked good. It was good to see.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart

Q. Any early impressions of your new head coach on the field?

JAXSON DART: Man, I love Harbs (Head Coach John Harbaugh). Just his intensity, his love for the game, his leadership. There are a lot of things that stand out as to why he's been so successful in this league. All of us are just focused on buying in and taking the necessary steps for all of us to grow each and every day. Just super pumped for right now and continuing to move forward with him.

Q. Every head coach has his own demeanor on the field. How would you describe his on-field coaching demeanor?

JAXSON DART: I'm interested to see how it continues to grow the more practices that we have. But right now, he's very observant. He's very observant from every single facet. From the offense, to the defense, the special teams. He has his hand in every single one of them, of his expectations. Things that he likes. I just think the really cool thing is he's so open to communication, from the coaching staff to the players. I think that's just been really cool to have that openness, no ego. Ultimately, he just wants to, obviously, win. He's got a chip on his shoulder. I'm interested to see how his demeanor continues to grow as we go forward.

Q. Do you have a chip on your shoulder?

JAXSON DART: Absolutely.

Q. Why?

JAXSON DART: Because we didn't have a good year last year. I can't wait for this upcoming year. This whole offseason I've just been waiting to get back with the guys. I really like where we're at. We've got to continue to grow.

Q. What are your expectations for yourself when you talk about what you want to do this season?

JAXSON DART: I think that right now it's just growing each and every day. There's a lot that I've got to still learn. There are reps of things that I haven't really had a ton of experience doing. I'm taking it day by day. I'm trying to keep everything around me simple. From the things that I give my attention to, to my daily and study habits. That's just me trying to continue to grow because I saw what it was like last year for a tough season. It was new for my career. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again. So, just continuing to take the next steps and really pour myself into my teammates and my coaches.

Q. Jaxson, what did it mean to you, what do you think it meant to (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers), and what does it mean, you think, to this team to have him out there doing stuff right now?

JAXSON DART: Well, he definitely has a presence about him. There's an aura that he has on the field that is exhilarating. It makes me happy. It makes everybody happy just to see him out there. I think for him, he's had a lot of positives. We're just going to continue to get him in slowly. He's doing a great job with how he's attacking his recovery. I've got all the confidence in the world in him and his approach to the game, how much he's missed being out there with the guys. I think it's definitely, for him – I don't want to speak for him too much, but I just think it's a really good feeling for him to just be out there with the team and to be involved.

Q. He has an aura and a presence doing individual drills, things like that?

JAXSON DART: I mean, it's (wide receiver) Leek (Malik Nabers). That's it. It's Leek. Every time he's on the field, everybody knows where he's at.

Q. Last year, as you know, you, (running back) Cam (Skattebo) and Malik only had less than a half together on the field. What do you think this offense will be when the three of you guys are on the field together for an extended stretch?

JAXSON DART: It makes me really excited, that's for sure, because in the short time that we had, as me and Skatt were rookies, there was a lot of energy, there were a lot of explosives, and that's what kind of player he is. He brings a completely different element to an offense. So, I'm really looking forward to the future, getting him back healthy, because I think the sky is the limit for what we can do.

Q. How beneficial is it for him to just be out here? You didn't get to work with him much at all last year, even in practice. So, even just the stuff at the end, just tossing the ball at him, how beneficial is that?

JAXSON DART: It's huge. I had a quarter and one week, really, just of reps with him last year. So, anytime that we're able to just have communication, have dialogue between each other, watch tape, which we've done a lot, just communication throughout this offseason, which I think has been really good for us, and trying to get those reps before he's 100%. I think that will help mold our relationship into what we want it to be. He's obsessed with this game, and he's attacking it the right way.

Q. Jaxson, you know what it was like, the myth of (wide receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.), right? Now you're his teammate, he's here and you see him working. What is that like? You talk about the aura from Malik. There was a time where Odell was the definition of that in this league. Do you let yourself dream and say, 'All right, maybe we've got something here?'

JAXSON DART: I'm definitely excited about O. I think the big thing is you never know how somebody's going to respond from having that time off coming back. I think that his ability to pour into his teammates – and you would think a lot of times when there's a big comeback that it's about the individual himself, but he's really just about the teammates, the guys around him. I've loved having him here so far. He's just a great guy. He's a great leader. He's had the ultimate experience of the highs and the lows, and I think that the more that you're able to communicate with him, get perspectives from him, with him also being, obviously, a really good player, is huge for our team.

Q. Skatt and Malik out here at the start of training camp and practicing, you would think the likelihood is they're going to trend towards being ready Week 1. How important is that for you, that they're ready for the start of the season, like when Week 1 comes around?

JAXSON DART: Obviously, I have no control of when that time is going to be, but I'm really happy with the additions that we've made of guys coming in, stepping up. We saw a lot of new guys really show their skillset throughout the spring and into this offseason, into today. Obviously, I have no control when that's going to be, when everybody's going to be 100% all the way back, but I'm really happy with the guys that we have filling that room and filling those roles. I think just as a team, it brings a lot of competition and also just gets every single one of us better.

Q. You talked about some of the differences, some of the new things that you're learning, and one of those is so many more snaps under center. What's your comfort level with that at this point, and what is the difference when you're under center, just mechanically for you?

JAXSON DART: Yeah, there are a few things mechanically that are different. Probably just the biggest thing is a little bit of footwork landmarks in the pocket. But we've repped the hell out of it, I'm feeling really good with the track that we're on and I'm feeling comfortable. It's not something out there when I'm on the field that I have to think extra about when I'm having a rep at a certain play. It's more, obviously, just about getting the rep from a conceptual standpoint, getting on time with all the guys. It's been something that we've really pushed and really got a ton of reps at this offseason.

Q. What do you think of all this? This is a new place for you, a new experience.

JAXSON DART: Yeah, this is old school. This is like what you see in the movies. I was stoked just to come out here with the team. It's a cool experience because in the league, there (are) so many external factors that guys have from the league versus from college, and a lot of guys have families and things that they've got to take care of off the field. So, I think that us just being able to come here for extended days and just being with one another, growing our personal relationships, but also having great communication from a football side. There's not a ton of things to do around here, so it forces us to be together, and we love each other as a team, so I'm really excited about it.

Q. Does it help you throwing when you can look at some of these scenes?

JAXSON DART: I love it. I love the outdoors, so I feel right at home.

Q. How do you think you played today?

JAXSON DART: I thought our offense played at a really high level, just execution. Guys all over the place were making plays. I'm not sure, I've got to go back and watch the tape, but I don't think we had any pre-snap penalties, which I think was really big for us of taking that next step with all the different cadences that we have and new plays and whatnot. So, I was really happy about it, and we've got to continue to take those next steps, because I know (Defensive Coordinator) Dennard's (Wilson) going to be throwing in a lot more things going forward that we've got to be prepared for, and the same thing goes with us as these installs go on.

Q. When you watched Malik's rookie year, you watched him from afar. What are his elite physical attributes?

JAXSON DART: I played him twice in college. I saw his rookie year. There (are) not many flaws that show up in his game. I think that he's really good at everything.

Q. Is there one thing that makes him elite, if you had to pinpoint one thing?

JAXSON DART: I think his mindset. He's just a dog. He's an ultimate competitor in everything that he does, whether it's playing ping pong in the locker room – he's obsessed with competition. He wants to win. He wants to be the best. Those are guys that you want to be around.

Q. Did Coach Harbaugh express his expectations for this team, either yesterday or this morning?

JAXSON DART: No. I mean, the expectation is to be a better team right now than we were the day before. That has to be our expectation. That has to be our daily process of how we go about things. It can't be anything more than that. We've got to be where our feet are. We're all just trying to buy into that.

Q. Going into this second year, obviously you're playing this new offense and what goes with it, but do you tend to study any quarterbacks making that second year leap to kind of see what worked for them and just kind of how they approach their second year of career compared to their rookie year?

JAXSON DART: I don't really look at it in that way, I guess. I watch guys from all over the league and the really good things that they do, and just really try to study as much as I can. It's not really me just singling out guys who are in their second year. I like to watch the guys who are the best in the league and who have done it the longest and the growth that they have of just the process that they go through each and every play. At times for some guys you hear that it's not always outcome oriented. It's about the process. It's about, maybe there (are) times where there's nothing open, but you've got to be able to be the quarterback and put your team in the best situation. So, I think that just learning perspective, seeing their perspective through how they play, really has been my big process of what I've watched this offseason.

Outside Linebacker Brian Burns

Q: The pace and the scheduling of camp is quite a bit different this year in terms of the number of practices you guys are going to have balanced against off days. What do you think about that?

BRIAN BURNS: I think it's good work.

Q: How do you weigh preparation versus grind versus injury, all that stuff?

BRIAN BURNS: I mean, it all should be a balance to it. You never want to overdo it, but at the same time you want to get the work in. I think it's a good balance of work and time to recover.

Q: What do you think of your first look around this place?

BRIAN BURNS: It's nice. It's peaceful, a lot of mountains, trees, wildlife. So, you know what I'm saying, it's a peaceful view, but there's a lot of chaos on the field.

Q: What wildlife have you seen?

BRIAN BURNS: I think I've seen an eagle or something. There was a big bird that flew over the practice field when we was out there. I (didn't) see no bears or nothing (laughter). I'm not trying to see that.

Q: During a break do you look off into the distance during practice?

BRIAN BURNS: Yeah. No, I definitely look into the distance. Like I said, it's beautiful out here. There's a couple cribs up there, it's nice. I notice quite a bit of things, we're trying to figure out something to do on the off day, maybe we'll go fishing or something. It's (not) a lot to do out here.

Q: It's only one day (off) out of 12.

BRIAN BURNS: So, let's make it work.

Q: He was on the other side of the field, what was it like to see (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) back out there?

BRIAN BURNS: It was good, man. I mean, it feels good. He's working to get out there with us. He's fiending to get back out there and make plays, but I just don't want him to rush it, so I'll be on him about taking his time, but it feels good to see him back out there.

Q: I'm assuming you don't want to rush him because of what he can do when he's out there full-time. In your words, what is he capable of doing?

BRIAN BURNS: Man, dynamic. He's a dog. A lot of receivers, they got his mentality in my opinion, he wants the ball in crunch time. He wants the ball when the game on the line. And you want that in your number one receiver. So, I know that kid likes to work so I can't wait to see him get back out there.

Q: Do you let yourself think about, Malik's healthy, (wide receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) looks good. What you guys may be able to do on that side of the ball?

BRIAN BURNS: No, because I'm old enough and I've been in this game long enough to know that a lot of that (stuff) don't matter at a certain point in time. It's hype. It's just about when the lights are actually on and we're actually getting it done. There's been plenty of teams I've been on that have been great on paper and season's still turned out to be a dog, you know what I mean?. So, until we put a pen in the paper, it don't really matter.

Q: When you are learning a new defense, what do you try to get accomplished during training camp? What do you like at as your top priorities?

BRIAN BURNS: Top priorities are obviously getting in football shape, being in better condition than your opponent and I would say really just getting good at your identity. What you're going to be calling most of the time. There's a good handful of calls that you're going to have that you can always fall back on. You need to be able to execute them against any look, any personnel that the offense may throw at you and that's kind of what you need to focus on.

Q: Do you know what the team's identity is yet or is that something that has to happen on the field during training camp, in the preseason?

BRIAN BURNS: It develops during training camp. But yeah I know what it is.

Q: What was it like to be out there for the first day and how do you think this first practice went?

BRIAN BURNS: It was good. It feels good to be back with the guys, back playing ball. You miss it after a while. So, it feels good to be back and today was good, today was good. We got a lot more to build on too.

Q: Do you like the group here that you're going to go to battle with this year?

BRIAN BURNS: Yeah, (dang) right. Who wouldn't?

Q: (Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh), first time on the field in training camp with him, what did you observe about him and his demeanor?

BRIAN BURNS: He's intense. I mean, I knew that from his team meetings but, I mean Harbs, he's all about ball and that's what you want in a head coach.

Q: What was his message to the team last night or this morning? Did he give you a message about what he expected at practice?

BRIAN BURNS: Yeah, he makes it very clear what he expects. He expects you to work. He expects you to be a pro, show up on time, prepared. He's not a man for excuses, he understands stuff happens, but he ain't trying to give too much of that. (Inaudible).

Q: Where do you see that intensity in meetings?

BRIAN BURNS: Every time he opens his mouth (laughter). That's who he is, he can't help it. He's got that intensity regardless. Enthusiasm I should say, not intensity.

Q: We talk about his intensity, he's known to run a harder camp. As players, how much do you expect this to be a harder camp or harder than you are used to?

BRIAN BURNS: I've been through it. I don't know about any of the younger guys that have been through it. Camps supposed to be hard. Camps supposed to be hard, that's how it's supposed to be. I don't know, man. We're definitely going to work and I'm looking forward to it.

Q: Talk to us about (outside linebacker) Abdul (Carter) last year, he ended the year really strong, you kind of saw him maturing and growing. What do you expect from him in year 2, growing as a leader and on the field?

BRIAN BURNS: I expect him to break out. He's got a year under his belt, he went through whatever he went through. Like you said, he ended the year strong at the end of the year. I expect him to break out, pick up where he left off. (Inaudible).

Q: Do you see a different approach from him knowing more, being a second-year guy?

BRIAN BURNS: Just maturity, that comes with being a younger player. You learn your lessons, you move on and you mature, it's part of the game.

Q: How much do you guys rely on each other? We talked last year about the offensive line, what he sees, what you see. It looked today like more of you guys shared tips. How much does that help the team and individual players?

BRIAN BURNS: It helps a lot. I would just say at the end of the day, we're competing with each other out here, but at the same time we understand we're on the same team and any tips that I can get or that he can give me, it's going to help us for the greater good. I think Abdul coming up, (inaudible) Thibs (outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux) has always been that type of guy. AT (tackle Andrew Thomas) has always been that type of guy, just having those conversations about what we see and the tips we can give each other, whether it's from stance or approach or angle, rush, whatever it can be that can help us in the game. (Inaudible).

Q: If you guys would've had a more rigorous camp in line with this type of pace, would you have gotten off to a faster start as a team do you think?

BRIAN BURNS: I really don't know. I can't really tell you that answer because it didn't happen.

Q: Did you feel like you guys were prepared, unprepared?

BRIAN BURNS: I felt like we were prepared. Yeah, I felt prepared. But, I mean, I just can't really speak to something that you didn't do.

Q: You made All-Pro second team and you talked about if you get that, that raises your standard a little bit. So, what does that look like for you going into this year with that on your resume now.

BRIAN BURNS: I was second-team All-Pro.  mean, I got something else to work towards, trying to get first team. Just the goals just keep getting higher. That's a great accomplishment, I appreciate you guys working for me or whatever, however that works but there's still a lot of meat left on the bone, so you got to keep working.

Q: How do you feel the accommodations are? Is it kind of easy to get up, you don't have to think about it. It's all right here, I mean this is a famous resort. What have you seen so far and how does it seem to you? The rooms, the eating, it's a whole different thing to you. You've been in the league a long time.

BRIAN BURNS: Yeah, but in Carolina, we always went away at a college dorm or something.

Q: This doesn't look like a college dorm, does it?

BRIAN BURNS: No, it's very colorful in there. You been inside? It's a lot of colors and wallpapers but, I mean, this is a different scene, so I mean, it's cool I like it.

Q: It's not the décor that you would put together for your crib, as you would say?

BRIAN BURNS: To each his own, man. (Laughs).