Head Coach John Harbaugh

JOHN HARBAUGH: Good seeing everybody, appreciate everybody being here. Good practice, and we're getting ready for the final preseason game against the Jets. I've heard a lot about this preseason game, so I'm excited to be a part of it for the first time. We'll be the visiting team, so we've got to figure out – just as I figured out where we go for the home games, now you've got to figure out where you are for the visiting team. That's a lot to keep track of, but we're looking forward to it and can't wait for the game. What questions do you have?

Q: Just to go back to yesterday with (wide receiver) Calvin (Austin III), just how tough is that to see, and how much of an impact will it make on the team?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It's definitely impactful to our team because he was playing so well. He was doing a great job across the board, offense and special teams. He had definitely carved out a role for us on our team, and then to see that happen, especially just a non-contact type of an injury, it's just kind of shocking to see. So, you feel bad for him. I mean, that's the biggest thing. He and I were texting last night and even more this morning, so I think he's in a better place now than he was yesterday. But it's going to be a long road back, but he'll get back. He'll get back, and we'll be behind him the whole way.

Q: What does that do now for the wide receiver room?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It just means that the next guy steps up and fills that role. So, we'll have to readjust, the roles have to be filled, those jobs have to be done, and the next person will do them.

Q: What have you seen from (wide receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) lately? It seems like he's been making more catches and plays in practice.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, I think Odell's had a good camp. I would say his best week of camp has come this week. He's looked good and made numerous plays, and just like you saw, even today, made numerous plays, so he's doing well.

Q: How long were those longest field goals today?

JOHN HARBAUGH: The longest one that they didn't make was 69. That was the NFL record. Is that the NFL record, 69? I think it is now, right? You should know that.

Q: In a preseason game last week.

JOHN HARBAUGH: A preseason game last week, so the regular season might be 67?

Q: 68.

JOHN HARBAUGH: 68, okay. So, they wanted to do that, but to see them both make 60-plus yarders in a contest was pretty fun.

Q: We saw Theo Johnson out there in shorts and a hoodie. He looked to be limping a little bit. How's he doing?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Limping a little bit? God, I hope not. His shoulder was what was hurt. He wasn't walking on his hands, I don't think (laughs). If he's limping, that would be news. Maybe he's sore from his workout. Maybe he did legs today. It was a workout. But he's going to be fine. He's going to be good. He'll be ready. So, that was good news for us.

Q: (Defensive lineman) Shelby Harris isn't doing much this week. What's going on with him?

JOHN HARBAUGH: We're just managing him right now. He's going to be fine. He'll be ready to go.

Q: Did (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) end early? It looked like he came off early, was that…

JOHN HARBAUGH: I don't think so. I don't think so. He was right there with those guys, their period.

Q: Where do you stand on (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) playing on Friday?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I think I'm going to stand consistently with the procedure that we've been following all through training camp and just leave it up in the air right now.

Q: I've got to ask.

JOHN HARBAUGH: I appreciate it. Yeah, we'll see where we're at. There would be things to be gained for those guys to play defensively as well from a communication standpoint. But there's risk. It's just a balancing act of what we gain the most from with the least amount of risk. That's what we've got to figure out.

Q: If they don't play, it would be almost a month between when they played in the preseason to the regular season. How do you factor that into the equation?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Well, that's a big factor. I think that's exactly right. I mean, that is the factor. That's the thing that – I don't know if concern is the right word because a lot of teams do it, but you haven't played in a game, now we're going to go play in a game under the lights, high stakes, it's going to be loud. All those things are going to factor in and they haven't been out there in that setting for a while. And the setting they were in isn't anything like the one they're going to be in either. So, that, to me, is your point. It's exactly right. That is the factor.

Q: A lot of teams might do it, but also those teams might not be installing new schemes. Trying to do new stuff. Where do you stand on that?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, that's part of it, too. I agree with you. That's what we've got to figure out and decide.

Q: Have you found that one series – I think you think every series is meaningful, but one series of seven or eight plays, is it meaningful? Is it risk-reward? Or is it like, 'Well, seven plays is not going to do anything in the long term.'

JOHN HARBAUGH: I mean, to me, this is exactly why the New York media has the great reputation that it does, because these are the exact things that we're considering. And that's the other side of the argument now. How much are you going to play them? In the old days, they would be out there for three quarters in the third preseason game. This is the third preseason game without a fourth. They'd be out there for three quarters. You'd see those guys, (former quarterback Tom) Brady, (former quarterback Peyton) Manning, all those guys were out there well into the third quarter just for that reason. You don't see that ever anymore. So, how much is six plays, 10 plays, how much is that really worth? That's part of the whole balancing act.

Q: Why do you think that's changed from then to now?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I don't know, probably because of injuries. I mean, you get some injuries and you just try to make the argument that you go to the season with your best players healthy, that's the most important thing. It's a 17-game season, it's a long season. Yes, you may not be as sharp as you're going to be a couple games in, but it's a long season. And the other team is in the same boat you're in. So, all those things, I think, is probably why. People work back towards trying to avoid the injuries.

Q: John, going back to your answer about Malik, he did leave the fields before the situational period there. Was that part of the plan?

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, it wasn't part of the plan. So, I'll find out what was going on. I'm sure it's something with a trainer, I assume. So, we'll find out. I was doing the practice. There's no injury. We talked afterwards. We always get the injury report right after. There's no talk about Malik that way.

Q: John, when Skatt (running back Cam Skattebo) touches the ball, there's just like a different energy out there. Is that energy infectious for the whole team?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Well, I mean, Skatt's great. He does bring a lot of energy. But he did get a 15-yard penalty at the end of practice. Did you notice that? That's not infectious. Well, it is infectious, actually. Infectious in a bad way, right? Like infectious disease type of thing (laughs). We don't want that. So, we want it to be directed in a positive way.

Q: With the guys who are on the line of a roster spot or not, how much does Friday's performance play into your decision-making?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It plays into it, especially the guys who are in that we're-not-sure-yet mode. I mean, stepping up in a game like that is what you're looking for. And I'm not going to say it's a ton of guys. It's not. But there are spots that are still up in the air. And you'd also say also, for other teams, too, if someone plays really well and still doesn't make this roster, that's what the other teams are looking at. They're looking at the game tape to decide if that's someone that would make them better. So, our guys do understand that.

Q: What's the right number of receivers on the roster for you? What's the ideal number?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It's unanswerable.

Q: If several guys don't play special teams, would you usually like to keep an extra guy there? How do you sort of go through that process?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Right. It depends on all the other factors. So, I'd rather have 10 guys on the roster of receivers in an ideal world. That would be the answer. But you couldn't do that and have enough DBs or running backs. So, you have to factor that in. It's who the players are versus the players, and you've got to kind of compare apples to oranges, so to speak. Special teams probably being the common denominator for those last spots. Because you want to have great special teams, too.

Q: That's generally your difference maker?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I think it's everybody's difference maker generally.

Q: John, you have a number of guys on the roster who haven't done a lot of winning in the NFL. Is it possible that learning how to win, even in the preseason, has a carryover, or is that not realistic?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I think it's a fair question. I don't know if it's a yes or no. But it's – the thing that we wanted to do – once we got in halftime (in Miami last week), we had a 17-3 lead, which could have been 20-3 or 24-3, which should have been that, just looking at it from a team perspective, and we just wanted to make sure we came out in the second half and extended that lead and kept extending the lead. So, we had a goal in mind, because that's something, as a team, that you're going to want to do during the season. You're going to want to extend the lead when you have the lead and make it as wide as you can, not be trying to hold a lead. It's hard to hold a lead. You want to extend leads. And then we talked to our team about that at halftime. So, we accomplished that as a team. How does that affect us during the season? I'm not sure. But I'm glad they responded to that call in a preseason game last week.

Assistant General Manager Brandon Brown

Q: As a guy who evaluates a lot of talent and things like that, right, and you bring in certain guys on the roster, there's a (offensive lineman Evan) Neal, there's a (cornerback Deonte) Banks, there's guys who this whole organization drafted high. Some guys are doing well, some guys are not doing well. How does that whole process go? Do you find yourself kind of pulling for these guys because they were your guys?

BRANDON BROWN: That's a good question. So, when we really get to training camp, and obviously Harbs (Head Coach John Harbaugh) has preached meritocracy, right? So, what has got you here is not necessarily going to keep you here, and you've got to have daily deposits. And it's really taking to the instruction and then highlighting the execution and knowing which guys have done it and then continuing to raise the floor in the room or earn a spot in the room. And just being objective, which guys are going to have the best opportunity to make an impact for us on game day, whether it's active, whether it's being on practice squad, and knowing that this is going to be the guy that we're going to go to battle with at the start of the season. And if injury occurs, we can use them as elevation guys from the practice squad. So, it's just being objective. It's not having any governor on guys. It's earning it. And as you guys have seen through the practice rotations in terms of at certain positions, which guys are getting more reps, which guys are getting less reps, maybe that flips on a certain day. It's all a part of the meritocracy of earning it.

Q: You cannot steal "a good question". That's John Harbaugh's reply to everything (laughter). Brandon, the two trades you guys made the last couple days, what does that say about where you feel about your offensive line depth that you're trading guys that could have been on the 53?

BRANDON BROWN: Yeah, it's twofold. It's, one, feeling really good about our depth, but then also looking at the marketplace of the league right now. It's an interesting situation where there's a rash of O-line injuries across the league, whether it's starter, depth, and that really creates a demand for certain players. And through training camp, through seeing our guys perform during the preseason, it created a surplus. And when we can turn, again, talk about currency, players are a part of currency along with picks and cash. And to do that and to flip that into two hard picks, which is not always easy to come by, we're grateful to be in that position. And, again, if you look back, look at whether it was the (Buffalo Bills defensive lineman) Jordan Phillips trade, whether it's the (former NFL tight end) Darren Waller trade.

That manifested into (inside linebacker) Jack Kelly and (offensive lineman) J.C. Davis. So, the dividends may not be right away, but it gives you an arsenal of currency to go shop and buy.

Q: What about the way you feel about your starting offensive line that you're trading some of the depth? Sisi's (offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa) new, but the other four guys have played two years together. That should be a strength of this team, right?

BRANDON BROWN: Correct. It's really a testament and a credit to Bloom (Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren). Bloom's done a really good job in terms of honing in on the details, getting guys that play our style of ball consistently and seeing it and challenging these guys. And also giving them reps at certain positions, whether that's going from tackle to guard, guard to tackle, and finding really the most consistent combination of guys earning it and knowing that there's going to be a competition. And it raised the floor in that room, but so much so that it created a surplus in that room where guys have value on the open market at the O line position.

Q: Brandon, on the other side of the offensive line, you obviously lost (Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence). You tried to replace him with a couple of pieces. Do you feel like you still have work to do there, or do you like where you are now heading into this game?

BRANDON BROWN: We're always going to be looking to elevate the room, and we're always going to analyze what's out there. If you see, hear a name, trust me, we've done our due diligence, we're doing our due diligence, and just finding the right striking point. Again, it's not shopping hungry. It's understanding a great thing with the collaboration with Harbs and the staff, it's the role has got to match the value. And understanding that a certain player fits that mold for us, we're going to do our due diligence to find out if it's going to be a perfect fit or have patience but just knowing that we can shop at the right time and invest at the right moment.

Q: You were talking about how there's a demand around the league for O-line. How much does that factor when you're whittling down to 53 and you might want to switch a guy to the practice squad, but you have to guard against someone who could snatch them?

BRANDON BROWN: It also depends what type of player you're talking about too, right? So, when you have a vested vet, obviously they don't have to pass through the waiver wire, so it's understanding where they are in their development. Do we feel like there's more room and juice to squeeze out of them as a player where there's upside, or do we feel like, again, knowing what their game day versatility is. This is a player that can only play tackle. It's a player that can only play guard. Well, hey, if we get in a jam, can you give us two-position flex? Is it center-guard, guard-tackle? And understanding when we get to game day, you're going to dress. You're not going to be a healthy scratch. What you want to do is you want to avoid those healthy scratches as you can, and then you have contributors that are going to bolster the depth but also can be a stopgap guy if injury happens.

Q: Brandon, we hear a lot from the players about how Harbs has no problem challenging them. I've heard from people in the building that he has no problem challenging them. How does that manifest itself in your department, what you guys are trying to do, and what the head coach feels in terms of what you should be doing?

BRANDON BROWN: Great question. I love it. Harbs makes you earn it. When you go into a team meeting room, first thing you see is a big sign on the back wall that says, 'Earn the Right.' It's right in front of the room, and it just doesn't extend to players. It's to staff, and it's understanding a good idea can come from anywhere, and the way that Harbs seeks and solicits opinions keeps you on your A-game. Every day you want to make a deposit. Every day you want to have an idea or thought or something to contribute to making a good decision. Again, he's hard on the coaches in terms of teaching and getting the technique right, and also on the personnel department along with (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen) in terms of, hey, we have all of our contingency plans ready to go, and we understand what the marketplace looks like, and if it's something that comes about that we're not a part of, we've done our due diligence, but we're never going to sit on our hands. Again, it's staying ready, so we don't have to get ready.

Q: Everyone's seen injury an injury like a (wide receiver) Calvin Austin, but what do you make of sort of the group of (wide receiver Darnell) Mooney, (wide receiver Malachi) Fields, and those guys in just filling that void?

BRANDON BROWN: One, my heart goes out to Calvin. When you talk about doing things the right way, he's done it ever since the first day he got here. You guys saw it yesterday how it affected the team. Great kid, really just from offense to defense, there's not anyone that can say a bad thing about him, but the way he shows up every day, he's a blueprint for working hard and going about your business the right way and being a professional. But because it's the game of football, it's, hey, we look at next man up, and that injury coincided with really Mooney and (wide receiver) Odell (Beckham) having one of their best days at training camp. So, when we put the room together, you understand that you want to have versatility, and what I mean by that is guys that can align inside can also align outside. They're just not just fixtures in one spot, and then we have that, along with (tight end Isaiah) Likely. Likely can align in the slot as well as Malachi. So, we can get creative with alignments, and we have guys that, one, have high bandwidth because it's not just can you physically do the job description. Can you mentally handle playing two spots or three spots? The guys have done it. They've showed it and excited for the platform for the next couple days for these guys leading up to Friday's game.

Q: What have you seen from OBJ's camp as a whole?

BRANDON BROWN: I think something that goes unseen with Odell is the way he's able to uncover even when he's not targeted, and that speaks to the totality of his game. So, I know you want to look to just targets. You want to look to the catches you guys see in practice, but he still has enough separation and route nuance and knows how to tempo in and out of his speeds to create leverage against the corners. And especially, I call it street ball, when there's loose plays and the quarterback is out of the construct of the pocket, he has a really good feel for zones and where defenders are and spacing and finding those spots. So, I just think there's juice in his legs, and yesterday you saw it, and I know he's looking forward to building on it.

Q: Brandon, not to go, obviously, with Odell, but you go back to when you guys had that workout on June 1 with the four guys that were here. I mean, I'm not sure what the odds you could have gotten at the beginning of this training camp, especially the way Harbaugh runs everything, that Odell would make it through entirely and look stronger on the second to last day of training camp than maybe he did in the beginning. Are you a little surprised, even though you were convinced that he still had some juice in that workout, that he's been able to do the things that he's been able to do this summer over the long haul of this training camp?

BRANDON BROWN: No, honestly no surprise there, and it's primarily to how Harbs structures practice and just the collaboration with sports science. And why I say that is when we go to have our workout, (Director of High Performance) Sam Rosengarten, who's heading up the sports science side, where we know where Odell's GPS was from the last time he was playing, what numbers he was hitting, going into his practice loads, what's his yardage, how he's hitting it, his max velocity. All those numbers, call it actionable data, we're seeing that in real time and where he's trending, so there's no guesswork. Harbs is very keen on that, where I say he's obsessed with the details, those details that go along with sports science and knowing where guys are not only from a performance standpoint but from a hydration standpoint, an output standpoint. You're trending it, you're tracking it, and you see where guys are going, and his numbers are all in line with what you want to see. So, it's not a surprise if a guy who's at his age, he's taken really good care of his body, and he's right on the mark where he needs to be.

Q: Did he get both feet down yesterday when you look back at the film?

BRANDON BROWN: (Laughter) I'm not a ref, so I'm going to abstain from it, but listen, I root for good ball all the time. But again, I'm just happy that, one, you see not just him enjoying the game but also the knowledge he's giving to our young guys. Guys like Malachi (Fields), he's a sponge to him. Malachi being mature beyond his years, he takes and watches all the prep habits, all the route nuance, and again, even though he's a big 6'4 wide receiver, he looks at incorporating those things and borrows those tools and puts them into his bag, and it's been cool to see. So, like I said, I love having Odell around and look forward to seeing what he does the next couple of days.

Q: How much has the data that's being emphasized changed or differed under John (Harbaugh)?

BRANDON BROWN: It's not using data just for the sake of having numbers. It's actionable. It's what can lead to optimal performance? Coach is obsessed with optimal performance. How can you be, one, your best on game day, practice day, but remain fresh, and how are you recovering? So, it's not just going to how many reps we're accomplishing or charting for practice, but your individual yardage. Where is your hydration at? How are you recovering? And then coach does a great job of getting real-time feedback from the players. I call that inclusion in the process. There's ownership from the players because he's constantly seeking feedback of, 'Hey, how are you guys feeling?' They're adjusting practice in terms of, it's a high teach tempo period versus active reps, and you just see how he structures it. But one thing that remains king that you see him constantly honing in on is situational football. The situational football, whether it's two-minute, end-of-half, four-minute, end-of-game situations in terms of different third-down scenarios, he incorporates that in such a cool way where, whether it's a high tempo or an ACT practice that we have, good work is getting done.

Q: I'm just looking at the results. Guys seem to be getting back on the field quicker, right? I don't know what's being done in regards to the data and stuff like that. Why do you think that is?

BRANDON BROWN: I'm going to go back to the meritocracy. Guys don't want to miss practice because they understand the floor is being raised and you missing practice is an opportunity, frankly, for someone else to take your job, and you see it in real time. It's not just lip service. You've seen rotations of players getting reps with the ones, now getting reps with the twos, guys that were fringed twos now getting reps with the ones. It's really making those daily deposits, and like I said, earning the right. When coach says earn the right, look no further. It's earning the trust of the coaches, earning the trust of your teammates, earning the trust of the building, know that, listen, you can handle the job description. It's not that you physically look like the job description. It's can you handle it and process it and execute it.

Q: Brandon, would you agree that some years when the cuts are getting near, you need to get to 53, and sometimes it's hard to get there, and some years it's hard to get rid of a bunch of players? Where do you think this team is with their depth and their roster right now?

BRANDON BROWN: You want to have those hard conversations. You want those cutdowns for those, call it, last five spots. You want it to be a constant tug and struggle because that means you have the possibility of a player that can help you, potentially leaving the building. So, you want to figure out the best combination of, and that's where the creativity comes in, and Joe's (Joe Schoen) been really great at figuring out and understanding of, okay, how are we going to go to the game? What guy is going to help us in terms of multi-role? If he's a depth player, what's his role on special teams? If he's a depth position player with a limited special team value, can he get us out of the game at more than one spot? And just constantly churning and having those conversations and then looking back to real examples, okay, did he put it on tape? That's a big thing from Harbs. Hey, we're saying he can do it, let's see it. Did he put it on tape? Was it in the joint practice with Miami? Was it in a preseason game? Let's see it. And then just, one, having comfort and the trust that we have the guys that can, again, give us the most bang for our buck when we get to game day of having value and have a role because everyone's role is going to be different, but can this guy satisfy the role in the way that we need it to be done?

Q: Do you think you'll be cutting better players Sunday than you have in past years?

BRANDON BROWN: I think there's going to be players that are going to help some other teams. Again, Joe's (Joe Schoen) done a really good job of entrusting (Director of Player Personnel) Tim McDonnell, (Director of Pro Scouting) Chris Rossetti, myself, and having phone calls with other clubs on where they're maybe light in terms of their needs and where they may be heavy and surpluses. And, yeah, there's going to be guys on our roster that are going to help, potentially help other people, but again, we want to keep that as close to the vest in terms of names and positions, but we're aware. We know what the marketplace looks like.

Q: You essentially had the same running back room all offseason. Why sign (running back) Najee (Harris), and what does that mean for the backfield?

BRANDON BROWN: We've monitored Najee throughout his rehab, his process of when would he be healthy. And we always want to add competition to the room but also add competition and a skill set that lends to our identity. And Najee offers something different. When you have a back that played at 235 before his injury that doesn't need things blocked up cleanly for him to push the pile, and then he has a familiarity with G-Ro (Senior Offensive Assistant Greg Roman) from L.A., those are things that you can't just gloss over. When you have an opportunity to add talent, we're never going to shy away from that. And, again, no one was butthurt. It was very much adding competition, and that's the thing that's been very cool about the meritocracy. It's not personal. It's just the business of making this team as good as it can be.

Q: Brandon, on that note, I mean, you guys have four running backs who have produced in some way. Now, (running back Cam) Skattebo obviously eight games, but just how do you like the makeup of just kind of finding roles for all those guys? Because, I mean, there's a lot. Some guys are not going to be happy. Some guys may lose a role. How do you think Harbaugh is managing that room now with Najee in there?

BRANDON BROWN: Harbs has just been very clear of the mission being greater than yourself. What are you willing to give up for the greater good of the team? And understanding that your role may not look the same game to game, and it may be different game to game, but the way that Harbs has been able to get guys in certain positions to do what they do best, that's been the part, that's how you maximize a room of four running backs, right? If you're better in the passing game, you can separate on third down. You're a good feel in the screen game versus you can pick and slide versus inside run. You can have a little make-miss to you, or you have a combination of the three of early down, third down. You can handle the full menu in case anything happens injury-related, or we're in short yardage goal line, we're in the four-minute offense, you can bleed the clock, or we're playing December, January football, and you've got to be able to run the football and you can create and push the line of scrimmage and push the pile on your own. Those are all things you want to have in your toolbox where you don't want to go to a game and say, we can't do something that's on the menu.

Q: Chauncey's (defensive lineman Chauncey Golston) been playing down on the defensive line more. How does that impact just the decision you're making? Do you kind of group the edge and the defensive line together a little bit more now because he can kind of float back and forth?

BRANDON BROWN: If you go back a couple years, that's really what you saw from Chauncey when we acquired him. Going into that free agency, he was kind of in that tweener, outside linebacker, five-tech role where he's so long, violent, and instinctive. He can reduce down on the edge, play from a three-point force point, also situationally rush inside as a three-tech, but also he can set hard edges as outside backer. I think that's the cool thing working with (Defensive Coordinator) Dennard (Wilson). He kind of looks at the front seven, the defense, as positionless. Let guys do what they can do best and put them in position where, one, they show what they can do, and they do it consistently where they can be trusted. I think that's something Chauncey's done at a good clip during camp where you can see him setting hard edges, defending the run, sifting through trash, and finishing on the ball.

Q: The corner competition, what have you seen from the room?

BRANDON BROWN: When you look at especially the corner, say wide receiver position, just looking at scheme, when I say like the messenger, I always look at it has a lot to dictate on how guys hit their ceiling. And why I say that is Dennard, he preaches, 'hey, we're going to press and less.' Just look at his resume. Look at corners, they highly revere if you've coached someone that they highly respect or if you've developed someone that they highly respect or have you done it yourself. I look at no further than Dennard's work when we were together in Philly and what he did with (Former NFL cornerback) Darius Slay. Look at (Defensive Backs Coach) Addison Lynch, what he's done from his time in Denver. You look at Double D (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Donald D'Alesio), what he's done from his time in Baltimore and Kansas City. These guys have skins on the wall where they are a truly believable messenger, but they demand certain things from a physical aspect that are non-negotiables. Part of that was if you're in the corner room, you're going to tackle, and you're going to play disciplined and learn to locate the ball. And that's raised the floor of that room where if you put it on tape, in terms of practice, you go from the instruction to the execution, they constantly highlight the execution of it. You've done it. Now this is a non-negotiable. This is demanded from you going forward. And I think that's been a cool thing to see from Tae (cornerback Deonte Banks), where you go to the joint practice in Miami, he turns, finds the ball deep. You guys were at practice yesterday, we've done a lot of deep ball locate drills. Harbs is such an obsessive mind when it comes to the details. We're not letting it happen by choice. We're making these guys put it on film to show they can do it. And then in the run game, you've seen Tae, you've seen (cornerback) Greg Newsome, obviously you've seen (cornerback) Dru Phillips be physical and present when filling and inserting in the run game. And that's just not a part-time thing. Dennard, Addison, Double D, these guys have to be complete players, and they're demanding that. And it's cool to see that from Tae, and he's taken to the coaching and running to the coaching, as some guys have said.

Q: Given that you're playing the Jets this week, I'm sure you did a lot of work on (inside linebacker) Arvell (Reese), obviously. I'm sure you did a lot of work on (New York Jets defensive end) David Bailey. They both went very high in the draft. What is your sense of those two, what lies ahead for them, and just whatever you want to say about they could both be in New York for over a decade doing a lot of good things for their own teams.

BRANDON BROWN: I'm not going to comment on guys that aren't on our roster, but I will say we're happy with where Arvell is. I know there was that gray area of, hey, is he an edge rusher, is he an inside backer? We've said from day one, he is an inside backer that can be positionless in the front seven. Those are good problems to have. And the way that Arvell is built, the way that he's going about his business, again, violence has been apparent, and not just from the line of scrimmage, something that's cool to see from a guy who's a top ten pick, on game day, he's on Coach Horton (Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton) about being on special teams. That's an infectious love for football that I think Joe (Schoen) fell in love with, that Harbs fell in love with, and you want guys that want to play regardless of the circumstance, and that's where Arvell is. We're happy in the trend and the path that he's on, and there's no indication that anything is too big for him or anything in terms of a menu of role, alignment, assignment is too large for him.

Offensive Lineman  Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa

Q: You're blocking Friday night, 51 on the Jets (New York Jets linebacker Francisco Mauigoa) is coming down hill. What do you do?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Pancake him (laughter). Like old days.

Q: And he knows it's coming?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: I already told him.

Q: And what if he has a shot on you, is he taking it?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Oh yeah, I mean I expect it.

Q: What would that moment be like for the two of you?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: It's going to be something special. Most of our life, we've been playing with each other but now we're playing against each other. And it's something new, but it's also what we dream for.

NFL, it's what we dream for. And to be able to go against him, he knows that I'm going to bring it. It's going to be an extra juice behind it, cause I know that if he ever gets something on me, I will never hear the end of it. And stuff like this, I know it's hard for my mom. My mom, I texted my mom yesterday if she's going to be here, she was hesitant. She don't want to see us playing against each other. But I told her, man, we're not playing against each other. We're playing for the same purpose of supporting our family. And now she's going to book her flight and hopefully see her older son get pancaked by her younger son (laughter).

Q: How are you feeling after the stinger?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: I feel good. The trainers have done a phenomenal job with me. I've been with (Head Athletic Trainer) Adam Bennett, and he's been on his A game ever since.

Q: That have anything to do with your back? Or is it totally separate?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: No, it's totally separate. It was just a stinger, it goes by. And so, they're being very cautious of it.

Q: How has the back felt?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Back is not an issue no more. I mean, hopefully not anymore. But my back has been healthy and never bothered me ever since I've been here.

Q: How weird has it been for you to have two teammates traded away in the last week? That's something that doesn't happen at college.

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Yeah, it was very surreal. I mean, I was very surprised of how business is in NFL. Just heard about it yesterday, and I was like, man, that could have been me. Could be anybody else. So, it kind of brings us to that point where you got to bring your A game every practice.

Q: Sisi, this offensive line, the other four guys have been together. This is their third year, like 2,000 something snaps together. How have they embraced you? Have you fit in? And I just mean, kind of like culture wise, like the team dinners, the jokes. How have you kind of assimilated yourself into four guys who have known each other a lot longer than you have?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Yeah, I mean, they bring hell on me (laughter). They have me do all these jokes, bring all these snacks. But every rookie got to go through it. But it's also that team bonding, where they don't really just harass me for no reason, they'll just kind of pick me up after it, like alright, you forgot about this, so they start ordering it. Stuff like that, they're always there. And me, I'm the type of guy to ask a lot of questions when I don't know stuff. So, a lot of it has been helped from JMS (offensive lineman John Michael Schmitz Jr.), (offensive lineman) Jermaine (Eluemunor), AT (offensive lineman Andrew Thomas), and also (offensive lineman) Jon (Runyan). And yeah, they welcome me in with open arms, and hopefully I can withstand the culture of the offensive linemen and improve it.

Q: Is your job to blend into the four of them who've been here so long, or is your job to make sure that it goes to another level?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: Before you get to the next level, you got to blend into it. You can never skip a step.

Q: What's the snack of choice?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: AT's (Andrew Thomas) snack of choice is honey buns. A lot of the guys like the hot honey Cheerios. LP (offensive lineman Lucas Patrick) like his sweets, so Sour Patches. And yeah, it's just varieties of it, Nutty Buddies, yeah. When they first gave me the list, I was like, man, we need to be healthy (laughter).

Q: No fruits or anything?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: No fruits.

Q: How's the communication grown between you and JMS (John Michael Schmitz) and Jermaine (Eluemunor) and everyone?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: It's been amazing. I mean, they always help me. Whenever I missed on something, they're always there to communicate. And they're always telling me, 'Alright, we got this block, we got that block.' And even in the film room, we're always communicating, 'Okay, so if you want me to jump, what type of call would we call it?' That, everything like that, and it builds chemistry.

Q: How much do you feel more comfortable playing guard now compared to when camp started?

FRANCIS MAUIGOA: I'd say it's progressing over time. And my whole goal is to not just to make it playing guard, but I want to be the best at playing guard. Just it's a natural instinct for linemen or players to want to be the best at their position. So yeah, I'll say that.