Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka

Q. As a play caller, when you start a new relationship with a veteran quarterback like Russ (Wilson), is it different than if it were a young guy or a rookie? He's been there and done that with so many coordinators, is it very natural to build that right away?

KAFKA: Yeah, just opening up (those) open lines of communication, having dialogue on plays that he likes, things that I like, things that are within the offense already, maybe there's some cross over, maybe there's some new thoughts. It's just about opening those lines of communication.

Q. He's had a lot of leeway during his career to change things at the line of scrimmage. Where are you going to be with him on that?

KAFKA: I think it just goes back to being great with the communication, making sure everyone's on the same page, having a plan for how we want to attack a certain look and having the appropriate tools to use that, whether that's at the line of scrimmage, whether it's built into the play call, whether it's adjusted at the line of scrimmage just by leverage or coverage look. There's a lot of different ways to get to that and certainly the quarterbacks have the keys to the car in terms of being able to operate that way.

Q. (Wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) is having a lot of flash plays this summer. What are you seeing from him in year two?

KAFKA: Malik has a growth mindset. He's continuing to grow and learn and get better and master his craft, whether it's as an outside receiver, as a slot receiver, in the run game. I think he's just taking a really concerted effort of being really detailed with those things. I think you're seeing it with those splash plays and the ability that he has but I think there are other elements to it. It's running off on a screen and collecting two DBs down the field, now those guys are out of the play. It's those little details that maybe don't show up on the stat sheet – that, to me, I'm probably most proud of him.

Q. What have you seen so far from (offensive lineman) Evan Neal and how does his move inside create more advantages for you as a play caller?

KAFKA: Evan's doing a really nice job. It's not necessarily easy to go from outside and move inside. Evan's doing it from a communication standpoint, you got to be dialed into the calls, you got to be dialed into double teams a little bit more, if we're going silent cadence – all those things, they get added on so he's done a really nice job. I'm proud of him and I think we still got some more days in camp and some more work there but he's doing a great job with the work he's done.

Q. What are you looking for from (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) as you start to go into the phase of playing other teams?

KAFKA: Like any position, just operating within the confines of the offense and going out there and playing confidently, being decisive, command the huddle. I think for Jaxson, for a young player – I know from my experience, it was getting young guys who probably never played as well – he's out there calming them down and having great poise and great confidence and and then just going and playing football. It's a game you love and you know, you've been playing it for a long time. My biggest piece of advice is just go out there, enjoy it, play, have fun and go be aggressive.

Q. Will you look at his production and stats or just how he's functioning?

KAFKA: We'll evaluate everybody and everything. On offense, it's an 11-man operation so everyone's got to be rolling on all cylinders for it to function and so, it's never just about one guy. So yeah, we're going to evaluate everybody.

Q. What do you see from the veterans in the QB, RB, and receiver rooms that are helping lead and develop the younger guys on the roster who you can really tap into this season?

KAFKA: That's been the tremendous part about this season thus far, in the training camp and the OTAs, is these veteran guys have really stepped up into that roll. It's year four in the offense, they kind of know the ins and the outs and they can go through and help with the younger players, help them with their learning tools, help them with their fundamentals, with their techniques and now kind of take that to the next level.

You're seeing guys like (wide receiver Darius Slayton) Slay, guys like (running back Devin Singletary) Motor, (running back Tyrone) Tracy Jr., (tight end Chris) Manhertz, (tight end Daniel) Bellinger, (center John Michael Schmitz Jr.) JMS, (offensive tackle Andrew Thomas) AT, (offensive lineman Greg Van Roten) GVR – I could go down the list of all the veterans – Jermaine (offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor) – all the guys that really have taken the young players under their wing and shown them the ropes and it's been cool to see.

Q. What are you seeing from Tyrone Tracy Jr. this year and what's next for him?

KAFKA: I think you're seeing, from my perspective, just the motivated player. He wants to continue to get better. I don't think he was necessarily satisfied with what happened last year and I think he wants more and I think he's working to be a more dynamic player in the run game, in the pass game, as a blocker, just fine tuning all those details and really become a complete back.

Q. How are you different as a play caller now than you were when you came here the first time as a playcaller?

KAFKA: I think as a coach, every year you have to learn and grow, whether it's from past experiences, from other guys around the league, so you just continue to dive into that and see what's in your comfort level, how you can be more aggressive in certain situations, how you can look at different situations throughout the game and how certain teams attack it. Maybe they had a different thought process going into it. It's about reaching out to other coaches and getting that perspective and getting their feel and then understanding who you are as a person, understanding what your team is, how they're constructed and what their strengths are.

Q. Everyone has spoken about the vibes being different this year at camp. Have you seen that and how has that manifested itself to being the type of camp that everyone's having?

KAFKA: I think it's been a really competitive camp. I like the mindset our guys have approached each day (with). No different than today, we got to have a great day today and capitalize on the opportunity. You get such limited opportunities throughout OTAs and training camp so you just have to make the most of them. Each play is a learning experience and understanding that, 'Okay, if I made a good play, great.' You can take that to the bank and build off of it. Or, 'If I made a mistake, how can I learn from that to not make it happen again?' So I think that's just whether it's a veteran guy, whether it's a young player, getting them to understand that these opportunities are valuable but if you do have a mistake or you have a correction, you can learn from it and grow from it.

Q. Where is Jaxson in his development?

KAFKA: I'd say Jaxson is right on schedule from what we'd expect in terms of just understanding the offense, continuing to grow and learn every day. Every day we're presenting him – not just him but all the quarterbacks – with different situations and some situations you've probably never seen before. Those have been good to build off of, whether it's in two-minute, whether it's a third-down situation or a certain blitz look that we're getting, he's able to kind of grow and learn from those examples and now as he starts banking more and more looks, more and more reps – we do a lot of this throughout the walkthrough as well, he can kind of see – now he's starting to put the picture together a little bit better and cleaner for a rookie.

Q. (Wide receiver) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) got here late last year and probably had to catch up on the offense. Now that he's on his second year, what are you seeing from him as a receiver?

KAFKA: Ihmir's a pleasure to be around in terms of the person, great energy every single day. Obviously, you see what he can do on the special teams side. On the offensive side, having that limited exposure last year and now having a full offseason, I think it's starting to make sense for him a little bit more, and again, we're putting him in spots, not just playing the slot. He could be outside, so just kind of building off what he had last year and now getting more comfortable in the offense this offseason.

Q. In your background of watching people call plays and calling them yourself, how much can a quarterback elevate or save a play caller?

KAFKA: It's a players game. It's always been. It's a players game and whether it's the quarterback position or the running back or the offensive line or the skill guys, those guys make the play come to life so I think when you look at a lot of teams across the league, there's a lot of creative schemes out there but you got to put the players in the position to be successful and again, I think the players take it to the next level.

Q. Does stretching a defense horizontally help a offense get vertical? Is that a conscious thing about how you call plays?

KAFKA: That's a good question. I'd say that when you're building and constructing an offense, just in general, you want to force the defense to defend the whole entire width and depth of the field. There could be different elements of the run game that can attack it, there could be different elements of the pass game, screens, motions, vertical, levels type plays that can get that accomplished, so you're looking at not only the space and spots on the field, you're looking at the people that are in those spots. Maybe we want to attack a linebacker or a certain flat defender, maybe you want to attack a certain safety's leverage, and how do you get that done based off of a certain action that may get that to influence that particular player. You're thinking of the space, you're thinking of putting stress on certain players, flat defenders, high-lows on backers, the width and depth of safeties, and then you start putting the people in those spots to do that with their strengths. It could be a speed receiver, it could be a bigger body on a matchup on a smaller body on defense, it could be quick motions and expanding the width to put that player in different stresses in terms of a run fit or a pass fit. That's what we look at. We try to do that and put guys in the right spot and get looks at it and if it doesn't work out, we kind of reformulate it and then talk about it as a staff and then get a better solution.

Q. Is it a conscious effort as a play caller to set up plays for later like running the same look but a different play?

KAFKA: Yeah, there is a conscious effort to do that on certain things. I wouldn't say it has to necessarily be a one-for-one type situation where it has to marry this exact look but I think it just goes back to who you're putting in conflict and how do you do that within the certain couple plays that you want to package together. Does this guy have the same fit in this run or this pass or this formation? And then how do you marry those things up and maybe put him in conflict a couple different ways?

Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen

Q: We have to start with (outside linebacker) Abdul Carter, what do you see with him?

BOWEN: Been encouraged by him. Obviously, the talent shows up out there on the field. I think he's a very instinctive player. Finds ways to get to the football. He's got a natural feel to dip, to lean, to bend. You see those traits show up out there on the practice field. He's continuing to work consistency day in and day out. With the effort, the technique, the fundamentals. But I like his versatility and what he's going to be able to bring for our defense.

Q: How has his versatility helped you figure out, without giving up too much, figure out what you're going to do with him this season?

BOWEN: Yeah, he's got a history of playing off the ball, so I think that helps him. Obviously, the ability to rush different spots. There's a lot of things he can do, and he does really well. It's just a matter of making sure as a coaching staff we do a good job not overloading him. Obviously being a rookie, continuing to focus on the techniques and fundamentals. But finding ways for him and all these guys to impact the game for us.

Q: When you have somebody that's instinctually like that, they use that word a lot for him, probably improvises a little bit. What kind of onus does that put on the rest of the guys to stick to their fundamentals?

BOWEN: Yeah, I think you have to be calculated a little bit with it. I think part of that falls on him and all these guys, really. There's a time and place to be instinctive when you think you can go make a play. If you take that risk, you better make it. But again, I think the other guys behind him, understanding who he is, understanding who our linebackers are at times, being able to play off them. It happens up front all the time, really with these front guys. There's times they're not always in the gap they're supposed to be in. So being able to read off them, make them right. That's why you're behind them, to be able to make them right. But understanding who you're playing with, I think, is a big part of that.

Q: Shane, I would imagine that there are times when you've been running a defense where you looked at the depth chart and what you had and said, I'm not quite sure we have enough. That's a challenge, right? In this case, when you have three guys like Abdul, (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux), and (outside linebacker, Brian) Burns, that's probably enough at that spot, is it also a big challenge for you now to say, all right, I have to figure it out, to use all these guys when I need to use them. Not like I don't have enough, maybe I have too much, I've got to figure it out.

BOWEN: Yeah, I think we've got to do a good job, myself, our coaching staff, of finding ways to get our impact players on the field. And we think all three of those guys are impact players in this league. They've shown it. The other two guys have shown it. We've got to make sure we do a good job of finding ways to utilize them. Situationally, it comes into play, right? Early downs, what is that? Third down, what is that? We get in the red zone, what is that? So it kind of changes a little bit based on the situation, how much you're able to utilize them more in certain situations than others. But excited to have three there. As you know, it's a tough league. At some point, somebody's going to get banged up too. So to have that ability to have three guys that can roll and play and do different things for us, it really opens up the creativity for us and what we're able to do defensively.

Q: Do you foresee those three guys on first down, though? You know what I mean?

BOWEN: I think there's a time and place. I do. I think there's a time and place for all that stuff, finding ways to get them on the field and what we ask them to do. And it's not only what you're asking Abdul to do, it's what you're asking Burns and KT to do in those situations as well because it's not traditional - four down, two guys on the edge at that point.

Q: Shane, we've seen (wide receiver) Malik Nabers shine a lot this camp. I'm just kind of curious, when you watch him do the things he's doing to your defense, what kind of projections do you have and how excited is he?

BOWEN: Yeah, I don't have any projections for him. I know he's a hell of a player.

Q: I don't mean like numbers. I just mean how – I'm sure you've seen advancement from him this year.

BOWEN: I mean, he's a tough matchup. One-on-one, it's a tough matchup. It's really good for our guys to be able to go out there and compete. I think he's one of the better receivers in this league. I really do. Just the route running, the ability to separate, the ability to catch contested throws. It's good to see him and (quarterback) Russ (Wilson) kind of build the rapport that they're building right now. But, I mean, they've been making some plays in some tight coverage. Really, all those guys on that side of the ball, we've been tight, some contested throws that have been caught by them, whether it's Malik or some of these other guys. So, it's encouraging to see a really, really good player.

Q: How do you size up that competition between (cornerback) Cor'Dale and then (cornerback) Deonte (Banks)?

BOWEN: I think they're both doing a really good job. Obviously, Flott's missed a little bit of time here the past couple days, but I think they're doing a really good job. I like the growth of Tae. I think competition's been good for both of them. I really do. But you're seeing Tae battle and going up against Malik and finding ways to get PBUs and some other guys. He's been able to get his hands on footballs more, I feel like, this early on in training camp, we're ten days in, but early on, more so than what it was last year. He's working. He's working. He's competing for the job. He's trying to earn it, just like everybody else is trying to earn their play time. I thought Flott was doing a really good job. From the spring to now, he was probably one of the guys that had the most pass breakups. So just continue that competition. The versatility is no different than all these other positions. There's going to be time and place where the numbers kind of shrink and we've got to figure out ways of how do we fit based on who's available and who's not. So some of the versatility stuff is going to come into play as well.

Q: Do you rank the upcoming joint practices with the Jets sort of ahead of the preseason games in terms of intensity and what you're looking for in evaluation?

BOWEN: Honestly, no. I'm geared on Buffalo after today. We're kind of shifting gears a little bit to get ready for Buffalo, and I'm expecting whoever's out there to play to our style. You're really looking at guys that can go out there and play with effort, play with fundamentals, take the ball away, all the things we've been preaching, do what they're asked, know what to do. So, I think there's a big evaluation to be had on Saturday, and then obviously next week versus the Jets I think is the same thing. So, I don't know if I weigh one more than the other. Just holistically as a unit, what we're trying to build, the toughness, the physicality, the effort, all the stuff that comes with it, that's the stuff I'm looking at most come Saturday and even next week against the Jets.

Q: Coach, every player we've talked to on defense at every level has made a point to talk about the inquisitive nature of each one. Like, hey, we're talking, the D-line is talking to linebackers, linebackers talking to DBs. Are you seeing that communication pick up within the unit, and how important is that for this defense?

BOWEN: Yeah, it's huge. I mean, on defense you've got to defend everything, right? There's got to be some adjustments where you've got to be able to communicate, get all 11 on the same page. We've got to see it through the same set of eyes. Like one guy can't see it differently than another guy, or else you're not going to be on the same page, and more times than not something bad happens as a result. I think it starts really with our inside backers and our safeties. That's where the bulk of it falls. I think our nickel position falls into that category because he's kind of hybrid. I do see growth in (cornerback) Dru (Phillips) there, just being year two, his understanding, awareness, his conviction, making some of those calls. I feel really good about (safety, Jevón) Holland and (safety, Tyler) Nubin. I think they see things the same way. They're both great communicators. They talk. Then obviously that filters down to the front with (inside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke) and (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden), all those other guys, and even up front. You've got guys like (defensive lineman) Dex (Lawrence II), who has played a lot of ball, (defensive lineman) Nacho (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches), (defensive tackle) Roy (Robertson-Harris), who has played a lot of ball, our edge guys. Those guys are talking. So I don't think there's ever too much that can be said pre-snap. I really don't. I tell our guys, you never know what you're going to say that alerts something or helps the guy next to you. So let's not keep stuff a secret. Let's make sure we're all on the same page, seeing it through the same set of eyes so we can go out there and execute as a unit.

Q: Are you pleased with how many takeaways you guys have gotten on the defense so far, and how much has Holland contributed to that emphasis?

BOWEN: Yeah, it was encouraging in the spring. I feel like it's continued here in the fall. I think we need more. I always think we need more. But you see the emphasis on being able to punch the ball out. Guys are trying to punch the ball out. Whether we tag off, we thud the runner, then he continues on, and guys are making an emphasis trying to punch it out. I feel like we've been able to get our hands, whether we pick them or not. We've gotten our hands on a lot of passes. I think we've got to do a better job up front, being able to get our hands and tip some balls there. But I'm encouraged with where we're at right now with that. Just something we've got to stay on top of. We preach it daily. We show them daily. Big area we need to improve on this upcoming season.

Q: I think Burns mentioned he saw Kayvon Thibodeaux flick a switch at some point last season. Is that something you've seen?

BOWEN: Yeah, I think KT's had a really good camp. I think he's shown his ability to play with power. It's showing up more on a more consistent basis as a rusher. And then the complements off of that, I think he's really diving into who he is as a rusher, as a player. I've been encouraged. He's done a lot of good things this camp. I see the effort. He's one of the, in terms of clips that we show, there's a lot of clips of KT running to the ball. That's the example for us. So pleased with where he's at. Hopefully all these guys continue to grow. We're on day 10 right now. I know it's coming quick, but we got a lot of growth still to happen before week one.

Q: Rushing with power, is that an emphasis that you had with him going into the offseason?

BOWEN: Yeah. I think just knowing who he is and the strength that he has and the length that he has, it doesn't always have to be pretty. We can be a little bit grimy at times, and then you have the ability to counter off of that. Now they're sitting on it, and you can use some of those hand moves, get on edges, things that come along with it. But if you've got the ability to power, let's make sure we utilize that. It'll open everything else up.

Special Team Coordinator Michael Ghobrial

GHOBRIAL: Hello everybody, good to see everybody again. Hope you guys are doing well. I'm excited to get this season going. With that, will take any questions.

Q: What have you seen from the guys coming back into camp?

GHOBRIAL: Just collectively, I think there was really good recall from OTAs in the offseason, which as a coordinator, the biggest question mark that you always have is how much recall they have after having a little break between that time of the year to training camp. And when they came in, guys were ready to go. You could tell that guys put in a little bit more effort into studying the things that are required for them to have success, which allowed us to kind of speed up our install progression going forward. So really excited about where our guys are at, excited to see them perform.

Q: What does having (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) back mean to you?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, tons of respect for Gunner, not only as a returner, but as a core player. That's a guy that's proven in this league, has had a lot of success. Unfortunately, last year, he just got hurt, nothing that's his fault. So excited to see him at full health. He's going to bring great competition in that returner room. He's a guy, like I said, who it's undeniable that the guy's had success in his career, has had success here before. So, excited to see what he does with his opportunities. I know he's going to make the most of it.

Q: What does he do differently, or I guess, how does he compare to (wide receiver) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette), what he brings?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, I think every returner is unique in terms of what they bring to the table. So in terms of what makes him unique is, not necessarily his catch mechanics because he catches it really well, so does Ihmir. They just have different run skill. Gunner has the ability to get vertical and slash, and so does Ihmir. So there's a lot of similarities with the return style. But at the end of the day, nobody can say that Gunner's vision is going to be the same as Ihmir's vision. And Ihmir's vision is going to be the same as Gunner's vision. They both see the game differently. So their block setup, how they take their first step, that's all unique. And it's a little nuanced, but they both have had success in this league for a reason, so it works for both of them.

Q: Where are you with (kicker) Graham (Gano)? I mean, he's an older kicker who's coming off a couple of years of injuries. What do you see from him, and are there concerns that, can he last?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, from what I've seen, Graham has looked, I thought he played his best ball towards the back quarter of the season. And it looked like he was the Graham Gano that everybody knows. A very successful veteran kicker that has the clutch trait, that's weather tested, that has good range, good accuracy, and good operation time. And we saw that towards the back quarter of the season. And then when he came back, you always wonder where a guy is with his kicking shape, and he showed up ready to go. He looked like the Graham Gano that we all know. He kicked well in the off-season, and he's kicked well in training camp. Health-wise, I'm excited to see what he can do. I know he takes care of his body, and that's something he stays connected to. And he's done a great job for us.

Q: Is his leg strength, I'm sure you monitor every kick and see, is it the same as it was when he was a 55+ guy?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, so it's, in a sense, you're not always looking about what his end-of-half, end-of-game kicking line is every time. To me, the most successful kickers are 100% inside 45 yards. And then when you look at something that's +46, you want a guy to be above 80% in theory. So he does have that 50+ range still, he does have the ability to hit the big ball. And now with this new kickoff, it's more focused on foot accuracy. So do you need a guy that's going to kick it 10 yards deep every time? Not necessarily. Does he have that ability still to do so? He does. He's shown it this offseason, this training camp.

Q: Coach, how have you seen the mindset of guys attacking special teams over the course of your time? Has it changed with now the significance of special teams? And can you tell young guys that have played a lot of special teams in college when they come in?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, the one thing I'll say about this team and where this team is at right now, there is 100% buy-in, not only from the rookies, not only from the veteran special teamers that have played in this league, but also the guys that have been primary offense and defensive starters. Whatever unit we've asked our guys to do, they have completely bought in and they've competed, which has elevated everybody's level. And that's really exciting to see. That's a credit to (head coach Brian Daboll) Dabs and (general manager) Joe (Schoen) in terms of the roster that they built and the veteran leadership that's there and just guys that love football. That says a lot and that ultimately elevates your kicking game. And then in terms of just overall special teams and where we're at, it's going to be fun to watch our guys play. They're excited to get going. They're excited to run through a wall and play against somebody else. So for the rookies, the biggest challenge is not necessarily their effort, their want-to, because it seems like that is all acclimated. It's been more so our game doesn't necessarily translate to what they do in college anymore. The punt play is different, the punt return play is different, just with the formational restrictions and all that. And kickoff, kickoff return is no longer the same. So they're going to be in brand new rules, but they've got plenty of reps over the springtime and summer that I think they have a good understanding where they're going to be at. And for me, my challenge to them is I'm going to keep the game plan simple. We just want to see the best version of yourselves and show us why you're in this league.

Q: Coach, how impressed have you been with (kicker) Jude McAtamney this season?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, Jude has steadily come along since his first day here. You obviously see the leg strength, you see the foot accuracy. Obviously, his experience as both a soccer player and a rugby player, you see the different ability to do stuff on kickoff. And I'm excited to see where he's at. He's a competitive guy, but a good energy guy and a guy that understands he wants to make the most of his opportunities. And he's done so, so far. So he'll have opportunities this preseason to show us what he can do.

Q: Just knowing how important special teams is, what is it about the way the group is forming in training camp right now that gives you the confidence that they can really turn that unit into a strength for this team this year? Whether that's kick coverage, whether that's putting extra points up on the board, whatever it might be.

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, no, I think it all starts with the want-to of it. And understanding, no different than what you just said, like how important it is to actually winning games. Over 50% of the games in this league are decided by seven points or less. So when you're talking about that margin, that small margin that separates winning and losing, it takes every person on your roster. It takes every play held with the utmost importance. And collectively as a group, when you have guys that have bought in, they ultimately are unselfish teammates that want to do whatever it takes to win. So if you have a guy that's a star on a certain unit that wants to contribute in a certain phase, we'll obviously take a common sense approach to it. But if that helps us get the most out of our opportunities to win a football game, we're going to do so. So I'll say that the buy in has been tremendous and then the work ethic, we talk about work ethic all the time. It can't just be that you're talking about it, we want to be great. No, you got to put the work in. And the ultimate sign of that is what we see on tape. And probably the next best thing is how guys can take criticism, how guys can take coaching. Sometimes you deal with prideful men that are prideful about their jobs, and we're prideful as coaches, but we all want the same thing, right? And I think there's been a genuine understanding that our guys collectively want to get better and challenge one another in a positive manner to truly get better and move forward.

Quarterback Russell Wilson

Q: How's camp going for you so far? How would you summarize it?

WILSON: It's going great. I think guys are working their butts off, man. We're battling every day, going against a really good defense every day too, so it's even better. You always want practice to be harder than the games, that mentality of that. It's been fun man. I think we're getting better every day.

Q: Being such a veteran, do you have more of a say in how you're going to be deployed and used in these preseason games? What do you want to do?

WILSON: I always want to be out there with my teammates man. I'm excited to get going, if Coach (Brian Daboll) lets us play or whatever it is, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to play.

Q: (Wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) was talking about I believe yesterday about how much you've encourage him to be a little bit more of a voice in his second year. Can you talk a little bit about that, the motivation there and just how he's generally looked as you've gotten to know him?

WILSON: I think Malik's done a great job just his leadership, his voice in the film room too. He's done a great job with that. I've been telling him that the more he communicates what he sees and feels, not just to us quarterbacks but really to the group as a receiver and we're all want to be on the same page. I think he's doing a great job of that. He's really just stepped into that role, the leadership role. Obviously, he's got guys like (wide receiver Darius Slayton) Slay to watch and listen to and to be in the room with, (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson), all those guys are so tremendously smart and experienced in a lot of ways. I think he's really done a great job of just his practice habits and when he is out there going as hard as he can every rep.

Q: How good is he now that you've had the opportunity to actually play with him?

WILSON: For sure. You see it on film. I mean that was first thing I told you guys when I watched him on film – watching all the cutups of him and all the cutups of the guys and all the plays, all the games. It was just his explosives and once he catches the football and there's only so many people in the world that can do it like he can and I think that he's one of the best in the world to do it. He's going into a second year of it all and it's all fresh and all new, but he's definitely experienced in terms of how he sees the game, his mentality attacking the football in the air. You guys have seen all the explosive plays he's made down the field, also even underneath and all the things he's done too as well and it's going to be a special thing. I'm excited to play with him, obviously.

Q: For somebody like you who has gotten very known for the moon ball and you like to go deep, how exciting is that to have him as one of those weapons?

WILSON: I think we got a multiplicity of guys that can do it. Obviously, Malik is world-class at what he can do. There's nothing really he can't do and I think he does a great job of that. I think it all starts with the offensive line. The line is giving me enough time to throw the ball down the field, make plays also too for guys. You try to spread the ball around as many guys as you can, try to take shots with certain guys and see what these guys are capable of and we've got a lot of guys that are really talented and capable of making plays all across the field.

Q: Daboll's a coach known for taking a lot of input from players. Is that something you two are going back and forth on considering your experience?

WILSON: I think first of all, Daboll's got a beautiful mind, how he sees the game, he's coached tremendous football players, he's won Super Bowls, he's been around winning – national championships, all that stuff. He's been in the game for such a period of time and I think the thing about Dabs is he sees it on the field so well. I think that's the unique piece about what he sees and how he communicates to us quarterbacks. I think that the best part is in terms of the knowledge and what we get to share back and forth is pretty cool. Just over the years, all my experience, his experience, how we see the game the same way. When I came here I was able to spend a lot of time – he watched all my cutups, I got to watch a lot of things that we've done here in the past and also too just be able to share ideas and be able to share thoughts and as we've been going too. That's been really fun. I think him and (assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) Kaf and also (offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach) Shea (Tierney) too. Shea, I've known since (I was) 18 years old, so a lot of that is a lot of familiarity, not just with each other but also too with ball and the game.

Q: What kind of mind does Mike Kafka have because he's the guy that'll be calling the plays? How much of a sync do you need to be in with him?

WILSON: I think both guys – obviously Kaf's played the game, played the position, he sees it like the quarterback does and he's got a great viewpoint of the game. We get to spend a lot of time together in the quarterback room as well and I think Kaf is a really brilliant mind too. I think the ability to share ideas, the collaboration is what's really special here and I think that how they do it and how we do it together, it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun of being able to attack the defense, see things and share a lot of successful plays and a lot of successful ideas and I think that's been a lot of fun too.

Q: What's been your impression of (running back) Tyrone Tracy Jr.?

WILSON: I think Tracy has had a great training camp, OTAs, there's nothing that he can't do, catching the ball out of the backfield, his ability to run the ball. You all saw some of the big runs he had today. I think (running back Devin Singletary) Motor too as well – both of those running backs have been really spectacular for us and once again, it all starts with the offensive line and how they've been doing a great job of creating big run lanes for those guys when they can. We're going against a really good defense, so when you get to go against those guys, it just makes us all better offensively and defensively. I think that level of competition daily, back and forth is making our football team better every day.

Q: What do you see from the tight end room?

WILSON: I think (tight end) Theo (Johnson) has been really showing up the past several days in particular. I think he's done a tremendous job of his ability to get down the field vertically has been really good. I think he's done that a few times. Obviously, you saw the big touchdown across where he ran today, just his speed down the field. He's made some really big plays over the past four or five practices and being really intentional with him in particular has been cool to see over the past several days. I think also (tight end Danielle Bellinger) Belly's done a great job. He's so consistent. He's like Mr. Consistent, he is what you wanted to tight end, you know where he's going to be. He can make plays for you. I think (tight end Greg) Dulcich has made some big plays throughout the camp too, and then obviously (tight end) Chris Manhertz – big hand Manz – his ability to block, his ability to make plays and I've been around Chris for a while, man. He's a pro in every way, how he goes about it, it's fun to be around him. We got a really good tight room. I'm excited about (tight end Thomas) Fidone too. I think he's a young, talented guy and I'm excited to see him ball out in the preseason and see what he can do.

Q: Throughout camp or really since you've been here, a lot of your teammates have been really complimentary about your approach and the atmosphere this year at camp. When you hear all of that, what does that make you feel and what does it feel like to be in an atmosphere like this?

WILSON: I think it's the best honor in the world to be able to lead a group of men like this. Young, driven, smart, tough, talented guys, man, it doesn't get any better than that. That's the greatest gift in the world to be able to lead an organization like this and to be a part of that. I just want to be able to bring that championship mentality every day, a championship approach, the competitive edge every day, how we want to go about practice, how we want to push each other, how we want to challenge it. I think ultimately, to be able to have a tough mentality, I think that it's never easy. It is one of those things that for where we want to go and what we want accomplish, we got to be able to stay in the moments and stay looking forward to the next play. I think we do a really good job of that right now. We're battling every day and it's just been cool. I love this locker room, the guys, just the fellowship that we have together all the way from the lunch room to the film room after practice. We go watch film every day together and spend a lot of time just as players and that's fun, to be able to spend that quality time to be able to go through the film, run the film and just talk about what guys see, what I see and share that and share that knowledge. It's been great man. I am truly grateful to be a New York Giant.

Q: Do you have a first ever preseason game memory or recollection or something? Obviously, for a lot of these guys it's going to be their first time ever. What about your first time ever?

WILSON: I remember my rookie year, we played the Tennessee Titans in Seattle and I just remember checking into the game in the second half or whatever it was and man, I just remember myself telling myself – and I still do the same thing to this day – telling myself, 'Man, it's just a hundred yards, just a hundred yards, 53 and a third.' And just telling myself that over and over again. I think that positive self-talk, the ability to visualize success. I remember I hit (former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver) Braylon Edwards on a go ball down the left sideline, which was a sick go ball. He caught it. It was my first go ball in an NFL game, obviously the moon ball for a touchdown. The game was on the line, we're supposed to run 18 force and I looked at my – he's actually now my president, his name's (former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver) Charlie Martin and he was the X receiver, he was trying to make the team and everything. Remember, I'm third string quarterback trying to make it here and it's four-minute drill and the game's late and it's close game. I remember telling, we had this play called 18 force running to the right and he's supposed to go, it's called cut walls, 'Let's go get the safety', right from the left side as the X. I look at him and I break the huddle, I say, 'Hey, block your guy. Block the corner. Just go straight.' He goes, 'What?' (I said,) 'Block your guy,' and I ended up faking it and pulling it because the defense end just kept coming down and I ended up running for like a 49-yard touchdown, dove in the end zone. He pancaked his guy. I remember those memories, man. I remember those memories, and you get that same thrill every time you step on the white lines. I still do. The love of the game, the passion for it, your teammates, and it's the best game in the world and we get to do it and I'm grateful for it every day. And those memories never leave you.

Q: How important are preseason games to you now? Obviously, you're new to this team at the same time, you're a proven player. How important are they to you in order to get ready for the season? Do you view that as it's mandatory?

WILSON: I think preseason is great and it's a great opportunity to prepare. Everything is about preparation, right? Everything's about mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, how you get ready, what do you eat before the game? All the way to what you're listening to, to putting your cleats on for the first time again and the fans being there and putting your shoulder pads on – that part of it, the joy of that. You never lose that joy and I think that that's the part that you embrace. I think also the comradery of being in the huddle, it's third-and-seven, 'We got to get this one.' It's that experience, that feeling being on the road and going to Buffalo, we're going to a great environment. I played there a couple of years ago, great environment. I played on Monday Night Football. I mean, just doesn't get any better playing in Buffalo in a crazy noisy, loud place. I just remember just those things you embrace, and I think that as a veteran going my 14th year, for me, it's about me being prepared, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, but also too making sure what can I do to help somebody else? How can I serve and how can I make sure that our teammates are ready to go in the best way possible? Part of that is really speaking life in the guys, making sure they're not too nervous, reminding them what they've already done, reminding what the preparation has already prepared them for and just being in the moment, just being right where your feet are.

Q: You've been around long enough to see the evolution of the preseason from four preseason games to now, these joint practices take on a lot of weight and you get a lot of work out of them. What do you like about the joint practices and what are you looking to get out of it next week?

WILSON: Yeah, I think the joint practices are great just because you get to go against another team, get to see, match up and just play football. Once again, everything's about preparation, getting ready for the season, so I think obviously our opportunity to go against the Bills and this game coming up here is going to be a great one. Obviously. I think the next week, it's the Jets and those practices are really great. They've got great talented players on that side and we get to play some football and strap up the pads and the reality is you get 17 regular-season games and hopefully three to four more, so every opportunity you get is a great one.

Q: You're better half watches a lot of practices. I'm just curious, does she let you have it at nighttime? If you throw a pick at practice?

WILSON: No, I think that (she's) always supportive. I think (Ciara Princess Wilson) C is always great. My kids being out here is fun too. I think Future, he loves coming to practice. He's really good at football too. He can play. It's cool throwing with them, seeing Win and Sienna and Amora and C. We have a great culture here and a great organization and that family aspect of it makes it really special, so I'm super grateful.

Q: Is she enjoying her time here?

WILSON: Yeah, she loves it. We all love it and we can't wait to play.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q: We saw you leave practice earlier and not participate in the rest of your practice. Are you doing okay?

NABERS: Yeah, I'm doing fine. You know, the coaches and the training staff have a process of what they want me to do to be healthy for when we get ready to play, so I just got to do my job and follow the plan that they got put ahead of me.

Q: So that was just part of the plan?

NABERS: Yeah, it's just part of the plan.

Q: Is it still about maintaining the toe?

NABERS: Just everything. Just, like I said, the process is just making sure I'm as healthy as I need to be when it's time to play ball.

Q: Malik, the last two practices at the beginning, it looks like you're talking a lot to the trainers. Are they listening to you, essentially?

NABERS: No, they're really just asking me questions, asking me how I feel, telling me all of the things that are going to be ahead of the plan today - what I'm going to be doing at practice and how I'm going to be doing it. Just keeping those guys in the know of how I feel and what they want me to do, so it's just a process that I just have to follow.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about your intention on being a little more vocal and being more of a leader, you know, now that you're here a year and have it under your belt? I think you might have mentioned yesterday that (quarterback) Russ (Wilson) had kind of encouraged you to be that way, too. Can you address that?

NABERS: It's just being more vocal about just getting guys ready to go or making sure we're on the right path to what we want to accomplish, and I have to sometimes get out of my mode. I talk to myself a lot. I talk to myself in my head, and I'm always quiet a lot, so sometimes I have to step outside of those boundaries and get guys riled up and get them going, get my receiver group going, and that's just a part of just being a leader and just wanting to be better for my team.

Q: (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator) Mike Kafka was talking earlier about how he's been impressed with the way you've done some of the little nuances. Like when you're not the focus of a play, going off and taking a couple of DBs with you. Is that something you've focused on?

NABERS: I mean, that's offense. That's what you want to have when you're on offense. Every guy has to want to participate in whatever play is called. Doesn't matter if it's for me or not, I still got to get guys open. I still got to make the play work. If we want to be a great offense, we have to have those guys on the team.

Q: How's it been with Mike Kafka? A new voice calling the play, making sure he knows what you want, you know what he wants, that kind of thing.

NABERS: I mean, with (head coach Brian Daboll) Dabs and him it's been a collaborative process. Dabs has been around also. Kafka has been tremendous calling plays. So, like I said, it's a collaborative process. But everything has been going well. Hopefully when the season starts, we're able to keep on rolling and continue to get good plays called and get guys in good space, playmakers the ball and explosive offense.

Q: How much input have you had with Mike as far as, you know, I see this, I can exploit this, maybe not so good this, you know, that kind of thing?

NABERS: I mean, I'm sure that's what they want to hear. They want to hear the good players interact with them. Let them hear how plays are working out. Let them hear what other plays that we can work on. How can we get open on this other play? So, it's been, like I said, it's been a good process. I've spoke about some things in the offense about how we should run things, how we can't run things, how I feel about certain plays. So, just having that, going to them about it and them receiving it with open eyes and open ears has been great, has been helping us as an offense. So, I'm glad that I still have that role in the offense to do that.

Q: What's it like to catch Russell Wilson's deep ball? It's pretty unique. People always talk about the moon ball, how high it is. You've caught balls from a lot of quarterbacks here. What's unique about it? What's the key to tracking it?

NABERS: Personally, I would probably say his timing. His arm angles, where he can deliver the ball, whether they be sidearm through a defender. He's put the ball in some crazy spots that I thought would never get to me, but it made it there. Or just, like you said, the moon ball is easy to catch. He drops it right in the bucket. He's able to put the ball in a position that only his receiver can catch the ball. So, it's been one of those great attributes of his as he's been playing in the league for so long.

Q: As somebody who likes to make big plays down the field, how exciting is that for you to have a guy like Russ, whose specialty is that?

NABERS: Yeah, I mean, especially if I can get three passes for 160 yards, I'll take that rather than 10. So, just having that mindset at quarterback position, that I'm going deep. I'm trying to, you know, score. I'm trying to get points. I'm trying to be aggressive. But also staying consistent on picking and choosing rather than when he wants to do it and when he doesn't want to do it. Or just picking drives and trying to give his guys the opportunity to go make plays.

Q: How much different or better do you feel in year two?
NABERS: I feel good. I feel like I'm continuing to learn more, continuing to gain more from those veteran guys, and just adding more and more and more resources to my game and to my circle that I surround myself with.

Q: We made it five minutes without asking me if you want to play in the preseason. Do you want to and do you think it's important to when you have new quarterbacks for the sake of timing?

NABERS: I mean, that's up to the coaching staff and what they want to do, what guys they want to put out there. But I will continue to stay ready so whatever they do, I'm going to just be ready. When my name is called to go out there, I'm going out there.

Q: Do you know (New York Jets' cornerback) Sauce (Gardner)? You'll be going to be going against him next week with the joint practices and the preseason games? What do you know about him? What's your relationship with Sauce?

NABERS: I mean, I know about him, I know he's one of the top guys that just got paid this year. I'm just happy to go against him, get some other guys in practice to try to compete with. I know he's a very good corner. And I'm just excited to go against him another year.

Q: What were the things that you were most happy about last year with what you did personally? And what do you think you're going to be better at this year? What do you think you already feel better at?

NABERS: I would just say all around just knowing what everybody has to do on the offense. Whether it be protection, whether it be what the quarterback's looking at, whether it be knowing where the quarterback's going with the ball, whether it be how to get other people open. I kind of was just, last year, just running my route, trying to make sure I was doing everything right. But now as I take this step forward in a new offense I'm focusing on learning every position, learning whether I got to play wide, running back, or whether it be anything else, just because it opens so many opportunities for me to get the ball, opportunities to showcase my talent. So just learning the whole offense and what everybody has to do.

Q: Just a little off the beaten path with (running back) Tyrone Tracy Jr. last year. He was kind of a revelation to a lot of people. What impressed you about what he did last year and taking it forward to this year?

NABERS: Just coming in here, keeping his head down, continuing to work hard, getting that spot for him to be a vocal part of the offense. Giving him the ball, feeding him the ball. I would just say it was great seeing him take that step this year and being another vocal leader on the offense that we need, getting guys going, keeping that dog mentality that he has. He shows it when he's out there. So just keeping that, keeping that explosive play mindset. He creates just a great atmosphere, just breaking a lot of runs down the field. So, it helps break the offense up a little bit more, especially just not having a lot of people doing it.

Q: On the toe - It does feel like when you're practicing, you're going a hundred percent. Are you playing through any pain or like, what is it when you're out on the field? Do you feel it? Is it affecting you at all?

NABERS: I don't think it's been affecting me. I still continue to make plays, still continue to feel good when I'm out there. Some days are better than normal, but for right now, I think I've been feeling pretty great while I'm out there.

Q: Do you feel 'unguardable' out there? It feels like you're winning a lot.

NABERS: I'm just doing everything right at the receiver position to put myself in an open position, get myself open and just create a good throwing lane for the quarterback, I would say.

Q: What have you seen from (quarterback Jaxson) Dart's camp? It seems like a hundred years ago, you played in your first preseason game in Houston. What will you tell him about, you know, it's going to be his NFL debut, whether it counts or not. What will you tell him?

NABERS: I had a talk with him. I was like, at the end of the day, bro, like everybody says, it's football. I assume everybody feels nervous but there's no higher that you can get but the NFL. It's the highest you can get so you already made it. The hard job is done. The hard part was getting here. The easiest thing is just keeping it and continue what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish that.

Keep God first and continue to make your name proud, make your family proud, and that's how it's going to be.