WATCH: Coach Coughlin talks message to the #Giants, latest roster moves, and JPP http://t.co/KqCnOcdZbt
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 7, 2015
Head Coach Tom Coughlin
Q: What was your message to the team out there?
A: When you have a practice like this…to be able to really talk about team, about responsibility, and about taking a look around. This is it, there's no 100 guys, there's 10 practice squad guys this year, and 53. We have to service each other, we have to help each other get better, and that's the whole purpose of this thing. There is a responsibility to each other and we always talk about unity over self and so on and so forth, team above self, and that's what this was about.
Q: You brought back safety Craig Dahl. Was it because of the relationship he has with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo?
A: That was part of it. We looked at him, obviously, on tape and so on and so forth, the fact that he's played back there, he's a veteran, he knows the system, and he can communicate well. He'll have a few bumps in the road just to get going, but he'll know what we're doing and he'll get us lined up.
Q: Special teams?
A: And special teams, I think he had 11 special teams tackles last year.
Q: What did you like about defensive tackle Louis Nix III and cornerback Asa Jackson?
A: Well Jackson, a guy that's played the nickel position, he started to play on the outside in Baltimore a year ago, so we thought that it was a good fit for us. The big tackle, we, of course, knew about him, discussed him thoroughly when he was coming out, and a couple years later he was available so we thought that this would be a good time to take him and work in. He had been at nose tackle, don't really think that's what he is, a three-technique, big guy who can move and who can run, so we were interested.
Q: There have been reports that Jason [Pierre-Paul] is going to be here today.
A: I have no idea. When Jason comes and he's here, I'll be glad to talk to you about it. I don't have any information.
Q: Does your defense need him [JPP]?
A: We need a healthy Jason Pierre-Paul, certainly. He's a guy that would add to our team provided he's healthy and he can play at the level he's played at.
Q: How much catching up would he have to do?
A: He's got a lot to catch up with because, in other words, the other thing is I don't know where he is from a conditioning standpoint; you don't know how much he has been able to do. He'll have some time to spend to get ready. I think he'll come quickly through the football part of it. He's had an iPad, he's watched, so on and so forth. Hopefully that part will be, and we'll be able to get him up to date on that. Of course, the other thing is he's coming into a game plan situation, so it's very specific, so he has to learn specifically what his responsibilities are as we get into the regular season rather than the entire playbook.
Q: So just to be clear here, you anticipate conditioning to be a bigger issue than scheme stuff?
A: First of all, his health, that's the main thing.
Q: Do you have an update on Victor Cruz?
A: No, I don't have an update.
Q: He [Cruz] hasn't run still, as far as you're aware.
A: He's working in the pool. He does run on the treadmill underwater, but that's as far as I know.
Q: Do you think it's going to be tough…
A: I'm not answering, I don't know anything. When he practices, I'll let you know.
Q: Does he [Cruz] have to be handled differently because of the knee injury on top of the calf injury?
A: I thought we worked our way pretty much through that, but that could have an effect on what's going on with the other leg, as well. You never know about that.
Q: Does [Jon] Beason look good to go this week and Sunday?
A: We're hoping. We have to get him out there again and get him going. He's excited and we're excited.
Q: The same with DE [Robert] Ayers?
A: Yeah. Ayers actually looked pretty good today, hopefully that's behind him.
Q: Back to Victor, how much would he have to practice?
A: He'd have to practice, he'd have to practice, and he'd have to get comfortable.
Q: Would it have to be days?
A: That's not for you to know, that's for me to know. If he looks good in practice, we'll decide.
Q: Who's your starting right guard?
A: Right now people are working in and out of there, and I think we're okay with that.
Q: Is Wednesday the first big day of trying to get the game plan in?
A: Sure, yeah, that's the first day.
Q: Have you sort of settled on Cooper [Taylor] getting that first shot at safety?
A: We'll have something to say later in the week, but we'd like to see them all compete again and then we'll make that call.
Q: Was it something that you didn't see in Stevie Brown this past week?
A: No, we didn't have as much time as we would like, obviously. I wish we had more time in the preseason to work with him, but we just felt at this time it was the right thing for us to do.
Q: Has it been unsettling to have so many questions about the offensive line and safety going into the first regular season game?
A: It's pretty normal. If it isn't that, it's something else, but I'd like to have definite answers for you on all these guys, but sometimes you don't have that.
Q: Does Dahl's ability to play special teams factor into him over Stevie?
A: Someone asked that over here. He had 11 tackles last year on special teams.
Q: Has it been harder for you to go about planning this year when you have so many question marks?
A: No.
Q: Are you able to plan or are you moving on as if it's not going to happen and if it does, it's sort of a bonus?
A: There's always a plan, everything is planned, everything is in great detail, sometimes you adjust, but everything is planned.
Q: How do you plan for JPP and moving forward?
A: When he gets here, we'll see, we'll see.
Q: Is it fair to think he [Pierre-Paul] is not going to play this weekend?
A: I'm not saying anything. Maybe he comes in and he's in great shape and the doctors clear him right way, he practices two days, and goes and plays. I don't know, I'm not sure about any of that, but I'm not going to rule that out, either. QB Eli Manning
Q: I'm sure you've heard about JPP eventually coming in today and getting his physical and reporting. What's your reaction and how much can you guys use him?
A: Well, we'll see how everything goes and when he can get back to playing. So, still a lot of uncertainty. We've just got to focus on getting ready for the Cowboys and going out there, everybody doing their job. When he can come back and join us, that'll be great.
Q: Is there a timeframe in your mind regarding JPP, that if you don't see him in the second day of practice, you would count him out for Sunday night?
A: Again, just wait and see. I don't know how he's feeling. Obviously, he wasn't out there today. So I think you just plan and prepare as if he won't be out there. If he can back and practice this week—great. If not, we'll just keep going forward and wait until he gets back.
Q: You personally are not concerned how quickly he can get it together?
A: Right, yeah. So just a matter of what Coach wants to do and himself. He missed the last few weeks, I think probably wants to get back and get him a few days or a full week of practice before he goes. Whatever he and Coach decide, we'll adjust and make it work.
Q: I know he plays on the other side of the ball, but as a leader on this team, how can other players help assimilate someone who missed that much time to everything that you guys are doing?
A: Well, obviously just welcome him back and try to get him caught up to speed. It's a new defensive system for us. Try to get him up to date on that. Obviously, it's a locker room, it's a close group, close-knit group. We'll welcome him back and he's a part of the team. Get him back and support him in his process to getting back to playing.
Q: This is obviously a little different situation than most. Is this something that has to be addressed with the team or try to act as business as usual?
A: It's just business. You get a guy who's back, he's been here. He's made plays. Obviously, circumstances occur, but we welcome everybody back. Hopefully he can come back and be healthy and play some good football for us.
Q: ...
Hopefully we can give him a boost. Hopefully, we just keep going. And hey, it's time to play football. We've got Dallas this week, if that's not a boost enough—we've got the first upcoming game, I don't know what will get these guys going.
Q: Your personal contract situation, six days until the season starts, are you disappointed there hasn't been a resolution yet?
A: No. Again, my focus is on getting ready, playing at a high level. Now it's all about getting ready for Dallas.
