Competition for playing time is expected to be fierce during fall camp
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Florida State Seminoles opened practice on Thursday at the Albert J. Dunlap Practice Facility and sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher made it clear that every position is up for grabs.
“Depth charts right now mean nothing,” Fisher said. “Everybody will get the same amount of reps. What we’re trying to do is get reps, teach, put guys in different positions to see what they can and cannot do, what they can and cannot learn, and the big thing here is just to develop consistency in performance and where you’re at, and right now our depth chart means nothing to me. That’s not cliché either, that’s just how we’ve approached it every year. Every job is open, every job is based on who plays the best and it always has been.”
The Seminoles, who donned helmets and shorts, must replace eight starters on offense and four NFL Draft picks on defense from a team that went 13-1 and captured a third straight ACC Championship.
Still, expectations remain high in Tallahassee despite the media picking Clemson to win the ACC Atlantic Division.
FSU will be anchored by All-American Jalen Ramsey, who moves from “star” nickelback to cornerback and two-time All-ACC linebacker Terrance Smith on defense, while two-time All-American kicker Roberto Aguayo will also be a weapon on special teams. Sophomore left tackle Roderick Johnson will lead a new-look offensive line, and junior Jesus Wilson and sophomore Travis Rudolph are both returning starters at wide receiver.
Redshirt junior Sean Maguire, redshirt freshman J.J. Cosentino and fifth-year senior transfer Everett Golson are expected to battle to replace Jameis Winston at the quarterback position.
Fisher said he does not have a timetable on when a starting signal-caller will be announced.
“Week in, week out it’s about performing,” Fisher said. “Everything is zero-zero and I’m anxious to see how things go. The big thing is to get a lot of reps in a lot of different positions for these guys.”
Northrup Back in Action
Senior linebacker Reggie Northrup was cleared to participate in practice on Thursday night and appears to be on track in making a full recovery from an ACL injury he suffered at the Rose Bowl in January. Northrup led the Seminoles with 122 tackles in 2014.
Fan Day This Sunday
FSU’s annual Fan Day is this Sunday, August 9 at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Doors open at 11 a.m. Parking and admission are FREE. Fans are allowed to enter with only ONE item to be autographed. This will be STRICTLY enforced to allow as many fans an opportunity as possible. Re-sale of autographed items is prohibited and may negatively impact a student-athlete’s eligibility. Also, Osceola and Renegade will be in attendance.
Golson on Unitas Watch List
Fifth-year senior quarterback Everett Golson was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List earlier this week.
The award is named after one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and established in 1987. It is presented annually at the end of each season to the nation’s top college quarterback based on character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments. Candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with their class.
Golson will compete for the starting quarterback job at Florida State this fall. The Myrtle Beach, S.C., native passed for 5,850 yards and 41 touchdowns over 25 career games for Notre Dame in 2012 and 2014. He added 581 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Head Coach Jimbo Fisher Season-Opening Press Conference – Aug. 6, 2015
Opening Statement:
“It’s great to be with you starting our sixth season. A very exciting time. We’ve had our meetings and walkthrough this morning. I saw a lot of eager, energetic eyes to jump out there, but we’re very excited for this camp to start. I think this has been one of our best summers from a cohesive standpoint, work out standpoint, physical standpoint. Guys have done a really good job – great condition, great shape, and I’m really interested in watching these young players develop. I think that’s going to be key for us going into camp. With training camp, you have one goal that you have to do in two levels. The goal is education…our goal in camp is education. I think that’s one of the most important things we have to do. We have to do a great job of teaching, they have to do a great job of learning. Then you build that cohesiveness and see where this young child, as I like to say, when talking about a team, how it develops its own personality and attitude and see where it branches off or changed from the spring what it’s grown in. You may have to go back and reteach some things, or whatever it may be. Everyone wants to talk about the potential of our players, but potential to me is in three parts: Talent, desire, and knowledge. Obviously they have talent or they wouldn’t be here. Their desire, I think that’s what separates the good players from the great players and the average players from the real good players. How they take to it individually. Their knowledge of how they can learn, I think that’s critical. Very often with guys you see great talent, but why isn’t it playing? Sometimes it has to do with knowledge. Is it comfortable with the position, does it learn what to do consistently? I always equate it to driving a car. When you know where you’re going, or if you’re driving home from work, if you wanted to you could go 100 miles per hour because you know every stoplight, you know every crack in the road, you can go as fast as you want to go. When you don’t know where you’re going, you have to look at every stop sign and you’re creeping along. That’s going to be very key, how well these guys adapt and learn and help one another. From what I’m seeing, it’s been very encouraging and I like where we’re at. Guys chose to be here, so our goals and aspirations for our program never change and our expectations don’t change. What we have to do is let this team develop its own personality and attitude and where it’s going to go. That’s not just on the field, that’s off the field too. We have the off the field things as far as developing kids, because well-rounded people make better players. The great teams I’ve been on have a lot of highly-developed people that will be very successful after ball too. I think the teams in the past have been that way, and I think the teams in the future will be that way. I’m very excited to get things going and I’m anxious to get out there today. Hopefully the rain holds off and we don’t have to go inside.”
On the importance of the preseason depth chart:
“Depth charts right now mean nothing. Everybody will get the same amount of reps. What we’re trying to do is get reps, teach, put guys in different positions to see what they can and cannot do, what they can and cannot learn, and the big thing here is just to develop consistency in performance and where you’re at, and right now our depth chart means nothing to me. That’s not cliché either, that’s just how we’ve approached it every year. Every job is open, every job is based on who plays the best and always has been. We had to put (a depth chart) out or y’all wouldn’t quit asking and you have to put guys in a position to know where they’re starting off. It means something about where you’re starting and what you’ve done in the spring, but you have to go do it again. That’s the thing about athletics, and I keep saying this: Week in, week out it’s about performing. Everything is zero-zero and I’m anxious to see how things go. The big thing is to get a lot of reps in a lot of different positions for these guys.”
On the quarterback battle:
“Whoever gets reps, whether at 1, 2, 3…we’re just going. We’re not getting into all that. (Redshirt freshman) J.J. (Cosentino) is actually our number two, so J.J. is in that battle too (with graduate transfer Everett Golson and redshirt junior Sean Maguire).”
On splitting reps between players:
“Everybody on our team gets the same amount of reps. We divide our team in half and do team drills. It doesn’t matter because there is no set ones. We don’t know who the ‘one’ wide outs are, we don’t know who the ‘one’ O-Line is. You could supposedly take two or three reps working with the ‘ones’. I know it’s hard to fathom, but there really is no set starters. It’s just about reps and getting better. All we’re trying to do is get better as a team and educate our players and see what they can and cannot do.”
On the ‘clutter level’ of this year’s team:
“I think it’s good. I think it’s clean. Our guys are very clear-minded, had a good summer, like their heads, I like where they’re at with the questions and the temperament right now. I think they feel very comfortable going into camp.”
On the team’s decision to quit social media:
“When you’ve had success doing things, why would you not repeat it? Isn’t that what you want to do? Sports is about consistency and performance over long periods of time, so when you do things well, you repeat them. If there’s been a problem, you change it. (The team) elected (to quit social media), and that’s been a very consistent thing for us for success, so that’s part of our organization and part of our program.”
On whether he’s entered a fall camp with more questions than this season:
“Oh yes. A lot of them. The 2013 year we had just as many. We had almost as many questions then as in 2012 and 2011. There were questions all over the board, and there are huge questions every year. This year, to me, is really no different.”
On the injury situation entering camp:
“I feel very good. A couple guys we’ll limit about team activities. We’ll do tons of individual workouts. We want to bring them along the right way, for instance (freshman defensive end) Josh Sweat, (redshirt sophomore offensive lineman) Ryan Hoefeld, (senior linebacker) Reggie Northrup will be full go. (Redshirt senior linebacker) Terrance Smith is 100 percent, Reggie is 100 percent. We may monitor reps on Reggie occasionally just to make sure that knee doesn’t take too much too early, which is a smart thing to do. We do that with veteran players anyway, just some individual reps. Hoefeld will get a lot of individual but won’t get a lot of team early, probably for a week or so. (Freshman quarterback Deondre) Francois will probably have to wait a week and a half or so to get any team stuff. We’re mostly healthy other than that. (Redshirt junior defensive end Chris) Casher is fine.”
On the youth among the offensive skill guys:
“One of the younger ones, I don’t know if it’s the youngest. It’s probably the youngest offense overall, with (graduate quarterback) Everett (Golson) the only senior, from that standpoint. As an overall group, grade-wise, yes. But you’ve still got a 42-catch guy coming back, a 38-catch guy coming back, backs that have played – (redshirt junior running back Mario) Pender, he’s had a really good year at times and was having a really good year last year until he got injured.”
On the depth at running back:
“(Junior running back) Freddie (Stevenson) looks really good. He can run the football as a big back in those situations, much like (former Seminole James) Wilder, Jr. and those guys did. You can take a tight end and put him at fullback, which I’ve always done. I never used a fullback a lot. I remember my first years at LSU, we didn’t use one until we had (former LSU Tiger Jacob) Hester. We would always use the tight end and H-back type guys. There’s different ways you can move them. Freddie is a big, powerful guy and healthy now at running back, and could be a short yardage, goal line-type guy. Ryan Green has the ability – we wouldn’t do that because I feel very comfortable with him at cornerback, and you could even put (junior wide receiver) Kermit (Whitfield) back there and give him a carry. We did that when he was a freshman, outside plays and some things that caused matchup issues. That’s the thing about our team – there’s a lot of guys that can play a lot of different positions.”
On concerns entering the year:
“My biggest concern is making sure we have the right chemistry. Everybody talks about leadership, and the cohesiveness of our unit is very good. At the same time, that’s one of the things I feel comfortable about heading into camp. I hope it continues. This team is a very, very conscientious, hardworking group of guys. Put it his way: If this team was one person, they would be a friend of mine. I like the demeanor of this football team. I really, really like the personalities, the people, the demeanor, the work ethic, the toughness issues. I really like all the intangibles…now we’ve got to go play football.”
On whether he would say the same thing about last year’s team:
“Not as consistently, even though it was there. Not maybe as much. This team is young though, too, and I don’t mean to take anything away from last year because they did some great things, but I’m hoping this team will keep developing.”
On team having a chip on their shoulder due to not being picked to win ACC:
“No, I don’t. I think it’s about trying to be the next guy up. Knowing how things are done here, the culture and the place. That if I can succeed here and do the right things, I have a chance to be a tremendous player and have a tremendous future. I think if you have to base your chip on external things, so these go away. Like enthusiasm for a game because I’m mad at the opponent, he said something in the paper. After about three hits, if he hits me real good, I don’t care what he said in the paper. I’m usually trying to find a hole to hide in. External things to motivate you aren’t what great teams and players thrive on, in my opinion. It can get you through a game, it can get through a day, get you through a week, different times of a camp, but really down deep it’s about what you are and what your culture is.”
On three things the team can improve from last year:
“Just consistency and the team taking its own demeanor. I don’t base this off of last year, this team is totally different from last year. It’s not the same group of guys. We’ll just try to be consistent, identify what they can do and do it over and over and over on offense, defense and special teams. The cohesion and chemistry.”
On quarterback Everett Golson’s development within the offense:
“Well, I haven’t seen him. I’ve only heard of him, I haven’t been around him with any workouts as far as throwing the ball or anything like that, we aren’t allowed to do that. Today will be my first day. In the meeting this morning, he was very attentive and very sharp and knew the answers to the questions and asked good questions. It appeared to me that he’s been using his time well and studying and doing that things he needs to.”
On whether the program can continue previous success with so much uncertainty:
“I think in ’12, everybody challenged us in ’12, too. We lost eleven guys, lost EJ (Manuel) and actually had higher draft picks than we had last year. We had more first and second rounders. I think we’ve passed all that. This is just a matter of doing what we do.”
On expectations for Ryan Green after move from running back and cornerback:
“Very well. I was extremely pleased with him in the spring. I think he has the capability of being a big-time corner (with) his change of direction. If you look at his skills, I think he’d be a tremendous nickel guy. Field corner, boundary corner, he tackles well. I’m really looking forward to him now really knowing what to do, (he’s) studied over the summer and taking that into fall camp.”
On timetable for Everett Golson’s development in the offense:
“We’ll wait and see. We’ll play it by ear, I won’t worry about that. If he doesn’t know something, I won’t do it. I’ve called it before. We’ve called things for (Christian) Ponder, for EJ, for Jameis (Winston), for Drew Weatherford. You change constantly as a coach, you never do that same things. You have your base things, but what you feature, how you do things, what you ask them to do, the ability to read on each play, the ability to have freedom each play, has been different every year. It always is. You’ve got to do what your players do.”
On how much of a grasp Everett Golson has of the playbook:
“We’ll wait until practice because knowing it in the classroom and on the board is different than once things start flying. He’s played in a lot of big games before. I’m sure he’ll be nervous out there like a freshman.”
On waiting on grades for returning players:
“Yeah, we always are. We’ll get them back and make those announcements.”
On what he took away from watching the 2015 Rose Bowl:
“No. Don’t turn the ball over. Take care of the ball. That was a good game but I don’t dwell on those things. Games, I know why they happen, different demeanors, all that type of stuff. But we’ve got to take care of the football. Goal number one, taking care of the football, getting turnovers is one of the things in success. But I don’t worry about last year. We’ve drilled on it, we worked on it in the spring and we’ve moved on.”
On whether he has watched the game:
“Once. I’ve never sat and watched the national championship game. I’ve never watched the whole thing on tape. Y’all tell me everything about it. I called it, I knew it. I called the last one, I knew it, so.”
On youth of the offense making kicker Roberto Aguayo more important:
“I don’t know. We’ll see. In the NCAA rulebook, where does it say that there’s an age limit on being good? There’s an age limit on consistency? There’s an age limit on doing this well, doing that well? I can’t find that part of it. There’s usually a correlation with experience a lot of the time, but you can’t go in putting restrictions on guys or thinking negative about guys. They’ll sense that. You think people don’t know what you think or when people ask a question how I can see you ask it or when you coach a guy, the vibe you give him? That’s part of it, that’s huge. You start putting limitations on guys, you let them put their own limitations on themselves, then you help them overcome those. I’m going to wait and see what this team can do.”
On value of kicker Roberto Aguayo being a comfort to coaching staff:
“It did when you had an experienced team. You’ve got a great kicker, it changes everything, what you call, what you can do when you get to certain zones, I mean all that type stuff. That guy, hopefully he continues, he had a great summer, hopefully he’ll continue to do those same things. If you have a great kicking game, it makes a huge difference, it really does.”
On whether winning a national championship made last year’s fall camp more difficult:
“I don’t think it was as much from our standpoint as outside things bother you. Outside people get their hands on you. Outside people want to wonder about the NFL, about going here, that goes with success. Your time constraints. Is there more signing, is there more Booster events, is there more this, more of that. All that’s great, but at the end of the day that’s all part of it and you have to learn to handle that. It’s all clutter. At the end of the day it ain’t the main thing. It’s part of our world today that you have to learn to manage.”
On whether defensive back Jalen Ramsey showed signs of stardom in his first fall camp:
“About week two of camp. I knew he could play. That team, I didn’t know until the live bullets started flying and the numbers on the scoreboard changed and mattered. After the first game I felt very good. As crazy as this sounds, when I felt very good, we walked out of Boston College. Clemson was a huge test the same year, but being able to overcome what we did on the road and they were doing a bunch of things on offense that we had not prepared (for). Five and six man (lines) and things you don’t ever see. Sustain and come back, and doing that on the road, people don’t have any idea how much character that takes to do. You’ve got a young freshman quarterback, KB (Kelvin Benjamin) wasn’t KB, Rashad (Greene) had had a few good years, what had Kenny Shaw really ever done? That was the first time in his career that he really stepped up. Nick (O’Leary) had had solid years. We were stilling moving offensive linemen around, I mean there was still… of course, after the Clemson game. I knew after the Clemson game, they got it. They didn’t only get it, they knew they were good. They knew they were good going into that game. I thought they felt it, but after that, they weren’t going to let things get derailed.”
On difference between emotion and execution:
“Emotion is great and it sounds good, it’s a component, but it doesn’t win games. That all goes out the window. Execution wins games, and confidence. They had an inner confidence about themselves with how they practiced and how they dealt with each other off the field and the demands they put on each other. When there was a social media ban, one of them guys broke it, you can bank Telvin (Smith) was knocking on your door. I didn’t have to say a word. You can bank. He may be trying to kick it in. You had demeanors like that and people like that because that had been so close the year before. They knew how close they could be and they wanted to be a champion.”
On if he has anyone like that on this team, perhaps Junior DB Jalen Ramsey?:
“Jalen – there’s even some more. Believe it or not.”
On if he had the same type of accountability with the 2014 team:
“Yeah. You had the accountability but you didn’t have the demeanor. It’s not their fault. It’s who they are and you can’t force people to be somebody they’re not and because you’re a junior or senior doesn’t mean you’re vocal. It’s your personality and when you start making people go outside their own personalities to be somebody else, it takes away from them. That’s why I say that each team has its own demeanor. It has its own personality. Really, you go back into the history of ball, Joe Montana – one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, if not the greatest was not a talkative guy. He gave you that confidence – that quiet confidence. Remember that one talk he had in the locker room – ‘where going to push through’ – was one of the few times he ever spoke in his life. We think you’ve got to have – you can have those guys quietly or loudly. It just depends on the personality of the team and player.”
On how long it takes for the team to find an identity:
“They’ve all been different. Sometimes it evolves the whole time. Sometimes it’s week one or two. You know what I mean? Some, it’s just a feel and it’s something you’ve got to know as a coach. It’s part of your job to figure it out.”
On if there are any guys with the demeanor like junior DB Jalen Ramsey on offense:
“We’ve got quite a few guys. I’m not going to name anyone right now. You know Jalen. There’s quite a few different guys on there that I’m very pleased with their demeanor and the steps they’ve taken, especially in the past two or three months since spring practice. I’ve been extremely happy. I want to wait and see how it carries on.”
On the depth chart – defensive ends Jacob Pugh and Lorenzo Featherston and their positions and what he’s searching for:
“Pugh is actually on the other side now. See, he’s been moved since the last depth chart. Again, consistency, flexibility; knowledge of how much you can and can’t do and the situations you can put them in. Can you keep them in, in nickel situations and not, sometimes, not always having to put nickel in the game? Have a three-down and have big rush ends that are flexible 6-4, 6-6, 6-7, that can still drop in coverage and can still blitz off the edge – get match ups on the back. Are they capable of that? You know what I’m saying? We’re going to play with a lot of personnel groups that way. Try to get the best people on the field, most athletic, long length athleticism. That’s the name of the game, with physicality.”
On if he’s seen more of an impact with Coach Lawing with those guys:
“Yeah. I think so. I think Brad is a heck of a football coach. I really do, in a lot of different areas. (He’s a type of guy) we’re going to put your hand in the ground and we’re standing up rushing.”
On the competition at all of the different positions:
“I am. Because, let me tell you something, that’s what athletics is all about. At the end of the day, if you don’t like competition, you’re in the wrong business. If you don’t like being challenged, you’re in the wrong business. If you don’t like having to come out and win every day, you’re in the wrong business and that’s what the great ones do. The great ones, they love the competition. They loved when someone gets in their faces and challenges them. Do they get scared? ‘Do I lose my job’ but they thrive on it. To me, that’s what competition is all about.”
On if that is a fitting description of redshirt junior quarterback Sean Maguire and the quarterback competition:
“It better be. You’ve got to win every day. If you can’t compete within yourself – that’s the biggest competition. You’ve got to compete within yourself.”
On Sean Maguire and Everett Golson coming him together:
“Not much, because it was the summer. I occasionally spoke to them together and they’ve interacted very well with each other – helping each other, talking to each other. I’ve been very pleased in meetings and walk through’ s. I like the demeanor.”
On the reports from the strength and conditioning staff from the summer:
“Attendance (was good). (There was) a lack of tardiness. According to the players, a lot of the voluntary things that they were doing on their own had very high attendance levels. Those are usually great indicators of hunger or discipline and wanting to do the right thing because football is a game in which you love to play (but) it’s not fun to do all the things it takes to play. Football isn’t always fun. That’s why you don’t see – it takes a different breed of cat to play football. The things you’ve got to do to play football are harder and different than any sport out there. Maybe wrestling, something like that. I’m sure there are others. Boxing – some of those maybe. I think it’s different and it takes a special guy and you get guys that like the grind (and) until you like the grind it’s hard to ever be a great player. When you like the grind you become a great player because you’re willing to put in the work for all the things you prepare.”
On the update of Marcus Lewis and Lorenzo Phillips:
“Marcus will be at practice today. Lorenzo is working on – grades are in, everything is good. It’s getting in the right official transcript in from what I understand. He should be there.”
On his assessment of the quality of the ACC this season:
“It’s getting better and better. I think you’re getting more quality teams. Like I said last year, you had the most players out of any division drafted out of the ACC Atlantic last year. You’re second every year in the country. The one year you’re first over the SEC in players to every league. And quality players – you can make it up all you want at the end of the day, I’ve coached in that league and its great football. Great athletes. Very good coaching. Good home atmosphere. Different dynamics. It’s hard because it’s a lot of travel, you’re talking about going from the top of the United States to the bottom. Different weather patterns, different demeanor, different atmospheres. It’s very challenging in a lot of ways and I think it’s only getting better.”
On redshirt junior kicker Roberto Aguayo’s confidence being unique:
“Every great player (has it). The great ones, confidence is what they all have. You can’t play any position without confidence and he has sole (confidence) and he should because what he’s done and how he prepares. The guys that have true confidence, it’s like when you walk in to take a test at school. If you study – you know what’s going to be on that test. You know the minute you walk in there and if you’ve studied real hard or half way or not at all. When you’ve done the work, the preparation and you have the physical qualities to do it and you’ve done it, there’s no reason not to have confidence. But, you’ve got to be careful and not let confidence turn into arrogance. I think he’s done a really good job of that.”
On if he was confident in high school and is that something he saw:
“Yeah he did. I liked, as I like to say, DNA. I liked his makeup. He was a hungry kid. His parents are phenomenal people – hard-working, blue collar, just great people. Great mom, great dad, they care; they live for their kids and he lives for his parents. You can tell the relationship, how he interacted and his demeanor. He was hungry and he was ranked the fifth or sixth best guy coming out. When I saw him at camp and I met him, for some reason – I’m not taking any credit for it, but he hit me with something I liked and it’s paid off. He’s done the work.”
On how many guys he has that feeling with in this freshman class:
“I’m not going to say. I like this class. I like this class academically. I like this class, socially. I like this class’s demeanor. I think we have some alpha dogs in this class in a good way. They like ball and like all the things you’ve got to do with ball, in other words going to school, being a good guy, working out. This group is one of the best freshmen groups I’ve ever been around as far as attentiveness, discipline, being good students, good people. This freshmen group has really got me excited. I don’t say that very often.”
On the injury report:
“(Deondre) Francois, I addressed, (Ryan) Hoefeld, I addressed. Tyler Hunter is free, he’s good; he’ll be 100 percent. (Reggie) Northrup will be 100 percent. (Josh) Sweat will be limited because we want to ease him back into it for a while – not a lot of individual, not a lot of team stuff, but he’ll run and jump and do all those things. We’ll play it by year. Of course, Matthew Thomas (and) his shoulder is out.”
On the offensive line after spring:
“I’m very encouraged with a lot of work to do. But, I’m very encouraged. You can see the finish line and how things should develop. I’m anxious to see how they take to it in the fall camp but I felt good about positions and talent level, extremely well. Now, we just have to get the consistency and getting the call and getting them to understand the cohesiveness together.”
On the junior college guys:
“That’s huge. They could have played last year. Felt very comfortable at times and the talent level is excellent. Hopefully they get out all the nerves and go and with Big Rod you have three experienced guys in that group and Wilson Bell, some of those guys and these young guys (Alec) Eberle and some of these young battles (Corey) Martinez – he’s had a good summer. I’m encouraged. I think some of these young guys we brought in, I’m wishing they had pads on today. I’m kind of anxious to see them move around and bang some guys. Those big son of a guns can move.”
On if he was close to putting some of those guys on the line last year:
“Yeah. We did some experimental things there. It wasn’t the right addition to get the right guy at center.”
On Roderick Johnson’s maturity:
“He’s 18 or 19 going on 35. He’s very mature, sees the world in a very good (way), very very interesting and a great kid. He really is.”
On his maturity creating a veteran presence on the offensive line:
“There’s no doubt. His intelligence level, work ethic and those kinds of things. He’s got some great, great qualities about him. He really does.”
On Johnson’s demeanor coming from his parents:
“If you shut your eyes when you hear Rod talk, you can hear his dad talk. That is a great thing. Good parents, held him accountable; just a great family.”
On Jacob Pugh’s position move:
“It’s two stand up guys and some of your three-down stuff. You can rush both ends, get two different pass rushers. We’ll flip them, we’ll move them. They’ll be interacting a lot of different ways. Just trying to divide them up and get some different guys and get different packages on the field.”
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