PM Press Conference
Head Coach Scott Linehan
August 4, 2008
(Opening Remarks)
Lightning was the reason we came in. The weather would have been great to work in. We were hoping to work in the rain, but the lightning got pretty close when were out there so we moved in. It never really got a whole lot better, so we stayed here and really got through all of our scripts and all the things we were going to do. It’s not realistic or anything like that but we got a lot of work done.
(On what was accomplished during practice)
We actually walked through everything. You’ve got to eliminate the individual drills because there’s no real room in here; you’re not going to be able to do any foot work stuff. So we went to a series of walk throughs and did all of our team work. Some of the seconds got to get some extra walk through time, which you always look at any situation as a bonus for us to get more teaching in. That was probably the biggest thing about working in here today.
(On the players maintaining their intensity in the gym)
They were great; they were into it. A lot of times you come into the gym and everybody’s kind of halfway thinking about some other things, but in this case they came and got their work done. We asked them if we would be able to adjust the schedule if indeed we had some rain or lightning and, they came in here and did without much delay.
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AM Press Conference
Head Coach Scott Linehan
August 4, 2008
(Opening Remarks)
“We’re starting to get some guys back. It was a really good practice considering they had a day off. Concerned about being a little lethargic, but it was great, great intensity. Guys mixed it up a little bit today, but a lot worked out. Starting to get some guys back in the lineup though.”
(On T Orlando Pace participating a lot in team today)
“Yeah, we’re going to start pushing that here. He’s going to get some good work when we go down to Tennessee too. As we go through it, he’s going to be working with the first unit for the most part.”
(On the day off being beneficial to players who were injured)
“Yeah, and we knew this, we’d get over the hump by now. They’ve done a good job of getting treatment. Probably really ahead of schedule getting guys back out on the field.
(On FB Ross Weil)
“He’s a fullback, that’s picked up our system, he’s got a lot of work, you know, with (FB) Dan (Kreider) being out a lot here the last three or four days. He’s got a lot of work, he’s working with the ‘ones’, working with ‘twos’, working with ‘threes’, getting special teams work. He’s got a pretty good knack for the position, I like his knowledge of what we’re doing, I think he’s going to be competitive for us. I think everybody that’s out here in uniform has a shot, but he’s in a position where you specialize in it and do a good job, you’ve got a great shot at a chance at making the team.
(On FB Ross Weil’s ability to expand his skills and become more of a hybrid player)
“He’s going to play fullback for us. What he’s got to do is play fullback to the best of his ability and help us in special teams. That’s his hybrid potential as far as doing things. He needs a little assistance if he’s going to hop outside and do everything. I don’t see a big future for him at tight end or doing any of that kind of stuff. But he does give us some versatility because he knows the offense and he’s moving around and he’s got a lot of playing time in it.”
(On DT La’Roi Glover)
“Glover looks great. He had one practice, we couldn’t block him, I think about three days ago. We didn’t block him the whole day, and a lot of times older veterans, you don’t see that as much. They’re kind of trying to get themselves ready for the season and the game, stop taking as many reps. Glover takes every snap, after that, we gave him the day off, just because he was sore and a little tired. But, he’s really turned it on, where he can be a heck of a threat if we can rest him a little more this year, even like we did last year, but even more. Have him in there on those critical third downs, where he’s real fresh, boy, he could do some damage I think. “
(On DT La’Roi Glover’s value off the field as far as helping out younger players)
“Yeah, he always has, I think ya’ll have known that since he’s been here. He’s been one of our greatest ambassadors and leaders and I really respect the heck out of the guy.”
(On tomorrow’s practice schedule)
“It’s going to be a regular practice, but because we have to travel, we’ll probably just go with helmets. You know, have like our Friday dress, so we can have everything packed. Because, they’re not going to have a whole lot of time once we get done with morning practice, we leave at three or so. We have to get in and get treatment, some guys were going to try and get a lift in. And then, take care of ourselves that way. And then, we’ll be on that plane. But, we’re trying to get three practices in, so we don’t get cut short and on special teams, we’re going to really amp up the special teams when we get to Tennessee.”
(On what he is looking to get out of the practices in Tennessee)
“Well, like I tell you every time I get asked that, we want to improve as a team. I just want to change the intensity. I want there to be a specific reason for our intensity change. And I think going against another opponent, we’re not scrimmaging them, we’re counting the game as a scrimmage on Saturday night. We’re working with them and the intensity level needs to change, so that we can see how guys are playing and competing, and I’d like us to really kind of change that. We had the controlled scrimmage here last Saturday, a couple days ago, and that was good. But, you start going against another team and you’re blocking people with different color jerseys on, things really change, and that’s what I want to see from us.”
(On if the practices are full pads)
“The first one is. Right now, the first one is the one we’ve got planned to be full pads and everything else we will have most of our pads. We will have shoulder pads on for all. So we will be getting some really good work in.”
(On Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher being aggressive and how it will work in practice in Tennessee)
“No, no we’ve talked about it. That’s the only negative about working against another team. The good part is the intensity is up and part you have to keep an eye on is that it doesn’t get out of hand. He’s done it and the fact that he’s done it and I’ve done it on other teams that I’ve been on, you kind of know what to watch for. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to have stuff, but you do want your team getting ready against somebody else. You do want the competitive nature to go up.”
(On the communication between Jeff Fisher and Scott Linehan on how to set up practice)
“Yeah, I talked to him you know three or four times initially just to organize it and kind of figure out where we were going to do it. At the time we didn’t know if we were going to play each other; we had no idea of what the preseason schedule was. So we were just figuring out where it would be, and I was talking to a couple other teams. And we didn’t know where our training camp was going to be. So as soon as we found out we were going to be here, there were some other options, but because Jeff has done it before and has done it before with the Rams, we kind of talked about coming up here first, but then we found out after we got the schedule that we were playing them in the opener, we said well it makes sense for us to travel there and stay there and play it because it would be one extra trip. Yeah there’s a lot going on there. This summer I talked to him twice and then we got back and we planned this, we kind of set the practice schedule so we were all matched up. The biggest key is making sure we are on the same page as to when we are hooking up and going and doing all of this stuff together. We are going to be separate in our individual and as soon as we do team, it will be offense and their defense on one field and vice versa on other.”
(On if it is going to be 7-on-7)
“Yeah. Right and we will be on separate fields. Our offense against their defense on one and vice versa on another.”
(On where the practices will take place)
“At their facility.”
(On the layout of the fields)
“I have never been there. That’s the one thing I wish I could answer. I think it’s three side-by-sides. So I think we will be working right next to each other, but I don’t know the exact set up there. I know it is very nice and that’s why they are able to do their training camps there, the three full fields there.”
(On having to run between three fields in Tennessee)
“Yeah, it will be good. It will be good. Getting a little hydrate good, working the heat. You know that will good, it will be nice and warm down there for us from what I understand.”
(On the heat being an adjustment for the players)
“We need it. It’s been good here; it warmed up today. We’ve got a lot of work, and I think our conditioning is good, but there is still going to be some good time to train and compete in the heat.”
(On if the Titans agreed to come to the Rams training camp in the future)
“We never really discussed that. It’s kind of like this will work out, just basically said this will work out this year. And if it works out, great, maybe you can come up to our place next year. So that was kind of how we left it. We are pretty focused on ‘08 right now.”
(On if it is an open-ended agreement with the Titans for next year)
“Yeah, exactly. We just want to have a great experience and our goal is to get through that great experience, keep everybody healthy and have a good competitive game on Saturday.”