Transcript: Dan Mullen Previews Florida Gators Fall Camp Ahead Of 2021 Season

Florida Gators Head Coach Dan Mullen met with local media on Thursday, to preview fall camp, which opens on Friday. He talked about expectations for quarterback Emory Jones, the running back group and the differences that will have to be seen in the defense.

As a valued GatorBait subscriber, we are happy to offer this transcript in full.

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Opening statement:

“I hope everybody is doing well. We’re really excited to get things kicked off here, to get the season going. Looking at our team, talking to guys, they’ve worked hard and are excited to get back out on the field. You get that transition right now from that offseason mode of training, getting bigger, faster, stronger… prepping. I know the excitement to get out there and play some football is pretty high. I really like the attitude where everybody’s at as we get ready to kick it off and I know they can’t wait till a couple of weeks from now to kick off the season here in The Swamp. You know I hope we’re able to get the stadium where we want it to be and get the excitement back in the stadium and you know that feeling of feeling the energy, and feeling the noise of the Gator Nation on the field. Not just hear it, but you can feel it. That’s what‘s special in that environment of playing here.”

Will this team come in with a bit of a chip on its shoulder?

“I don’t know if they notice that. I think it’s an edge of their competitiveness of a team. I don’t know, I don’t ask our guys, I don’t pay much attention to that stuff to be honest with you. I like looking at the edge of our team and where we’re at and the competitiveness of our guys. I don’t know about a chip on our shoulder about that. I think about the chip on our shoulder… just kind of edgy about who they are and the type of team they want to become that they have that chip on their shoulder to want to go and compete and be a championship team.”

No spring last year compared to this year?

“You can’t even really explain the two. Last year was a very different situation in every aspect of the program. The mental and emotional stress and toll it took on you was very hard. You don’t know if you’re playing a game or who is playing until Friday night or Saturday morning, just from week to week with offseason preparation being thrown out. I think one thing you look at is a lot of football players and football programs, you’re used to a very scheduled, regimented approach on how you prepare and how you do things, how you get ready, and how you go through a game week, when all of that is interrupted by massive amounts of uncertainty, that’s really hard. I think our guys, you can’t complain, you’ve kind of had a regimented offseason leading into training camp right now for us. But there’s a lot of guys in our program that haven’t learned a routine or schedule yet because they haven’t been a part of it. You look at guys going into their third season. Fifty percent of it is not natural, so it’s still a learning process.”

LAST YEAR HAD TO CURTAIL HITTING BECAUSE OF COVID CONCERNS, HOW DID THAT PLAY INTO TAKING AWAY FROM PREPARATION?

"I don't think we hit less last year. We tackled probably, scrimmaged probably, a little less. But I mean the hitting part, if you're referring to tackling, which is different than just hitting, that just was what it was, but a lot of that was trickle-over from spring and all that stuff, a lack of technique in tackling aspect of missing those numbers of practices."

TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA NOW IN SEC... THOUGHTS ON THAT?

"You know what? I think you look and the tradition in the Southeastern Conference of the schools, you want to say, I mean, just that the power academically, the power athletically that the conference has. The competitive nature of being a championship-level conference. The number of championships over the last 20 years now, really I guess going back to really 2006. The streak of championships in this league is pretty special. And then you're looking at two academic schools, two schools with very strong football traditions. Two excellent football programs. Very passionate fanbases that really fit what this league is all about. And so makes sense. I think I've said this, college football in the next couple years will look differently than maybe what it's looked like in the past. That's just going to be another step of it, and exciting to have those two great schools and great football programs coming into our league."

THE TEAM DIDN'T STAY IN HOTEL FOR CAMP?

"No."

THIS YEAR?

"Yes."

APPROACH THERE?

"Yeah, I mean we're going to have some protocols that we put in place. I think everyone's a little bit more educated about it now moving forward. Last year you kind of, I mean, I wasn't ever used to wearing a mask my entire life. How you pay attention to all these different protocols that are in place, I think there's a lot more familiarity with it right now. When you look at what our protocols, how we're going about it within the ability to wear a mask, when we're wearing them, what situations, indoor compared to outdoors with what we're doing matching the number of guys and looking at how we're managing guys that have been vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated. I think we're just a lot more educated on how we adjust within what we're doing to keep everybody as safe as possible."

LAST YEAR BEFORE SEASON NOT MANY PEOPLE EXPECTED TRASK TO GO OFF THE WAY HE DID... HERE COMES EMORY WAITING FOR FEW YEARS... PEOPLE NOT EXPECTING TON OUT OF HIM IN SAME WAY... SEE SIMILARIRIES? EXPECTATIONS?

"Similarities within their personalities, similarities within their approach, similarities within how they've developed and how they've matured. Obviously their skill sets are extremely different. One of the things that is extremely important for us is to play to the skill sets of our players, and you're going to do things differently. Do things differently at the quarterback position, do things differently at every position where you have new faces, that you're playing to their skill sets and their strengths out there on the field. But I think Emory has learned an awful lot from a guy like Kyle Trask that two years ago I don't know that anybody would have maybe -- except for you guys who kind of know the roster and cover the team -- even a regular Florida fan wouldn't have known his name that much, to kind of be in the national spotlight, Heisman Trophy finalist, NFL Draft pick type of guy. I think Emory has learned a great deal in the maturity of how to handle himself, how to prepare, how to be ready for your moment. I mean I expect great things out of him this year."

WHAT'S YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL ABOUT SWAMP BEING NORMAL WITH DELTA GOING AROUND?

"You know, I mean I coach football. I don't want to pull out my Jurgen Klopp... I'll tell you, I'll be honest with you, that's probably way above me. I think we're confident a little bit more knowing who's vaccinated, who's not. We have a very high percentage of our organization as a whole that has been vaccinated. We're not at 100%, but an extremely high percentage within the organization has been vaccinated. Then I think we have a little bit better understanding of where our, what situations potentially are more dangerous than other situations, if you will, more at-risk situations. So what is our plan on how we're handling those things? So I mean I'm very confident. I'm very confident with our medical staff. I think Paul Silvestri has done an awesome job. His whole medical staff has done an amazing job within their preparation, within their knowledge, of keeping everybody within the setup of where we need to be within training camp. As far as where I think everything will be down the road? I'm getting ready to coach some football. There's some people that would have better answers on that stuff."

Recruiting impact of Texas/Oklahoma addition?

“I just think the recruiting impact strengthening the league. You’re looking right now I don’t know if there’s really a league in college football that could compete top to bottom with the SEC from top to bottom before those teams coming now, and now it’s going to be even a stronger footprint of teams. I guess if you throw them into it, you’re going back before 2006 with Texas - they won 2005? - so now with them and with Oklahoma that won in 2000, so you’re really looking at since the turn of the century now teams that are going to be in this league have been some of the most powerful teams in college football. You look at OU’s run of going to College Football Playoffs over the last several years. I know the term is, there aren’t megaconferences yet, but if you look we’re as close to being to that now, and then you add those two teams and certain it is the strongest conference in college football.”

How does mental challenge change for Emory knowing he’s going to be ‘the guy’?

“I think for him the expectations, but being a mature guy it helps. Being around the guy, seeing how they handle it, now to prepare for different situations, how he gets himself ready for the season. I think there’s a lot to that within the maturity of knowing how to prepare and how to do things. And then the expectations that come along with it and all the responsibility when everybody’s looking at you. He’s got to go win the job still, but I think everybody looks at you as the guy who’s going to be the guy. There’s certain different levels of expectations for you within the good and the bad and I think the maturing certainly helps him be able to handle all that.”

How much better feel for personnel than during COVID-ravaged 2020, especially with everyone recruited by you guys for these systems?

“I don’t know if I recruit everybody exactly for the system. We recruit guys that kind of fit our profile of living up to the Gator standard and what it is to be a Florida Gator on and off the field and all of that as best as you can get to know people, to me on that side of it. But I think our job as coaches to be able to have the flexibility to adjust to their strengths and I think obviously having spring you’re going to be a lot more comfortable with what everybody’s strengths and weaknesses are moving forward. There’s a lot of guys that have played, you kind of know what they do well and how they’re improving and how they’ve gotten better. The guys that haven’t played, you have a lot more knowledge and where you put them to go succeed and how you put all the piece together to execute as an entire team.”

Opening with two non-conference games impact how prepare during camp rather than SEC opener?

“No, they’re two teams that are coming in the first two games … FAU is going to come in here expecting to win the game. I imagine that game at South Florida in Tampa is going to be a rocking stadium. That will be a big-time atmosphere. So they’re going to be two tough team we got to prepare for just like any other game.”

First impressions of Emory Jones?

“That goes back a long time ago now. I think he was like a sophomore in high school, maybe I think it was. That’s an age question. But I think you saw somebody that obviously has elite arm talent, you know where the ball jumps out of his hands, and then an athletic ability to improvise and make plays with his legs. That’s one of the things, one of the first things that you see, because the first time you see somebody you’re watching film and like, OK, where are his strengths. Every player you look at … what do they do well? What are areas you’re going to be able to coach and improve them on? There’s a lot of things you can teach and there’s things that are harder to teach, you got to look at the things they do well and what they don’t. I guess the first thing with him is seeing a guy where the ball just jumps off his hands and a guy that has ability to improvise.”

How is Emory like you have coached?

“Everybody has their own unique deal, so I don’t really compared guys that way of guys I’ve coached. I know them so intricately it’s hard to say, oh he’s comparable to this guy because he’s different. Certain guys have different traits that they’re really good at it, and Emory certainly has it, his ability to have great arm talent with how he throws and then his ability to make special things happen with his legs is probably different than other guys.”

Real cradle of coaching, New Hampshire (Chip Kelly, Ryan

Day):

“It must be that whole little north end of Manchester, New Hampshire that provides it. I don’t know about ‘cradle of coaching,’ but I do think this: I think all of us, you’re talking guys that are really good football coaches. But anytime in life you also have to have opportunity. One of the benefits of Chip to me and me to Ryan and all of us together have really helped each other out at different parts of our careers and in different ways. And I think those little things provided opportunities and then we’ve all been able to take advantage of those opportunities and have success. That bond of Manchester that just gave us some opportunities, opened some doors and then we were all able to take advantage of it.”

Opening camp is the same process every year?

“The first part of it is there’s similarities. You’re always looking and tweaking and changing things up. What do we like? What do we don’t like. What fits this year’s team compared to other team? Where’s our depth? Where’s our roster? Where’s the experience at so where’s our focus going to be within camp? Obviously, last year was an extremely different year than you normally would have. There’s still some variables out there that it’s not as traditionally as it would maybe always be. This year, obviously, not anywhere close to the extreme of last year. And you have rule changes. There’s a bunch of rule changes that the NCAA throws on you at all times that you’ve got to go follow and you’ve got to adjust to and that changes your setup to maximize. My No. 1 concern, and obviously within training camp, is player safety, one, and then player development, two. They keep changing rules on you and I’ve got to change to make sure I’m … I’ve got to try as best I can to keeps guys safe within the rules that they give me. I think there’s always those variables from camp that you look at and you go through as a staff to see what applies to this year’s team and what rules are put in place for you to deal with.”

Any position changes in camp?

“Position changes?”

McDowell maybe?

“Oh, yeah, Griffin McDowell’s going to try to play some defensive line to see how that fits for us.”

Guys tell on Twitter/IG:

“Uniforms, pictures and the kids put stuff out, ‘I’m going to try different things.’ I don’t know. That would be one. The problem is I probably … it’s something that happened that I knew happened a while ago that I’m not thinking about right at this second because, for me, that’s something that I already processed. Like Kahleil Jackson at wide receiver. I’m racking my brain. That’s two. What else have you guys heard?”

You could release a depth chart?

“I don’t have a depth chart; we haven’t even practiced yet.”

Kamar Wilcoxson at safety?

“Who?”

Kamar Wilcoxson, he put on 20 pounds.

“Not 20 pounds. He’s still working a little bit at that stuff, of developing and getting bigger. They’re no (Dameon) Pierce. He’s back there.”

“Secondary guys, it’s hard to me because we move guys around at that spot and within different packages. I don’t view that as like position changes. Guys can be at nickel or safety in this package. To me, it’s not a position change. It’s kind of … what position did Kyle Pitts play last year? It depended on what package we were in, whether he was moving, whether he’s a H-back movement guy, whether he’s in one of the several wideout positions or he’s on the line at tight end. Your packages dictate that more than guys changing positions.”

Where were you when you heard about Texas/Oklahoma?

“Uh, hmm, I was at our lake house. I was surfing or doing something, hanging out there, and I saw some report. I mean I’ve heard that report before. It happened a couple of years ago that there was a report

that all this different stuff happened. But I didn’t take it -- to be honest with you – that seriously. I guess that’s the benefit of going first at SEC Media Days, I was already done. When it came up the second day I called Scott and asked him if there was any reality to that? He kind of gave me the scoop of what was going on a little bit.”

Neutral site games

“I’m just looking at the schedule, I mean I didn’t even know (about Texas and Oklahoma). I just know we have a neutral site game that is kind of a really cool, interesting experience. We lose a recruiting opportunity maybe because of that on campus but I think they are really cool things and to keep, if you ever went to nine conference games you have four home, four away, and a neutral, it’s hard to argue that you have an advantage with five home games this year compared to this team that only has four home games and five away. It gives you a way to neutralize it and make it all fair for everybody.”

Talk about offensive coordinator Garrick McGee

“I’ve known Garrick for a long time. You go all the way back to way, way back in our careers. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for him. To me, the ultimate test is what are you putting on film, what are you doing, how are your guys developing? I’ve always had huge respect for him throughout his career. So when we had the opportunity to get him on as an analyst, I felt like that was huge. I was excited to really get around him as a person more and see the type of guy he was. When the spot opened up we were very fortunate that he was already here. It made it an extremely easy transition because he was already here. Having him around I got to know a lot more about him so that had answered or got rid of maybe any hesitation I had about the quality of coach he was and I think he’s going to do an amazing job.”

Demarckus Bowman limited in spring have you seen enough?

“We’ll see. I mean he looked good in the little bit in spring but we’ve gotta see how he picks things up and how he learns. Obviously, that hurts, being a first year player when you kind of miss a whole installation — this is kind of now almost like he’s going through the installation and learning it all for the first time because he missed the installation in spring.”

How would you feel about coaching in the snow?

“How would I feel about coaching in the snow? I mean I’ve done it.”

Is it any different?

“Yeah. It’s cold. I mean I’ll give you a funny snow story. We’re coaching, we’re at Utah at BYU for the Mountain West Championship — a game we won 3-0. I think it was 3-0. It was, right? It was our first year at Utah (2003). I’m on the sideline trying to signal plays. You’ve got these big gloves on and you’re trying to signal plays. Alex (Smith) is like, ‘it’s hard to see’, well you better figure it out because I’m not taking the gloves off. Figure out what I’m signaling to you. I remember kind of the blizzard, it was coming out sideways, freezing cold. Mike Sanford’s up in the box as the OC and he says it looks like it’s kind of calmed down, gotten a little nicer down there on the field for us to open things up. I was like why don’t you come out of the box to see what it’s like down here on the field. You think it’s a lot nicer down here but it’s still about 10 below zero with snow coming sideways. That one, played one in Wyoming the next year, which was I mean as many clothes as you can have on. We had a 10 am kickoff at Air Force one time. It was a 10 am kick and you couldn’t see the field with the snow covering it. The last high school game I ever played was on a grass field and you can’t bring the truck out there but there was 10 inches of snow the night before and you had to go play in it. Snow is fun to go skiing in, to play backyard football in, but I don’t know that I need to be out there coaching in it. That’s why we live in Florida.”

On Jeffrey Simmons, how do you evaluate when to take a risk on a kid and how much to talk about it in public or ignore it when people pile on

“Well, I think one, I think in his situation I had a lot more information about him as a person and about the whole situation and the background of everything that had gone on within that time frame. There were moments to this day I can’t defend the six seconds of video and I don’t think he can defend the six seconds of video. If you had all the information before and after, it’s easier to make decisions. I think one of the things is a lot of times people get judged on their decision off of six seconds worth of information not off of everything that I have, multiple years’ worth of information. And so at a time like that, I felt very, very, very comfortable with my decision because I had a lot of information, so I had no problem putting my name on Jeffery Simmons for the type of man he is, and I think anybody that knows him or gets to know him now probably understands why I gave him that opportunity, knowing that he was someone who was going to take full advantage of that opportunity that he was given. And that that was more a horrendous mistake in his life over a character flaw and who he was. So you hate to be judged on just that in your life.”

(last year’s expectations – CFP. What are your expectations for this year?)

“The whole thing, I don’t know like…what’s your win total or all of this as you go into a season? Expectations is that we’re a better team at the end of the year than we are at the beginning. That’s my expectation. That we play with relentless effort and maximum effort. That you come out of every game without a regret within the game, that we left everything we could on the field. If we do that, it’ll give us an opportunity to be successful. Your goal is to worry about what you can control, and that’s winning the SEC East. If you do that, you get an opportunity in one game. Then if you win that game, possibly, you never know, chances are within our league you’re going to be getting more opportunities as it pertains to playoffs. Our focus is always on worrying about all the things that we can control and things that — don’t worry about things that we can’t control. That’s always kind of been my focus. My expectation this year is the same as last year. So it’s maybe the outside perception changes.”

(85% vaccinations? Nearing that?)

“Yeah. I think as that pertains to a lot as you’re getting into the games. I don’t know how that would change. I don’t want to get into the exact numbers, because I don’t want to misquote it, but I think we’re at a very, very high level on the team and within the organization as a whole with where our vaccination rate is right now. I’m feeling pretty comfortable with where we’re at and what Paul Silvestri and his staff have done and some of the protocols we’re going to put in place as we continue moving forward.”

(RB room – how keep everyone happy and use everyone with only one ball?)

“There’s, yeah. There’s a bunch of receivers and tight ends and quarterbacks. Everyone wants the ball. There’s only one ball. Heck, defensive guys want the ball sometimes. Go get it. You can go get it anytime you want on defense. Go get it for us. But no. I think one of the things that those guys have done is really bought into what we do of, one, our job is putting guys in position to do what they do well on the field. I wouldn’t be shocked to see us with multiple running back packages this year, with more than one on the field at a time a little more than we’ve done maybe in the past. Just utilizing our talent and our depth of what we have at that spot. But also those guys really buying into the program and understanding how big a role they can make in special teams. When you get into play count of the ability to stay healthy, the ability to stay fresh by rotating a bunch of guys through, and our guys have really bought into that. When you look at our running back stats as a whole position group, they’re pretty good and maybe not one guy gets all the stats, and everybody else gets nothing. It’s allowed us to be pretty successful over the last several years, and guys having the opportunity here as well as the opportunity beyond here because of how we’ve done things.”

(What benefits does Anthony Richardson get by watching Emory or playing?)

“I think you’re going to see him on the field this year, I would imagine. You know me, that’s part of the development and the developmental process, and getting him out there. He’s a weapon with the ball in his hand, both running and throwing within his growth and his development. He’s a guy coming in wanting to compete to be the starter, understanding that he’s one play away from being the starter. I think going through and seeing how guys handled themselves last year really gives guys the maturity on how to learn and handle the situations. I think when you can sit back and you watch, ‘Hey, boy, Trask prepared this way, look at how Emory was prepared, look at when, you know, the situations that he’s had in his career when he gets called, whether with package inform or whether something happens and he’s got to go play, he’s always ready to go perform at that moment’. This is what I need to do to make sure I’m there, that I prepare, from practice 1 of training camp I’m preparing to be the starter. One, to compete for it, but two, to be ready for that moment. And he’s learned how to do that.”

Dan, mentioned it’s a young team coming in, brought 4 transfers in, they taking younger players under their wing?

“I am really happy with the experience those guys have brought to the table. You know, not just their talent and their ability to kinda create the depth that comes in and fills some gaps with some over-positions if you will, but I do think they also – because I talked to them coming in about hey not just coming in as a player but coming in as a leadership role as an older guy, you know, which is sometimes hard to say, ‘you’ve been here 6 months but you’re kinda counting on me to be a leader’. But I talked about that when we brought them in, that’s kinda a role also they have to be ready to fill, and I think they’ve done a really good job of that.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey just received an extension.

“Good for him, did he get a good deal?”

No financial terms

“I’ll tell you what, no, that’s awesome. I’m really excited. I have a great relationship with Commissioner Sankey. He has done an amazing job for this league, you know, and what he does and the leadership he provides and his communication with the coaches, like I said I have a lot of respect for him. I think he does a tremendous job and that’s pretty exciting for the league, and I’m really excited about it because of the relationship I have with him and his leadership within the league.”

Brenton Cox had to sit out a year before playing, what are you expecting from him after now having had a season at UF under his belt, and update on his foot injury?

“Yeah we expect him to be back. I don’t know if we’re going to let him go 100% right on day 1, but he’s going to be out there practicing right away and building him up. Right now with the time he’s missed, building him up, getting him back ready to being 100%, in not just the foot injury but his training and conditioning and all that stuff. You know I expect big things out of him, because I thought he had a really solid year last year. Now a second year in the system, more experience, more a veteran guy, an older guy, having to learn, look at what he did well importantly last year and how to build off that. I have tremendous respect for Brenton, because you look at a guy, highly profiled recruiting guy, people had all kinds of questions about him. He’s come in here and I think been SEC Academic Honor Roll since the day he stepped on campus. Handles his business at an extremely high level in the locker room, in the classroom, and on the practice field. I mean the effort and what he was able to do the year he knew he couldn’t play, to come out everyday, work, get better, be a team guy, give the team a good look and excel in the classroom, I think shows a lot of the character and the type of person that he is and really why he fits being a Florida Gator.”

Comfort level with Emory replacing Trask compared to previous QB transitions?

“No, I’m great. Kind of the same way. I think there’s little things you don’t know until it happens, right? And there’s situations that maybe these guys have never been in before. I had a lot of confidence in Kyle when we put him into the game, but he was going into a situation I have not seen him in a ton, and how he was going to handle that. And he handled every situation that was thrown at him extremely well. My confidence in Emory as a player is extremely high, my confidence with his maturity is extremely high. Now he’s going to get put in situations we haven’t seen him have to handle. Everyone’s favorite player on the team is the backup quarterback, right mostly, I mean everyone loves the backup quarterback. So I think that is such a big deal of now all the extra responsibilities that you haven’t had to handle that come that are really almost non-football related, more mental and handling different situations and pressures. Not how’s he going to handle a third down-and-4. I have no worries about that, it’s really how’s he going to handle all of what comes with being a starting quarterback.”

So wait and see this point.

"Yeah, I mean we’re gonna coach him through it. I don't, there's nothing that’s gonna tell me he's not going to handle it, like, as good as anybody I've ever had.

Follow up on COVID, you said that it might fluctuate, week to week.

"As far as, I turn on the news. That's from me watching the news.”

About the levels of vaccination that you have to have 85%

“That's from me watching the news, you know — I'm saying — that press conference, honestly, those questions are answered down the street.”

In order to meet the protocols of the SEC and the NCAA—

“As of what I understand them to be now? But again that's a question for down the street.”

But if it stays at 85%, which is organization wide, you know, once you're vaccinated, that doesn't fluctuate—you either are or you aren’t. Do you know how many players are how many players and organization have to meet that 85%?

"I feel like, I think we're probably over it at this point, to be honest. I don't know, I didn’t, I haven't gone into the exact number but I mean, in talking with our medical people—because we're not at a point where we need to be at a threshold yet, we’re several weeks away from that. Four weeks ago I would think we're probably in a different place now than we were four weeks ago. But that, again that's for me just turning on the news. I don’t know where we’ll be four weeks from now. I know where we’ll be as a football team, practice wise. Practice schedules, reps all of those.

Defensively, have you figured out what the number one issue was last year, and how confident are you that you guys will get back to the level of defense that you played around here for a long time?

"I don't know if you say this was our number one issue. I think there's a lot of things that went into, you know, different deals last year.

Was it a buy in issue?

"I don't know a buy in issue. I think there are a lot of different things. And almost game-by-game issue of what I could go point out. If the easiest thing is if it’s this one thing, and that's not hard to fix one problem. I think there were several different things that reared their head at different times during the course of the year. You know, and for us, you know, there's times last year we played great defense. And then there's times we didn’t. So there was, you know I mean an inconsistency is one of them. And then, why was there inconsistencies? But I think we've addressed a lot of different situations that we feel a lot more comfortable moving forward, you know. Whether it's from our flexibility within our packages, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our players, playing more together as a team, keeping guys out of bad situations, you know, and finding ways to play at a consistent level within. Leadership coming from our coaches and from our players and that mesh, all of those things combined, I think we're in a better place. And then a better understanding than where we were last year because I think different things would rear its head at different times that we didn't know until kinda afterward. It's easy to look back, you know, but one of the keys is making sure that we're doing it in real time and fixing issues in real time.

Given the talent experience the front seven, and also kind of the size of that interior line that we've discussed, how much more physical of a team's it's going to be?

“I certainly hope we're more physical. You know, especially more physical on the defensive side of the ball. I think naturally we'll probably be more physical on the offensive side of the ball. I can't get into every bit of that last year but you know I think, people look at physicality and how physical you are in running the football and the consistency of running the football and 'hey we're gonna power way over you.' I don't know that we even tried to do that at times last year. I mean, you go through drive recaps and like 'hey we threw the ball eight times and ran it once on this touchdown drive,' you know, and 'okay, let's get the next drive ready.’ It wasn't like, we're gonna rear back and knock you off the ball and play this long ball control game. That wasn't who we were last year. But I think also, maybe part of that led to the other side of the ball, you know, I mean if you're looking and saying 'hey, you're gonna go play teams and if the team is looking—if we go into a game and I know the team we're gonna play is gonna score 40 points, like we were doing on several occasions, like a bunch last year, your approach to the game on both sides of the ball changes you know. I think there's, there has to be a full team philosophy and how you're going into the game on both sides of the ball. And so this year we'll see how we do. If we’re gonna be lighting up scoreboards and throwing it nine out of 10 plays, that that could change the physicality of how both sides of the ball end up playing.”

Who’s gonna make a Kadarius Toney like jump on this team?

“I don’t know anybody because he is who he was and we knew what his skill set was. And then as he matured and grew it and rolled into being a first round draft pick. I don’t know if we have a guy like that. We didn’t have a first round receiver the year before.”

I just meant similar.

“His skill set is such unique, you utilize him differently. So I don't know anybody, the same, like I don't know who's gonna be Kyle Pitts skill set this year for us. But we're gonna utilize those guys in very different ways. I don't know if there's anybody that we would utilize the way we used him within our roster.”