Bill Parcells Press Conference 9/4
Originally posted by ImanRoshi Recap:
Kid for Sweden making the practice squad.
Its a program we've established to try to develop some of these European players.
Vanderjagt
I don't know enough to give you a good solid answer. I don't know exactly where it is. He'll kick this week and we'll see where it is. I didn't want to keep 2 kickers, and there was a domino effect on the roster. I had no idea that Rector, Hurd and Miles Austin would develop. Austin isn't developed, but he's a good prospect with size and speed. That made me choose between him and Copper, who the only thing he did was just do everything I ever asked ever asked him to do.
Concerned about leg strength?
I'm not concerned about leg strength, but we've seen it in sports sometimes where things happen and they lose their confidence. Confidence is demonstrated ability, and he's definitely demonstrated his ability. Mike came out and kicked 50 balls yesterday, so to his credit he's doing everything he has to do. Its just the uncertainty. When a guy comes out after the game and tells you hes just not 100%, it concernss you.
Mental?
I don't know. I don't know the player very well. I can't draw conclusions right now off what I got.
Do you almost perfer its a mechanical problem that you could fix?
Of course.
Do you think any player can turn on the switch?
I get up in front of the team every year and tell them the same thing. This is what Coach Landry and Coach Knox both taught me ... no matther who you are and what you've done, at some point in camp you got to show me you can do something. Maybe not everyday, but when you see it you see it. Hopefully things will improve. I'm concerned about the physical aspect of it. And the domino effect it cost two guys their roster spots. It cost two players their roster spot. One of the hardest things of this job is to release a player who can play for you because you just have to keep another player around for depth. Its unfair and usually its just a temporary thing. And guys like Petitti and Copper aren't going to be back around, especially when you got a guy out there like Shawn who knows those guys.
Petitti
I thought at the end of the day if i had problems at right tackle that Fabini could step in and perform better than Petitti could. With McQuinstan's development, that hurt Petitti in an indirect way because he would be the first guy I would be the first guy in at left tackle if Flo doesn't return right away.
You talk about progress stoppers?
I know ... You can throw my words back at my face if you want to, but at the end of the day it was more about McQuinstan and at least I got one experienced tackle who has also played LT in the league.
Colombo starting?
Yes.
Any other injury questions?
Bradie James didn't practice today. We hope to have him by Wednesday. Fowler is his backup.
Did Flozell practice?
Yes Flozell practiced today and did well.
Will he play Sunday?
I don't know.
TO?
We upped his workload. He didn't go all out, but we have upped his workload. He got 19 plays in the other night. We had a long practice today. 108 Snaps, and he got 1/3rd of that. He looked okay. Give me a couple more days.
Excited to get all the guys on the field now?
Yeah, but this is a tough game here. We're playing a tough team with real good personnel on the road. They went 12-4 last year and they're tough at home. We'll have to play well to beat them.
Flozell?
I asked him midway through the practice how he was doing and he said “fabulous”.
FS?
Watkins has range and speed, but not as much experience. So this is going to end up being a committee thing I think.
Keeping Hurd and Miles on roster instead of practice squad?
I was told by two general managers that if I put either of those players on the waiver wire that they would snatch them up . We have two older receivers. I had no idea that Hurd, Miles or Rector would come along. One of the unforeseen benefits of Crayton and TO missing so much time in camp is that these kids were able to get a lot of reps in and improve by osmosis. And other teams got a lot of film on them too. Austin looked like a decent ST guy we put him in there. He really is behind Hurd. That's school's level of football is below where Hurd's school is. He was allowed to be heavy. He was 225 lbs. Last year, overweight. But just on raw talent, he's very big, fast and tough and pretty smart. This is the only time I've ever kept 6 WR's that I can recall. But this was a case of I just didn't expect these guys to come in as well as they did.
So many undrafted free agents making the roster? Hoyte and Elam and Hurd?
Well, it doesn't matter where you get them. I think you could tell .. watch the 3rd quarter of the Minnesota game and Elam made 6-7 outstanding plays plays. He's green and he'll make mistakes, but he's got potential.
Hoyte
All he does is make tackles. There is no way he could Hoyte could have ever gotten through waivers. All those ST coaches watching the flim ... he made 8 tackles in kickoff coverage. He's gone. I had 10 people call me up around the league telling me “I heard you got a inside linebacker?”
Boiman got caught up in that?
Yeah.
Bobby Carpenter
Still making progress and playing inside. This won't be a quick transition.
TO coming along
I don't know. He practiced last week. He got some plays in the game. He'll practice this week. I'll see what he can handle.
Is he playing with the 1st team?
We're rotating there. We're going to need 3 players in that spot. If he's healthy he'll go ... That would be the case of Vanderjagt as well.
Punt Return?
We're going to go into this game with Jamaica and Newman in the wings. Also, we might use Aaron on kick returns.
Will you use Crayton on punt returns?
If I need just a fair catch, I would put Crayton in there. I'm a little more concerned about jamaica than you would think, because they got a left footed punter and it goes in the opposite direction of what you're used to practicing.
Weather effect your activation?
Not on offense, but maybe on defense.
I don't see myself dressing 4 tackles.
What are your concerns about your OL?
Same as everyone in the league. You got new guys that haven't played together. You got a guy who hasn't practiced in a couple of weeks. There are a couple of teams that only kept 8 offensive linemen. Jax only kept 7 last year. There's not enough of them to go around. Everyone in the league has the same concern .. depth.
You think this group is better than last year?
Overall, potentially yes. In preseaon they looked better. But its just preseason.
Gurode?
You can't have two of those in the game. This is the concentration thing I told you about about him. If he shows lapses, he'll be back watching.
Have you talked to him about it?
What do you think?
How much is the OL depends on Flozell?
He's very important piece, on the same token I do like this young player ability wise very much. Ability wise. I like it. A lot. Ability wise, he's better than any young lineman we've had since I've been here. Now, he doesn't have much experience because he hasn't played a lot of football. But if he gets it, he'll play that position for a long time.
Do you see an scenerio where you could rotate him with Flozell
No, but if I think he's one of the best 5 guys I would do it. That's why I didn't move him. I did't want to put him in a position he has no experience at. My experience with rookies .. you put them some place and leave them there. Now, with Hurd that a reason he made the team .. he learned all three WR positions without a problem.
Has a team ever been better than you anticipated?
Ive had teams better than I thought they would be, but every coach is dealing with uncertainty at this time of the year. Yesterday one team put 5 new players on their roster yesterday. Another team put 4 new players on their roster. Three teams put 3 new players. About six teams put 2 new players. There's the uncertainty. We didn't have a need to do that, because we came out pretty good on injuries. But this is the last week you can go to the gas station. So you gotta fill'er up and know that you won't be able to go to the gas station after this weekend. Starting today and tommorrow, the ability to go shopping is very limited. You grab someone off the practice squad you have to make a 3 game commitment to them. This is the last time to do anything. Now a few guys got cut yesterday because teams that picked up players have to make room. So there is a sprinkling of players who made the last cut that may be pretty good.
Have Rector and Hurd showed enough that you can throw them out there?
I'm throwing them out there if I have to. I know that Rector is playing Sunday. I'll have to see about Crayton, I wasn't thrilled with what I saw the other night. I can't dress 6. I probably can't dress 5.
Bradie James injury?
He got hit with a helmet in his groin. You can imagine ....
Are you more comfortable counting on Rector since he was on the PS last year?
Rector was our top producer in preseason, you can't ignore that. I speak positive about the kid, because he listened to me last year about what he needed to do. He took it to heart, and it paid off for him. Now he's ready to try to do other things. I've spoken to him about it.
Is that part satisfying about the job?
Yeah. When you got a kid like that and you see something in a kid that maybe no one else sees. You got a reservoir of players that he reminds you of that were successful of the league. You say “this is you, this is what you need to do”. But he hasn't done anything yet.
Is this as tough as you can rememer the NFC East?
I got to see them all play. This is just paper. I do think it will be very competitive.
Playcalling
I'll stick my 2 cents in when it calls for it. It wont be one guy. Tony will handle the structure. Todd will be heavily involved. Lynn will handle substitions. And i'll be there to help people out in case they get confused.
Is there one voice in Bledsoe's helmet?
Todd calls the play in, but he's not necessarily calling the play.
Have you had this many people before? It sounds confusing?
No, I've done because some people will be told to shut up.
Do you think its good for the QB to have a rapport with the playcaller?
Its important for the playcaller to have a rapport with the person calling the plays in today's league. They might need to be reminded of something, like the playclock or the weak safety. I'm not sure how you did it in Washington or all the other places you played.
Don't most teams use one guy?
Its not like that with any team. Watch the NFL Network. I saw Mike Holmgren ... Mike calls the plays. He goes on the headphones and says “You got an idea Matt?” Matt gives him an idea, and he says “Okay go with that”. That happens all the time.
Drew suffer a concussion?
No, it wasn't a concussion. He'll play.
Who is upstairs or downstars?
Upstairs will be Palmer and David Lee. Defense will be Pasqueloni and McIntyre.
The OL out Thursday will be your starters?
No, not necessarily true.
Why didn't you go for 2 at the end of the game?
I thought about it. I just didn't want to.
Disappointed in Petitti?
No. You just can't keep 5 tackles. I had no idea that Colombo and McQuinstan would turn out this well. So they changed the situation. You have to make a decision. He had a real good offseason, and he is a better player now than what he was. But I did what I did because I thought these other two guys were better and I wanted just one experienced guy at right tackle. That's what it was.
Any thought of releasing Vanderjagt?
No.
Keeping 2 QB's?
I notice more teams in the league are doing it. I just didn't think I had three. I have another idea, its not important and you wouldn't consider him as significant, but I want to look at him as a development prospect. But its not important right now.
#3 QB in an emergency?
Crayton if he's at the game.
Kid for Sweden making the practice squad.
Its a program we've established to try to develop some of these European players.
Vanderjagt
I don't know enough to give you a good solid answer. I don't know exactly where it is. He'll kick this week and we'll see where it is. I didn't want to keep 2 kickers, and there was a domino effect on the roster. I had no idea that Rector, Hurd and Miles Austin would develop. Austin isn't developed, but he's a good prospect with size and speed. That made me choose between him and Copper, who the only thing he did was just do everything I ever asked ever asked him to do.
Concerned about leg strength?
I'm not concerned about leg strength, but we've seen it in sports sometimes where things happen and they lose their confidence. Confidence is demonstrated ability, and he's definitely demonstrated his ability. Mike came out and kicked 50 balls yesterday, so to his credit he's doing everything he has to do. Its just the uncertainty. When a guy comes out after the game and tells you hes just not 100%, it concernss you.
Mental?
I don't know. I don't know the player very well. I can't draw conclusions right now off what I got.
Do you almost perfer its a mechanical problem that you could fix?
Of course.
Do you think any player can turn on the switch?
I get up in front of the team every year and tell them the same thing. This is what Coach Landry and Coach Knox both taught me ... no matther who you are and what you've done, at some point in camp you got to show me you can do something. Maybe not everyday, but when you see it you see it. Hopefully things will improve. I'm concerned about the physical aspect of it. And the domino effect it cost two guys their roster spots. It cost two players their roster spot. One of the hardest things of this job is to release a player who can play for you because you just have to keep another player around for depth. Its unfair and usually its just a temporary thing. And guys like Petitti and Copper aren't going to be back around, especially when you got a guy out there like Shawn who knows those guys.
Petitti
I thought at the end of the day if i had problems at right tackle that Fabini could step in and perform better than Petitti could. With McQuinstan's development, that hurt Petitti in an indirect way because he would be the first guy I would be the first guy in at left tackle if Flo doesn't return right away.
You talk about progress stoppers?
I know ... You can throw my words back at my face if you want to, but at the end of the day it was more about McQuinstan and at least I got one experienced tackle who has also played LT in the league.
Colombo starting?
Yes.
Any other injury questions?
Bradie James didn't practice today. We hope to have him by Wednesday. Fowler is his backup.
Did Flozell practice?
Yes Flozell practiced today and did well.
Will he play Sunday?
I don't know.
TO?
We upped his workload. He didn't go all out, but we have upped his workload. He got 19 plays in the other night. We had a long practice today. 108 Snaps, and he got 1/3rd of that. He looked okay. Give me a couple more days.
Excited to get all the guys on the field now?
Yeah, but this is a tough game here. We're playing a tough team with real good personnel on the road. They went 12-4 last year and they're tough at home. We'll have to play well to beat them.
Flozell?
I asked him midway through the practice how he was doing and he said “fabulous”.
FS?
Watkins has range and speed, but not as much experience. So this is going to end up being a committee thing I think.
Keeping Hurd and Miles on roster instead of practice squad?
I was told by two general managers that if I put either of those players on the waiver wire that they would snatch them up . We have two older receivers. I had no idea that Hurd, Miles or Rector would come along. One of the unforeseen benefits of Crayton and TO missing so much time in camp is that these kids were able to get a lot of reps in and improve by osmosis. And other teams got a lot of film on them too. Austin looked like a decent ST guy we put him in there. He really is behind Hurd. That's school's level of football is below where Hurd's school is. He was allowed to be heavy. He was 225 lbs. Last year, overweight. But just on raw talent, he's very big, fast and tough and pretty smart. This is the only time I've ever kept 6 WR's that I can recall. But this was a case of I just didn't expect these guys to come in as well as they did.
So many undrafted free agents making the roster? Hoyte and Elam and Hurd?
Well, it doesn't matter where you get them. I think you could tell .. watch the 3rd quarter of the Minnesota game and Elam made 6-7 outstanding plays plays. He's green and he'll make mistakes, but he's got potential.
Hoyte
All he does is make tackles. There is no way he could Hoyte could have ever gotten through waivers. All those ST coaches watching the flim ... he made 8 tackles in kickoff coverage. He's gone. I had 10 people call me up around the league telling me “I heard you got a inside linebacker?”
Boiman got caught up in that?
Yeah.
Bobby Carpenter
Still making progress and playing inside. This won't be a quick transition.
TO coming along
I don't know. He practiced last week. He got some plays in the game. He'll practice this week. I'll see what he can handle.
Is he playing with the 1st team?
We're rotating there. We're going to need 3 players in that spot. If he's healthy he'll go ... That would be the case of Vanderjagt as well.
Punt Return?
We're going to go into this game with Jamaica and Newman in the wings. Also, we might use Aaron on kick returns.
Will you use Crayton on punt returns?
If I need just a fair catch, I would put Crayton in there. I'm a little more concerned about jamaica than you would think, because they got a left footed punter and it goes in the opposite direction of what you're used to practicing.
Weather effect your activation?
Not on offense, but maybe on defense.
I don't see myself dressing 4 tackles.
What are your concerns about your OL?
Same as everyone in the league. You got new guys that haven't played together. You got a guy who hasn't practiced in a couple of weeks. There are a couple of teams that only kept 8 offensive linemen. Jax only kept 7 last year. There's not enough of them to go around. Everyone in the league has the same concern .. depth.
You think this group is better than last year?
Overall, potentially yes. In preseaon they looked better. But its just preseason.
Gurode?
You can't have two of those in the game. This is the concentration thing I told you about about him. If he shows lapses, he'll be back watching.
Have you talked to him about it?
What do you think?
How much is the OL depends on Flozell?
He's very important piece, on the same token I do like this young player ability wise very much. Ability wise. I like it. A lot. Ability wise, he's better than any young lineman we've had since I've been here. Now, he doesn't have much experience because he hasn't played a lot of football. But if he gets it, he'll play that position for a long time.
Do you see an scenerio where you could rotate him with Flozell
No, but if I think he's one of the best 5 guys I would do it. That's why I didn't move him. I did't want to put him in a position he has no experience at. My experience with rookies .. you put them some place and leave them there. Now, with Hurd that a reason he made the team .. he learned all three WR positions without a problem.
Has a team ever been better than you anticipated?
Ive had teams better than I thought they would be, but every coach is dealing with uncertainty at this time of the year. Yesterday one team put 5 new players on their roster yesterday. Another team put 4 new players on their roster. Three teams put 3 new players. About six teams put 2 new players. There's the uncertainty. We didn't have a need to do that, because we came out pretty good on injuries. But this is the last week you can go to the gas station. So you gotta fill'er up and know that you won't be able to go to the gas station after this weekend. Starting today and tommorrow, the ability to go shopping is very limited. You grab someone off the practice squad you have to make a 3 game commitment to them. This is the last time to do anything. Now a few guys got cut yesterday because teams that picked up players have to make room. So there is a sprinkling of players who made the last cut that may be pretty good.
Have Rector and Hurd showed enough that you can throw them out there?
I'm throwing them out there if I have to. I know that Rector is playing Sunday. I'll have to see about Crayton, I wasn't thrilled with what I saw the other night. I can't dress 6. I probably can't dress 5.
Bradie James injury?
He got hit with a helmet in his groin. You can imagine ....
Are you more comfortable counting on Rector since he was on the PS last year?
Rector was our top producer in preseason, you can't ignore that. I speak positive about the kid, because he listened to me last year about what he needed to do. He took it to heart, and it paid off for him. Now he's ready to try to do other things. I've spoken to him about it.
Is that part satisfying about the job?
Yeah. When you got a kid like that and you see something in a kid that maybe no one else sees. You got a reservoir of players that he reminds you of that were successful of the league. You say “this is you, this is what you need to do”. But he hasn't done anything yet.
Is this as tough as you can rememer the NFC East?
I got to see them all play. This is just paper. I do think it will be very competitive.
Playcalling
I'll stick my 2 cents in when it calls for it. It wont be one guy. Tony will handle the structure. Todd will be heavily involved. Lynn will handle substitions. And i'll be there to help people out in case they get confused.
Is there one voice in Bledsoe's helmet?
Todd calls the play in, but he's not necessarily calling the play.
Have you had this many people before? It sounds confusing?
No, I've done because some people will be told to shut up.
Do you think its good for the QB to have a rapport with the playcaller?
Its important for the playcaller to have a rapport with the person calling the plays in today's league. They might need to be reminded of something, like the playclock or the weak safety. I'm not sure how you did it in Washington or all the other places you played.
Don't most teams use one guy?
Its not like that with any team. Watch the NFL Network. I saw Mike Holmgren ... Mike calls the plays. He goes on the headphones and says “You got an idea Matt?” Matt gives him an idea, and he says “Okay go with that”. That happens all the time.
Drew suffer a concussion?
No, it wasn't a concussion. He'll play.
Who is upstairs or downstars?
Upstairs will be Palmer and David Lee. Defense will be Pasqueloni and McIntyre.
The OL out Thursday will be your starters?
No, not necessarily true.
Why didn't you go for 2 at the end of the game?
I thought about it. I just didn't want to.
Disappointed in Petitti?
No. You just can't keep 5 tackles. I had no idea that Colombo and McQuinstan would turn out this well. So they changed the situation. You have to make a decision. He had a real good offseason, and he is a better player now than what he was. But I did what I did because I thought these other two guys were better and I wanted just one experienced guy at right tackle. That's what it was.
Any thought of releasing Vanderjagt?
No.
Keeping 2 QB's?
I notice more teams in the league are doing it. I just didn't think I had three. I have another idea, its not important and you wouldn't consider him as significant, but I want to look at him as a development prospect. But its not important right now.
#3 QB in an emergency?
Crayton if he's at the game.
posted by The Gryphon at 3:48 PM
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