Head Coach Scott Linehan
Wednesday, August 16
(On today’s practice) “I told them [the team] this was the last two-a-day until next July, maybe mini-camp. They reminded me that we do two during mini-camp, but I said that doesn’t count. There weren’t too many tears shed. We have one tonight. It will be modified somewhat. We’ll be working a lot more kicking than a normal night practice tonight. We tried to get a little extra conditioning this morning, during the heat, to make sure we’re in good shape for the game. But they’ve been running plenty. Aches and pains are starting to set in and we’re fighting through them good, though.”
(On being done with two-a-days) “I’m sure they’re [the players] very happy. We’ve done a lot of conditioning. We’ve conditioned the body, not just in the physical side, but in the mental side. We had a lot of meetings as well. We’ll continue to have a strict meeting schedule and get a lot more of the mental things in. We’ll have night practice tonight; we’ll have afternoon practices Thursday and Friday, and then have our game day schedule on Saturday. The players will be off on Sunday and we’ll get into a one-a-day routine, still in preseason mode, starting Monday.”
(On QB Gus Frerotte) “I think Gus is great. Number one, he’s a perfect fit for Marc [Bulger] and what we’re trying to get done. Whether you say it or not, it’s always nice to have someone else to talk to, to say, ‘Hey, this is what it’s like, this is what coach is like, and this is what we expect.’ I think it gives Marc someone to bounce some things off. Gus is such a great mentor and at this point in his career he’s played and then he’s been in that backup role. I always attributed Daunte Culpepper’s two best year’s in Minnesota to the relationship that he and Gus had. I’m sure we’ll continue that type of relationship in a different way with Marc, as well. It’s certainly nice to have a veteran backup QB that has been through the wars.”
(On RB
Steven Jackson’s status for Saturday’s game) “Steven looks fine. Just like everybody else. Steven’s ready to go, just like the rest of the group and we’ll just make a determination on when we will play the first units on both sides of the ball and special teams.”
(On FB Paul Smith’s injury) “He’s a little better today. He has a pretty tight calf muscle. It wasn’t improving much and he was getting worse for a couple of days. So we gave him a couple of days and we’ll evaluate it tomorrow and hopefully have him ready to go for the game.”
(On being surprised with Smith’s play) “Not really. Greg Olsen knew a lot about Paul because he played for him up there in Detroit. I was able to evaluate him on film, more on special teams because he didn’t play as much in the fullback spot. We’re using the fullback position a number of times and he’s showed some really good offensive ability as a blocker, he has nice hands and understands the protection schemes. He’s done a great job so far.”
(On LT
Orlando Pace) “He’s just fine. It felt much better today. It’s all precautionary now to get him back 100 percent. He could have done something today, we just kept him out.”
(On the production from RBs Tony Fisher and Moe Williams) “I think the first game was a good indication of that and I think the upcoming preseason games will solidify that. I think what’s great about it is that they hear the grumblings about looking for a number two back and those guys want to let you know that you better consider the guys that are here. I think that’s an excellent way to approach it, if I were them.”
(On LB
Brandon Chillar) “Brandon’s done great. He’s shown more versatility than I was aware he had. When
Will Witherspoon was gone for a few days I moved Chillar around and got him some work at some other spots, especially in our sub packages when we get to third down. He really handled it well; he’s a great professional who goes about his business just how you want. He studies hard and does a more than adequate job when he’s thrown in at and unfamiliar position, which is what you’re looking for. He’s done a great job. He really is a definite Sam type of linebacker, especially in our scheme. He does a great job filling that role for us.”
(On DT
Claude Wroten’s improvement) “He’s had his best four or five days [this week]. He’s not unlike any of the other rookies across the league. But his improvement from the Saturday game to where he’s playing now has been a highlight of the last four or five days as far as some of our younger players are concerned.”
(On Chillar coming into camp and competing for the starting role) “I think it shows you his competitiveness. We’ve got a number of guys in here and we have some veterans that have played and started a lot of games as well – Raonall (Smith), obviously (Dexter) Coakley, and Jamal Brooks has had a good camp. He has established himself as a starter and a guy that we can count on.”
(On what he’s seen thus far from DT La’Roi Glover) “You see his ability as a player, you see that he’s got some good seasons still left in him. He’s a great leader and supports everything we’re trying to get done as coaches. His greatest intangible quality is that he’s so good in the locker room. He holds those young guys accountable and does it with class and has the credibility to do it. You can’t just bring a guy in and say, ‘Hey, you need to go lead the locker room.’ The many, many pro bowls he’s been to, not excluding last year playing nose guard in a 3-4 defense, gives him plenty of credibility in my mind.”
(On how Glover’s leadership skills in the locker room effect the team’s play on the field) “You can’t bottle it up, I’ve said it before. The great thing I like about the veteran free agents we brought in is number one, they fit what we needed as top notch players. Number two, they brought that intangible quality to the locker room. You can’t draft it, you can’t buy it, you’ve got to go find it and hopefully it’s part of the package. I think that’s been the best part about the veteran free agents we’ve brought in, they’ve all been such great leaders for the locker room.”
(On how you measure a player’s leadership ability before signing them) “You have a background with them for one. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Glove (La’Roi Glover) played for Jim (Haslett) in New Orleans. You may have heard one thing, but the truth is actually something else that you actually know. Corey (Chavous) was a no-brainer for me because I was around him for three years in Minnesota. You do your research on a guy like (Will) Witherspoon and found out what kind of guy he is. My best friend works for the Carolina Panthers in the marketing department, so I asked him what
Will Witherspoon was like when you ask him to do something for you and he said that he was his favorite player on the team. When you find out this information it’s part of the evaluation. You’re not just watching the film and calling the guy’s agent saying, ‘Hey, we want Witherspoon.’ There are a lot of other things that factor in. The evaluation is never ending. You’re always trying to find out information on people and that’s certainly what you want to do, especially when you’re making key decisions for your football team.”
(On how Glover is showing that he still has a few productive years left in his career) “You see him perform, you see the way he works, how his weight is holding up, how he’s doing and that he’s not having any nagging injuries. You also know you’ve got to manage him, too. He’s not 25 years old or anything like that. You’ve got to manage the older veterans a little different. You’ve got to push them through like everybody else, but you’ve also got to take some miles off of them so you make sure they’re ready to go in games.”
(On S
Corey Chavous helping the development of S O.J. Atogwe) “I think that happens naturally. Corey’s an infectious guy and O.J.’s a bright kid and he knows the right guys to follow. He’ll watch how Corey goes about his business. Corey will be in here like coaches and watching film and bringing the DBs down to the meeting room watching extra tape, not just now, not just the first part of the season, but every week. It’ll be a great example for a guy like O.J. He’s a sharp guy. I don’t have to sit down and say, ‘O.J., follow Corey.’ He figures that out on his own.”
(On the commitment of the team throughout camp) “It’s been unbelievable. Our primary goal was that we were going to come into camp in great shape. We changed our offseason program. Dana (LeDuc) and Brad (Roll) pushed these guys and never let up on them and they never resisted or didn’t buy in. I told them that if they got in shape and did their job, we weren’t going to come in and do a conditioning test. We were going to come in and be in shape and we were. Just by our training room reports and where we’ve been so far, I think it’s a great testament to how they’ve worked and how we’ve asked them to work. We’ve continued to push them through it and condition them all the way through camp. I’ve been in camps before where you never condition the players. We’ve conditioned our guys so we stay in shape and don’t lose the shape we were in and I’ve been very excited about that.”
(On the intensity of the defensive ends) “I’m excited about them, as well as I am the intensity of everyone on this team. I think the whole entire team is taking on that attitude and it’s competitive, but it’s healthy. We’re working very hard at every position. There are jobs to be won or lost on this football team and it’s not just going to happen in the games. It’s daily, as well as in the games, and they’ve all been busting their butts.”
(On tickets purchased by Edward Jones for AmerenUE linemen) “It’s a thankless job. Those linemen risk their lives to get us back operating when we lose power. We take it all for granted, then all of a sudden we have our power out and we’re trying to figure out what we’re going to do and these guys are going out with live wires everywhere trying to get our power up and they do it in a timely manner. I’ve been through a similar situation with hurricane Wilma down in Miami. Those guys don’t sleep; they work double shifts and really risk their lives to get us back into our conveniences. I think it’s just a very small gesture, in my opinion, for a lot of hard hours worked to get us back in shape.”
(On Saturday’s game being on television, a result of the purchase by Edward Jones) “I think it’s great for everybody that wants to watch us and can’t make it to the ball game. I think it’s part of the deal. If we put a good product out there, we’re going to have more and more TV games as we keep going with this thing.”
(On tomorrow’s practice, which was originally opened to the public, but is now closed) “It’s a prep practice for Houston. We’re going to do it like the regular season like it’s a Friday, so we’re doing all of our game plan type plays that we’re going to be running in the game. We’re actually going to be going through our opening Script, so I don’t want Gary (Kubiak)’s best friend, who lives in St. Charles, to come over and watch practice. He would never do that, though.”
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