Q&A with HERM EDWARDS - 7/31

Jul 31, 2006, 1:07:41 PM

Herm Edwards Day 4 -  Windows Media | Real Video

TRAINING CAMP

HERM EDWARDS: “I thought we were going to fall into a little bit of a lull because this was the fourth consecutive day that we’ve gone out in pads as a team. They didn’t do that and that’s a good sign. That tells me that the veterans in the locker room are controlling the locker room and the mindset of this football team and that’s very important. It all starts up front with your linemen.”

Q: How is the defensive line doing? You always say it starts up front.

EDWARDS: “Coach Krumrie is doing a great job in coaching these guys thus far and they know what it’s going to take to be a successful player in this system. Basically they’ve got a choice – that’s what I tell them: you have a choice to become a better player or stay the same when you come to work. If you stay the same you won’t be around here. I think Coach Krumrie sets a great tempo for these guys.

“Probably the hardest part of practice for our defense is getting through the ‘individuals’ (drills). You guys watch practice, but if you just watch individual periods of 20 minutes, you’ll understand that if (the players) can just get through that…it’s 20 minutes of going hard. They can make it through practice if they can do that. It’s done for a reason, for a purpose. Our individual period is 20 minutes. Most teams don’t have 20 minute individual periods in the morning and afternoon. It’s a way of conditioning a football team and the mindset of a player. So, it makes it a little bit easier to play when they get on the field if they can get through that.”

Q: What about Tamba Hali?

EDWARDS: “He had to go to New Jersey to be a citizen and get his papers. I think he’ll be back tomorrow. I just told him congratulations and enjoy. It’s great.

“This is America. It’s a big deal. We can say we have some faults and every country does but this is the greatest country in the world because it gives people opportunities. You can dream in this country and actually fulfill your dream. In a lot of countries you can dream and you don’t have an opportunity. You can do it here when you’re a young guy. I had a lot of dreams when I was a young kid to be a professional football player and I had an opportunity to do that. That’s what I feel about our country.”

Q: Do you have a feel for what you can do with him or does he still have a way to go?

EDWARDS: “We know he can play in space. He can drop – he dropped in college in zone dogs. He can cover guys. He can come off the end. His first couple of years he actually played inside. So there’s a way we go and let him rush. I’m not going to sit here and give my game plan away to 31 teams but there’s a lot that we can do.”

Q: Do you imagine he will he be part of that pass rush package no matter what you’re going to do with him?

EDWARDS: “Oh yeah.”

Q: Obviously, he’s vying for a starting job and maybe would take the job of Eric Hicks. So what’s you philosophy when you hear talk like that?

EDWARDS: “Eric’s a pro. Regardless of who the starter is it’s a case where no starter has been determined yet. That’s part of the process of pro football. For our system we’re going to have four ends show up every week if they’re healthy because of the way we use our defensive lineman. The first game of the season will be hot and I did this in New York and Tampa: you know if you’re a defensive lineman you’re in a rotation system and are going to play. If you’re productive you’re in the rotation system. We don’t want any one guy to play over 50 plays they’re a defensive lineman. You’ve got to keep them fresh with what we’re asking them to do and how we’re asking them to play you can’t ask them to play that much.”

Q: What about the backup quarterback spot?

EDWARDS: “I think there is competition, Damon is a veteran guy and if Trent couldn’t play and we had to play a game today he would be the starting quarterback. But as this thing goes on we’ll see. He knows that and that’s good for him because it keeps him alert.

“But you’ve got to create competition within your football team. I think the quarterback position is one where there is competition at the second spot. There’s no doubt about it. Huard is the guy right now and we have two young guys that have a lot of potential.”

Q: You’ve said that all those guys could be on the final roster.

EDWARDS: “I’ve always said I keep the best 53 guys. I don’t look at positions because when you do that you cheat players and I’m not going to cheat players and this football team. I kept five (QBs) last year and a couple of times I’ve kept three kickers.”

Q: What about Ryan Sims? There were concerns about him in the off-season?

EDWARDS: “Not me, I wasn’t concerned. I never said that. Don’t put words in my mouth. I didn’t say it.

“I think Ryan has done a great job. He’s down to about 315 (pounds) and he’s moving well. He’s got a lot of energy in his body and is playing with a lot of confidence. I think his coach is doing a great job with him and he’s bought into what we’re asking him to do. We had a good talk before the spring ended. We were talking about what I expected out of him and how we were going to get it done. He’s done a great job of playing and he’s competing and is playing up to his talent level consistently. That’s what you want guys to do: you want them to be consistent. If they’re consistent then you know what you’ve got.”

Q: Is this the year for him; it seems like it’s this way every year?

EDWARDS: “I don’t know. I haven’t been here with him. This is the first time his name has been brought up. All I know is what I see right now. That’s all I can judge. He’s done everything he can do to come and be in shape in camp and compete and go hard.”

Q: Any idea when Brian Waters comes back?

EDWARDS: “It could be a week; it could be two weeks; it could be three weeks. We don’t know. I’m waiting day to day.”

Q: What about Lenny Walls?

EDWARDS: “Lenny Walls is going to be out until next week with a strained hamstring.”

Q: Update on Priest Holmes?

EDWARDS: “No update on Priest.”

Q: You haven’t had any guys have trouble with heat have you?

EDWARDS: “Nah, these guys have no heat problems. They’re not in pads this afternoon. Guys, I don’t worry about the heat. It all starts in the off-season program. I was in Tampa for five years and we never worried about any heat. You work up to this. It’s a mindset and you have to play in it and the thing our guys understand is we’re not out here that long. We’re going fast and they’re conditioned to playing football. These players don’t have to come out here and have to worry about pacing themselves. If you pace yourself I’ll stop practice and we’ll start over. That’s why you don’t see guys stepping out. They’re hydrating well ”