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Q: Is there anything to be gained on Thursday night other than staying healthy?

EDWARDS: “There are some guys that are riding on that fence of being the 53rd player or a practice player. Starting-wise, I think that’s working its way out. We know who our starters are going to be at this point. Then it’s just the guys from 53 to the practice squad and how they are going to shake out. For some of these guys it’s a big game and it should be. It’s a game around the league where a lot of young players will play. You wish all of them were healthy, you wish QB Casey Printers could play a little more because he needs the experience, but he’s not going to get to play. You always wish your players were healthy, especially the young ones, on the last game so they can go out and play.”

Q: Is there a need to get something going offensively?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, I’d like to see our first group, in the little bit that they are going to play, to get a good drive going. If they can get some points on the board it would be really nice. The seconds and thirds, it’s a mixed bag of how they are going to play and how they are going to fare. What gets those guys is that a lot of them also play on special teams. So now they are playing the whole game and special teams too. Those guys get a little tired and you know that. It always helps if you can stay on the field offensively.”

Q: Have you made a final decision whether QB Damon Huard is going to play?

EDWARDS: “He’s not going to play.”

Q: Is that an injury thing?

EDWARDS: “No, I’d say it’s more of a precaution. If he had to play a game he could play, there is no doubt. I just want to keep him out of harms way.”

Q: You have to make cuts today and Saturday. Is it too late for some guys?

EDWARDS: “No, it’s never too late. There is a big difference between the practice squad and the 53-man roster because you are one play away from playing. That’s kind of the scale you’re balancing with those guys and they know it. They know that if they can get through Saturday, a lot of their dreams have come true as far as making a professional football team.”

Q: T Kyle Turley was not out there today.

EDWARDS: “Yeah, he had some personal things that he had to attend to. He’ll be at the game and he’ll be just fine.”

Q: When you look at the final cuts on Saturday, do you have a 51-man roster in your head with the possibility of picking someone else off another teams waivers?

EDWARDS: “You go through a couple of scenarios. You draw your 53 players with the guys that you have here and then you go with maybe only 50 at the end of the day when you see that somebody else is getting cut. You replace one of your guys with that guy. In my mind, there is a 53 and there is maybe a 50-man roster. You may pick up three guys, but that’s tough too because you all of a sudden bring in someone who hasn’t been around all spring and you’re probably getting into a veteran guy. Where does he fit and are you taking a veteran guy as a back-up when really it’s not giving the opportunity for a young guy to learn that will be better down the road. Those are all the judgments you have to make.”

Q: Did G John Welbourn have an MRI yesterday?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, he’s okay. He’s sore because he got kicked in the calf. We gave him an MRI and he’s fine. He’s just sore.”

Q: Is there any carry-over from the preseason to the regular season?

EDWARDS: “You start fresh, obviously. You can look at it a lot of ways. You can look at it that you like momentum going in to the regular season and that always helps you mentally. But then again, when the season starts, it’s entirely different. All of a sudden you’re game-planning and attacking certain people on offense and defense. For us, we are going to do a lot more on offense and defense when we start playing in the regular season. You just hope that the guys you are relying on to be starters know that they can’t drop passes, fumble balls and throw the ball to the other team. You can’t do those things; it makes it very, very difficult to win.”

Q: In New York you went 4-0 during the preseason and started off 1-5?

EDWARDS: “The one year we actually went 4-0 and we actually ended up going 9-0 because we were on a five-game winning streak until we lost to New England. So we won nine in a row if you count the preseason, but nobody counts that. The year before that we were 2-2 and I think that’s the worst we had ever been there. It’s just different in the preseason and a lot of it depends on who plays quarterback, especially in the third and fourth quarter. If you get a veteran out there who is playing against twos and threes, he’s probably going to score a lot of points and that’s just what happens. Your first group generally plays the third game. Our first group played the third game and that was disappointing. We had a couple of drives and we didn’t’ capitalize on them. It was a disappointing third game for us. We couldn’t get anything going offensively, but there are reasons for that too. As long as you know what those reasons are, you are not going to get too concerned.”

Q: No matter the outcome of this game Thursday, will you have to forget about it?

EDWARDS: “I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had three losses as a head coach in the preseason and now I have to deal with it. What are you going to do? You don’t do anything about it. You play the next one and hope that you win that. The regular season is the most important thing and I know that. You always want to win games and the sad thing is that in a couple of them we had the lead going into the fourth quarter, we just couldn’t hold on to it. You take whatever you want out of the preseason. There are some teams who look real good and score a lot of points, but they don’t win on Opening Day. For people that watch, you always get excited about the preseason, but what are you really looking at? You’re looking at your first and third game. Other then that, you are watching your seconds and thirds play.

“I always go back to who is the quarterback in the third and fourth quarter? If he’s a veteran guy, you’re probably going to be pretty good. You take it for what it’s worth and we look to the preseason for one thing only: to evaluate every player that has been here and give them an opportunity to play. That’s why we simplify things and don’t do a whole lot in the preseason. Can it hurt you at times? Yeah. When other people game plan you and other people use all their stuff it can hurt you, but so be it. That’s how we’ve done it and that’s how I like to do it because I think it gives you the best opportunity to evaluate your football team.”

Q: This team is not as young as everyone thinks. Is this team maybe not what you had envisioned with how you wanted to sculpture the program?

EDWARDS: “No, I think it is heading in the right direction. You have more veterans on offense then you do on defense that are going to play a lot; at the receiver positions, obviously and at the line positions it’s the same guys. Our running back is a fairly young player and our quarterback is a veteran guy. There are some young back-ups behind certain positions that you look at who got a lot of playing time in the preseason. Some of them obviously will get playing time in the regular season. It’s no different then what we did on defense last year with DE Tamba Hali, Ss Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page. Today those guys are starting for us. That’s a good thing and there are some others that are playing. You talk about CB Tyron Brackenridge, he’s a guy that was a rookie free agent who is competing to be the starting nickel back and that’s exciting. There are some guys here who have done really good things that we like and they are going to make our football team and contribute. I like how much more mature they are in their second year. I’ve seen a lot of them play, some in limited roles and some as starters. They are much more mature and that will happen to this group of draft picks. They are going to play a lot and when it is time for them to be the starter; they will have the experience to play.”

Q: Will DE Turk McBride start in the absence on DE Jared Allen during the suspension?

EDWARDS: “He’s going to have to play; there is not doubt about it. Our two rookie defensive linemen are in the rotation and they are going to have to play in Houston. That’s good and they are going to play at least 25-30 plays. That’s good for both of those kids and that helps you too. They played a lot in the preseason and we’re getting them ready to play in the regular season. We’re going to put them out there and let them play.”

Q: Allen seems to have had a really good camp?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, he’s been playing very well and it’s a shame that he’s going to have to miss two games. Hopefully we’ll survive it and he’ll be excited to play here in our opener.”

Q: What does the future hold for S Greg Welsey?

EDWARDS: “He’s still here. He’s playing safety and working with the first team at times and he’s still a good football player. That’s where it stands right now.”

Q: Was he bypassed by the young guys because they played better or because of the youth movement?

EDWARDS: “There are a lot of reasons and I don’t want to get into why he is where he’s at. I think it’s all about production, it’s all about how you play and it’s about what we expect out of you. For me, certain players you expect more out of, especially when they’ve play in the league. You have to make sure that they’re giving you that production and that they are doing the things that you want them to do. Every player is treated fairly, but they’re not all treated the same. Some of them are treated with more expectations in my mind because of who they are and what they need to do to help the football team. If you feel certain players aren’t doing that, then you have to shake them up a little bit and create competition at the position. I think that’s important and that’s what we tried to do at the receiver position. That’s why we drafted a first-round receiver. Is he going to play? You’re dog-gone right he’s going to play. Starting the season off, he’s playing. WR Jeff Webb is working in the position and he will play. That’s two more receivers that are young and who will play in the system and that’s good for us because the more you get in the system, the more experience they gain.”

Q: Is Wesley in that available category?

EDWARDS: “He’s been a pro. He probably doesn’t like his situation, but he’s been attentive in the meetings and practiced well. He’s played well in the games and he’s a pro. That’s what I like about the guy. It’s part of the process of being a professional football player. He’s a good football player and that’s why he’s here.”

Q: What do Pollard and Page do for you back there?

EDWARDS: “Those are two young guys who bring a lot of energy. That’s what young players bring to the table. They bring energy to your program. That’s what’s great about having a lot of young players right now. They bring energy to practice and they are excited about playing football. They are very conscious of what you ask them to do; not to say that veterans are not. When you’re young and it’s your first time at the job you are very excited about it. You need to be excited every day about your job and that’s what these guys bring to the table. Every time you tell them something they soak it in and they are hungry for knowledge. They are athletes; they are big guys. They are both probably 225 pounds and are two of the bigger safeties in the league. Pollard has a reputation as a hitter; you saw that this week against New Orleans. He laid some hits on guys and blitzed. Page is an interceptor. He’s got great ball skills and reads the quarterback well.”

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