Seahawks press conference transcripts: Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, and more

Coach Pete Carroll gives us a few injury updates (Why do I have a bad feeling about Jarran Reed’s injury? It’s irrational fear, right?). The coolest part of this press conference is when Pete talks about his defensive philosophy - where it came from. The key takeaway is that his core beliefs about defense have never changed. What makes Pete special is how he’s adapted his scheme to accommodate his players.

How does C.J. Prosise look out here? And is he gonna be able to go tomorrow?

He will play. Yeah, we're ready to go with him and it will be limited but we'll get him in there and look forward to just getting him started, getting some snaps. He'll play though out, kind of just sprinkle in plays, just to see what he can do. And this is the first step. It's a big deal

[Asked about importance of game evaluation]

Oh, sure. It's really important. He's looked really good in practice and everything we've ever seen with him looks good. We just haven't seen very much. He just needs to get going, and get started, get back to hitting and getting tackled and taking care of football and all that kind of stuff

[Asked about C.J. on special teams]

Yeah, he was a very effective special-teamer at Notre Dame. And so that has been part of our thinking from the start. He won't do much in this game. But down the road when we get him healthy and he's in the mode of playing on a regular basis, we expect him to play and contribute there.

[Asked about C.J.’s style]

He's a very smooth gifted athlete. He's fast too. You could see that. He's got really good hands. He's got a style. You can see that. I think you guys will recognize early when he gets a little bit of room, a little space. So he looks like he can help us. And he's done a very good job of learning his stuff as far as we can tell up to this point. He's got a lot of stuff in protections and pickups and things like that that we're anxious to see him demonstrate. But he's looked very good in practice at that stuff.

Thomas Rawls is still about a week away from playing or?

Thomas looks really good. I'll tell you he looks great. And I have no hesitation to tell you he's going to play in the opener. I have no hesitation of saying that. We'll see what happens in the next week. He won't play in this game.

Do you expect to have Jimmy Graham…?

Starting today. He was involved today in this tempo which is a good tempo to start the transition. Yeah, he will be picking up steam here in the next couple of weeks.

[Asked about play of offense]

Yeah, it's still been the case. You know, we've just been giving too many situations away. Make it difficult to keep a kind of rhythm that we like. So I'd like to see us play a lot sharper and see where that let's us. Does that allow us to move the football and score some points like we like to? I would bet it will.

[Russell Wilson] How much of that is his ability to read the defense before the snap?

It's everything. It's really everything. And it's the system, it's the standards that we're coaching them to, the expectations of the concepts. Of course, if he couldn't see what he's looking at, he'd be messed up. But he can. He's very well equipped. That's not an issue for him at all. He will always continue to get better. But it's all part of it. It takes everything.

Do you have to teach guys how to watch film when they get to this level?

Yes. Absolutely. Yeah, because if you just put them in the film room, you don't know what they're seeing. So there's all kinds of aspects to that process. The coach is showing them how to watch stuff, how to take notes, and also how to critique them. They're asked to respond while we're watching film. So we know that they can see what they're supposed to be seeing. There's a real teaching going on there.

How long does that process take?

Depends. Usually this is not rocket science. This is just work. So it takes time to get in there and it takes time to familiarize the players with our language so that when they speak and they say what they see, we know what they're talking about. So that, it's a process that really develops over years. You know, guys get way better at it. They see way more and early on they just have to be able to identify fronts and looks and things like that so we're very actively teaching them to make sure they can.

Where are Nick Vannett and Jarran Reed, what's their status right now?

Neither one of those guys will make it for this game. They're both making good progress, but they're totally different injuries, they're not connected at all.

Are you concerned at all about your first team offense after last week?

No. Nope. Preseason game.

How is [J'Marcus Webb]?

He's ready to go. He's ready to go. He had a couple of really good days. Very determined. Didn't like the fact that he lost some of his opportunity there by being out so he's come back very determined and looked very good in practice. I expect him to play well in this game based on how he practiced. So he'll play on the right side depending on how the game goes he may get a couple of snaps on the other side too.

How much of an option is he at left tackle for you right now?

He is an option. He looked very comfortable there which is a real positive and that's why we'll continue to...we're just gathering information on this. Anxious to see how Bradley (Sowell) does again. He has a couple of good games so far. But it's important to have the flexibility and it looks like he was very comfortable. So we'll see how he does. If he can get a couple of snaps in the game it will be good.

Tom Cable kinda joked...

Tom joked?

A little bit. At least he smiled. He said maybe September 11th might be the day he knows who the five starters are. If that's true, what does that do to your offense?

We're pretty settled right now. However, we're just allowing the competition to play itself out. We don't want to cut off anybody's opportunities. It's more likely not to change a lot than it will. But we want to keep the competition open. The guys are showing that they're worthy of that. So we'll see what happens.

Kam Chancellor, will he play?

Yes. Yes, he's going. Glad to have him back. Will Tukuafo is ready to play too. He had a very good week and he's ready to get a little bit of work. There's a good, good group coming back out here.

(Germain) Ifedi looks like he’s playing?

Yes.

[Asked about J’Marcus familiarity with the other starting linemen]

He's already played, he's been in there with them quite a bit. There will be little bit of a rotation in the middle of their play time so we'll see it.

Is Christine Michael beyond the point of proving to you now what he’s got?

Yeah. What I'm interested to see in Christine is to just maintain over a long period of time. He's really found a great consistency. I don't see any reason why he wouldn't in any role we want to play him in, he's ready to go. But he still has to do it, he hasn't gotten the chance to do that in the NFL and so we'll see how he does in week after week after week. It's an endurance race for these guys and you have to hang and he hasn't really gotten an opportunity to prove that yet so it's still out there. But I don't see any reason why he won't.

How is Zac Brooks coming back over the last week?

He's ready to go, he's fully back and he'll be out there and be playing.

Kasen Williams?

He did not make it back. [Asked about Kasen’s injury] It just hasn't gotten better yet. It hasn't improved all the way.

With defensive scheme and coverages when in your career did you settle on a philosophy of how you want to play it.

1977. [laughs] Monte Kiffin, back in the day in Arkansas was the first time I was introduced to really how we play defense. We are an offshoot of what we did then if you can imagine that, we've been with the same principles that underlie everything that we are doing. That was an incredible experience but that was such a great scheme with such a great coach to teach, you know, we've been a variation of that throughout. A lot of people wouldn't be able to recognize that. But I think it's one of the things that really helped me through the years is that we never left and said "okay, let's do somebody else's scheme or change to somebody else's". We've never done that, we've always just grown and adapted and in that, we have have so much in our background; it’s such a reservoir of experience of things that we've done. That's why you hear me talk all the time- we can adapt the players, we can adapt the styles and stuff because we have been through so much.

You ever had the temptation, at any point in your career, to get away from that or...?

[Shakes head, no] but I'm hoping that I would always demonstrate...be as wide-open to learn and to grow, but we've always had a home base and a philosophy that we started from. Monte used to say, years ago, "If you change your philosophy, you don't have one." And that's the case, that's the truth. And we've had very strong beliefs and we try to build on that.

What have you seen outta Keenan Lambert? What's it like to have Kam (Chancellor) with him?

It's good to see that. They're very close and care about each other very much. Kam has set a standard that Keenan is willing to live up to. He is tough as nails, he'll hit ya in a heartbeat. He's been a really good guy to coach. He's very bright, very open and eager to learn and all of that. He's gonna knock somebody around this weekend, I'm sure. He's determined too. It's a really good match up.

What did you guys see in Troymaine Pope before you brought him over?

Just a young college guy that we saw do some good things. Since I've seen him play, I've seen him on the practice field. I've gone back and done a little history on him. Now, this is what I've been told. I have not documented this, but he had 2500 yards as a junior, 2500 as a senior; he scored 40 touchdowns a year. He's been making a lot of yards and scoring with the football in his hands for a long time. Had a huge senior year, 1700 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaged 8 yards a carry. He averaged 8 yards a carry last week, too, so that's a normal game for him. Really, really exciting stuff. He wound up at Jacksonville State where he did his playing. He played behind some really good guys apparently, and when he finally got his shot, he really came through. He's a fun kid to watch and an exciting player.

Do you need in the evaluation process to see him do it earlier in preseason games, and the quality of competition?

I need to continue to see him and let these guys battle and compete and see what happens. He had a great opportunity and really took advantage of it. That's what you hope to see guys do. They seize the opportunity and show you what you're looking for, and he looked pretty good. But it's 2 games. We'll wait. We'll be patient.

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Seahawks.com

Russell Wilson, Starting Quarterback of your Seattle Seahawks. Every press conference with Russ seems to turn into a PSA for people who want to be awesome but aren’t, but could be, because Why Not Us? I don’t think he even means it to be that way, it just kinda oozes out of him. His talks about his work ethic and values, where it came from, how he’s driven to get better. And he also talks about football.

What do you want to get out of this game... ?

Well, we want to play great football all across the board. We want to be in attack mode. We want to stay on the field. We've had some great drives, we just haven't put it in the end zone as much as we have wanted to. But we're going to do that and we're excited about that and we're playing a great team, it's going to be a great challenge and they're coached really well. They've been playing well. It will be great to be back in CenturyLink too, seeing the fans, and play great football.

When you go back and look at the protection last weekend [asked about sacks]?

Well those sacks are on me I put those sacks on me we just got to do a better job of that and it's a collective effort. But we're doing a great job I’m really excited about what we have you know especially up front with what those guys are doing and they are giving me plenty of time which is a great thing. There is a couple of time where you need to throw it away, that's my competitive side as I said to you guys last time. That will never change I not going to just give up on plays but the same time being able to move on to the next play. So let’s say 2nd and 7 and it not there, not there, throwing it away whatever it may be And it still being 3rd and 7, so pretty manageable down. Making sure we don't make it 3rd and 12 or 3rd and 13. That's really the simple focus.

Pretty simple, and that's the way I look at it.

[Asked about reading defenses before the snap.]

That's been a huge part of it, of what we've been able to do. Just the studying, the preparation that it takes to be successful on game day. The preparation it takes to be able to anticipate situations, anticipate throws, and just all the meetings we have with all the receivers, with everybody, the whole line, everybody. That anticipation really gives us a chance to excel in the field. I think that's a major part of, for me, my studying is making sure that I understand what the defense is trying to do: where their weakness is, where their strength is; knowing who their best players are and all that. So, that's a big factor, and to the passing game and we've been on a great job of that and that’s studying.

When you guys talk about getting the ball out quick is that a huge part of your game?

Yeah. I think there's a happy medium. We want to get the ball out quick, but we also want to take our shots down the field. We want to hit those mid-rangers and we've been able to do that and do that at a very, very high level. So, we're just going to have to continue doing that right now even. I think that we had a couple mishaps. Really, we had about, in my opinion, about two or three bad plays in there. So, you take those plays out and we'll keep it rollin'.

With how new the entire offensive line is … Are you surprised how quickly they seem to meld together?

Yeah, that's one of those things, as you go into a season, you're wondering. You got a whole bunch of new guys. You got, basically five new offensive linemen essentially, that are coming to our football team. And, you wonder, who's gonna mix well, who's gonna match up, who's gonna beat those five guys? And, I can honestly say, that the collective group that we've put together, is extraordinary, in my opinion. By the way they work, by the way they're in sync with one another and they have a great chance to be really, really great. And, it takes hard work, nothing happens by accident. So, it's all the hard work that it takes for us to be great and that's what we're focused on.

Russ, you've talked about social responsibility before. There was a report that you guys had moved your wedding out of North Carolina because of the transgender bathroom law. Can you just confirm that and kinda go into what your thinking was there?

I’m just going to simply talk about; I just believe that Jesus loves all people, you know, that's honestly what I believe and I always constantly pray for world peace. I pray for peace in the world. I pray for joy. But my focus honestly right now is just on the Cowboys and scoring the red zone.

[Asked about Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham]

Thomas Rawls, I'm excited for him to get out there. I'm not sure if he's playing this week or not, I don't know, but you'd have to ask coach that, but he's looked really really great in practice. He runs the ball physical. He's quick as can be. He's Thomas Rawls, he's a great football player and he's going to be great for us again and we're excited about that moment. It's a tribute, like I said to you guys before or a couple of weeks ago, I think. It's a tribute to our trainers and all the hard work our weight coaches have put into it and him getting ready again and his mentality and same thing with Jimmy Graham. Those two guys have faced a tough injury that a lot of people sometimes struggle coming back with and struggle getting rehab back with and being strong again. Those two guys are going to be really strong for us. Like I've always said to you, those are two superstars that we're excited to have back on our football team. But the great part about it is they're great teammates. To have them back in the huddle again is the most important part because they bring a certain sense of energy. They bring a passion to the game. To add those two guys back into the fold with everyone else that we have, that's a major positive for us. But like I keep saying, it goes back to the hard work. Nothing matters without hard work and nothing happens by accident.

How has the off-season changed you?

Keep's motivating me for the focus of what we are trying to do, and that's to win. Win a lot of games and hopefully with a Super Bowl. Just one step at a time. I think that's the only way it's really changed me, me staying more and more motivated. Every year it's that way and that's what I keep finding out about myself. I just keep trying to be more and more motivated every year. That's the exciting part about it!

It would seem any 27-year-old that does all [the things you do] outside of football, it could be a challenge to focus on this. What’s your secret, how do you do it?

I think, there's no really secret to it, in terms of staying focused. For me, simplifying the life, just simplifying my life as much as I possibly can. Being organized as much as I possibly can. You have to remember, I think I said this to you guys before my rookie year probably. When I was coming out, I had played 2 sports and took 18 credits every semesters. I'm used to being busy. That's just who I am. That's how I've always been. And so for me, this is normal. In terms of being busy, having things to do, staying organized, being on top of things. And ultimately, keeping the main things in my life and that's God first. Obviously, my family, and then football. In that order, and I think, ultimately, I love this game, I love playing football, I love studying, I love going to work, I love throwing out in the summer time. I love all the sweat, blood, and tears that go into it. I also appreciate the pain in it, too. I appreciate the suffering when you lose a tough game. I appreciate the tough moments, just in life in general. Ultimately, it comes back to, it's worth it all. For me, it's worth it all. Ultimately, giving back. Serving as much as I can. I think God's given me a tremendous opportunity to serve and to love as much as I can and to give back as much as I can. So ultimately, for me, that's honestly my singular focus. It's to try to give back as much as I can, and ultimately, while I'm doing that too, loving the game that I love. And that's the easy part for me. Working out every day and doing that in the off season, that's the fun part. That's the extra stuff that, for me, like I said earlier, it continues to keep me motivated, and I really enjoy that. I enjoy being busy. For some people that's different. Everybody's different, but for me, I've always felt like this, and I've always been this way, I've always been better when I'm more busy because it keeps things in order, it keeps things organized, it keeps things going. And the more things you have on your table, the more motivated you become.

To be busy or be active, where or who did that come from?

It really comes from my parents, both my mom and my dad. It was never easy for us. My dad was a lawyer. My mom was a nurse. She worked in the ER; she was up late at night. I remember when I was a little kid, there were times when my dad had to work two jobs. Different times in our life or where I would rather be busy than not doing anything at all. So, for me that was a major part of it. Also my parent always instill the idea of giving back. That's just kind of innately in me, because both of my parents have always done that. I've always seen that, and I'm grateful for them, because those two people that have been very influential in my life. Some people won't ever understand that or whatever, but for me that's just the truth of where I'm motivated. I'm motivated to give back. Motivated for my family, and for my kids one day. I will continue to share and give to them. For the kids that are around all the time. You want to give back as much as you can to them, and keep them motivated. Have them something to be encouraged about. In short, I think that in terms of my parents, they always encourage rather than discouraged. That was a big thing for me. I'm grateful for my parents in that way, because they always encourage me to do more. They always encourage me, "Hey, you can do that." I'm a big believer in that. That's where the positive sense comes from initially I think.

Who or what is your barometer to check if you’re doing too much?

[laughs] I don't know if there's such a word as to0 much, you know, doing too much, being to busy. I think that I really aim for that, I really know my time management. The biggest thing in terms of all that I get my workout in, first of all. Was I able to get my PT work, was I able to throw today, you know, do something football-oriented. At least thirty minutes of watching film or doing something at least, looking at the plays, and that's really more in off-season time. But obviously in the off-season how can I continue to keep my mind rolling on plays and rolling on things that we can maybe do better, or I can do better and continue to keep that motivation there. You know, I don't think winning happens by accident like I said. It's a lot of details, a lot of hard work, a lot of attention to detail, it's a lot of belief, and the hard work pays off.

When you have those films sessions in the off-season, is that self-critiquing yourself, or are you watching other quarterbacks, college, or what's your focus there?

Well on a typical off day in the off season I usually try to watch an hour and a half of something pretty much every day. And so, I think also too, I love studying great athletes too. It's not just always football - it's great athletes, guys like the Michael Jordans of the worlds, the guys like Derek Jeters of the world - and asking them questions. Those type of champions in their field. I like to go and watch them and ask them questions about it because they have an expertise that I want to continue to learn and grow from, and build on. And even if it's business people too, successful business people. Just trying to ask them, how do you keep your team together? How do you do this? And what was your thought process around that? How did you get there? And what are the ups and downs that you had to go through? And continue to gain that knowledge as much as I can. That's motivation in itself. And secondly, it also gives you greater understanding of what it takes to be great on a consistent basis. I want to be consistent throughout my career in playing the game of football. That's just one of my simple goals, but it's not really that simple. Can you keep your mind clear? Can you continue to stay on the details, on the basics? And on the fundamentals of the game? The fundamentals of life? You know, I think that's where it starts.

Now that you find yourself in a father role, do you find yourself falling back onto those principles and beliefs that your parents instilled on you and kind of reflecting on that more as you move into this next phase of your life?

Yeah, I definitely think so. It's definitely as a...in that father role more obviously now. You know, it's definitely a cool opportunity. I was thinking about it the other day. It's just like man, I think about all the things my Dad did for me as a father, as a Dad. You know he was always there for me. Always cared. Always encouraged rather than discouraged. Always both my parents always loved. You know? They always showed that. Never had to ask. Never had to you know..they just always showed it. They always said it too but they always showed it too most importantly and they were always there. Any questions I asked. They encouraged to ask questions and to continue to grow more and to continue to build. Education was important and sports was really important too. You know? But that was the part that was going to be easy for me because I loved it and God gave me a great gift to play the game. But you know He gave me also a great opportunity to share and give back. That's really what I want to do and in terms of my lifelong term, you know, just give back as much as I can. So, yeah.

Anything else [to reporters]?

Thank you guys. Go Hawks!

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Busy week at work so I didn’t get these transcripts up as fast as I would have liked. Here are the pressers from yesterday: Kam Chancellor, Darrell Bevell and Kris Richard.

seahawks.com

Kam, just quickly want to say how HAPPY I am that you’re here at camp and that you’re a Seahawk and I think you’re the coolest, and remember that time when you obliterated Wes Welker in the Super Bowl?

Jumping in without missing a beat?

Yeah, it's the same defense I've been having for seven years now. It's pretty much the same stuff. But I watch a lot of film and at practice I get a lot of mental reps. So I mean, just jumping in and actually doing it is the new thing.

Do you ever think you'll get out of shape, playing shape? You don’t ook like you've gotten soft and flabby.

If I get undisciplined and eat bad then I'll probably get out of shape but I'm pretty disciplined about it.

What is it when you go and eat bad, what's your killer here?

Uhh, chips. [laughing] Chips is a killer. Potato chips. Chips, I just consume a lot of them.

Can you work that into an endorsement?

Hey, if they allow me to.

What are some of the things you do to keep in shape when you're having to watch practice?

Just eating clean. I just eat very clean. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, lean meat. I watch my portions and I stay hydrated.

It’s a lot of time to watch the new guys…?

Its a lot of time to watch these guys and also teach them. Because I want to make sure the back-ups are ready. It's football, anything can happen. So just being a great teacher. As I'm teaching I'm still learning. I think that's the cool thing about it.

How much do you need to play do you think to be back and ready for the opener?

I wouldn't put a timeframe on how much I need to play to be ready. I'm always going to be ready. Just being a professional, I always stay ready, so I don’t got to get ready.

Teaching guys… why is that so important [to guys like you and Richard Sherman]?

Because down the road you learn lessons just from previous games, previous experiences. When guys go down you want the next guy to step in, ‘cause we preach no weak links. So we want every guy to know as much as we know and be able to perform when they get in and get in with confidence so they can perform at their best.

What's it been like being in practice with Keenan (Lambert) out here?

It's amazing man, it's like a dream come true. Just having your little brother out there, growing up in the same household since little kids. You know, it's just fun out there, showing him the ropes, showing him what I've learned over the previous years. And trying to give him an edge, put him a step ahead of where I was at his age and where he is in his career in the NFL. Just show him the little things: to keep your body healthy, to eat right, studying and just being on top of your game. Being a pro.

Have you seen him kind of make progress from when he was here last year?

Big time. He's been making a lot of progress from last year to this year. He looks a lot more loose this year. Last year I think he was a little bit stiff and that can come from not being clear with knowing where you're going on the field, knowing where they're lined up. So you're kind of hesitant and it makes you look stiff out there like you don't know what you're doing. But, I see he's a lot more loose now. He can kind of show his personality. He's making some plays out here and he's retaining information and doing well on the field.

He was saying he likes it when you give him a real honest evaluation every single day.

Yeah, that's just me period though. I like to keep it honest and straightforward with guys. I like to tell them the truth. I ljoke around every now and then but I like for guys to hear the truth,;my honest opinion about things because I want guys to be better. I want them to be critical on themselves because I'm critical on myself. If I slip up I'm going to be hard on myself. So I want guys to be the same way because that's how you perfect yourself. I've been raised to be a perfectionist. You can't be perfect but you can for progress. So I'm always looking to progress everyday and that's what I try to teach to the guys.

As a perfectionist, how hard has it been to be out of practice and just watching?

The hardest part is just not doing it. Being on the field I have a lot of fun. I have fun out there with my guys. Just showing yourself, showing what you do, making contact, just competing. It's just fun out there with the guys. Not being out there and performing, it's hard to just watch. You get a lot of good things out of it as well, it's like teaching. Teaching other guys and learning as you teach.

[How do you feel about the starting DB group?]

I think it feels good. You know, I don't think we missing a beat. I think everybody's together. Everybody knows the level we want to be at. And like I say, we have no weak links. So every guy is trying to perform to be a starter. Trying to perform to be their best and when they get in, they want to get in to make an impact.

Mike (Bennett) was talking about Pete (Carroll) yesterday, about the culture here and how different it is from other places. Obviously this is the only team you’ve ever been on. But being a veteran and knowing guys around the league, do you get a sense that something different’s going on here?

You know, I feel like just being here the whole time, I don't really know anything about any other...

Nah, not at all. I'm just so focused on here and the guys here that I don't really... No, this is all I know right now, so.. that's all I can talk about.

Do you miss physical contact?

Oh yeah.. most definitely, I gotta have it, it's itching.. [laughs] You're getting me pumped up right now just talking about it. I love, I just love contact, I love this sport. And just love being physical, that's just my nature. So, just, not being out there, it's hard. But when I get out there, and sometimes it can hurt me sometimes because getting out there I can be be overanxious, trying to search for contact, and it can hurt myself. But... I think I grew past that part now, that was the young Kam being overanxious, so I just can't wait to get out there and get some contact.

When you get your shots though, you're ready to take [them]?

Oh yeah, I'm always be ready, always be ready [laughs] I'm always be ready.

[Do you want to play on Thursday]?

That’s something we’ll still talk about. I'm not really sure yet. That’s something we’ll talk about, taking it day to day right now.

Anything else? Thanks, Kam.

Alright.

Video Link

Seahawks.com

Darrell Bevell at the mic

Had a nice practice out here today. Beautiful day to practice in. Got to see a lot of work from a lot different guys. Obviously this is an important part of the evaluation coming up here, the third preseason game. Probably play our starters, for sure they’ll come out at half and work into the third quarter. We’ll see how far that goes. Like to see, obviously, areas of improvement. Offensively, we need to make sure that we’re putting points on the board. We’ve had some very nice drives, moved the ball, but we’re not scoring points. So we got to do a better job of handling that. Making sure we finish some of those drives. With that, any questions?

What have you been able to see from C.J. Prosise…?

It’s nice to have him out here, it’s nice to have him practicing. He’s going through the process of getting back from what he’s been working on. And we look forward to seeing him in the game. Hopefully we’ll be able to make it there. He’s still got another test tomorrow when we come back out here and practice. I like what I see, the same things that we know about him, that he’s been able to do. He’s handled the mental part of it really well. Then watching him in practice, he’s been able to carry that over into the live sessions. So, he looks good so far.

Is the expectation that he’ll play tomorrow?

If he continues to progress the way he is, then we’ll have a chance to see him in the game.

It looks like you’ve got really good push on the line in the first two games. How encouraging is that...?

It’s been the nice part of what we’ve done on offense. To be able to see us run the ball the way that we want to. The offensive line looks good, the running backs look good. We’re handling all the situations really well. Putting up some good yardage. That’s where we are. That’s who we are. That’s where we want to start. I like where we’re at with that.

How curious are you to see what your line will look like with an 11-year vet, all-pro...?

And who are we talking about?

Jahari (Evans)

Ok, I thought that was a trick question right there. Well, there’s a good rotation going on up there. We feel that there’s a good rotation at practice as well. We’re giving all those guys a chance to win positions. Jahari is moving in and out of there at guard. We’re rotating the tackles as well. (J’Marcus) Webb was back in practice so we might have an opportunity to see him if he continues to progress. There’s a lot of shuffling that still going on. The cool part of this pre-season game is to be able to see those guys play together as long as they can. Like I said, going into the third quarter. So we’ll be able to have some good evaluations there.

Was Germain Ifedi [hurt today] or was it a day off?

He has a little oblique going on. So we just rested him, making sure it doesn’t get any worse. Hopefully, that will be just a one day thing.

For simplicity, do you want Ifedi to be a guard all year?

Right now, that’s the way it’s going. And that what we’d like to do. There’s a lot of flexibility up there, things can happen. But right now, there’s expected to be no change.

What was your assessment of the sacks that Russell took? Offensive line vs Russell getting the ball out better?

Well, I really like what we’re doing. First of all, in the run game, we’re doing a nice job. The protection has been solid. I know that Coach (Pete Carroll) talked about it. We ended giving up six sacks. Obviously, that’s too many. But there’s never really one place that you can pin those on. I’m not going to stand up here and say, the offensive line gave up six sacks. The receivers gave up the sacks, the quarterback. There’s a lot of nuances and things that go into it. Things that we were able to look at on tape. We were able to make the corrections. We feel like we’ll continue to move ahead. I really like where we’re at. I like what the guys are doing up front. And just got to continue and improve in that area.

Running back obvously looks a lot different this year. Looks like you have good depth, you’re going to have some tough choices here... How good is that depth?

We got good depth. You saw all the way to Troymaine Pope going in there. He had a really big game for us. There’s a lot of guys to choose from. A lot of guys are getting reps. What you want to have happen is tough decisions to make at the very end. And that’s what’s gonna happen. There’s a couple guys that we haven’t seen much from. Like C.J. (Prosise) and like Zac (Brooks). So there’s other guys that might get an opportunity to play as well. It’s a good problem to have.

You’ve worked Tanner McEvoy at tight end a little bit… what have you seen from him there, and just as a whole package as a pass catcher?

He’s brought size. We’ve talked about before. 6’5” ½. 235 lbs. He brings size. He has the flexibility to be outside. We’re working on him inside as well. With Nick (Vannett) going down, we just need a little more depth at the position. He’s a quick learner, a quick study. Obviously, he’s played safety for us, he’s played receiver for us, he’s played tight end for us. The next thing you know, he might be back there at quarterback. [laughs] We’re moving him all over the place. He’s doing a great job. Flexible. Great mind. We can use him a lot of situations. He’s gonna do the right thing.

How do you think (Trevone) Boykin played in the Vikings game?

Some good. Some bad. I mean there’s a lot of good plays that he makes. We know his playmaking ability. There’s a couple scrambles that had, really nice plays. Made some good throws. Missed a couple. He took a sack there late in the game as well. There’s a growing experience, great opportunity to play in live situations. Get another chance this week.

Does Thomas Rawls look like the same guy physically out here as last year when he was healthy? Is he there yet?

He looks great. I mean, he looks great. He’s given us everything he’s got. He’s working hard. He’s tenacious out here. He’s doing everything that we could possibly ask. He’s on the right track. We look forward to when we get him back out there.

Is Trevone a little bit dinged up?

We just rested him yesterday.

Have you found with the third game there’s a step up level of intensity that’s more like regular season?

Yeah, the starters are going longer. Your first team on both sides of the ball. And usually your opponent is going that far into the game. So it’s got more of a feel of a regular season-type game. Which will be a good measuring stick for us.

Is Antwan Goodley making a move a receiver at all? He put up some good numbers.

Yeah, he had a really nice game. It was good to see him out there. We missed him. There was a couple other guys like Kasen (Williams) and Kevin (Smith) and him, that have missed a lot of pratice. So he was the first one to be able to make it back. He’s done great things out here at practice. He was able to show up in the game. Be able to continue to see more from him. But, liked the game that he had.

[How tough has it been to get a feel for your depth there at receiver?]

Those are the 2s. So we’re not getting as many looks at those guys. But it’s given other guys an opportunity to show up like Antwan. Kenny’s (Lawler) gotten a lot more reps. He’s been able to step up and make some plays. You see all those guys; Tanner, and Montario (Hunter), and all those guys. So they’re getting a great opportunity to play. It’s just hard when those other guys are not in there. It gives other guys opportunities. As fast as they can get back, they need to get back. We haven’t had D-Foxx (Deshon) out there either. Some good players that we really like.

Early in the season, when these lineman are playing together for the first time in that environment, will that affect how you call games, game plan, that type of thing?

We always take it into consideration. There’s a lot of things that we’re juggling with that. But that’s definitely something that we’ll look at and we’re always going to put ourselves in the best situation to be successful.

Have you seen Jahari make some progress. Obviously, he was in one system for 10 years. And this is maybe a different thing for him. Is he getting more used to it?

I have seen him progress, yes. The first thing is just conditioning, getting used to our system. The way we run around here is really a different style. They get worked their tail off just starting an individual period. So I’ve seen his conditioning come along which has helped him in other parts of the game. Being able to last through the whole practice. Be able to play at a higher level.

It’s been nice getting Will Tukuafu for you in some ways?

Yeah, it’s a little bit like a security blanket. We know what to expect from him. Like coach said, he’s a hammer, he packs a punch. There’s going to be an impact when he hits into the line of scrimmage. So that’s something that we like. He’s nifty enough and he’s got good enough hands to be able to slip out of the backfield and make some catches. He knows the system. So I think there’s some security there.

What do you most need to see out of (J’Marcus) Webb?

We need to see him play. We haven’t had the opportunity to see him play. With that, the opportunity to stay out there, communicate with the guys next to him. Whether it’s the guard, the tight ends when they come over to his side. I think, just being able to play the whole game and be out there and have good communication.

What is Alex Collins showing you on film?

He’s on his assignments. He showed us really good feet. He caught the ball on a little wide route on the flat, made three or four guys miss to get seven, eight yards. He’s got really good feet. That’s the things that we’ve seen. He had a couple of good runs. For whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to have the same numbers. We evaluate that. We look at the blocking styles, the plays that we’re asking him to do as well.

Have you made any decisions on whether Thomas is gonna see action this preseason?

I know we make a decision out here. He’s been practicing every day. He’s been practicing really hard. And he’s looking great. He’s going through the process and the head coach will definitely make that decision. [laughter]

Was Jimmy Graham just getting the day off today?

He’s had four really hard days. And they were just giving him a break from the rigors of all the things that we’ve been asking him to do.

Anything else, guys?

Ok, thanks.

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Krsi Richard at the mic

Alright. Good afternoon. Alright. Real good. How about you? Nice. Fantastic.

What's been your assessment of the I guess the number one defense so far, kind of the positions they've had in the preseason games?

Yeah, we've been progressing. The explosive plays that are uncharacteristic, it's good that they're happening now so we can go ahead, continue to sharpen up on the things that we know we can do really well and obviously can fix the things that we know we need to improve on. It's good to try to put our guys in every situation possible in order for us to be able to fix our issues.

What have you seen from DeShawn Shead. How is he different than the guy who ended last year?

Well, he's...it's a whole year worth of experience. Just sort of his understanding and trusting in the technique, as an overhaul, excuse me, as an overall better more intelligent understanding corner.

Is it better for him now to have one spot rather than trying to mix back and forth?

We're always gonna need him to be able to move back and forth. Yes, that's for anybody. Anybody who's able to maintain one singular position and focus in right there, it's always going to be best for them.

When do you solidify rotations, for pass rush stuff … When does that kind of come into play?

By the time we get to game one. So we've still got plenty of time. And again those decisions have not yet been made.

What have you seen out of the pass rush. Michael Bennett was saying yesterday he'd like to see that area improve.

Yeah. Yeah. No doubt. And it's really just carrying over our game plan and having a game plan is really what it comes down to and making sure that we capitalize on our one on one.

How about bringing Tony McDaniel back? What did you see from him?

He's huge, man. He's in great shape. Again he's a big powerful guy. Well, our football team as a whole has a lot of respect for him for what he's able to do. Again he's a professional. He comes in. He's always prepared and he did a fantastic job of knocking people back.

What type of things can he bring to the young players on the defensive line that Michael Bennett obviously has said, his experience is valuable and needed at this time. Do you kind of get that too?

Yeah, absolutely. He's a veteran and he's been there. He's done that. He has a story within his own being an undrafted player. He's really typical in regards to the fashion of the guys we like with the chip on their shoulder who always have something to prove.

What have you seen from Tyvis Powell? Both safety and corner spots...

It's his athleticism. And right now we're trying to see what he can do best to help us. And he's doing a fantastic job on special teams. He's flying around, he's able to show his athleticism out there and really we want to train him to do everything out there for us.

Is Kam (Chancellor) going to be able to play on Thursday?

He should be, and hopefully we'll be but it's still up in the air. So, he's had a couple really good days of practice so we'll see.

How much of a difference does it make having him here this preseason compared to last preseason.

It's huge, It's huge for our team chemistry. We know he's an integral part. He's a leader on this football team and its always good to have him around.

Thanks, Coach

Alright, thank you guys

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