Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media before practice on July 29. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement: "Good morning. Today's a great day. It's also one of my favorites with today being Military Appreciation Day. And you'll see a combination today of active duty soldiers, veterans, and their families. It's just one of my favorites. Nobody does team better than our military, so I enjoy spending the time with them pre-practice and post practice. So really cool day and we're really pumped and honored to have everybody here today. So with all that said, let's get to some football with you guys too."
On his level of concern with T Andrew Wylie missing some practice time:
"You'll see him out there today."
On his level of concern with the pre-snap penalties:
"Yeah, those are the ones that you really want to nail down, Nicki. The pre and the post-snap ones. So the pre-snap encroachment or an offsides or a false start. If we can get those ones really dialed down, we'll get better. Now, as we're going through those really defensively, with them jumping, I wanna make sure we continue to work that through the cadences because although there's some time to go through it, it's worth it. It can really be a weapon, so we're gonna continue to work hard on it. I wouldn't say I'm at a level of concern, but I would say it's more expect the expected until we get that discipline just right."
On the details he is paying attention to on the first day of pads:
"Well, I think really the line of scrimmage is where the emphasis is. One, I wanna make sure we're doing it correctly. Our leverage of how we're entering into a block or taking on a block, the pass rush. So you hear, you know, coaches and others say about pad level and so you can get into some bad habits and lose leverage if you're not using your shoulders and your body to be in those spots. So getting into those positions, the combination on blocks. For me, the emphasis is mostly the run game, both sides and pass protection and pass rush."
On if he thinks that QB Marcus Mariota has struggled with his timing:
"I thought really all the QBs are doing a nice job, not just throwing the ball but playing the position, getting in and out of plays. And so part of Marcus's superpower is getting outside and being off rhythm. You'll see different plays in different schemes, as the quarterback's play. So that will be one thing I'd keep an eye on moving forward."
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On how he is currently constructing the offensive line:*
"Certainly at tackle probably we had maybe a little bit more movement over the last few days, but putting people at different positions. This is the time to explore some of that right tackle, left tackle. Who is gonna be into those spots, who may be a swing. We also do it, most of the guards can play center, and just about all of the centers can play guard. So, it's not just a one hole backup or spot. So like for instance, you saw [C Michael] Deiter playing left guard, right guard and center. You've seen that with [G] Nick [Allegretti] to move at two spots, [T] Brandon Coleman and others -- [T Cornelius Lucas] Luke to go into two spots. So it's worth it now to do those positions because you're exploring, you're finding out more information, and then you later get locked into one spot."
On if he is starting to see more player emerge on special teams:
"I think punt and punt return I'm feeling comfortable with what we've seen. Kickoff and kickoff return you'll see some of that today and you know, just more reps, more time on task, more reps. I'm not at the comfort level there yet because I think there's still some exploring that we're doing. High kick, kick on the ground, double teams, not double teams. So those are the ones that I would say we're still exploring. I think people-wise, we might be able to know what's happening because on that play it's a speed and a space play. So, you've got to be able to block somebody in space or beat a block in space. The speed on the kickoff and kickoff return, the ability to play in space, I think that's still the number one attribute."
*On what tempo he wants to see the team in with pads finally coming on: *"Yeah, I think the lesson and what we try to show is it's a lot like sparring, where you're in control and never outta control. Doesn't mean you're closer to the quarterback or ever on the ground. So those are the things that we do to protect one another. Contact that can be straight ahead as opposed to the side. So basically they just put some rules of engagement in and then from there, but if you're in front of somebody, we expect that thud to happen. But more than anything, I don't wanna see -- what I have seen that I love is the effort and the finishing to go. So I wanna make sure that stays high, you know, with the same, contact element to it."
On his thoughts on the fan turnout at practice:
"Yeah, I thought it was really cool and I was hoping to see that kind of energy and being here and the support. And so for my own first day of being here and realizing just how important this connection is between the team and the area, it was a cool first day for me."
On what the feeling is like with putting on pads for the first time 7-8 months:
"Yeah, I think it's that skill as well. Because for the receivers, the DBs, you know so much of the passing emphasis that goes on. So now it shifts a little bit to the line of scrimmage and pass rush and run game and you know, targeting and fitting blocks. So, there definitely is a shift. The physicality part is a real thing because you want to test yourself and see where you're at, but also doing it in control. So we try to push it from the competition side, but still doing it safely for one another."
On if there are any limitations with DT Jer'Zhan Newton:
"No limitations at all. He is actually doing great. Then we'll start the team periods shortly with him. He's making huge strides. He's in excellent shape, so it was more just by design. The player is wanting to go badly and is showing he can, but really we want to stick to our plan of how we're ramping him up. But yeah, you'll see him in some team work soon. Not as in like 30 minutes soon, but soon. [Laughs]"
*On what he has seen from LB Bobby Wagner and TE Zach Ertz: *"Yeah, I think when you brought up Zach, the first thing that comes to mind for me is red zone. The precision, the details, because the coverage has changed down there of how you play man-to-man or how you play zone. It's just different. You're defending things laterally, but he has such a knack for understanding where those fit and how to do that. So I would say that's one of the things for me, that fit for him in the red zone. And then for Wags, I would say like so many times I'm looking for examples of tackling and tracking and how to do that. He's just one of the sure tacklers. He has a great awareness for leverage and understanding angles. So that part of it, how do you train somebody to be a good tackler and the traits, the behaviors, the techniques. That's one of the things that I really look to for Bobby and I have for most of my career, wherever I was to show examples of good tackling, he was usually on that tape."
On his impression so far of CBs Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Benjamin St.-Juste:
"Yeah, and you've probably seen [CB] Michael Davis in that group as well with St.-Juste, Emmanuel and Michael. So the three of them are really working through it and I think for some of the spots we've talked about there and tackle and some other positions where we're gonna let it play and get into different competitions and different matchups and get to one-on-ones and all sorts of different ways to do our evaluations -- against other clubs. So, some days you'll see this two combination of guys, the next day the next two, and we're just going through the whole process to make sure we're giving all the guys the real opportunity to compete. That's really the theme of what we're doing. I wanna make sure we're providing those opportunities to display that."
On if he has a number in his head of how many quarterbacks he'd like to keep on the final roster:
"Talking about like for the final roster? Yeah, for sure. That's a good question. That's one that [general manager Adam Peters] can probably hit on with you as well, but not all the teams are using two. I mean all the teams are using three. How does practice squad and elevations factor into that? There's some new guidelines regarding that this year. But all that said, I think there's such importance to the position, that you're always wanting to develop and keep pushing into that space and having people in the building that are kind of growing up within the program. So we've not made a determination yet about numbers, final roster, practice squad, but what I can say is I'm pleased with the group of four that we have here, and the work that they're putting in, not just throwing, because that's a huge part of playing quarterback, but it's not the only part. It's playing the position, getting in and out of checks, what's the protection, decision making? So, I've been pleased with what I've seen so far by the group. It's a fun group to coach."
On his thoughts on WR Jahan Dotson:
"Well, I think the first thing I think of with him is like really good ball skills. So like backhand, behind, like if it's in the catching radius, it's a pretty good shot that he's gonna come away with it. He is also a good route runner, so to set somebody up to work a leverage and work back, he's pretty savvy in that way. And so being around [wide receivers coach] Bobby [Engram] and having an understanding of what it takes to play it, I've been pleased. And so when we get the ball in his hands, we're gonna try to make plays and finish and that's been one of the emphasis for a lot of the players after the catch, you know, what takes place and I'm hopeful that you see that at practice where guys are down the field finishing with them to say, 'Hey, can we extend plays?' And so that's one of the big emphasis for him as well."
On if he thinks everyone is up to speed on the new kickoff rules:
"I think in the big picture, yes. How does some of the other ones go where you had to think about, 'Okay, how do you do it if the wind blows the ball off the tee and there's no one back there?' Like those are ones that you had to think about to say what would happen on that play. And so some of the rules that may have been added, not added on a rule, but like amendments, you say, 'Okay, what are those things?' So knowing after a penalty, what does that kick look like when you have to go back to the 30 or kickoff after a safety where you're kicking off from the 50. So like those ones aren't gonna come up a lot, but when they do, you have to know what is the strategy then and how we're gonna work through those. I would say by and large, the big picture, yeah, people are understanding it, but the small nuances I think is still there."
On what he has seen from T Brandon Coleman:
"One of the things that I knew was he is a very good athlete, but what I have been more impressed by, is he's got great balance for a big guy and so he's got power in his legs. One foot coming back, redirecting on pass rush stunts that could go. So that might be one of the things I didn't know was really one of his strengths. I knew he was a good athlete and movements and that, but balance is a harder thing to test. You have to see it. And so he is very rarely somebody that's out of position or on the ground. He's very deliberate in the way he moves and practices. I think he's a very in control player and I think that's a real attribute as an offensive lineman. You never see him overextended or out of position because when you do get beat, usually somebody's out of position, it's hard to recover. He has that ability to stay connected to somebody, and that's one of the things I've been impressed by so far."
On the practice structure:
"So yeah, it's done really before I left. Most all of the practices were done. Some is ramped up by situation. Okay, we're gonna get extra red zone work, extra third down padded days, have a little bit more of like a team run and a play pass feel, so we can emphasize that part of the practice. Not everyone's the same, but I would say there's almost like a theme for every part of the practice. Today's competition, you'll see a two-point play, we'll work more in the red zone and on some team run and play pass, but that's a padded emphasis. So yeah, all of them have been done all the way up through until we get to where we're going against another team. And that way the coaches can also prepare what they want to emphasize during that day."
On if this practice structure is collaborative or based on what he has done in the past:
"It's definitely collaborative, but I think you wanna make sure if you work back all the things you wanna start at the end. What do you want to get done? You have to start working back. How many practices of this? How many two minutes do we need? How many shots of goal line to get the team ready in September? So you do have to go through the whole process and as you're learning players and what they can and can't do, you may put in a defense or an offense or a scheme that you think is gonna be there, no that didn't work. And so not all the ones or ideas that you do go, but then there's also some ones that you say, 'Okay, let's do more of that.' And so that usually happens 10 days from now. After we get through about eight or nine practices of installing the offense, the defense and the special teams. Then you can kind of go back and start reviewing it again."
