Head Coach Jay Gruden
On linebacker Rob Jackson's injury:
"I haven't had a chance to talk to [Head Athletic Trainer] Larry [Hess] since it's Fan Day, but I understand he missed the last period, so we'll get him checked out. Hopefully get him ready by Monday."
On wide receiver DeSean Jackson:
"Held DeSean out. He had a little soreness in his legs. Just trying to keep him fresh. He's been running a lot."
On wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
"He looks like he's going to be OK for Monday, also. We just kept him out at the very end."
On if he wants to communicate urgency to quarterback Robert Griffin III in passing drills or if he wants plays to extend despite possible sacks:
"Well, it depends on the play, and if there is immediate pressure in the pocket where he can't see his first read or second read and he has to abort the play, then we've got to let him play it out because that's going to happen in a game. Obviously, if he is standing back there holding the ball and nobody's open and standing there then we'll have a problem. But there is a time clock in a quarterback's head that has to take place when it's not open on time, the plays are disrupted or what have you, then we'll have to get off and either run or scramble or throw it away and he's done a pretty good job of that so far."
On linebacker Trent Murphy's play:
"I see versatility out of Trent. He can bend, he can rush the passer in a lot of different ways, a lot of different spots and he's done a good job of picking up the system so far. You know, as far as moving around, he could play right side, left side, he could play inside, he can stand up and walk around, so he's been a very good player for us so far. Like I said, all of this has been excellent for a lot of guys. There's a lot of guys that have shown promise, but the consistency is what we're looking for and Trent's actually one of the guys who's consistently come in here day-in and day-out and played well."
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On if the additions on offense should help free up wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
"I hope so. I don't know how many teams actually doubled him with the threat of the read option. A lot of teams play three-deep, bring the safety down to try to stop the running of Alfred Morris, but if he is drawing double coverage, I'm sure that will make DeSean [Jackson] happy, I'm sure that'll make Jordan [Reed] happy and it'll make the running backs happy. Every game, everybody has a different game plan for the Washington Redskins and it's something that we've got to figure out. Some teams have excellent corners; they won't double him. They bring the safety down to stop the run and dare you to throw it. Some teams a little bit softer in the secondary, they'll play more Cover 2 and try to stop the run with their seven guys. It's game plan specific, but we are very fortunate to have the receiving corps that we have. I feel really good about where we are. We have a lot of guys that are competing for the four, five, six and seven spot, but DeSean, Andre [Roberts] and Pierre have had excellent camps. Ryan Grant, Aldrick [Robinson] has done some good things. That receiving corps, depth-wise, is very good."
On setting the tone in evening meetings:
"We have team meetings some times. Sometimes we'll just install for the next day and try to show plays from the previous practice, just make sure that if there's any mistakes – any glaring mistakes, any situations that we want to really harp on, any great individual plays that we want to really focus in on and show the team how it's going – it varies from day to day. [I] just try to keep them motivated because at the end of the day, they've had a long practice, they've had a walkthrough, they've had a meeting, and then at the end of the day you've got to try to keep their attention and grab it so they can focus in on the next day and what you're installing."
On the injury to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
"I don't know yet, I think he might have just had some soreness in his hamstring. That's what I've heard so far. "
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On linebacker Brian Orakpo's demeanor with franchise tag status:
"He's been to every OTA. He's been to every practice and he's practicing as hard as anybody on this team right now. And, I think he's having a good time. From a contract standpoint, I don't know if he's satisfied, unhappy or whatever it is, but it's not showing with his play on the field and his leadership roles. He's not missed any time in the meeting room, he's out here on time, practicing his butt off and I've been very, very impressed with Brian Orakpo so far."
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On what Fan Appreciation Day means to him and the team:
"It means a lot. You know, the support here is outstanding, That's a given. We know that, we appreciate that. Now it's just up to us to return the favor by going out there and playing hard, playing with intensity, playing Redskin football and making this team something that they can cheer for and be proud of, and that's what it's all about. We love the support, the 12th man is very, very important to us as a franchise. It's a home-field advantage like no other and we've got to make sure we use it to our advantage and keep them cheering and not booing."
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On quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving the field early and DeAngelo Hall lining up at safety:
"Kirk finished. Injury wise? Kirk's OK. He finished. He did a good job. DeAngelo has been lining up at safety a little bit just because he wants to. We're just trying to move people around and maybe take a look at somebody at corner. Instead maybe play [Bashaud] Breeland at corner a little bit, move somebody in his spot, but DeAngelo has been a shining star so far in this camp wherever he is."
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On evaluating his running backs in pass protection:
"In the team period, it has not been bad actually. [Running Backs Coach] Randy Jordan has done a good job with them and the one-on-ones, it's always tough. You guys look at the one-on-ones and you see they got a chance to go inside, gap outside, gap in. In team periods, they don't have much space to work. But I think we're just working with technique on them and they're going to get better. It takes time and it takes work. Any time we are in shoulder pads, you'll see us do those drills with the backs because we know how important it is to protect the quarterback. That's a vital part of the game and some of them have struggled earlier but you can see them slowly start to progress with their fundamentals and we're just teaching the fundamentals now."
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On how he keeps the rookies from being overwhelmed:
"I think you just take them under your wing. The coaches have done a good job of spending some extra time with them. The veterans players have done a nice job of calming them down. Every rookie handles it differently. Some rookies are basket cases, some are calm, cool and collected. Ryan Grant looks like he's been here for 10 years. He's handled it perfectly. Trent Murphy is a true pro. Some guys have never had this type of work and this type of amount of plays going in each day. Some players come from a college that only had 10 plays all year, they just run them no-huddle and go, go, go, go, go. This is brand new to some players and we have to understand that as coaches and be more patient with those guys. They also understand that they have to work a little harder than somebody who is coming from a pro-style offense."
On how often linebacker Keenan Robinson's speed takes something away from the offense:
"That's happened a lot. It's happened a lot already. Some of the playactions that we're running, he's stepping up for the run but then his length – he gets in some passing windows in the second level behind him. He's just doing a good job of reading his keys and reacting and making his presence felt. So far, so good with Keenan. Like I said, the issue is now we've just got to transfer out on the field and see how he does in game situations and the live tackling."
On if his commitment to giving every player significant opportunities in camp is a reflection of his own experience as a player:
"You're always going to bring up that old wound, aren't you? [Laughter]. You know what, we bring in these guys for a reason. They're here to get a chance, a legitimate opportunity. You don't get a legitimate opportunity if you don't get asked to play or get reps. We're trying to get everybody ample chance, and some guys will play themselves out of a position quickly. They just won't fit what we're looking for, not that they're not good people or good players, it's just we'll move on quickly. A lot of guys, they need the reps and they'll improve and you'll see steady improvement from certain guys and you can't see that unless they don't get a chance. We're trying to give these guys every chance they can to succeed and hopefully in the preseason games it will pay dividends for them, whether we keep them and if we don't keep them, maybe another team will pick them up and they'll get another opportunity. But they're going to get their opportunities."
