Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin addressed the media after practice on Aug. 15. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
On if the joint practice has been fun:
"Yeah, it's fun. I love competing man. And it's fun going against a different team too. You go against each other for so long, you kind of get familiar with your teammates. They get familiar with what you do, when you come out here against another team, It's good to have a measuring stick of how you've made it up until this point in camp."
On his experience in the first joint practice:
"This is my first one, so I didn't really know what to expect, but you know, you come in ready to compete and I'm always ready to compete. So it was definitely fun for my first one."
*On how QB Sam Howell has performed: *"Yeah, he's really poised man. I think he sees the field really well and he's going to give us chance to make opportunities on the perimeter, which has been great. His timing I felt like was really good with us today. As soon as we were getting out of our breaks, all of the receivers, the ball was right there and it gave us a chance to run with it as well. So, I think he did a great job even when he had to improvise and roll out a little bit to still keep his eyes downfield and continue to give us the chance to make plays. So he's been the same guy since we started camp, since he stepped in at the last game last year. He's just really poised."
On the emphasis for the offense in training camp:
"I think really we just want to work whatever the game plan is for that practice. I think we have a plethora of ways to get the ball down the field and getting the ball in our playmakers hands. And specifically on the quick game stuff as receivers, we just wanna make sure our timing and spacing is on point and I feel like we really capitalize on some of those opportunities. So I feel like we gotta keep that stuff going."
On the difference practicing against CB's Marlon Humphrey and Kendall Fuller:
"Definitely. I think Marlon and Kendall, they both are two vet corners who are really good at what they do. They're really good technicians and I think Kendall is a different style of corner than Marlon is. So it's, it is good to go against a guy like Marlon where he's gonna be a little bit more firm at the line. He's gonna be a little bit more handsy, you know what I mean? And it forces you to really use your technique and be physical because you know he's gonna be physical at the top of the route. He's gonna be physical at the line and he's gonna try to punch the ball out. So when I'm going against him, I just wanna match his physicality, but also be clean with my feet, you know what I mean? At the end of the day, when you're a receiver, they stop when you stop, so you got to be efficient. So getting to work against Kendall has been great as well because he really forces you to be efficient in and outta your brakes because he's so patient and sometimes if you're not running or you're opening up your stride, he's gonna squat at the top of your route. So it really forces me to make sure I'm always selling a vertical route. So going against two veteran guys is only gonna help me and the other receivers."
On if he learned about Humphrey's techniques today:
"We played the Ravens a few years ago, so studying him, I knew he was a physical corner, he could definitely run. And you know, his game is really big on physicality and the thing about me is I like to be physical as well, so it's a great battle going against a guy like that. When we're going one-on-ones, I wanna go against him, he wants to go against me. When we're going 7-on-7, it's the same thing. So I think it's an iron sharpens iron thing. He's a Pro Bowl player, really one of the top corners in this league and it's great work for me and the other receivers."
On the skirmishes in practice:
"At the end of the day, you just wanna protect everybody that's out here. Obviously, they're trying to make plays, we wanna make plays, but at the end of the day, we're gonna protect our teammates and that's what happens in camp. Sometimes things get a little physical, but it didn't get too bad. So, at the end of the day, it's just guys competing, but at the end of the day, we want to look out for each other's careers and make sure we're not doing anything that's too over the line."
On his advice to younger teammates going into practice tomorrow:
"No, definitely. I think one thing that was really impressive was offensively I feel like our tempo was really good. It kind of really shows why we practice at the high intensity that we practice at. And I feel like we were really got to a place where we were just very efficient. But it's still the little details that are coming up for us, you know, the procedural things. [Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator] Eric Bieniemy says those are mental errors, you know what I mean? We can handle the make sure the spacing's right, make sure you're running the right route, but the mental errors we got to cut back on myself included, you know what I mean? So those are the little things I'm looking for. I'm going to try to be critical of myself and just encourage the other guys and the young guys especially, focus on the film today, but tomorrow's a new day. It's a new opportunity and the plays that you didn't make, you have opportunity to come out there and change the narrative tomorrow. And I think you just gotta have a next play mentality but always be in a competitive spirit, competitive mindset because that's how the ebbs and flows of a game goes. The defense gonna make plays, you're gonna make plays and it's the team when you gotta get to the end of practice, you get a little tired, that's when the team is gonna have the most success of who's gonna execute and be on top of the little things."
On if there were any specific routes or concepts that he was happy with the timing and spacing:
"Yeah, I mean I feel like I said, our quick game has been great. I don't want to give away too much of what we're doing, but I just think we're just really trying to be on time with the quarterback, you know what I mean? When we're getting certain looks, whether it's press man or a little off technique, we still wanna be in the spot that Sam's gonna expect us to be in because this offense is really predicated on a lot of the spacing and the timing. So, if we're taking too long in and out of our breaks, that's throwing off Sam. It's hurting the quarterback. It's hurting the o-line. So, EB's really made an emphasis of everybody doing their job and I feel like as receivers making sure we need to be where we need to be there is what we need to focus on."
On if his connection with Howell has taken another step:
"You know, I definitely think it has. We're still in the middle of camp and we still got some preseason to go, but I feel like we're building a little bit of that trust where you get some one-on-one opportunity, he's gonna trust me to come down and make that play and, as myself, I just wanna continue to give him that trust. You know, when you're going against a great corner like Marlon Humphrey and you're backside one-on-one, you gotta win those reps so he can have that confidence in you."
On if he has looked at other wide receivers who have had a lot of quarterbacks throughout his career:
"I know what you're saying. [Houston Texans WR] Andre Johnson, [Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins] DHop who's still doing it at a high level. Those are two guys off the top of my head where they were consistent no matter who was throwing them the ball. And I think that mentality starts with their mentality. You know, I think it's them going out there controlling what they can control each and every week and making sure that their quarterback can trust them no matter who the guys out there throwing them the ball, so that's similar to my mindset as well. I'm a really competitive guy and I don't wanna put it on all this quarterback is that quarterback's fault. Like I gotta make sure I'm getting open. I gotta make sure I'm handling my business and then when the ball comes to me, no matter where it's at, I make the play. I think that's really how you gain that confidence and start growing that connection between you and a quarterback."
On if CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. has surprised him:
"He's gotten better each and every day. Honestly. You know, I've always tried to encourage him because he's a guy who really likes to learn. He's a sponge and I don't like to lose reps, so I'm gonna give it to him every time I get the opportunity but he's a competitor as well. And I think he's really good at getting back in phase when he may be a little bit behind. He may get beat off the line but he has really great make makeup speed. He's good at the catchpoint, so it's really forced us receivers to be good at the catchpoint as well, where our hands are a little higher on a deep ball because he's good at getting his hands in there and kind of throwing you off your route. So, I really like what I've seen from him from a growth standpoint and you can tell he's definitely getting more confident within the system. You could tell he's learning from Kendall and being more patient and understanding route concepts and we're gonna need that. And I think one thing that's a strength of his is his ball skills. So, you could definitely see he's getting his hand more on balls from interceptions and PBUs [pass breakups] which on defense, I know they're emphasizing that.
