Pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea (11.3.23)
I’ll start with the obvious question, Donovan (Peoples-Jones) just the impact that’s had on the room and your thoughts on him being dealt to Detroit?
“First of all, I want to say that Donovan Peoples-Jones was just outstanding to be able to coach and have the opportunity to coach when he was here. I have so much respect for him as a player, even more for him as a person. He really did everything we asked while he was here and I’m proud of his accomplishments that he had here as a Browns player for us. Moving forward, you know, I’m excited about the opportunity of others in the room right now. I think that’s really exciting. I know a lot of guys have worked really hard for different roles and different opportunities, but again can’t say enough about what Donovan meant to our team, but also just so excited about the future of our team with our room presently. It’s a great room to coach. Those guys learned a lot from Donovan when he was here, I would say, and they’re carrying that on with them moving forward, but really just excited about the way that group is right now in the way we’ve worked.”
Cedric (Tillman) is one of those guys who could get an opportunity to set up the last couple of weeks, what have you seen (from him)?
“Yeah, I mean the first thing is you go into every game with players in different roles and that changes weekly. Cedric is one of the players that’s obviously in the receiver room that has been inactive for us here recently, but he’s worked extremely hard. I would say what’s been most impressive is how he has worked off the field to try to learn the offense and to learn from the veteran players and to try to do the things we’re asking of him and to do them at a very high level. And that takes a lot of work. And Ced has put in a lot of work in that area, both in our meeting rooms and doing extra in terms of walkthroughs and just the time investment has been very impressive of what he’s tried to do. So when he does have the opportunity, whenever that comes up, he’s going to make the most of it. But we always tell the players if you work hard and are coachable, good things will eventually happen to you in the future. So excited about Ced moving forward and I’m excited about our entire room and the way they work and the opportunity that might present to them playing in different roles.”
From a personal level, do you guys talk about in your room about the deadline before it happens? Do guys know that something could happen or even the way do you address it afterward when a guy like Donovan gets traded?
“Yeah, I mean during the time, obviously there’s a lot of uncertainty in the NFL around the trade deadline, but we’re so consumed and focused on the present for us and the task at hand that really the focus truly is on that for us. So, I don’t ever hear the guys even in talking through this or we obviously don’t talk about it in our meetings. We’re so focused on the job at hand and just what we’re asked to do. We have so many responsibilities and all that, the focus really is on that as much as anything.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wide receiver group that talks less. They’ll even admit and acknowledge that they’re not a lot of big talkers, at least when it comes to – like some might be, but just what they lack in talking, what do they show in leadership in other ways, especially the older guys, Amari (Cooper) and Elijah (Moore) and that sort of thing?
“Yeah, what a great group this group is that I get an opportunity to coach. Personality wise, they’re not going to say much. They’re very quiet as far as their personality, but what we get out of them every day is consistency. We get just, their work ethic is awesome and I think they put it on tape. I think it’s almost like say less, do more and that’s what this group does. They might not say a lot, but they’re going to go out there every day and practice hard and try to do what’s best for the team. I think we got a lot of guys that are really team-first guys in that room. And I think there’s nothing more powerful than leading by example. And that’s how it would describe our group. You’re not going to hear about it, you’re not going to hear them across the way saying much, but what you are going to do is turn on the tape and see their actions really display like team football. So, I love the group that’s in the room and I kind of like it standing in front of them, because there’s no distractions. They’re not going to say much of anything. And I think that the one thing is, although they are quiet, they do communicate with each other so well and help each other out. Amari, to use him as an example again, another guy that’s quiet in nature and his personality, but he’s the first one to really share information with the other receivers and that’s because he’s a team guy and he wants to provide them with answers and ways to help them in their game. So that’s really the neat part of it with that group.”
The uncertainty with the quarterback and who you guys are playing on a week-to-week basis. But for your group as a room, what’s kind of the next step that you would like to see them take? Just kind of on a game basis?
“Yeah, on a game basis, I think there’s so many things that we can do better as a group. I always talk to them about it’s like, ongoing improvement and we have to improve in some of the areas that not a lot of people see. Whether it’s just our attention to detail on being in the specific formations or our attention to detail in the run game. We ask our guys to be excellent in both the run and the pass. So, there’s just so many areas that we address with them. There are so many things to work on that we do have enough to work on and get better for sure, and we do that.”
Some players have talked that you guys just work the screen game a lot here. Most is this the place you’ve been where you guys work the screen game the most and then for the guys in your room, what is that kind of entail?
“The screen game is something we’ve excelled at here offensively and it doesn’t happen by accident. I mean, Kevin (Stefanski) does such a great job with Coach (Alex) Van Pelt of designing the screens for our game plans and then we put the time in. Those guys do a great job of working extra in that area and it’s always – you’re going to get what you emphasize. And if you emphasize something and you do it enough, you’re going to have success doing that. And that’s something that I’ve just been so impressed and I’ve learned a lot as a coach being around Kevin and Alex on the screen game. It’s something that obviously we’ve benefited from greatly here and I’ve been fortunate just to be around them and learn from it. And I think although the screen design and all that’s important, what’s probably most important is that our guys go out on the field and they work on it and they do.”
Obviously, he’s got the body for it, but have you seen enough in practice and preseason that he’s a good blocker? I mean, you talked about the willingness of your guys to block. Have you seen enough of that, from Cedric?
“Yeah, Cedric. One of his traits physically is his physical strength and his size. So, I think that when you have that skill set, you have potential to be a really good blocker in the run game. And to go along with that, you have to have effort in the mentality in combination with the size and strength and the finish to do so. And Cedric has the combination of both. He has a great mentality. We always use the phrase compete in the run game, and I think Ced has definitely done that for us. Not always in game settings because he hasn’t had the opportunity yet. But something that I know he’ll be very good at is competing in the run game and working really hard for us and providing us value in that area.”
Is there anyone new from the group that’s going to return punts?
“I’m focused on so much of what we’re doing offensively and with the receiver position. I know I have a lot of confidence in Bubba (Ventrone) and whatever he asks us to do from a special team’s end, they’re going to do. And that’s the one thing that I think as an organization here, we’ve done a great job of. We’re committed to special teams and our guys know that. Whatever they’re asked to do, whether it’s be on the hands team or be on kickoff return or be the returner. Whatever we’re asked to do, we’re going to go do that’s, you know, ultimately Bubba’s decision and Kevin and we’ll do what they ask us to do.”
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