HC Kevin Stefanski (8.20.23)
Opening Statement:
“Good to see everybody. Going to be a good day out here today. Happy to be back in front of our fans. Moved practice up to this morning, get some good work done today. It’ll be a little bit different practice structure. Short on the individual and then heavy on the team periods. We’re going to extend the amount of plays in these periods so that guys get used to long drives offensively and defensively. We’ll hit some really good situations. We’ll take a bunch of breaks to kind of simulate those in between drives or TV timeout and those types of things. So, we’ll get some good work in a move the ball period and down in the red zone as well. We’ll get some no huddle, we’ll get some two minutes. So, a lot of situational work today, which I think will be really good for our guys.”
Do you expect Jack (Conklin) to back on the field today?
“I do.”
Elijah Moore?
“I do. Yes.”
How have you felt about the situational performance that you’ve gotten through camp and the preseason? What have you liked, maybe? What have you not liked?
“Yeah, well, I think all of it is a learning experience in those games. There are certain things that come up that maybe you’ve covered just once. I think about the end of the game in Philly where we need to get out of bounds – something we talk about a lot, shared situational awareness. It’s all things that we cover and you meet on, and then you have an example of it in game. Luckily, it’s in a preseason game where we can teach off of those moments. But I think all of camp really going all the way back to the spring, you’re constantly trying to hit the different situations that come up, and you’re spending time on them. And then during the regular season, you hit them every single week, you hit all those situations. So, for today, again, heavy on the situations, and it’s really heavy on the guys understanding what we’re trying to accomplish in each one of these periods.”
Kevin, I think when we talked to Elijah (Moore), he said he hadn’t lined up AT running back much with the Jets. So, what did you guys see that made you think that he could be really useful in that ROLE?
“You know, I just think there’s not really a limit to what he can do. I think he’s a very good outside receiver, a very good inside receiver. You can put him in the backfield, put him in the wildcat. I think there’s really just no shortage of what you can do. And I say that just because of the skill set and because of the intelligence. So, like you mentioned, with the lining him up in the backfield, hadn’t done a ton of that. But just if you think about the person and think about the player and what he’s able to handle. We just felt like it’d be something that he can do. Not to say that we will do it every game, or maybe he’ll be there all 50 plays in one game. It’s really by game plan.”
How open to the idea was he? Of moving everywhere?
“I mean, any player, when you’re talking about moving around a formation, ‘hey, we can give you the ball this way, we can get you the ball this way.’ They’re always open to that.”
I saw that Debo at one point had some consternation about playing or being considered a dual-threat receiver, and running back. But you haven’t found anything like that?
“I have not, yeah. I have not.”
Kevin, with a guy like that, is there almost sometimes, like a basketball mentality? Just get them the ball early, get them some touches, and different ways to kind of get them engaged in the ball?
“In basketball, we talk about that a lot because in basketball, you can have somebody bring the ball up and then the ball is automatically in their hands. It’s harder to do with skill position players. You’re dependent on the quarterback oftentimes gets you the ball. So there are different ways to do it. Elijah, as everyone knows, is no secret. Elijah is a big part of what we want to do, and he’s a big part of who we are. So, it’s our job as coaches to find ways to get him involved.”
Kevin, Luke (Wypler) has played guard the last couple of games. I know that was something he hadn’t really done at all coming into the pros. How have you seen him kind of pick that spot up?
“Yeah, he’s been very open to it. Like you mentioned, Chris (Easterling), not something he’s done before. So, all of it’s a learning experience. There’s a learning curve to all of that. Obviously, when you’re moving a guy to a position that’s new to what he’s done, and I know it sounds easy to slide over 18 inches, but it’s not simple. And I think he’s done a nice job with it, and we’ll continue to grow there.”
When the USFL season was going on, did the Browns have people there, or do you just watch the game develop?
“That’s a good question. I know we have access to all the tape. I don’t know that we necessarily have a scout there at every game. I’m not sure.”
Has anyone talked to (Austin) Watkins coaches? He credits them for a lot.
“I haven’t, Tony (Grossi), but somebody may have. I’m not sure.”
With guys like (Austin) Watkins and Mohamoud Diabate who have had really strong training camps and preseason games. With roster cuts coming up, these last couple of practices, what are you looking for them? What more do you want to see?
“Yeah, Cam (Justice), I think it’s a global evaluation. We look at everything when making those types of decisions. Obviously, game tape is important and game performance is important. So is this practice, so are how they perform in the meeting room. So, we look at it all. Obviously, our fans and everybody gets a glimpse into those games, and they’re important. They’re under the lights and they’re keeping score, but really, it’s a global evaluation.”
Kevin, you’ve mentioned a lot about the meeting room. So, without giving anything away, what makes a player, especially a young player, good in a meeting room?
“Well, I think we just spend so much time in there just by the nature of our schedule and the nature of how you get players ready to play for practice and ready for the game – you spend a lot of time in the classroom. We try to do as many get-up-and-walk-around meetings in the indoor as you can as well. But in that meeting room, you’re covering a lot of ground. You’re watching tape, you’re looking at play diagrams, you’re quizzing the players. So, the more attentive you are, the more ground that you can cover in those meeting room settings, I think it prepares you both to play on the grass out here and to play in the game.”
How did Martin Emerson (Jr.) and some of your other cornerbacks fare in those joint practices against the Eagles?
“Yeah, I mean, obviously they got tested, as you know, Mary Kay (Cabot), just going up against that wide receiver core. So, they got some really good work versus those guys. I think MJ continues to progress. He’s had a good camp to date, and I think he’s a young man that I think will just continue to get better.”
Kevin, there are heat warnings throughout the Midwest coming for this week. Do you see that as good prep for Saturday’s game at 1 o’clock, or will that change kind of who plays because we’re looking at the 90s and 100 degrees?
“Yeah, I was just actually checking that just ten minutes ago. So, I think it’s 91 on Saturday in Kansas City. It’s 103 the day before, so it’s going to be hot. It’ll be warm here later in the week. It could be warm September 10 at our place. So, you have to acclimate to the heat, safely, obviously. But that’s something that we really had our eye on and things that we’ve been working through all the way back to Greenbrier.”
Is it too early to reveal any playtime?
“No, the starters will play, similar to that Washington game. We’ll play the starters probably 20 to 25 plays. There are some guys that all hold out from the game as well, but we’ll talk about that maybe later in the week.”
Did you talk to Andy Reid about that at all? Communicate, ‘Hey, this is how we…’ Just so he can be prepared?
“We will have that conversation. They just played yesterday. They also play – they’re the early game, they’re the Thursday night game. So, I don’t know how that affects their decision-making.”
With guys like Sione (Takitaki), Anthony (Walker Jr.) and Jakeem (Grant Sr.), do you feel like you need to see them in some preseason action because they’re coming off those injuries or maybe reluctant to play them until week one?
“It’s so dependent on the player and where they are in their rehab and what they can do and what medical suggests they should do. So, it’s all case-by-case basis. I think if the guys can play in those situations, they will. If it’s better off, that they don’t play, they won’t.”
Kevin in the second practice in Philly I know Jack’s (Conklin) was probably part of it, but we saw you play the Dawand (Jones) and Michael Dunn with the first team. What was the thinking there a little bit on some of those reps?
“Yeah, rotation, keeping guys fresh. Even today we’re going to have to move guys around. I think now is the time where you try some tackles at guards, you flip guys over to different sides and maybe some drills. So, it’s just the natural progression of training camp where you have to find some other jobs to do. Because, as you know, once you hit the active roster and hit the 53, you’re going to have to do some other jobs to make yourself versatile.”
On Dawand, when you guys drafted him, the perception was kind of a developmental kid that you’re bringing in here. Is he ahead of schedule? Has he progressed maybe a little quicker on the timeline than maybe you would have even thought, just based on the way he’s played in the preseason?
“Yeah, I’m not going to comment to necessarily where he is, Daryl (Ruiter). He’s progressed. I mean, obviously, he’s like a lot of our players. He’s making mistakes. He’s also doing a nice job. He’s just got to continue on an upward trajectory, knowing that all of our rookies are works in progress. And this rookie year is a big year for these guys of change of new surroundings, new settings, new everything. So, he’s a guy that just needs to continue to work.”
It seems like in the games, Cade York’s, ball has had unusual movement, where it’s not happening here. Is Bubba (Ventrone) trying to find the source of that?
“Those are all things we’re working through. Tony (Grossi) I think that’s what practice is for, and I think that’s what those games are for right now to continue to work through.”
His practice has been nearly perfect?
“Yeah. We talk about taking the practice field to the game field. So, it’s like all of our guys we just talked about it. Just continue to work.”
Kevin, AJ Green, where’s he at?
“He’s coming along. I don’t know if he’ll be able to practice today, but he’s coming along.”
How did Greg (Newsom II) come through the Philly practice?
“Yeah, he’s doing well.”
And we’ve seen Denzel (Ward) in the slot, too. How valuable is it to have multiple guys could do that with what Jim (Schwartz) wants to do?
“Yeah, I know. It’s beating a dead horse, but it’s versatility. It’s the more you can do, really frees up your coaches to move you around the formation. I know as an offense, if one player is always in one spot, you can start to look at tells from the defense and vice versa. So, it’s really just trying to get the more you can.”
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