LB Christian Kirksey, LB Joe Schobert and TE David Njoku (7.29.19)
Included below are select quotes from interviews with the following Browns players during today’s media availability:
- LB Christian Kirksey
- TE David Njoku
- LB Joe Schobert
LB Christian Kirksey:
On the first five days of training camp:
“We have a lot of talent on the team. Iron sharpens iron. Guys are out there competing, trying to fight for a spot. We are going to get the best 53 men on this roster. It is going to be some hard-nosed guys, and (Head Coach) Freddie (Kitchens) is trying to build that identity right now and that is what we are doing.”
On DE Myles Garrett taking it to another level in training camp so far:
“Myles is trying to be great, you have to respect it. He is only going into Year 3, which is amazing. He is trying to be the best defensive end in the league, and you have to respect it. He is going to ramp it up a notch, he is going to ramp up the intensity and be a huge playmaker for us.”
On LB Sione Takitaki getting under the skin of offensive players in practice:
“He is a guy that is going to run around and talk. He is a high-energy guy. He is out there making plays. I like Taki. He is going to be a guy that gets the team riled up. He is a young rookie. He has a lot of energy. It will be good to see him out there and go make plays.”
On if Takitaki is as high energy inside the facility as he is on the practice field:
“For sure. He is energetic in the meeting room. He is energetic if we are lifting weights or eating lunch. He is going to be energetic the whole time. That is something you like out a linebacker – someone who is going to be vocal, someone who is going to run around and have fun and compete.”
TE David Njoku:
On his goals for training camp this year:
“Just to do the best that I can do. Be the best that I can be. Be the best tight end I can be. If I do that, I think that I will be OK.”
On where does he feel he needs to improve:
“Everything really. I did not master anything yet so I figure work on run blocking, pass blocking, catching and route running. All the above.”
On how he fits into the offensive scheme:
“That is a funny question. I just control what I can control. I just want to be the best that I can be, and like I said, let everything else take care of itself.”
On having weapons on the Browns offense like WR Odell Beckham Jr. and WR Jarvis Landry:
“It is very exciting. They are tremendous athletes. Great route runners. Great receivers. I am so ecstatic just to have them right by my side. It makes me really excited.”
LB Joe Schobert:
On TE David Njoku:
“He can be as good as any tight end in the league. He has the athletic ability. He has the smarts, good hands. As long as he puts everything together, is consistent and stays healthy, he is going to have a long successful career.”
On how he is liking the Browns defense:
“It is good, really good. I think obviously it changed so there are still things that we got to clean up every day, but once this defense after the next couple of weeks, everybody gets it down, is comfortable and communicating they can just react to what is going on, on the other side of the ball, I think it is going to be really hard to stop because we got a lot of athletes in a lot of positions.”
On how much does the DL help the LB core:
“Obviously, I think we had our live period today. I did my job fitting my fit in probably a second or a second and a half and the buck was already tackled on two of the three plays. (DE) Myles (Garrett) was in the backfield, (DT) Larry O (Ogunjobi) – those guys are just blowing up plays and that is going to make it easy for us because offensive lines are going to have to focus and double on them, get the linebackers over the top and squeeze them through holes and make plays on the ball.”
On notcing Garrett taking his play to another level in this camp:
“I think Myles have obviously taken steps up. That is what you want to do every offseason in the NFL, especially when you are a young guy like him. He still has room to get stronger, get faster and do all that stuff. He is going to be one of the best in the game coming off the edge. I think he proved it last year and hopefully builds on it this year.”
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Included below are select quotes from interviews with the following Browns players during today’s media availability:
- LB Christian Kirksey
- TE David Njoku
- LB Joe Schobert
LB Christian Kirksey:
On the first five days of training camp:
“We have a lot of talent on the team. Iron sharpens iron. Guys are out there competing, trying to fight for a spot. We are going to get the best 53 men on this roster. It is going to be some hard-nosed guys, and (Head Coach) Freddie (Kitchens) is trying to build that identity right now and that is what we are doing.”
On DE Myles Garrett taking it to another level in training camp so far:
“Myles is trying to be great, you have to respect it. He is only going into Year 3, which is amazing. He is trying to be the best defensive end in the league, and you have to respect it. He is going to ramp it up a notch, he is going to ramp up the intensity and be a huge playmaker for us.”
On LB Sione Takitaki getting under the skin of offensive players in practice:
“He is a guy that is going to run around and talk. He is a high-energy guy. He is out there making plays. I like Taki. He is going to be a guy that gets the team riled up. He is a young rookie. He has a lot of energy. It will be good to see him out there and go make plays.”
On if Takitaki is as high energy inside the facility as he is on the practice field:
“For sure. He is energetic in the meeting room. He is energetic if we are lifting weights or eating lunch. He is going to be energetic the whole time. That is something you like out a linebacker – someone who is going to be vocal, someone who is going to run around and have fun and compete.”
TE David Njoku:
On his goals for training camp this year:
“Just to do the best that I can do. Be the best that I can be. Be the best tight end I can be. If I do that, I think that I will be OK.”
On where does he feel he needs to improve:
“Everything really. I did not master anything yet so I figure work on run blocking, pass blocking, catching and route running. All the above.”
On how he fits into the offensive scheme:
“That is a funny question. I just control what I can control. I just want to be the best that I can be, and like I said, let everything else take care of itself.”
On having weapons on the Browns offense like WR Odell Beckham Jr. and WR Jarvis Landry:
“It is very exciting. They are tremendous athletes. Great route runners. Great receivers. I am so ecstatic just to have them right by my side. It makes me really excited.”
LB Joe Schobert:
On TE David Njoku:
“He can be as good as any tight end in the league. He has the athletic ability. He has the smarts, good hands. As long as he puts everything together, is consistent and stays healthy, he is going to have a long successful career.”
On how he is liking the Browns defense:
“It is good, really good. I think obviously it changed so there are still things that we got to clean up every day, but once this defense after the next couple of weeks, everybody gets it down, is comfortable and communicating they can just react to what is going on, on the other side of the ball, I think it is going to be really hard to stop because we got a lot of athletes in a lot of positions.”
On how much does the DL help the LB core:
“Obviously, I think we had our live period today. I did my job fitting my fit in probably a second or a second and a half and the buck was already tackled on two of the three plays. (DE) Myles (Garrett) was in the backfield, (DT) Larry O (Ogunjobi) – those guys are just blowing up plays and that is going to make it easy for us because offensive lines are going to have to focus and double on them, get the linebackers over the top and squeeze them through holes and make plays on the ball.”
On notcing Garrett taking his play to another level in this camp:
“I think Myles have obviously taken steps up. That is what you want to do every offseason in the NFL, especially when you are a young guy like him. He still has room to get stronger, get faster and do all that stuff. He is going to be one of the best in the game coming off the edge. I think he proved it last year and hopefully builds on it this year.”
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