Offensive Line Coach George Warhop (8.6.26)
Tevin Jenkins missed six practices, how is that complicating your search for your five best offensive linemen?
“It’s always a challenge when guys miss practice, but I think he’s coming back fairly quickly, and we’re early enough in camp that it shouldn’t factor too much. But I don’t like guys missing time, especially when they’re in a competitive situation.”
At left tackle, we’re seeing Dawand (Jones) and Spencer (Fano) alternate day by day. How are both guys doing? You had some high praise for Dawand when we talked to you in the spring, how has he attacked this early part of camp?
“I think they’re both doing fine. I think it’s to our benefit to let those guys compete to see who’s going to be the left tackle, because there’s no greater way to increase a player’s production than when he’s in competition. We need Spencer to get used to playing on the left side and develop him. We need Dawand to be the best version of himself if he happens to be our starting left tackle, we need him to be that. We don’t need him on the second team or the third team; we need him fighting for the first-team job. So, I think it’s beneficial for the players in the long run, and it’s beneficial for us in the long run. They’re both improving. They’re both going to be good players because of it.”
Todd (Monken) mentioned conversations about possibly sliding Tytus (Howard) inside to get Dawand on the field?
“I haven’t had those conversations. That’s a possibility, Tytus is very flexible. In my one year with him in Houston, midpoint of the season we lost a guard, and he had to go play left guard, and he did a fine job. He’s very flexible. But right now, he’s our right tackle. I don’t believe in moving guys around just because we have a need. Once we get through the early part of camp and start seeing it settle down, then we’ll see what we want to do. But as of today, Tytus is our right tackle.”
How would you describe Dawand’s attitude now that he’s in a fight for that job?
“I think Dawand’s been fine. Like I said this spring, I like Dawand, he’s a smart guy, a pretty bright guy. He’s funny, has a great personality, and he’s really good in the room, and he’s doing what he has to do to compete. So, I like what I see. I like the kid. It should be fun.”
Joe Thomas has always been complimentary of you, and I saw he met Spencer and was here yesterday. What kind of resource is that for Spencer, and did you get a chance to catch up with Joe?
“I didn’t know Joe was here yesterday, but if any of those guys can talk to Joe, it’s a great resource. Any of them because Joe was the ultimate pro. Great work ethic, great study habits, fantastic notes, could watch tape. My last couple years here, he and Alex Mack would split the room and watch tape with the guys so they could understand how to watch tape. So, I think he’s a great resource. If I’m a lineman here, and I’m a tackle here and I don’t reach out to Joe, I’m a dumba**.”
George, you mentioned versatility, we know Elgton Jenkins is versatile, Zion Johnson’s going back. But is versatility in an emergency-situation tool, Do you want your players at their best position?
“That’s a complicated way to say that. I think when you’re trying to establish something, versatility is good to get your best five on the field. When you have an established line, versatility is good to have guys who can play multiple spots as backups. We’re not there, we’re still trying to find our best five. So, the fact that Tytus could move, if that was something we wanted to do, that’s a bonus. E (Elgton Jenkins) can play center and guard. The fact that he’s done that, and played tackle, gives us the ability to find our best five. That’s where we are. But once we have an established line, versatility is really for guys who can play multiple spots as backups.”
After practice the other day, I know Jared (Verse) was doing some one-on-one work with Spencer, talking technique. How valuable is that for a young guy to get that kind of time?
“I think he does that with everybody. First of all, Jared is impressive, but he’s talking to him from a defensive perspective, which is great for a young guy to hear, what he’s looking at, why he’s going to attack him a certain way. That’s great knowledge, so he’s getting a different perspective than I’m giving him. As long as you can embrace that and absorb it, it’s going to help raise your ceiling.”
You had two centers out yesterday, but the good news is you got (Luke) Wypler on the field for a lot of reps. What did you see? That’s been a long time coming for him.
“I like Wyp, he’s a good player, right. He’s competitive, he’s super smart, the guys trust him, which is really impressive. He’s like having a coach on the field. He studies his a** off. So, what’s good for him is good for us. He’s another guy in a position that’s competing to be on this team. Anytime you have a chance to be on the field and show what you can do, I think it’s a positive for you as an individual.”
With Spencer, what are maybe a couple of things you guys are paying the most attention to?
“Everything. The biggest challenge for Spence, he’s really gotten comfortable going from the right side to the left side, that’s the first thing. And then the next thing, he’s really embraced the competition, which is outstanding. The fact that the guys we have playing defensive end out there, 91 (Alex Wright), 8 (Jared Verse), 50 (Rex Sunahara) and 57 (Isaiah McGurie), all those guys are unique and different guys, and he’s seeing them all. There’s a lot of trash talking going on, and he’s not backing up one inch. So really, that part of it’s been outstanding.”
KT (Leveston) is starting to get a larger share of the reps, and how does he keep that going?
“How does he keep it? Play well, simple, and get better every day. KT, I like a big-body guy who can move, but he’s got to stack good days like anybody that’s competing for a job.”
Coming back from the spring, these guys were in the classroom working to learn the concepts you were trying to instill. With the first week of pads and multiple practices, how cleanly has that been translated to the field, and where have you had to step in?
“I think some parts of it have been pretty good. You watch these guys come off the ball, we’re doing a nice job in the run game, for the most part, very physical, displacing the line of scrimmage, starting to understand strain, starting to understand finishing downfield. Getting a good grasp of how we want to protect, technically how we want to protect, and how we want to play position. That’s key for us. That’s probably the biggest challenge, because every line coach is different in how they teach that. I want it done a certain way, in particular for tackles, and that’s probably the biggest adjustment they’re going to have to make. The guards, fairly easy. The centers, fairly easy. Tackles, we’re asking them to do some different things.”
When guys play next to each other, just talking to Joe and other guys over the years, they learn each other’s footwork, how they work double teams and communication. When guys haven’t played with each other and it’s a whole new group, what’s the biggest obstacle?
“The biggest obstacle is understanding what we want to do first. The comfort and the communication come after that. Right now, we all communicate the same, we’re communicating at the line of scrimmage, everybody’s talking the same language at the line of scrimmage. We haven’t gotten to the point where my right guard and right tackle have their own words they say to each other that have meaning, that comes in time. Sometimes it doesn’t come until your second or third year playing together. Right now, that’s a non-issue. We just need to figure out who’s going to be our starting five, and we need to play like we want to play, play like Brown. Be physical, be tough, and make guys deal with us.”
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