Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren (7.28.25)
How big of a day is today finally being with pads? How much do you try not to overreact to what you see first day of pads, especially your position group?
“Well, I think actually it has a lot more value than those four days we just had when you talk specifically about offensive line. I think when the pads come on, I think it’s a critically important evaluation process for every position, but certainly for offensive linemen. This is a day where we get to see what really is happening with the block. Like, are you earning the movement you’re getting on the defensive lineman? Can you take the man from point A to point B against his will and do our job to make sure we’re creating those holes?”
Coach, I know there’s been so much talk about Dawand (Jones) and how different he looks, and he’s talked about really building muscle being an emphasis on slimming down. Just what have you seen from him since you’ve gotten here and been in these early practices?
“Yeah, I think since I’ve gotten here, I’ve seen that commitment to become a better version of himself, and that’s what we’re all trying to do. So that’s great impressions in the early practice, I think Friday was probably his best practice, all told, since I’ve been here, and that’s obviously a very good sign. Now, we gotta build on it today because just like everybody in this room, what we gotta hunt in these dog days in this phase of this training camp is consistency. And, you know, as an offensive lineman, you can have 58 perfect plays and two really bad ones, and that’s a really bad deal for our football team. So, consistency is the thing we’re striving for this week.”
What made Friday his best practice so far?
“Kid came out and played well. He really just did. I mean, he made a commitment. We talked about this last time I was in front of you. Like, there’s so many good things in the package, that is Dawand Jones. And it’s our job, and it’s our collective job and his job to get those things out of him.”
Besides Dawand (Jones), the other four guys are 30 or are going to turn 30 within the next week, I think. So as a coach, are there any concerns about that? Do you have to coach them any different, manage them any different because they’re a little older than other guys?
“Yeah, I think Kevin (Stefanski) has a great plan for that in training camp. But certainly, as we’re trying to make this a physical training camp, how we’re going to take care of those guys and there’s a good plan in place. There’s also an open line of communication where I want to hear from those guys, like how is your body feeling? Because I know I’m a better coach with those guys on the field. And so, we’re going to do everything we can to keep them ready for game days while getting the work at these new techniques in some cases so they can be completely comfortable and get their job done when they’re in there.”
Is there also comfort level given that those four guys have as much as experience as they do especially when they’re together?
“Yeah, the nonverbal communication between those guys is really cool. You know, like a grunt means a lot of things.”
I think Saturday you had Jackson Barton in when (Jack) Conklin got one of those days off. Does that reflect how well Jackson Barton’s doing or just rotating guys?
“We’re really rotating guys in. I think both Jackson Barton and Cornelius Lucas have done really well to date. Jackson’s (Barton) done some really cool things in the run game. We’ve got to get him to solidify his assets and comfort at sitting down defender and that’s what we’re going to continue to work with him. But with Jack (Conklin) having that day off it was just easy. Let’s plug him in, let’s see how he does. And so that was great.”
Will you rotate other tackles with the ones if you have the opportunity to besides Cornelius Lucas and Jackson Barton?
“Just (Cornelius) Lucas and (Jackson) Barton right now.”
Is Zak (Zinter) seeing any snaps at center?
“He is. Yeah, he’s doing a nice job, and you’ll actually see him get some out there today.”
What’s the reasoning behind that? Just versatility?
“Absolutely. Like one of our core tenets is an offense that we’re trying to make sure we’re doing is multiple and versatile. And it’s not like we’re going to line up in a lot of different roles as offensive linemen in terms of lining up at this receiver or doing this running the ball. So, what does that mean for us? It means how many positions can we play? The old ‘more you can do,’ adage. And so, if you talk about like a game day roster, if Zak (Zinter) has the ability to be a backup center or certainly an emergency center, that’s a big deal for our football team.”
What have you noticed with Zak (Zinter) just in year two? Obviously, he came in last year, I know you weren’t here.
“Yeah. I mean, not being here I can’t really speak about last year, but I can talk about what we talked about back in May or June, whenever that was. Like, this is a kid that’s had an off season now, and you’re seeing the value of that. I think he’s playing at a much higher level than when we first hit the field in April, and that’s exactly what I expected. So, it’s great to see that he’s had that time to put in the work and he’s getting more comfortable with these techniques even as we talk about putting him in center today.”
During the tush push discussions, (Kevin) Stefanski said, you have some creative ideas for short yardage. Will we see those on the practice field or could you enlarge that?
“We’ll show whatever Kevin (Stefanski) and Tommy (Rees) choose to show, if that makes sense. I mean, we certainly have a way we believe in doing short yards and goal line and a lot of it is technique driven as much as any plays. But yeah, we believe in as I talked about the moving a man from point A to point B against his will. There’s no time that’s more important that we get the movement than in short yards and goal line.”
Is (Zak) Zinter an extra blocker in short yardage?
“He certainly can be. I think Zak (Zinter) can be. I think Luke Wypler can be. Those are all guys that are possible candidates for that role.”
What has allowed Joel Bitonio to remain as productive as he has for as long as he has?
“I don’t know. There’s probably some grace of God. There’s also the way that he works and the way that he prepares his body. You know, Kevin (Stefanski) gave the guys a night off the other night. I asked Joel (Bitonio) to talk to the room about what his process is going to be on that evening and the next day to prepare for what’s to come as we go into six practices in a row here in dog days. And he’s just unbelievable with the process. I think, again, process is a big part of it.”
Mike, kind of a big picture offensive line question. You know you’ve been involved with it at the first level with recruiting, you know, doing your days in college. Have you noticed that the pool of offensive linemen coming up through the system from high school to college, is it shrinking — the kind of elite, elite kind of offensive line?
“I think at every level of football right now it’s harder to train guys to be great offensive linemen. So, I’m not sure that the pool is shrinking, but the guys that actually get the development to get to that point prior to getting to the National Football League is maybe less.”
Mike, it’s been about, I think, 12 years since you were in the NFL?
“15. Yeah, lifetime.”
Does it seem the game has changed?
“Certainly, some schemes have. The way you relate to players. I’ve always found it to be the same at all levels. And you know, I always want the players to know like I’m there to help them in every way. And I think that’s the job of a coach, whether it’s working for Coach (Bobby) Bowden early in my career or whatever. Like your job as a coach is to take a player someplace, he cannot or will not take himself. And so, what does that mean? We got to find out uniquely how we help each player. And it’s not a cookie cutter or one size fits all model. We’re going to have techniques and we’re going to have ways to start, like how do I motivate this kid or how do I give him a technique that’s going to be a good tool for him? But as you talk about schemes. Yeah, there’s some different things.”
Is that the biggest change — schemes?
“I believe so. Yeah. That and the way the off season is so flag football-esque.”
It seems from watching you actually coach them out there in practices, you’re constantly explaining the why for like everything you’re wanting guys to do. Is that a fair assessment of watching you out there? And if yes, like why is that important even if it’s like individual drills to always be doing that?
“Yeah, I think with everything you want to be able to connect the individual drill to team. So again, telling them exactly what we’re working and the why, as you’re saying. But I think with every block we talk about AAA, which is not the car service that’s going to come give you a tow. It’s alignment, assignment, adjustment. And if I understand the ‘why’ behind my technique, then it helps me when that adjustment happens, and I need to do it in a fractional second.”
Kind of back to Joel (Bitonio), the guy of his stature, the number of All Pros, Pro Bowls, he’s made feels like at a flashier position, he might be a Hall of Fame candidate, but Pro Football Reference, for whatever it’s worth, gives him less of a probability. Do you think offensive linemen are properly represented in the Hall?
“You know, I don’t even know the criteria, but what I can tell you is having watched and studied Joel (Bitonio) for years and years before I got here, I think he looks like a Hall of Fame candidate to me. I don’t get a vote. Not my area. But yeah, I don’t understand that rationale. You talked about a Pro Football Reference to saying it differently.”
Why do you think it could be that?
“Why is he deserving?”
Why would there be someone overlooking him?
“Oh, yeah, I couldn’t speak to that. I can tell you, again, like, the longevity of his career, the high level that he’s played at, making those Pro Bowls and like, what do you have to do to make the Hall of Fame — be top one or two at your position for a couple of years? He’s checked those boxes.”
When we talk about Dawand (Jones), the fact that he’s going to be going against Myles (Garrett) or has been and will be in pads, like, what kind of extra dynamics does it add to him and just given that Myles (Garrett) is probably the best in the business at what he does.
“Yeah. I mean, as a competitor, you want the best. And especially when we get that work in practice. Like, come to the dojo and bring your best because that’s all it’s going to do is help us — we learn to fight. And so, again, I do think there’s tremendous value in that. We may not appreciate every day when we go back and watch the film or when Dawand (Jones) has a particular rep, but that is all that’s doing is sharpening him. It really is the old iron, sharpens iron.”
Just as you’re watching the film and grading your own guys, what are you noticing about the defensive thing? How much are you kind of like, how much do you say, you know, like, you say that’s Myles Garrett who’s going against or, you know, what Mason Graham has done or anything like that. How much are you kind of noticing that and passing notes on to that room?
“Yeah, we haven’t done a whole lot of crossovers with Jacq (Jacques Cesaire) and I where we talk about those things yet, but I believe we will at some point. You certainly notice who flashes, like, who is being a consistent problem. If they’re giving those four that we mentioned any problems, that’s those ones, then they’re probably doing a good job. And so again, like, what do we need to do to handle this guy and we’re not in a game plan type format. We’re not doing that. But at the same time, like, the techniques are different for some people, and honestly, going against Coach (Jim) Schwartz’s defense is different, with them being such an attack front. There’s different things we have to modify within our scheme just to make it work.”
Who’s flashing?
“You should ask Jacq (Jacques Cesaire), who’s flashing? I don’t know exactly what they’re supposed to do. I just know who’s disruptive.”
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