Following Friday’s OTAs, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, safety Omar Bolden and linebacker Steven Johnson met with the media.
These quotes stood out:
Phillips: “I’m pleased with the two guys who are out (LBs Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan) and [OLB] Shane Ray also. The two guys who are out, as far as learning the defense, they’re really studying, they’re helping the other guys.”
DeCamillis: “The biggest thing is you have to have a returner. More than anything else you’ve got to get a returner and that’s something competition-wise right now that we’re going through. That’s what these OTAs are for, that’s what training camp will be for.”
Bolden: “They’ve been working me at free safety and strong [safety]. I’m just getting a better feel for it and getting comfortable. Having the opportunity to actually do it during OTAs and mini camp is obviously a plus.”
Johnson: “I played 3-4 in college, 3-4 in high school and now, playing it in the league, I’m like ‘Oh, shoot, I feel like I’m in high school again.'”
Phillips: “‘Sly’ (Sylvester Williams) has been at the nose, but we’ve alternated those guys in. [DE] Malik [Jackson] is an end, obviously, size-wise. [DE Vance] Walker has come in and played some nose. We’ve alternated most of the other guys if they can play nose or three-technique, and some of them can play five-technique, we’ve alternated those guys.”
DeCamillis: “…there’s not much a difference between kicking the ball from the 15 and kicking the ball from the two. When you look at it statistically, I’m saying. I think what’s going to be a big effect, at the end of the year, you start getting the bad weather, when you’re kicking from the two, it’s a little bit different than kicking from the 15.”
Bolden: “I want to lead the league in kick return yards. I’m trying to score a lot of touchdowns for the team and have exciting plays for us on special teams.”
Johnson: “To tell you the truth, going against Cincinnati last year on Monday night, I learned a lot. I got beat one-on-one; I missed a couple tackles versus some really good tight ends like Jermaine Gresham and stuff like that. And I was just like, ‘You know, this is a time where certain people can hold their head and really go into the gutter or they can bounce back and become better individuals.’ And for me, I believe I’ve done that.”
Phillips: “We’ll put our best players on the field, like I’ve said before. I don’t know if you remember at San Diego, we had three outside backers that could really play, and we played them a lot on third downs, all three of them. At different places I’ve been it’s: get your best players out there, your best rushers out there in third-down situations.”
DeCamillis: “…if you’re kicking from the 15, the chance of a fake right there is not great. You still have to get 15 yards, to get the two-point conversion right there, which is going to be hard to do. So I think people block-wise are going to be a lot more aggressive in my opinion.”
Bolden: “…I don’t need to ask guys what they are doing; I already know what they’re doing. Because I played in the inside slot, out at corner and both safety [positions] now so it just makes me a smarter player…”
Johnson: “I think this coaching staff has done a great job of pushing us on the practice field because it’s certainly different from what it used to be.”
Phillips: “DeMarcus [Ware] is great at it. Von Miller is helping the young guys. Those two guys are certainly helping our young guys. I told them if they can coach the position, and they have the talent they have, they can play. I can coach the position, but I can’t play.”
DeCamillis: “Shane Ray hasn’t played before, so he’s getting real good at on-the-board stuff and that kind of stuff, but he’s going to have to get out on the field and do some of those things.”
Johnson: “In the past I’ve been a really good special-teams player but I’m trying to make that leap and become a starter and a true leader on this team.”
