On being back at headquarters: "It's good to be back, but kind of gets your mindset in the right place because this is where we are going to be for the next, hopefully, five to six months. So it's good to be back in our facility and be back on our practice fields in the same meeting rooms. It's tough to leave Napa at the same time, but it's time to get the season going. We are excited for it."
On preseason playing time in the past: "I don't remember ever not playing but I think it's always been a series, two series, three series, a quarter something like that."
On if he will ask for playing time this week: "I hope I get to play, but that's not our job as players, that's what the coaches do and we'll be ready for whatever we are told to play."
On if he thinks it is important to get red zone situations sorted out: "You want to get it done in games but you really get it done in the classroom and out here on the practice field and getting together as a group and talking through it on film. Obviously, any chance you get on live situations, it helps too, but we're continuing to work on the problem areas and still continue to work on some of the areas we have been successful in. Like I said, whatever we're asked to play we'll play."
On if he will game plan for this week as much as last: "I think cause it's a short week, we're not going to have enough time. Especially like we did last week, we had a little more time last week to really hammer out an entire game plan and go through a mock game week but with the short week and playing, we're playing Thursday or is it Friday? I don't even know what day it is anymore. I think we're just got to try and stay healthy and continue to work in some areas and like we did today go against ones versus ones, and have a chance to really go as close to game speed as you can."
On how vanilla the team has been in the preseason thus far: "We have. You want to work certain things with certain individuals to see if certain guys can do things, but you don't want to just throw the entire playbook on film also. I know we're doing that I know just about every team in the NFL is doing that so there are still some things we've got to continue to work on and some things that we're really excited to do that haven't been seen."
On whether he feels comfortable with the timing of Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore being out: "We need a ton of work together. You can never get enough work with a guy even if he's played every rep and you've played every rep yourself, you always need those reps. When they're back it's not easy to get off the couch or get out of walking boot or off of crutches or whatever it may be and just show up and play. This league is way too good, these players are too good, the schemes are too good to just jump back in and go. There is going to be a little bit of a process of really getting their legs back and their conditioning back but also their minds and their bodies to the speed of the game and get caught up with everything."
On getting time with some of the younger guys: "It's been great. For Rod [Streater] to go in and get action and play against starters, play against starting corners, have to block safeties, starting safeties. there is a big drop off as the game goes on to the competition he would have seen, so for him to be in there with the starters is huge, just for his confidence also. Getting a chance to rep with him and some of the other guys, you know [Mike] Goodson and Taiwan Jones in the back field when Darren [McFadden] has been on the sideline for a couple of the plays. It's been a good opportunity for those guys to get reps but also selfishly for me to get reps with those guys."
On first team defense and starting corners in practice (Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer): "They're really good. You know when you have Tommy Kelly coming at you, you don't have a whole lot of time to hold on to the ball and see guys come open. They're very veteran guys; they've been around a long time, they've played against really good players. They have that kind of savvy feel to the game, when to jump certain routes, when not to. From my perspective, I haven't noticed any drop offs since they haven't played last year. I know both those guys, they work extremely hard, they don't miss reps. Bartell was down a little bit but he's a big physical guy, he'll come up and press you and get you at the line of scrimmage and Shawntae has a knack for jumping plays and when a deep route's coming he gets on top of the receiver. Been very pleased with the way they've look since they've been here in OTAs."
On how much growth he has seen in Terrelle Pryor: "A ton. When I first got here, he wasn't getting a ton of reps. So, for training camp he got 30-40 perecent of the reps during camp and he's improved drastically. I want to [give him advice] because I like Terrelle but also that's part of my role, that's my job. When you're a quarterback that's a veteran, like myself, I have been trained very well by a guy named Jon Kitna I was fortunate to play behind for my first couple of years in the NFL and he really showed me how to be a pro, how to watch film, how to work out. He showed me all the small things a coach can't show you and I'll never forget that. That's now the role I have with Terrelle or with whoever, whatever younger quarterback I am around, comes with the territory."
On Streater fighting for his position: "I think more importantly he realizes he can play in this league. When you're a 6th, 7th round draft choice or a free agent there's a little bit of doubt, why didn't I get picked, why did I get picked so late, maybe I can't play in this league. There's some things that kind of sink into your head, I haven't specifically talked to him about that but I'm sure there's a little bit of that in there coming from a wing-T offense, catching 15-16 balls his senior year. I think the one thing he's realized is he can play, he can play with the best, he can win a one-on-one route against any corner, starter or back-up corner. That's one of the biggest hurdles a young guy has to get over. You really don't know if you can do it consistently and he's consistently done it, every single practice, every single day. So confidence-wise, I don't think he has any issue confidence-wise."
On what he has seen from Owen Schmitt so far: "Owen's just a bruiser - a shorter, squattier guy that can get underneath linebackers and block defensive ends. For the style of player he is, he's got really good hands, so he's going to fit really well in this offense because fullbacks will get balls thrown to them. Just kind of a blue-collar, do all of the grunt work down by the goal line in third and goal situations. When he has to, and his number is called, he'll run a route and catch the ball."
