Las Vegas Raiders John Simpson Talks on the Opening of Training Camp

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have a new leadership team in General Manager Dave Ziegler and Coach Josh McDaniels, but the key to a great 2022 season is the veterans in the building.

One of those veterans who got a massive amount of reps in 2021 is guard John Simpson.

The Dabo Swinney and Clemson Tiger product is going to play a key role in the upcoming campaign and he stepped to the microphone on the first day.

You can watch the video of his entire interview below, or read the transcript:

Guard John Simpson

Q: What do you take away from last year, especially that you could build into this year, not just individually but collectively with that offensive line?

Simpson: “Well, individually, I'm going to start with that. I felt like I learned so much last year with Coach [Tom] Cable being here and then having guys like Kolton Miller, playing next to him. He's like a tremendous leader, tremendous player. And as a whole offensive line, as a collective, I feel like towards the end of the year we started gelling and we started like being better at hanging out more with each other and stuff like that. So, I think that's only going to make us better this year.”

Q: How much did Richie Incognito help the offensive line last year kind of gel and learn what you have to do?

Simpson: “Richie always stayed on us, especially the guards. He helped us out whenever we needed help. He was not like a coach, but like a big brother in a sense. And he was always positive. If he had a bad play, a good play, he always kept it neutral. Never was like a super mean guy, never was super nice. He just let us know what we've got to do to be better.”

Q: The coaches have put a lot of emphasis on the teaching this offseason. Can you talk about learning and adjusting to a new staff and their emphasis on teaching in the classroom?

Simpson: “ Yeah, I think Coach Carmen [Bricillo] is doing a great job at his job. We are all taking everything one day at a time. Everybody learns different. So, some guys learn on the field. Some guys learn in the classroom. And with them doing everything that they can, we try to do all those things. We go do walkthroughs; we do meetings in the classroom. Stay extra after what Coach Cam [Clemmons] and all kinds of things like that. So, I feel like that's a big help to us because it is a new system and I feel like if we keep learning the way they're teaching us, we're going to be pretty good.”

Q: It seems that there's a lot of high expectations right now on the team. How are you and the locker room dealing with those high expectations?

Simpson: ““I mean, it's high expectations every year for every team, in my opinion. Everyone wants you to be great and that's everyone's goal. I think we all just got to buy in, and I think that's the main thing. And once we do, I think we're going to be pretty good.”

Q: There's that narrative out there that, ‘Hey, all the skills players are there and if this offensive line can hold up, that's the real question.’ How do you feel when you hear those comments?

Simpson: “I mean, it's just words. We got to do what we got to do to be our absolute best. So, that's just words to me. I'm motivated internally. I don't allow things like that to motivate me.”

Q: Going into training camp, how has the offensive line adjusted to Carmen Bricillo’s coaching?

Simpson: “I think it's going pretty good. We are progressing very well, way better than I expected myself to progress. But like I said earlier, the teaching aspect is the biggest part and I think they're doing a really good job at teaching us and then slowing things down for guys like me and other guys too. So, that's the biggest thing is just making sure everyone's on the same page.”

Q: You mentioned Richie Incognito and Kolton Miller helping you. So, have you been helping Dylan Parham?

Simpson: “Yeah. Dylan, he’s a good little rookie. (laughter) He's got a lot of upside, man. He's a good dude. He's super quiet. He doesn’t talk a lot, but I do everything I can to try to help him to be the best player he can be. It’s competition, but he’s still like a brother to me. Everybody I play with is like my brother. So, it's all love when it comes down to that. And if he needs help, I'll be there to help him.”

Q: You’ve spoken highly about the new offensive line coaches you’re working with, but you also mentioned how much you liked working with Tom Cable. What's the biggest difference between the two staffs and what have you noticed they do differently?

Simpson: “I mean, Coach Cable, he's like an older guy. He has a lot of wisdom and stuff like that. And Coach Carmen, he’s not young, but he's like a younger coach in the NFL. So, I think that might be the biggest thing. But like as far as coaching, coaching is coaching, and they're both really great at what they do and that's why they are in the NFL.”

Q: How much of a benefit is it that there is familiarity now with you and Andre James and Kolton on the offensive line with the playing time you guys got last year compared to where you were a year ago at this time?

Simpson: “Yeah, I feel like last year helped all of us out a whole lot. Starting from where I started at to now, I feel like I've gotten so much better, and I feel like I can improve so much more. I feel like it’s just the beginning. I played all last year, but I feel like I still got way more to prove to myself and to my family and everybody else like that. So, I feel like everything that we went through last year as a collective offensive line that just helped us be better and it's going to help us be better next year.”

Q: When do you think the game started to slow down for you in the NFL?

Simpson: “I'd say like midseason almost. It was just like a light had flashed. It wasn't perfect, but I got better progressively. Like I said just now, I feel like there's always times I can get better and stuff like that and I'm never going to quit trying to work hard and trying to be my best that I can possibly be.”

Q: You guys made the playoffs last season. What’s that hunger in your belly like to get back to that and go even farther this upcoming year?

Simpson: “Oh, for sure. I mean like you said, coming from Clemson to the Raiders is just like you want to win, you've got to win, and that's how I am as a person. I just love winning. I hate losing. And going to the playoffs and losing the first round, it sucked, and it does give me a hunger and makes me want it more. So, I think just knowing going into it and wanting that to be my thing in my motivation to the guys around me, like, ‘Hey, look, we've been there last year, but we didn't get where we wanted to go. There's is always more, and you can always ask for more from the people around you.”

Q: How have you seen the energy different so far in the building?

Simpson: “It's definitely like high energy everywhere we go in this building. We try to keep it that way. It's just like the culture that we're trying to implement into this program. And that's a testament to the coaches and everybody that works here. They all do a great job at keeping us motivated to be our absolute best.”

Q: Can you talk about the importance of accountability with this staff?

Simpson: “Yeah, there's a whole lot of accountability. I think that's a great thing because like he mentioned earlier, I went to Clemson, and it was nothing but accountability. So, I think accountability is the key to a great program.

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