Raiders C Andre James From Training Camp

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and center Andre James took to the podium to address the media.

You can watch his entire comments below., and read the transcript:

Center Andre James

Q: McClendon Curtis comes in as a UDFA, very high football IQ. They are very high on him. What have you seen from him?

Andre James: "He's a great player. He's come in with the mentality of just to work and just to get after it. He asks the right questions in the meeting rooms and he absorbs all of the information really well. Being an undrafted guy you have to come in with that mentality. I know myself, you have to come in with that. Yeah, he's done everything the right way so far, so I'm proud of him."

Q: And then Greg Van Roten comes in, he's a grizzled veteran, able to stay healthy all the time. What is he brought to this offensive line.

James: "Yeah, we're really excited to have Greg [Van Roten]. Obviously like you said, he's been around quite a while, so he brings a lot of experience. So, it's great to add something like that into our room, add leadership, especially for these younger guys to have someone who's been there and done that only helps us and benefits us. So, it's great having him."

Q: It's your first time starting in front of a new quarterback. I know it’s only been a couple days with Jimmy Garoppolo, but what's it been like working on the relationship?

James: "Yeah, it's been awesome. It was funny, it was literally like a couple of days ago it was me and his first time getting snaps together. So, we're working together. It's awesome to work with a guy like that, he gives great feedback. He's a great leader in the huddle, he leads us real well. You want to block and play for a guy like that, so excited to have him."

Q: Do you just snap the ball the same way or do you kind of cater in a different way or do quarterbacks have different preferences in terms of how you snap it?

James: "Oh yeah, it is very different. Every quarterback and center, there are little tweaks here and there that you've got to go through, and we're kind of in that growing experience right now. Just learning -- communicate how you want the ball placed. It's little tweaks here and there, and that's what we're kind of dealing with right now. Especially going with -- we've got three different quarterbacks. We've got almost three different centers who we're working with. So, everyone's a little bit different but it's been good so far."

Q: There's probably not any more emphasis than you want to do to protect him [Garoppolo], but he has had injuries and that's kind of been his careers of late. Does it even more play in your head about that, in terms of protecting him this year and how important it is to protect him?

James: "My job and the rest of the other four guys on offensive line is to keep our quarterback healthy at all times. So, that job doesn't change. We want to keep him as healthy and as clean as we can for every game."

Q: Andre, I'm sure there were a lot of times in training camp last year where you're looking to your right and left wondering who exactly waslined up alongside you and it seems like that's changed a little bit this year where there's a little more consistency. How much better does that feel kind of bringing back the same five and moving forward with that group?

James: "It's awesome. To me the O-line is all about cohesiveness and jelling together. Like I've said before a lot of times, that chemistry playing between different guys you've played with before, it's very helpful. It's a very familiar feeling. So, our challenge is just to keep working every day and just keep growing, and that's what we're going to continue to do."

Q: Andre, people who have played with Jimmy before talk about the way he gets rid of the ball really quick. I'm just curious, obviously you've played no games with him, no pads, but how much will that improve this offense, his ability to just get rid of the ball so quickly?

James: "Yeah, I'm sure it would help us out a lot. As an offensive line, you want to get that ball out quick because it makes your job easier. But our jobs going to stay the same, we want to block and protect him for as long as we can. That's what we're going to continue to do."

Q: When's the first time you actually snapped the ball to Jimmy? Was it a big day on the calendar? How did that feel?

James: "Two days ago was the first time. So, it was actually funny, I was looking forward to it. I was thinking like, this past offseason, I was like: "Man I haven't even snapped to him yet." So, two days ago our first time and it was good. We're just going to continue to keep working together and the more reps you do, the more you get familiar with someone, and that's what we're doing. And we're just going to continue to grow together and it's going to be good."

Q: Maxx [Crosby] says he [Jimmy Garoppolo] talks trash, does he talk trash out there?

James: "Oh, yeah. He's a big talker. Him and Jermaine [Eluemunor] go back and forth. I have to get Jermaine back in the huddle all the time. He likes to get in your head, it's fun playing with dudes like that. I try to stay in my own lane. I can't say too much about that."

Q: But with that being said what's like the biggest thing that you've learned about Jimmy Garoppolo that you would have never thought about him just on the outside looking in?

James: "Man, he's just one of the boys. He comes in and he just kicks it with us. He's willing to hang out with us in the locker room. Yeah, he's just an ordinary dude, and that's what we love. He's just one of the guys, can't say too much more about that. We love that."

Q: Do you feel like you won't really be able to get to know Jimmy Garoppolo until you see his grilling skills?

James: "Yeah, I've heard he can throw down too. So, hopefully we'll have a little cook off here."

Q: Obviously Jimmy wasn't there in the spring and then Josh [Jacobs] isn't there now. Whatever issues might come from that obviously could be erased with great O-line play. How much do you guys embrace that challenge to be as good as you can for the benefit of all of that?

James: "We're just taking the mentality that whoever is back there running that rock, we're going to block our best for. Our job is whoever is back there, we're going to create a hole and anyone can run it back there if you block the right way. So, that's the mentality we're going to take."

Q: Was there some validation when you look back to last season? We talked about not having the five in place, and you go back to last training camp and all these spots were up for grabs. People are like: "Oh, how's this O-line going to be,' and you guys blocked for the leading rusher in the NFL and kind of turned it into some strength. Is there some validation how last year went as a unit?

James: "Yeah, we're just going to continue to build off of that. I'm happy with the way we ran the ball, but we're not satisfied in any way. There's always room for improvement, and that's what I feel like gets us excited. We go back and we watch plays from last year like: 'Man, if we would've just done this, we could've got this much more yardage.' There's always that, and that's our mentality we're taking. Like if we just did one little thing right, we could have could've went for 10 more yards, 20 more yards. So we're just going to continue to keep growing on that, and hopefully we're going to continue to improve."

Q: Can you talk about Dylan Parham little bit? Last year he came in as a rookie and started all 17 games, and then this year, he looks a lot smoother and really understand the concepts of what you guys are trying to do up front. Can you talk about what he brings to the table from that standpoint?

James: "Dylan [Parham] has been awesome. We've all been super impressed with the way he's came and handled himself, especially as a rookie. Rookie year is hard, it's long, and he's done a great job of just staying focused. He's a dude that comes in every day and just grinds, and I was really impressed with the way he carried himself in the meeting room and on the field. He's a guy that responds to adversity very well, and you want to play with a guy that's like that. That's one of my boys, so I'm happy to have him there."

Q: Going back to that question about the validation from last year. You guys often said you didn't pay attention to all that and you weren't focused on it. But how much did it drive you knowing that people were doubting you so much? And then going into this year, you don't really have that because there aren't really people doubting in that same way, do you have to find motivation somewhere else?

James: "I think every motivation is all self-motivation. We have the same pieces there and we want to continue, like I said earlier, to keep improving. We look back and we're like, 'Man, we could do so much more, so much more.' And that's what we're going to continue. It's all about the little things, especially as offensive line. It's about the small, little details and we just need to continue to improve on those, and I think it'll be good in the long term."

Q: Kolton Miller said Dylan Parham's gotten stronger this offseason, is that noticeable that he's gotten bigger?

James: "Yeah, he's strong man. He showed up a couple months back and I was like: 'Man, how much is this dude weighing?' But he looks good. He looks good. He holds his weight really well, and he's very strong. He can squat -- I can't even count that much, but he can squat a lot and that's the type of dude you want to play next to you. You want him on your side."

Q: What does your offseason program kind of look like? what are some things you like to do to work on to add strength or speed or whatever?

James: "So, pretty much I stay here, pretty much all offseason, and it's great because A.J. [Neibel] and his strength staff, they're amazing. And I live here full time, so I've got my house here. You've got free food -- can't beat that. You've got free training. So, I'm here in Vegas full time. But just working out with those guys, their program is amazing. They do a fantastic job to get us ready for the season."

Q: What's been the best thing about living in Vegas full-time, aside from football?

James: "I've definitely got to say the food. The food here is unlike anywhere I've been before. I think you get a lot of chefs that come out here and they just they open up spots. Even off the Strip, I mean the food is fantastic."

Q: What's your favorite spot?

James: "That's a hard one. Sushi -- I gotta shout out Sushi Hero, definitely one of the best spots for sushi. Man, Lamaii, if you guys are looking for little Thai spots right off of St. Rose, it's really good spot. But I'm gonna keep the rest of them a secret. I don't want to give too many spots out. I don't want to see all these faces in there."

Q: Have you heard from Josh Jacobs at all?

James: "I try to talk to him here and there, but it's a hard situation. I see where he's coming from, I see where both sides are coming from. Hopefully we can get him back. So yeah, we love Josh and hopefully it works out in the long term."

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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