From Raiders Training Camp: Coach Josh McDaniels

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and Coach Josh McDaniels took to the podium today to address the media.

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

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

Q: The last couple of days we’ve seen some struggles from Jimmy [Garoppolo] with some inaccuracies and interceptions. Any concerns?

Coach McDaniels: "No concerns. I mean, we've also seen some really good throws and some stretches where the offense is really doing a lot of good things. And I think this is that time of camp every year where it's very competitive. Everybody that’s out there is really competing in their own position group. We're making progress and improving; we're also seeing a lot of the same things daily from the other side of the ball. So, this is about that time where you start to get excited to maybe compete against somebody else that hasn't been looking at the same motions, formations, coverages and all the rest of it that you've been looking at since the beginning of OTAs. So, no, look there's some credit to be given to the other side when they make a play and they're competing, too. I think it's just normal ebbs and flows of camp, been some really good days, and then there's some plays where you get to coach off them, so that's what I think that is.”

Q: Last year it seemed like in the defensive backfield a lot of guys were trying, but there was sometimes some discombobulation. Marcus Epps is putting guys in spots. Is a lot of the defensive success because of how Marcus is being a leader on the field?

Coach McDaniels: "I think we have a lot of guys who have really taken ownership of the communication on that side of the ball. I think we're starting to see where we're more connected on a play-to-play basis, and defense is all about 11 guys playing together. And if you got nine guys doing one thing and two doing another, it's tough to win because usually the offense will find the problem. I think Marcus does a tremendous job of communicating. He's a very mature player, he loves football. The conversation is almost always about football, whether we're at practice, in the building, eating lunch. It doesn't matter what it is, Marcus is really all in. I think he's rubbed off on some of his teammates. I see Tre'von [Moehrig], and him, they're kind of like a pair walking through the building. And I think for guys that play together in the secondary back there at safety, I think that's a really good thing. So, I think our guys are really embracing what we're doing. And again, that secondary as a whole, I'd include the linebacker group in there, if you know what you're going to do on every play, you know your job, you know where your teammates are going to be, it allows you to be more aggressive and play faster and I think we're starting to see some of that."

Q: Do you have a preference at this stage of training camp whether the offense is further ahead or the defense?

McDaniels: "I've said this a lot. When you're a coordinator, you can have a really sharp day at practice. And when you're a head coach at training camp, it's tough to have a good day because whichever period you're in, if the offense wins a period, you feel a little less good about the defense, and if the defense wins a period, you feel a little less good about the offense. So, that's just the natural ebb and flow. I think we've seen some real progress on both sides. And then there's definitely things that we're going to try to fix and improve on here. Today's going to be a big correction day in every phase of the game. Not in pads, less banging around today. More intentionality, in terms of trying to fix a few things because through nine or 10 practices, you see a lot of things you got to correct. And I think that taking some time to address those on both sides and in the kicking game, I think that's a normal portion of training camp. I think we'll find out a lot next week where you're going against somebody else and you have an opportunity to just see yourself against a different scheme and against different players. It'll test your rules, it'll test your Las Vegas Raiders Transcript 8.6.23 discipline, it'll test your technique and fundamentals. So, today's a good cleanup day for us and then have a little bit of a rest here and then get back at it next week against San Fran, but I don't really have a preference. I hope we just keep making progress."

Q: What's it been like getting to know and working with Marcus Peters?

McDaniels: "I mean, I've told you guys before, I've coached against him a number of times and he and I go back and forth on that because he's definitely made some plays against us, and we've made some plays against him. But he's got a great spirit about him. He's a football player through and through. He really understands the game at an elite level, really a smart player. The thing you don't know until you work with somebody is how much they're willing to offer other players, other younger people on their side of the ball or on the other side. And you see Marcus out there, he's willing to share and he's really trying to help anybody that he can, along with the fact that he's trying to reestablish his level of performance year after year after year. You don't get to carry anything over. You see him out there competing against the best guys we've got and he's excited to do that daily. But just really, really excited about him and the things he does to help you play good defense, and you see those every day."

Q: You talk about his spirit and kind of a mindset that he brings back there. Is that transferable maybe just to other players?

McDaniels: "Yeah, I think sometimes it can be contagious in a way. I know sometimes people think he takes chances. I don't really consider it that if it's calculated and you use your preparation to be able to go do those things. That's just being a smart player and having enough instincts to be able to do those things. So, Marcus has done it for a long time. I think there's some things to be learned from him with the other guys in the secondary. And I think our defense, like I said it a minute ago, I think there's a lot of things in our defense. We've got some elder statesman there now and some guys have some wisdom experience that I think is good for the whole group."

Q: On this team, you're bringing in football junkies. As this team matures and grows, is that going to be one of those things that helps the Raiders turn the corner?

Coach McDaniels: "I hope so. I think one thing that they do is they rub off on some of the young guys who we've drafted. Because when you draft players, they come into your building, and they really don't have an understanding of what the NFL is like other than what they see. And so, their interpretation of what NFL football is like is watching [Maxx] Crosby show up at 5:30 in the morning and watching [Davante] Adams compete. And you mentioned a number of other guys and I think that's a great way to kind of build your overall identity as an organization, is you put some guys in those positions of leadership. They do their job the right way, they embrace the grind of football year-round and do the right things, and hopefully you have a team full of them at some point.”

Q: What are you looking for out of the joint practices later this week?

Coach McDaniels: "Like I said, it's not going to be a big scheme-a-thon. It's just an opportunity to, No. 1, compete. I think that's an important part of this because I think that makes everybody better and you see some competitive fire out of everybody. Two, I think it's an opportunity for you to really test your fundamentals, your discipline, the details and techniques that you've been working on for months against yourself, against bags and shells and all those things, and now you have an opportunity to go out there and kind of see where you're at. And your rules have to kind of lead the way because you never know what you're going to see necessarily. Again, I don't think it'll be a big scheme-a-thon. I think this is going to be just two teams trying to improve, get better, play good football, and see where they stand. And a lot of people will get opportunities. I think it's a great change up for us, as coaches, as organizations, to be able to just line up against somebody different because there is a little bit of same as, every day you see the same thing going on in the red zone, it's the same stuff from same coverages, same plays, etc. And so, to be able to do some things against somebody who hasn't seen it all, I think it's a break for the guys.”

Q: Are there any concerns about Tyree Wilson not playing at all this year?

Coach McDaniels: "Not that I have.”

Q: You expect that he is going to be ready to go by the start of the season?

Coach McDaniels: "I’m going to hope so, yeah. As soon as he's ready, he's going to be out there. And I think like I said, there's been nothing that has told us that that’s not going to happen. So, same as.”

Q: How encouraged have you been with the defense making plays the last couple of days? And then also, even when they're not making the play with the ball, they're trying to punch it out. It's almost like it is habit forming?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah. We've talked since the beginning of the offseason about being able to create more explosive plays defensively in terms of turnovers or negative plays. And I think, if you practice it and practice it and it becomes kind of part of how you play on every play, you're hoping that that's going to carry over because you can't just not work on something and then the games start and say: ‘OK, let's just force turnovers.’ You have to be able to try to do that in practice and work on the skills and techniques that are required in order to do that. So, I see our defense really challenging the offense in many ways. I think we have drills you guys see us run every day that are focused on trying to get the ball loose or get it out. I think we've had a number of guys that have gotten closer to the football or gotten their hands on the ball and caught the ball. That's a good part of training camp to be able to build those fundamentals and start to gain some confidence in your ability to do that as a unit. Obviously, nothing provides more energy to the defense than when they take the ball away. So, good to see in that regard. And offensively, we're trying to do a good job as best we can to try to keep it away from too, so it's a good battle.”

Q: Do you think it’s been a more seamless transition for new players on defense? And was that a goal of yours coming into this camp this year?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, I talked about how we kind of looked at ourselves last year and then evaluated it in the offseason. What do we need to do? What can we do a little better to help ourselves? How do we really mold this around the people we have and make good choices about that? And I think we've simplified some things and that always makes things a little bit simpler in terms of being able to get up to speed and play fast on the field. And I think we're seeing some evidence that that's happening. And I think the maturity level and the intelligence level of the guys you just talked about, I think that helps, you know what I mean? Because regardless of how you could do whatever you want with Marcus Epps, [Robert] Spillane, [Brandon] Facyson, Adam Butler; they're smart football players. They played a lot of football in their careers, maybe some other place, but they've seen a lot and so being able to gather information from the coaches and go out there and execute it becomes a little easier. So, I like what we're what we're trying to do. I think the guys are acclimating to it well, and they're continuing to try to get better.”

Q: Zamir White talked yesterday about working to improve in the pass game, both catching balls out of the backfield and in pass protection. How would you assess his progress this year compared to his rookie season in that area?

Coach McDaniels: "It's definitely different. The volume of things you're going to see in the NFL are different, and the volume of responsibilities that you have back there in the passing game, it's just a little different. You see many, many different looks and the defense tries to challenge you in a bunch of different ways and to be able to follow your rules and do your job repeatedly the right way isn't always easy right away when you come from college. So, I see growth for sure from him. Brittain [Brown], same thing. They both have improved in the passing game in both areas; catching the ball, creating some plays for themselves after they catch it, and then being able to do their job the right way and know who they have in protection and get a body on them. So, I'm pleased with what we're seeing, and again, that'll be challenged next week and the next few weeks here with some joint practices, which will be good. But both guys are working extremely hard. Zamir certainly has made progress."

Q: A couple of days ago, Brandon Bolden came up on the podium and he said one of his teammates said: 'Brandon has been playing since Jesus created football.' And with that being said, you've been around Brandon for a lot of his career, what are some things that you've noticed within the progression of his career and what do you believe he provides to this locker room as a veteran?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean, an undrafted guy and now we're double digits in terms of his career. So, I think that speaks to his work ethic. I think it speaks to how quickly he learned how to take care of his body. He realizes that he's got some really strong assets that can help a team in multiple ways, and he's done a great job of taking care of his legs and being able to run at a high level. Still has great speed. And now he's imparting wisdom both on offense and in the kicking game. Super unselfish guy. Very valuable in a lot of different roles and great leadership; practices hard every single day, does the right thing off the field. Just a pleasure to be around. We're fortunate that he's here and able to rub off on some of our younger guys, but still able to contribute a significant role in multiple ways for us this year, and he did last year."

Q: I know there's competition everywhere and a lot of guys are getting reps in training camp, obviously, but one spot we had a lot of continuity and we're still seeing a lot of guys rotating in is offensive line. How would you characterize the competition up there specifically?

Coach McDaniels: "We've got 15 of them and so we're fortunate that we've been able to stay healthy up there. And when you got 15 guys up there who are competing, this time of the year you're going to see a lot of them in there, obviously. And again, as I've mentioned before, I think it's really important to put different combinations together because for 17 games, plus the three in the preseason, and you hope for more beyond that, it's unlikely that you're going to have the same five guys just standing beside each other the whole year without any kind of injuries or anything like that. So, knowing who you're standing beside, knowing the type of communication that's required for the two of you or three of you to be on the same page, I think that's really important. That will always be something I believe in. It can't just be the same right tackle, same right guard, same center every time because then all of a sudden in the game, something happens and somebody new is in there, and now that communication doesn't feel the same. And so, I think they need to get to know their teammates. There are guys that are pushing everywhere to compete and to play, which is great. And I think it makes all of them better. So, the more that they can all talk the same language, the more they're on the same page, the better off we're all going to be. That's what I see from them."

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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