STRICTLY SPEAKING
We bring you the best quotes and nuggets of information from roundtables from all 32 teams on the last day of the NFL meetings in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — Imagine what New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would do if a player ever arrived a halfhour late to a meeting?
Maybe bench him in a Super Bowl?
Well, ol’ Hoody McGrumpypants arrived exactly that late for the one-hour interview session required of all NFL head coaches, in a large ball room Tuesday morning at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, on the last full day of the league’s annual meeting.
Belichick wasn’t alone. At least three other AFC coaches arrived late for the 7:15 a.m. ET session start. I didn’t get over to the NFC side to see how many, if any, of those coaches similarly missed the start time.
This is not a rarity. Every year a handful of coaches arrive late, if they don’t blow off the session entirely, like McGrumpypants last year.
With the help of quotes tweeted or written by colleagues at the 32 roundtables, here are some team-by-team highlights:
BUFFALO BILLS
Sean McDermott praised recently traded QB Tyrod Taylor — “Tyrod is always going to be one of my favourites … a class act in every sense of the word” — then said this of whether the reality matches all the buzz about this year’s QB draft class: “I think it does … It’s a deep draft in that regard, and quarterback is no different. I’m still going through the work involved at all the different positions, but I can tell you there are game-changing players.”
NEW YORK JETS
Todd Bowles said the club hopes it’s getting the prolific version of WR Terrelle Pryor from two years ago, in his last season with the Cleveland Browns, rather than last year’s sparse contributor in Washington.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Adam Gase said it “was the right time for us” to release DT Ndamukong Suh last week. “We have some young guys in that defensive-line room, and it was time for us to move forward.”
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Bill Belichick said this about where Matt Tobin, a sixth-year backup G/T the Pats recently acquired, might play: “I really can’t comment on what a player can do until we put him out there and see how he does it, but we’ll give him an opportunity. He’s a smart kid that works hard. We’ll give him a chance and see how it goes.”
BALTIMORE RAVENS
John Harbaugh said Matt Skura is the top candidate to take over at centre, Alex Lewis will again play left guard and James Hurst will move outside to right tackle.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Mike Tomlin said JuJu Smith-Schuster “didn’t disappoint” as a rookie WR, and that Martavis Bryant is “a guy on the rise” after his strong 2017 finish.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Marv Lewis said there will be schematic overhauls on both sides of the ball. “We need a different team. We weren’t good enough. We need to be better. We had to improve. One way or the other. Better players, better coaches, better coaching.”
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Hue Jackson, hyperbole’s best friend, on QB prospect Baker Mayfield: “I feel like he’s a Pied Piper of Oklahoma football. When we walked into the building, he made this sound — kind of went, ‘Hee heeee.’ And all the players in the building started going, ‘Hee heeeee,’ and here we go. Most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen.”
HOUSTON TEXANS
Bill O’Brien did not exactly repeat what his owner, Robert McNair, said against player protests. “Many times over the last year, I’ve said I respect everybody’s opinion. My opinion is players have the right to express themselves. We have smart players who feel strongly about social issues.”
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Frank Reich said QB Andrew Luck is indeed throwing footballs again, as part of his rehab. Luck is not throwing hard yet, however.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Matt Vrabel, on trying to land free-agent DT Ndamukong Suh before he signed Monday with the Rams: “We made a pitch for him and didn’t get him. And when you don’t get him you go into the next process or plan of who else you think you might need. And so that’s what (GM) Jon (Robinson) and I will do.”
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Doug Marrone said QB Blake Bortles is training “pain free” following wrist surgery in California, and is throwing “without limitations.”
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Andy Reid said they’re sticking with a 3-4 base defence, despite speculation after a bad defensive season the Chiefs might switch to the 4-3
Reid employed for years in Philadelphia: “There’s so much flexibility in the 3-4.”
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Jon Gruden, as you’d expect, is bursting with pent-up energy. His return to coaching after spending a decade in ESPN’s
Monday Night Football booth intends to cram as much teaching info as he can into his team meetings. “If you’re going to have one hour, it’d better be three hours of content,” he said.
DENVER BRONCOS
Vance Joseph said despite the signing of QB Cody Kessler and the expectation the Broncos intend to select a QB with their No. 5 overall draft pick, don’t count out third-year passer Paxton Lynch, a first-round gunslinger largely viewed as an immense disappointment: “By no means is Paxton done … We believe in Paxton.”
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Anthony Lynn said of his plans for RB Melvin Gordon this season, per Daniel Woike of the Los Angeles Times: “When he’s well, he’s hell. I think some of it was coming off that knee surgery. Sometimes people have to learn how to play with (an injury) because it’s never going to be the same. Melvin figured it out.”
DALLAS COWBOYS
Jason Garrett said despite the signings of WRs Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson, longtime Cowboys WR Dez Bryant is not on his way out. “We love Dez,” Garrett said. “Any speculation about his contract or anything like that is irrelevant to the signings we made.”
NEW YORK GIANTS
Pat Shurmur said he does feel an “urge” to draft a “generational quarterback” at No. 2 overall, but added that incumbent veteran Eli Manning is the fittest 37-year-old he has ever seen.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Doug Pederson said he’s “encouraged” by QB Carson Wentz’s recovery progress from a torn ACL. Wentz is “day to day” but unlikely to appear on field in spring practices.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Jay Gruden said TE Jordan Reed (toe and other injuries), OT Trent Williams (knee) and OT Morgan Moses (ankle) are all not expected to be ready to take part in spring practices.
DETROIT LIONS
Matt Patricia admitted he’s still “kind of” in the “honeymoon phase” as the latest Lions head coach. “I’m undefeated right now. We’ll see what happens in October,” Patricia said. On whether Winnipeg-born WR/ KR T.J. Jones will be ready for spring practices after undergoing January shoulder surgery, Patricia said: “We’ll have to see (what doctors say). But I think everything is good from that standpoint. He should be on track, ready to go. But we’ll see.”
CHICAGO BEARS
Matt Nagy said this on teaching his offence to second-year QB Mitchell Trubisky: “The expectations for us are that we’re going to always push him. We’re going to give a little bit more to him to see what he can handle, but you’ve got to be able to balance that with the other 10 guys, and what’s too much.”
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Mike McCarthy said “I don’t see any restrictions” on Aaron Rodgers this spring, after the QB cracked a collarbone last October.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Mike Zimmer said despite signing QB Kirk Cousins for eleventy million dollars, “I don’t look at this as Super Bowl or bust.” Try telling that to Vikings
fans, Mike.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Sean Payton on Lamar Jackson, who’s generally viewed as the fifth best rookie QB prospect: “I like him. He’s athletic. He’s got a magic smile to him … He’s a special guy. You just have to be around him and interview him and you can see why he was successful (at Louisville).”
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Ron Rivera on replacing longtime offensive coordinator Mike Shula with Norv Turner: “I just think Cam (Newton) needed something different.”
ATLANTA FALCONS
Dan Quinn reiterated what he said during last season, that WR Julio Jones’ measly three TD catches was part of an overall red-zone futility that he and his coaches will address this spring and summer.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Dirk Koetter said QB Jameis Winston is imbued with a highrisk, high-reward playing style that they don’t want to change.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Kyle Shanahan said free-agent signee RB Jerick McKinnon is good enough to play on all three downs, that he not only is a good runner but receiver and blocker too.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Pete Carroll said fourth-year DE Frank Clark and third-year DT Jarrad Reed are two players who can help fill the gargantuan leadership void after the team dumped or traded the likes of CB Richard Sherman and DE Michael Bennett.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Sean McVay wouldn’t comment on reports that his team is aggressively trying to pry WR Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants, via trade. But McVay said, “If you’ve followed our off-season there’s no trade we wouldn’t explore.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Steve Wilks said for now, Sam Bradford is the starting QB. “Hopefully, it turns into longterm,” he said. Ideally, and QB the Cards select would learn from the sidelines for some time.