COACH DICK JAURON
Practice – August 20, 2007
On the importance of showing progress and setting a tone in the game coming up…
We always want to play well, there's no doubt about it. We're working hard in practice and we hope they play really well. How important is it? I can't answer that question. It's always important to play well but what does it mean in the long term? I don't know. We won't know until after we play regular season games and see how the season goes. We're looking forward to the game and we're working hard. As always, we want to play well. We've got to eliminate errors, eliminate the penalties, and do those things that are necessary to win.
On if Roscoe Parrish will get an opportunity with the first team…
Well, we don't think of Roscoe (Parrish) as a second-teamer or a third-teamer. He's a special player. He's got special abilities. It never occurred to me that Roscoe thought of himself as a second-teamer or a third-teamer.
On if Roscoe could be split out wide at the number two with Lee Evans…
That could happen. It definitely could happen at times. But like I said, it's never occurred to me that he's not considered one of our playmakers, one of our explosive players and you've got to have them. You never have enough of them but he's one of ours.
On if it is close to making a decision between John DiGiorgio and Paul Posluszny…
It will probably go down to the wire. I think they're both doing well, they're both playing well and they're both progressing. John (DiGiorgio) is certainly not an old player or an old veteran. So he's still learning. Paul (Posluszny) is brand new to the scheme. We feel real good about both of them both as defenders and as special teams players.
On if the right guard position will be clarified by the end of this week…
It's possible but I don't really have deadline. I still just want to see it play itself out… love to get Brad Butler back into the mix, don't know if he'll make this game or not. He practiced a little bit tonight. And we'll just have to see kind of on a daily basis how that thing is but he was doing well until he got hurt. We'd like to get him back into it. I feel good about all of them and certainly with Jason (Whittle) and with Duke (Preston) there's a comfort level there that they both know what's going on. I think that Langston (Walker) is comfortable with both of them. I'm sure that Melvin (Fowler) is too. It could go a number of different ways.
On the reason for Terrence McGee playing the right corner position…
We feel that our corners need to be able to play both sides. On the right side, talking defensively, on our right side, Terrence (McGee) is very comfortable. We like him over there, he is comfortable there. He's performed very well on that side. That's the reason he's spent most of his time there.
On an update of Ryan Denney's surgery…
It went really well. Obviously it's going to be a while. I won't talk about a timetable yet. Bud (Carpenter) and the doctors have talked about it a little bit but I want to make sure with them but it will be a while. It's not going to be one of those two week things. It's going to be a bit longer than that. I need to clarify it more with them but the surgery did go well.
On his thoughts of Peerless Price in practice…
Generally I'm very happy with Peerless (Price). He's a veteran, he knows how to play, and he's worked hard on his conditioning and his strength. We've had a little bit of an issue with a finger that makes him a little leery in practice right now. He struggled with it. It sounds minor in our sport but when you dislocate a finger and you're a wide receiver, it affects you. He's done a pretty good job with it.
On if George Wilson is now a safety…
Yes, definitely. George (Wilson) has done a nice job. Again, doesn't have any background at that position for us. He's done a good job, needs all the time he can get but his toughness; he's got some real strong redeeming qualities as a football player not the least which is his toughness. His willingness to do anything for the team, his ability to play on special teams and also the receiver thing does come into play sometimes because you know he can do it if we needed to call on him to do it.
On the improvement of Donte Whitner…
I thought that the goal line play was a real good play but there were a number of plays even in the opening drive that were special plays. You don't see a lot of defensive backs that can make those plays. Some solid tackles, a big hit and then the goal line play. He's got the ability as you saw tonight and with the interception to make very athletic plays and he's got the speed to outrun you if he does get his hands on the ball. I'm real happy with Donte (Whitner) and his progress. He just needs to keep coming, get more and more comfortable with the communication parts of it and the total package in the defense. But we're counting on him. We're counting on him. If we're going to be a team that wins consistently then we've got to have a lot of players play at a high level.
On if Eric Powell will step into a defensive end roll…
Yes. As we talked about it yesterday that sort of the three guys with Eric (Powell) and CJ (Ah You) and then Ryan Neill outside of Aaron (Schobel) and Chris (Kelsay) they're going to get a lot more opportunities. And they need to make the plays consistently and step up and do that. I think they're capable of it. We'll definitely get the best out of them. Bill (Kollar) coaches them hard, coaches them well and we'll get everything they've got because they're good guys. They'll give it to us and we'll just have to see.
