CHRIS KELSAY
After practice – AUGUST 19, 2007
On losing Ryan Denney
It's huge. We were wishing for big things coming out this season, this being our second year under this system, this coaching staff. Ryan is a huge contributor. He plays very consistently. He's a big part of our rotation obviously. It's going to hurt having him out. The situation, the defensive end position right now is kind of questionable with the situation regarding Anthony (Hargrove) and what not. We'll just have to see what the organization and the coaching staff, what kind of approach they take. As far as Aaron (Schobel) and I are concerned, and our defensive staff and our defensive teammates, we just have to continue to push forward. Be in even better shape despite maybe not having five different rotations like we did last year. Like I was saying, we just have to put ourselves in the best situation individually and then as a defense as a whole to make up for the loss.
On whether not having a deep rotation is a concern
Yes it is. That's the name of our game. Playing hard, playing through the whistle, getting to the football and if you don't have a rotation especially in that position it's tough. Aaron and I have had the situation with Ryan in a three-man rotation prior to this coaching staff coming in. You have a situation where you're looking at taking seventy, up near ninety snaps a game. I don't care who you are or how good of shape you're in, it's tough to play all out every snap when you get that many reps. It's definitely going to be tough on us, but there are different options that we have I think and the coaching staff and the organization will address that. It's Aaron and my job to get ourselves in the best shape possible. If that means staying after, running a little extra, doing whatever we need to do in the weight room, to get ready for the season then that's what we need to do.
On whether he is concerned about the way the Falcons moved the ball
Well you hate to see it. It is preseason, but I don't care. Regardless of how you look at it, it was our first defensive unit going basically against an Atlanta Falcons team that didn't have their quarterback, their tight end, their starting running back in, so it's a concern. It is the preseason. We have to continue to get better. The biggest thing to take from it is that we kept points off the board for the first two games. Did we want them to drive down the field on us? Absolutely not, but we'll learn from our mistakes and continue to grow as a defense.
