(Nick Collins was back today but worked with the rehab group. Is there an injury there or is he kind of on Ryan Grant's program from last year?)
I wouldn't say he is on Ryan Grant's program from last year. He went through the jog-through, and then went with the rehab (group). He obviously hasn't been here, so we'll see how the rehab workout went. I have not had a chance to visit with the trainers and see where Nick is. Once again, these segments are voluntary.
(Has he taken his physical?)
I don't have all of that information for you right now.
(Would it be beneficial for him to be out there watching practice?)
Well, the jog-through is really the most important reps for what we are trying to accomplish on a daily basis. Our jog-through directly reflects the install of the day. This was an install day. Really we have always put medical in front, just from a priority standpoint. All of the other periods are on film; that is the benefit of the rest of the practice.
(He obviously has a lot to learn with the new defense. Has he been doing a lot on his own?)
I think these questions are more suited for Nick, exactly what he has been doing.
(Are you happy with what you have accomplished to this point of OTAs heading into mini-camp?)
Very happy with the volume of work that we have been able to get done at this point. Tomorrow will be our last installation for both the offense and the defense. When we conclude practice tomorrow, we'll have everything in and that's always your goal coming out of the OTA format. It gives you the opportunity to have everything in. It's a teaching phase of our offseason program. I feel very good about what we have accomplished to this point. Defensively, Dom has been able to get his whole package in, which is very refreshing. I think it's a compliment to both the coaches and players. If they did not spend the extra one-on-one time in April, we would not be in this position today. The offense is used to this program. They have benefited from March and April, the whole offense being here throughout the offseason program. Every year you stand up and say, man, that's the best offseason program that we've had to date, but I tell you what, I feel very, very good about where we are today.
(When you made the defensive change, you talked about the learning curve. Are you on schedule with that?)
Definitely, and I think Dom Capers and his staff of defensive coaches would echo that. It's really the commitment of the one-on-one time. To just sit here and think that you can install a defense with the volume of our new scheme just throughout the OTA practices is really foolish. It's the commitment from the players being here since March, and once again, I think we are in very good shape.
(Besides reviewing the offseason program, what do you want to get out of next week's mini-camp?)
The mini-camp is a direct reflection of what we have done in the OTAs. We have charted all of our corrections, the things that we feel we may need more work on that we didn't have enough time segmented during the OTA practices, both offense, defense and special teams. Really, next week will be a complete review of what we have been doing the last four weeks.
(Is Clay Matthews as up to speed as you would like?)
He's had his medical issue with the hamstring, but he's everything that we thought he was as far as what he can do physically. Mentally he seems to have a good grasp. I'll say this about Clay and the rest of the rookie class - they've done a very good job of really keeping up. You've been here before in the past, we've gone to a number of situational circumstances earlier in OTAs than we've done in the past, and I thought our younger players have handled that very well, and that's a compliment to them. I feel good about where Clay is mentally, I feel good about where our rookie class is mentally, and I think it gives us the opportunity to get in here at the start of training camp and get right back after it.
(Was he able to practice yesterday or was this his first full day?)
He has practiced this week, yes. I didn't count his reps, but he's been out there. He's been limited, if I was to put him in a category. We've been watching his reps because of the hamstring.
{sportsad300}(Do you anticipate getting any of the guys back coming off of surgery for mini-camp, or will they be held out until training camp?)
Dr. McKenzie would like to hold all those guys until training camp. I think the majority of those guys could practice next week, and if you talked to each one of them, they'd probably tell you they feel confident that they could go. The medical staff just feels we're at a point of where they are healthy, and the risk of next week is not worth them being hurt at the start of training camp.
(Are you seeing progress from T.J. Lang and Jamon Meredith?)
Yeah, I think Lang has really made some big steps since he's been here. He seems very natural at playing either tackle or guard, and that's something we've had a number of players be able to come in here and do that at the offensive line position. That's the way you're able to go from the 53 to the 45 and be able to play on Sundays. That's something he's shown right away. Athletically, there's days I thought he was a tackle, there's days I think he's a guard. So that tells you about where his flexibility is physically. Very happy with him. Meredith, he's playing the toughest position, left tackle, and it's a skill position. There's a lot to learn. He's getting great work, not only from the skill level of our pass rushers on defense, but the multiple looks that you're getting at that particular position. He's getting all the looks for a young guy, and he's hung in there.
(Was Spencer Havner working with the tight ends today?)
Yeah, Spencer Havner, we started training Spencer Tuesday at the tight end position. For everyone that's been at practice in the past, Spencer has played tight end on the scout teams. He has shown the ability to play tight end in our opinion in this league, so to increase his value on our football team, we're going to give him the opportunity to train both at tight end and at linebacker. He had the opportunity to play special teams last year. I thought he did a very good job. It will give him a chance to once again, increase his value. So we'll train him tomorrow and next week at tight end, and when we get to training camp, he's going to be rolling back and forth between linebackers and tight ends.
(Is Jamarko Simmons still on the roster?)
Yes.
