Tarkus
09-12-2008, 08:10 PM
Q&A with HERM EDWARDS - 9/11
Sep 11, 2008, 2:48:16 PM
Q: You’re the youngest team in the league. Does that mean anything to you?
HERM EDWARDS: “We were headed in that direction. We knew that. The good
part of it is these guys are going to have a chance to play together for
a long time. That’s kind of the plan, that’s the strategy. There’s a lot
of energy.”
Q: Is QB Brodie Croyle doing everything you want him to?
EDWARDS: “He’s in the locker room, meetings in the morning. He’s
watching practice with a play sheet, following along. This week we know
he’s out, but it’s getting better though. We won’t rush him, you can’t
rush quarterbacks.”
Q: What does TE Tony Gonzalez mean to your organization?
EDWARDS: “Well, there you’re talking about a guy, who in my opinion,
will go to the Hall of Fame. He’s a consummate pro. He doesn’t lead by
giving speeches, he kind of leads by example. He’s been very good for
(TE Brad) Cottam, and he’s going to be very good for (WR) Dwayne Bowe.
He talks to them all the time. Now in his later part of his years, he’s
trying to give back a little to the younger players. Before he was more
concerned with his own career, and that’s okay, that’s not bad. I think
now, he feels a little rejuvenated with these young guys. He feels young
now. He likes their attitude, how they prepare and play. Most people
worry about him not being around during the offseason, that doesn’t
really bother me. I know he’s working.”
Q: How about QB Damon Huard?
EDWARDS: “There is another guy who is a consummate professional. He’s
spent his whole career, kind of as a backup. How he handles that role
and how he’s called upon to call the game, reflects that. That’s his
whole career. He never thinks, well now this guy is back and now I don’t
get to start. You look at what he did this year. He had really no snaps
in the offseason. We told him we have three young guys and that we’re
going to develop them and he just showed up every day and did his thing.”
Q: If he wins some games, is it going to be tougher to put Brodie back
in there?
EDWARDS: “I just think that with the direction we’re headed in, that’s a
lot on Brodie. He has to play. At the end of the day, you’d just like
the quarterback to be part of the system.”
Q: Is it hard for the veterans to deal with the growing pains?
EDWARDS: “I think so. But I think they knew that we were going in the
direction. There was no doubt. We talked about a team that was three
years ago a veteran-laden team that kind of plateaued. I told them at
the end of the year that there were going to be changes. A lot of them
were a little concerned with how we were going to go about doing it, but
with these draft picks, I think they realize that we got some good
football players to come in here. It’s no different than when they came
in the league, except now it’s 15 guys instead of two or three. I always
ask them to go back when you were a rookie and think how it was.”
Q: Do veterans like Tony and Damon take on extra value with all these
young guys around?
EDWARDS: “They do. And you’ve got to have the right guys. When you
decide to do this, you have to make sure that the holdovers are the
right guys. There’s a lot of teaching going on, besides coaching.”
Q: Will it take you until December to find out if Brodie is the guy?
EDWARDS: “We’re just going to let him play as many games as he can play.
Then we’ll make an evaluation. He’s got to go and play.”
Q: On the kick off, when would you defer?
EDWARDS: “Weather, wind. In college they do it a lot, talking to
(offensive coordinator) Chan (Gailey). I think it depends on the
conditions of the game. If it’s wet or if the wind is blowing, all those
things. It depends on what offense you’re playing too. If it’s raining
real hard you would consider it. Then you get to kick off to a guy who
has to handle the ball in the rain. Then that team is going to try to
run the ball, then they have to punt and all of a sudden you have some
field position and you can do some things.”
Sep 11, 2008, 2:48:16 PM
Q: You’re the youngest team in the league. Does that mean anything to you?
HERM EDWARDS: “We were headed in that direction. We knew that. The good
part of it is these guys are going to have a chance to play together for
a long time. That’s kind of the plan, that’s the strategy. There’s a lot
of energy.”
Q: Is QB Brodie Croyle doing everything you want him to?
EDWARDS: “He’s in the locker room, meetings in the morning. He’s
watching practice with a play sheet, following along. This week we know
he’s out, but it’s getting better though. We won’t rush him, you can’t
rush quarterbacks.”
Q: What does TE Tony Gonzalez mean to your organization?
EDWARDS: “Well, there you’re talking about a guy, who in my opinion,
will go to the Hall of Fame. He’s a consummate pro. He doesn’t lead by
giving speeches, he kind of leads by example. He’s been very good for
(TE Brad) Cottam, and he’s going to be very good for (WR) Dwayne Bowe.
He talks to them all the time. Now in his later part of his years, he’s
trying to give back a little to the younger players. Before he was more
concerned with his own career, and that’s okay, that’s not bad. I think
now, he feels a little rejuvenated with these young guys. He feels young
now. He likes their attitude, how they prepare and play. Most people
worry about him not being around during the offseason, that doesn’t
really bother me. I know he’s working.”
Q: How about QB Damon Huard?
EDWARDS: “There is another guy who is a consummate professional. He’s
spent his whole career, kind of as a backup. How he handles that role
and how he’s called upon to call the game, reflects that. That’s his
whole career. He never thinks, well now this guy is back and now I don’t
get to start. You look at what he did this year. He had really no snaps
in the offseason. We told him we have three young guys and that we’re
going to develop them and he just showed up every day and did his thing.”
Q: If he wins some games, is it going to be tougher to put Brodie back
in there?
EDWARDS: “I just think that with the direction we’re headed in, that’s a
lot on Brodie. He has to play. At the end of the day, you’d just like
the quarterback to be part of the system.”
Q: Is it hard for the veterans to deal with the growing pains?
EDWARDS: “I think so. But I think they knew that we were going in the
direction. There was no doubt. We talked about a team that was three
years ago a veteran-laden team that kind of plateaued. I told them at
the end of the year that there were going to be changes. A lot of them
were a little concerned with how we were going to go about doing it, but
with these draft picks, I think they realize that we got some good
football players to come in here. It’s no different than when they came
in the league, except now it’s 15 guys instead of two or three. I always
ask them to go back when you were a rookie and think how it was.”
Q: Do veterans like Tony and Damon take on extra value with all these
young guys around?
EDWARDS: “They do. And you’ve got to have the right guys. When you
decide to do this, you have to make sure that the holdovers are the
right guys. There’s a lot of teaching going on, besides coaching.”
Q: Will it take you until December to find out if Brodie is the guy?
EDWARDS: “We’re just going to let him play as many games as he can play.
Then we’ll make an evaluation. He’s got to go and play.”
Q: On the kick off, when would you defer?
EDWARDS: “Weather, wind. In college they do it a lot, talking to
(offensive coordinator) Chan (Gailey). I think it depends on the
conditions of the game. If it’s wet or if the wind is blowing, all those
things. It depends on what offense you’re playing too. If it’s raining
real hard you would consider it. Then you get to kick off to a guy who
has to handle the ball in the rain. Then that team is going to try to
run the ball, then they have to punt and all of a sudden you have some
field position and you can do some things.”