Full Transcript for Media Roundtable: DiRocco, O'Brien, Reid

for Nett didn't want to have to answer those questions. But when you lead the when you open up the door and and those kind of things are still out there, then he didn't do anything to to put it to bed. Mandatory is next week. I mean, you would think he would be around for next week, right. He's been in touch with the coaching yes, and not only has he been in touch with the coaches. And this is where I kind of was stunned that he, after being committed to Wyoming to hear showing up to the first few o t a s more over telling us when he spoke to the media last week that he and Nick Foles have been working together, studying the playbook together, and that not only were they working together, but that Leonard had initiated those meetings. That said to me that this guy, you know, he is trying to turn a corner. And then he promptly didn't show up to the next five practices. Uh. And so that's where I just want to know what happened. We don't know, but if he's in communication with you know, the coaching staff, and I guess that's okay. But to your point of whether voluntary is mandatory, I think Callias said it best on Monday, which is the people that need to be here are here. But as John said, I think Leonard is one of those people that needs to be there and he's not rock. Where are yous. I think he was the one guy on this roster that had other than Folds. Obviously that had to be at every single one of them for all the reasons John mentioned, but also look at the end of the season last year, he was in the doghouse and they've they've taken away his guaranteed money in his contract. He got yelled at by Tom Coughlin for the way he acted on the sideline. There there were some questions about his maturity. There are questions about his commitment. There questions about his um fitness level and his conditioning. There's questions about whether football is important to him. And look this this critical year from lettern four, Nette and I thought when they challenged him at the end of last year and said, you've got to be better. You've got to be the player we drafted. You have got to turn your life around, essentially your football life around, and make this the priority and be a true pro. I thought he had to be at every single one of those to really kind of prove that. Now. I asked Doug Moron about it, and he said, look, you know, when he's been here, he's done everything we've asked, which is a really, really good sign. But I just thought for Leonard he needed to be at all of these to kind of prove to them that he had kind of turned a corner on that stuff. But as a general rule, I'm like, you know what, They're voluntary. If you don't want to be here, I don't have a problem with it. Like John Os always tells the story ed and James told him one time, I may have going to Miami two years, but I know the definition of volunteery how it works. Um, John, you spoke with Terry Robiscuity today after practice and a new face and that coaching staff. He's in the running backs room again, a guy who's been through a lot, obviously throughout his career is a long career in the NFL. What kind of influence can he have on Leonard? And do you buy that connection Louisiana connection and all that and his rebiscis history and all that. Well, if I was Leonard, I would make it with my point to learn as much as I can from a guy like like like like like Ribiscuit, because he's been he's been through the struggles that a lot of us don't know even can't imagine, you know, and just I mean you go back. He's a legend in Louisiana as a high school star. This uh, he's only like I think it's the six black player to ever played at LSU, and and just the history and his knowledge and even if you just look back on his NFL career, I mean it not aut of assistance or head coaches. Who's been still in his game since nineteen two. I mean that's that's that's like that question. But I just think he shares a lot. I think he's got a lot of knowledge. I think I think even off the field, you can learn things from him. I think he's got a perspective that he's been through a lot of the ordeals. I don't know what you might want to call him, but I just think a guy who's been around and and experienced a whole different things. When he came up and said that Al Davis used to take them to the side, and and they want to teach him everything about the NFL, I mean those are things that you can't walk up to a lot of people in the NFL and they can share those experiences. So I would be all of the running backs in that running back room, I think you have to tap into somebody that has that vast knowledge and um and learn as much as you can. And I think that's what he's there for. Look forward to your conversation and you have a story coming up in the next few days with that conversation with Terry Robisky. Let's move along in office, shall we. There's a lot of focus on the receivers. You know, new quarterback, offensive line, hopefully he's gonna be healthy at camp. The receiving corps. I mean, you had some guys that underperformed last year or were hurt and out or filling the blank that the reason why somebody didn't go out there and play well. But you've got some guys back, you got some new faces there. Where's your confidence level right now? In was this June six on the receiver corps way higher than it was when O. T. A. S began. And I think we've talked about this before, but I I've felt like the Jaguars personnel people, you know, coaching, that they had a much higher opinion of the receiver group than I think most people outside the building did, which is you know, not a surprise, to be honest with you, but you know, I've been really impressed with that I've seen from d J Chark. He's caught everything. Keelan Cole, you dropped a kick off today, But other than that, he's been really really good. Yes, we did, and I'm sure people in Arlington in the north side heard as well from Jod, But I mean, he's caught everything. And you know Chris Conley, it

wouldn't surprise me if Chris Conney ends up leading this team and catches um. But I mean, I think they've been really really good. And this is the time you kind of expect that they should be good because obviously there's no contact. There's not you know how it goes with dbs and stuff and and and Jaylen's not here and a J boy A has been out for over a week. But you want to see those guys make plays and dominate, and they have. In my opinion, in that group is a little bit higher. I think a large part of that is due to folds. I always I thought folds would make them better. Now the receivers and you know, I love Blake, but now the receivers when they come out of their break, they know, um where the ball is going to be. They don't have to turn around. It's gonna be right where it's supposed to be instead of feet behind up and stuff like that. So I think it's been to me, it's been the most impressive position group, and it's been the thing that's impressed me the most. In so Chris Conley thing is interesting me because we didn't really know. It wasn't even heralded offseas an acquisition from the Chiefs, friends with Nick Foles, from his time for a minute together whatever. But for the first three weeks out of here, that's quite a connection, especially on the deep balls down the field. And I would like to extend my empathy to Chris Connley. You could tell, much like myself having moved here from the northern country. The first week he was getting used to the heat. Some of my fellow media members the first day we're all look at him eyes he might retire by tomorrow, And honestly, I was like, you have to give him a day. He is. This is the first time this guy is played in the heat. I know, obviously he played in the South in college, but you know, this is the first time this guy has played in the Northern Florida heat save one or two games. Um, you know, So for this guy to really have to experience that, you know it's going to take some time, but it really only took what one or two days. Within one or two days. By the end of the first week, he looked like he was back in a stride, which somebody said to me today, you never get used to the heat. You just have to endure it um. And so that's good advice from my self and Chris, and I think he's really taken that to heart, because, like you said, I mean, even if it's not you know, some of these spectacular sixty yard catches we're seeing Kielan or DJ Shark making, which hey, they're holding onto him too, which is also great to see, especially for second year pro in DJ Chark. But I think with Conley, even if it is that slot receiver, he hasn't I haven't seen him drop that much. And this is a team that led the league in drops last year. So if nothing else, if they can improve in that category, that could help you win at least one or two ball games. John Kilan, Keena mccartell the other day, I said, killing Cole in the brain. Keenan McCarry all the other day called Markisley is Alpha dog in that room. We haven't seen Markisley this offseason. He seems confident he'll be back at some point in camp. He wants to be ready for a week one that's a major injury. But we all know markiss and his work ethic and the way he goes about his business. Where are you on Marquis Do you are you confident he could be back? What do you What did you hear from those guys this week that you like? Well, what I like is when you see him working on the side field, you don't see any brace. You see him running with with speed, and I think he's determined. I mean, you know, I mean, I think determination has a lot to do with rehab and and when you when you look at him, he's you know, he's determined that he's gonna be back down at some point in training camp and he makes you believe that. And I think he understands that this receivers group as a I think they've improved tremendously with with with that group. And when he's the alpha dog is meaning that he's the he's the leader of the group, and the leader of the group don't want to be at the bottom end of the group. So he's gonna compete in the John Reid from the Florida Times Union like the Rocket. Esp O'Brien from First Coach News. Let's get some final thoughts here on the Defense'll sloop it around. You know, we all know that the starting names on this defensive line. I mean Coles, Campbell, Marshall, darry As the first round pick and a great player obviously. Uh then you have now back to back first round picks on the defensive line to join those guys, I believe a bunch of guys out of course, you can got way all this. We all know the front line names. Some of these they like to come in waves though they want to have a different group of guys coming in here. I mean that's a question mark right now is how is that second group gonna look? And they won't ever call it a second group. I get that. I like, for example, who's the backup at big end right now? You know dwant Smoot made some plays today. It was encouraging to see he was working on drops um and getting out to the flat for a while with Todd Wash and then the first time he saw that in eleven on eleven. After that he was in the right spot, made to play. It was good to see. It's a big question. We're not going to know for sure with these offensive a defensive line, but obviously until the pads come on. But if if I were filling out the depth chart now, I probably would have smooth there. I know they're working Taven Brian there some a little bit as well. I don't think that's a good idea. I think they should just put him at exactly I mean, we saw it last year, you guys. He he struggled whole year then when they played him mainly at three tech because when he played his best. So, I mean there's there's there's a lot of depth questions on this defense, and we'll know more obviously when Camp rolls around. But that to me is one of the two or three biggest questions. What can they have behind plays? Yeah? That that the Taven Bryan thinks interesting. Can he come along in year two?

He didn't quite make the impact that a lot of people think of first round pick should make and even as a rookie in this team, um, where are you at on Taven Man? So I spoke with Quincy Williams with Ben Murphy also first goes news after practice, and I liked the one line that Quincy have when we asked him about how, you know, how different is it going from college to the pros, and he said, you feel like you're in a bee hive. They spiked the ball and it's just going like this and you're looking left, right, left, right, And I think that's how Tavin Bryant was as a rookie. And not only was he in the bee hive, but you're also throwing two assignments at him, Whereas you know, as a rookie it's already hard enough to learn one role. Now he has to learn too, And so I think that you know that put him in an unfair advantage because no one really knew what position he was, where he fit, and now we're still kind of in that spot here. So I agree with the Rock. I think you just put him at in the middle and you say, learn as much as you can from Marcel Darius, Abril Jones, figure it out, and hopefully, you know that sets them up for year three. Because as many people have alluded to me, I know I wasn't here during the two thousand eighteen draft, but a lot of people felt that that was a pick for two three years down the line, while we're coming up on two years. So there needs to be something shown. Some good football players you listed there to final thought on defense, you're John Unique and got Way is not here. The word is he wants a new contract and all this um. Do you think they pay him beforehand before the season? Do they wait until this season is going to see how the alan the draft pick comes along. There's some different ways to go about to sink for the Jackson. I feel it once it gets the training camp, might as well just wait till the end of the season because when the negotiations stopped becoming a distraction. So to me personally, from what I've seen and what this guy can do, I'm trying to figure out why what's the hold up? Pretty pretty much for me, I think he's I think he's done everything. But also when you draft someone to play his position, that might change the way they might view him. But ya Nique is a is a ball player, and I think when you go out and get the sacks that he's done since to seven teams since I've been covering the team, I think you have to show your worth by your ability and not talk about it, and I think he's done that. I don't think that he's been on any air waves and saying anything about a contract. But now that his contract is up, I think you have to you know, you you you get paid for production. It's a production base league, and he's produced. I think he's I don't see what he has not done to warrant getting an extension. But you know, I'm a sports right and I have not a negotiating Okay, we'll end with that mandatory minicamp coming up next week. Joe Ramsey is gonna be the story at least are and I know that about you guys, and then Leonard or maybe one of those guys doesn't come and there's some fines going someone to risk it here to make a point. Someone might risk it. Thank you guys for coming in. Mike Rocko, ESPN, good to see you, Thank you O'Brien, First Coast News, Thank you man, Thank you, Sir John Hey, good to have you, John Reid, First Florida Times Union. Great to see you two, Sir, diod to be it, Thanks for being having me on. We'll see you next week.