COURTESY OF CLEVELAND BROWNS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
On his posts about the Browns LB core being disrespected and if that has provided motivation:
“Yeah, definitely because when you say things like that to the media where everybody can see it and really do not know what these guys bring to their position. bring to the field or what these guys bring to the team. You are basically saying that they are piece of crap. To me, that is how I am taking it because you say we are the 32nd linebacker core in the National Football League, and that is just total disrespect. I know the guys in the room have seen it, and I make sure that I remind those guys of what these people think of us. I just always tell them, ‘We are going to prove the world wrong. We are just going to continue to work. Keep our heads down and just focus on the task at hand.’ That is just taking it one day at a time because everybody is going to find out and that is what we are going to do. We are just going to keep working and show everybody otherwise.”
On what makes RB Nick Chubb so tough and what he sees from Chubb this season:
“It is an argument that I always talk to my guys about and my friends. We always talk about who the best running back in the league is, and I go with Nick Chubb. There are a lot of things that Chubb does that a lot of running backs do not. That is what he brings to the team – his positive energy, he does not say much and he is one of those guys who is going to be all about work. He is just different. He runs hard. He can do everything. I feel like the part of his game that a lot of people do not notice or a lot of people do not talk about is his ability to catch the football. He can do that, and that is something that I have been seeing Chubb work on after practices with just catching footballs on the machine, catching tennis balls and things like that. I am going to always say, like I tweeted out a week ago maybe, my teammates over anybody in this league, and it is going to always be like that. I honestly believe Nick Chubb is the best running back in the National Football League. I am going to continue to say that until I play somebody else and they show me otherwise. That is what I am going to stick with.”
On where he will play in defensive coordinator Joe Woods’ scheme:
“It is really up in the air. I have been doing a lot of reps at WILL linebacker, which is cool. I played WILL last year. They may want me at WILL, but (linebackers) Coach (Jason) Tarver said it is open for everybody that is competing for a starting job. I do not know if I am going to start. I really do not know what position I will be playing. I am just trying to learn all three so I can contribute to the team in any way I can.”
On why the Browns LB core is better than what others have said:
“I know you probably are not saying we are better than other linebacker groups across the league, but it as I am saying I do not feel like we are the worst. That is just my take on it. Put it like this, I feel like they are just going based off big time names of guys who are on different teams. We have guys in our linebacker room who really did not make a name for themselves yet. We are looking to do that this year. Like I said, it is total disrespect when you talk about guys being the worst linebacker core. They are going to see, basically. I really do not have much to say. Like (Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski says, ‘No bark. All bite.’”
On LB Jacob Phillips:
“Jacob, he is a great guy, first of all. I met him my sophomore year in college. I have always been like a big brother to him. We stayed in connection with one another. As far as his game, he is long, he is athletic, he can run, he is versatile and he can play any linebacker position on the team. He can do a lot of great things. I feel like he has been doing a great job of just working hard, taking it one day at a time and not getting frustrated. That is something that I talk to him about all the time from my rookie experience. Don’t ever get frustrated because it is new to you, and it is the National Football League. They expect you to be as crisp as you can, but you are going to mess up. Just make sure you mess up full speed. I always tell him, ‘I am here for you whenever you want to talk ball or whenever you want to talk just in general’ because I had guys who were there for me last year. I just try to do whatever I can to make him comfortable and to help him in anyway.”
On what has changed for him in Woods’ defensive scheme:
“First of all, Coach Woods is a great guy. Ever since the first day we met him virtually, I feel like he has been doing a great job of making it known that it is not about him and it is about us collectively as a defense, collectively as a team. He has been doing a great job of just putting things in front of us and basically breaking down everything to the best of his ability to the way that we can learn the defense. He put together a great defensive staff. I feel like those guys have been doing a great job with giving us everything and trying to simplify it to the best of their ability so we can just learn, go out and play fast and not do too much thinking. To my knowledge, he has been doing a great job. I feel like he has been putting everything together as far as us defensively. It is going to be good.”
On having two former LSU players on the defense and if he calls Phillips ‘Rockhead’, which S Grant Delpit said was his Phillips’ nickname at LSU:
“It is cool having LSU guys on this defense. Mr. (Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew) Berry and Coach Stefanski did a great job with their draft choices and things like that and trying to get some of the best guys in the draft. I just am disappointed that all of them had to be from LSU (laughter). Both of those guys are great guys. They are going to do a lot of things to help this team win. I don’t call Jacob ‘Rockhead’ or whatever Grant said.”
On LB B.J. Goodson:
“From meeting him the very first time in virtual meetings, I could tell he was one of those guys who was vocal. We signed him and I did a little background research on him just to see his play style and see what he was going to bring to the room, basically. I was impressed. As far as him being here, I have learned a lot from him. Just his energy, he is always there every day and his vocal leadership that he shows on the field. You can just tell he has that experience with being in the NFL for five years. It kind of rubs off on all of us in the room. He is the leader for us in the room because of the experience he has. You can be a rookie and lead. All of us are leaders. As far as B.J. having the experience, he leads the way and we are right behind him. He is a cool guy. Some things he may mess up on at practice, I will talk to him and tell him, ‘You are supposed to do this,’ and I listen to him. We are all young in the room, and we are just trying to get better and prove the doubters wrong.”
On the biggest difference expected for his game this year and what he did in the offseason to improve:
“The biggest difference I think people will see is me fitting the run, my eye progression and things like that. Just me being able to be in the National Football League for my second year, I kind of have a feel of the play style of everything, I have developed and I have better study habits. I have learned how to be a pro even more. Just picked up little tips in the offseason on how to be a better linebacker. (Former NFL LB) Takeo Spikes, I was working out with a few other linebackers across the NFL in the offseason just trying to find ways to get better. I feel like I am going to have a good year, and I feel like we are all going to have a good year as a team. I just feel like this is like my sophomore year in college when I was at ‘Bama, and I had a feeling that I was going to do big things and do whatever it took to help us win. That is the feeling I have now. Hopefully, that is true. Just going to take it one day at a time, one week at a time and do whatever I can to help us win in any way possible.”