The great people over at the Senior Bowl were awesome enough to provide us with details of a press conference that took place down in Mobile.
Here are some of the important quotes from a press conference that included Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley and a couple prospects tha eDraft has already had the pleasure of interviewing.
Again, stay tuned to eDraft with wall-to-wall coverage live from Mobile this week.
Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Q- The prior staff said coaching here really helps, how much really does it help you and the coaches and scouts in evaluating what’s best for the Atlanta falcons?
A- We’ve been here 48 hours and I’ve gotten more information in those 48 hours than when I’ve spent three or four days from the squad. It is invaluable to have the opportunity to coach this game.
Our coaching staff has embraced it. We get an opportunity to interact with both teams. We have a common cafeteria so we’re getting an opportunity that 30 other teams do not get and that’s to interact with these players in different settings.
Q- Do you have to caution your staff not to fall in love too much with the players you’re with?
A- Talking with coaches that I consider mentors that have coached in this ballgame, they have said that they had some of their best drafts after spending the week with the rising seniors that are draft eligible.
Q- What are your impressions of the offensive line group that you have?
A- it’s a big group. They are big and physical guys. It’s tough for the offensive line. I think we saw great improvement from practice eon to practice two in terms of the intricacies of the blocking scheme and the verbiage. I think we’ll see even more improvement tomorrow. I’ve been very impressed with their physicality and their athleticism in the pass protection.
Gus Bradley, Jacksvonville Jaguars
Q- Coach Smith was talking about how he’s learned more about the players in his first 36-48 hours.
A- I agree. I agree. You get to spend so much time with them. It’s still amazing how much you can get from these guys. It’s not only from now, the Draft, but also the experience they have. We get to showcase our organization so that three or four years down the line when free agency comes up, the players may remember being coached by our staff and what the feeling was like.
Q- When a player gets an invite and chooses not to play, can that change the perception?
A- : I don’t believe so. We concern ourselves with the guys on our list that come out to compete. With the juniors coming out now, it places much more emphasis on this opportunity there. There are so many evaluations that take place that you can come here and se a lot of guys in a three-day period. That part’s great.
Q- Dee Ford has had some good days of practice, what have you seen?
A- All it takes is one team to really like you. Dee is exciting. I really like his personality, I like his spirit, he loves the game and he showcases that on the practice field. Anytime a guy can come off the edge and show the ability to have some rushes in him, it really stands out.
Check out our interviews with Murphy and Reid here.