TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead – Post-Draft Press Conferenc

[Shaky]

TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead – Post-Draft Press Conference

Saturday, April 28 2012 @ 09:12 PM CDT

Contributed by: Shaky TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead – Post-Draft Press Conference


Head Coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead – Post-Draft Press Conference
April 28, 2012

(Opening Statement)
Snead: “I can say this, the fourth round pick seems like a long time ago. I can open it with that. I don’t know what time it is right now.”

(On general thoughts on the draft and the 10 players they selected)
Snead: “Is that how many we got? Ten? I think the general thoughts, I think we accomplished some of our goals and they were with each pick: try to get them right, try to get the best available, and also help position groups. I think our defensive line got help, I think our defensive backfield got help, and I think our running back position got help, and I think our wide receiver position got help. So I think that was a nice, productive day with young players and now it’s up to these players to do their part.”

Fisher: “I would echo what Les said. I think the most impressive thing throughout all day yesterday and maybe through (round) four today was that the board was right. And that’s a compliment to Les and the staff, the scouts, just getting the board right. Very few people were coming off the board down here, back over here, they just came off kind of in sequence of how we had ranked them. That at least gives you an opportunity to predict and a chance to get the right guy at the right time. We discussed numerous trades that never took place, as always is the case in the draft. Had a lot of players up there that you would really like to have, but you don’t get because there’s 31 other teams. And then we got numerous calls from our friends and associates around the league that said, ‘Boy, we really like that guy,’ and, ‘Wow, what a great pick that guy was, we were going to take him the very next pick.’ All in all I thought it was a very, very successful draft. You look at it, I was just looking a little while ago, Abilene Christian, Hawaii, Missouri Western - there’s some talent at the small schools. We did our research and we felt like we got the best players available.”


(On if he feels like he did enough at the wide receiver position to help QB Sam Bradford)
Fisher: “Yeah, there’s no doubt. With their unique abilities, one guy can really, really run and make the home-run play and then (WR) Brian’s (Quick) ability just as a complete receiver- we think we’ve clearly helped him. Of course, you can’t discount what somebody like (RB) Isaiah (Pead) is going to be able to do out of the backfield in a change-up role. So we felt like we helped him. And I also want to say that his staff just moments ago just finished agreeing to terms to almost 20 college free agents.”
Snead: “They did a nice job.”
Fisher: “Coaches, scouts, everybody- just boom.”

(On if they normally sign guys so quickly)
Fisher: “Yes and no, but it was really…when you’ve got a roster, for example, you’ve got three safeties on your roster and you contact undrafted college free agents that play the position, you’ve got a pretty good chance of getting them. With the need positions and things, it was an extraordinary effort.”

(On what they liked about WR Chris Givens)
Snead: “He was a fast player at the Combine. He’s a 4.3 guy on the clock, but I think you better be able to figure out, like I’ve said, if he can play fast. And this guy plays very, very fast. I think that’s just going to give us a dimension. He’ll be one of our fastest receivers on our team, so that’s just going to open up things for…like I said, I know everybody, hey it seems like the room…you’re one player away, you need one wide receiver away, but I think offenses, it’s more than one player. It’s like Jeff said, Isaiah Pead and what he brings, it’s (RB) Steven (Jackson) and the power, it’s this guy stretching the field, it’s (WR Danny) Amendola doing his thing inside, it’s big Brian Quick giving him a big target. So there’s just weapons that spread and keep a defense on its heels.”

(On LB Aaron Brown)
Fisher: “He’s an explosive player. Two-year starter there at Hawaii. He was a JC guy, Saddleback Junior College, very explosive. He’s a little over six feet, 235 pounds. Runs well, tackles well, tough guy. I mean, real tough guy. That’s the kind of guy that you think has a chance to fill in at a linebacker spot. Worst case scenario where we’re picking, he sounds like a premiere special teams fit.”
(On if they’re concerned about the number of linebackers on the roster)
Fisher: “Not concerned. We’ve got options. We’ve got options in the pro free agent market as well.”
Snead: “We’re actually full now, considering the college free agents we just signed. But like we’ve said before, we’ll continue to exhaust all avenues to try to improve this football team. I think that’s the stage we’re at. We went through free agency and got ‘real’ players, players that have started in the NFL. Then you go through this draft process and you get young prospects and you go through college free agency. Then I think at the end, we’ll sit back over the next couple of weeks and see if all of the sudden there is a whole that we really need to fill through maybe another veteran that’s still available.”


(On if they feel like they have three starting linebackers right now)
Fisher: “We feel good about, obviously, Jo-Lonn (Dunbar) knowing the system, James (Laurinaitis) and obviously Josh (Hull). Josh has really had a good offseason, so we’re going to let everybody compete. As we addressed earlier, we’re in a situation where 60 percent of the time you’ve only got two on the field anyway, considering you’re going to be in your sub packages.”

(On if he’s ever drafted a kicker before)
Fisher: “No, I don’t believe I have.”

(On what they liked about K Greg Zuerlein)
Fisher: “His numbers. (Special Teams) Coach (John) Fassel went out and did private workouts with a number of kickers and punters and he came back and literally was blown away at the leg, the distance on the kickoffs and the distance and accuracy in the field goal game. Twenty-three-of-24 and nine over 50 (yards), two over 58 in one game - that’s extraordinary. We felt like this was going to be a need. We need to upgrade the position, so we couldn’t pass on this opportunity. And we’re glad we didn’t because you saw what Minnesota did right after.”

(On what Zuerlein’s selection means for K Josh Brown)
Fisher: “This means Josh Brown will be released tomorrow. He’s already been informed of that. Josh was a great kicker and is tremendous here in the community and has got deep roots here. I spoke with him immediately after the pick, and he understands.”

(On how he feels about potentially having both a rookie kicker and punter)
Fisher: “I have no problem whatsoever. They’re only going to get better. Let me sidestep here just for a moment, we’ve agreed to terms to a number of players. We’re not going to release it until the contracts obviously are signed for obvious reasons, but that (punter) would be one of the players. I have no problem whatsoever. This punter in particular is very, very talented.”
Snead: “And just to scare Coach a little bit, we didn’t mention rookie holder as well. That would be the punter. And second-year long snapper that we really like.”

(On if he’s ever had a situation like that before)
Fisher: “You know what, we’re not going to punt this year, so I’m not worried about it. Just kidding.”

(On making some bold and aggressive moves during this draft)
Fisher: “We came in here expecting to win and we’re going to do what it takes, within reason. We mentioned that we had taken players off the board. There were players in the drawer. There were some players in the drawer for whatever reason. The guys that we had on the board, we feel like we got at the right time.”
Snead: “I’ll elaborate a little bit. I think when you have so many picks, or let’s call it one, two, three, four, five in the top 65, I looked at it a little bit like a mutual fund. It allowed you maybe to take a risk at one for talent, whereas if you might have had less picks, you may go a little less risky. I think this is what this draft enabled us to do. That’s what we did. You want to try to get first-round talent in the second round.


(On how the Rams have taken an aggressive approach throughout the spring)
Fisher: “We’re not necessarily taking chances. I look at it more from the standpoint that we’re going to be aggressive. This team has lost more games in five years than any team in franchise history. We’re going to put a stop to that. In order to do that, you’ve got to go fill some holes, and you have to be aggressive with that.
Snead: “You can’t be scared.”


Ramsfans.com
http://www.nflfans.com/rams2/article...20428211252363