Ejiro Evero Talks Roster Moves + Return to Carolina
Ejiro Evero Talks Roster Moves + Return to Carolina
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00:00 All right, thanks for all of you all being here.
00:04 Very excited about the start of the new season.
00:08 It's always a great time when the players come in and build for the first time and
00:12 it's been awesome with them so far.
00:14 Obviously, the players that are coming back from last season and
00:17 also the new additions, there's a lot of great energy.
00:21 There's been a lot of good football dialogue.
00:23 We're all optimistic and excited about the possibilities for this next season.
00:28 And so it's been a great day, a great crew and
00:30 we're excited for the work ahead of us.
00:33 We know that there's a lot of ground to cover, but
00:36 that's also the exciting part about what we do.
00:38 And so with that, I will take some questions.
00:41 >> Thanks, coach, and the floor is open if anyone wants to start us off.
00:46 >> I can start.
00:46 Hey, welcome back.
00:49 Mike came from the Charlotte Observer.
00:52 >> Yeah.
00:54 >> What went into, obviously, the coaching staff switches up.
00:59 You had your interviews for head coaching jobs.
01:02 What went into the decision to have you return?
01:05 And also, everybody on your staff also returned.
01:09 How beneficial is that to the future of this program?
01:13 >> Yeah, no, obviously there's a lot that goes on at that time of the year.
01:18 I'm very grateful and thankful for the opportunities that I got to interview for
01:22 these head coaching jobs, and I don't take those lightly.
01:25 And I know that those are things that are a blessing.
01:27 Coming back here was, I'm very fortunate that Dave and Dan and
01:33 Mr. Tepper gave me this opportunity to come back here.
01:36 Again, these positions are so highly coveted and
01:39 it's an honor to be a NFL defensive coordinator, especially here,
01:44 being in this community, my family loves living here.
01:48 We're really finally settled in and enjoying it.
01:52 The organization has been fantastic, the players here.
01:57 I really, really, really love the players that we have here and
02:00 just working with them on a daily basis.
02:01 So from that standpoint, that decision was very easy.
02:06 Our staff being back is such a huge blessing.
02:09 I don't think in my entire NFL career have I ever been on a staff,
02:14 at whatever role I had, where the entire staff came back.
02:18 And so that really never happens.
02:20 And from that standpoint, it's a huge, huge blessing.
02:23 I think that gives us a big step forward and understanding how,
02:28 because I think one thing that always gets overlooked is we always talk about how
02:32 teams have to come together and how the players have to come together.
02:35 And there's really no different for the coach and staff.
02:37 And so already having our rhythm, already having our flow,
02:41 it's such a huge advantage for us.
02:42 And so this year is off to a great start.
02:46 >> And then if I can follow up, you bring in Jordan Fuller,
02:49 you've got A'shaun Robinson, Josie Jewel.
02:52 How much does having those guys, Nick Scott,
02:55 guys that have a background with you and the staff, kind of not miss a beat
03:01 when you go into the offseason program and OTAs and training camp?
03:04 >> Yeah, no, that's a big part of it.
03:07 The first part is that those guys are all very, very good football players.
03:10 So that's the first and foremost.
03:12 They're smart, they're tough, they're instinctive, they play hard,
03:16 they're great teammates.
03:17 And so from that standpoint, they uplift your team.
03:20 And the defense is gonna be a little bit different than how we played it in Denver,
03:24 how we played it at the LA Rams.
03:27 And so from that standpoint,
03:28 there's always gonna be a little bit of an adjustment.
03:30 But having those guys on our team right now is such a huge step forward for us.
03:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:37 >> All right, let's go to Dave Newton.
03:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:40 >> Hey, Coach, David Newton, ESPN, glad to have you back here.
03:43 >> Good to see you, Dave.
03:46 >> Yeah, you too.
03:46 I just wanted to ask, I mean, a lot of talk about getting clowny,
03:50 how key that was because you lost Brian Burns.
03:53 First of all, what were your thoughts on seeing Brian traded?
03:57 And how did that impact the importance of what y'all did with adding clowny and
04:03 warming up in other pieces?
04:04 >> Yeah, I had a great, great experience with Brian.
04:08 Brian is first and foremost a great guy.
04:11 He's fun to be with.
04:12 He's a great player, talented player.
04:15 And we had a good year with him, but that's the nature of what we do.
04:20 I have full trust in Dan and Dave to make those decisions that are gonna be in
04:25 the best interest of our team.
04:27 And that's the nature of the beast,
04:29 the team is never gonna be the same from one year to the next.
04:32 And so this is where we are now, and I'm so excited about JD's as he goes by.
04:39 Obviously, we all know his track record, but
04:43 the play style is what I'm really excited about.
04:45 The guy just plays hard, he's physical, he's tough.
04:48 He plays the way we wanna play.
04:50 I know there's a lot of comfort for him being closer to home, near his family.
04:55 And he's been great these first couple of days going through the offseason program.
05:00 Love having his energy in the building and talking to him in the meeting rooms and
05:05 the insight and feedback that he gives to the younger players.
05:08 So we're off to a great start and
05:10 we're really excited about what he's gonna bring for our team.
05:13 >> Is it fair to say that maybe you have more pieces now than, Brian aside,
05:17 more pieces now than you had last year to do what you wanna do?
05:21 >> I don't know if this is the time to gauge that.
05:25 But the one thing I will say is that I'm really, really,
05:28 really excited about the group of guys that we have right now.
05:30 It's like these last first four days have just been really exciting.
05:34 And we know that we got a lot of good football players,
05:36 talented football players.
05:38 But also just the football dialogue.
05:41 I feel like the football dialogue that we have right now is at such a high level from
05:45 all the different position rooms when we get together collectively.
05:48 And so it's exciting.
05:50 >> And for me, with Derek getting the biggest extension,
05:55 what was the message that sent to you and you think to the rest of the team by
06:00 getting their brown extended and making him a focal point on what you wanna be?
06:05 >> Well, I think the message for Derek is about Derek is that great guys
06:11 that are talented players that work hard and do things the right way get rewarded.
06:15 And that's exactly what happened.
06:16 When I think about going back to this time last year when we first got with Derek,
06:21 the development that he's had as a player, as a person, it's really interesting.
06:25 Today I was in a defensive line meeting room with Coach Wash and
06:28 the D lineman.
06:29 And Derek is in there and Wash will ask him a question about a technique and
06:34 Derek is in there coaching it up.
06:35 And it's just amazing to see the growth that this young man has had.
06:39 Obviously the tape and the film and the production speaks for itself.
06:44 But really, really happy for him and he's obviously earned that extension.
06:50 >> Appreciate it, thanks a lot.
06:52 >> Thank you, Dave.
06:53 >> Let's go to Darren Gant.
06:54 >> Hey, Jay, is there a particular area after all these changes, and
06:59 the changes have been pretty substantial, where you think you guys are almost
07:02 better equipped this year compared to last year?
07:08 >> Well, I wouldn't say better equipped, but I feel so much better about our
07:13 starting point compared to last year just with the experience and
07:17 knowledge and foundation of the system.
07:20 Every player that we have, most of the players that we've had have been in some
07:24 version of our system with the same dialogue and language and communication skills.
07:30 And so from that standpoint,
07:32 we are a lot further ahead than we were this time last year.
07:36 >> Specifically with A'shawn, I mean,
07:38 how much of a difference does somebody that size make toward the run defense?
07:43 >> Big difference, big difference.
07:46 When you think about A'shawn and Derek and
07:49 Shy, it doesn't get any bigger than that in terms of having a big front,
07:54 guys that are physical that could play the run game,
07:57 guys that are very, very intelligent, understanding angles and
08:01 blocking schemes and things of that nature.
08:04 Yeah, we are excited about where our run defense could go this year.
08:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:11 >> Let's go to Joe Person.
08:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:15 >> Hey, Jero, thanks for doing this.
08:17 >> How you doing, Joe?
08:18 >> Good, thank you.
08:20 I wanted to ask you about the cornerback room.
08:22 Obviously, you lose Dante, you sign Dane.
08:26 Do you envision Dane as a starter or
08:29 do you think that's a position you guys may address in the draft or late free agency?
08:35 >> Well, Dane started quite a few games for Buffalo last year.
08:39 I've had a lot of love for Dane coming out of college.
08:42 It's funny because when I first called him at the start of the free agency process,
08:48 he's had my number saved from when we had spoken from him coming out of college.
08:52 And so when we did an interview and this guy is an instinctive player.
08:57 He's tough, he's productive.
08:59 He's done it really his whole life.
09:03 He's played at a high level and overcome what others have always thought of him.
09:08 And so I'm excited about what he's gonna bring to our defense and
09:11 he's gonna be a big part of what we do.
09:14 >> When Clowney was on here a couple weeks ago,
09:16 he was sort of lobbying for Stephon Gilmore.
09:20 Of course, they have a history.
09:22 Wondering your thoughts on Gilmore.
09:25 >> Huge fan, I've always been a huge fan of Stephon.
09:30 Great player over his career, his track record speaks for itself.
09:34 But I can only speak to the guys that are on our team right now, but
09:37 I am a huge fan of his.
09:38 >> Thank you.
09:40 >> All right, let's go to Cassidy Hill followed by Mike Kay.
09:44 >> Hey, Jay, how's it going?
09:47 >> Good, how you doing Cassidy?
09:48 >> Good, bring in Josie Jewel during free agency.
09:51 When you look back at just his career, best season he's had
09:55 was when you were his defensive coordinator in Denver.
09:58 What kind of just production and does he bring to that linebacker room?
10:01 >> Well, Josie is an instinctive player.
10:05 He's tough, he's physical, he can tackle.
10:08 He would attest and I've seen it firsthand.
10:12 The job Peter Hanson, Coach Hanson has done with him.
10:15 And so I'm glad that those two get to reunite and be in the same room together.
10:18 But we're excited about seeing what Josie along with Shaquille are gonna do
10:23 working and playing together.
10:25 We're talking about two high level communicators, two smart players,
10:29 two guys that are great leaders, could run the huddle.
10:32 And so you're always trying to have just one of those guys on your roster and
10:36 we have two, so that's really, really exciting for us.
10:39 >> EJ, back again.
10:46 I guess my question at safety is, obviously Vaughn's not here anymore.
10:53 But Xavier Woods is, how much does X kind of bring that room together?
10:57 I know you've already talked about how great of a communicator he is.
11:00 But when you've got all these moving parts at corner and safety coming in,
11:05 how much do you have to rely on him throughout this offseason program and
11:07 beyond?
11:08 >> Yeah, he's a big part of what we do.
11:11 And so we're always gonna be relying on him.
11:14 And what's exciting is that that's why this part of the year is so
11:18 important because we're not doing anything on the field.
11:21 But the secondary players and really all the positions just getting on the same
11:25 page, communicating, working through problems.
11:28 As much as we try to make this the game black and white,
11:31 we know there's gonna be areas of gray.
11:33 And that's why, especially in the secondary room,
11:35 especially in the safety position, to have the guys that can communicate,
11:39 that could think through problems, could be problem solvers.
11:43 And Xavier is an example of that.
11:45 >> Let's go to Christian Autoserk by David Newton.
11:51 >> Hey, J, how are you?
11:52 >> Good, how you doing, Christian?
11:54 >> Doing good, buddy.
11:55 With the draft being so close, what kind of conversations have you and
11:59 Dan had about upgrading through the draft given no first round pick?
12:03 And is there any specific position you'd like to see you guys get stocked up on
12:08 via the draft?
12:09 >> Yeah, the dialogue of players in the draft and
12:14 upgrading our team is always ongoing.
12:16 And there's a lot of very, very good football players in this draft that we're
12:19 excited about.
12:21 I can't say any one position.
12:22 You look at all the positions, there's good players there.
12:25 And we're excited about the potential of upgrading our roster, but
12:30 we're also very excited about where our roster is right now.
12:32 >> Again, one more question.
12:38 I wanted to know what your impressions were of Dave Canales so far, and
12:43 what's he bring to this organization that may have been missing?
12:47 >> Well, I'm excited about having Dave here.
12:50 He is, first of all, a good man.
12:52 We've had nothing but great communication since he first got hired.
12:59 And I love his energy.
13:01 There's a good, good energy in the building right now, and
13:05 he's a big part of that, obviously.
13:07 And I'm excited about what we're gonna do together.
13:11 Competing against him for many, many years when I was at the Rams,
13:14 when he was at Seattle.
13:15 And obviously, even last year, I think he does a great, great job schematically.
13:20 His offenses are always hard to play against, and so
13:23 I'm glad that we're on the same team.
13:26 >> Did he have to give you any kind of a good sell job to say, hey,
13:30 this is why I want you here with me, or did you fill out right away?
13:35 >> Well, when he first got hired, we had great dialogue about just the vision of
13:40 the team, and once we kind of just got together and had shared thoughts and
13:47 talked through some things, it felt like the right fit.
13:49 >> Appreciate it.
13:50 >> We got time for a few more.
13:53 Let's go to Joe Person and finish up with Cassidy Hill.
13:56 >> Jero, going through what you did the last two seasons in Denver and
14:02 then Charlotte with interim coaches and so forth,
14:07 how do you think that's helped form you, I guess, as a person,
14:12 or how has it impacted you as a person and a coach?
14:14 >> Well, honestly, Joe, the last two years have presented things in my career that
14:21 I have never seen before, I've never experienced, but just like any other time
14:26 in your career, whether as a player or a coach, it's like everything's a learning
14:30 example, and you just use all of those learning examples as a good catalog for
14:36 growth and self-improvement, and that's just the way I viewed it.
14:40 And so, like any other experience, you just try to learn from things and
14:43 try to be better, and I'm always striving to do that.
14:47 >> Wanted to ask you, too, about losing Frankie in free agency.
14:51 You were talking about energy with canalysis a second ago.
14:56 How do you replace Frankie's energy?
14:58 Is there a guy you think that maybe was kind of deferring to Frankie,
15:04 if you will, that you're looking forward to see stepping up?
15:09 >> Yeah, Frankie, I can't speak highly enough of a player.
15:14 I really, really love Frankie and love the player he was,
15:17 love the person that he was, and will forever be in debt to him for
15:22 just what he meant to me and how he helped our team.
15:25 But as we talked about with Burns, the show moves on, and
15:29 we're always moving forward in terms of what's best for the roster and
15:34 best for our team.
15:34 And there's gonna be a lot of opportunities for people to fill that void.
15:41 And we have a lot of guys that are vocal, that can play with juice and
15:44 play with energy, that I feel will be good from that standpoint.
15:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
15:53 >> My turn, sorry.
15:54 [LAUGH] Looking at Jordan Fuller, I mean, he went from six rounder to a starter,
15:59 his rookie season, just right away.
16:01 I know you were his position coach that year.
16:03 What was it, from what you can remember, that sort of stood out and
16:06 ushered him into that starting role?
16:08 And how much of just your history with him was why he is here now?
16:12 >> Yeah, Jordan is a very talented player.
16:15 I think what really separates him is he's very intelligent, and
16:21 he is very confident.
16:22 And he's not a very, very loud person, but he's so
16:27 self-assured and has such belief in himself.
16:30 And just as importantly, he believes in his teammates.
16:34 And so that allowed him to come in day one, and he works meticulously at it.
16:39 So he's gonna learn what he needs to learn.
16:41 He's gonna be ready to execute his assignments.
16:44 He's gonna put in the work in terms of taking care of his body.
16:47 And he's very confident in his ability to get things done.
16:49 And so that's why he's had the success he's had in the league.
16:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]
16:55 >> All right, thanks, coach.
16:56 >> All right, thank you all.
16:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]