Wednesday Presser Transcript 10-2-13: Brady Hoke Comment Count

Heiko

Bullets:

  • Offensive line changes. You know this already, but here it is anyway: Chris Bryant to left guard, Graham Glasgow to center. This wasn't mentioned during the presser, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were also changes at tight end and receiver.
  • Jake Ryan is participating in some full contact stuff. Still wearing a red jersey though, obviously.

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Opening remarks:

“Good practices. We’ve had that. We’ve stacked them together. We expect that this afternoon. I think the competitiveness and physicalness that we need to play with, we’ve had. I think how we’ve responded as a team last week and this week has been really good.”

Changes to the offensive line?

“Those guys have all done a tremendous job competing. If we were going to kick the ball off today, Graham [Glasgow] would be the center. Chris Bryant would be the left guard with Joe Burzynski and Kyle Bosch being part of that mix at some point possibly. Jack [Miller]’s done a great job competing, but Graham would start and Jack always is ready to go.”

So that would be the lineup Saturday?

“Well, if we kicked off now, that’s what we’d do. You never know. There’s still some days left.”

What led to that decision?

“Just competition. Simple. Competition. At both positions.”

Graham Glasgow has only been at center on and off. He’s primarily a left guard –

“Yeah, but he’s splayed center every week, too. Not game day, but during the week.”

What’s the biggest challenge to playing center? Is it the calls?

“No. I don’t think the challenges are there. I think trying to put the best five on the field is always the biggest challenge.”

And the snapping?

“As far as what he has to positionally? Oh yeah. There’s no question. There’s some calls that he’ll go through that he’s done since spring. Snapping the ball, he’s done since spring. Challenges? Differences probably would be the word I’d use, but yeah.”

He weighs 10-15 pounds more than Jack.

“That’s probably a fair assessment.”

Does that give him an advantage?

“Well I think he’s bigger and a little rangier. He’s 6-5. I think the weight and strength and all that are positives, too.”

Was communication across the offensive line a concern?

“No I think that’s been good. I think Jacks’ done a nice job with it. His communication, Devin’s communication for the most part has been pretty spot on.”

What has Bryant done at guard to step into that spot?

“Well Chris has been close all year to be honest with you. His knee became a problem for three or four days, then he had a little nick in the shoulder. A boo boo. He’s come through that pretty well.”

Would you say he’s healthy for the first time in a while?

“Yeah. That’d be a fair assessment.”

Have you seen better footwork from Devin Gardner?

“Yeah, and he’s done a really conscientious [job], which he is. And it’s not just Devin. All of us needed to go back to fundamentals. He’s kind of a high profile guy because of the position. Step into the throws, get the hips turned, all those things you do as a quarterback, the timing of the drops compared to the routes. I think he’s really done a nice job all last week and yesterday.”

Has he paid attention to the criticism?

“We talk about the only noise that matters is what you get constructively from the coaches and your teammates. He’s got a lot of guys that have his back when you think about the 114 other guys who have a lot of faith and belief, and the coaches and all that. I think he’s resilient. I think he’s smart. I think he’s confident. I don’t know if those things bother him.”

Do you think he learned anything from Denard’s fortitude?

“Probably. I’ve never asked him that or never made that comparison, but I would think so.”

You praised Brennen Beyer’s versatility …

“Yeah. He’s asked to wear a lot of different hats. He’ll put his hand on the ground. He’ll be out in coverage on a read concept, and he’ll be over at tight end on his feet. He’s a very intelligent football player. He’s very competitive. He makes up for maybe a lack when you’re out in space with how he studies tape and how intelligent he is. And recognitions. When he’s got the hand on the ground rushing the passer, he may make up that with technique and fundamentals. And then when he’s playing a nine-technique, he’s well suited for it.”

You moved him to SAM because Jake Ryan got hurt. He seems like now he can play both positions (DE and SAM).

“Yeah. And that’s what makes him valuable. That makes him ultra valuable to what you want on your football team. It’s like you had a five-technique that could play the shade or the three. Having him have that ability helps your football team.”

Does that allow Greg Mattison do different things when Jake comes back?

“Yeah probably adds a little more depth, competition, all those things.”

When’s Jake coming back?

“I don’t know. Hopefully soon. He’s doing a lot more every day.”

Any full contact?

“Oh he’s been doing that. We’re smart with him, though. Hard for you to believe, but we are.”

With running backs, how do you decide when to play backups?

“I think that’s always a juggling act, especially when things aren’t going as well as you’d like them to. Do you try and kick start it with another back when it’s not another back’s problem, for some degree. I think we would like to move earlier so you don’t get to that point of the game where you get a little nervous.”

How’s Cam Gordon?

“Good.”

Healthy?

“Yeah. He’s fine.”

You mentioned you wanted to give Taco Charlton more time, too.

“Yeah as long as they practice the way we want them to, we’d like to play all of them.”

Is it kind of the like the running back situation as far as rotation goes?

“I don’t know. Defensive linemen are defensive linemen. God bless them.”

Do you have a sense of the personality of the team?

“Probably not. Not yet. I think they are resilient. That they’ve shown.”

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