Q: How has Jeremy Shockey looked?
A: He looked good today. I’m glad he’s here. I’m glad he’s participating. This is a fun time, because this is as close to two-a-days as you get. Obviously there are no pads, but there’s the mentality of installing things in a very short period of time. It’s very competitive. He caught a lot of balls today and looked pretty sharp.
Q: Is there any visible improvement by a specific player that you can see?
A: (Robert) Meachem continues to get better, not only physically. He’s a big strong guy who will get the ball for you. He’s a big, strong guy who’s worked extremely hard. I see the confidence level starting to come out. He’s giving me that look for me to believe in him, trust him and that he can make plays and I’m liking that.
Q: Can you talk about Devery Henderson’s performance?
A: Devery’s kind of a quiet guy. You might not hear him say a word out there, but the fact is with (Marques) Colston being limited and Lance (Moore) as well, Devery’s playing the X sometimes. He’s playing the Z. He’s taking a lot of snaps and it doesn’t faze him. He’s able to step in and do that, whereas a few years ago I wouldn’t have been able to say that. A few years ago I think he was kind of limited to one recover position. Now he can play a lot of receiver positions. He knows all the routes and he knows how to run all the routes. That’s another thing, where you have certain guys that are good at certain routes, and some with others, but he’ s a guy that can play every wide receiver position and knows every route.
Q: Do you have any observations of the extra weight Pierre Thomas has put on?
A: He’s thick, he’s strong and he’s a bull, a fighter. I think Pierre deserves all the good things said about him. He has worked extremely hard and I think he has a good mentality, especially as an undrafted free agent, having to fight his butt off to make the team every single day. The road that he’s traveled, starting off on special teams, to getting some action in 2007 to really being the guy who’s going to carry the load for us, I really like what I see from him.
Q: How is the locker room different without Deuce McAllister in there and have you taken on a different type of role in the locker room?
A: I play the role I always play, as the quarterback. Certainly there are plenty of leaders in that locker room. His absence, he was a mainstay. He was the heart and soul of this team for a long time, so he’s definitely missed. I think in that running back meeting room, especially, he was kind of the calming presence. I think Heath Evans has added a lot of that to that room, because he’s a guy who’s played on some very good teams with the Patriots. He understands what it’s like to form that culture in that room, that attitude and that preparation and is great or the young guys in that room. He’s fulfilling that role somewhat. I fill in when I’m needed.
Q: Have any defensive backs caught your eyes in the team drills?
A: They’re doing so much stuff right now defensively that it’s hard to keep track. I’m more concerned with the looks than the personnel, understanding what’s happening, but obviously Darren Sharper was a big free agent pickup for us. He’s a seasoned veteran who knows how to play the safety position. He’s played it at a high level. He’s been on some very good teams, so I think he brings a great element back to that secondary and defensive backfield. What I see from all of them is that they’re playing with a lot of intensity and a lot of emotion. They’re flying around. They’re picking each other up. They’re really positive towards one another. That’s (competition) only going to bring out the best in everybody and make our team better.
Q: Do you have any kind of opinion on Anthony Hargrove and Paul Spicer?
A: I’m impressed with them. They bring veteran leadership. They are guys that have played a long time at a high level. With our mentality on defense, it’s about getting after people up front. The more defensive ends you can have, putting pressure on the quarterback, disrupting things, the better.
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