TRANSCRIPT: Rams Assistant Coach Introductions (2-10-17)

Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On if the 3-4 defense is superior to the 4-3)

“It’s better. I’ve been in a little bit of a 4-3, I played 4-3 in college. When you have a 4-3, you have four linemen, those are the four guys that are rushing. When you have a 3-4, you have three linemen and somebody else is coming from somewhere, because it’s going to be a four-man rush most of the time. It gives an advantage of them not knowing, protection-wise. I think it helps you, pass defense-wise. If you look at our pass defenses over the years, you look at our sacks over the years; they’ve all been top of the league. And I think that’s the key of beating people is stopping the passing game in this league. That’s why I’ve stuck with the 3-4. And I added some of the 4-3 stuff and the Bears stuff that I did with (former Bears defensive coordinator) Buddy Ryan, kind of implemented it into our 3-4 thinking. The concepts are there, but we just line up a little differently.”



(On his first conversation with Head Coach Sean McVay)

“First he had talked to me and said, ‘If I get a job, would you come with me?’ I said, ‘Sure, I’d consider it.’ All of a sudden he called me and said, ‘Hey, I got the Rams job, could you come? I said, ‘Well, okay, let’s talk about it.’ So we worked it out, it was great.”



(On what was so appealing about this job)

“I always liked the Rams. I’ve been in the league, this is my 40th year. I can remember Jack Youngblood and all those guys. In fact, when I first started, we were in the same division – I was with the Saints and we played them in the same division. It was always a neat franchise, so I enjoyed that about it and now that they’ve come back. I love being out here because my daughter is out here. We hadn’t been with her in a while, so we’re excited about that.”



Rams Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On what it means to be back with the Rams organization)

“I’m very fortunate, really. I’m super happy to be back. Coach McVay invited me back, it took about half a second to say yes, because this is where I wanted to be. To be here with the new staff, it kind of feels like you’re joining a new team, even though I’ve been here now in my sixth year. It’s a fun, fresh start. Very grateful to be back, and looking forward to seeing what we can do.”



(On the conversation with Head Coach Sean McVay asking him to stay with the team)

“I talked to him on the phone before he came down and got introduced at his press conference. He said he’s heard things about me that have been pretty good and he wanted to talk to me the day he got introduced as the head coach. So, I came up here from down south. We had about a five minute conversation, while he was getting pulled and tugged everywhere else and he said, ‘I want you to stay here and be a Ram,’ and I said, ‘Thank you, I do too.’ That was about the extent of it. Real quick conversation and I was very happy.”



(On his initial impressions of McVay)

“The impression is, you don’t even think about the age. You see a guy who’s energetic. You see a guy who’s mature. You see a guy, so far, that’s taking charge of staff meetings and whole team meetings, and really put together a great staff. I’m super excited to work with him. I think he’s going to be great for the team.”



Rams Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Joe Barry – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On being in Thousand Oaks and being part of the Rams)

“I think it’s special. I think Coach McVay is a talented guy, if you guys haven’t figured that out already. So, to have a chance to work with him, to have a chance to work with Wade Phillips, I pinch myself. I really do. To be back in Southern California with the Los Angeles Rams, it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m very excited.”



(On Coach McVay as head coach at age 31)

“We worked together for the last two years. He was the offensive coordinator, I was the defensive coordinator. So we got to be very close and worked hand-in-hand. It didn’t shock me at all. I knew as soon as he went on these interviews, he was going to get a head coaching job because I know what type of guy he is, how passionate he is, how smart he is. So no, it did not shock me one bit.”



(On why he chose to work with the Los Angeles Rams)

“Well, Sean, really. Bottom line. I had an opportunity to go to a few other places, but to be with Sean, to come back to Los Angeles. I think this is an exciting time to be part of Los Angeles Rams football. To go back to playing at the Coliseum for a couple years before we move into the stadium, it’s very, very exciting. I’m glad to be on board and I can’t wait to get started.”



Rams Safeties Coach Ejiro Evero – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On if you have met any of the players yet)

“Yeah, we’ve met half of them.”



(On if the players have been around the facility)

“Yeah, some guys are here rehabbing or working out. We’ve met a couple of our guys.”



(On if most of his time is spent on evaluating the roster and figuring out what he wants to do)

“Yeah, exactly. We’re watching the tape on the guys, and learning who we like, and all of that. We like a lot of them. Also, getting to learn (Defensive Coordinator) Wade’s (Phillips) scheme. The great thing about Wade is that, OK, this is the scheme that we’re going to run, but he’s going to let us put our little flavor on it. We’re all getting into the same rhythm with that. So, that’s been good.”



(On what it’s like working under Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips)

“A lot of teams in the NFL are similar. Wade has a history. People have what they’re going to specialize in. But, the best thing about him is that he’s got all this wealth and knowledge. He’s been in the NFL for so long. He’s like an encyclopedia of defensive football. But, at the same time though, he’s like, he wants us to coach, and he wants us to put our flavor on it as well. And so, that’s what is exciting to us.”



Rams Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On if the 4-3 defense or the 3-4 defense is more difficult)

“You’re going to get three wide receiver sets 60 to 65 percent of the time, the other percentage of the time, you’re going to get ’22 personnel’ – two tight ends, two backs. Everybody plays the same thing to that. We’re going to be playing a lot of the same things that will look close to what people have seen. The one thing, we’ve done this before with (defensive coordinator) Wade (Phillips), I’ve done this, he came to Atlanta, I was already in Atlanta, we were a four-man front, they had good football players, we had Brady Smith we had Pat Kerney – we had really good football players. There was angst there about 4-3 or 3-4. But, really and truly, to me, it’s techniques. They’re going to be playing the very same techniques. And I, sort of, had the same thing in Atlanta – this is a four-man front, how are we going to fir these players. What the exercise did for me and the experience of doing this, I learned that you can be more multiple and you can attack protections better. I learned a lot of football with Wade that first time. And I think the advantage is, we’ll be able to take our players and match them up in different positions that give us even better match-ups. The one thing about a 4-3 defense is I can almost tell you, getting off the bus, (No.) 99 is going to be here, (No.) 94 is going to be there, (No.) 97 is going to be here. And I think you’ll see a little bit more multiplicity.”



(On if he thought he would be with the Rams this year after playing them last year as a member of the New Orleans Saints)

“I don’t know about that, but I’m excited to be here. I obviously enjoyed my years in New Orleans. I had a chance to win a world championship, wont a lot of games. (Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton is a great guy. I’ll tell you, I’m excited – being in this league, it’s good to get a fresh start. After nine years in New Orleans and being able to come here with a young, up-and-coming head coach and Wade Phillips, I’m excited about it and looking forward to the opportunity to turn this thing around.”



Rams Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On what he’s seen from the offensive line on tape from a technique and a scheme standpoint)

“I see youth. Anytime you’re in a situation with a line that has everybody under three years, it takes time to develop. I look forward to molding the group. (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) Andy (Dickerson) and I, and my son (Offensive Quality Control coach) Zak (Kromer) just working with this group, and working with (Head Coach) Sean’s (McVay) offense, and understanding how we fit in the offense, and what he wants us to get done. I think it’s an exciting group because they’re young. They still want to learn. Not that everybody doesn’t, but they want to know how do you want to do it, and they’re going to do it that way. When you get in those situations, I think it’s favorable for a coach.”



(On the development of LT Greg Robinson)

“There’s always high expectations for guys, and it’s hard for anybody in those situations. I think I can still do more work with him, as far as watching tape and that. But, I hate to judge a guy before I talk to him, work with him, decide, ‘Hey, you’re good at this, or you’d be better if you did this technique. Or you’d be better thinking this simple thought so you didn’t have confusion. Why are you thinking about all of these other things?’ I look forward to working with the whole group. Hopefully, I can help them become better. That’s my goal. I’m a teacher. I want them to pass the test, and my goal is to get them from whatever level they’re at now, to try to get an ‘A’ in the class.”



(On if there’s a philosophy he has, whether it be zone read, blocking scheme)

I think the most important thing is individual technique, and then from there, what fits our personnel. Sean has a great vision of what he wants this offense to look like, and how the plays will be run, and how fast we’ll go, and how we’ll function as an offense. Then we’ve just got to fit our players in, and adjust that vision to our guys. What do they do best? And when we find that out, I think we’ll emphasize one thing more than the next.”



Rams Quarterbacks Coach Greg Olson – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On what he’s seen from his evaluation of QB Jared Goff thus far and Goff’s potential in the NFL)

“Great. The ceiling is really high with this player in my mind. Unbelievable arm talent, he’s had that since high school. From being up in the Bay Area, I’ve kind of known about him. When he went to Cal, I had the chance to follow him there early on in his career at Cal. I’ve always felt like this guy’s got tremendous arm talent and that’s a start in my opinion. You look to evaluate this position, it’s what type of arm talent does that player have. Certainly, a very intelligent player when you look at his test scores and what he was able to do a student. I just think there are a lot of intangibles there as well. You’ve all heard about him growing up from high school, through college and in the NFL, tremendous work ethic. There’s a lot of things there that I think are good. He had a chance last year, didn’t get a chance to get a lot of the reps in training camp and I think that sometimes is not a great situation. To be thrown into playing after nine games into the season, I think without having that base work, which he will get this spring and this summer – I think that there certainly should be a huge jump from year one to year two.”



(On working with high draft picks with big expectations put upon them and what he’s learned from those experiences that can help him now working with Goff)

“Every player is different. In that whole evaluation phase there’s a difference in pro football and college football. A lot of times with college football is to identify the player and sign that player based on your evaluation. It doesn’t always happen that way in the NFL. With these young players, again, the quicker they can get in and get assimilated into an offensive scheme and have a chance to get with their coordinator, to get with their head coach, and really learn the offense – the better chance he’ll have for success. Certainly, it wasn’t an ideal situation, the fact that he’s going on his second coordinator and second head coach in his second year in the league. But his potential is very high and I know he’s excited right now in talking with him about the change. We’re just really excited about our staff. But, again every player is different.”



Rams Running Backs Coach Skip Peete – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017



(On what it meant to have RB Todd Gurley call Head Coach Sean McVay on his behalf and his relationship with Gurley)

“I really appreciate him doing that. I felt we had a good working relationship. A lot of conversations and spent a lot of time together. He wasn’t involved in any special teams so, typically during special team meetings, you would meet with you position coach. We had the opportunity to cover a lot of different things. Getting prepared for the game plan and I’m a big component of asking them to be involved in the meeting. It isn’t just about me talking and (the players) not having any voice – I think the communication between the player and the coach is big.”



(On last year’s offense and whether Gurley’s running style didn’t fit within the offense last season)

“I think a lot of things contributed to that. Those times that I talked about during special teams meetings, he and I had those kind of conversations. It was – like I always tell him and anyone – is that in order to have a successful running game, it’s a combination of everyone. It’s not just, ‘well the line didn’t block good,’ it wasn’t like ‘the runner didn’t run good – it’s a combination of both. I think everybody has to be cohesive and be on the same page.”



Rams Cornerbacks Coach Aubrey Pleasant – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017

(On Coach McVay as head coach at age 31)

“All age is how many times you’ve been around the sun. Your experiences, your respect, your discipline and how you are a leader of men is ultimately how you’re going to be valued in this league. We believe we have it and we believe we’re following the right person.”



(On being hired to the Los Angeles Rams)

“Sean and I met each other four years ago when I had just come to Washington and I was on offense. I interviewed twice for this opportunity. This wasn’t a, ‘Hey, come get this.’ This was a, ‘Hey, I believe in you. I know what you’re going to bring to the table. I’m trying to get some experience on the staff, mixed with a little bit of youth; show everybody what I think you have.’”



Wide Receivers Coach Eric Yarber – Assistant Coach Introductions – February 10, 2017

(On the personnel group at wide receiver)

“Watching footage on some of these guys, you have a wide variety of receivers. You’ve got guys that can play the slot, that can be option runners, you’ve got guys that can take the top off, you’ve got guys with size. I’m excited about working with this group and taking them to the next level.”



(On the wide receiver position in football)

“Every great athlete or great receiver—they want the ball. That’s part of the business. They want the ball, they think that with the ball in their hand, they can make plays and I want guys like that.”