Opening Remarks: "(K) David Akers has a heel contusion and that's why he was out. (DE Juqua Parker) was out because of the 30-plus day. (WR) Hank Baskett, his knee was bothering him last night a little bit and he woke up and was a little stiff today. He should be fine. We'll call it a MCL sprain. (RB) Mike Bell is doing better with the hamstring strain. We kept him in today and just treated him. (G/T) Todd Herremans is doing better. (C) Jamaal Jackson is doing better and (DE) Victor (Abiamiri) is doing better. (C/G) Nick Cole, again, there's swelling on his knee, so we're trying to get the swelling down before we put him back out. (DT) Antonio Dixon with the concussion is getting better. It shouldn't be too much longer with him. (CB) Macho (Harris) is making progress. He ran a little bit yesterday, but he's still not there. We took some guys that came out today and went back in, (RB) J.J. Arrington - actually, J.J. didn't come out, but was scheduled to come out - J.J. with a foot strain. (TE) Cornelious Ingram's knee was just sore, swollen, and then (DE) Ricky Sapp, again, he was out here and ended up going back in because of a sore knee. Then, we had three heat guys, (RB LeSean) McCoy, (WR DeSean) Jackson and (RB) Eldra Buckley. They all went through practice with the exception of McCoy, the other two went through practice and we took them in just to get out of the heat. It was a good practice today. It was good that the temperature warmed up a little bit and we were able to get some work in the element that we normally have had up here at Lehigh. We're going to see that early in the season, so it's important that we see it now. But the guys have worked through it, they've been tough practices. We'll continue on the next couple days here and keep pushing and then we'll have a chance to play here on Friday."
On whether Ingram's injury is his knee or his calf: "It started with a knee and then it drained down into the calf, that's what happened. He had swelling in the back of his knee and then it drained down to the calf."
On whether he worries about the players' health in the heat: "The number one thing you want to do is make sure you keep the water rolling and then we cut a couple reps in there during the practice. We just try to gauge it the best way you can. But that's how we do it."
On why he runs a tougher camp than most teams: "Well, it's what I said at the beginning of camp, is that I think it's important that you build a strong foundation and you kind of find out about the guys that are going to be with you later in the year, the guys that are pushing through this. When you get to that last quarter of the season and you're in striking distance, you're going to be beat up and sore. Whether you have this camp or you don't, there are certain guys that will sit out and you kind of find that out here, you find out who's going to be there and who's not going to be."
On how he keeps the players' attention and keeps focus in practice with the first game on Friday: "You saw today, this was a tough practice today and this is an interesting group here. They have been challenging and challenging and the days that you think they're not going to rise up and have the energy somebody picks it up in there and gets them going. It's kind of fun to watch. But, yea obviously the closer we get to the game the more you back off, so they can go out and perform and do it with some energy."
On whether S Quintin Demps is pushing S Nate Allen for the starting job: "That's very accurate. He has been making plays and he's doing well and that sure is a plus. That's why we brought him here and drafted him. We put him in a position last year where he's a young player trying to step in and fill in and he had a few mistakes and it didn't work out for him there. But, he had a great offseason and he's come back, I thought, very strong in this camp."
On McCoy's first year as a starter coming into camp: "Really, he ended up working into the starting spot last year. But, taking it all of the way through camp is a little different thing and I think he's handled it very well. He wants to carry the ball, like good running backs do, he wants every carry. That's a healthy thing. He's been running very hard and like I said, he's in great shape and I think he's ready to roll."
On whether he is against hazing and whether he was a victim of hazing when he was a player: "No I wasn't. I was never hazed. I just don't think it's productive. I don't see any positive that comes out of it. In this day and age, you're asking these young guys to step in and play and I think (hazing) takes away from it a little bit. I don't think we need to put anybody down, or mess with anybody hard enough for these guys to get themselves right and ready to go. So, I don't think it's productive in helping you win football games, so we don't do it."
On whether he has seen Denver QB Tim Tebow's hair: "Now, that I thought looked good (laughing)."
On whether Demps has matured and grown-up: "I think he has, yeah, and not that he wasn't (mature). I think as a football player he's matured and I think he's handling everything the right way. He's really focused in on doing his job and not too worried about the things around it and it's showing. He was a great playmaker in college and now you're seeing that in this camp here."
On whether he likes what he has seen with the defensive line: "I like the fact that we have eight, nine, or possibly ten guys right there that I think can really bring it. So, that to me is exciting. Now, one of them isn't practicing with Dixon, but I just think there are potentially ten guys, and hopefully more, but potentially ten guys there that I just think have great motors and seem to love to play the game. So, you ask me what's exciting about it, that's what's exciting about it."
On whether his approach in Friday night's preseason game will be different because of the team's youth: "The young guys are going to get the majority of the reps this game, here. That's how it normally works. The ones, we'll keep it basically like we have in the past; somewhere in the quarter or so area. And then we'll just see how it goes from there. We have to make sure we get a good evaluation early on. The trick here is getting a good evaluation on the young guys and then gradually increase the playing time of your ones as you go, and still not miss on the younger talent there. So that's what we're trying to accomplish here."
On how the offensive line is coming along and how he likes G Mike McGlynn at center so far: "The offensive line is fine. The offense actually had a pretty good day today. It starts right there. It starts at center. We're doing a lot of blitz drills here and that center has got to be able to be the transmitter between the left and right side and, in particular in those drills, with his calls. That's where he's getting better. I think physically he's fine. I just think he's got to see all those different looks and (defensive coordinator) Sean (McDermott) is throwing a bunch of different looks at him. He handled it better today and took a step forward."
On LB Ernie Sims' hit on RB Eldra Buckley and what his thoughts are on hitting in training camp: "You saw where I pulled him out of the drill before and there's a point where you've just got to kind of gage. His first reaction is he wants to take your head off and I appreciate that, I love that attitude. I think that's contagious. When the ball is in the air like that was on a screen-type pass, he's kind of going for ball and player all at the same time and sometimes a collision will take place. I didn't think that was extremely bad, but at the same time, you don't want to do anything to hurt your teammates; we need everybody. We were able to get a few live plays in there, which was also good. He just missed it by one play."
On G Max Jean Gilles' play following his offseason surgery: "I think Max has done tremendous. Yeah, he's had a very good camp."
On how Eldra Buckley fits in with the running back group: "Very, very competitive, tough guy. He has good feet and good vision when he's asked to carry the football. The thing that stands out to me is he is an extremely tough human being."
On whether the quarterback position needs time to grow: "I think they're all different. I think the college game has changed a bit, in particular defensively for quarterbacks. When (Redskins QB) Donovan (McNabb) came out, you saw where defenses were just figuring out at the college level to fire zone blitz schemes if they were doing them in the National Football League. And in the National Football League they were rampid. I think for quarterbacks back then, that was a big thing. Now you get these quarterbacks that come in and they're seeing a lot more of blitz fire zone schemes; not quite as difficult. That's probably the toughest thing to figure out, or at least one of the toughest things to figure out as a young guy."
On how he assesses QB Kevin Kolb's play in training camp: "Well, that's a great question, (Philadelphia Daily News writer) Les (Bowen), because today – and I don't like telling you it was a great question, but that was a great question – you saw where (CB) Asante (Samuel) read a play over on the right side; offensive right side. (WR) DeSean (Jackson) had run an eight-yard hitch route and Asante squatted on it, just like we saw the other day. Kevin reared back, he went to throw it and then he held up; he pulled it back. He threw it the other day, came back today and learned from it. Pumped it, checked it down, plus eight. That's what he's doing. When Kevin makes a mistake, he learns from it and he makes progress. That's a very important quality to have. The guys that make them over and over and over and over again, those guys can't play at this level. It doesn't work for them. He studies it, he sees it, which is important, and then he reacts to it, which is even more important."
On whether that is in reference to the CB Dimitri Patterson interception from the other day: "Yes, that's right."
On what Kolb is like in the huddle: "He's very good in the huddle. He's able to get in there and give them information, which is important; down and distance. Both he and the center are giving them down and distance in the huddle. Snap count, if we go an off-snap count, he's going to present it to them first. This all sounds fairly easy here, but the clock is running. So he gives them the snap count. If it's an off-snap count, other than one, he gives them the play, repeats the snap count, tells them the situation, 'Hey, keep your eyes open for this. Give me an extra step if it's a seven-step drop.' He's coaching them up in there as he's giving them the play. Doing it time, giving himself enough time to get to the line of scrimmage and still make a check if he needs to. I think he handles all that very, very well."
On whether more live game experience would help Kolb at this point: "Well, he's had a little bit. Now it's just a matter of it's time to go play. Is it going to be perfect? No. That's not what it's going to be. He's going to have highs and lows and he's just got to be consistent and work through them and stay confident, and he'll do that. He's a young quarterback that has an opportunity to start. Like I've said before, he doesn't have to compare himself to anybody or try to do anything that he can't do. He just needs to be himself and execute the offense and I think he's very capable of doing that."
On newly-acquired TE Nate Lawrie and whether he was brought in to be a security blanket for TE Cornelius Ingram: "Well, no. The security part, no. We thought he was a good football player, we've had him here once before and we liked him. He went on and played for somebody else. We had an opportunity to bring him back here. We think it makes us better for right now in camp and we'll just see how he does. He should be an effective player in this offense."
On whether Lawrie brings a different dimension at the tight end position: "He's a combination player, so he's going to give you a little bit of the run game. I'm not going to tell you he's a great run blocker, but he's a good run blocker. He's probably improved that part of his game more than anything. You can always catch the football and run and do those things. He gives you a combination guy and I think that's important in this offense to have."
