DE Trent Cole
On how it felt to practice in full pads for the first time: "It's a start for us to get the pads on and get things rolling for the 2012 season. Things are looking good and hopefully we will go on to the next day and move forward with it."
On how fast the defensive line is coming off of the ball: "Really fast from what I am seeing. We have a great rotation and a great group of guys that are very talented on the overall defense. Everyone is moving around pretty fast and we are going to get faster. Just starting today with the pads on, guys might be a little sluggish or a little slow. This is the way football starts."
On whether he expects to cause a lot of false starts because of his first step: "Personally I'd like to get off the ball fast. It starts with that first step as a (defensive end) and pass rush to stop the run situations. You want to get as much of an advantage as you can as a (defensive end). It's that first step and it's something that I am going to be working on pretty hard this camp. That's my number one goal."
On how comfortable the defensive line is with defensive line coach Jim Washburn's techniques: "Very comfortable. We didn't have that the year with Jim to really get acquainted to the new style of defense that he has. Everyone as a whole defense did not jell together. This year it was nice to have everyone there in the mini-camps and I think we accomplished a lot of things as a team in mini-camps. It went well, things looked good coming out of mini-camp, and we're starting camp here and starting off the season. We are looking forward to a great season."
CB Nnamdi Asomugha
On whether he and the other defensive players who came in last year are taking it on themselves to show that the defense has progressed to the next level: "Yeah, that's been our goal since we got here. Now, knowing everybody and being even more comfortable, I think that's even more of a possibility. I think being in the top-10 last year, our goals can be much better than that. We always want to be the best. There are some of the guys who have been around and been on top defenses before, so we know what it takes to get there."
On the way that he and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie work together: "With him, I think (my approach) is a little bit more cerebral and his might be a little bit more pure athleticism. Either way, I think we have a chance to be really great out there because we both have two things that we harp in on. Like I said, his makeup speed is second-to-none, I think."
On whether it makes them even more dangerous that they play differently: "I think so. The fact that we can both come out(side). I'll still be going inside a little bit more and I'm still trying to get that comfort level going as far as being in training camp. There are things that we will be able to do that will allow us to match up."
On whether being the number one cornerback duo in the league is something to shoot for: "We always shoot for that. We shot for that last year and there was a learning curve. You always want to shoot for that and you want to be the best individually, as a group, and as a team."
On his ability to play all over the field and not just outside: "I was talking with (secondary coach) Todd Bowles about that earlier. There are things that when he's got me in the slot and we're playing a certain coverage that I'm getting better at that. I was further away, and now I'm getting closer and closer to that. The more we do that and the more we run zones, I'll get better at it."
WR Jeremy Maclin
On whether he came out with a playmaking mentality on the first day of training camp: "I just want to be reliable. Not everything is perfect, and when the ball is out there, I need to go out and make a play. I think (QB) Mike (Vick) did a tremendous job out there today, and the offense did a tremendous job as well. It was really competitive out there today."
On the fast play of the younger receivers in the first day with pads on: "Definitely. Those guys had plenty of opportunities. When the opportunity arises, you have to go out there and make a play. We definitely need some of those guys to step up and do that, and I think they did that today. We have a long camp here, so hopefully they can continue to do that."
On whether the offensive players are in a better frame of mind than last year having had a full offseason program: "I thought that everything was kind of rushed last year, so having a full offseason is definitely going to help us. It helps us learn everything because guys have their playbooks earlier. Now, training camp is a teaching thing but it's also kind of teaching on the run. It's just the extra time that we have."
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
On his interception in practice while guarding WR DeSean Jackson: "You know the one thing with him is you've got to try to stay foot-to-foot. It's hard, but the ball was underthrown and I saw it slow down, so I got my head around it and was able to make a play on it."
On his recovery speed when the ball is in the air: "It depends on how the ball is thrown. Nine times out of ten when a quarterback sees a receiver in front of you like that, he tends to throw it and let them run under it and that's given me the opportunity to make up on them."
On whether he feels confident in his instincts at this point of camp: "They are, but I can say that just as far as playing. Coming in and out of breaks, that's always been a specialty of mine. But just understanding and running the defense and where everybody fits, I think that helps me a lot."
On whether he learned how to bait quarterbacks from former Eagle CB Asante Samuel: "Not when he was here; just watching him as a young guy. You get that push or you get a route, you tend to give a guy a step of two, depending on who they are. You can't do that to everybody, but you give them a step or two and nine times out of ten, a quarterback is going to look and throw. Depending on how he throws the ball, you're going to be able to make up most of the time."
DT Cullen Jenkins
On what player he thinks will fill in for injured DT Mike Patterson during the season: "It's a tough call. Hopefully we can get Mike back soon but we've got a lot of depth along the (defensive line), period. (DT Fletcher Cox) has shown a lot of potential. He can be a heck of a player. (DT Derek Landri) is one of the best and most underrated defensive tackles in the league. You've got those two going and you've got (DT Cedric Thornton) who has really improved a lot behind them. You've got (DT Antonio Dixon). When you get Dixon firing off of the ball it is hard to stop him. There is a lot of depth on the line and even at the defensive end spot. The defensive ends are looking great so far."
On the potential of playing defensive end and tackle: "I think they are just using me in different spots. I kind of like that to be able to move around and bounce around. Maybe I can play end some and you get to run or go back inside to pass rush. Just go to different spots and whatever is needed because you never know the situation. You may be deep at one spot and then have an injury in another spot and you'll be needed in that spot. I just like to be able to bounce around and be able to play wherever is needed."
On how he felt putting pads on for the first time in training camp: "It felt like we are back in camp. It is always good to start to get back in the feel of it. It lets you know how much you need to learn and how much you need to work on since the end of last season. It is a first step."
On the comfort level with the defensive scheme this year compared to last year: "A lot better. You feel a lot more natural in the whole process this year. Last year coming into training camp and it was already started. You try to get to know everybody. I didn't even know where to go out here when I first got here. It is the process. Everything feels more natural and normal right now and I think that is going to help out a whole lot."
DT Fletcher Cox
On his feelings putting the pads on for the first time: "It's always good to go out and put the pads on. Everybody wants to put the pads on and see where you're at. It was the first day; I hadn't had pads on since like last December, so I just felt like I was kind of all over the place a little bit. But, you know, I just go out every day and get better. Like I said, this is just day one."
On getting adjusted to playing the two and three technique: "We play a two technique and a three technique. I play two technique and three technique, depends on what defense is called and what strength is called."
On the speed coming off of the line in the nickel package: "It was exciting to see all of the guys go out and really get a rush going now that we have pads on and get sacks. Coach (Jim) Washburn, he always stresses, 'Sack the quarterback.'"
On what he can learn from DT Cullen Jenkins: "He gave me a lot of advice. He was just telling me the small things like in one-on-one pass rush, he told me, 'Try something different. Try this. Just don't get comfortable with one thing.' (He told me) to use my ability, which is long arms. I've got long arms and he said to use my long arms. Just a lot of little stuff."
On how difficult it is to try a different style when you may not succeed the first time: "It's all about trying new things. Don't get comfortable. I don't mind going out and trying things that Cullen did. He told me to try this and I go out and try it. The first time, it may not seem right. It might not seem like you can do it, but if you keep doing it consistently, then it will come naturally."
On whether Coach Washburn sees him trying different things and gives advice: "He's always giving me those extra little pointers, small things. Like I said earlier, he said I've got long arms, so I need to emphasize and use my long arms a whole lot more."
G Evan Mathis
On hitting in practice this afternoon following the last few days of walkthroughs and light practices: "Laying the foundation mentally is the first step. Being able to do it very slow is the second step and then the third step would be without pads, going full speed, and now we're in pads and full speed. So you work your way up to it. There's a reason you do that. You ease your way into something like this."
On whether the shift of the protection calls from QB Michael Vick to C Jason Kelce will improve the flow of the offense: "It's everything. We're a team. The 11 guys on offense right there, we're all working together and if we make any adjustments there, it's beneficial to all of us. So it should help the flow of everything."
On whether the full offseason has helped the group function together as a unit: "Yeah, absolutely. We've come a long way since we started. Every single one of us in that room is working harder and harder to improve. We're studying the playbook, watching the film, working hard out there and we will continue to do that."
G Julian Vandervelde
On whether he feels as if his best shot at making the team is to be able to play both guard and center: "I always knew that I was going to have to play center at some point. I've always wanted to play center. Honestly, it's just never something that I've had the necessity to do and, therefore, it's never been called upon me to do it. But it's a fun position. I like it a lot. I'm really excited about learning it and kind of getting the hang of the way that the center has to have control of the offense."
On the things that he practiced in the offseason to improve at the center position: "I have a lot of friends back home; guys that helped me out. I can go back to Iowa any time. I live 45 minutes away, so just run up there. The offensive line program at Iowa is legendary and they've put out a lot of really good centers, so there's guys like (former Hawkeye and former NFL lineman) Casey Wiegmann that still lives in Iowa so I can go to him any time and get advice. Coach (Chris) Doyle and Coach (Kirk) Ferentz, they've coached the position for a long time, so there's a lot of experience around me when I'm home that helps me out."
On the biggest difference between the guard and center position: "I think it's how much you have to be aware of as a center. As a guard, you listen to the center. You take your cues from the center. As the center, you're the quarterback of the offensive line. You have to be the guy who sees the rotation of the safeties, who sees where the linebackers are moving and the patterns in defenses and how they're blitzing. You have to be able to make those adjustments on the fly and not just be listening for the adjustments from the center."
