(How did Ruvell Martin go from no pads to catching passes?)
He's part of the rehab program and he was in there working out. Once they feel they are able to get back on the field that is a normal process for us.
(How much will the defense show on Saturday and are you reluctant to show very much?)
That's really a question that will be answered after we play the game. As far as percentages, I'd be BS'ing you if I told you 30 percent. We don't sit around and talk about how much we want to show. What we're trying to get done and the things that we are doing as far as when we installed some things, they were cleaner than others, so going back and reviewing them. Cleveland is kind of a hard team to anticipate because they have a new coaching staff, so there is definitely some projection on what would you really like to do against them. We also play them during the regular season. I'm not really concerned with the volume. On my schedule to the coaches, the target that we have is 33 percent if you are looking for a number, but that is adjusted to the health of your football team. We've got to practice tonight and we've got to practice tomorrow, so those things get adjusted. But as far as the way the coaches have planned, 33 to 40 percent of your normal volume for the game plan is what you are looking to carry in. That's probably not exact. Things could take us in a different direction.
(Do you know how much the No. 1 defense will play?)
We are going to meet on that today at 4:30. Once again, tonight's practice is probably a better indicator once we get through tonight's practice because it's really not how much will this individual play or that individual play. It's more off of packages and the combination of players. That's really what determines whether they play 10 plays or 25 plays with the No. 1 group. The health of our football team will play a big part in that.
(What is the thinking with the centers on Saturday; will Wells and Spitz alternate series?)
It's a tight battle and it's something that tonight's practice will factor into that. James Campen and Jerry Fontenot are evaluating that at every turn, so that's something that we'll probably decide later tomorrow.
(Have you ruled anyone out for Saturday, and if a guy is out tonight again, will that make it pretty tough for him to go?)
We've got a couple of guys that have a chance to make it. Clay Matthews and Jeremy Thompson are probably pretty far away, but they still have today and tomorrow to erase that. Justin Harrell, he's also a ways away, so we'll see how it goes. I haven't ruled anybody out yet.
(Was Driver just getting rest this morning?)
Yeah, Thursday mornings are a veterans' select day. It's all built in to what we do in that practice, who we're trying to tailor the reps to. It's an opportunity to give the players that have reached a certain criteria some time off for the body, but it the biggest part of it for us as a football team, we're able to really tailor the reps to our younger players.
(Was Spencer Havner getting time at outside linebacker out of necessity or was that part of the plan with him?)
This is part of Spencer Havner's plan. Spencer will play special teams, offense, and then defense will be the order that he'll play in the game. Now, the matter of how much and so forth, that will be determined.
(How is the fullback battle shaping up?)
It's time to play a game. Our whole football team needs to play a game, even more so at the fullback position. That's something that we're going to have to take a close look at. Special teams will definitely factor into that. The games will be the biggest evaluation for that group and pretty much the whole team.
{sportsad300}(How is Quinn Johnson picking up the offense?)
Oh, I'm sure you could see it from the sidelines. He's a lot more comfortable this week than he was last week. He's a big man and he just needs to keep working on playing with leverage and doing the technical things that we are asking him. But he looks a lot more comfortable out there and he looks like has settled into the pace and the tempo of our practice. It's always an adjustment for rookies coming to the NFL I think he is definitely improving daily.
(Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz appear to be bigger this year. Does that translate into more punch for the running game?)
Definitely. I think we're more explosive up front. We're definitely bigger. It's something that we've tried to improve on each year. It's really the maturation of our offensive line. Scott Wells is one of the older guys in the group, and this is the biggest he's ever come back in my time here. It's really part of the maturation of our football team. I think it definitely does carry over. The way we're running the ball, we're covering up blocks longer, we're finishing better. We're still explosive, and I like the foot speed of the group. We're probably maybe even a little more athletic than we've been in the past. There's definitely some improvement there.
(How will you evaluate the communication on Saturday between the defensive players and the staff? Is that something you do during the game or from watching film later on?)
It's definitely something you have to evaluate during the game. That's really part of the preseason. They're things you're really looking closely at, especially moreso this year than the past two years because it is a new defensive staff. It's preseason for everybody. We have to make sure our game operation is exact. It's the responsibility of the coaches to put the players in the right position to be successful. Whether it's personnel substitution, game adjustments, the operation of the game adjustments, the adaptation to what the opponent is doing, these are all elements of the game that we'll be working on.
