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+--- Thread: Matt Rhule Presser at the Scouting Combine (/showthread.php?tid=89)
Matt Rhule Presser at the Scouting Combine - PantherFan007 - 02-25-2020
This is part II of the article (the bottom half) that I left off from the Cam Question article.
Here are some other notes from Rhule's media availability:
[b]On approaching the seventh overall pick:[/b] "We're going to look at the very absolute best fit at everything. I think when you're picking seventh it usually means that you have to do something, you have to get an impact player, so we'll look for any impact player. That's really the process that we're in here. I'm probably not even thinking Draft enough yet, I'm probably more thinking combine, because from my perspective, I don't want to miss out on a player. I want to get the very best fit for us, so to me, how do you do that? You're really diligent in the process along the way of the formal interviews, the weigh-ins. Especially being my first combine in this role, I want to make sure I do a good job and I'll try not to let anything slip through the cracks. I'm so focused right now on just this, then when the draft comes, Marty and I will get together and definitely make the right picks."
[b]On how his coaching staff took shape:[/b] "Really, I thought we were able to get a couple really key hires. Getting Pat Meyer and the experience he's had as an offensive line coach, and getting Jason Simmons coming in as a pass-game coordinator. I kind of used up some of those spots that I was planning on using. Then as I went through and just getting on the phone with Dick Vermeil (former Head Coach), really getting on the phone with Tom Coughlin (former Head Coach) – I said to myself like I have these amazing resources from Hall of Fame coaches. So, I've utilized probably that more than anything else.
[b]"[/b]On defense, I have such amazing respect and confidence in Phil Snow (defensive coordinator), and what I wanted to do was put in that room a bunch of great teachers, but also a bunch of guys with a lot of experience. So, you bring Mike Fair in (defensive line coach) whose been a long-time NFL D-line coach – learned under Rod Marinelli (Raiders defensive line coach). You bring in Jason Simmons who's been a player and coach for however many years. You bring in Al Holcomb (run defense coordinator) who I worked with at the Giants, who was here before and has been a coordinator. You bring those guys in – I wanted to have a great room. I don't have the chance to go in there very often. I'm usually doing head coaching things right now, but I think when I go in there's such a great – it's like a think tank. Those guys are talking and there's not a lot of egos. I thought it was good, but to get some of those guys there, they deserve titles. They are that good of a coach. So, I wanted to get them here and kind of roll."
[b]On versatile players in college:[/b] "I would just call it the 'positionless player.' The days of saying, 'Hey, we need this mike linebacker.' There are certain traits you're looking for, but you're looking for positionless players, because the offenses in the league are changing, so the guys on defense have to be able to do a lot of things. I think we're just looking for traits. We're looking for guys like, 'Hey, this guy can really do this,' or 'He can really do that.' I think you're seeing a lot more of that in the combine as college football has really spread out. We're going to try to stay ahead of the curve on that, make sure we keep bringing guys in who can do a lot of different things for us that give us multiplicity within the roster."
[b]On finding players who fit the vision:[/b] "I think it comes down to traits and how they fit, that's why that whole process we had about, 'Hey, this is our vision for what a three technique looks like in our defense.' Well, it doesn't mean we have to go out and find the best three technique in college, it means we have to go out and find the guy in college who has the traits we think we can coach. I think it's really a fun process to find those traits and say, 'Hey, what's the vision for them within what we do?'"
[b]On his objectives for the Combine:[/b] "Just to answer questions. To make sure that any questions we have about a player we answer. Sometimes, the best thing you do about players is say no, he's not a fit for us – which is fine, but get as much information as possible. As we talked about, the scouting and the coaching department really seeing things the same way."