Full Interview: Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall

Full Interview: Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall

he’s fast he’s fast he works hard um he’s a sponge he’s very smart it’s very smart which lets us you know one have the ability to move him around but two you know when you don’t have to teach him the Playbook you can teach him technique and different ways to get better on the field which is which is great for a rookie um he’s definitely one of the smartest rookies that I’ve I’ve ever been around what is it um for him the inside outside versatility that maybe last year with the cast of wide receivers that were here maybe that creates even more opportunity yeah just being able to handle it mentally creates the opportunity now whether he’s you know best outside inside or both we’re still figuring that out um just giving him opportunities in every in every way we can but again we’re able to do that because of his ability to retain all the information um so he’s moved really fast in that aspect and so now it’s just you know taking advantage of all the time we have on the field to put him in those positions to see what he can do for us at what point did you find out Gabe Davis was on his way to Jacksonville that was probably his first call um you know we were lucky to have spent time together in Buffalo drafted him up there another guy he’s him and uh BT are definitely the two smartest guys you know as rookies that I’ve had in my uh young career coaching so um he’s he’s been a sponge as well he’s easy he was easy to teach the offense to and now he’s just in his way leading the group even though he’s you know coming back from injury that r that blend of size and speed just how much can he threaten defenses just by being on the field he can I mean you’ll see it I mean it’s almost like he’s got like that little Mike Vic syndrome where he’s running but he doesn’t look like he’s running fast but he is moving you know so uh I just told him you know Trevor couple first couple practices we had a couple go balls thrown and he either you know caught it back shoulder had to slow down a little bit and I just told him I go go tell Trevor to try to out throw you see if we can do that see if he can do that but um you see it in college he chases everything down he’s fast and Doug’s mentioned it but I I guess his route running is that something maybe he didn’t get enough credit for coming out of college yeah I don’t think they asked him to do too much um but yeah it’s something we work on every day with him releases rout running his breakpoint mechanic um he can bend well for a bigger guy it’s just trying to put it all together so uh we’re working on that as we speak it’s just exposing him to more things basically than what was at L you yeah I mean we’re giving him more opportunities but um you know also perfecting his craft I think you know at this level it’s just more intense of every part of every step he takes after the ball snap how much how much conversation was there before the first OD saying we’re going to get this guy and we’re going to throw him in there on routes and because we’re seeing it like every o we’re seeing these him Brian getting these deep routes throwing his way sorry I’m I’m confused on your question what’s your question I’m sorry I’m how much how much was the concerted effort to say we’re going to we’re going take this guy first round pi and throw him in the mix and see what he’s got from a deep ball standpoint which is you know what was his calling card in college like see it in at the NFL yeah I mean I think that’s transitioned over well I mean he can track the ball well he sees the ball well downfield he can Chase it down he he has good body flexibility where he can turn for back shoulder so I think that part of his game we knew we had you know it’s it’s really developing the other part of his game his intermediate route running his releases and again like he likes to work he likes to learn he likes to get better so he’s been he’s been fun to coach so far one thing we’ve heard from Doug and from press is the need to simplify the offense from a year ago how would you describe that process over the last two months I know press used the terms that it was ripped down to the studs the offens itself yeah we we kind of wanted to see who we are and um how can we be best offensively and then focus on our strengths and get better and better and better at them um I think press does a great job you know making the offense easy to learn putting everything in families um but gu it’s been great I mean we’re just getting reps after reps after reps putting people in different positions and um it’s been great did it feel like you know there’s a lot of changing plays alerts at the line did it feel like especially down the stretch of last season that maybe that’s what complicated the offense at times um I’m not sure about that you know I think you’d have to ask the players more about that but you know that’s our job that’s that’s the players job we we teach it from day one um again like you’re talking about different kills different alerts different checks so that’s uh at the end of the day coach is our responsibility to give to the players and the players have you know they have a job to do and it’s their responsibility to get the plays and if we change them at the line of scrimmage they they they know what to do they need just need to run the plays um in terms of Gabe and BT opposite each other stretching the field but you mentioned the inside outside versatility does it just feel like the group you have Now can do more than perhaps the group from a year ago I don’t know that’s yet to be seen you know um it’s too early to tell Gabe hadn’t even been on the field with us um it’s been great to have Christian back coming back from injury got some young guys stepping up I think that’s it’s way too we’re just in we’re just in shorts and jerseys right now we haven’t even put the pads on so uh you know getting in training camp getting them all together out there on the field we can actually see what we got yes yeah just cuz what what the college um life is like or the college offense a lot of us are just holding up signs they’re just looking at one coach being told what to do it’s not a lot of huddling you know so a lot of them just stay on one side or the other depending where they come from I know you I know that revisiting last year is not favorite topic of discussion around around here it’s okay with me I have to ask you can ask me whatever you want last year’s last year I’m just curious when you learned that not only that Christian was hurt in that game but that it was probably something that was going to linger and linger Ander did anything in your in your brain go uh oh because because it was Christian you as opposed to no no I mean you lose anybody you go uh oh so I go uh oh for everybody especially if it’s a starter on this team um any starter is hard to replace in this league you always that’s what you’re preparing you’re you’re trying to develop the young guys to be in that role but Christian his experience his eliteness at that uh position um I mean that’s a blow to anybody so and just his his uh you know the way he leads he’s not the most vocal Rah ra guy but he leads by example when he speaks people listen so there’s a lot that goes with him not just on the field but off the field um so but yeah I mean I don’t panic like that you know you got to expect people are going to go down um I felt bad for him personally cuz I’m very close to all my players so it was more getting my my role at that as or at that moment was I got to get this guy right mentally to get through this hopefully we can get him back but so then I was doing more stuff off the field with him I can’t do anything on on the field so it’s more keeping him mentally sharp um so you know you got to coach different people in different ways at on every part of the season but injuries are injuries and yeah I mean he hurt every Calvin would have hurt Trevor would have hurt all the old line would you hurt when anybody goes you you hurt it it just seems like obviously the one you can least important is obviously the starting quarterback but it just seems like I’m just wondering if as time went on and and the struggles down the stretch came par it seemed like there was an awareness that what Christian brought to the table was kind of almost like the Cog and the wheel in that receiver room and maybe the impact of losing him was felt more as time went on yeah I mean if you look at you know just strictly numbers right if what you’re asking if you want to look at it this way yeah he was going to be his first year here with Trevor he was he was the leading receiver he was going to be the leading receiver last year so yes I think their connection is strong some of that’s the offense some of that’s what we ask him to do but uh yeah I mean on paper for sure you’re right we lost our biggest impact in the past game if you want to talk about uh catches and yards what’s G Davis bring to the table you known him for a long time um shoot physical strength you know he’s a tough guy he’s a dog he he competes every play never takes a play off um you’re going to get whatever he’s got every single day practice or game that’s what he brings and um not only does he expect that from himself he pushes other guys around him and he expect that he expects that from everybody else cuz he understands already at such a young age that it takes everybody to win win every game win every play win a championship and so he’ll tell he’ll even right now on the field he is talking to everybody from the quarterback all the way down you know encouragement but also like this is what’s expected which is tough you know he’s kind of had to find his role you know especially because he’s not out there practicing but I mean he was a captain in Buffalo for two years as a 23y old you know he just earns that um it just kind of people can feel it people can feel and it’s contagious and he’s not scared to tell somebody that they need to step it up which is huge cuz you know a lot of people don’t do that or don’t have that and it comes from a good place but he wants to win and and he wants everyone else to feel the same way so those those uh expectations are real did you see that pretty early though when he in Buffalo he was a rookie I did and he had a good group Yeah well yeah he again he’s smart too he’s not going to come in and you know and he and he came into a room with Emanuel Sanders you know Steph you know Stefon digs Cole be so guys who have been doing it so I think he took a lot from each of them you know he’s not a he’s very smart and and he you know he’s always a sponge he wants to learn but now he’s he’s taking that leadership role but he’s he’s still learning how to be better second year with Elijah Cooks have you seen anything different from him so far yeah I mean the game is slowed down for him you know I think just like we were talking earlier he’s it’s like a step you know they’re getting signals from the sideline now he’s in a huddle learning everything so I’ve been putting him at all all the different positions which is a credit to him you know he’s been um studying and and his game has gotten better so again we’ll see when the pads come on you know and see see what he can do but he’s physical and he’s just got to stay healthy some of that same stuff goes towards a guy like Parker Washington right yeah Parker’s been great um he’s completely healthy you know I think last last year coming off that leg injury you know coming he’s just he looks faster to me he looks a little quicker obviously the game slow down he he’s I’ve been putting him at every position as well inside outside seeing how he can help us so he’s at a really really good camp so far with Gabe how how valuable is that to have a guy like that joining the team and like you said even though he’s not out there he’s still able to pass on that information to btj or Parker or whoever it may be just how valuable can that be I mean very valuable I mean experience is everything in this league the more experience you have it’s just I don’t know the more the more you see him he’s been in those big playoff games so he’s he’s had it under pressure um it’s just I think that’s so valuable in this league experience is valuable anytime you can get it and Parker for example got some last year so did Elijah because of some injuries and they stepped up um but Gabe’s been great and and he’s the crazy about our room is I think Christian’s the oldest and he’s 27 26 maybe he’s the oldest in our room which is just mindblowing to me you know now he’s got a lot of experience so as Gabe even though they’re young but um we have a really young room a really young room youngest one I’ve ever been around and his G versatility I mean he when you ask him he he’s not talking about the touchdown catches of the deep catches he’s talking about how he can block and how he can do so many different things just what does that kind of mean for the offense in the r it’s huge it’s it’s it’s big when one of your starters one you know can be that guy that physical presence who can take over a block you know you can insert him in the line of scrimmage you don’t have to bring someone else in to do it where it’s like oh man this guy’s coming you know so it’s very valuable and both those guys being smart we can move them all over obviously Christian moves all over so it’s could be value for us it’s going to be valuable and be able to hide a lot a lot of things this looks like it’s got all these pieces you’ve got PJ was kind of taller faster smaller Kirk with Evan as well it just feels like they all kind of fit these different positions and fit well was it intentional this offseason to go out and kind of get these guys who could fit different roles pretty well what was kind of the Outlook going into the offseason yeah I mean I always try to think of my wide receiver group as like a a starting five in baset you know you want different people to be able to do different things um but you want it all to be part of this one little team and so yeah I think we do we’re versatile in a lot of different ways we got speed we got toughness we got quickness we got strength um we got the ability to separate so now just putting it all together you know putting people in the best situation they can be you know um really focus on all their strengths and let them go out and succeed and letting them go out and move the ball for us you know as skill guys I think we’re generators we are generators we generate points that’s what skill guys do got to get open catch the ball and generate points you know up front they block you know do but we generate points and so we got to we got to do that better this year intelligence and all that how much do you think that you look at the experience you talked about gay play that and then you you how much does that make for an ideal situation for him coming in to ease his transition from college I mean it can it can only help like like you’re saying I mean it can’t hurt but I think a lot of that you just got to go and go through it and they can tell you about it so you can be prepared for these you know situations scenarios or what’s going to happen off the field on you know just to kind of calm him down but a lot of that like I said experience is just so valuable you kind of got to go through it yourself a little bit is there any is there any concern on your part that people in general might place too high expectations on bri Thomas in terms of you know everybody looks at everybody looks at numbers right they look at number catches some yards and touchdown what I mean what does it have to look like for you because I’m sure you don’t actually put numbers in mind to a player you’re just saying okay are you do are you doing your job play in and play out yeah and that’s that what you’re saying is basically what Christian and Gabe can help him with which is all that outside noise right because we got a plan in here for each guy every game and it’s not we don’t have like all right this guy’s going to get eight catches this you know what I mean we don’t know what the defense is going to do as long as we’re doing the right thing being in the right place at the right time for the quarterback to be available that’s all we can do we have no idea if they’re going to roll coverage and play Cloud over G won game or BT won the game or you know so that’s the outside noise where Gabe Christian those guys have been through it these people are going to talk when oh you come out of a game with two catches oh they’re going to talk oh you’re the first round all that stuff is very valuable for BT to ignore that noise because again in this building we’ll have a plan and our plans to win every game we really don’t care who gets the ball and that’s the my that’s the culture I create in our room yeah everyone wants to help all receivers are intently just confident arrogant want the ball right but at the end of the day as long as we win the game everybody is happy and that’s all I care about and that’s what I got to kind of control and and get that culture molded which it already is those these I mean these guys just want to win they’re all selfless have any of the undrafted guys stood out to you so far um yeah they’ve all been doing really well honestly they’ve they’ve gotten a lot of opportunities so far because of you know we’ve we’ve just got some people were either not letting them you know kind of Gabe getting back and Devin and um and unfortunately uh David White he was he was uh he was having a good camp which is that was a tough day um but they’re all doing really well you know I’m I’m pleased with all of them how much you go to the wall for were you advocating fall in love with them right away I mean what was that process from yourage point yeah you know I just try to separate each guy and evaluate them all separately you know everyone and really focus on their strengths you know and then what they can do right what what what what will they be able to to what will they be able to do for us and then you know I just give them all the information I can and evaluate I think that’s one of a a coach’s um big responsibilities and you know evaluate you can scheme you can develop but evaluates one of those pillars so I just evaluate them in my way and then I give them you know Trent all them the information and honestly once they get to me I love them all they’re mine so that process again they’re going to pick who they want and then I’m going love them I I don’t really advocate for any of them you know I don’t want to get in that in that game really I just give them what I think they can do and whoever they decide to they decide to draft I’m on board with all them oh shoot man you know who knows I mean I I think I think if there’s one thing BT can do it’s it’s uh you know it’s spread the field he can he can roll he can get down there

Full Interview: Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall