Opening Statement:
“Good to be back. It was a limited group. Good to have them out on the field [and] have them in the media room so it is a good start.”

Why bring the rookies in early? What do you want to accomplish here?
“I just think another opportunity to expose them. Every time you are able to install something and go out—even if you are not doing it full group—but walk through it, jog through it whatever it is techniques. It will probably even prove to be even more important going forward a year from now when the rest of the organization has done it for a year. Now this is really a chance for those rookies to get caught up. You wish you could do it with the whole team but.”

Is it a necessity for rookies though given fact that this is all new for them?
“A necessity? I don’t know.  I think you have the opportunity to do it so you take advantage of it. That’s the way I look at it.”

What do the rules permit you to do with these guys out here including next week?
“Really you can do training camp. We have not chosen to do that. We are going to do a limited amount of stuff, but you saw they were sweaty. They worked.”

So there is not a whole lot of restriction which is good for you guys?
“Right.”

How much opportunity is there for this rookie class and how much will you be relying on some of those guys?
“I think there is great opportunity. Maybe more than any other year. Not because of who they are competing with, but because those veterans don’t have as big a head start in this scheme. They have a head start on being veteran players, but they don’t have a head start in this specific scheme. So I think our guys that are rookies—I have told them these are great opportunities for you to get yourself prepared to battle for a job.”

How closely will you be watching the line backing core and your two rookie linebackers this week as far as making an impact on this team?
“I am going to be watching everything closely, but that certainly an important position. I think there is some great competition there. So your point is well taken. Those young guys have a chance to compete for playing time. Let’s see how they do.”

What do you get out of these guys in a smaller group when you have that much individual attention?
“I think just as you say the individual attention. Which maybe a week from now they are not going to get as much individual attention. We are going to work our tails off through organization to make sure they do get repetitions because that’s the only way you get better improved. If you can or you can’t, but when there is more people here there are less reps.”

Mark Barron is not here and what are your feelings about that and how much will that set him behind?
“Well he is missing repetitions. I think as a rookie and especially a rookie that we are counting on, but I am hopeful that he will be here soon. That’s my hope.”

How much did these guys retain while they were away?
“I think as a group pretty well. Some guys really well. Some guys I can tell went home and studied their tails off. I tell the rookies all the time you are being evaluated on everything (everybody is) whether it is on field [or] off field [or] in the media [or] in the community we look at the total picture. It is not just one thing so I am really excited about the way some of these guys got after it in their break.”

Is LeGarrette Blount your favorite to win that starting running back position?
“I don’t have any favorites. You know I shouldn’t say that. I think Josh (Freeman) is the favorite to be quarterback. Most positions we will dish out the reps in an appropriate manner and then we will see where the chips fall.”

What do you think about Doug Martin and what do you hope that he can bring to the team as a running back?
“I think the things that we liked when we drafted him. You know his quickness. His balance. His vision. He is a bright guy and I hope that he can bring what we saw in his college tape [and] that he can bring that to the National Football League. I have no reason to believe he can’t.”

With a week away from when veterans report are there any players that physically are not going to be able to go on day one?
“I think. Now again it is a little odd for me because I am used to see guys and I haven’t seen these guys for six weeks. On my accounts everybody is going to be here with the exception of DaQuan Bowers of course.”

How excited are you for Friday to step out here and go out for real now?
“I can’t wait. I was excited for today. Just to get back on the grass and be with the guys. Really when we get everybody back and we start going and guess it will be Sunday or Monday when we put the pads on and get after it-- we haven’t been able to do that. There are things that you can’t do in the spring. Press coverage, one on one pass rush, those kind of things. Blocking people. Now to be able to do that because at the end of the day it is still about blocking and tackling. This game is about blocking and tackling. Throwing and catching. Running the ball. A lot of that does not come through when you are in shorts. Some of it does. The execution. The speed. The athleticism, but it is till about contact.” 

Is the running back group a diverse group?
“I think their skills sets mesh nicely, but I think there’s some overlap, too. Because when you look at all of them, there’s no skinny minnies out there, they’re all pretty jacked up. But some of them have kind of different skills as far as acceleration, so I like the mix. Again, to see them when someone is trying to tackle them, that is going to be the, the poof’s in the pudding.”

On the heat:
“Even if you’re not new to Florida, I think the first time you come out her and put that helmet on, if it’s 90 out here, it’s 110 in your helmet, so getting used to it is really good, whether you’re from here or not. That will give these rookies a little edge and they need that because the other guys have big edges. They have experience.”

On Mark Barron and Brian Price fight:
“I’d rather not (comment on it). What happens inside our meeting rooms and that stuff, I like to keep that amongst our team. Somehow it got out, I’ not thrilled about that. I’d rather keep that inside, of you understand.”

Do you anticipate a lingering issue there?
“I hope not. We all make mistakes. Let’s be men about it and let’s go. Ultimately, everything we do has one goal and that’s to bring that trophy back here. We’ve got to put our own personal preferences and disagreements aside and focus on what’s best for the club.”