Good afternoon, Alex.

Afternoon.

Your aligned group, just how do you feel about it after going through the preseason camp with the depth that you guys have developed, the new bodies coming in, how they've come along, a guy like Jazz being a swing possibility if he's not a starter?

Just where do you feel that group is going into game one?

Well, we have true competition where, you know, even though you know, there's a depth chart out, but the guys are still fighting for those opportunities, which keep bringing the best out of all those guys. So I feel better at that aspect of the competition. Also, the guys that are able to play multiple spots. You know, that was a big thing. We've kind of been swapping those guys out a bunch here late in camp once they get kind of acclimited to the system and things like that.

So having multiple guys that can go in there and not have that drop off be steep as I've had as we've had.

So just more competition.

I think guys have grown a lot more kind of answered the bell.

And I've been proud of the cohesiveness of the group.

I know Blas is listed, I think, as the starting right tackle. I guess is that where you envisioned him when you brought him in? I guess how impressed have you been with a guy making the jump he has to be where he is and position himself so well? Well, no, I mean, Bless has done a good job of showcasing and coming in and learning it pretty quickly, which kind of put him in position to possible start and be a guy for us. You know, he's actually taking a bunch of reps that left this week also. We put him at guard a couple of times too. So now that he's comfortable in the offense, being able to be multiple and things like that, we put him at one position to be able to learn it just so they can kind of showcase themselves instead of trying to think and too much. But once they have it, that's when you can kind of start, you know, moving those pieces and where they still have understanding the concepts we're trying to run. But now blesses to step in and kind of be

thrown in like he was. He's done a good job answering the bill.

Hi.

How many guys have you had in your career that have played all five spots on the O line? And is it the mental part? How difficult is that, knowing the job of all those roles? Yeah, it's unfair. When they first get in early, you try to keep me in one position, just because just to learn the details and what it takes just to be out there. You know, we're very multiple. So, you know, you try to keep them in so they can just learn it and feel comfortable. And then after that, it's more challenging. Like, I've had plenty of guys do it, you know, even, you know, John Leglu. I was just talking to him the other day. He played for me at Tulane and we're playing for the Steelers right now. He played tackle, guard, and center. he can play all five and that's kind of helped him now, you know, still be on that roster here lately. So I think that, you know, I don't want to inconvenience him where they're trying to play multiple spots and don't even know the concepts of what we're trying to teach. So once they get acclimated, I get them in a position, I let them play that position. And once they learn, they say, oh, okay, now I know if I'm at this tackle, I'm at this

guard, if I have to go do this. So just giving them a chance to be able to showcase themselves. But also, man, I've had, you know, I have gotten better as a coach learning that you have to be able to keep the best five out there regardless of position. So that has helped me grow and do a better job

of making sure I prepare guys helped me grow and do a better job

and make sure I prepare guys to be able to do that.

Darius played some center last year.

And now he's being asked to play again.

All the check calls that the center makes for the offensive line, that acclamation. Can you talk about that a little bit? Well, yeah, most of the time, you know, the center makes the calls just because he's right in the middle. He can talk to both sides, you know, so he's able to talk clearly to communicate. But we've also had a lot of emphasis. Like, you know, when Maurice played earlier, we didn't allow him to make too many calls. We've had times with guard made calls. We've had times where, you know, tack was communicated when we had, you know, when Maurice played earlier, we didn't allow him to make too many calls. We've had times with Garme called.

We've had times where, you know, tack was communicated when we had, you know, other guys that had going to center. Now, Darius has been in the offense for a while. So his understanding of concepts is elite. I mean, he's played pretty much now, you talk about all five. He has now entered where he's played all five positions for us. So that's another guy to talk about the kind of once you learn it,

and you learn the concepts whether there's gap schemes, all five he is now into where he's played all five positions for us um so that's another guy

that talk about the kind of once you learn it you learn the concepts whether it's gap scheme zone

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