VIC FANGIO: I just want to mention to you guys that I was able, because it coincided with our day off, I went to the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday for Patrick Willis up ran into Merrill and congratulated him on his great honor. I think that officially puts him up there with the all-time greats of Philly. Like By Saam, Bill Campbell, Harry Kalas, and in a different form, Dave Zinkoff.
When I mentioned that to a few guys today they showed their age and didn't know who he was.
Maybe I'm showing my age.
Who is first?
Q. You like to watch games from the booth, right, not the sideline? What is it about that perch that you like rather than sideline?
VIC FANGIO: Number one, it's the best view. I can see what's happening. I don't have to rely on other people telling me what's happening.
There is a reason they film the game from up there in a booth right or to the left of me. There is a reason the owners are at that same level. They can sit anywhere they want in the stadium and it's the best view is number one.
Because my most important job on game day is to call the game and I need to have the best view, and I don't have to rely on others to give me a bunch of information.
Q. How about communication with players?
VIC FANGIO: It's fine. All the coaches, all the position coaches will be down on the field, and any communication I have to make to the players will come through them. I have confidence in that will be seamless.
Q. How much were you involved in the free agent signing of CJ?
VIC FANGIO: I was involved to the degree that any of the ones, but obviously that's Howie's final decision. That's the guy Howie wanted.
Q. I assume you liked him.
VIC FANGIO: Oh, yeah, yeah.
Q. How do you think he'll be effective?
VIC FANGIO: I think he'll be good. He's had a good camp so far. The good thing about what he's been doing so far, and I told him this, there has been a day or two where he wasn't noticeable, and that's a good thing because he didn't have action come his way in the limited reps he had; whereas some guys can have some screw-ups in those situations.
I think he's had a good camp up to this point.
Q. Is that a by-product of your system having a fair amount of two high safety...
VIC FANGIO: I wouldn't go that far because we're down -- we play a lot of single safety, too.
Q. What stands out to you about the corner and inside linebacker?
VIC FANGIO: That it's a good competition going on. We have not come to any conclusions anywhere. We still have three pre-season games and a lot of time, but the competition has been good. I see guys improving. I think it's good, healthy competition.
Q. When Cooper does come back, is that a domino effect with the outside? How is that going to affect that rotation?
VIC FANGIO: It could. We'll see where he is at. When he comes back he's not going to be, okay, he's back, like nothing ever happened to him. I'm sure the guys downstairs will have rep limitations on him, practice limitations.
So it will be dependent upon where he is and how he's doing.
Q. What have you seen out of Nakobe to this point?
VIC FANGIO: Good. I thought Nakobe, the first few days of practice I thought he played really good. You know, took a step back a little bit in the stadium practice, but overall he's been doing really good.
Q. How has Trotter acclimated himself with the first team?
VIC FANGIO: He did fine. When we're in practice, whether it's first team or not, it's not kind of a declaration, you know what I'm saying? I mean, he's doing good. He's getting better.
Q. What is your assessment of (indiscernible)?
VIC FANGIO: I think he started camp good. He had a carryover from a pretty good off-season. When the pads came on you could tell that playing for Cornell and Houston Baptist wasn't exactly the same as the NFL.
But he's grinding and I expect him to continue to improve.
Q. How is the progression going with Bryce Huff being an every-down player?
VIC FANGIO: It's getting better. He's working very hard at it. He's very prideful in it. He's improving.
Q. Devin White said something in the spring about his understanding being that in order to be used as a blitzer in this defense he has to prove that he can do it to you. What's your evaluation of the linebackers so far?
VIC FANGIO: Of him?
Q. I guess all of them.
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, we haven't had a lot of reps in it, but overall it's been good at times; not so good at other times.
We need to win a high percentage of the battles when we go against a running back. Some guys have been good; some not so up to this point.
Q. Jordan Davis said jokingly you would have him out there all the time if you wanted to. In the past were you preferring that in some way to make room on other spots on the roster, and do you think it affects how many defensive lineman you end up carrying? Is that part of your thinking?
VIC FANGIO: No. No, I mean, we have a minimal amount of D-linemen that we need to have. Hopefully we'll have that. But, no, you need -- you know, in the past here they've counted guys like Sweat and Huff as D-linemen because they're more edge players, outside linebackers.
The pure D-linemen, D tackles, you know, I don't want to speak -- there'll need to be a minimum of five to seven on the roster.
Q. You mentioned Patrick Willis. I know Willis and Bowman is a tough curve to be graded upon. To what degree does your defense rely on high level production from the linebackers?
VIC FANGIO: I think every defense in the NFL relies on high level production with the ILBs, especially with the way the game is playing now. ILB used to be a position where you somewhat could over achieve and be a tough guy because there was -- but when the fullback disappeared and he's been replaced by a third wideout or second tight end that's a good receiver, the game is played in space more.
But yet they still run the ball a good deal. So the ILB position become a more demanding position in this last decade or so. It's hard not to play good defense without good ILB play.
These guys are working hard to get to that level.
Q. Saw you use a couple four down looks. I understand you're probably just going to throw a lot of stuff out there during camp. Is that playing to a strength?
VIC FANGIO: Not necessarily. It's more of a schematic thing.
Q. When you look at Milton Williams, what does he add to the D-tackle group with Jordan and Jalen?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I like Milt. Milt is a good player. Solid, both versus the run and in pass rush. He's a guy that from afar I've liked that the Eagles have had. In fact, I tried to get us to trade for him last year in Miami; Howie wouldn't do it.
But I like Milt. Milt is a pro.
Q. How about Moro Ojomo?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he's getting better. He's showing up. He's on the lighter side as D-linemen go, D-tackles, but he's athletic. Plays hard and very coachable. He's had a good camp.
Q. You mentioned your analytics that you kept to yourself. Can you explain the proprietary nature of those kinds of things when coaches are learning from you?
VIC FANGIO: No.
Q. Zack Baun a little bit you mentioned inside; he's played outside in the past. Are you focused on him as just an inside linebacker now or still have versatility?
VIC FANGIO: He still has this versatility, and that was kind of what I was saying before. Learning our team as we go through the rest of camp, we'll be able to use him in different ways because of his versatility.
Q. What have you seen from Baun?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he's been getting better. Obviously speed is his calling card. You know, he's light in comparison to the NFL standards on the edge, so speed and athleticism has to be where he makes up for that.
He's been doing a good job.
Q. Do you have a process to hone your playcalling skills, especially with a lot of new personnel?
VIC FANGIO: I'm really not following that question.
Q. How do you hone your playcalling skills knowing you'll have a bunch of new players?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I don't think it's -- yeah, playcalling is part of it, but it's more so in my mind, if I'm hearing you right, schematically what's the best thing to do with the group of guys we have.
And from that point, the playcalling plays a major part in it.
Q. When you were evaluating Quinyon as a prospect, did you have inside versatility in your head or is that something that surprised you?
VIC FANGIO: No, that wasn't part of the equation. I do think when you drafted a corner per se in the first round, he needs to be a corner, and then if he can play inside, that's a bonus.
This is a bonus right now that he's been able to play inside. We still really like him as a corner too.
Q. Graham said he wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to see the starters play on defense Friday night. What goes into that decision? Would you like to see that?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think Nick is going to at some point tell you guys what the rotation may be generally speaking. I do think he's talked about playing those guys. I don't think he's made a final decision.
But I do think it's good that guys get to play some in the pre-season. Even the best players I've been around, they want play and they don't want their first play of the year to be a regular season game.
They want to get out there and feel it.
Q. As far as forcing turnovers, is there any indication in a practice setting that will show a team's, I guess, volume for that or does it have to come in a game situation?
VIC FANGIO: Both. You know, our quarterbacks, Jalen in particular, has been doing a good job of not putting the ball in harm's way to where we can get it.
It's something we definitely do need to improve on.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports