THE MODERATOR: This is outside linebacker coach Chris Rumph. Questions, please.
Q. Could you please give us a progress report on Jacob Martin and John Greenard.
CHRIS RUMPH: Man, on Jacob Martin, he's getting better every week. Right now his role is he's a DPR. He's a really good pass-rusher. The thing we've been trying to work on him with is trying to be the total player, not just a third down pass-rusher, but a guy that's reliable in the run game, on first and second down.
As far as Greenard, that's a guy I'm anxious about. It just sucks that he got hurt during camp, no pre-season game, the pandemic. Just set him back a bunch.
I'm excited about his future here. As we continue to practice, he gets more reps, gets more familiar with the defense, I'm really confident about him and what he's going to be able to do.
Q. The other game you used a different alignment. Brandon didn't start. What do you think of what you're doing in an effort to improve the run defense?
CHRIS RUMPH: Not a knock on anyone. We feel like it's the best 11 that's going to give us the best chance to be successful. In that particular package, he didn't start. He played. If you go back the week before, there was a particular package that Whitney wasn't in. That team started that package out, so it seemed like he didn't start. But it was just that package that we had for that defense that he didn't start. So it was the same thing with Scarlett.
We're happy with him. We all got to get better. We got to coach better, they got to get better. Just like I tell my guys, We got to mow our own grass before we talk about mowing somebody else's grass.
Q. You mentioned John's injury. Since he has come back, what would it take for John to turn things around, contribute more this rookie year?
CHRIS RUMPH: I see a big, athletic guy. I see the same guy that we saw on the film at Florida. I see a guy that's really maturing, a guy that's really understanding his body and understanding the NFL game, what it takes to be a pro.
Coming from college, even for myself coming from college, it's a big jump. You going out there with a bunch of grown men. He's 22, 23 years old. He's out there with J.J. Watt, who is 30, 31. Whit is 30 years old. He's out there with men, not out there with college kids.
Q. Jonathan Greenard as well, you said how you were excited about him. Exactly what are you excited about as far as the skill set, the things he offers to you guys?
CHRIS RUMPH: I think Greenard must have paid you guys (laughter). He's shelling out some money or something (smiling).
I'm just excited about the kid. He has all the ability, he has all the things, the traits, that we look for in an outside linebacker. He's big. He's 265 pounds. Got long arms. He can sit at the edge. He has pass-rushing ability. He has strength. He's able to play the run. He's athletic. Then he has the ability also to drop into coverage.
I'm excited. When it all comes together, wish it would have came together a little earlier, that's not due to anything he's done, just circumstances, the situation. So hopefully we'll get him going here the second half of the season.
Q. What have you seen from Whitney Mercilus this year as far as on tape? I know he's a savvy veteran. Also, more generally, if and when a player sort of might decline physically, doesn't look the same physically, how do you coach around that? What is a way to make up for that?
CHRIS RUMPH: At the beginning I think he had those COVID legs. I think he was struggling a little bit, trying to get in shape the first probably two games. He wasn't the guy that I saw on film. At that point I was like, Whoa, what's going on? Just talking to some people, talking to the strength staff, Give him some time.
He is starting to heat up here during the last few games. He is starting to make some plays and starting to look like his old self. I think a guy, you got to know who you are. You got to know what you have, what you possess, what you can do. If you have a donkey, you're not going to put him in a Kentucky 500. You're going to put him in some type of power race. You have to know who you are. I'm not calling him a donkey or anything like that.
As you get older, you have to rely on other things. Perfect on my techniques. Maybe before I was able to round this thing a little bit more because I had the ability and quickness to really recover. Now I got to almost be perfect on some of my steps and my hand placement. I got to really be sharp on my game, on my study to really know. The margin for error, you know, when you get a little older, you know how it is. You don't know how it is. You can see this gray in my hair. I know all about that (smiling).
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for the time, coach.
CHRIS RUMPH: Oh, man. That was good (laughter).
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