Q. What's allowed you in your second year to move better and just kind of be more comfortable?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I think it's just the system that I'm in now, it's more of a reactive system, more be able to use my instincts. I'm loving it, man. Everybody is flying around, making plays. I just feel more comfortable in this system. I think it will be real good for me, and not only me, but the team as well. Just the guys we have, the players we have, just to be able to unleash those type of instincts that we have and go create havoc.
Q. What did you learn about yourself last year at this level that helped this year?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I learned to trust the process. I know this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. I know I'm very hard on myself as a player, just like everybody should be. But I'm just chasing greatness like everybody else. I know I've got to take baby steps day by day and just know I'll get better as time goes and just trust the process and just believe in God. I get what I need to get out of this area.
Q. What are some things that you think need to happen as you chase greatness?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Man, just trust myself, trust my instincts, trust my abilities, don't second guess anything, and just be able to use my abilities to the best as I can. Just go out there and just have fun and play. Just take all the thinking out of it.
Q. How much better is the pass rush under Lovie compared to last year?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Like I stated earlier, this is a better situation for guys. We've got really good pass rushers. Guys can just go, rush upfield, use a move. It's not like really a one system thing. Guys can get out of their comfort zone and try new stuff and new moves, as well as myself. So I'm excited to see what everybody has for the season and get to unleash some new tricks.
Q. To get ready for the season, I heard in the off-season you lost about ten pounds?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Yeah, I was around 300 last year. They wanted me around 290, around that area. I'm about 290 now and just trying to stay in there. I feel good about my weight. I feel I can move real well. Just got to keep stacking on days.
Q. You said trust the process. What was the process you went through during the off-season, not just physically, but kind of the mental side that made you ramp up production and get more snaps?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Like I said, I think I put too much thinking into it last year. I was trying to perfect everything at one time, knowing that I couldn't really do that. It was just made it more harder for myself. Like I said earlier, it's more of a marathon, not a sprint.
There's some good guys on this team, good guys on D-line, like Brandon Dunn. He's helped me a lot. Last year Carlos Watkins, guys like those helped me last year, tried to keep me -- I wouldn't say calm, cool, and collected, but helped me reach a level for myself that I just didn't sigh, and they're still helping me now. I don't know all the answers still, and I'm still trying to learn them, but it's slowly getting there.
Q. Is it challenging because new players, new D-line coach, new everything, for you personally, is that another challenge?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: No, it's not a challenge at all. It's a new year, new system. I believe this system is a lot better, and it's way more easier and way more fun to be in. Like I said, I'm very excited for this upcoming season.
Q. What were the challenges to drop ten pounds? What did you have to cut out of your diet to get there?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Just walk outside, that's all you've got to do. Man, I just worked out a lot. I did a lot of trainings. I went from two-a-day trainings to training in California, just getting new scenery and working out a lot, working on my body. Just trying to get more cut, I guess, upper body wise. Cut a lot of stuff out of my diet. I'm restricting my diet.
Q. Like what?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: As far as I haven't eaten any candy. I used to be a real candy guy. I haven't eaten candy in months. Sugars, juices, stuff like that. I got a chef this year, and this is the first time I ever got a chef, and he's been real strict on my diet and cooks some really good food. I'm strict on myself like that, but it's paid off really well.
Q. How would you characterize practices this year compared too last year?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I would say these practices are much more up tempo, very fast, very fast. As far as guys like moving around, flying around, it really wasn't like that last year. Last year it was more -- I would say it's more calmer. This year, you're there, there, doing these one-on-ones, back to team, back to individuals, like it's real high tempo.
I think that's what we need since we've got a lot of guys -- there's a lot of competition on this team as well. Coach is trying to see where they want to put guys and things like that.
Q. In your rookie year when you're trying to play all those different techniques and you've got all those responsibilities in that defense, did you catch yourself thinking in your stance, like in a way that you didn't before, where you started thinking about what might go wrong?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Like last year, it was a lot of possessions, just unfortunate situations. Some guys got hurt, and I had to step in and play. There was a lot of thinking I had to do. Sometimes I would overthink -- not overthink, but I'd be in one position and think about another and just overthink my thought process as I was in my stance. Now it's just go and play, get off the ball.
Right now I have one of the best get-offs on the D-line, and I know a lot of guys trust my get-off, and we can make a lot of plays together. I've got to trust my instincts, like I stated earlier, and just go out and have fun and just play. It's football at the end of the day. Got to go out and do what I've been doing since I was young.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports