FRANK ROSS: Andre's a consummate professional, super detailed in everything he does. Working hard, just like everybody, in a new scheme, under a new coaching staff, and trying to assemble each piece daily. He's been great.
As a unit, everybody as a return unit, their focus right now is just daily fundamentals and improvement.
Q. How much confidence is it knowing you've got snappers (inaudible)?
FRANK ROSS: Who's counting? Yeah, that's great. That's a blessing, and he's working every day to improve. So a guy that's been in the league for as long as he has and improving and working to improve is all that you can ask for.
Q. Can you talk about Fairbairn?
FRANK ROSS: Same for Ka'imi. He had a great year last year, but again, mindset is every day you've got to come in, you've got to prove yourself. Every kick you come in to work, and you're going to take that one and then the next one and then the next one and move forward on a daily basis. It's been that way since the start of camp and really happy with where he's at and his work ethic.
Q. Johnston, talk about what you expect from Johnston.
FRANK ROSS: Every player on the team, it doesn't matter whether it's the punter, the kicker, whether the it the guy in kickoff or punt coverage. Expectations are high as far as playing within the scheme, playing within your body, and just maximizing your talents, and then whatever we ask you to do, you do it to the best of your abilities. I think Cameron has been doing that so far.
Q. (Inaudible question).
FRANK ROSS: Yeah, so Tavierre, playing against him, he's proven over the last few years of his career the impact that he can have. Same story goes with everybody that walks in here on a daily basis. It's what can I improve today to be able to improve and make that impact play, make that constant and the consistency across all of the phases that he would be a part of. So far, so good, yes.
Q. (Inaudible question)?
FRANK ROSS: Special teams coaches, that's what we do. We're touching every single player on the team from the left guard on the field goal unit to the left guard on the punt team. So we evaluate everything. Yeah, absolutely, blessing in my life that started, and that was a foundational piece for how to work through looking at talent. So things like that.
Q. Is it more important and more emphasis on your team, on your group to make plays? With so many different faces on offense and defense.
FRANK ROSS: That's the nature of the NFL. Every year there's going to be new pieces, new coaches, new schemes, new things. It's our job to work to put those together as quickly as possible, but also at the same time, do the basics right. Do the little things right, and our fundamentals, that's where it's going to start. Every little detail, and that's where it should start, fitting that puzzle together.
Q. What excites you about this group you've been working with the last few weeks?
FRANK ROSS: It seems like it's a hungry group to learn. The best teams you've been around, they want to learn more and want to improve every day. If you just have that much, you're going to have a fighting chance.
Q. (Inaudible question)?
FRANK ROSS: Sure, that's a great question. Competition everywhere. Competition for me. Every single player on the team is competition, and that's just the mind set and the mentality. That could be for a rookie to a guy who's been in the league for ten years. That could be two of the same age veterans that are both new signings. It doesn't matter. Competition everywhere. You've got to bring it every day. That's what we're about here.
Q. Who are some of the running backs you're looking at?
FRANK ROSS: Everybody is improving. If we're going to ask the starting running back to play in a phase, if we're going to ask a running back that's a special teams emphasis player, they're all going to compete and improve, whatever that is for the team. Just like Coach Kelly says, it's all about the team. We're going to do that. Whatever we ask each player to do, we expect them to do it to the best of their ability and full pedal down on the gas there.
Q. What value does Rex Burkhead provide to the system?
FRANK ROSS: Rex comes from a similar coaching tree. I would just say having experience in that scheme has been really good for him, picking up where he left off and adding in the new stuff here. He's been very experienced, and the detail is impressive.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports