Q. What's it like with the competition, how are the tight ends?
JORDAN AKINS: It's great. We have a rookie in Pharoah, can do a lot of things, we go at it, competing, running and pass game.
Q. What have you seen out of Jordan?
JORDAN AKINS: Great opportunity for him. A lot of opportunity for him. He has great feet. He has great hands. Knowledge of the defense, he's very good. He has a couple things to work on but you know in the future he's going to be real good.
Q. Any tips the first day for Pharoah?
JORDAN AKINS: That's my dog. We just kind of work together and do our thing. Great guy. Great personality. You know, we learn from each other on and off the field.
Q. What have you learned the most?
JORDAN AKINS: Personally Pharoah is a goofy guy, very funny, nonchalant, laid back, great guy, really chill.
Q. How much does your role change? Do you anticipate doing things differently?
JORDAN AKINS: I expect us to make a lot more plays, be a lot more involved in this offense, down the field, blocking, out on edge, moving us out and getting us mismatches against defenses.
Q. Do you complement each other well, you and Pharoah?
JORDAN AKINS: Yeah, we definitely do. Whether it's blocking and catching like I say, you know, we compete and we bring different things, like I say, we get mismatched and he has a mismatch and I have a mismatch and we go up and make plays.
Q. You had a brilliant start to last season before you went on IR, is there stuff you were doing well --
JORDAN AKINS: I'm pacing it more this year. Getting my body together and making more plays through the air, as well as in the run game. I was working a lot on my run game last year but now I'm at ease with both.
So just working on playing fast and get used to Tyrod and get used to the whole new offense.
Q. There have been a lot of turnovers since you've been here, how have you gotten acclimated?
JORDAN AKINS: Like I say, OTA, we really knocked that out of the park. We was in the building getting to know each other on and off the field. When you walk by each other, there's no clicks, no separation, everybody is just one. You see somebody, you say, we ask how you doing. If you see someone is down, you pick them up.
Q. What did you work on for the run game?
JORDAN AKINS: Footwork, hand strength, core strength, maintaining my blocks and finishing.
Q. How much of that have you seen pay off so far?
JORDAN AKINS: A lot, down in the goal line, getting out there during scrimmage and that repetition paid off.
Q. Making more plays from the tight end group; where is the focus coming from making more plays, from a coaching standpoint, from a game plan standpoint?
JORDAN AKINS: I would say it's coming from us. The tight ends put in the work and the coaches put in the work, as well, giving us more opportunities in the run game but once we get out our chance, we make do of it.
Tyrod has shown a lot of confidence in us and we've been working with him off the field in the off-season, as well. It's starting to show on the field.
Q. How much weight did you put on?
JORDAN AKINS: Last year I played 245 and in career I'm at 249, 250. I put on a little weight.
Q. Usually you might scrimmage against another team but David said you wanted to focus on your team. Do you learn more about yourselves?
JORDAN AKINS: Definitely, man, it's a whole new team, everyone is different, different positions and different players coming in. I would say like we are more on one accord and working and getting repetition, and getting to know each other as a family you know what I'm saying. It shows out on the field, special teams, as well. Everyone is coming together and playing as one.
Q. Can you talk about the passion that you saw from Coach Culley?
JORDAN AKINS: Coach get fired up. Once he get going it kind of put fire on us as well. We don't want to disappoint him. We want to play best ball for him. So we become a championship team, and once he gets fired up, everyone gets fired up and we get going.
Q. Any trick to learning everyone's names yet?
JORDAN AKINS: I say I'm 90 percent on nicknames and 80 percent on full names. Jersey numbers for one. But then you know, once you start picking their brains, you learn more about them and you eventually learn the names.
Q. As a player, the situation with Deshaun --
JORDAN AKINS: I mean, man, we just come to work every day, whether it's in Deshaun or Tyrod in the backfield. We are ready for whoever is back there. We see the ball, we go get the ball, they call the plays, we make the plays.
Q. What's it been like for Andy, another one of the new coaches?
JORDAN AKINS: He's a great guy, he's taught me a lot, man. He actually cares about his players and he teaches me a lot, whether it's technique, as well.
Like I say, technique, as well. He taught me a lot of technique I didn't know that's going to help me tremendously this year.
Q. You talk about the run game, the blocking; any of the defensive line giving you good reps?
JORDAN AKINS: Defensive line, all of them guys are coming with it, all of them. You know, I have to say, 50, Jordan. He's coming off that edge hard. So if you coming across a settled block, you better bring your pads.
Q. What's catching you off.
JORDAN AKINS: Who, Jordan? Just the grit he plays with. He said he's been injured in the past and you can tell he's really fired up to be out there again and he's really ready to make a change on this defense.
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