DAVID JOHNSON: Efficiency. I think the best thing is to go out and be productive in the limited snaps, like you said, and just showcase what we can do, especially with a lot of us being together for the first time and now the bullets are flying. So just to see what we can do with live tackling.
Q. What have you noticed about the offensive line going into camp so far?
DAVID JOHNSON: They came together really good. They're unison, they work hard, and they really protect us for sure. Any time we're on the ground, they're rushing over to pick us up, help us out, and very helpful for this offensive line.
Q. Just sort of a curiosity because you're practicing together, are you anxious to see in the game this offense come to life?
DAVID JOHNSON: Most definitely. The game is where you really see how good your offense is, how good I am, and different aspects like that. Practice, it's more of just learning the plays and being able to do them, but when you get in the game, it's all about efficiency and what you can actually do with the plays you're given.
Q. Does the fact that there's only three preseason games add value?
DAVID JOHNSON: No, not at all. Especially me being a vet, I don't need that many preseason games to get ready for the season. I think it's helpful for us as players, especially they're trying to add another game, the 17th game, and it helps us in the long run.
Q. What about for the younger guys, the team in general, or is it kind of the same thing?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think three games is good. When you start, you might as well have a season then when you start adding more games and start doing so much. I think three games is good enough way to figure out what's going on.
Q. You played a really large share of the offensive snaps last year. How would you feel about kind of rotating more as a running back group? Do you think that will help you?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think it will. I think it will help in the long run. Obviously, as it's going on, in the moment it's tough, but I think in the long run, I think it will just help out the team as a whole.
Q. Is it hard to have a feel in the game for the defense if you're not out there?
DAVID JOHNSON: Depends what's going on. If it's running the ball, obviously. Pass protection and stuff like that, I don't think that really changes at all. Obviously, running the ball, especially in the beginning of the game, it might take a little bit longer to figure out what's going on, figure out different ways to beat the defense and running the ball like that, but other aspects, like I said, catching the ball or pass protection, I don't think so.
Q. Have you been told how many snaps you're going to get?
DAVID JOHNSON: No, not yet. They haven't told us. They just told us to be ready to play.
Q. What do you remember about your first preseason game? Just trying to translate what they taught you, all this stuff. What would you say to the young guys who are kind of going through that?
DAVID JOHNSON: My first preseason game was a roller coaster because I remember I got hurt, so I didn't even play the first preseason game my rookie year. I had a hamstring, and I didn't come back until maybe three or the second one. It was a roller coaster, man. My head was spinning. I felt like I was basically trying to figure out everything. Even though I knew the plays, I still was a little bit confused, questioning myself, questioning the plays and what I was doing.
My biggest thing is just for the young guys, the rookies especially, I would say know your plays for sure because, if you know the plays, you know the playbook, it makes it a lot easier to play.
Q. What have you thought about how the offense has come together so far? What do you like best about how you and everybody, all the new guys are working together?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think the biggest thing, since we're such a veteran-led team, I think we figured out the playbook really fast together. I think that's what's good for us is that it won't take us so long to play together and play as a cohesive team, especially on offense, because we have so many veterans, and we all know how to be professionals. We all know how to work together because we all -- the NFL, the plays are pretty similar. It's just the terminology, and once you figure that out, you play well together.
Q. We talked with Davis Mills a couple days ago. What have you seen from him in his preseason camp? I know he's been talked about being more consistent. How do you have a relationship with him and see more response from him?
DAVID JOHNSON: I don't talk too much about Xs and Os with him. I talk to him more off the field. He's going to be drilled enough from the quarterbacks coach, from Tim Kelly, and from other quarterbacks in his group. My thing is I want to talk to him and try to help him out just in life, being a professional. Talking about where to go eat, if he needs help with rehab, if he needs anything outside the field.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports