BRANDIN COOKS: Obviously our thoughts ask prayers are with Metch. It's wonderful to see. He sent us a video. The first time you met him, his spirit is just so amazing. His positivity going through all this, I'm like, man, a lot of respect to you in that he's just built different. No doubt in our mind he's going to get through this and we'll be with him the every step of the way and just a lot of love for him.
Q. What was it like when he spoke to the team?
BRANDIN COOKS: It was one of those things that you look and you are expecting like someone to be down but like I said in the video, he's just smiling.
Q. He sent a video?
BRANDIN COOKS: In a video.
Q. From a football perspective, other things are more important, but when you hear something serious like that about someone you know and care about, how did it hit you guys?
BRANDIN COOKS: It hit different. I was with him not too long ago, and you just never know. Obviously the most important thing is that he get his health back and no matter how long it take we going to be with him.
Q. What are your expectations for this year and do you believe that y'all can improve a lot this season?
BRANDIN COOKS: No doubt. The biggest expectation is just a team that sticks together and about the detail and come to work every day and doing the little things right. As far as the wins and losses, we just going to show up and we let that take care of itself. We not going to make any predictions from that standpoint but just a team that sticks together.
Q. How much time were you able to spend with Davis and Lovie has talked about this leadership, taking control of leading everything, how do you see him grow?
BRANDIN COOKS: It's been awesome. We had the guys, including Davis out in Oregon just a week before camp and it was great to see. He came out, to be able to lead, to be able to be organized the way that he was and when we get out here he's a lot more vocal in the meeting rooms than he was the rookie year and that's what you want to see from your quarterback, it's your team and we love to see that demand he's taken.
Q. When you got traded here there was a lot of talk about your health --
BRANDIN COOKS: I mean, you go through some things but it's one of those things just my whole life just being able to prove people wrong. I'm blessed and fortunate with a wonderful team around me to help overcome some of those things. It's been awesome to be far removed from those things for a couple years now.
Q. What have you seen from some of the younger players so far?
BRANDIN COOKS: The biggest thing I see is just guys making plays and taking advantage of their opportunity. You know, it's a complex offense but we've got a bunch of guys that are smart and the young guys are picking it up quickly and going out there and making plays.
Q. Going into year two, the consistency with Davis -- his development as a runner?
BRANDIN COOKS: Just the growth that you see him take from a route running standpoint and just understanding an offense, has been great to see.
Q. Games under your belt --
BRANDIN COOKS: No doubt. I mean, any time you can spend more time with someone, the better things are going to get.
Q. Are there things that you see in Davis, he always had arm talent, but maybe a year ago, he's still learning --
BRANDIN COOKS: You have to have Pep about that one. I'm just looking for the ball in the air.
Q. You built chemistry with Davis last year but the other wide receivers -- what have you seen with the chemistry --
BRANDIN COOKS: He talking about Simo? You talking about guys, once again, just coming out and making plays from the get-go. I got a lot of love for Simo and Conley. They do a lot of things that you don't see and to be able to see them actually make plays with the ball in their hand, it is great to see.
Q. What's been your early impression of Stingley?
BRANDIN COOKS: The dude, he's got that demeanor. He remind me of a guy that I played with, not going to say any names, but that guy was special. Quiet guy, come out here and he's just about his business.
Q. Since you got here, the team's been somewhat in transition. Still pretty early on. But is the locker room and everything --
BRANDIN COOKS: No doubt, it feels like we just up to something, you know what I mean. A lot of respect, Coach Lovie just doing his thing and just the buy-in we have, it's great to see. Any time you have that, you've got a chance. We're seeing that from spring till now.
Q. How good can --
BRANDIN COOKS: However great he want to be, that's up to him.
Q. Inaudible.
BRANDIN COOKS: Absolutely like I said earlier, it's the quarterbacks team, you want to be able to take that command and those demands and be able to take it in the room with him.
Q. The speculation in the off-season -- is there a connection with the organization that made you want to come back and be a part?
BRANDIN COOKS: I believe in everything Nick Caserio is doing. I have some history with him and I believe in everything that he's doing. You know, I want to be a part of that, and Coach Lovie, so no doubt.
Q. What's it been like working with Pep in the off-season?
BRANDIN COOKS: You know, it's been great. Got a lot of respect for Pep. Pep's seen a lot of ball, played with a lot of great players. To be able to feed off him and learn from him, the offenses he's been in before, that was helpful for me and to be able to have that feedback for one another has been great.
Q. How much different is the offense this year?
BRANDIN COOKS: Y'all going to have to find out on Sundays.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports ....
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports