DAVIS MILLS: I feel really good. I think I've developed a lot since the end of last season. I think I felt the progression at the end of last year and then really taking it into the off-season, big momentum and stacking on it has allowed me to come out here and start playing really fast at the start of training camp and throughout OTAs. I'm excited to keep progressing.
Q. What were some of the things you worked on during the off-season you needed to improve on?
DAVIS MILLS: A lot of it with the new offense is making sure, first, I have command and control of this offense, make sure I'm on all the details, and then personally just making sure I'm able to make every throw. We kind of pinpointed and saw the shot chart or the throw chart from across the field, saw the different percentages, and I had a couple boxes where I needed to work on, so I focused on those type of throws, just making sure my feet and my body were in line to make all those throws. But the biggest thing is just coming out and being ahead of schedule in the playbook so you can come out and play fast.
Q. Davis, Lovie said that everybody gets a vote for team captain. He said his vote would be for you. What does that mean to you?
DAVIS MILLS: It's awesome. Obviously we still have a lot of time to go before captain voting, but I think I've worked hard. I know we have a lot of guys, though, that have stepped up and been leading the team. I don't know if I can pinpoint it entirely on myself, but that's an honor.
Q. The fact that Lovie would give his vote to you --
DAVIS MILLS: That's pretty cool.
Q. How much did your relationship develop with Nico on the field?
DAVIS MILLS: A lot. Nico has put in a ton of work all last year and through this off-season. It shows what he's been doing out here in practice. I think we've definitely developed chemistry, and he's going to be dangerous. When we're on the same page and how we are on the same page, I don't think there's many people out there who can stop him.
Q. Do you see him as a match-up issue because of his size?
DAVIS MILLS: Definitely, yeah, size and athletic abilities. I don't think there's too many people out there who can play and jump with him.
Q. Talk a little bit about the players that are working at the center position and the importance of that as it relates to you and the offense as a whole.
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, so this year Justin Britt is the guy right now, and then you have Scott Quessenberry and Jimmy Morrissey behind him. I think all of those guys have stepped up and have been doing an amazing job at their job this year. Different from last year, the center has to drive a lot of the Mike points in this offense, and I think all those guys have stepped up and have really been efficient in doing their job well and making sure we're on the same page. I'm excited to see them go out and actually get physical. Today was the first full padded practices, so you saw a little bit of it, but you'll see some more once we get to that first preseason game. It'll be exciting.
Q. Talk about working with the second and third team units. We've seen you rotate in behind different units. How does that help you throughout the entirety of a season?
DAVIS MILLS: It definitely helps. You never know. Unfortunately in football there's always people who go down on any given play, so some of those other guys are going to have to step up and make plays, and I've been able to get some valuable reps with them, and it's nice. I'll go out there and get reps with the twos and threes and there's never any drop-off, so that's the biggest thing is making sure everyone is out there on the same page and there's no really dropoff from when the ones go come out and the twos go in. That's the biggest thing.
Q. Lovie said he's had a lot of confidence in you over the off-season. What have you noticed about yourself and coming in in your role, and how have you approached that with your teammates in how you come into this building?
DAVIS MILLS: I mean, I don't honestly think too much has changed. Obviously the assurance of being the starter, that's the one big thing that changed from this time last year, but other than that I'm still the same football player, try to come in the building every day with the same mindset and kind of be myself, and that's kind of my leadership style, come in, be the same person every day, and then when you need to step up and, say, call someone out or hold someone accountable, then you can do that, but people will respect you if you're doing the same thing every single day.
Q. Is the role opening up more in the second year with your teammates?
DAVIS MILLS: Not necessarily. I mean, I'm in the role now where I'm able to be more vocal in meetings and just out here talking what I feel is best or what we feel as an offense would be best, so everyone can get on the same page. But I don't think there's anything in particular where I need to do more.
Q. Talk about your relationship with Kyle.
DAVIS MILLS: Oh, it's been great. Kyle has stepped in and it felt like he was here all last year with the way we felt in the room. He's come in and already added a lot to our room. I mean, with all the guys in the QB room, we're able to share insights and kind of bounce ideas off each other and make sure we're all on the same page and flowing as a unit.
Q. Lovie talked about some of the physical changes he's seen in you, maybe a little bit stronger in your lower body. Looked like you've added some muscle. What kind of work did you do there?
DAVIS MILLS: Biggest thing, diet and working out in the off-season, staying clean. Obviously I think I've put on some pounds from last year. I want to come in maybe bulk up a little bit so I can take those hits throughout the season. My body will handle it. It comes with being a football player. There's guys on the defensive side of the ball who are much bigger than I am, so I'm just trying to keep up.
Q. Along those same lines, Brandin Cooks said that you and him and a group of players went to Oregon right before you started camp. What were you hoping to accomplish by doing that?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I mean, the first thing we did out there was trying to build chemistry heading into camp, making sure we were on the same page with what we had installed in the offense at that point, and then the other part is kind of team bonding, hanging out with your guys. We had a good time up there. We spent it at the lake. He got us a little AirBNB on the lake so we were able to go out and paddleboard and slum around with each other, and it was a lot of fun.
Q. Can you talk about what it means to have Pep and the growth of this offense?
DAVIS MILLS: It's been great. You see a little bit of a different side of Pep this year, too, now that he has a bigger role as the offensive coordinator. He's kind of -- Pep is the same person every day. He's going to come out and he's going to be Pep. Take that for what it's worth. He's very unique, and I think the control of the offensive unit he has right now is amazing. I'm really excited to see what he can do in year two calling the plays.
Q. (On the pass catchers)
DAVIS MILLS: I'm excited. Really other than Brandin we have a ton of guys -- him, as well, he's probably at the top, but right after him we have a ton of guys who are able to contribute and who are really showing every day in practice that they're going to go out there and make big plays. I mean, it makes it hard on the QBs to go out there and make pre-snap decisions because we want to throw it to all of them. It'll be exciting. I think there's a lot of guys stepping up making plays, so it's going to be exciting once we actually get out there on the field and see who's going to do it.
Q. What did you learn about those guys at the lake? Any stories?
DAVIS MILLS: Nothing crazy happened. It was a good time.
Q. Can you talk about having Laremy Tunsil back.
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I mean, it's awesome having LT back. I think when he's playing at his best, he's a top one if not top three tackle in the league, so it's definitely exciting dropping back knowing your backside is covered.
Q. Last year and today, as well, the ball never touches the ground. What is it (indiscernible)?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I mean, I think Chris is one of the hardest workers we have on the team. He comes in puts his head down and gets to work. When he's running routes, everything is consistent, and he's just one of those players when you're out there you know where he's going to be, and you know when he's going to get there, so we're able to stay on the same time, and he has really good hands, so we trust him a lot.
Q. Davis, looking at things from a leadership aspect, what's the message you're trying to send to these rookies as they get adjusted to camp?
DAVIS MILLS: The biggest thing for the rookies is just come in and put their head down and get to work. Obviously there's a big change from college to the NFL and especially the time you're supposed to be at the facility. Those guys just make sure you're taking full advantage of the time you're here and just put your head down, get to work, make sure that -- the biggest thing when a rookie steps in, you don't want to know there's a rookie out there on the field with you. You just want to feel like they're the other guy next to you, knows the same amount as you, and he's going to do his job.
Q. Are you going to keep the moustache?
DAVIS MILLS: We'll see.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports