Q. Mike, how is Drew Lock progressing in the offense?
MIKE KAFKA: Drew is doing a really nice job. You can see him getting a little bit more comfortable each and every day with just the verbiage, the command, out there processing, executing. You're seeing each day he's getting a little bit better.
It's been nice to see because he's veteran guy. He's been in a couple different systems. He's taking that next step.
Q. When you have a guy that's been in multiple systems, how do you help them from not saying, okay, we called it this in that system and we call it this, that, and just keep them straight?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, you try to get them to use those prior experiences and take the good that he's had and some of the plays he's really comfortable with. It's just about creating dialog and communication with stuff that he likes, stuff that we do, stuff he's done in the past, and just make it really collaborative and working together with that.
Q. Talk about development of Malik.
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah.
Q. How does he fit into your system?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, Malik is doing a nice job. He is a rookie, so he is right on schedule. He's learning our system, learning how we do things, how we practice, and he's doing a really nice job. He's making plays when his opportunities are becoming availability, so I'm happy where he is.
Q. Anything really standing out about him that was maybe a little bit of a surprise to you?
MIKE KAFKA: No. He has a great work ethic. That's something we saw in college and something we studied and watched. He's a playmaker. Again, we're in spring and he's doing a nice job getting acclimated to being a pro and learning what he has to do to be in our offense.
Q. How big of a jump do you think the wide receiver group as a whole has made this off-season?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, it's really coming together quite nicely. Coach Groh has done a really nice job with those guys developing them and getting them caught up. Cade Knox is working the receiver room there. He does a nice job of complementing Coach Groh and putting the drills together.
They've worked really well together and are starting to grow together. Got some really young guys who are really energetic and taking that leadership role. I think you're seeing a guy like Wan'Dale, Slayton, guys that have been playing for football for us, Isaiah Hodgins. Those guys that played a lot for this group, you're seeing them take that leadership role.
Q. What have you seen in Tommy DeVito this spring?
MIKE KAFKA: Tommy is doing a nice job, too. His second year, so now -- first time is kind of like a fire drill, you know, so second year around he's hearing it, he is more comfortable, he's able to really describe all those little details that we talk about all spring.
And last year kind of got thrown into the fire a little bit in the season, and he did really well last year in those games and you're seeing him take the next step now.
Q. What's your role in practice when you're not calling plays?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, just complementary to Dabs, helping out with offensive drills. You'll see me walking around and being an asset to the coaches and the players wherever I can. Whether it's fundamentals, technique, thoughts and ideas on routes or protections, stuff like that.
So doing whatever I can to complement those guys.
Q. What's the spring been like for you? Been a little bit of shift there in what your responsibilities are. How is that for you --
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, it's been.
Q. -- on a day to day basis?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, every year brings new opportunities, and so I'm taking this as an opportunity just to continue to grow as a coach and be, again, an asset to those coaches and players.
Q. How do you complement what Dabs is doing?
MIKE KAFKA: There is a lot of things on a give play you can look at and detail up. I'm always looking to have some feedback with the players, get their interactions on how they saw the play, and then get my feedback.
Then we talk about it on the field and talk about it in the meeting room and get those things cleaned up.
Q. (Indiscernible.) (Plane interference.)
MIKE KAFKA: I think Dabs hasn't really made a final call on that yet. We are going through the spring right now. It's kind of too early to tell. Whatever decision he goes with, I fully support.
Q. How do you think that will affect your head coaching prospects?
MIKE KAFKA: I'm not worried about that kind of stuff right now. We're in the spring and we have so much stuff that we have to improve as an offense fundamentally, technique-wise. That's really where my focus is at.
Q. The offensive coordinator, obviously a lot to it, coordinators, there is a lot to it. They usually, you know, he's an offensive coordinator who is also the playcaller; he is an offensive coordinator who is not the playcaller. If you are the offensive coordinator who's not playcaller, is that a fulfilling thing of a having done that for two years?
MIKE KAFKA: I'll say this: I'll lean back on my experience in Kansas City a little bit where Coach Reid is the primary play caller, and then the coordinators that were under him, whether it's Eric Bieniemy, Matt Nagy, like those guys are super involved. So I had that experience of being in the system like that.
It's not -- it's pretty difficult around the league of head coaches doing that. So whatever decision Dabs wants to go with, I will fully support.
Q. And you feel you will be (indiscernible) if you are not the playcaller?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, absolutely. It's a collaborative. From day one it's been that way.
Q. Do you make up the game plan though and Dabs would call the plays?
MIKE KAFKA: No. We would be working together. So the way Dabs would handle it -- and this could change -- but kind of piece out to certain guys in the group. We would all talk through those certain areas, third down, red zone, guys would detail out what their thoughts were, and we would put it together as an offensive staff.
We would put it together and make sure it matched and we felt good about that plan versus that specific defense.
Q. Wan'Dale, you mentioned the leadership. Beyond the leadership, how much do you see him making a jump on the field in terms of his production?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, again, that's a great question. I think he's right where he's supposed to be right now in spring. Every day he's going to continue to take a step. He's taken a leadership step.
Last year he dealt with some injuries. Got in midway through the season and had some production. Wan'Dale is one of those guys we know and love and got to get him involved?
Q. With Evan Neal, can you count on him to be there any time?
MIKE KAFKA: Absolutely I can count on Evan Neal. He's going through his rehab process and he's eager to get out there. All the meetings in the O-line room, he's asking great questions and really into it and trying to get better. The medical side of it our staff will take care of him and make sure he's on schedule.
When he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go.
Q. So he is engaged with his teammates in that setting in the room?
MIKE KAFKA: Absolutely.
Q. How different is what you're asking the offensive line to do this year versus last year with a new O-line coach and maybe what you tinkered within the offensive system?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, so Carm, you know, getting everyone on the same page from an offensive standpoint with our new coaches, new players, whether they're veterans, rookies, is always part of the this process, right, in the spring.
Carm has done a really good job of, one being installing and cleaning up some of the detail work they need to do individually as a player. From a schematic standpoint there is certain language we've cleaned you up and talked about just to make it more streamlined.
I think Carm is also going to put his flavor on it. That is what makes him special as a coach. Put his own flavor and his own fingerprint on this offensive line.
He's done a really nice job. Happy where they're at.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports