Raiders Chandler Jones Entire OTA Presser
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have concluded their second OTA session of the offseason.
The Raiders are fortunate to have one of the greatest defensive ends in the National Football League history in Chandler Jones, and we have his entire post-practice press conference for you.
Defensive End Chandler Jones
Q: What is the focus this offseason for you?
Chandler Jones: "Just perfecting my craft, anything I can do this better myself, tweak my craft."
Q: Last year everybody was new, everybody was kind of getting acclimated. Where do you feel you guys are, as an individual and as a team this year compared to last year?
Jones: "I feel like it would be a little unfair for me to sit up here and compare this year and last year. What I will say, I'm happy about it being a new season, a fresh start, a new set of guys, a new group of guys. I'll speak for myself as far as where I am. I'm a little lighter this year, I feel a little faster, a little bit stronger, but I'm just trying to perfect my craft."
Q: You look thinner. What was that a product of? Just kind of assessing what happened last year, and figuring out ways to maybe improve from last year?
Jones: "Obviously, last year I went down with an injury the second to the last game of the season. With that injury, it's a little bit hard to work out and lift. I went through a whole rehab process, and as I was rehabbing, I kind of took my time as opposed to just jumping into weights and trying to gain muscle right away. So, got back healthy, then I started working out, lifting, and that's where I am. I'm kind of just building muscle right now. So, you kind of just shed the leaves off the tree and then growing them back on.”
Q: Statistically, you were playing your best football of the season during those last four games before you got hurt when it comes to the sacks and pressures and things like that. You were doing a good job with everything else prior to that, but do you feel like you were playing your best football toward the end of last season and you can hopefully pick up from where you left off?
Jones: "Football, especially at this level, statistics are very tricky. You can sit there and stare at stats, but at the end of the day as long as you're grading out well by the coaches and you're doing your job, and you might be freeing up other guys, but as long as you're putting the team first, that's all that matters. Do I want more stats? Of course. Is that my goal? Of course. I would be selling myself short if I didn't. But you can't go chasing them."
Q: When it comes to the defense as a whole, I'm sure you guys want to perform better than you did last year. What's sort of the key to taking those steps forward as a unit where maybe in your first year it wasn't what you thought it was and eventually got to a place where it has excelled. What has typically been the path to get there?
Jones: "I've always thought when it comes to looking for success – and this in any aspect of life – but when you're ever looking for success and you have things that are seasonal like football, for me it's been very advantageous to just flush it and erase it. Learn from your mistakes, see what you did wrong obviously, you don't want to get burned twice, but flushing it. And like I said this is a fresh year, which I'm very excited about. We have a fresh team, a few new coaches sprinkled around, and I'm excited. I am."
Q: We saw Josh McDaniels with his arm around you. What are those messages like and just that relationship with him and how it's evolved over the years between you two?
Jones: "Yeah, Josh [McDaniels] is a hell of a person. He's very cerebral. He knows what he's talking about. He's a player's coach, and I've known Josh since I was a kid, and now I can sit here as a man and say that. So, just having that relationship, him being out here and just getting the guys ready for practice."
Q: How much weight have you lost leading up from last year -- you said you were getting your strength back -- where are you at?
Jones: "Right now, I'm about 255-250. I could play there, I don't know. We'll see when training camp starts, but I feel good. I feel fast, and we'll see what happens."
Q: How did that rehab process go for you just trying to work through it and get more kind of used to the new artillery I guess you have in your arm? Because they were calling it a terminator arm for a minute?
Jones: "Fortunately, I didn't require any surgery. I didn't have any surgery on my elbow. But as far as strengthening, it could be a terminator arm because it's a little strong. But no work done."
Q: Overall, though, was the process pretty smooth?
Jones: "Yeah. I feel like when it comes to injuries at this sport, most players who go through injuries, they kind of have a better season going forward because they take that rehab process and it goes into their workout, their training process, and then maybe forward. But we'll see what happens. My rehab went very well, elbow feels fine."
Q: What was it like watching your brother Jon Jones accomplish what he did in March and being a part of that? And then also how much does that kind of drive you? I know brothers are often driven by maybe doing more than their brother did and that kind of thing.
Jones: "I'll tell you what, I get more nervous -- and I said this before -- I get more nervous for his fights than for my own games. And it ending in the first round, it felt good for me because I was sitting there nervous, hands sweaty, I couldn't really eat. So, since it ended early, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I was sitting up there and then they called me in the octagon, that was pretty cool. Not sure if you guys saw me on TV, but I was fishing for the cameras, 'I'm the little brother here'. But that was fun."
Q: You've got a young prospect Tyree Wilson now in the building. He's pointed to you and Maxx Crosby as players who he looks up to and is trying to learn from. How has that interaction gone so far with Tyree?
Jones: "It's been great. Where I am now as a player, it's my job to grab guys like Tyree [Wilson], Adam Plant -- another guy you might have not heard of -- these guys are young and they have such a high ceiling. They can go so far. I was just saying this the other day, I wish I had when I was a young player -- I had Vince Wilfork, but he wasn't much of a pass rusher -- but I wish I had a Maxx Crosby, a Chandler Jones in my room as a rookie. It's our job as a player to pass that down, and the things that we can share to these guys - we're just excited for these players for sure."
Q: Isn't [Tyree Wilson] physically imposing?
Jones: "Yeah. I mean looking at him -- I'm excited to have him on the team, that's all. He's going to be good for us."
Q: We do know Adam Plant, he's a local kid from UNLV. What has caught your eye about him? Obviously he has stood out.
Jones: "Work ethic. If I was an NFL scout, the first thing I will look at for a player is their consistency as far as their practice. Are they the same person every day? Do they have up day or do they have a down day? But work ethic, because that's one thing you can't coach, telling guys go harder. That's something that's just in you or you don't have it. So, those two guys especially Adam [Plant] stands out how hard he works."
Q: What was the first interaction between you and Jakobi Myers like after he was added to the team? Did you guys discuss the infamous play?
Jones: "We spoke about it briefly. We didn't harp on it too much. I gave him a little smirk, that's all. That's all he got from me, but no we spoke about it. I did tell him that he handled the media well after it. I'm not sure if you guys remember, but he handled the media very well. That was it."
Q: Earlier today, Patrick Graham came up and talked about how you were one of his favorite players he's ever coached. Obviously you've been with him for a long time as a coach. How is that relationship continuing to grow going into this part of your career, and how are you able to see him and how he interacts with the new players coming in as well?
Jones: "Pat [Patrick Graham] is another guy who is very cerebral. He's a very smart person. Man, I was just telling one of the younger guys, Pat was my position coach as a rookie. So, just to see him level up his coaching style, even his job title, it's just been amazing for me as a friend, not as a co-worker or as him being my coach but as a friend. It's been it's been fun to watch. So, I'm very happy for him."
Q: You've been in the NFL since 2012, and you're out here in volunteer workouts. Where does that hunger come from wanting to be better every day and wanting to help your team to be better?
Jones: "Just loving football honestly. I know the importance of having the whole roster here at this time. It's very advantageous, gelling together, the camaraderie, but just the love of the game honestly. There's still goals that I would like to have, team goals and individual goals. It would be a little bitter to kind of not get them because I still feel great. So, that's all. I love being here. I love OTAs, I don't think I've missed one in 12 years. I think this is my 12th OTA and it's fun."
Q: How important is continuity when it comes to being in the same scheme and taking that next step?
Jones: "I feel like it's very important in times like right now. This is where you get that chemistry, quarterback to receivers, defensive tackles to defensive ends. You want to have the chemistry where I look to the guy next to me, and I won't have to say anything, I can just give them a head nod and he knows exactly what that means. That's exactly the kind of things that you need to build around this time, because you won't get that showing up in the fall. You have to do it now."
You can watch the entire video below, and read the transcript"
OTA Offseason workouts: June 12-15
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
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