HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on getting the team together for OTAs)
"It's always exciting when you get them all together. We had an opportunity to kind of put them through their paces a little bit, and we thought they did well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on any evaluation of OL-Adam Terry and Andy Alleman)
"It's probably too early right now. We're still making certain that they have all the information they need to be able to perform well at their position. They're certainly moving in the right direction."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on WR-Anthony Gonzalez being back on the field)
"He looks good. I've had the chance to watch him here the last few weeks actually. He's moving well, and certainly catching the ball well, but also I just think he looks like he's well equipped to start right where he left off. I think he's done very well at this point."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Gonzalez will line up inside or outside or both)
"Right now, that's probably one of the great things about this time of year. It gives us a chance to look at a little bit of everything. He has a lot of versatility, obviously. He played both previously, both inside and outside, and that certainly could be the case going forward in the future. We want to take a look at everyone and see how they perform in their particular roles and adjust them as we go."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Adam Terry and Andy Alleman and hoping they are a good fit for the system)
"I think we see some positives in what (they) bring to the table, and we fully anticipate that (they're) going to help us. I think particularly on our line, I think it's going to be a very good, solid competitive situation. It's like my old high school coach would always say, 'Cream will always rise to the top,' so we'll see what happens."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on a healthy competition on the offensive line)
"Certainly, what we're looking for is improvement. That's the key. We want to become a better unit overall, in all phases as a result of our work this spring and also in training camp as well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how the new coaches on the staff are adjusting)
"Very well. Because of the system that we use, we haven't changed anything in that regard, they've been able to fit in extremely well. I think they certainly have a great grasp of the material they're teaching. I think the players are getting accustomed to them. As time goes on here through the spring, we should get everything kind of ironed out and be able to have a pretty good coaching relationship, because they're great instructors. I think they'll do nothing but improve as time goes on."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he is more comfortable in his 2nd full season as head coach)
"I'm not certain if I'm comfortable. I think anytime a coach gets comfortable, there's usually trouble headed right around the corner. I'm still a bit anxious and apprehensive, but I think that's in a good way. But I do certainly feel that I'm more familiar with some aspects of it. But it doesn't breed comfort. Comfort to me means complacency sometimes, and we certainly aren't complacent."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if not allowing complacency to set in has helped the team sustain success)
"I think it's kind of part of our culture. It's not panic or anything of that nature, but we're always striving to get better. No matter where we are, no matter what kind of success we've had in previous years, none of that matters. It's the here and now. I think you see that a great majority of our veterans kind of take on that sort of posture, and it's a trickle-down-effect to the young guys. When they see that Peyton (Manning) is out there early in the morning working trying to improve, and (Gary) Brackett is right in the middle of our defense instructing and urging and encouraging, when you have those guys around –and Jeff Saturday in the middle, (Ryan) Diem, all those veteran leaders that we have—not resting on their laurels, working harder to try to get better, doing everything they possibly can to improve themselves, the young guys as they look, their leaders do a tremendous job of setting their example for them."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DB-Bob Sanders)
"He's right on track. He's doing extremely well, and you can tell by the way he's moving around he feels good about his progress."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he has seen any frustration from Sanders battling through injuries)
"I haven't seen any frustration at this stage. He looks good. He feels good. He's doing well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if all of the injured players should be ready to go by training camp)
"Certainly do anticipate that."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the cornerback situation and the youth there)
"We have a lot of work to do. We just have to get better. That's kind of what this time of year is for, is to try to mold your team and develop your skill level, and in areas where you may be a little inexperienced, you try to improve on that through film study and work on the field as well, and hope you can get yourself in position to be a little bit better. That's kind of where we are. We have our eyes on that position. We understand that position is one that we're going to have to work extremely hard and the coaches will do a great job doing just that."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Kevin Thomas has had surgery on his injured knee)
"Not at this point, not to my knowledge. I know he was really working at strength and strength levels and things of that nature before they did any type of procedure. When we do have the information we'll release it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if the season feels a long way off or he sees it coming)
"As soon as the draft arrives, you know that the season is right around the corner. It's just one of those things. The obvious answer would be also, and I think some of you in this room can attest, the older you get, the faster times moves. For me, it's here. It's right around the corner. And the other thing is when you start messing around with the schedules for the fall and your practice plans and all those kinds of things, that shortens your year as well. So mine is real short right now."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if the loss in the Super Bowl lingers any longer than another playoff loss)
"A loss is a loss. There's only one happy team at the end of the year. We've had our joyous moments, and we've had some where we certainly weren't real happy. But that's all behind us now. It's certainly not lingering. You cannot get a sense of that in anything that we're doing at this point in time, whether by our body language, our verbiage. Mostly it just happens in response to questions that we are asked about it, but that I think is behind most of our guys. We're looking ahead, it's a new year, new season, and obviously our future is bright."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if it is harder to stay on top than get to the top)
"I think they're both equally difficult, just depending upon where you're starting from. I think it's very, very difficult because getting there, it's tough, rebuilding a team if that's what you have to do, but then also once you arrive everything in the league is geared toward making certain you can't have great years back to back. You pick lower in the draft, you supposedly have one of the tougher schedules, all of those kinds of things are devised to make certain you can't have success in back-to-back years. But our guys have been able to work our way through that, which has been great."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if all the rookies are present or some still have academic obligations)
"There are a couple guys, (Gregg) Peat, because he's in school still, they're on the quarter system, and (Ricardo) Mathews is the other. Those two guys have academic obligations that are keeping them out of practice at this point."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Tom Moore's role with the team)
"He the senior offensive assistant. He's going to do a lot with our group in terms working fundamentals and things he's always done. Clyde (Christensen) is going to have the play calling duties. Tom's going to help me with some things, he's going to help Clyde looking ahead in terms of game planning, things of that nature. He's also going to do a little work with some of the young quarterbacks as well. We have a myriad of things he's going to help us with."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he likes this time of year, even with no games)
"I think all coaches love practice. That's how you get ready to play. That's how you determine whether or not you play and play well. We love this time of year because it's a chance for us to get better. We've had them in the weight room up until this time. Guys have been lifting, working on their speed and power, flexibility, all those kinds of those things, rehabbing and getting themselves healthy. So now we get a chance to take them out on the field and see if we can improve in that area. And I think that's always fun. That's why we do what we do. It's a great time to get out there and put guys through their paces."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on an update on training camp)
"It's not etched in stone yet, so whatever it is I know we'll have a formal announcement. But that this point in time it's not."
