(opening comments) * *
"We've just finished up our next to last day of going out on the field and our regular practice sessions and things have gone well up to this point. We felt that we've installed and implemented our offensive and defensive scheme and our kicking game scheme up to this point that we had planned. They seemed to have caught on very well, those that our brand new to the system. Those that have been in the system for awhile are functioning at a nice, steady, high level, and we've been pleased with the progress. We feel good about the progress, we feel good where we are, and we certainly feel up to this point that we have gotten accomplished what we wanted to get accomplished."
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HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on players working out while coaches are on break)
"That doesn't end. The guys are around and continue to work out with (strength and conditioning coach) Jon Torine and (assistant strength coach) Rich Howell. They continue to do their conditioning and training and lifting and things of that nature. We just don't have any coach involvement after this juncture."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if on-the-field workouts will resume after Thursday)
"Some of the guys will probably get out there and work on their own, but there won't be any coaches involved with any on-field activities. The guys continue to throw and catch and continue to hone their skills. That's important because they can't just put it down right now and start up again come August 2. So they will continue to work and build on what we've already established."
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HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on players getting a break before training camp)
"There are probably windows of opportunity for them. Certainly without the coaches being involved with them on a daily basis, it will certainly give them an opportunity to get a bit of a break. It is important for them to get a little relaxation in there, but yet, they still have to maintain their conditioning and sharpness and things of that nature, because it is important for us to get a lot of work put in this time of year so we can come to camp just a little bit later and provide a better opportunity to our guys to function at a higher level once we get started."
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HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on giving a 'do's and don'ts talk' to players)
"What we try and do is do that constantly, but that is indeed important. We talk to them in clusters and groups from time to time, but we had our large meeting on Tuesday morning, where we kind of went through the whole schedule throughout the rest of the summer and things of that nature, because after the practice is over with tomorrow, one of the things you don't really want to do is stand in the door way when that whistle blows because they will be moving on out and trying to get a little bit of a break over the weekend."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on players adapting to coaching changes)
"I think that overall that we have accomplished what we wanted to accomplish during this session and Clyde (Christensen) and Pete (Metzelaars) did an outstanding job of getting things in place. We do think that we had it implemented the way we wanted to. We got the kind of emphasis we were looking for, and I think things went well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on wide receivers)
"I feel that we have developed some guys along the way here and we had some really valuable work. I do believe that Pierre Garcon, without question, has done a tremendous job thus far. He has developed and made progress. I feel that Roy Hall has also gotten a good sense of this system. Roy has shown that he definitely has some ability and certainly can play both inside and outside, so we feel good about those guys that are coming along. Sam (Giguere) had gotten hurt so we didn't get a chance to work with him very long during this time period, but he will be back at the beginning of camp so we will have to make some headway there. We do feel that Austin (Collie) is a young rookie force that has done a tremendous job in learning. He seems to be the kind of guy that catches on quickly. He has a good feel for spatial awareness. He's gotten to the point where it seems that he is starting to connect well with Peyton (Manning). I do feel that we have certainly made some ground in that area."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on challenges as head coach)
"Every day in this league is a real challenge. There are so many adjustments you have to make particularly, from an injury standpoint. Day in day out, you may leave one day and have a pretty balanced and stacked depth at any position, and the following day it may be just the opposite due to injuries or what have you. So those adjustments are some that we have to make and make on a daily basis and sometimes make quickly. So that has been a bit of a challenge. Not anything that we didn't anticipate overall."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the progression of WR-Pierre Garcon)
"One thing you know is that he was blessed with speed, power and quickness. But the level of competition he played, and even though they had great records and real fine teams there at Mt. Union, (last season) he was just getting a sense of the speed and the differences in coverage and how quickly they adjust, all the little nuances (in the NFL). He seems to have picked that up quite well. You can really see him starting to run and not just react. He's become somewhat of a force. Now, he hasn't arrived yet, let's not get ahead of ourselves. But he has made good progress. Around here we've had a pretty high level in terms of what we expect in standards for those guys that play that position. We've had some really fine ones over the years, but he looks like he's headed in the right direction."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on WR-Pierre Garcon appearing to catch the ball better this offseason than he did during his rookie year)
"No question he has. He's more consistent. He's always had good hands and he's shown flashes (in the past). This spring he was a lot more consistent than he's been, and we hope that continues."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how having a team that didn't have a ton of changes to its personnel helps when you have a coaching staff that has changed a lot)
"It certainly makes a huge difference, and it's made a difference even over the years. Not just this year, but in previous years. We've always had a strong nucleus of guys that have had a good sense of our system and that just makes things work a lot smoother. We didn't have a lot of great changes (in the system) and that in itself led to our ability to function quickly and get out there on the field and hit the ground moving. Overall, I think veteran leadership is so vital and important to having a strong team. We, indeed, do have some individuals that have been great in that area."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on his desire to have Coaches Tom Moore and Howard Mudd with the team)
"The big thing is continuity, number one. Number two is that they are two outstanding football coaches. They have done a great job within this system, and those would be two of the primary reasons. Obviously, I've had an opportunity to work closely with them over the past few years. I know their value and input. It's something that we all benefit from. We certainly would like to have them back."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what Coaches Tom Moore and Howard Mudd will do when they rejoin the team)
"(We) haven't gotten there yet only because of the fact that I think there is still some due diligence in terms of dealing with the lawyers. (Colts President) Bill (Polian) has talked to the lawyers a bit, I've been more focused on what is happening out on the field. Once this is over with, once we complete our practice tomorrow, I'll have an opportunity to sit down with Bill at some point in time, I'm not certain when that will be, and see if we can narrow it down a bit more."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if there is any concern with the players getting used to the current coaches and then bringing back Tom Moore and Howard Mudd and the existing relationships the players already have with them)
"When you look at that it would be a little different if they came from outside in. But they know the guys, they've dealt with them over the years, and I don't foresee any problems at all in that area."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how his family has adjusted to him being a head coach)
"The differences would be that, number one, all of my children are grown. They are 30, 27, 25 and 23 and none of them live with us. They finished college and they are down in the Carolinas carrying on their own lives and their own business. They call and we talk with them on a daily basis almost-my wife does, I probably don't talk to them as much as she does. We keep in contact. They come back and forth and visit. So, they don't get a chance to see me on a daily basis in this position. They've seen me in this position before some years ago in their younger days. In that respect, talking about my children, it probably doesn't have any day-to-day effect on them. My wife, I think she has always been accustomed to the hours I keep in terms of working. So, that hasn't changed much for her. I'm probably signing a few more autographs than I have before."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he's been able to draw at all from his experience as head coach at Wake Forest to his job now)
"The dynamic is quite different, but there are a lot of similarities in terms of the demands and the requirements that are placed upon you, some greater, some to a lesser extent. I think the experience that I have had has proved to be invaluable for me in my present position."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how the rookie defensive tackles have looked)
"Overall, and rather than going right down the list person-by-person, I can tell you they are making good progress. Fili (Moala) is doing a good job. Terrance Taylor is doing a good job. The entire group is really working well, Adrian Grady, and so forth. The guys are learning and they are adapting. (Defensive line coach) John Teerlinck coaches those guys and does a tremendous job in terms of getting them in place and ready to play. We have a lot of work to do in that area, but I do believe that they are making good progress."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the return of OG-Ryan Lilja and having a healthy offensive line)
"It really makes all of us feel a lot better, adding the experience we have in the interior, plus if we can stay healthy, I think that is very important. One of the things I think you can't discount is the fact that last year we had so much upheaval upfront we had to play a lot of younger guys a little bit sooner than we anticipated. Well, you go through some tough times doing that, but when you have a chance to look back on it, like at his point in time for us, we have a lot of young guys who have some good, valuable experience because they've been in the middle of it. They've had to make the adjustments, and when you couple that with the veterans we have coming back healthy again, I think it really should make for a strong unit."
