Taron Johnson: “Play With No Fear” | Buffalo Bills

Intro off the amount of leadership that you guys lost of the team or no longer here throughout the summer we started camp where you are now how are you seeing this sort of next Wave evolve team uh I would just say just guys constantly coming together I feel like Rochester uh helped us a lot just making us have to be with each other uh Even in our free time you know what I'm saying and even having like dinners outside of the uh facility together like just bringing groups together I feel like it's extremely important for us to continue to have that chemistry and I see guys stepping up really all across the board you know what I'm saying it's it's definitely going to take a little maybe a little bit more time but we definitely have those guys in in our rooms is there anyone that stepped up that maybe didn't necessar expected from uh I like I like how t t is is kind of leading those safeties and uh I feel like he's he's a quiet reserved kind of guy but I I hear him being more vocal and just making sure that everybody is is having the knowledge that they need to have to perform at a high level how important has that leadership Leadership from Tyrod Taylor been from Taylor considering you know s that having almost like that leers pres I mean it it's it's important you know what I'm saying um he he's played a lot of ball and and even the guys that that you just named a lot of them have played a lot of ball so it's just like it's just important he's been here he knows the system a little bit better than everybody else so guys are watching him guys are asking him questions trying to make sure that that they can figure it out ter how much is your position Slot position in the NFL kind of change and evolv Slot not you personally but the slot position in the NFL since you enter the league even because you see all these tight ends now these hybrids even you see what teams are doing and spreading you out how much has it changed evolve you come in leue oh man it's it's changed a lot you know um for our team in particular uh just being able to play nickel and in heavy sets is is a big deal but I also see it on tape that other teams are doing trying to do the same thing you know what I'm saying so it's definitely becoming more I don't use the word popular but I guess that's the word like just having your nickel on the field more like 85% of the snaps instead of like back in the day I feel like it was 65% of the time you know what I'm saying but having that nickel out there playing basically the whole game that said get a Playing at your size guy like dayquan who comes in and he's not the biggest guy right thought of as a slot but he's also playing a bit outside like the game's kind of Chang like what can you what can you talk to him about about the the the way you have to kind of play at your size of playing this game yeah uh I would definitely say the mindset you know what I'm saying I play with guys um in college at Weber State that were smaller like much smaller than me and had and had a mindset like no other you know what I'm saying so that alone is why I feel like I am the player not alone but one of the reasons why I feel like I'm a good player is because of my mindset and I would just say everyone having that that kind of mindset where it doesn't matter how small you are how like it's I mean people say this all the time but it's really about your heart for real see they so far man he's a playmaker you know what I'm saying he's getting his hands on the ball consistently I've seen it consistently for for weeks at this point so him just consistently getting his hands on the ball and and all we need is to just make sure he's making them finishing plays and when he does that it'll be special it's a different Joe Edwards debut position group but Joe andrees that story has been kind of crazy what's it like amongst the teammates and everything especially on the defensive side of the ball knowing that his position when he came in and showed up and what he did Saturday wow I say that was pretty special by him you know what I'm saying like he's coming in and starting his F first game going against ones you know what I'm saying so it's like they had their guys out there as well and he comes out there and and doesn't miss a beat and I I thought that was really special to see and extremely impressive to me you know what I'm saying I thought it was very impressive watching him go out there and fly around and just play with no fear you know what I'm saying I feel like that's our goal is is to play as fast as we can can without without fearing the the result just just just playing fast how much fun is it watching you're done you're done Being on the sideline playing you're on the sideline you got some time to watch it kind of evolve and develop it's it's I I love it but at the same time sometimes I still be wishing I out there you know what I'm saying when you starting a game you kind of want to get a Groove in it you know what I'm saying so sometimes it might take two three series to get in a Groove but I mean watching guys who don't usually have that opportunity to go out there and play that's that's pretty Priceless you know what I'm saying just guys live out their dream making plays at the at the biggest stage Bobby B talked about Jamarcus Joyner Jamarcus and how over the last C years he's added like 20 PBS of muscle frame how hard is that as a d to consistently year over year you know just adding you know frame to your body the work that goes into that I'm I'm not even sure like I probably added 20 lbs since I got to college you know what I'm saying so that's been probably 10 years over 10 years adding 20 lbs so I don't know how he does it in the in the in the four years he's been here you know what I'm saying I feel like that's a testament to him and how he works in the offseason and just making sure that he's getting his body where it needs to be what have you seen from him just over Taron Johnsons fearlessness the last couple weeks training camp from again I say fearlessness you know what I'm saying like playing DB playing Corner playing nickel you're going to get beat sometimes and it's it's about being able to bounce back from that and I've seen him bounce back and and just make plays even when it seems like he shouldn't you know what I'm saying so just that alone his fearlessness I feel like is a is a huge factor for him you and cam you and cam have been you're the Relationship with Cam Erving longest 10 DVS now I on this team what's your relationship like with him on him off feel uh me and cam are really close um I talk to cam every day so like he came to my wedding like that's my guy so at this point like we're like brothers so I talked to him about family issues same thing he does to me so it's like it's it's it's great to have a guy who who I've known for for quite a few Last time you played on the boundary years when's the last time you played on the boundary like that time when's the last time you played on the boundary like even in a practice setting or or anything like that uh I mean it depends I'm not trying to say too much but uh like it it just it just depends on the situation I only ask because you take Switching positions Jamarcus who's been playing mostly boundaries since he's come in and he start to kind of sprinkle in how tough is that to go back and forth as far as you're saying boundary Corner yeah okay I haven't played corner here like literally never you know what I'm saying so I don't even know what it's like to be switching back and forth you know what I'm saying so I'm sure it's tough though you know what I'm saying cuz it's a it's a tough defense like I I've only been here but just hearing from other guys who come here I would say this is one of the more challenging defenses you know what I'm saying so your your mind has to constantly be going and if you're switching positions you got to make sure that your mind is on that position cuz there's been times where guys have said in their head they thought they were playing a different position while they were on the field and they're actually not playing that position just because they've been in that situation so many times you know Mike Edwards was back out Mike Edwards there to just uh you know what do you think about uh you know maybe the prospect re enforcement there safy and how much do you communicate with those guys um a lot honestly like we communicate pretty much every single place so it's it's it's very important I mean they're in the meetings they're talking in the meetings as if they're in the game you know what I'm saying so just them being out there in PS I think is huge for us getting some eventually when they're fully healthy getting some live reps in practice will will help a ton word intentional has come up a few times when talking about great so Bobby brought it up and Greg just brought it up you've spent a lot of time with him in the defensive huddle over the last several seasons how have you seen his approach to to this year man um I Greg even even last year just as far as how his his offseason was like I we were both here this offseason and I'm watching him just continuously just take a step every single day you know what I'm saying it's it's a marathon not a Sprint and I just feel like he's definitely coming into his own you see his even like seeing his shoulders and how broad he's gotten over time is just he has all the tools he needs to be a great great player in this league so I'm just excited to watch him because I think he is going to be an extremely talented guy he already is an talented guy but I think it's going to show a lot