Bijan Robinson, Chris Lindstrom and more speak on transitioning to regular season | Press Conference

Bijan Robinson um how are you feeling now that the 53 is set you guys are in full you know planning mode to a take on Pittsburgh yeah yeah uh feeling great um you know obviously like it's been a tough what 3 days just cuz like you build so many relationships with those with those guys that are some of them aren't here anymore um so this is always like a tough three days to you know practice with and then obviously you know continue to think about those other guys and you know see seeing how seeing here how they're feeling and how they're doing but um know I think we're ready to go uh you know know we got the you know great guys on this team great 53 guys um that's ready to compete and you know do what we got to do for this season and every Sunday how would you compare like you know last year as a rookie finishing up training camp to you know this period of time now going year two yeah I mean it's it's a complete difference um like last year as a rookie you know this was still a learning period for me and you know still trying to get comfortable and still trying to you know adjust to obviously the NFL and the speed of the game but I think with this year you know my confidence is is at a high level right now um I think I'm playing at you know just a different level than what I was last year um and just playing fast and not thinking about anything and you know going out there and just trying to execute to the best of my ability whether it's you know running the ball catch running running and catching the ball blocking you know everything that I do out there so you know I'm I'm really confident and you know really you know excited to to get going with the team and with all the new guys because I think that with this year um compared to last year just the confidence Lev level is different where does that come from would you say the confidence level being different you or is that the whole team um I think I think it's the whole team yeah I I know it's me for sure uh just because like you know with coming in year two like I have experiened now and you know I I know the speed of the game and you know I played a full year um and I think that's what every player um that that played from one year to the next year is just having a different a different kind of motivation and confidence and knowing what you're doing without thinking and having to like second guess yourself like I I haven't been dealing with none of that um this yearn what's your main focus between now and a game one of the regular season how do you take that and make a positive impact for the offense as a whole yeah um for me it's it's just keeping my body right I'm keeping my body at a high level you know from this point to obviously next Sunday and you know just continue to just make sure in practice that we're executing the right way and you know we're not missing the little details and the little things um whether it's passing whether it's running you know making sure I step in as a leader with for the guys on the offense and you know making sure that we're always just you know doing the little things right because obviously you know pixord is a is a great has a great defense so you know we don't want to mess up anything and make those little mistakes so we'll be you know firing off on Sunday speaking of your body do you put on weight at all or like do you make any like kind of body competition changes from Rookie year uh no I'm actually the same weight um just 220 220 is my weight um and for me like just continue to just maintain it and you know I just build muscle um I kind of been the same weight for like 3 or 4 years now um and I kind of have like a routine but yeah just trying to keep that 220 um stature and then I'll be goodn have you ever seen Kirk's notes that he takes in me um I I haven't seen them um I actually like scammed by them one time and but there was a lot going on uh yeah and he's like a small like it's a very small writer so I couldn't really like see it but I know I know whatever he's writing in there um he's writing for every practice so whatever he's writing there it's probably some really minute detailed things um in that book how small are we talking like can you read it no I can't read it I yeah I can't read it at all it's Manifesto of something yeah it's like he's like his face is like to his book just like little microscope it's crazy how has training camp prepared this you and this team for the start of this season yeah I think this this has been a great training camp um you know obviously you know we work super hard every day and we take a lot of reps a lot of reps a lot of you know just going back and forth with each other whether it's ones on twos ones on ones twos on ones like you know obviously it's been you know one of those grindy camps but I think for us as a as a team like it it didn't even feel like it was like super grindy just because like we're having so much fun out there and you know coach rahee is obviously you know making every practice competitive making it fun making us just enjoy being out there obviously we're out there for like 2 hours 2 and a half hours but it feels like we're out there for for an hour just because we're getting stuff done efficiently um but obviously continue to just have fun and and keep doing it the right way and how excited are you to get this season roll I mean I'm excited you know I hate this period of time right here this like little buy by week that we have uh because like college football's going on and it just makes you want to go out there even more um but I'm really excited to get to get going on Sunday man and you know obviously it's going to get here fast faster than than I think um but yeah man I can't wait where where is your head space you know this time you know when bullets getting ready to be live so yeah yeah I mean it's it's in the right mindset um you know obviously Ste the Steelers are going to come in here um you know ready to go and locked in and obviously we need to you know be I'll be on that ex exact same level um but my mindset is clear it's fresh obviously you know I know that God has me in the right right mindset for this team and for myself so I'm I'm just ready to go out there and like like I just said like this waiting period really does kind of suck because you just want to go out there and play you mentioned College Park we going see you in Austin this weekend a lot of guys go back I'm actually I'm actually not going to be in Austin this weekend uh it kind it sucks just cuz like I always want to get to a game every time I can but uh for the bye-week I'll I'll go out there for the game but yeah I wish I was I wish I was there on Saturday and what could you tell us about the new offense we've been able to watch a little bit out here and um just everything's in and Y ready to ain't show nobody nothing yeah we show yeah we we ain't show nobody nothing um yeah man I mean it's it's going to be you know super exciting a super really exciting offense um you know that's obviously the goal and you know to create space against everybody and you know obviously just be attacking you know extremely physical you know that's that's the main goal in you know whether it's the Run game the pass game you know make our Pres felt but there's going to there going to be a lot of you know exciting things to look forward to obviously I I can't get too much in detail um but but definitely just you know trying to go out there and play fast and you know not having to think and you know getting the guys that you know need to get the ball in their hands and their hands early and and often so we can you know go out there and execute the right Wayan speaking of the new offense last season we got a chance to see that there were enough balls to go around between you and Tyler how do you feel about that balance between the two of you uh this season with the new offense yeah I mean obviously I think it's a it's a great balance um you know with Tyler you know be be by my side um you know we know how to play off each other really well um and obviously with me and Tyler it's going to be you know a lot more work a lot more workload for us too for this year and just getting you know getting it going early and you know keeping that momentum up throughout the whole game but then obviously every single game that we play but yeah me and Tyler we got to we got to get ready um you know for for to grind and to make it the most you know fun we we've ever had playing football um but I you know I love that dude and I know that you know he has my back um and I have his back as well yeah Chris Lindstrom um Chris just uh how's everything going now that uh training Camp's over heading into the season FR from the linman's perspective yeah I just think there's uh there's excitement this time of the year you're heading into week one and there's a lot of expectations and a lot of goals for ourself and um this week is the first week it's real so to be able to go out there um against the great front and the Steelers have and be able to compete it's just really exciting this what we all do it for and you guys have been covering it for months and we've been training for months now it's time to do it for real what could you tell us about the new offense um I think just the way we play up front is nothing's going to change I think the standard's been set and Leed has that for us where we're going to play Fast up front he always says it speed off the ball um and then just try and finish and let those guys make make their plays that's our job um to watch Kirk and all those guys I'm so excited to watch you know the explosives explosives that they're able to make cuz uh there's nothing more rewarding than watching those guys have success mhm and coach talked about the mentality of the offensive line and he wants that to spread throughout the team uh do you take that as a compliment uh for sure I think um I mean you guys know LED he comes in and you know I think he could be a WWE wrestler in a different career um so he brings that passion and energy every single day and then us um you know we we have to do it and you know there's for all of us you know Drew and I four years Caleb and Jake six ver just heading into a second year um you know we have so many reps together as a group that we really know what our best is every single day and so when the guys not bringing their best you know everybody else pushes them along and so um when you have a really healthy culture in that sense um you can never really have a bad day because you just you you got those guys working each other what would his uh wrestling name be oh I don't know you're going to have to ask him he's probably got one I'm telling you if you ask him he's he's definitely got one or he's thought of one once in his life and what was getting a guy back like Elijah who you know started nine games here a couple years ago before you died yeah it's awesome well we love Elijah and it was so great seeing him come back in the building today um and just excited to have him back around it was funny he hopped right back into India and knew exactly what he was doing just like never skipped a beat so uh we're super excited to have him back this uh the speed off the ball Mont I can't remember if you or somebody else who said it's even more than like a football thing it's more of like a life philos it could be a life philosophy can you kind of explain what that means I guess generally but also just why that phrase is kind of so yeah I think it's just our identity as a group and uh it's the expectation that no matter what we're going to do we're going to play as fast as we can and so nothing hesitating nothing like you know waddling off the ball um if you're going to do something do it full speed um you know obviously you'd like to be doing it to the right guy and stuff like that but um um I think that's that's the thing is just we're constantly going and it's a it's a never stopping kind of mindset and we're just always kind of going and so every single play the standard is you better be at your best smoking off the ball and that's what everybody expects from you um and that's what you know at least I expect from myself and I know all the other guys are the same sense um and that's the standard you know thing we got it up in our room everybody has it um and if you ask any of the old linemen in our room like they know that's that's the expectation does it make it easier to play that way when the retention in this room has that you've had for last couple of years you know the guys next to you everyone knows the role they know what they're doing yeah I think the communication aspect is such a big thing um there's so many things that defenses can do or present or you know staff changes you know there might be different language things and uh you can almost problem solve you know with them you know talking to Drew talking to Caleb it makes it easier to problem solve and then you kind of know um each other's Tendencies so if somebody's they asking a question or are they reassuring you like when you get up to the line and you kind of know um all those things and it's uh it's incredibly fortunate to you know I it's not very frequent in the NFL that you get to be with guys this long and I don't know what the stats are but you know I know we're Super Lucky and it's it's a great thing that we never take for granted in what ways have you seen Bon grow going into his second year I mean he's just talented as anybody and just with his approach he comes out here works his butt off every single day taking tons and tons of rep I mean it's 95 degrees out today and you know beon was taking a ton of reps finishing and um I think the success he had last year I think he's just excited to build upon it and um there's no better person to be around than bean and you know when he goes and makes those plays there's so many times you can't believe that it uh just happened and then you go and watch tape so um I'm just really really really looking forward to what Bean's able to do on Sunday why is he someone you want to be around you mentioned uh he's not a teammate like he comes up he'll go give you a hug every single day he's got a massive smile on his face he's a great personality and then in the same sense he comes out to practice with that same energy and I think that's what we talked about the continuity like uh with beon and Tyler and the whole line and stuff like that is you know there's a real love for each other for you know wanting to push and have success um and we know that everything's so codependent and those guys uh those guys treat us phenomenal for as you know bejan's a complete Superstar and uh great player so he's amazing person to be around every day I know expectations are kind of hard to talk about cuz you're looking you know just at week one right now but like what the talent this team has and like the one you know the defensive Talent they brought in recently like what are the expectations for you know you guys I think coach has said it I think it's you know winning the vision is always your goal um and we're coming out and ready to work and I think we have a huge challenge ahead of us with the Steelers week one and they have uh one of the best fronts in the NFL um so just preparing this week and uh and next week heading into it knowing that you know it's it starts for real next week Bruce Bruce your heart work has definitely been noticed with 10 days left between now and week one uh what is your primary focus going into the first game uh it's going to be learning the game plan I think you get all your all your fundamentals at this point should be pretty close wired in or you have one or two things you'd like to clean up um and then it's just mastering the game plan so there's no look or you know you really want to have all the looks um mastered in your head so when you go out there if a problem presents itself you kind of know how to adjust on the Fly and so that's a big thing with um any game week but uh especially now with week one you know you kind of want to dial everything in um and have it have it focused and so the coaches will prepare and stuff like that and then we'll really hone into it and study heading into this week Chris can you recall what your reaction was when caps were first caps were first mandated as your opinion to them change it all over time uh not really really um I think you know it's been good to mitigate concussions and I think you know I think the I might be wrong but the original uh thing was the first two weeks of Camp because they said statistically concussions came more in the first ramp up period um I might be wrong but that's at least what I think and then um they transition that to wearing it on all the full pad days throughout the season um there's so much different helmet technology now where guys are wearing the helmet with the front bumper and stuff like that so um I think it's just pushing the science techn technology forward if it's not Guardian caps it's just you know pushing the helmet technology to be better um and then the whole thought process behind it I believe was that ramp up period and then also just the ramp up period for soft tissue injuries and concussion is the same thing you're not in shape you're not don't don't have your Technique in line and so you're more at risk and so I think the science aspect behind those those guys have done a great job is it important for players like to keep up with helmet Tech and science behind this stuff yeah I think um you know we all understand the inherent risk that we take coming out playing and then uh you want to mitigate that and our equipment staff Joey and those guys they do such a great job informing us they said okay you know this is the league studies they have it posted they sat down with us and we're like this is what you guys are helmets are currently in this is where you're at you know these are these current helmets and uh you know I'm super fortunate that we have a great staff here that's you know really informs us as players and if we have questions are always uh more than willing to ask much of a decision for guys to wear what is the confidence behind that plan whether or not to wear them in the games uh I think it's just a personal decision for guys and it's you know do you wear the guardian cap or do you wear the helmet with the front bumper are you okay you know just in the last 10 years look at the way helmet technology has improved and um it's only going to keep getting better and so I don't know what the exact answer is but I know it's a the League's done it where it's a personal choice now where if guys want to wear it um but there's so many different options and the equipment staff and these helmet companies have done a really good job improving it and then informing us as players at this point in your career do you get any like Jitters heading into week one or like what is what does that feel like for you uh every day uh yeah being an offensive lineman it's nothing but Jitters um uh you know there's a a ton of stress to perform and you know the consistency aspect to it and um a lot of it is just cuz you care it's meaningful to you you know you want to have success you want to do well for your team you know you want to play well individually but you know there's a lot of if I don't do my job somebody might get hurt so it's like that's a big responsibility and um it's something that every day you take a lot of pride in how you perform and that's why every day from April all the way to now is so important are those Jitters like a mental thing or is it like your body like like do you know what I mean like is it like a a like a fight ORF flight thing where it's like you know you have to go out and like hit someone or is it like a mental Jitter uh both a lot of both um especially you know at least myself I'll talk about myself in this sense you know the uh anxiety aspect of it you know your stomach is wrenched like you're going into it and you know the guy you're playing is is really really good and um you just you you learn how to deal with it over time um but then the the mental anxiety of it you eliminate that aspect in your studying and your preparation because if you didn't know what you were doing and then you head out there and you don't can't look yourself in the mirror and be like I studied you know as hard as I could for this or you didn't work as hard as you could then you have regret but in the same sense if you do all that preparation it's just the kind of performance anxiety something you wear Drew Dalman during the game you think it's something I'm going back and forth about um I just have to figure out if it's going to like affect any of my movement and stuff in the game so I've been like testing out different or like with Guardian cap without Guardian caps you how I feel in practice Yeah is it entirely about feel for you is it any Aesthetics coming into play I don't care about the Aesthetics at all um so yeah it's all about just like performance if it's going to hinder my production at all then you know it's something I can't really uh worry about so what would be signs of hindrance that you'd be looking for um it's just like because it makes um just like the size of the helmet larger sometimes when you're like trying to reach somebody or something your helmet might get caught a little more um so that's been something I've been trying to figure out like if that's a reality or if that's if it is going to like um kind of Slide the same way as a normal helmet does in some of those blocks um so that's like my main thing I've been testing do you get the sense go ahead sorry do you get the sense that teammates are like having a they're going through a similar calculus or is that you know priorities for guys are differently in terms of like whether or not they want to wear them during games yeah um I'm not sure I Haven really like ask anybody super explicitly um I know guys like there's pretty you know like mixed opinions on having in practice and all that stuff um but I think overall it seems like the sentiment is getting more towards guys don't mind them too much um as for in the games I'm not really sure good thank you yeah hey Drew just want to check in with you you know coach say the uh the mentality up front and the line and so forth Just how's that been uh you guys you know re not not establishing idty but kind of contining up first yeah it's um it's been going well um a lot of credit to to coach leadford coach flatz Coach Jones all those guys um they push us in the room every day they let us know the standards as well as the the older guys in the room um who you lead by example and stuff um so that's been great and it's it's one of those things where it doesn't matter what we've done in the past years we have to reestablish all the work that's necessary to perform at that level every year um so I think we're we're doing that not stacking days working hard trying to get to that point so we can perform as we need to and Coach motor said uh he wants some of that mentality to seep out of y'all's room into other rooms uh how does the player take that or do you see that or kind of people embracing uh the offensive line mentality yeah definitely um I think guys do a great job of it I mean across the board we got guys that that work incredibly hard um on both sides of the ball and so I think you guys just see our our best players and our hardest workers in the locker room like the the Jake Matthews the Chris lrom the grd jarretts the Jesse Bates all those guys they see them and they kind of understand that um you know that's that's a recipe for Success so I think it it kind of seeps out through the guys that exhibit it really well um what you how you feeling about going into this season it's uh you know look um outlooks a little different than a couple years past MH yeah um it's I'm excited um kind of like every season though um I I really just try to focus on my own personal development the O's performance um and I I really tend not to worry too much about like the the larger expectations or or predictions or anything like that um so really just worried about the the small things so that kind of the the larger scale goals will uh kind of accomplish themselves as we go and uh what's uh what what could you tell us about Kirk Cousins and him being a new quarterback here MH yeah Kirk's awesome um I think like we I've established before um that he's just an incredible Pro um MH and has great habits has great knowledge of the game is a incredible player um so I think I have a ton to learn a ton to learn from him um and he's been a huge asset in kind of guiding us and and letting us know um what we need to do and the expectations we need to meet what's your mental preparation like going in Pittsburgh yeah um I think again ton of credit to to all the coaches that put in unbelievable hours to to kind of distill all that information into like pretty manageable amounts for us um so for me it's understanding you know what we're expecting from their defense how we're going to uh approach it and then kind of our fixes and and and how we're applying our scheme to that um so I think a lot of understanding that and and you know just honing in on our own game plan and and having a vision and trying to execute it right what's your name like how you see the vision playing out right now is it playing out as you imagin so far yeah um yeah I just again kind of leave the bigger picture stuff to to the coaches and all those people and and kind of worry about the the smaller more manageable goals in between so with the camaraderie this unit has you'all been together for a little bit how is you know that kind of helped out this camp and how are you guys jelling together yeah it's great um there's just uh there's small things that that come up where you might not have time to communicate something as the you know the play is developing but you know from from reps and Reps and Reps that guys will do certain things and you can trust them to to see certain looks um so that kind of cohesion is really awesome to have especially when you play with great players like Jake and bur and Chris and Caleb um so that's been a pleasure to DeAngelo Malone experience so I mean obviously you probably feel pretty good about your you know what you brought this team on special teams but the roster cut down day has got to be nerve-wracking for everybody what the last few days yeah uh it's definitely Nur wrecking uh you know I just took time you know just pray to God you know ask he just lead the way but uh you know I always had uh faith in my abilities you know I knew you know if I put the work in you know obviously I have a good income I mean outcome and uh you know I just stay prayed up and blessed I guess it was I if Jacksonville or Baltimore you had a couple of big hits on the kickoff unit did you feel like I mean was there a moment one of those plays that you thought yeah that that'll stand out on film I feel good you know I mean uh I feel like that was a significant play for me to show that that's the kind of player I am yeah every time I step out on the field you know I just try to leave my Mark I just try to make a big play but uh you know every time I step out there man I just like man what can I do you know to try to make this team and try to better myself and have contribute to the team is there sort of a do you have to turn a switch at this point as players from we're trying out to make a team to now we're preparing for an opponent or do you just keep doing kind of the same things you always doing yeah honestly just keep doing the same thing uh you know the switch it stays on because uh you just never know when that time come or when it may be so just being ready and prepared Raheem said that you're one of those guys who's kind of emblematic at someone who's Embrace their role with the Special Teams when did that start to happen for you even just like mentally I imagine go back to last year uh honestly I would say since day one like since I was in high school you know uh I always just talked about being patient and uh you know special team you know if that where they want me to embrace you know I can do that uh you know you just got to start somewhere so you know just starting on special team and just leave my Mark it's a blessing you talk about cut day kind of being tough you know emotionally you don't know what's going to Happ do you do anything to like distract yourself that day like or do you just kind of wait for a phone call oh man just waiting for a phone call you know I'm just sitting around you know talk to my mom and things like that you know she prayed for me but uh you know just being humble just being patient just talking to God what does Chris Ike Hilliard Blair show you throughout playmaking we we like Chris a lot um you know Chris had a situation during uh the break between OTAs and training camp where reaing to uh switch positions do some different things for us he handled it very well uh we're very fortunate enough to you know get Chris back on the practice squad we're looking forward to his continue development did you Lobby for six guys on the 53 or is five enough or do you worry about that I'm not a lobbyist not a Lobby I stay clear of that that is way above my pay grade but five to you feels like a good enough number I mean got call UPS and everything You' got a lot of flexibility uh we believe in a plan yeah you know as assistant coaches and uh we're going to go with five and five is going to work um what did casy Washington show you all doing training camp I think you know going back from the beginning of the whole process originally talking about Casey uh you know kids built for the game physically um he has outstanding hand ey coordination he plays fast he plays hard throw hands in a run game and those are traits that we as a staff we cover um there are things that we're going to continue to coach and and ask for more from him and uh we're going to expect U you know a lot of things from from Casey and and and also the other guys on our roster what throughout Camp just kind of Stand Out deciding on those final uh fortunately and you know unfortunately it was a tough decision you know down at the um I don't want to call it the bottom of back end of the roster but in terms of our depth uh we we have a lot of young men that you know uh you know made a really really good case to be on his football team um you know it starts with the guys that that we're going to count on heavy in Drake and Mooney and they they display playmaking all off season and attention to detail and um you know trickle down to everybody else we just feel like we have a dynamic group of of young men across the you know the the five that we have with with those two and and Ray Ray cader HJ is going to do some some really good things for us and you know like I just mentioned we expect some some really good things from Casey as well um you know we'll see how it plays out going forward how did U my um young F brother doing his internship David ah young Whit low a little brother of mine um I'm very F of of David you know I was um you know the wide receiver coach at Auburn you know my first opportunity to work with him uh so I have a soft spot in my heart for him he did an excellent job with he while he was here uh made a great impression on everybody and hopefully you know he'll have an NFL job shortly