Ohio State's Chip Kelly gives his thoughts on the quarterback battle, offensive line improvemnts

as a teing back no it's just we're just trying to as I told the players don't count your reps make your reps count and and I think they're doing a good job all of them um we're still kind of going through that I would say probably towards the end of this week but we start to kind of hone in on it but it's part of is when he in now the day of the lineup changes every day like who's in with what group and just kind of mixing the matching right now but we're all just trying to make make the most of our reps be valuable because of how we're doing and a lot of it's two Fields so we got two different groups going on at the same time and with two different groups going on at the same time there's a bunch of reps to be had you know our our first practice I think we had 96 reps in the first practice so there's enough to go around right now when we start to consolidate and stop doing the two Field Works and start to get into one field work then I think you got to start to kind of cut the Reps down for some people we saw on Sunday 11 11 yeah I just I wouldn't read into anything that I think the next day he was because next day he may have gone with the three so ship Ryan said that he thought coming into B saw more Z power on throws do you see that and kind of what have you seen both him and de through that yeah I do and I just think it's when will got here both will Julian and a got here in January you know Lincoln and Devon had been here for a while so sometimes zip is is do you know what you're doing you know when you have confidence to get back there and I know the I know the progression right away and I can rip it right now sometimes you're a little bit tentative so the ball may not come out your hand the right way but I do I've seen improvement from from will um from where we were in the spring to where we were now after the spring game you said the biggest confy you give fresh you feel look like that out there he he just juules just is he just stays in the moment that's the one thing I like about him he def he doesn't if he throws a bad ball it doesn't bother him if he throws a good ball he doesn't get over excited and say you know hey I just arrived it's he's always thinking about the next snap and he's done a really good job with it um you know just not kind of playing into anything just trying to stay present and that's what that's we're trying to get with all these guys to just stay present just stay in the moment you know this is the fifth training session um I'm not sure anybody knows what day it is right now just cuz everything runs together you don't have a day off in terms of weekends Sunday Mondays or whatever it is it's just how do I get better in this period and then right now the next process is we got to go in and watch a film and everything we just did on the field we now got to process again was this a good decision was this a bad decision why did you make the decision and then all right we're going to continue down this path or no we got to correct this team speed how it stack up with some of the better teams that you coached you coached a lot of fast guys over the years yeah I mean there this team can run you know there's now there's no Noah ly but I mean he went 271 miles per hour I mean that was we we talked about the coach D showed that in the meeting you know talked about where he was and how he finished there's a great lesson there but um there's a lot of guys had a lot of positions that can run and in the guys that are the most impressive to me are the big guys that can really run you know we got some bigger guys will Howard's a great example we WI 22 mph this summer at 237 lb so um we got a bunch of guys who can move just for with Julian when we were out there the first four days it seemed like sometimes you guys would give him some opportunities to go with the ones but also kind of reel him back in when he was making some of those freshing mistakes just how was he handle maybe hard coaching yeah Julian's great but I again I wouldn't read into it he may have gotten with the ones because in the rotation the whole group was changing on the fours but the quarterback were changing on the twos so he just it just matched up that he was with the one so what group they're in and I tell our guys I don't really care what group you're in I care about how do you execute what is your assignment do you have a plan when you get to the line of scrimmage and do you execute that plan so Julian's been great chip this is the this is the first year analyst can can coach and practice with you guys you you have so Billy can help out more than he could a year ago is that helpful to have like an extra hand with the position helpful for everybody you know I think every position now has really um embraced where we are we' we've got some really smart guys that have been in the analyst roles here Tim Dro with the offensive line you know D's been an NFL old line coach his coach had a lot of programs a lot of power five programs so for him to be with the old line for Billy who's got a uh is one of the really bright young coaches in this country you know I hired Billy as my quarterback coach at at UCLA and um we were fortunate to get him back here and then when the RO changed now he can actually give instruction on the field instead of just take notes and chart plays on the field so all of that is beneficial I think at every position everybody is has done a great job of using their analyst and I know for all of us you know the the more voices we can have the I think it's beneficial for how do how do you how do you use them just what what do you I think he does a great job with talking to who's not in you know what I mean you know if you watch our quarterbacks they're stacked up in behind you know so Billy's having conversations with them while the while whoever's in Will's in Devon's in Lincoln's in you know he's got that group in behind and they're going through that play where obviously I don't have an opportunity while I'm watching the play and doing all that stuff he can stand with those guys in behind and tell him what the play call is you know West right slot 322 y stick lookie look for the halfback on the burst here he can have that conversation with those guys and then they can talk about what was that read that the quarterback was in while coach day and myself can give feedback to the quarterback that is in how do y'all play that in meetings though chip I meaning who who knows when to speak up you know who can speak up and when to speak up and who do they speak up to you know what I mean from a yeah I think in all rooms the position coaches running the meeting room but obviously we always use assistance there's sometimes where you give projects hey we're going to the meeting today you got seven on seven I'm going to take 11 on 11 so you can go back and forth with that yeah and offensive line wise what what is what's stuck attit you the first several days I mean do you see the makings of a good unit great unit what's just sort of your take on that Right Guard how's that I do see a making of a really good unit and I think the first thing that I noticed is that whole group worked extremely hard with Mick in the summertime so where they are um physically you know they came to Camp ready to play and ready to compete um and again the Reps part for every position not only quarterback but whether it be Right Guard right tackle whatever it is is we're just rolling we're just trying to get as as much film on tape you know you you you hear and you forget you see and you remember you do and you understand so how many reps can we get for our players so that they really truly understand what we're doing and that's what we're really trying to push you right now knock on wood we've been really really healthy so that we can continue to play at least three full groups right now so everybody's getting a ton of reps and and we're just rolling and then we got to run in there as quick as possible watch the tape as the coaches and then get ready for our afternoon meetings and then get ready for walk through at night and then you know kind of rinse and repeat that's kind of the this that's where we are in this mode of Camp right now so Brian has mentioned a couple times that like it feels like your primarily not primarily has been largely to help enhance the running game and that maybe the ideas you had are different from the last time you guys worked together how's your philosophy for running football changed do you think since the last time you guys were together I I think your philosophy is always built upon who your players are so the last time we were G we had different Personnel you know so you're just always trying to feature what do you do really well and then trying to mask what you don't do really well so I think it's always morphed and sometimes you're a you know you're more of a run RPO team other times you're you're more of a spread them out um you know throw the ball down the field and then you're running screen and draws you know it just really depends on your personnel so I think maybe that's how it's changed a little bit and our personnel has been different so you know you get to learn some new things to adapt it to your personal what do you think is the what is what would this team do well they do a lot well that's the good thing about this place you know they I don't think there's one singular thing I think there's a lot of talent in the running back room there's obviously a lot of talent in the wide receiver room um so I I think there's going to be a good balance chip how similar is Ryan's passing game to what you all were doing the last time you work together was there any kind of very similar very similar so you kind of lot of the same things a lot most of it it was just terminology he had to change some terminology when he got here and then I'd learned the new terminology but cuz he speaks the old language he can say hey you called it this we call it this so it's more just that than anything else sh the dynamic between you and uh this goes into more you know maybe General quarterbacking stuff but I think we seen Will's accuracy improveed the longer he's been here um at least just watching practice and things how much of accuracy is timing chemistry with s receivers and how much of it is the actual technical side of your well I think a lot of that would be knowledge you know so if I I I just got here and I've never run a play before live I'm still trying to think the x is here the Z is here bnap you know I think Will has done a really good job really working on the playbook in the offseason studying so that he understands when there's a play call Met uh play call made that that he knows where to go with in football so you know a lot of the accuracy things that maybe a Young quarterback doesn't have is that well he looks like he's candidate but he's not very accurate well he may not really understand the concept or the routes that we're running right now he's got a kind of an idea but he probably got the cliff notes version right now he's really study it and understands it and I think will that give will that credit he's really done a great job of kind of putting himself in that position changed his body from from the winner and spring he got here oh 14 15 pounds how how can you see that yeah I think he moves better I mean obviously like I said before he R 22 miles hour 237 lbs so you can see that his ability to not only um run faster but I I I think I think he's got a lot more stamina you know he he he he he can he can last longer during the course of a training session so you know really credit to him and credit to Mick and those guys in the weight room for what they did with all of our guys in the off season chip the dynamic between you and Ryan it's kind of interesting because you were his mentor now he's technically your boss and you're like when I get older you I don't tell my dad I how to fix a car even though I'm an adult now if this makes sense where I'm going with it what's the dynamic like now are you still a mentor even though he's your boss kind of what's your relationship like as you're working together I think we're both trying to win so I I think when you're trying to win I don't think you look at it like who's who's the mentor who's the boss it's you know how do we put our players in a position to make plays and and that's the bottom line and I think you know the the good thing is is that we know each other so well like neither of us has an eag I don't care if it's his idea or if it's my idea or or Brian hartline's idea Bri I think Brian's really sharp you know and and really adds a lot to what we do or Justin or Carlos lock when we just came in Kean Bailey is a is a a huge uh studier of the game of football and has some real good ideas so you know I think we have a bunch of people that we ask our players to be unselfish I think as coaches you have to be the same exact way and I don't care if I get credit for anything I just want one get games and I think that's the way Ryan feels the same exact way and you know I think we're on the same page from that standpoint so I don't think we look at it from that standpoint you know kind of building off Ryan said a big to Media day to trust you with his life whether it's Mentor or mentee just the idea of having a connection with a coach like that how how important is that I mean I think that's important obviously I mean that's a pretty big statement but I feel the same way you know I think there's a long history we grew up in the same Hometown we've known each other for almost 40 years now so it's not a you know we coached together in the NFL for two years and then we got back together again so there's you know when you go through it it's the same Elementary School the same Junior High the same High School the same College I recruited him coached him in college I know his family well I know his entire family well I think and we're all products of the same Hometown with the same coaches that coached him in US Sports coached me in US Sports so there's always going to be that connection so I think that's a little bit different just because of that Dynamic from from it's not just a history of two years together in the NFL it's it's 40 Years of you know growing up in the same Hometown said that he'd like to have ideally a quarterback starter named within the first two weeks you think that is on the path toward Happ that's a great question by you and I know exactly where you're going with that so um I don't have an answer for you who's your back up right now who's your number two quarterback right now that's a good question wait wait it hey chip is there a difference if you know I mean will reminds me of a guy who's not only able to run but willing to run as a quarterback what does that add to like I guess his worth for one of another ter well I I think it it challenges a defense you know and I talked to Jimmy noes we spent a lot of time with our defensive staff they do a great job of what what hurts you you know really what don't you want to see you know um but when you have somebody that can is can be a dual threat that's a really tough thing to defend sometimes cuz all right we're going to play two man and and lock up these receivers and double double their two best receivers and go well if if they've all turned their back to the quarterback and the fourman rush doesn't get home and the quarterback now takes off nobody left you know and it's not I think obviously we know how fast will is so it's not like if he runs it's a six- yard game like if he takes off it could be a 60- yard game and he had a few of those I think he went 60 against Texas I mean he's had some really big runs in his career so far so I think that's just another tool in your toolbox but it it it makes you a little bit more multi-dimensional you look at the trend that's gone in in the NFL a lot of those guys can they keep plays alive and can they extend plays because of their athleticism um you know Lamar does that Patrick Mahomes does that Josh Allen does that those probably more like Josh just because he's a bigger guy um but it does add a dimension to your offense is obviously shown he will do that uh does Julian have that capability too yeah Julian every quarterback on our in our group runs over 20 and will runs 20 I think he went 221 and he was the fastest but like Lincoln was 219 like Lincoln can go Devon's Devon obviously we know he could he's got that and Julian was over 20 this summer air Air's in air runs at 21 so all all all those guys run over 20 mph so we don't have anybody that's a statue back there um but we're also not going to run them 25 snaps a game they're not Tim TBO now so we're not TX snapping it to them and running quarterback power they're just it's just another facet of what we can do and that you have to account for the quarterback in the Run game last two questions Steve and then cam thanks man Chicago Ryan Day says he would trust you with his trust you with his life just to hear a guy that you coached a guy that you work with uh that's got to be the ultimate compliment and make you feel that you got into this and are having that impact on a lot of people's lives for the right reasons but I would say this that wasn't a surprise to me so we've known that and as we we've had a relationship that goes back a long long time so and I feel the same way so you know our families are really close and um you know we grew up in a in a in a great Hometown where that that sense of community and sense of loyalty and and sense of love for one another is is has always been fostered so um you know it means a lot that he would say that but um I feel the same as that way C we watch Brandon in thing obviously healthy but in and out of cuts very quick when you have a healthy Brandon in how much can that add fol have on the nor and different things yeah there's a lot of things you can do with bi and it was it was unfortunate that we didn't have him during um most of the spring you know so I didn't get to see him you know and I I knew who he was he was highly pretty kick coming out of high school um but to see him now um but I love his competitive nature you know he's he he he competes and it's and I think it it it kind of brings a that competitive level and I think it to a really good competitive wide receiver room it kind of takes it to another level so to to have him back out there as another weapon you know to go along with MEC and and Carell and JJ and those other guys and and Bryson and JB you know there's a bunch of really talented guys in that room but you know to have him back heing is a big really good Plus for us great coach thank you very much than thanks guys thank you man coach I'm going to bring you over here