You probably noticed we had a Q&A with defensive coordinator Ross Els soon after the spring game. I also had an interview with Terry Malone, but we focused more on him, his coaching philosophy and his personality for a magazine feature I was writing. That'll be in the next issue. So I didn't get much spring-specific-reaction stuff from him. I included one bit about the QBs in the story.
Here's the link to the story on the site now that includes thoughts from Saints OC Pete Carmichael and former Saints TE David Thomas among others ... LINK
And here's the rest of what Malone said when I generally asked him what he thought about the offense this spring:
"I really like our wide receivers, I think they’re really a good group of guys and they have responded so well to every challenge we’ve given them. They’re hungry to go out in winning fashion. They want to win a championship and they want to go a bowl game. They want to do a lot of things they haven’t had a chance to do. They’re a fun group to be around and they are talented. I appreciate them very much.
"Our running backs took a terrible blow on Saturday (in the spring game). That was really one of the few disappointing things that I can think about over this past six weeks. Losing D.J. (Knox), I know it’s part of the game and everything, but it just breaks my heart because he works so hard and put himself in position to really be a great contributor to our success. But with that being said, we do have a number of those guys can play for us. Certainly Markell (Jones) is the leader of that group and has done a great job.
"Offensive line-wise, I’m not disappointed at all. I think all those guys developed and got better as the spring went on. I think we have a very athletic line that we can move around and do a lot of things with that sometimes you’re a little bit limited because of what the offensive line can do, but I think our offensive line can do everything we want them to do. I just wish we had more numbers. We’re just strapped with not enough guys.
"I love the tight ends. Again, I wish we had more. But we don’t. So we’ll use those guys just as much as we can and take advantage of the skills they have. It’s a great group. They’re hard-working and a lot of fun to be around."
Asked him quickly — I already was running late for my interview with Tim Lester and my VR experience — about his version of the West Coast offense, it being less Bill Walsh and more Mike Martz-style with going over the top and going deep to soften everything. His response:
"I’d like to think that that’s exactly how it is. There’s a lot of West Coast principles in it, timing routes, getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand fast. Bill Walsh really became the guru of the timing routes that kind of complemented a run game. He said, ‘Hey, half of these routes we throw are runs — we’re throwing a ball to a great guy who can run the ball, but basically they’re runs.’ We have some of that in the offense. But I like to stretch the defense to make them back up and play honest football. I hate to see the defense on their toes coming at us without having to back up first."
Here's the link to the story on the site now that includes thoughts from Saints OC Pete Carmichael and former Saints TE David Thomas among others ... LINK
And here's the rest of what Malone said when I generally asked him what he thought about the offense this spring:
"I really like our wide receivers, I think they’re really a good group of guys and they have responded so well to every challenge we’ve given them. They’re hungry to go out in winning fashion. They want to win a championship and they want to go a bowl game. They want to do a lot of things they haven’t had a chance to do. They’re a fun group to be around and they are talented. I appreciate them very much.
"Our running backs took a terrible blow on Saturday (in the spring game). That was really one of the few disappointing things that I can think about over this past six weeks. Losing D.J. (Knox), I know it’s part of the game and everything, but it just breaks my heart because he works so hard and put himself in position to really be a great contributor to our success. But with that being said, we do have a number of those guys can play for us. Certainly Markell (Jones) is the leader of that group and has done a great job.
"Offensive line-wise, I’m not disappointed at all. I think all those guys developed and got better as the spring went on. I think we have a very athletic line that we can move around and do a lot of things with that sometimes you’re a little bit limited because of what the offensive line can do, but I think our offensive line can do everything we want them to do. I just wish we had more numbers. We’re just strapped with not enough guys.
"I love the tight ends. Again, I wish we had more. But we don’t. So we’ll use those guys just as much as we can and take advantage of the skills they have. It’s a great group. They’re hard-working and a lot of fun to be around."
Asked him quickly — I already was running late for my interview with Tim Lester and my VR experience — about his version of the West Coast offense, it being less Bill Walsh and more Mike Martz-style with going over the top and going deep to soften everything. His response:
"I’d like to think that that’s exactly how it is. There’s a lot of West Coast principles in it, timing routes, getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand fast. Bill Walsh really became the guru of the timing routes that kind of complemented a run game. He said, ‘Hey, half of these routes we throw are runs — we’re throwing a ball to a great guy who can run the ball, but basically they’re runs.’ We have some of that in the offense. But I like to stretch the defense to make them back up and play honest football. I hate to see the defense on their toes coming at us without having to back up first."
