OPENING STATEMENT: “Welcome back, first of all everybody. It’s good to get things started. We’re jumping into this Phase I, which we’re doing virtually here. It’s a nonmandatory camp – voluntary in other words and the guys can pick and choose when they show up or not show up in other words. We’re not really going to get into who’s here and who’s not here and all that, that’s not how this one works. We’re sure grateful for some of the new additions that we’ve had to the roster with Kristian Fulton, Elijah Mitchell, Jaylon Moore, Gardner Minshew, Jerry Tillery – these are some of the newer guys and then we’ve resigned a bunch of guys so that’s been a plus. We’ve also lost a few guys, which we know – I know (General Manager) Brett (Veach) covered that with you with a couple questions about (Bears G Joe) Thuney and so on – (Saints S) Justin Reid and (Ravens WR DeAndre) Hopkins and all that so – (Texans WR) Justin Watson and (free agent QB Carson) Wentz and (Panthers DT Tershawn) Wharton so those are all good football players. In this day and age, it’s tough to keep everybody in a roster whole like that, but we should feel like we filled in the blanks with some good football players and that’s (the) same with the draft coming up this week. We look forward to getting that – getting into that. We have eight picks there, two second-round picks, a first day pick and so on as we go through there so it should be a good positive outcome once Brett gets done with that. I know his guys have worked their tail off getting ready for the draft and along with the coaches, which they have included but again, the coaches were a small part of the whole. My hat goes off to Brett and his staff for the job that they’ve done and all the prep time that they’ve put in and travel time. Other than that, I don’t have much to add, but I’ll open it up to questions here. Fire away.”
Q: What told you and the team that Jaylon Moore can be a starting left tackle?
REID: “We felt Jaylon (Moore) – well first of all, he was backing up a pretty good player (49ers LT Trent Williams) in San Francisco – arguably the best to ever play the game so I mean – and then when he got his opportunity, he took full advantage of it. We also remember him because he played next to (Mike) Caliendo for three years at Western Michigan there. I think we lead the league in players from Western Michigan now that we’ve added him but listen, he was a good football player there (and) when he had opportunities in San Francisco he was a good player there. We thought that he would be a nice addition to our offensive line as we continue to work that.”
Q: How are Rashee Rice and Jared Wiley doing in their rehab?
REID: “I can’t necessarily give you the – they’re (Rashee Rice and Jared Wiley) doing well. That’s taking place right now, but I can’t tell you when they’ll be back exactly here. Both of (them) are busting their tail – they’re running, which is good, and we’ll just see how it goes going forward here. We don’t have them here on the field right now with us, so we have to see the football part of it as we go.”
Q: On Kingsley Suamataia playing guard.
REID: “When we brought him (Kingsley Suamataia) in, we knew he had that flexibility. We just felt that way athletically and he is a very good athlete. He can run and he can pass block – do all the things that he needs to do. I thought he felt more comfortable in there. As a young guy, sometimes you see guys that start in there and then they work their way back outside. So, we stuck him in there and he did a nice job against Denver, that was one of the bright spots in a game that didn’t have many so that was a – I thought he did a good job – and that’s where we’ll put him. He’ll start in there with Mike Caliendo, so they’ll compete for that spot.”
Q: What’s your mentality coming out of this last Super Bowl and does anything change in your mind as you’re preparing for the next go-round?
REID: “I’m excited to get going again. It’s been fun to go back in and dig in on the season and either come up with new things and/or correct the things that we still like and are bringing back. I think it’s a great time for the players. It’s slowed down to where they get to see all the videos, the cutups of work that the coaches have put in to do these evaluations and to teach and to learn from the player’s standpoint. It’s also good communication so they can share ideas, players and coaches – they can ask questions and feel free about that and there’s no rush to do so. At the same time, they get their lifting in and running in that they need to build that base to get them through the season.”
Q: Is that different than it would be a year ago?
REID: “I’d tell you it’s similar, yeah.”
Q: What do you recall from Andy Lock’s playing days and what were your thoughts about him over the years?
REID: “Well, it’s a sad deal but what a great guy. He’s (former Mizzou football player Andy Lock) left a nice legacy for us all here too that we can cherish if we decide to go out to dinner. You know, the true flavor of offensive linemen. He has these beautiful restaurants in town here that are great, but what a great guy, great human being. I had a chance to go out to a tribute to him in Lee’s Summit there with a bunch of the ex-players from Missouri and Jay Green, with being his roommate for all those years and best friends with him, went to the culinary school there and hotel management school at the University of Missouri which is a tough school to get into. Both of them (Andy Lock and Jay Green) had graduated from there and have had real productive and positive jobs and put themselves in great financial positions. My heart goes out to the family for sure and Drew (Lock) who we all know as a player in the National Football League, I know he had a great relationship with his dad too, so my heart goes out to him.”
Q: On still doing meetings virtually.
REID: “Listen, Matt (Derrick). I think it’s one of the positives that came out of that probably for a lot of professions. I mean, here we’re doing this right now virtually and that didn’t happen before either. You can use it as a teaching tool and that’s something that the players have perfected, we’ve perfected and feel comfortable doing, but no I wouldn’t have seen that before the whole COVID year showed up.”
Q: Is there a benefit to having a backup like Gardner Minshew in that quarterback room considering all the experience he has and that he’s younger than Patrick Mahomes?
REID: “Yeah, he (Gardner Minshew) sure has. He’s a good football player. I think it’ll be a good relationship between the two of them (Gardner Minshew and Patrick Mahomes). They both know of each other and respect each other. I think they look forward to working together. They can speak more on that when you have a chance to talk to them. Gardner’s a humble kid with a great personality, loves to play the game and all of those are the same things that Pat (Patrick Mahomes) has too so it should be a good working relationship there.”
Q: Ahead of Phase I, what kind of guidance do you give Patrick Mahomes? Is there a script that you provide for him and the workouts that he runs?
REID: “You know what Sam (McDowell), we don’t do that. First of all, it’s not legal to do that by the NFL rules. Really, to be honest with you, Pat (Patrick Mahomes) doesn’t need that. Especially right now with the experience he has and the experience that the receivers have, that have joined. Last year, when we had some new faces or some young guys in there, it was a little different, he had to really prep for that. This year, he can kind of go out and work on the things that he knows the guys need worked on and the routes and that. I think it’s even a better situation this year than it was last (year).”
Q: What do you think signing Kristian Fulton can do for the team and Trent McDuffie?
REID: “It should give you a little bit of flexibility, but we’ve got some good corners on the roster, but I think his addition gives you more flexibility, I think is the best thing, you kind of tagged that right there. Trent (McDuffie) is such a good inside player that – and (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags likes using him in there and has a nice package in there with him when he’s used him in there. I think you hit it right on the head, I think it just gives you more flexibility to do that.”
Q: What have you learned about yourself and coaching staff about doing Phase I virtually?
REID: “I don’t know about that Todd (Leabo). We try to – myself included – try to be teachers, be the best teachers we possibly can. It tests you a little bit when you’re doing it virtually. You’re not seeing necessarily the reaction of the player there as you have the big screen on and you’re going through the plays. You’re not playing off the crowd I guess you’d say, you’re playing off of – and keeping these guys occupied by the ability that you have to teach and to help them become even better than they already are. I mean they’re one out of the 32 guys in the whole world that are doing what they do. This gives them an enhancement to be even greater than they already are.”
Q: Do you feel comfortable with what you have on the roster? Is what you need lining up with the draft board? What’s your comfort level with the way things look a couple days out from the draft?
REID: “When you’re sitting here like we have the last couple of years, and fortunate to be sitting in that position because of the wins that have taken place, you really – you have to discipline yourself to take the best player. With that, you have to evaluate every position and you have to put all this time in. (General Manager) Brett (Veach) has done a great job with that, I think he’s very comfortable with it right now if we had to do it today. He and his guys have been working overtime and making sure they have all the bases covered and we’ll come out of it with a good football player.”
Q: Do you have any favorite memories from draft weekend? How does it feel to call these players and know that you’re making their dreams come true?