Saints defensive end Carl Granderson speaks with the media following the team's second practice on Thursday.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:04 >> Carl, Dennis Allen has mentioned the word competition pretty repeatedly.
00:08 It sounds like it's maybe a message to the team this year about wanting
00:12 competition at every position.
00:14 And he said specifically about that DE spot,
00:16 he wants somebody to come out and win it and not to give it to anyone else.
00:20 Is that, I mean, obviously you see a lot of guys in the room, but
00:22 is that a message that's really been conveyed?
00:25 >> Yeah, I feel like that's a message coming into camp every year.
00:29 Everybody's competing for a spot, and you just gotta go take it.
00:34 Ain't nothing given.
00:35 Whether you Kim, Gordon, AK, it don't matter.
00:38 Everybody's coming to do a job and take the job, so to get that starting spot.
00:43 At the end of the day, we're gonna work as a team, and
00:45 we're gonna compete and make each other better.
00:47 >> Carl, last year coming in, you talked a lot about how you worked on it,
00:49 trying to get better against LeBron and
00:51 Misera, point hand, was this offseason something you were trying to out here again?
00:54 >> Yeah, this offseason it was trying to stay focused, get bigger and stronger.
00:59 Like always, coming in, I've been watching a lot of film and
01:03 seeing things that I could do better from last season going into this season.
01:07 So I'm just trying to come in and do my job and do my part.
01:11 >> You do look, did you add some weight this offseason?
01:14 >> I slimmed up, so I'm about the same weight, but I slimmed up, lost body fat.
01:20 >> Like what? You said you saw some stuff that you wanted to work on, like what?
01:24 >> Just better hands, better get off, things like that.
01:28 >> When it comes to taking the leap in the run game,
01:33 I mean going from novice to good is one thing, but
01:37 going from good to great is a whole other thing.
01:39 What is the difference for you going from making that last leap?
01:42 >> The difference is doing your job.
01:44 We're gonna start off by doing the job.
01:46 Everybody got a part to do, 111th, so everybody gotta be on the same page.
01:51 And going from good to great is detail.
01:54 Every little detail matter.
01:55 You gotta stay in your gap and just focus on the little things that matter.
02:01 So if you do that from the DM, the tackle, linebacker, corners,
02:07 and we all on the same page, that's when we have a great difference.
02:10 >> How much of that can you work on during training camp before pads go on?
02:13 Is it just about kind of knowing that you're in the right position and
02:16 making the right choices?
02:16 >> Yeah, so you work on it at night when we go walk through,
02:22 we watch it over, practice.
02:25 So we're working on every detail and
02:26 everybody's standing in the gap throughout the day.
02:29 So transitioning into pads is always gonna be a big thing,
02:35 the little details.
02:37 So right now we're focusing on what jerseys, hand placement, get off, and
02:42 pad level.
02:43 >> What else was really working for
02:44 you that kind of clicked in place in the second half of last season that you
02:47 wanna build on?
02:50 >> It's a new year, so I'm coming in with a different mentality.
02:53 Stay healthy, maintain weight, and stay strong.
02:57 So coming into this season, it's a new team, so
03:01 I'm trying to make my teammates better by competing and everybody else around me.
03:04 So I'm trying to do my job and then everything else will take care of itself.
03:09 >> How would you describe Cam Jordan's role in that room and
03:12 maybe what he does for you?
03:13 Like how you benefit from having him in that room?
03:17 >> Cam's gonna make sure everybody is on point.
03:19 So every day he's gonna bring the energy.
03:22 He's gonna make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to do,
03:25 which is effort, run to the ball, finish at the ball.
03:27 So if you see anything, he's gonna point it out.
03:30 So being a leader, everybody else, being a role model,
03:35 we gotta step up and do our job.
03:36 >> Carl, as a defense, how do you guys create the mentality of just
03:41 that's needed to create more turnovers?
03:43 Is that something you guys talk about a lot?
03:44 How do you maybe get that mindset?
03:47 >> Let's start off doing OTAs in the off season.
03:50 So this year we had a lot of guys come early so we could build that chemistry.
03:55 So if you got the right chemistry and you trust in one another,
03:59 then everything else will take care of itself and the mindset will come.
04:01 >> What would you say stands out to you about
04:08 Mario Davis as kind of like the main linebacker, captain playing right behind
04:13 you and how he develops chemistry with you guys,
04:17 whether it's as a blitzer or filling a gap and stuff like that?
04:20 >> I mean, what stand out the most about being a leader with Mario Davis,
04:24 I've been coming up here earlier and he's the first one in the building.
04:27 So let's start off with that.
04:29 A leader's gonna lead by example.
04:31 And Mario, he's gonna come in, work hard, and then he's leading by example.
04:37 He's running to the ball, punching at the ball, trying to get strips and
04:40 everything.
04:40 And then us being his teammates, we see that and then we follow right behind him.
04:45 So Mario been doing it for a long time.
04:48 And we got the young guys, Foskey and everybody else is following right behind.
04:54 >> How much does he communicate with the defensive line before the snap,
04:57 like right before the play starts?
04:59 Is there a lot of that or it's hard to tell.
05:00 I mean, I know it's loud in there.
05:02 >> I mean, the most he'll do is give a pep talk and
05:07 get us ready to play practice or for the game.
05:11 But other than that, he'll do what coach tell him and
05:14 then he'll send a message and then we follow off that.
05:16 >> Good time for one more.
05:19 >> Carl, towards the end of last season, kind of the latter half of the season,
05:22 you ticked up in terms of snaps, 30, 40, 50 snaps in some games.
05:25 How important were those increased opportunities for your ability?
05:31 >> So honestly, I wasn't even paying attention to the snaps.
05:34 I was just going out there trying to play hard, give it everything I got,
05:37 do my job, whether it's special teams or stopping the run.
05:41 So staying in shape would really help as my snaps increase, but
05:46 I was just going out there and just playing ball.