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Bill Belichick Media Availability Transcript 6/8

Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick addresses the media at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, June 8, 2017

BB: Alright, how are we doing today? Another nice day out here. We're just rolling along, so not much from me. 

Q:  As the coach, what is it like for you to watch the players open up their Super Bowl rings and see them for the first time?

BB: Well, it's a great feeling to have everybody back together for that. It was a great accomplishment and we'll enjoy it tomorrow night, but right now just really trying to focus on having a good day today.

Q: Even though this is a teaching camp, do you get a good gauge of the athleticism of the new players?

BB: Yeah, sure. You know, we see what we can see. It's not real football, but it's as close as we can get at this time of year. It's all we can do. We'll try to get the most out of our opportunities here, and there will be other ones in training camp and there will be other ones in preseason games. It's just a little more real football than what this is, but it's a start and we'll get out of what we can get. 

Q: How is Cyrus Jones looking this spring?

BB: Yeah, I think I talked yesterday about all those second year guys. I think they're all kind of in the same category. They're way ahead of where they were last year. We'll see how all that translates into training camp and preseason games.

Q: Can you typically see that second-year jump for players at this time of year, or is that something you see later in the summer?

BB: Oh no, we've seen it, seen plenty of it. Again, overall, that was a good group or is a good group - guys where there first year was last year. They've learned a lot, they've worked hard, they've become professionals on and off the field, learned a lot about what we do, learned a lot about schemes in the league. Whether that all manifests itself into what performance that correlates to, we'll just have to wait and see, but they're certainly making progress and working hard.

Q: LeShun Daniels was a pretty physical running back in college. Are there still things you can take away from this camp despite having no contact?

BB: Yeah, I think guys like that, that's less of their game. We have other guys at other positions that fall into a similar category, but again, we do what we can do. Learning the plays, we work on ball handling and we don't have many running plays in team - they're just kind of against air or bags - but we work on the passing game, special teams and try to get the footwork and the reads in the running games. But that will come during training camp with nine-on-sevens and half-line drills and things like that. Look, we know we have a lot of work to do in training camp. We're, as I said, doing the best we can do with the passing game and some of the things we're working on here, but it's incomplete. There's going to be a lot more to do.

Q: The Vanderbilt coaching staff was on site yesterday and it looked like there were some people from other sports, as well. What do you gain from those interactions?

BB: Well, in some respects, coaching is coaching. It's teaching and dealing with athletes at a high level, so some things that we all have in common there. I'd say it's more along those lines.

Q: Some of the new players have talked about the pace of practice and how nobody is standing around. How important is it to structure a practice that always keeps players active?

BB: Well, we have limits as to how long we can be out here. We just try to make the most out of that opportunity, that's all. I mean, we have time to meet inside, so I don't see a point in meeting out here.

Q: There have been a few rules changes this offseason. What are your thoughts on the overtime change, in particular? Did you feel like overtime was too long?

BB: Yeah, I mean, I don't think it's a big deal. I mean, it's shorter, so it is what it is. What else do we have?

Q: They changed the rule in terms of the players jumping over the center.

BB: Yeah, right, that's another monster.

Q: Your reaction?

BB: Won't do it. 

Q: Is there a reason why the team did not submit any rule change proposals this year?

BB: We love the rules the way they are. Yeah, we don't want to change them.

Q: Have you ever felt a desire in the locker room to yell at Stacey James regarding the media members?

BB: No, Stacey usually isn't in the locker room. It's more Michael [Jurovaty] and Aaron [Salkin].

Q: How has Dion Lewis looked this spring? He is obviously further ahead than he was a year ago.

BB: Yeah, a lot further. I think Dion's building on his last however many weeks of the regular season it was last year - six or seven or whatever it was - and the playoffs, so he's had a good offseason. He's built on that. I mean, he really worked hard to get back for the end of last year, and then this year, he's been able to improve on that. Again, anxious to see him in training camp, but he's done a good job out here. 

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