MANDATORY MINICAMP MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Thursday, June 13, 2019 | Hoag Performance Center | Costa Mesa, Calif.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN
Opening statement:
"I thought it was a good finish to the last day of camp. I thought the young guys took the bulk of the reps. Like I've said all along, they're getting better every practice. Today, they looked pretty good."
On the parting message to the team:
"We just talked a little bit. You don't need a Vince Lombardi speech right now. It's way too soon. Just take care of yourself, what to do and what not do to, playbooks and things like that."
On players taking vacation:
"You know what, for a couple weeks? Yes. They have a five-week break now. A couple weeks, get away from football. It's not like at the end of the season where you can come back and ease your way into it. When they get back, we're competing for a world championship. They have to be in great shape when they get back. The conditioning part of it is a little more intense this time around, but the first couple weeks get away and enjoy yourself."
On S Derwin James Jr. saying 'everything matters':
"That's this team. That's the National Football League. You're dealing with these elite athletes. It's all about the little things. Everything does matter."
On veterans of nine years not having to participate today:
"Yeah, it was like last year. Guys that have been in the league nine years. We only had like six of those guys. [QB] Tyrod [Taylor] was right at nine. I didn't even realize it yesterday. He came up to me and goes, 'Coach, am I here tomorrow?' I said, 'Hell yeah, you're here tomorrow.' He goes, 'You know this is my ninth year?' I was like, 'You've been in the league for nine years?' Time flies, man."
On what he does during the break:
"I usually go over to my place in Puerto Vallarta and just kind of hang out there for two-and-a-half weeks, let the kids come see me. This year, we have a little different plan. We're going to go to Africa. Going to open up a school. My foundation — the Lynn Family Foundation — we partnered with Common Threads out of New York and we built a school over there. We're going to open it up on June 29th."
On the school he will open in Africa:
"It's just [kindergarten] through seventh grade. Our goal is to get K-12, but right now, it's K-7. It's in Tanzania."
On the motivation to do that with the foundation:
"You know what? A good friend of mine who's kind of running the whole deal, Robbie Reddy, we played against each other. He was at the University of Texas when I was at Texas Tech. We ended up being neighbors in New York. He's a commercial contractor. He builds schools in New York and around, he's a world traveler. There was a certain place in Tanzania where they didn't have schools and teenagers were going into the military and young ladies were getting hauled off into sex [trafficking]. We thought that we needed education there. We need a school there. This organization [Common Threads] worked toward getting a school there. I helped a little bit. We're going to go open it up."
On how long he will be in Africa:
"I'll be there for eight days. It will be my first time. I'm looking forward to it."
On the golf tournament he is hosting next week in Texas:
"When you're building schools and things, you have to raise money. We're hosting a golf outing at my hometown in Dallas on the 24th of June. We should have a good time. Anyone that wants to play — you guys want to play? Come out and play. You're more than welcome. It's Grapevine — the Cowboys' course."
On the Bill Walsh Fellowship coaches:
"It's great [having them here]. We always have a good group. This year, it was a star-studded group. We had Todd Lyght, Jim Jeffcoat, [along with Mario Edwards, Israel Abraham and Martin Bayless]. They've been in this league 14 to 15 years and now they're coaching and giving back. Those guys come here to learn, but they also come here to get evaluated and looked at because if there are any openings, you may want to hire one of these guys. I think the fellowship has been working out well for us. We bring in a group during minicamp. We bring in another group during training camp [Brian Bratton, Joe Bowden, Adrian Mayes, Miquel Reveles and Kai Brown this year]. It's just more exposure for those guys."
On if he was part of the Bill Walsh Fellowship program:
"I wasn't part of that program because the day I retired, I joined the Denver Broncos staff so I never had to be. I knew about the program. Coach Walsh talked to me about the program when I was playing, so I knew about it."
On reminding the players to stay out of trouble during the break:
"It's a pretty good group. I don't really have to talk about not getting in trouble a lot because I think we have a good character group. We always protect the team. It's mainly talking about coming back in great shape because we don't have time to ease into this when they get back. We're going to be rolling. They came back in great shape last year. I think we had one guy that didn't pass the conditioning test. Everyone else did, so that was pretty good."
On T Russell Okung:
"There's no updates on Russell."
On players speaking confidently about the team's expectations:
"I think those were the same two guys that weren't here all of OTAs, right? I think most players feel that way — that they're the team to beat, especially when everyone is undefeated. I don't like to talk about it. Our division, until someone tops Kansas City, that's the team to beat. Until someone knocks New England off, they're the team to beat. I mean, they won the championship. I'm not comfortable with anyone saying that we're the team to beat right now because we have a lot to prove."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS SAFETY DERWIN JAMES JR.
On his plans for the rest of the offseason:
"Just rest up my body, get myself ready for this season. Get faster, get stronger and come back with that mindset to help this team win."
On the offseason program:
"It went well. I feel, as a team, we gelled together. The younger guys started to learn the playbook more. The older guys kind of took on the leadership more. I feel like we came together more as a team."
On balancing the time off:
"Everything matters from all the meetings, all the walkthroughs. It's, like I said, taking care of your body off the field. I feel like everything matters. We take that as everything matters [mentality] into this year — versus last year where guys kind of slacked off [during the break]. I feel like, this year, things will be good."
On last year's break:
"I feel like we weren't on it all the time. We weren't 100 percent on it on all of our walkthroughs and stuff. I feel like everybody is on it, everybody is detailed, everybody is focused and I feel like we're doing better."
On S Nasir Adderley:
"We could see the explosion that he showed on tape at Delaware. I feel like he's going to be a great help and great addition to our secondary."
On what he will do for training in the break:
"There's barely time off for me. It's just like getting the massages and really taking care of your body. I don't like to really take too much time off."
On S Rayshawn Jenkins:
"Oh, Rayshawn is balling. Rays' making plays. Ray is making an interception every day. Like I say, we have a lot of guys that can play a lot of positions. Ray is one of the guys that can play linebacker, can play dime and plays safety. I feel like he's going to be a great addition to our team this year, too."
On fulfilling high expectations:
"Win games. Win ball games. I feel like we have to come out and play. I feel like we have to put it on film. Like I said, come out every week with the mindset that we're coming in to win. If you win games, you can win a championship."
On how last season helps this season:
"Just that experience [of playing in the postseason]. Especially for me, it was my rookie season. Just being able to go on the road and play in a hostile environment like we did against a great team that won the Super Bowl. We kind of know the expectations of what it takes to get to that next step."
On the potential of the defense:
"This defense can be even better than it was last year. I feel like we can be special. I feel like we're going to have our own identity this year and I feel like we're going to come out and make plays."
On how the defense can improve:
"It's everybody doing their job, everybody being accountable and everybody making plays. When the play calls for them to make it, everybody needs to make it."
On the difference between this year and last year:
"I'm not really as worried as I was last year because I was kind of stumbling, trying to learn the playbook and really just try to show the coaches that I could make plays. Now, everybody kind of knows what I can do and now I'm just helping the young guys transition. Like I said, just improving for this year."
On LB Thomas Davis Sr.:
"Man, that man is so fast. I've seen him fly past me a couple of times running to the ball. He's a tremendous athlete. He looks like he's in year one with me."
On the difference between year one and year two:
"Now, I'm able to move around more and play different positions because I know of the defense instead of just focusing on one position. Now, for me, I know what to expect coming into this year versus last year."
On relaxing during the break:
"I'm always eating. I'm like a fat boy. I'm going to eat. I'm still a human being, but like I said when it's time to work, it's time to work. I enjoy myself."
On if he will take a vacation:
"Vacation is over for me. I had my vacation last break."
On being more of a leader in year two:
"It means a lot, not just as a secondary but as a team. A lot of older guys tell me all the time, 'Man, you're one of the leaders on this team.' They look for me to play that role. I'm not a guy that's just going to rah-rah all the time, but I hold myself to a standard and hold the guys around me to the same standard. I just try to come out and help my teammates in the best way that I can. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to win, always been a competitor and always just want the guys on my team to do well."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WILLIAMS
On the offseason program:
"It was great. I got some good work in. Just another full offseason for me to get with the quarterbacks, run some routes and have a great OTAs and minicamp."
On his role in the offense this offseason compared to years past:
"Well, this is my third year going into the offense. I'm a lot more confident coming out here and playing. My role is going to expand with [Raiders WR] Tyrell [Williams] leaving. I'm looking forward to that. I'm ready to make some plays this upcoming season."
On if he approached the offseason any differently:
"No, just stick to the same plan that I was doing. The same process. You have to trust the process."
On an expanded role in the offense:
"For sure. We lost a big weapon in Tyrell [Williams]. A lot of people in the room have to step up. I feel like me being the player that I am, I feel like I can do that."
On the wide receivers group:
"They have a big opportunity. I feel like we have a lot of guys in that room that can play. I feel [Artavis] Tay [Scott], Justice [Liggins], [Andre] Dre [Patton], Dylan [Cantrell], [Geremy] Germ [Davis] — all of those guys can go out there an play on Sunday. I feel like we have a very confident room. The coaches can trust everybody in that room."
On competition within the group:
"Oh, we compete every day. I just feel like it comes with being in the NFL. I feel like everybody wants to get better. Everybody wants to be great. I feel like we have those types of guys in our room that will make everything so much easier for us. Everybody wants to come in and get better every day."
On if he thinks he will be used differently than last season:
"I feel like the role is going to change. I feel I'm going to get a lot more opportunities than I did last year. A lot more balls coming my way. I'm looking forward to it."
On if the potential change in role has changed his approach:
"Oh, no. I always will be working on [route running]. As a receiver, that's just something you work on every day. I've been working on that since day one. I'm just looking forward to the opportunity."
On if he will be covered differently:
"I can deal with any type of coverage — man-to-man, cover-3, cover-2. It doesn't really matter, you just have to control what you can control."
On having WR Travis Benjamin and TE Hunter Henry healthy:
"Not having Hunter out there, next year it's going to open up everything. I think it's going to open the offense a lot more. Having Travis' speed out there, Hunter's size and being able to make plays in the red zone will also help. Having those two types of players on the team is going to help this offense a lot."
On what he does during the break:
"I'm going home and will spend some time with my family. I'll go home for a little bit. I'm having a youth camp at my high school. I'm going to take a vacation with my mom and then I'm back to what I'm doing."
On the youth camp:
"It's going to be at my high school in South Carolina."
On where he will go on vacation:
"The Cayman Islands. It's my first time. We were going to the Dominican Republic, but there's too much going on out there, so I had to make new plans. It should be good."
