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On Wednedsay, Titans OC Nick Holz addressed the media, discussing the state of the Titans' offense. He talked about the progress of the install, Will Levis' development, the leadership he sees in players like JC Latham, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd, the energy that he feels within the offense, and much more.
*Titans OC Nick Holz raves about Will Levis, JC Latham, Calvin Ridley*
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0:00
The use of your two running backs, how excited are you to have those guys and
0:05
actually see them on the field and see how you can work with them? They've both been as advertised, to say the least
0:11
And we kind of in each special teams period and kind of they're not really involved in special teams very much
0:19
So it's time for us as the quarterbacks kind of really to keep developing them
0:24
in passing game and get all kinds of different ball handling. And, you know, we're under such time constraints and OTAs that that time's been really valuable for us
0:33
to kind of take them over there and just develop their skill sets in all fast games
0:38
So, you know, we just still feel that they're both interchangeable and they both can be real big assets in the passing game and in the running game
0:46
So I think it's been fun for both of us. Are you at a same time, like, next to your skill set
0:51
Are you still just kind of feeling good? A little bit. I'd say we kind of in the last three or four days really felt like the whole offense just kind of conceptually was in
1:03
And so now kind of starting really yesterday and then through next week
1:08
we'll kind of put in some of those wrinkles and kind of those kind of things. We've really kept it. We've only had one team period a day or maybe one team period to walk through
1:15
So to kind of get into all that stuff, we've really wanted to get the basics down. and then we started installing some of those things
1:22
but we haven't repped them in a group setting as much. How do you have things that go for you through the first part of OTAs and I
1:29
You know, I think for the first part of OTAs, it's been really good. We feel like we've gotten most of the system in, you know
1:36
so now we've really coached it for a second or a third time, so we've been able to see kind of the growth from just like the learning the plays
1:43
to actually kind of taking the techniques, applying to the plays, and that kind of deal
1:47
So I feel like the guys are getting more comfortable in the offense and kind of everything we're asking them to do
1:52
So it's been good progress so far. Josh has had a great offseason, start with that
1:59
But he does have that kind of skill set. But he's not just, you know, he's got a, how do you say it
2:05
He's got really good ball skills for a big guy as well. So that kind of target, especially in the red zone, especially kind of on third downs and things like that where he can
2:14
he's more of a matchup, I think, than he's probably given credit for. So for us, we'd really love to get him in some of those one-on-one situations, especially against a backer
2:21
He's got so much hype, and he's got really good ball skills
2:25
So that'd be something that we definitely are trying to add to his repertoire
2:29
Along those lines, did he use his size like the way Antonio Gates did with the basketball background
2:37
to kind of box people out in one-on-one situations like that? I think Josh would very much like to be compared to Antonio Gates
2:44
I think that's a very... That's an aggressive There certainly something to work on there you know he from that point of just a true size matchup Absolutely you know and then you know the Antonio Gates part I let when you guys talk to him
3:04
you guys can ask him about his basketball skills and ball skills in that regard. But, yeah, he definitely has more matchup capabilities
3:12
I think, you know, he's been healthy here this whole, you know, kind of this whole spring. And so you've really seen the route running
3:18
the different change of direction and kind of that body control for him
3:22
take a leap so far in the situation. I think it's important for us right now to have as much depth as possible
3:33
So we want as many guys that can do as many jobs and not kind of be pigeonholed of
3:39
Josh is this guy, Chig is this guy, Nick Vanette, Thomas, all the guys are just
3:44
these are their roles. So in the offseason, it's been more, let's see how much all of them can do
3:50
And at some point, I think you'd love to have, I think everybody would love to have, you know
3:54
Travis Kelsey and say that this is our guy and those kind of things. But I think it's also important for us with the depth piece to keep building up
4:01
And they're all young players, so I don't think we really want to limit right now what any of them can do in that regard
4:07
I'm used to getting a lot of targets. Yeah, every receiver is the same
4:12
You know, I don't think every receiver has ever said they've had too many targets. but it's been you know I think it's we were kind of talking about them as a group the other day they
4:21
as a group none of them have any real deficiency you know what I mean like so there's not something
4:27
you see and say this guy can't do this they can't do that but like each one of them has kind of an elite trait which you really want to maximize you know Calvin's got the great speed and
4:37
you know burst off the ball and you know vertical change of direction you know Tyler's so smooth in
4:43
out of his cuts and kind of has a great understanding in the slot and kind of how the work
4:49
coverage is and in the system. And then DeAndre's got such, you know, he's probably got the strongest hands of anybody
4:54
in the league. So it's great to have guys that are all good at everything, but they also have one thing
5:00
you're like, okay, this is an advantage for us. So moving them around and kind of, you know, none of them are young, so we're not going
5:08
to try to, you know, blow them out out here and try to, you know, do too much
5:12
but they've been able to show each one of their skill sets and kind of, we have some each day, a little bit targeted place for each guy
5:19
as we get, as we've been going. What is his base for
5:24
You know, I think there's a part of the, with his base
5:28
he's really as coachable of a quarterback, I think, as you could find
5:33
He takes all the instruction. He doesn't really fight you on anything
5:37
He's got ideas and, hey, this is why I'm doing this. And he's got a really unique
5:42
I'm not sure I've ever been around a guy who's so in touch with all of his mechanical things
5:46
He's very focused on it and he has a really big understanding of it all. So he got a reason for why he done it but then if we show him stuff on film or hey this is why this is why he takes it to heart like that And you can see the intention out there every time then he gets on the next day It been really impressive from that standpoint of okay they said this let do this
6:08
Let's make this my focus of the day. And he's done that every day without fail
6:13
So it's been really cool from that standpoint. You see him talking after you as a rookie
6:19
Have you noticed that yourself? Well, JC has maybe the best energy of any person on this team
6:27
I mean, he is like a – he's out here all day. You know, there was a – here's a side story about JC
6:33
The day he signed his contract or something, we were sitting in our office
6:37
I was having a sandwich, and it's about to have a thunderstorm out here, and we look outside, and Rand, I walk down the hallway
6:43
It's just JC out here by himself, you know, at 430 in the afternoon, hitting a sled, and, you know, so Rand and I walked out
6:50
They're like, hey, first of all, you can't be working on the field. You've got to go. And it's about to be a thunderstorm
6:54
And he's just like, oh, this is what I want to do. And so his energy is infectious from that standpoint
7:00
But I would say he's done a really nice job with his footwork
7:05
Playing left tackle in the NFL, it's a foot speed position. And you're going up against the best athlete on defense
7:12
So he's done a really nice job, I think, improving that and just kind of playing under control
7:16
You know, he's so big and he's so strong. and he doesn't need to do a million different things to move people and get himself in the right body position
7:26
He's just been more consistently accurate, right? So when you play with the base and you've got your feet and you talk about being rooted in the ground
7:35
and then really there's just less variation how the throws come out
7:39
When you're off kind of platform and off kilter like that, some bench are arm angles get all off and he sails and he'll drop
7:45
And it's been not just with Will, we've been working on that with all three quarterbacks
7:49
Yeah, well, where have you seen some leadership emerging on offense? Oh, boy, that's a, you know, Calvin has certainly been a guy who's, you know
8:00
been more vocal in the meetings and kind of taking a leadership role
8:04
You know, Tyler Boyd's done a really nice job with the young receivers kind of taking him
8:11
And, you know, we only have so much meeting time. Hey, this is the system. This is this. This was this
8:15
this is something that worked for me when I was in Cincy learning this, or this is how I ran this
8:20
route. So those two receivers have done a great job. You know, Lloyd kind of is a, I wouldn't say
8:26
unspoken leader, but he's got kind of that really quiet, steadying presence for the group. And then
8:33
I think the two running backs are kind of our energy starters from that right. So I think
8:38
everybody's kind of feeling themselves out of what the leadership role is. But we've had a
8:44
A handful of guys step up in their own ways. Is there one of those things of, hey
8:49
when the big players are there, you gotta make it. But he's done excellent for us
8:52
and he really been versatile able to play inside and outside So he actually been rotating it at all three spots and a lot of times he been running with the ones because guys aren there and it the off season so
9:05
it's voluntary so he's been doing a really nice job kind of plug and play in that standpoint
9:10
I'm in Caterhide. What's it like being back with him again now and
9:13
how much you think he's driven to kind of show how I've worked that contract and
9:18
still got it? I think Calvin was always driven, I would say
9:24
And then last year when I got with him in Jacksonville, I think there was some coming off the suspension, that drive
9:31
and I want to show everybody he's still got it and who he is as a person, as a player
9:35
And I'd say this year he just feels much more calm and settled a little bit
9:40
just from having played football recently rather than it had been a year plus
9:46
and his energy and just being around him. You guys see him, the way he works at practice, the speed
9:54
and that's always great, but as a person, it's just been kind of fun to be around him
9:58
and he's got a great attitude every day, and I think that's kind of the guy we knew we were getting
10:06
We've done a decent amount of stuff with the line of scrimmage, so I think that's always challenging
10:11
You get to play in the huddle, we'll get there, and we give the quarterback some ability to check
10:16
or, you know, get the line to, you know, Lloyd and Will, make a different call
10:20
and I think those things always in the heat of the moment, communication is always the toughest, right
10:24
You're sitting there, you know, you've got the music going. Our defense, you know, our defense is just as variable as everybody
10:31
You know, Denard's brought this scheme where he's got people blitzing from everywhere and lining up all over the place
10:36
So we're getting a lot of – so that communication I think has been the best part
10:40
but also the most challenging part because it's – all we talk about in our meetings is communication
10:44
The number one thing is, you know, quarterback, receiver, coach to player, player to player
10:49
That's almost every clip we talk about. Hey, what are we talking about here? What's the call
10:53
What's this? How'd you adjust it? What'd you see? How'd you let them know you saw it
10:57
So that part of, it's probably a little cumbersome of that, but that's been the good and the bad
11:03
So I think we both touch it from Cal. Call them on. Pivotal is major growth and a major step forward in the second year of the process
11:11
Yeah, I think there's some point the second year is, you know, contractually it's always great for, you know, that's kind of a big picture for us
11:21
You know, we're really looking at it. It's just we've been with them a couple months. Everything we've seen from a growth standpoint from day one to today has been awesome
11:30
And so, yeah, everybody wants to see growth. I think either in this league you're either growing or you're either getting better or you're not
11:38
And they're going to find somebody to replace you that way. But he's been doing great, so we have no thoughts really
11:43
What's kind of been the smoothest, do you think, in terms of guys learning
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