We had a fun show on Monday, sitting down with three guys I'm really excited to see more from.
John Harris and I wanted to catch up with QB Davis Mills about those three starts in the middle of last season. When we asked what flipped in that Jacksonville game after an early interception, Davis didn't hesitate. "I saw the look, pre-snap. I knew exactly they were in cover zero, sending everybody. I knew where I needed to go with the ball and the defender just made a really good play. I wasn't too upset about that. I knew my process was good. All you can do is really just smile and be like, all right, let's get them on this next drive."
Then came the seam ball to Nico Collins through triple coverage. "That concept was just standard, like four verticals. That's my favorite play in football," Davis said. "Nico got carried underneath from Devin Lloyd and started bending it on the safety. But there was a little gap if I hit back shoulder right over top of Lloyd's head. It's undefendable. Because he's never going to get his eyes to that spot."
When we asked him to pick between the throw to Dalton Schultz against Jacksonville and the third-and-16 to Nico at Tennessee, he surprised us. "I think I like the one to Dalton on that third. We were on our own seven-yard line, third and long. That's like, you got to have this play or else the game's over. The way he's crossing, he's crossing and getting depth, so your throw can't be straight where he's going to get it. He was also backside of the concept. I was looking to the left first and kind of snapped back and saw him for a split second and just tried to lay it out there."
Davis also said the offense under OC Nick Caley has taken a huge step forward. "I think light years ahead of where we were last year. Coach Caley's done a great job really taking insight rom all of his players, especially us in the QB room, really kind of building the offense around us and around C.J. to things that he does really well. He's really an open book with how we've been installing plays."
After Davis, we talked to a pair of rookies. Fourth-round LB Wade Woodaz is already working with Azeez Al-Shaair after practice. "He's going on year eight or nine now. He just signed one of the biggest linebacker contracts in the league, so obviously he knows what to do," Wade said. "He's from Tampa too. I'm also from Tampa. So we kind of clicked over that." On special teams, Wade has embraced the reality of earning his way. "I know that'll be my way into this league. That's just reality, being a smart, savvy guy on special teams — those dudes stick around."
Fifth-round S Kamari Ramsey closed us out, and John brought up a specific play from a game where Kamari chased down a corner-post route across the entire field for a pass breakup. Kamari broke it down like a coach. "I was a half-field safety. He ran a corner post and they max protected, so he had all the time. I had to speed turn because I opened up on the corner a little bit too much. Just got to make those plays. Got to play sideline to sideline. That's what we talk about here."
I asked Kamari whether that kind of play is range or instinct. "I think it's both," he said. "Having the speed and the IQ to know where the offense is going and then having the speed to be able to get there. Just knowing how the offense is going to attack you. Know where you're at on the field, know the situation, know the down and distance, and then know what type of team you're going against. I feel like all that plays a factor."
Both rookies walked into a room full of Pro Bowlers and they aren't intimidated. Kamari put it best: "You get to see the best athletes at their position day in and day out. Seeing Bullock, seeing Lassiter, seeing Stingley, J-Rock, seeing Azeez, seeing Will Anderson, seeing C.J. Stroud, seeing Nico — on both sides, you just see pros, great leaders, great people. That's a standard. I can't let that standard drop."
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