Following are quotes made by head Coach Gary Kubiak after practice on Tuesday Aug. 29.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on today's practice) "It's a short turnaround for us from the other night, and to have to play now in 48 hours, that is though on a football team. But we'll get ready to go, and try to freshen them up tomorrow. We're going to play our young guys, let them play, let them compete, and just try to make sure they are mentally sharp so they can go have some fun and compete."
(on how many personnel issues will be resolved by the end of the game) "It's going to settle every issue that we have. I told the players this morning, (that) if there is any doubt in our minds, as coaches, about what we're going to do here or there, it's going to get settled here on Thursday night. You'll see those guys on the field Thursday night battling for positions that are very important. We'll let them play themselves out, out there."
(on whether the team might cut more than necessary to pick up players elsewhere) "No, we won't do that. We'll get down to our number just like everybody else. (general manager) Rick (Smith) and I will plan for a last Saturday night when the rest of the league comes in, and we have, if I'm correct, until noon on Sunday to put in a claim if we choose to claim a player. So we have a lot of work to do after our game with our own team and then with some of the things going on around the league."
(on which positions they are looking to possibly claim a player) "We're going to look at the whole waiver wire. Anytime we get a chance to make our football team better we're always going to explore those opportunities. We'll be looking at all those things around the league, but the number one thing we have to do is evaluate our own football team, and make those decisions."
(on which positions are going to be decided during the game Thursday) "I'd hate to sit here and say it's this one first or this one second because I don't know. Let's wait until we get through the game. Let's see where we are at with our own group and go from there."
(on some players not play Thursday) "Well, there is a good group of our guys that we have made our decision on, and we want those guys in one piece and healthy and ready to go for Philadelphia. Plus, I want them to get started on watching Philadelphia right now. I really want to prepare these young guys, that are fighting for jobs, for a fair opportunity to go compete. A fair, good meeting time, so I have separated the groups this week. You have one group getting ready to play Tampa Bay, and you have some veteran players that are not going to play there that are starting to get a head start for week one. We're just trying to be fair to both sides."
(on what happened to DE Earl Cochran in practice) "I saw him walk off, but I don't know. I have not got that yet."
(on LB Kenneth Pettway) "That's a very hard transition to make that quick. But he wasn't getting many reps where he was, he was playing well on special teams. We think he can rush a passer and that was something we wanted to look at. He still has practice squad eligibility so that's a decision there that if he's not in our 53 then we'll have make. He's a good football player there. We're just trying to do what's best for him."
(on LB Courtney Watson) "That's difficult to tell, too. But he will definitely play in the game Thursday so we can evaluate him. It's a late transfer for him, so that's difficult."
(on RB Domanick Davis) "We haven't set up a meeting, yet (with agent and coaches). We're going to try to set something up for gameday to sit down with Domanick, with our trainers, doctors and maybe his agent. I don't know. That was me saying that it was my plan, but there's no meeting yet on Thursday. It might happen Friday. I don't know, but we've got to sit down as a group to discuss the situation."
(on Domanick Davis wanting to play) "That's very positive. That is the decision we have to make with Domanick. The decision is strictly about Domanick's knee and whether he's going to be able to play football this season and whether it's going to be ready to go. That's the thing we have to sit down and discuss is, are we two weeks away? Are we three weeks away? Listen to Domanick's, listen to the doctors and then we've got a decision to make. There's a lot of factors that go into that and we just got to do what's best for this team as I've said all along."
(on cutting Domanick Davis) "The idea of cutting Domanick has not even played a factor. I don't know where that came from. The decision is strictly if his knee is going to be healthy enough to play. If his knee is not healthy enough to play, if that is the decision that's made about him, then he's looking at an I.R. (injury reserve) season. If he is going to be able to make it back, then he is going to be on this football team. The other choice (cutting Davis) has never been a factor. Domanick Davis is a big part of this football team as I've said all along we're going to do what's right for him."
(on G Steve McKinney) "We'd like to give McKinney some work. I'm going to say once again that'll probably be a game-time decision on how he practices today and tomorrow. But he needs some work. I know what he can do for this team and he's going to be part of this team. Other than that, that first group will not play. Charles Spencer will definitely play, he's a young kid and needs some time. He needs to get on the field, so he will definitely play. Fred (Weary) will not play."
(on Eric Winston playing RT) "Yes, he will."
