How has Mitch Morse’s experience in the league helped the team so far?
Outside of the quarterback the center is leader of the offense, they are the only 2 people on the offense that touch the ball every single play, so the center is pretty vital to the production on offense. Mitch Morse has been huge for the growth of our offensive line being the oldest by 5+ years, he's the veteran that everybody is soaking up knowledge from and he's been nothing but a role model to these guys. In years past him and Dion Dawkins running the show but after an offseason trade sending him to the Ravens, Morse is the lone veteran of this unit and will have to carry the load with a bunch of young guns around him. Year 10 at the helm will be his toughest and potential last go round but the word out of camp is that this unit is turning a bunch of heads and exceeding expectations so far.
What is the status of Ed Oliver and when is he set to return?
Ed Oliver was diagnosed with a torn labrum and will be sidelined for about 4-5 more weeks, so I would bet we see him by week 5 at the latest. The loss of Ed is crucial because he's our best front 4 player with the loss of Von Miller as the young guys were leaning on his knowledge and veteran presence in the huddle. These first 4 weeks will be a huge test as we'll be leaning on a ton of backups and will need the linebacker core to step up and fill in for some of the mistakes made in the run game with Oliver out. I'm interested to see who in that unit steps up and potentially earns themselves some playing time down the road.
Are you seeing the speed of the game starting to slow down for some of the rookies?
Donovan McMillon and Denzel Burke are 2 rookies we drafted with the hope of them starting from day 1. At first in camp, they were struggling because they didn't trust themselves or have a full grasp of the playbook. From my experience playing football when you go up a level the speed of the game changes juristically, from middle school to high school, from high school to D2 and then to D1-aa. The game speeds up and so do your decision making, that's why it's so important to have a full grasp of the playbook and know not only your job but the people around you. When you know what you're doing you can play so much more freely and faster. Playing the corner and safety position you don't have much time to think, you have to know your zone and responsibility to a tee. When you know your responsibility and know where you have help at on the field can speed up your play so much, the rest is on your God given ability and your natural instincts, I was always told just do your job and your natural instincts will take over when necessary. It looks like you're playing faster but the game actually slows down for you when your fully confident in the job that's being asked of you. Burke and Donovan will get better with reps but their growth from week 1 till now is tremendous and I can't wait to see where they are by midseason.
How do you see the competition level in the AFC East currently?
To start the cycle there wasn't much competition in the Afc East but over the last season and some change everything has shifted. The Pats have a qb now and that roster has been built along with the Dolphins who drafted some impact rookies to put them in contention. Going into this season I still see myself as the favorite, but anything can happen with the way my foes have come along. Season 3 will be fun, but I have me finishing 1, the Dolphins 2, the Pats 3 and Jets 4.
