Take a look at top quotes from Head Coach Brandon Staley, Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi and OLB Kyle Van Noy ahead of joint practices with the Cowboys:
Head Coach Brandon Staley
On expectations for the offense and defense in upcoming joint practices with the Cowboys:
"I think being able to play clean football. I think what you want to be able to do in these practices is really test your players against their best people, and then test your schemes, being able to maybe do a little bit more schematically in these practices because you're going to be able to get all of the field zones covered, all of the situations covered. Take a really good look at your schemes against somebody else. Again, that evaluation process, that's so big in doing so, but we're going to engineer this for our first group, and then our second group. Then, the second and third groups will get to play a bunch of the game."
On his plan for the potential of 'scuffles breaking out' during joint practices:
"Last year, I thought we got off to a really great start with [49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and [49ers General Manager] John Lynch and the Niners. I thought those two practices were fantastic, two of the best I've ever been a part of. My view of it is that it takes up both organizations in order to have two quality days of practice. It's the responsibility for everybody in the organization, not just the coaches, not just the team leaders, but it's everybody that, at the end of the two practices, you want to say that your team is closer to being the team that it can become. A lot of it is how it's organized. Then, a lot of it's just the respect factor, just knowing that we respect them, they respect us and that we're trying to become better football teams, better football players and coaches. We've had great conversations with [Cowboys Head Coach] Mike McCarthy and his staff, and between the Jones' and the Spanos', and we're looking forward to two really good days of work. We should have an awesome crowd here for both days. Just that respect for the game, I think the respect for how this game is played, I know how much we respect those that group, they have a really good team, and we're looking forward to competing with them."
On if CB Michael Davis and CB Asante Samuel Jr. are 'competing for a spot at outside corner in Nickel':
"Good observation. Those guys are competing. They're both competing well. We feel like they're both starting-caliber corners. We feel like, with our top four corners, that we have four starting-caliber NFL corners. We have two guys, for sure, that can play Star, as well, with Asante and Bryce [Callahan]. I know that J.C. [Jackson] could do it. That's good for our football team. We wanted it to be an open competition. It has been. It's going to continue to be. Those guys are both playing well for us. We're excited to see them the next two days versus Dallas."
Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi
On what he wants to see from the offense against the Cowboys in joint practices:
"They're going to get new faces in front of them. The unfamiliarity of their opponent kind of comes into play a little bit. I think we'll get some good evaluation and see how they both perform. You get used to seeing the same faces over and over again. You get to know how these guys rush and their tactics and tendencies. Now they have to face new blood. So, I think it will be a real good evaluation."
Outside Linebacker Kyle Van Noy
On how this training camp compares to past training camps he has been a part of:
"Every training camp is different. Everybody is at different stages. I think this one has been mentally a lot more than past and that's OK. That's good and I think we're doing a good job and we have a good plan and we're just going to continue to work hard. I think this week is a big week, not only for myself, but for the organization, to have the caliber of the Cowboys come in and practice, they are a good football team with really good players on the other side. It's going to be a good competition. Hopefully, we respect each other's crafts and we work hard together knowing that we're all trying to get better."
On the value of joint practices:
"It's good. You see a different scheme. You get to see a quality team like the Cowboys that come in and have a system under [Offensive Coordinator] Kellen Moore for a while. Dak [Prescott] knows that offense, the O-line knows the offense, CeeDee Lamb knows the offense, [Tony] Pollard. Really, really, really good players on that offensive side of the ball that run at a really, really good clip. We just have to do everything we can to learn from our mistakes. When you are able to get a bunch of good, quality reps during this time, it's very valuable, and you kind of try to treat it just as much as a game as you can because they are, too. They don't want to get shown up. We don't want to get shown up. Just respect the grind and try to learn those little things that you may not have seen going against your own offense, seeing a different offense. Trying to put your tools and a different thinking cap on for that is really good."
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