Take a look at top quotes from Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi, G Zion Johnson and RB Isaiah Spiller after Saturday's practice:
Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi
On early impressions of the offense through the first nine practices:
"Overall, a lot of positive things. We're kind of getting to the end of the bulk of the install, so, hopefully, from here on, we can start polishing and cleaning up some of the alignments and details on the splits and some of sort protection adjustments versus the different looks that the defense is starting to give us. A lot of little things to clean up, but I think that there are a lot of good players out here that are performing well, so excited about that."
On QB Justin Herbert's performance thus far in training camp:
"Good. He's a lot more comfortable this year. Probably experimenting a little bit out here with some throws, being a little more aggressive and testing the limits of things, but he's good, he's locked in. I'm really pleased with where he is at."
On expectations for Sunday's scrimmage:
"It'll be the first time that we're out here when we don't have a script going into practice. Guys getting in and out of the huddle, getting lined up correctly and playing fast. Again, it won't be full tackle to the ground, so it's still not 100 percent football yet, but that's the main thing — we're going to run more plays tomorrow than we normally do in a normal practice, and it's going to be unscripted. They're still in the huddle listening to plays, it's not like they memorize the script, but there's a familiarity because they've reviewed the plays that we've run in that practice, so tomorrow will just be more game-like, as far as the operation is concerned. Clean operation is going to be the biggest thing."
On the competition at right tackle:
"I'll say this, I'm kind of happy with both of those guys. A little bit like I said about the running backs, the story is still to be told on that. I'm really pleased with both of them right now. We'll see how it falls out. The preseason games and the practices against the Cowboys, and as we get more consistently into pads here, that will define itself a little bit more. Maybe Yogi Berra said it, 'Our depth is deep.' But, I do feel really good about our depth up there."
On Rashawn Slater's growth from last season:
"That's a good question. Those guys that are really good, sometimes they are so critical of themselves — like we'll come out here, and Justin will be throwing up a route to a receiver, and he's mad at the way he's throwing it, and they all look like A-pluses to me. I think that Rashawn is probably a little bit the same way. I thought he was damn good, but I'm sure that he's looking for consistency in how he sets in anticipation of kind of a game plan when the ball is snapped, rather than just, 'I'm blocking this guy, how am I setting? What am I expecting of him? When I see this, I'm expecting this move from him.' Just those Football 202 things that come from knowledge of the game and experience. I'm sure that he's working on all of that stuff."
On 'the physicality' through nine practices:
"These guys have come out ready to go. Like I said, we're really strong inside on the O-line, between Corey [Linsley] and Anchor — which is what they call Matt Feiler, I don't know if everyone knows that. I just heard them saying it and I adopted it. Feiler, Corey and those two rookies, along with [Brendan] Jaimes and Ryan Hunter. All of those guys are strong. You feel the line of scrimmage moving in the run game. You feel a real sturdy pocket inside in the pass game. I've been really pleased with the physicality. I'll look at the film today, but it felt like we were rolling upfront, so I'm excited about it."
Guard Zion Johnson
On training camp and offense:
"It's been going well. I've been learning a lot. My goal has been to get better every day. I feel like I've done that. It's been good to build chemistry with the other offensive linemen, with our quarterback, with all of the other guys on the offense. I just love to get better every single day."
On how he judges his performance in non-padded practices:
"The way our coach kind of described it to us is we want to work on our hands. We want to work on our footwork. There is a little bit of a difference when it comes to when you don't have your pads on. Defenders can get away with certain things, but as an offensive lineman, there are certain things, like my hands and my footwork, I can work on even in those days."
Running Back Isaiah Spiller
On his first training camp:
"It's going pretty good. I'm just learning a lot, soaking it in. It's been great, just getting better every day."
On the competition within the running back group:
"It's been fierce every day. Coming out, having the right mindset going against the linebackers. Coming out here in full pads, it's been great. I've been adjusting well, so I'd like to keep going and get better."
On whom he has talked to get advice for training camp:
"Austin [Ekeler], [Joshua Kelley], Larry [Rountree III], all of those guys who have been here before me. Just soaking it up, being the sponge, listen to what they have to say. It's been great."
