Take a look at top quotes from Head Coach Brandon Staley, QB Chase Daniel, RB Joshua Kelley, RB Larry Rountree III and DB Ja'Sir Taylor following Friday's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints:
Head Coach Brandon Staley
On an overview of training camp and the three preseason games:
"I like the way that we came together as a football team. I think that our team has improved from the first day of practice until now. I think that we got full evaluations, which is what we were after in these three preseason games. Now, we're ready to get on with it."
On RB Joshua Kelley's performance tonight:
"I thought that Josh gave us a spark tonight. I thought that he created some things for us; that draw was a big one. I thought that he was a bright spot for us tonight, for sure. I thought that he gave us some energy."
On his evaluation of the roster leading into final cut-downs:
"I think there is a lot to be decided here, especially at the back-half of our team. We have to make sure that we take a good, hard look at it. Then, we have to take a look at the rest of the NFL. That's what we're going to try and do, try to put our best group together. Then, you also know that it's never over. It's a long season. But I like this football team. I think that we're a lot better football team than we were at the beginning of training camp. Now, we're ready for what's next."
Browse through live action photos of the Bolts Preseason Week 3 matchup against the Saints in New Orleans
Quarterback Chase Daniel
On tonight's performance and returning to the Caesars Superdome:
"There are a lot of good memories here for me. Obviously, started the first four years of my career here, then came back for Year 5 [with the Saints] in 2017. It was good to get some experience with the second O-line and second receivers against their starting defense. They're a really good defense. Went three-and-out the first time, and didn't really talk about that pick-stunt that they did. Then, we were able to have a 15-play touchdown drive against their ones. That was really cool. I thought that we were able to move the ball really well. I thought that our running backs played really well. I thought that [Jalen Guyton], with the catch down the sideline, played excellent. For us, in the first half, it was good. We were down in a 14-0 hole. To score 10 points back there to end the half, it was good."
On playing with a younger supporting cast:
"They keep me young. I turn 36 in a month. We play a sport for a living. We play a game. [Head] Coach [Brandon] Staley says it all of the time, you have to have fun with football, and I'm still having fun and I'm still playing pretty well. It was just fun to get out there with the guys and get another chance before the regular season starts."
On the quarterback group:
"It all runs through Justin [Herbert]. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league, if not the best. Easton [Stick] and I do a good job trying to support him any way we possibly can, whether that's on the field, off of the field, film work. Whatever he needs, we try to give it to him. The transition is now, so everything rolls through him starting tomorrow. Whatever we can do to help him get ready for the Raiders game, we're going to do it. I think Easton said something about it; it's the same three guys for the second year and that's rare, that doesn't happen. We just sort of picked up from Day 1 and we were rolling. We just rolled. We crack jokes on each other. It's a fun room."
Running Back Joshua Kelley
On how he feels about how tonight went:
"Ah man I feel like for me, my goal is just always to leave it out there. Ever since high school, college, now it's always been to give it my best, leave it all out there and just give a lasting impression. So, I just felt like for me any rep I can get I wanted to give my all. For me it was a good night, but you can learn from it and get better."
On his hurdle in the second quarter:
"Man, that's been something I've been doing for years honestly. It's not an accident, it's not just something I just did out of the blue. I've been doing that since college, I've been practicing it so when I saw [New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Maye] I was like he's going low at me so I'm like this is my chance, so I'm like let me just jump over this dude. I had a shot at it so I pulled the trigger."
On if he ran hurdles in high school:
"See I never ran hurdles in high school, I did track. I never did anything that crazy, but I'm telling you I practiced it. I practiced it a lot [laughter]."
On his mindset heading into the regular season over the next two weeks:
"I played in three games already, so I feel really prepared. I'm really confident right now in what I can do, it's just all about getting better and improving. So, you know that's the biggest thing, learning and improving."
On what he learned about himself this preseason through the competition for the second running back spot:
"I think the biggest thing is that no matter what obstacles are thrown at me, whether good, bad or indifferent, I'm going to keep going. I believe in myself. I know that I can be a really good running back in this league. I think what it really showed me was that I'm a competitor at heart. However the chips may fall, I put myself in the best position that I could. I left it all out there."
Running Back Larry Rountree III
On his touchdown tonight:
"It felt good. I haven't been there in a while [laughter]. It was 11 guys working hard. The first time, we didn't get in, but the second time, we made sure that we got in. It felt really good to get into the endzone and have a rushing touchdown, but it was a group effort. I thank my O-line."
On the competition for the second running back spot:
"We feed off of each other. Even Ek [RB Austin Ekeler], even though Ek wasn't playing [tonight], he feeds off of that. We feed off of each other. When somebody goes in, we tell them to be the best version of themselves. It's really not a competition thing, it's just you being the best version of you. Going out there, running hard and trucking guys, that's just me being me. JK [Joshua Kelley] hurdling, that's him. It's something that you feed off of and it's very contagious, I would say."
On what he displayed in three preseason games:
"I feel like I could have shown a little bit more, but I think just being a complete player, knowing how to catch the ball, run and block. Those are the three things that you have to do as a running back. You have to protect the running back, run, catch the ball, and get up the field. I feel like I showed a little bit. There's a little bit more meat on the bone. I think that I came in prepared this camp, more than I did last year as a rookie. I think that all of the offseason prep of training, working with [Running Backs] Coach [Derrick Foster], and learning all different types of concepts, it paid off."
Defensive Back Ja'Sir Taylor
On what he's learned from his first three NFL games:
"Besides losing them, I feel like getting out there and playing in the NFL, whether it's preseason or not, you have to learn a lot, put some good stuff on tape, put some things that I can learn from on tape. Just a learning experience and I'm going to go to the film room and take each of those critiques and fix them."
On where he's grown the most throughout camp:
"Throughout camp, just getting comfortable with the scheme, learning the defense, basically play faster, trust the guys around me and be able to play to the ability I could."
On facing the Saints' starting offense:
"I was pretty happy when I heard they were playing their starters because in the regular season that's the people who are going to be out there so it was a good test for us to see where we matchup. We've been practicing against our starters this whole training camp so seeing some other team's starters, it was good out there. Like I said, there's a lot to learn from."
