Highlights from Saints center Erik McCoy’s press conference

New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy met with reporters after Day 6 of training camp.

McCoy started his press conference by talking about the heat and the practice being moved inside after the first period of the day. McCoy said “It was great. It was really hard to keep the juice flowing outside. This was probably the hottest day we had...being inside was nice.” The heat has been a problem for the team during training camp as there have been multiple occasions of players having to walk off for a break from the high temperatures.

The Defensive Line

When asked about the new additions to the interior of the D-line, McCoy praised his new teammates. “Three new faces, Khalen [Saunders], Bresse, and Nathan Shepherd, all three of those guys can go. They all have really good move sets; they rush the passer and play the run really well. So far, I’ve been impressed by all three of them, super talented guys.” After losing David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle during free agency, the Saints signed veterans Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd while also drafting Bryan Bresse in the first round of this year’s draft.

McCoy continued to appraise rookie Bryan Bresse, “With his size and stature, I figured he’d be more of a power guy, but he has got an array of moves that I wasn't expecting... the guys got an array of moves that I think are really impressive.” When a reporter asked if he thinks Bresse strings together his moves really well, McCoy answers “I think that's one of his better qualities.”

Continuing to appraise the interior line as a group, McCoy talks about the explosiveness of the revamped D-line. “I think all three of those guys can play, including [Malcolm] Roach. I think Roach is a hell of a player as well. I think we have a really dynamic interior. Guys are flying off the ball. Guys are flying to the ball, getting out of the stack. And honestly, Khalen can run. I wasn’t expecting that. He’s got out on some screens, got out of the stack, and I was like ‘dang, he kinda rolling.’

Leadership

When asked about his leadership role with the offensive line, the 5-year veteran replied “I wouldn't say [I'm the] guy. I think we have a lot of guys in the room. I just feel comfortable around them, and I just want to be the best we can be... I want us to take a step forward this year and really just be explosive on offense, and I think that starts with us.”

Nick Saldiveri

The Saints traded up to the first pick in the fourth round of this year's draft to select offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri. When asked about his early impressions of him, McCoy responded “Nick can play. Nick can play really well. You know still learning the playbook a little bit, that's fine, I feel like when he gets sat down, he’s rolling.

Transition to Derek Carr

Responding to a reporter's question about the transition to Carr, McCoy said “I’m not saying this as a negative, I’ve been through six different quarterbacks since Drew left, so I feel like transitioning is kind of easy for me. At first, it was hard, right after Drew left, but now I'm like ‘Come on, let's get it rolling’ We’re ready.” McCoy continues, “Just learning different cadences. I would say that's always the newest thing...We switched the cadence up a little bit from last year. Introducing new two-count. Outside of that, nothing too new specific for me.”

On Derek Carr, “Number one, he’s an awesome guy off the field. I’d say that's a huge thing. You want to be around a quarterback you can relate to as well. On the field, he's always positive. That’s a really impressive quality out here in this heat. He brings the juice every day, and I respect the hell out of that.’

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