June 16, 2025 • 10 mins
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh reflected on his partnership with assistant head coach of defense Gus Bradley, highlighted standout players, and shared the unit’s focus heading into training camp.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Ah man, I've uh been with Gus for a long time,
just so much respect for him and uh, you know,
while our philosophies are different or the same, I should say,
we look at it differently, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And it's kind of good yin and yang. You know, he's.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Uh he sees my blind spots and I can see
his and uh, and I think we just compliment each
other really well. But just the overall trust and working
relationship that he and I have and uh, just overall philosophy,
and I think it just you know, he's he's as
trustworthy as it gets.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Example of the the you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I'm more liberal in terms of uh, you know, from
a from a player assignment standpoint. I I want our
players to be more you know, just play more reaction reactionary.
I'm not sure if that's the word I'm looking for.
Where you know, he grew up in a system where
it's every single technique has a word, every movement has
a word, and so there's you know, he can see
(01:12):
blind spots where I'm liberal to the point where it's
like and he goes, well, shoot we need to and
it's and then vice versas. So it's it's a good
it's a good work in dynamic in.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That regard Bryce huff At this defense speed off the edge.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
You know, he's a you know, I think highly of
him as a pass rusher. Thought he was very productive
obviously with the Jets. You know, he wins at such.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
A high rate.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You know, when you know, a lot of times you
look at pass rushers, we look at sacks, and sacks
are important, Dan drives and it's what ultimately gets these
guys paid. But his disruption rate and getting the quarterback
off the spot and the way he can do it. Now,
he's not a he's not really a he is a
second effort pass rusher, but he wins so quickly, so
(02:00):
often that coordinators have to account for his presidence on
the field.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Head coach of Kyle Shanahan staid yesterday that it's only
a handful of guys that were here when you were
here last. But because of their trust in you and
them reiterating that to all the younger guys, it seems
like there's just a trust in what you can do
to the system. How much easier has that made your
job so far? And getting the defensive buy into what
you're trying to get them to do and seeing it,
you know, come and materialize.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Out there on the I'm not sure about that that one.
I always look at it, whether whether we know each
other or not, that players all.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Want to be coached.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
They all want they all want to know why they're
being coach a certain way they and they want results
like all of us, you know, and uh, you know,
so it's been it's been good from a benefit of
the doubt, if you will. But you guys know how
this profession is. It's first game, have a bad day
and all that, all the benefit of the doubt goes
(02:55):
out the windows. So you know, it's been great working
with these guys are like everybody else. Like I said,
they want to be coached, they want to know why,
and they wanted they want it done the right way,
and it's been a good first couple of months.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Trent Williams said yesterday that it was his first time
meeting a lot of these guys, and he said that
you would just never know that this was a six
and eleven team last year. Did you kind of get
that vibe too?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I can answer that one. In training camp. Once we
get Pats on party, what's your first impression came. Now
that you're like on the same team with him, I
think highly of him, I really do.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He's uh, he is really good, you know, And I'm
just you know, you get you get jaded sometimes. I
think when you're when you're looking at certain players for
a certain amount of time and you know, like as
a new face coming in and seeing Brock, I'm like,
is pretty damn good.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Where I could see where?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
You know, you get so used to seeing it, it
becomes a standard and you're always trying to elevate it.
But you know, not the not not every head coach
or not every organization is able to look at their
quarterback and compare it to broco Like, Brock is damn
a damn good quarterback. So try not to talk poorly
(04:09):
on other quarterbacks around the league, but he is one
of the better ones.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Coached Bryce through his early years.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
What steps did he take.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That prompted that ten sex season?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Like, how did his progression go from?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You know, he stuck to it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I think his first year so he's undrafted, came in
as a linebacker. He was with the first regime. So
credit to Greg Williams and Adam Gase and those guys,
they're the ones who found him.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
When we when we when we got into the building
at the Jets, we kind of let him know that
if he was going to make it was going to
be as a defensive end. And so he put on god,
I want to say, twenty plus pounds of muscle, probably more.
I mean, he really reshaped his body and he just
kept plugging away. You know, our first year he was
having a really productive year, got hurt. And then the
(04:57):
second year, you know, we drafted a couple of guys,
we got some free agents, but he kept showing up.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Again.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
In our third year, which was a twenty three year,
he really came out of the scene. And to his credit,
I mean he was he was the d n in
the fourth quarter of the preseason games if you go
back and look at it, you know, but it didn't
discourage him. He just kept going and going and going
and really just kicked the door down and took over
that spot.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
How is how's Dick bos changed over the years?
Speaker 5 (05:27):
He said he was then here a couple of weeks
ago said he wants to get back to his bread
leader moves from twenty twenty two.
Speaker 6 (05:32):
So I just like, how has he drifted away from that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
What do you see from him?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You know what we'll see again once Patt gets Pad's
get on. But he's so deliberate and everything he does,
he's always been that way. He's the way he takes
care of his body. He's meticulous in that regard, you know,
and you anytime, I think the great ones can always
sell scout and self evaluate and be critical of themselves.
And I think over a film study over the last year,
(05:59):
I think he's pin pointed where he can improve and
and I think he'll do that.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
What was it about Jason Pittock that wanted you? You
want to get him a second time? And what was
it like when you had to deliver the bad news
back in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, you know, we drafted JP as a corner and uh,
halfway through his rookie year, we moved him over to safety.
You know, credit credit some of the guys that the
Jets that are still there just kind of beat him
out in that second year. But I've always been a
fan of his athleticism, his length, his football IQ. Uh,
he's a really good football player, and just being with
(06:35):
him over the course of the first couple of months,
Like he's he's grown significantly from a maturity standpoint, and
he's attacked the heck out of it and he's he's
going for it. So you know, you know what, Jason,
You're you're getting a guy that's going to add athleticism
and speed and football IQ to your football team. And
and that's just a matter of him competing and holding
(06:55):
on to it.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Robert, when people talking about Shanahan and indership style, a
lot of players we're going to talk about, he's you know,
honest with them, which they appreciate. Sometimes it's gonna be
hard to hear. Is the same hold true with this staff?
And if so, do you ever a story that you
could share public with you where he's like, hey, you know,
(07:19):
Robert or whatever, you know, you gotta do this or whatever.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You know, Yeah, there's it's one thing that you know,
you're going back to Gus Like he's just been in
awe of Kyle in terms of his communication and his
teaching style, his presentation in front of the room, and
you know, just our dialogue back and forth and trying
to make each other better and help our schemes out
and just you know, he's he's elite in that regard.
(07:49):
You know, he doesn't just close his door, and he's
he's very very transparent with everybody on the coaching staff.
You know, it's he is. He expects things done a
certain way like everyone else does. And you know, you
you know, just working with him for so long now,
I can I guess differentiate the tone if that makes
(08:11):
sense when he gets upset, which which is expected, And
having been in the chair, I could see why he
can get annoyed every once in a while. But but
he's he's elite in that regard. He's elite with the players,
he's elite with the coaching staff, and and you know,
he just does a he does a really good job
of letting you know why he wants things done. It's
just not barking and having you do things. Everybody in
(08:33):
the building knows what their role is, they know why
their role is what it is, and they know exactly
why they're doing things. So you know, you'd be hard
pressed to find somebody as good as him.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Robert with the Jets, you had you know on the corner,
you had you know, real dudes. You know, you had
sauce and you had to read and you have demo
and you have Ronardo now, but you brought in seven corners.
Are any of those guys, dudes, Are any of those
guys opening your eyes at all?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Well, you know, I feel like from community communication, the
whole the whole goal into this ot AS was just
to see see our guys improved from a community communication standpoint,
execution standpoint and all that. And once we get pads
on and it gets real and you can get a
little bit more physical with the receivers. You've got crack
replace rules, you've you know, they're they're gonna be a
little bit more involved. We'll have a better idea of
(09:20):
who's gonna who's gonna stick and who's not. Your impressions
of de Winters in this spring period, he's been impressive.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Again, well, it's it's easy when it's ot AS and
you're not having to deal with run pass reads and
everything's a little bit slower. But he's, uh, he's got
something to him.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
It's I don't want to drink him or anything. But
if he if he stays on this trajectory and he
he attacks these next forty days and he does things
the right way, I think he's he's due for a
heck of a season.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
You've seen a lot of rookie classes come in and
how they.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
React to the you're not you're talking about there, but how.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Is this rookie class then and classroom work and just
being attentive and doing what they're supposed.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
To be as now, it's been it's been good.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
You know, they're you know, I've always said a rookie
half of what a rookie does in his first season
is just he's just playing, doesn't know what the heck's
going on, He's just using all his athleticism. But uh,
but there's been a couple of guys not the name
names who have stood out from an assignment standpoint. You
always want they're always going to make mistakes. You just
don't want to. You just don't want to see him
make the same mistake twice. And you know, so from
(10:29):
that regard, it's been impressive to watch some of those guys.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
They've been.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
I mean some Uh, I'm thinking of one on top
of my head. I'm just not going to name his name.
He'll make the adjustment before we ever get to him.
So it's it's a pretty cool group.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Thank you, Thanks guys,
Ah man, I've uh been with Gus for a long time,
just so much respect for him and uh, you know,
while our philosophies are different or the same, I should say,
we look at it differently, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And it's kind of good yin and yang. You know, he's.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Uh he sees my blind spots and I can see
his and uh, and I think we just compliment each
other really well. But just the overall trust and working
relationship that he and I have and uh, just overall philosophy,
and I think it just you know, he's he's as
trustworthy as it gets.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Example of the the you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I'm more liberal in terms of uh, you know, from
a from a player assignment standpoint. I I want our
players to be more you know, just play more reaction reactionary.
I'm not sure if that's the word I'm looking for.
Where you know, he grew up in a system where
it's every single technique has a word, every movement has
a word, and so there's you know, he can see
(01:12):
blind spots where I'm liberal to the point where it's
like and he goes, well, shoot we need to and
it's and then vice versas. So it's it's a good
it's a good work in dynamic in.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That regard Bryce huff At this defense speed off the edge.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
You know, he's a you know, I think highly of
him as a pass rusher. Thought he was very productive
obviously with the Jets. You know, he wins at such.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
A high rate.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You know, when you know, a lot of times you
look at pass rushers, we look at sacks, and sacks
are important, Dan drives and it's what ultimately gets these
guys paid. But his disruption rate and getting the quarterback
off the spot and the way he can do it. Now,
he's not a he's not really a he is a
second effort pass rusher, but he wins so quickly, so
(02:00):
often that coordinators have to account for his presidence on
the field.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Head coach of Kyle Shanahan staid yesterday that it's only
a handful of guys that were here when you were
here last. But because of their trust in you and
them reiterating that to all the younger guys, it seems
like there's just a trust in what you can do
to the system. How much easier has that made your
job so far? And getting the defensive buy into what
you're trying to get them to do and seeing it,
you know, come and materialize.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Out there on the I'm not sure about that that one.
I always look at it, whether whether we know each
other or not, that players all.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Want to be coached.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
They all want they all want to know why they're
being coach a certain way they and they want results
like all of us, you know, and uh, you know,
so it's been it's been good from a benefit of
the doubt, if you will. But you guys know how
this profession is. It's first game, have a bad day
and all that, all the benefit of the doubt goes
(02:55):
out the windows. So you know, it's been great working
with these guys are like everybody else. Like I said,
they want to be coached, they want to know why,
and they wanted they want it done the right way,
and it's been a good first couple of months.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Trent Williams said yesterday that it was his first time
meeting a lot of these guys, and he said that
you would just never know that this was a six
and eleven team last year. Did you kind of get
that vibe too?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I can answer that one. In training camp. Once we
get Pats on party, what's your first impression came. Now
that you're like on the same team with him, I
think highly of him, I really do.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He's uh, he is really good, you know, And I'm
just you know, you get you get jaded sometimes. I
think when you're when you're looking at certain players for
a certain amount of time and you know, like as
a new face coming in and seeing Brock, I'm like,
is pretty damn good.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Where I could see where?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
You know, you get so used to seeing it, it
becomes a standard and you're always trying to elevate it.
But you know, not the not not every head coach
or not every organization is able to look at their
quarterback and compare it to broco Like, Brock is damn
a damn good quarterback. So try not to talk poorly
(04:09):
on other quarterbacks around the league, but he is one
of the better ones.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Coached Bryce through his early years.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
What steps did he take.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That prompted that ten sex season?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Like, how did his progression go from?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You know, he stuck to it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I think his first year so he's undrafted, came in
as a linebacker. He was with the first regime. So
credit to Greg Williams and Adam Gase and those guys,
they're the ones who found him.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
When we when we when we got into the building
at the Jets, we kind of let him know that
if he was going to make it was going to
be as a defensive end. And so he put on god,
I want to say, twenty plus pounds of muscle, probably more.
I mean, he really reshaped his body and he just
kept plugging away. You know, our first year he was
having a really productive year, got hurt. And then the
(04:57):
second year, you know, we drafted a couple of guys,
we got some free agents, but he kept showing up.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Again.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
In our third year, which was a twenty three year,
he really came out of the scene. And to his credit,
I mean he was he was the d n in
the fourth quarter of the preseason games if you go
back and look at it, you know, but it didn't
discourage him. He just kept going and going and going
and really just kicked the door down and took over
that spot.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
How is how's Dick bos changed over the years?
Speaker 5 (05:27):
He said he was then here a couple of weeks
ago said he wants to get back to his bread
leader moves from twenty twenty two.
Speaker 6 (05:32):
So I just like, how has he drifted away from that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
What do you see from him?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You know what we'll see again once Patt gets Pad's
get on. But he's so deliberate and everything he does,
he's always been that way. He's the way he takes
care of his body. He's meticulous in that regard, you know,
and you anytime, I think the great ones can always
sell scout and self evaluate and be critical of themselves.
And I think over a film study over the last year,
(05:59):
I think he's pin pointed where he can improve and
and I think he'll do that.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
What was it about Jason Pittock that wanted you? You
want to get him a second time? And what was
it like when you had to deliver the bad news
back in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, you know, we drafted JP as a corner and uh,
halfway through his rookie year, we moved him over to safety.
You know, credit credit some of the guys that the
Jets that are still there just kind of beat him
out in that second year. But I've always been a
fan of his athleticism, his length, his football IQ. Uh,
he's a really good football player, and just being with
(06:35):
him over the course of the first couple of months,
Like he's he's grown significantly from a maturity standpoint, and
he's attacked the heck out of it and he's he's
going for it. So you know, you know what, Jason,
You're you're getting a guy that's going to add athleticism
and speed and football IQ to your football team. And
and that's just a matter of him competing and holding
(06:55):
on to it.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Robert, when people talking about Shanahan and indership style, a
lot of players we're going to talk about, he's you know,
honest with them, which they appreciate. Sometimes it's gonna be
hard to hear. Is the same hold true with this staff?
And if so, do you ever a story that you
could share public with you where he's like, hey, you know,
(07:19):
Robert or whatever, you know, you gotta do this or whatever.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You know, Yeah, there's it's one thing that you know,
you're going back to Gus Like he's just been in
awe of Kyle in terms of his communication and his
teaching style, his presentation in front of the room, and
you know, just our dialogue back and forth and trying
to make each other better and help our schemes out
and just you know, he's he's elite in that regard.
(07:49):
You know, he doesn't just close his door, and he's
he's very very transparent with everybody on the coaching staff.
You know, it's he is. He expects things done a
certain way like everyone else does. And you know, you
you know, just working with him for so long now,
I can I guess differentiate the tone if that makes
(08:11):
sense when he gets upset, which which is expected, And
having been in the chair, I could see why he
can get annoyed every once in a while. But but
he's he's elite in that regard. He's elite with the players,
he's elite with the coaching staff, and and you know,
he just does a he does a really good job
of letting you know why he wants things done. It's
just not barking and having you do things. Everybody in
(08:33):
the building knows what their role is, they know why
their role is what it is, and they know exactly
why they're doing things. So you know, you'd be hard
pressed to find somebody as good as him.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Robert with the Jets, you had you know on the corner,
you had you know, real dudes. You know, you had
sauce and you had to read and you have demo
and you have Ronardo now, but you brought in seven corners.
Are any of those guys, dudes, Are any of those
guys opening your eyes at all?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Well, you know, I feel like from community communication, the
whole the whole goal into this ot AS was just
to see see our guys improved from a community communication standpoint,
execution standpoint and all that. And once we get pads
on and it gets real and you can get a
little bit more physical with the receivers. You've got crack
replace rules, you've you know, they're they're gonna be a
little bit more involved. We'll have a better idea of
(09:20):
who's gonna who's gonna stick and who's not. Your impressions
of de Winters in this spring period, he's been impressive.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Again, well, it's it's easy when it's ot AS and
you're not having to deal with run pass reads and
everything's a little bit slower. But he's, uh, he's got
something to him.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
It's I don't want to drink him or anything. But
if he if he stays on this trajectory and he
he attacks these next forty days and he does things
the right way, I think he's he's due for a
heck of a season.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
You've seen a lot of rookie classes come in and
how they.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
React to the you're not you're talking about there, but how.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Is this rookie class then and classroom work and just
being attentive and doing what they're supposed.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
To be as now, it's been it's been good.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
You know, they're you know, I've always said a rookie
half of what a rookie does in his first season
is just he's just playing, doesn't know what the heck's
going on, He's just using all his athleticism. But uh,
but there's been a couple of guys not the name
names who have stood out from an assignment standpoint. You
always want they're always going to make mistakes. You just
don't want to. You just don't want to see him
make the same mistake twice. And you know, so from
(10:29):
that regard, it's been impressive to watch some of those guys.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
They've been.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
I mean some Uh, I'm thinking of one on top
of my head. I'm just not going to name his name.
He'll make the adjustment before we ever get to him.
So it's it's a pretty cool group.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Thank you, Thanks guys,
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