Michael Clay

Q. With WR Britain Covey returning to the practice squad. Just what do you see in his additions? Is he a potential punt return guy for you guys? (Brooks Kubena)

Michael Clay: Anybody that’s on this roster, they could help us out. Whether they’re practice squad, whether on the active roster. Having a familiar face in [WR Britain] Covey, you really don’t have to onboard him too much. He knows what to expect, what you expect out of him, it’s my job to have not just the 53 ready but everybody else on the practice squad, which is great luxury to have as a coach.

Q. How hard was it to watch what WR Britain Covey had to go through last year? Because you know he is competent of the job, but he just couldn’t get out there because of the injury. How hard was that for you as a coach? (Bob Brookover)

Michael Clay: You feel for the player, they spent so much time putting so much effort into perfecting their craft. Obviously in 2023 he had a great year, then to have last year kind of marred by injury, It does pull at the heartstrings a little bit, but again, it is not just one man, it’s everybody else on this team to step up in his role. Last year, [DB] Cooper DeJean did a really good job about it.

Q. Last year when they kicked off, the touch backs got moved to the 30, you and a lot of other teams just said screw it and tried to get touch backs anyway. With it being moved to the 35, is that still a consideration based on an opponent-by-opponent basis? (Jimmy Kempski)

Michael Clay: Yeah, I think opponent by opponent basis, a situation basis, it could dictate what you want to do with the ball. I think overall around the NFL, you’ll see a lot more returns, guys keeping it in play because there is a statistical difference from the 35 to the 30 on points scored and everything like that. So it’s exciting for all of us from a special teams cohort around the league and exciting for the players out here. Those core four players that get some opportunities to go out there and make some plays.

Q. How tough is the guy you’re going to be facing this week? (Jeff McLane)

Michael Clay: I mean it was tough when we were booting it out the back of the end zone. [WR KaVontae Turpin] He lined up nine deep and still return it on you. The dangers that [KaVontae] Turpin presents to us are highly noted and highly talked about, but it’s exciting also to go out there and get these guys going. It’s not just the 10 guys covering, but also [K] Jake [Elliott] and [P] Braden [Mann] with their punts and their kickoffs helping us out and looking to flip the field and help out our defense in trying to corral KaVontae and very much all the respect in the world for any NFL player. Then KaVontae, he kind of keeps you up at night a little bit with his explosion as a returner.

Q. When you’re talking through the decision on whether to go for the touchback or not, how much does the confidence in your own defense and the quality of your own defense factor into that? (Bo Wulf)

Michael Clay: I always say this is [Defensive Coordinator] Vic Fangio led defense shoot, I’m going to have as much confidence as I possibly can. But again, there’s so many ebbs and flows throughout the game. Say you’re out with a big lead, do you want to put a ball in a dangerous returner hands or do we want to keep going if we’re having a good day? Everything kind of is a situation-based type thing with the kickoff, but again, it’s exciting. It’s kickoff day for us today, so we’re ready to get out there and we feel good about the game plan we have going forward, so it’ll be fun.

Q. K Jake Elliott was experimenting with some kicks throughout camp, it looked like how many are in the arsenal for kickoffs and has that changed because of the rules? (Jeff Neiburg)

Michael Clay: He’s worked at it. I think like everybody else has worked at it. I think it differs on what team and where you’re playing at. Obviously when you’re in a dome you have control on where that ball is going. When you’re outside and particularly in the northeast, sometimes you have a wind that you can’t kick against, you have to go with it. Everything’s kind of base by base in terms of kicks, but Jake has enough in his arsenal to keep everyone honest more than anything else where they can’t get a read. Kudos to him at working at it throughout the off season and implementing a little bit in the preseason

Q. In the past four years, you have used edge rushers as special teams guys, those are all veterans this year. Are those guys who can factor into the unit whether it’s OLB Ogbo Okoronkwo or OLB Azeez Ojulari? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: Yeah, absolutely. Regardless if you’re a rookie or a seven-year veteran, we always look for anybody, put the best 11 out there that could help us win a game, help us win a field position. I always tell these guys, there’s no hierarchy in our special teams here. We’re going to use all hands-on deck to give us the best way possible to win. Whether that’s going to be Ogbo or Azeez who have played a lot or is it going to be those young cats, [LB] Smael [Mondon], [WR] Darius Cooper, things of that nature. That’s the great thing about special teams. You get to use everyone to a certain extent to help win a game and help this team out.

Q. How has K Jake Elliott looked from 50 plus? Do you feel like whatever was happening last year has resolved itself? (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: I think Jake’s had a phenomenal off season and training camp. It’s always nice in that last preseason game, he kind of got pushed back a little and the 51 and 53 yarder against the Jets, he hit them with some confidence and there was some extra on it. But I think Jake’s doing a really good job. One, gelling with a new operation with [LS] Charley [Hughlett] coming in and just the confidence of him going out there and not proving to us, I know who he is, I think proving more to himself that he’s still the great kicker that he is.

Q. When LB Smael Mondon was drafted. It seemed like he would be kind of a prototypically, really good special teams player. Has that shown itself and how does he fit in on those units? (Dave Zangaro)

Michael Clay: Yeah, [LB Smael Mondon] he definitely fits the profile, but really what’s cool about Smael is his football awareness and his physicality. You could really sense it out on the field right there that he brings an added edge out there to the coverage, to the blocking. For him to take that jump from Georgia to now, he’s been one of the more pleasant, experienced rookies that I’ve been able to coach, which is awesome.

Q. What do you think RB Will Shipley adds as a potential kick returner for you? (John McMullen)

Michael Clay: Will adds a lot, He has great feel, he has great vision and the few that he did have last year, he did a great job of letting the picture form itself, then finding the right cut to make. Obviously in that NFC championship game, he got all the way out to that 40 yard line and it again, a lot has to do with the other 10 guys out there in front of him to block. I think he just has a natural feel and a natural want to put the offense in the best spot possible and he works at it. It is not like he just catches it and he finds his way. He was up there yesterday watching some kickoff return stuff, watching some kickoff coverage stuff. Will works at being who he is and why it exceled for him as a rookie last year.

Q. What has FB Ben VanSumeren offer in the same kind of role? (Brooks Kubena)

Michael Clay: Yeah. Prior to the injury, Ben had that edge, that physicality, that beware of dog lore that we have here in the locker room about him. Now he’s got a couple years, a little bit more experience now he’s got some savviness to him, so he brings a lot of different tools, whether it’s experience, physicality, and he still has some really good speed from that full back position. It’s great to have him back off that injury and hopefully he helps us lead the special teams unit to what we want to be.