(Opening statement)- “Good morning everybody. How are we doing? Today what we’re going to focus on is the red area, goal line, which we typically do on Friday’s. There are some things that I want to get cleaned up. On third down, I thought we made a lot of progress there last week. I want to make sure that we are able to maintain that. This is a good third down team. I know the numbers haven’t been there, but playing Josh Reed over the years and his impressive production on third down, 70 percent of his catches are on third down. Some of the other things they are able to do, where at any point they can to take a shot. You have to be able to balance all those things off. Marshawn Lynch will be a lot more involved in the offense this week than he was last week, giving them two good options as backs. These are two guys that, I know late last year in watching them, led the NFL in receptions for backs. Even the check downs, we have to be especially conscious of those things as well because they can hit you a lot of different ways. You give those backs the ball in space that can be a problem, as well as the receiving corps. I think like anything else, as their offense gets more reps together, as they continue to improve and fix the problems that they have, it’ll improve. We’ll spend some more time working on that. We’ll move into the red area and the goal line element and review the things that we have in overall.”

(On what the key was to playing better on third down last week)- “I really think, Jeff (Schudel), that it comes down to what we’ve talked about a lot in here. I thought the coordination continues to improve. It’s so important that everybody’s in the right spots at all times. You can have 10 guys in the right spot and one guy a little bit outside where, maybe it’s a defensive lineman, he goes to the right instead of the left, and that hole that he goes to is where you’re bringing some kind of pressure. Now it jams up three people and even if the coverage is solid, or things like that, you may not get the sack that should be there based on the protection. Same thing offensively, are the route depths correct, does everybody see the blitz the same way and the hots there. All those things come into play. It’s critical that you’re coordinated at all times.”

(On how the team has responded to the Braylon Edwards trade)- “I think that the guys understand the nature of the NFL. There are a lot of veteran guys who have been through things like this in the past. We’ve all dealt with things like this on different levels. It was nice to get the players in that we had in, and let them get to know Chansi (Stuckey) and Jason (Trusnik) and get a sense of who they are and watch them at practice. That’s always a good step. I thought, overall, our practice was high energy, high tempo. Everybody’s excited about building, about moving forward, about doing the things we need to do this weekend to win. I liked what we did last week in a lot of areas, and maintaining that and improving those areas where we haven’t been as good.”

(On if he thinks not wearing pads last Thursday helped keep players fresher for Sunday)- “I’m willing to adjust at all times. We didn’t go in pads yesterday. To me, if that’s something that we identify as an area where it will give us a boost without hurting our fits in the running game, or hurting our fits in protection, or there’s not a drop off, then I’m all for it. I’m completely open to any suggestion that somebody makes, provided there’s a rational behind it besides, ‘Hey, I don’t want to go in pads.’ If there’s a thought process and a rational, then I’m open to it. It’s good to get feedback. It’s good to be able to try different things and see which combination works best for you at that time.”

(On if he saw more energy from the players on Sunday)- “I think it’s tough to quantify. In my mind, we made some strides, so if that helped with making strides then I’m all for it.”

(On how not wearing pads on Thursday came about)- “The captains and I get together each week, so it would be last night. We had talked about it at different points. We had talked about different ideas. Some go in the following week. Some go in the following day. That was one that we had talked about at different points and I gave it a shot.”

(On if not wearing pads on Thursday is new for him)- “I’ve done that before. I’ve done it in New York quite a bit. We’re always trying to tinker with what works best. There have been some times on Wednesday where you go through the nine-on-seven, the team run period, things like that in pads and you can transition to shells. There are some times on Thursday where maybe you originally decided to go with shells, but you wanted to hit some core runs, or maybe it was kickoff return, where those drills are better in pads. You pad that part of it and you adjust after it. It’s flexible and it’s fluid. We’re always looking at all the different areas.”

(On what rational the team captains gave him for not wearing pads on Thursday)- “Everybody likes going with no pads. I don’t think you could find a locker room in the league that wouldn’t vote for that. The important thing, from a coaching perspective is, there’s a real way that you have to practice without pads. You have to be able to take the steps, and get to the fits, and do the handwork and be able to play the same technique. It’s kind of skill set that you have to develop. Young guys aren’t as good at that. There is a certain tempo that has to be maintained. I thought we did a nice job with what my expectations were without pads and also being able to take some of the contact off on a Thursday.”

(On Mike Adams being limited in practice)- “Mike (Adams) was able to do some things yesterday. As you go along during the week, you go through more of the rehab process, you add some more time. Usually those reps are able to increase, barring a setback. We’ll see where he is today. Same thing with D’Qwell (Jackson), see where he is today. All those guys, Rex (Hadnot), Floyd (Womack), Jamal (Lewis), you go through the week, see where they are and judge it based on what they are able to do on the field and what you project them to be able to do on the field on Sunday.”

(On if he is hopeful Phil Dawson will be able to kick Sunday)- “Yes, with kickers you can get some reps later in the week. It’s a little different. We can line up that field goal team whenever we want to line it up, pads or no pads, and he can kick, or he can kick without somebody. It’s a little different with kickers and punters then maybe everybody else.”

(On if who would fill D’Qwell Jackson’s spot if can’t play)- “Kaluka (Maiava) has worked in there. David Veikune has worked in there. (David) Bowens has worked inside at different points. (Jason) Trusnik’s worked inside at different points. Depending on which group it is, base, nickel, it could be a combination of guys filling those roles. I’m optimistic on him, so we’ll prepare and see how it goes.”

(On what Kaluka Maiava and David Veikune have shown in practice)- “Kaluka got a couple plays last week and he’s worked in at different points throughout the season, based on the packages that we have. I think that David’s made some strides here week in and week out. The thing that you stress to rookies, and all players, you don’t know when things are going to change. You have to prep like you’re the starter every week. If you’re a backup, you prep like you’re the starter. I think Brian Robiskie, there’s a good example. You go from inactive to active to getting a chance to really play a significant role. How a big a role that is, is still to be determined, but that’s how quickly things change in the league. One injury, one transaction and you’re in.”

(On if the portrait painted of him by the media is unfair)- “I’m really comfortable with who I am and what I believe in. I think as people get to know me and spend time with me, they understand what my goals are. My goal is to always work towards winning, is to have a team that is disciplined, that’s selfless, that’s hardworking. I believe in those things. I’ve seen it work. In transition, it’s sometimes difficult. Sometimes you have to communicate through it, and you have to work through it, and you have to get to know somebody to really understand that what they’re saying is where they’re coming from and that it doesn’t mean anything else besides what it means. I think as I get to know people better, as I meet people, as they meet me, the relationship builds. When you don’t know somebody and you have to evaluate it, you evaluate it based on what you know and you express whatever opinion you have. I respect everybody’s opinion and everybody’s right to have that opinion.”

(On if building a selfless team is one of his biggest challenges)- “I think selfless and team are synonymous. It’s critical. Educating everybody on why it’s critical is really important. It’s important to me and it’s important to the coaching staff and it’s important for us collectively to understand that.”

(On if he has to be harder on players at first when coming into a situation that previously lacked discipline)- “My high school coach always used to say, ‘Be firm, fair and consistent,’ and I believe in that. The rules aren’t there for any reason besides to let us operate effectively. There’s no other agenda. There’s no maliciousness. It’s like anything else, if you don’t want to get fined, don’t break the rules. If the rules aren’t clearly articulated, ask, because they’re pretty clearly articulated. It’s really trying to be firm, fair and consistent. I don’t make concessions for guys that are 15-year players versus a rookie free agent, because then the rules aren’t consistent. They don’t have meaning. Then it’s just a subjective way to punish people, and that’s not what it’s designed for.”

(On if he thinks Braylon Edwards did things to get himself traded)- “You’d have to talk to Braylon about that I never felt that. I never felt that that was his motive. I never saw it that way, no.”

(On if he could envision a player doing things to get himself traded)- “Without knowing what someone’s thinking, without being in somebody’s head, you can’t really make that assumption on anybody. I make the assumption that guys want to do the right thing and that guys want to be the best payer they can be, that guys want to win games. You always start with the benefit of the doubt. You always start with a clean slate. You always start with evaluating the things that you’ve had, the interactions you’ve had with a person.”

(On if it is better to get rid of a player as soon as possible if you sense they do not want to be on the team)- “I think the most important thing, in terms of the decision making process from my perspective, is what’s best for the entire group? That’s how I try to judge things and to evaluate things and to make decisions. Really, it’s not how I try to, it’s how I make decisions, based on the information that I have. I don’t go in with the assumption that this is what someone’s trying to do. I would always talk to someone and try to get to the root of any issue. I think that’s key. If there’s a problem, address it. Address it and sit down and talk about it and figure out what can be done to address the problem. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you have to agree to disagree, but at least you’ve had a chance to express how you feel.”

(On if there is a correlation between sitting Brandon McDonald and him performing better)- “Sometimes it’s not a function of just how the one player is playing. It’s a function of how another player is playing. I thought that Mike Adams had been playing really well and I thought that he deserved a chance to play more. The one thing that you saw with Mike is he also played multiple roles. There were some things in the secondary where we had to transition some people, where Mike Furrey was back and then he had to go up, or Mike (Adams) was at corner and then he had to go inside. Being a DB coach, there are so many moving parts. You have base. You have nickel. You have dime. You could have a penny group. You could have matchups. You have to go through your chart and figure out, ‘Okay, if this guy goes down, he has to go here, he has to go here, he has to do this.’ You have to try to rep it during practice to make sure everybody understands it. Jerome (Henderson) has a challenge each week.”

(On if he would be surprised if Braylon Edwards has a big game on Monday Night Football with the Jets)- “I think that Braylon has tremendous ability. I wish him well. The things that he does moving forward, I hope he does a lot of good things. I don’t ever look at a player who leaves a team as hoping that they perform poorly. That’s not how I look at things. What I’m always really looking for is how can I make our players play better. How can I help them perform better? Someone who goes to a different team, you wish them well and whatever they do, they do.”

(On who handles the discipline in the Mangini household)- “I think I’m responsible for that as well. Luke sometimes won’t come to the phone if he thinks he’s in trouble. ‘Talk to Dad.’ ‘No, no, no.’ ‘No, it’s okay.’ Luke’s been like that since he’s been a baby. He didn’t want to go for a nap. I had to put him down 13 times in a row. It was like, put him down, he stood up. Put him down, he stood up. Finally, he couldn’t talk at that point, but I was like, ‘I’m not going anywhere and you’re going down for this nap and I’m not leaving.’ He finally laid down. He gave me one of those looks like, ‘Alright, get out of here.’ Jake has been easy to sort of work through those things. Luke is very strong-willed, but I’m strong willed too. I was trying to teach them about work and chores over the summer. I used to have to always weed when I was little. My dad wanted us working. When he came home, you better be doing something. Watching TV, that was not an option. I was trying to teach the boys, ‘Okay, why don’t we go do some yard work, do some weeding.’ Jake still talks about this weeding like he had to do it 50 days in a row. He pulled out like 10 blades of grass one time. He was at one of his first days in school they said, ‘Does anybody have any jobs at home?’ He was like, ‘My dad makes me weed.’ It was one time. He’ll be scarred. That’ll be like in counseling 10 years from now (joking).”

(On how old Luke was when he would not lay down for his nap)- “He was probably one. Gosh, he just kept getting up. He’s consistent.”

(On if he thinks the receivers will take it upon themselves to show that they are good)- “I’m excited about the group. The key thing to me is getting to the right spots, knowing how they have to beat coverage, understanding where the hots are, making sure that D.A. (Derek Anderson), when he gets back and makes his read, that you’re where you’re supposed to be. I don’t know if you guys got a chance to talk to Chansi (Stuckey) yesterday or not, he’s a consistent, smart guy. You’ll get to know those two guys. (Jason) Trusnik, he couldn’t be happier. I’m sure he has Browns gear from when he was 10. He’s probably pulling it back out. It’s great.”

(On if he was as close with Woody Johnson as he is with Randy Lerner)- “I think with each owner you have a different relationship. Woody and I would spend time together. He’d come out to the facility and we’d have lunch on different days. I think with Randy and I, we’ve spent a significant amount of time together. I’m not saying one is right or one is wrong it’s just kind of how it’s evolved.”

(On if Johnson knew how he related to players like Lerner does)- “I hope so. We spent three years together. I’m always happy when, whether it was Randy or Woody, if they want to talk to some of the guys or get their feedback. It’s transparent. I’m always happy if they want to go to any meeting, if they want to see how the coaches coach. I’m proud of the way that we do things. I really believe that we do things the right way. To me, come to anything, watch anything, see anything, talk to anybody you want to talk to, because I believe in what we’re doing. I know it works. I know it’s thorough. It’s detailed. It’s well thought out. It’s a good group of coaches. The motivation is pure.”