HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH

               
(On the red zone period during practice today)
"I thought the offense did some good things. Red zone is a big part of what we need to do well, do better. It's about getting touchdowns once we get down there. From now on we will continue to do more work down in the red zone. I thought the offense was pretty productive; a couple plays on the defensive side. Once you have been in training camp about a week, now that grind really starts a little bit. Our guys are working through it. Again, as I said the other day, you are in a game, it's a storm, you have to go inside and then come back, you have to fight through adversity. Guys did that and I thought we had a decent day of practice out there."

(On defensive end George Johnson and guard Logan Mankins not practicing today)
"George has general soreness. He should be fine. Logan, there is nothing wrong with him. Some of the veterans, we have a vet day from time to time. The good part about training camp, we haven't had any major injuries. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some of the guys back. Throughout, we will give some of the different guys vet days off."

(On defensive tackle Gerald McCoy getting a stinger during the red zone period)
"I wouldn't say stinger. You ever have your elbow hit? No big deal at all. Not a stinger. He should be good to go."

(On cornerback Sterling Moore making plays today)
"We've seen that – him being able to make plays. He is a smart football player. He knows how to get in good position. A couple of times, Sterling and (wide receiver) Mike (Evans), of course Mike Evans, there is a little bit of a (height) difference there, but Sterling knows how to use his body. Again, as I said, he's a smart football player. We're noticing him every day."

LINEBACKER BRUCE CARTER

(On if he has been able to get his hands on the ball)
"Yeah, I need an interception bad. I've been fighting for one now. My main thing is to keep my keys, keep my eyes on the (quarterback), play with vision, and for myself, I feel I have great range so I am able to cover a lot of ground and a lot of space. I think that's why they brought me in here to be that type of player and I think it has been going good."

(On Linebackers Coach Hardy Nickerson)
"It's great having a former player as a coach as a coach, especially a guy that played the position in Tampa. You can't ask for anything more than that. Coach Hardy is a very demanding coach. If you are not doing it right he is going to let you know about it right then and there and I think the guys in the room really look up to that and we have been playing good about it."

(On the competition between linebackers Danny Lansanah and Kwon Alexander)
"When your opportunity is called you have to go out there and make the best of your plays. Whether you are in there for one play or five plays, you have to go out there and show Coach (Lovie Smith) what you can do on tape. I think Kwon, being a young player, he's really been playing good. He's a guy that came in and has just been studying, studying, studying and learning from me and (linebacker) Lavonte (David). Danny, he is an experienced player. I think this is his third or fourth year, but he knows a lot. He knows the game. He knows how to play it. I think those guys have not only been competing, but helping each other throughout the way."

(On if Lansanah and Alexander have two different playing styles)
"To me, I think they are almost the same. Both of them can cover guys. They are run stuffers. They can get downhill. They are all over the field, sideline to sideline. I think, they have been doing a great job from OTAs to minicamp and now training camp."

(On quarterback Jameis Winston's development)
"He's doing good. I remember in OTAs, when I was in, him and the center were getting into it about who is the Mike and stuff like that. Now, I feel like they have their communication down and he is out there calling the Mike, identifying guys, his keys are on point, he's talking throughout the whole line and guys are responding to him well. I think he has been doing a great job so far."

(On if he has ever played with a linebacker as athletic as Lavonte David)
"Yes, I was fortunate enough to play with some great linebackers in Dallas – Rolando McClain, Sean Lee, Justin Durant, Anthony Hitchens, guys like that. Coming here and playing with a guy like that, I'm used to it, but he brings a lot to the table as far as his athleticism. He's an experienced linebacker. My thing that I like about him is he is a playmaker. He can cover a lot of ground, he's batting balls down, picking up balls, stripping, all that type of stuff. That's what we need of every player on our defense. We got to get turnovers and create more opportunities for our offense."

(On if he is getting more comfortable in his position)
"Yeah, definitely. I think it's starting to come second nature to me as far as my keys. My main goal coming to training camp was just to learn the run fits. Playing from outside to inside is a little different as far as your keys and who you are reading at. You have more blocks on the center rather than tackles and fullbacks and what not. It's coming along good. I think Coach Smith and Coach Hardy have really been proud of me these past couple of days and things have been going good."

(On the type of music he listens to before practices and games)
"Music, music, what do I listen to? I kind of listen to a lot of things – hip-hop, a little country music, gospel when I wake up in the morning. I listen to that and then I call my mom and talk about things and I read my devotion books. I'm kind of a superstitious type of guy. I have (wrist) bands and I wear the same cleats and gloves the whole time. That's really my little M.O. thing."

(On if he thought defense won practice today)
"My opinion, I don't think so. During that red zone drill, I didn't really like how many times they got in the endzone and stuff. We could get a lot more hands on the ball and get some strips out. I know the timing is off. It's really an offensive drill as far as the (defensive) line rushing and stuff like that, but I feel like we can do a little bit better on our breaks, especially myself – reading stuff and knowing my keys and stuff. In due time we'll get better at it."