[ad_1]
Gannon has been in contact with Baker and would only say “I like where he is at right now. It’ll be good to get ‘3’ back.”
The funny part is that Thompson himself admittedly hasn’t been around for a chunk of the voluntary workouts, training too on his own and trying hard to learn all the new faces. He and Baker do give Gannon – whose background is as a defensive backs coach – a solid secondary foundation.
Gannon said he didn’t know a lot about Thompson before he arrived. But “I know he’s a football player.”
“He’s extremely intelligent,” Gannon added. “He’s got the skillset you are looking for at the backend from the safety position. He’s a reliable player, which for me, playing safety, that’s the first thing you have to be. He’s on the details.”
With Baker out, one of the pieces Thompson is working with at OTAs has been Simmons. The 2020 first-round pick remains one of the biggest topics for the new staff, playing on the last year of his deal and seeking consistency that has yet to be found.
The plan is still for Simmons to work in multiple spots, Gannon said. What that means, and how many, is undetermined. The staff thus far wants Simmons to get comfortable in a smaller range of responsibilities first, although Gannon said Simmons isn’t focused on his contract or what an important year this might be.
“He’s concerned about improving his game in the roles we give him,” Gannon said.
It’s only the beginning of June, of course. The first game that counts, in Washington on Sept. 10, is far away. And even with Simmons trying to find a positional home, and Baker staying at home, the plan is for the two to team with Thompson to show why it should be a position of strength.
“I feel we could be real good,” Thompson said. “I felt we showed glimpses of it last year. This year should be real good for us, especially with this new scheme.”
[ad_2]
Source link