Quotes: Coach Brian Daboll, CB Deonte Banks, OL Jermaine Eluemunor

Offensive Lineman Jermaine Eluemunor

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I’m okay, just a little banged up but I mean that’s the name of the game playing offensive line, going against (defensive tackle) Dex(ter Lawrence) so, it happens.

Q: I heard you were trying to talk your way into team drills today?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: (laughs) In my, what, eight-year career, I haven’t missed a day of training camp, so I was going to come out here either way and try and do as much as I could.

Q: Did they tell you just, no, you can’t practice yet?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: It was more so just do as much as I can, not try and piss it off. Just go out there and do what I can and just be out there with my teammates instead of just sitting inside and trying to do nothing, honestly.

Q: What happened on the play?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I was trying to cut off, and (defensive lineman) Dex thought he was being trapped so he obviously lowered his shoulder and it just so happened that he lowered his shoulder into my rib cage. So it wasn’t the most fun pain I’ve had to deal with but I’m out here today, so that’s what really matters.

Q: What’s it like to take a body shot from Dex (Dexter Lawrence)?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Not fun. Not fun at all. It’s not the most fun thing I’ve had to deal with.

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah.

Q: Is there any brake, displaced, nothing?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: No, luckily. It’s just really bad bruising, so nothing that should keep me out for too long. Hopefully I can get back out there real soon.

Q: When did you find out you were going to be playing right tackle?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Shoot, same time you all did.

Q: What was your reaction?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Like I said, I’m willing to do whatever I need to do for the team. I’m really happy to be here, so I told (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) and (General Manager) Joe (Schoen), when I came here, wherever they need me is where I am going to play. So, it’s another day.

Q: You mentioned you were going to spend the offseason and the summer working at left guard. Is that what you did, or did you do some right tackle work?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, I just stayed at left guard because that’s where I was playing and then when they told me I was moving over there, I just made sure to get some sets in pre-practice because I played there the last two years, so it’s not something new to me. It’s something I’m used to. It’s really just knocking some of the rust off, so it’s cool.

Q: How much of an adjustment period, if any, has there been to going back to playing right tackle?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Not much, because I try to learn every position on the offensive line when it comes to schematics and stuff like that, because I’ve had to move around my entire career. I don’t want to be caught off guard with anything, so I try to learn every single position, other than center, so I know what I’m doing. That’s just what I’ve been doing this camp and OTAs, so it wasn’t too much of a difference for me.

Q: So, you’re obviously at right tackle now. Do you shift your focus like that’s where you’re preparing to play or do you have to keep both options open in your mind?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Like I said, whatever (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) and (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) need me to do for the team, I’ll do. My entire career I’ve been moving around. Last year, I had to move from left tackle to right tackle on two-day’s notice. So, it’s something I pride myself in, and I am able to do on a two, three-day’s notice, so it’s nothing that will affect me in the future if anything was to happen.

Q: When you were hurt yesterday, did it feel like you had the wind knocked out of you, or was it just pain, or what?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Everything. It’s a big man hit. It’s like you get hit by a truck.

Q: Yeah, because when you walked off the field, I was thinking shoulder or…

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Definitely my ribs. Definitely my ribs. Could not breathe too well. But, like I said, when you’re going against a big man like that, you’re going to take a hit or two, and you just got to get back up and keep going.

Q: Did you think you broke your ribs?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I thought I was dead, at one point (laughs). No, I’m just playing (laughs). It was painful, let’s just say that. I don’t really know how to diagnose injuries and stuff but it just sucked. It wasn’t fun.

Q: You are a guy who’s been pretty vocal about how happy you were, how excited you were, and you tweeted out ‘Most excited I’ve ever been for training camp’…

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: 100 percent.

Q: What’s running through your mind as you’re walking back into the facility yesterday?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I’m just excited to be here. It’s been the best offseason of my career, just mentally and physically. It’s nice being somewhere like this, where you have everything going for you. The team’s great, the coaches are great, the management’s great, and, like I said, I’m just really excited to be here because I’ve always wanted to play for this team.

Q: But the fear of having to leave the practice field and go back in injured, I’m sure that was not…

JERMAINE ELUMUNOR: It wasn’t too bad of a feeling because I felt like it wasn’t anything to serious and there’s nothing that’s going to keep me out too long, here. Like I said, I want to be here, and I want to keep playing, and I’ll do everything I have to to get back on the field.

Q: Being able to observe a little more today, how would you assess where the offense is at, at this starting point?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Exactly where every other offense is, day two of training camp. I feel like every single team is trying to figure out their identity, and it doesn’t matter if you won the Super Bowl last year or you went 0-and-16. You’re trying to figure out what you’re going to do for this upcoming season to separate yourself from the others. We’re in the same place everyone else is right now, which is just trying to figure it all out and just get going.

Q: Did you tell (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence) he’s going to have some payback?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: (laughs) No. I mean, we’ll put pads on next week, and I’m definitely going to be out there for that, so it’s going to be fun.

Q: What do you view as realistic expectations for this offense?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I mean, we can be as good as we want to be and I’m excited to be in it because you have a bunch of young receivers, you have (running back) Dev (Devin Singletary) back there. Our tight end room is a really good room in my opinion, and like I said I think it can be a real explosive offense as long as we do what we need to do and the offensive line does their job and everyone else around them will do their jobs too. Like I’ve been saying, I’m really excited to be a part of this team.

Q: Is that kind of what stands out to you? One of the things is that you do have a lot of speed on that offense in regards to some of the playmakers.

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, it’s cool because all of them, I’m not a big 40 guy, but I’m sure they all ran really fast 40s.

Q: You didn’t run a fast 40?

JERMAINE ELUMUNOR: I tried. I tried my best, but they don’t judge me on my 40 times, so it wasn’t too big of a thing for me. But, (wide receiver Malik) Nabers, (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt), (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson), (wide receiver Darius) Slayton, that’s a really solid, that’s a great group of guys right there. If we give them time, which we will, they’ll do a lot of damage this year, so I’m excited to be a part of that.

Q: When you were out there with (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo) today, what were you two discussing?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: We were just talking about my assignment, making sure I knew what I was doing, and just my little opinions on things, and what I would do differently in certain situations, and blocking assignments. I’m just having to refresh everything now that I’m back at tackle. Like I said, I’m learning, but it’s more just me just asking them little schematic things, and him telling me the answers, and just going back and forth.

Q: Are you recruiting (offensive lineman – free agent) (Greg) Van Roten at all?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: That’s not my job. I’m here to play football. So, whatever they want to do and whoever they want to bring in, that’s on them. So, I’ll play with whoever I have to.