Okereke on the new defense

[MightyGiants]

Q. How is the new defense?

BOBBY OKEREKE: It's good. It's fun.

Q. Why?

BOBBY OKEREKE: I get to play a little bit more coverage. The way (Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) calls it we're going to be multiple. We'll be able to combat the offensive strengths, so we we'll have a good mix of everything.

Q. Deonte (Banks) said last week it's a little less aggressive. How so?

BOBBY OKEREKE: Coming from Wink's (Martindale) system where we're blitzing 40-50% of time and playing zero coverage, a little less aggressive from that standpoint. From a run point we'll be aggressive, and obviously based on the down and distance situation, we'll play aggressive, too.


Q. (inaudible)

BOBBY OKEREKE: I like getting picks, like getting PBUs.

Q. You said the decision making in this defense has allowed to you play faster. What exactly do you mean by that's different than the last system?

BOBBY OKEREKE: Yeah, Wink kind of wanted you to play hard and fast. You know, just play physical, downhill, figure it out. Here it's a process of elimination. If this guy goes vertical, you check two; if two does this, you check three. You kind of put it in buckets, and that's the process of decision making I was talking about.

Q. When you came here last year, new team and a new defense. From the beginning you were like, okay, I've got to learn all this and the players. Now you know the players but it's another defense. Has it been more on you to learn all this? You kind of want continuity; you don't have that. Has it been a lot more you need to do off the field?

BOBBY OKEREKE: That's ideal. You're running the same system over and over you get the feel for it. Year one in a system you've always got to work the kinks out. There is new terminology.

I think I'm just adding tools to my tool belt. The Wink Martindale style of defense, I have that in my tool belt; the Eberflus style of defense, I have that in my tool belt; the Gus Bradley style of defense, I got that in me tool belt, and now I'm learning Shane's. I think it's just making me that much better of a football player.

Q. Those tool belts mean much? You can use some of that, but it's now Shane's defense.

BOBBY OKEREKE: Yeah, but there is -- like when we blitz, there will be a lot of teachings from Wink I'll take and carry over. When we play cover three, there will be a lot of stuff from Gus Bradley I'll take over, quarters with Flus. That's my skillset.