New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Michael Thomas
Conference Call With New Orleans Media
Thursday, August 20, 2020
What are your impressions of what kind of a leader Malcolm Jenkins has been in gathering together some of the some of the top players in the league for social causes in recent years since you've been in the league?
"He's very professional. I'll call him like a suit and tie guy. He's got his business on and off the field. He takes care of his business you can see it when he walks in the building, and then just how he's able to play the game at a high level and still bring change (to) the world that's needed and his voice is real powerful."
What have been your early impressions with Jameis Winston, I saw threw you a long pass today, but what has your work with him been like so far?
"Every day, he's coming out here. He's getting better. Just learning the offense, I see him during walkthroughs always on the side with DJ (Williams), going over the plays. He's always asking questions. I'm really impressed with him. (I) Just can't wait to see what this year has in hold for him just to play behind the guy like Drew Brees. (He) and Taysom (Hill) have played a lot of football together and just those coaches that they have up there coach (Joe) Lombardi and Pete (Carmichael) and Sean (Payton). Just to be around just such a great group of people like that. It just elevates everyone that came (to) play quarterback here. Again, I just can't wait to see how far he can take it as well."
Emmanuel Sanders, you finally got several practices in with him. What's your impression of the tandem that you two have so far?
"I love it. He's a competitor. Yeah, he's played a lot of football. I always say that, but he's still real fresh. (He) Still has a lot left in the tank, you can tell. He comes out here with a since of urgency trying to get better whenever you're ready to compete as hard as you can, you know, how to compete at a high level and come out every day, put everything aside and just compete. You're going to be successful. So I learned, that's what I respect the most about him. Since day one he came out here he's trying to get better and he's always working on his game on the side also. I'm excited to see him in our offense as well."
Are you getting a sense yet of what Malcolm Jenkins influence is on a relatively young secondary other than him?
"I think he's (going to) have a tremendous influence. I think they all complement each other, the whole defense. Starting with the defensive coordinator (Dennis Allen) to Aaron Glenn to linebackers coach (Michael Hodges) and starting with the d-line up front and the pass rush and the secondary behind. They all complement each other very well. So they're very good. I'm excited to watch them play this year."
What have some of those younger guys in your position group shown you here in the first week of practice?
"Anytime you come into our receivers room with both coaches. coach (Curtis) Johnson and Ronald Curry, you know you're going to come to work every day you're going to come get better and they're going to coach you at a high level and coach you very hard. So once you're able to come into a room like ours, it's just a privilege because you're forced to elevate your game because they're going to be on you about every little thing. And I have just seen the young guys taking coaching and getting better every day and trying not to make the same mistakes twice, which eventually turns you into a great player. So as long as they keep doing that, ee have a very talented group of receivers in the room."
How much of a motivating factor is it that you all haven't gotten back to the Super Bowl and is that something that drives you all going into the season?
"Of course, I feel like I've been asked this question before recently a couple months ago, but the goal is still the main thing and that's to win the Super Bowl and get to the Super Bowl as soon as possible. So every day we're trying to get 1% better. Coach (Sean Payton) preaches that in our locker room. We're just stacking the days and the one thing I appreciate about this camp is where we're able to really focus on the basics and the fundamentals of the game, which makes our offensive and defense very good. Playing complementary football and just really with the schedule and knowledge presented itself just been able to lock in and work on our fundamentals and our basics and now we have the best play calling genius in the world, in Sean Payton. So once he adds plays in, we'll be able to execute that much more better. But right now we're just focused on a basics and playing complementary football, playing the deep ball, playing at our tempo and we've been doing well."
