On how important it is to have a vocal communicator on defense like S John Johnson III to help keep the unit aligned:
“That is super important. The safety is another MIKE linebacker of the defense. He is another signal caller and does all of the important things out there to make sure we are in the right thing. To have a guy like that, a vocal leader, out there is amazing. He is like that in meeting rooms and everything, a big, playful and joyful guy. It is great to have him out there.”
On if Johnson has helped him line up in the right spot at times:
“For sure. There are some times I am locked in and I do not see motion and stuff like that, and he will yell and get the call to me. It is definitely important to have him out there.”
On always doing whatever the coaches ask him to do and doing it the right way, given he always does that per Johnson
“That is just having self-discipline. Obviously, coaches teach thing different ways. In college, I played a different technique than here. Every way they have to do it, they have been coaching for a long time so they have seen success in the way they do things. It is just having discipline and just trusting in your coaches to put you in the right positions to succeed.”
On if it is important to show Browns coaches and teammates that he listens and follows what he is asked to do:
“For sure. That is the biggest thing from new coaching staff to new players – just earning trust. If you can do the things they say and not make the same mistake twice, they will trust you to be out there on Sundays.”
On how much thinking he has to do on the field versus things coming naturally to him:
“There are still some steps that I have to take, but I think last week versus the Giants, I took a big step in just going out there and just playing free. I have to thank a lot to my coaches who, like I said, have a bunch of trust in me to go out there and do the right thing. I have some of the best teammates and some of the best vets out there in my room who tell me to just go out there and just play freely. Every single time they tell me to just go out there and trust yourself and do what you do. Without those guys, I think I would still be a little bit behind, but with them, I think, like I said, last game I took a huge leap in just trusting myself and playing fast.”