DB T.J. Carrie:
On transitioning to outside CB from nickel CB following DB E.J. Gaines's injury:
"Unfortunately, we had a couple of things go wrong in practice. So much in this league so many things could happen, you have to prepare yourself as a starter. It will be a little bit of an adjustment, but we will make it work."
On the difficulty switching from inside to outside CB:
"It is not really a difficulty. I think that the biggest thing for me is inside. I look at it as harder than outside. If I can go from playing the harder thing to playing the easier thing outside, then it makes it a little bit easier form that standpoint. You just have to get into a different mentality when you play outside."
On facing Tampa Bay's WRs:
"It is going to be a challenge. I feel like all of us on the back end are going to have to really bone up because they have some talented receivers with the guys that they have. It is another challenge that we have always prepared for. Week in and week out, there is always going to be a challenge with receivers in this league. So many teams in this league have No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 so for our matchup, it is about going out there and being confident in what we do."
On the difficulty covering a big physical receiver like Buccaneers WR Mike Evans to a smaller, really fast receiver like Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson:
"I would say that it is all about film study. From a perspective of DeSean and Mike, they both are completely different receivers. If you are watching film, you are going to get things from DeSean that you are not going to get from Mike. That is the big part of why this game is so much more mental than physical. With film study, you can identify more with what these guys like within the individual personnel."
On Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston as a former No. 1 overall selection:
"A very big guy, hard to get down. It is going to take more than one guy to get him down as far as scramble rules. He is always scrambling and he is looking to run. He is looking to throw down the field, a very strong arm. He has been there for a while so he has a very good connection with his receiving corps. That is the biggest thing, just trying to get him off of a rhythm. It is so hard in this league to allow teams to be two-dimensional. You always have to make them one-dimensional in that sense."
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun:
On combatting Buccaneers WR Mike Evans' size:
"Size is something that you can't coach. When you have a big guy like that, it is good to be physical with him, but it is something that you can't coach. At the end of the day, it is about competing. If the ball is in the air, it is either going to be his or yours. Period. No matter the size matchup or no matter how fast someone is, that really does not matter when it comes down to competition. You just have to win."
On if he will cover a specific receiver or whomever is in the slot, given the Buccaneers' movement with WRs:
"We have not talked about anything as far as that goes yet. Everything is fresh right now. At the end of the day, whatever they ask me to do, I am ready to do."
On challenges facing the Buccaneers WR trio:
"They are all vertical threats. They all have really good hands. As far as Mike Evans and D-Jack (Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson) goes, those are veteran receivers that have been playing at a high level for a very long time. (Buccaneers WR Chris) Godwin is a young guy who is just as explosive. They look to try to give him the ball a lot. He has a big time role. I believe he may be leading them in touchdowns with [four]. Really good player, and he is from Delaware so I know about him (laughter). Good player."
OL Austin Corbett:
On significance of a transition from T to C:
"It is a lot. Getting out there at tackle, you are completely on your own. You are on an island. When you are in there at center, you are running the show and at the same time you have to help on both sides. Just to be in there with (OLs) Joel (Bitonio) and Kevin (Zeitler), two phenomenal guards, they have really helped me out a lot. (OL) JC (Tretter) has been really helpful for me to prepare and make sure I am on top of every call and I am on my technique on the ball."
On communication with QB Baker Mayfield preparing for a road game:
"We have the noise out at practice so we are able to get it pretty loud. Everything has been going really well on the communication side of it. With the added noise, it makes me have to really hone in, focus in and be perfect. So far, Baker has done a great job, and we have been on the same page. Just trying to keep that rolling."
On if he and Mayfield have worked on silent snap counts and the communication:
"We talk about it, and I talked to JC too to understand what he was thinking and what he felt [in the Oakland game]. I am just getting used to Baker's feeling in his hands and figuring that out. Being able to decipher from different things. Things happen like that you. Obviously, you don't want them to but have to learn from them, too."
On the mental learning curve shifting from T to C:
"For the mental side, it is not that big of a jump for me because the way I studied. Through my entire football career, I tried to treat it as if I was a center. Centers do make a lot of calls, but if I am out there at tackle, I will be able to make a lot of those calls. Just get rolling and we are able to play fast. Now at center, it is my time to actually do it. I enjoy the challenge of getting everyone right because it is on me to make sure we are on the same page. Joel and Kevin are there check in if I do anything wrong, but I want to make sure we are playing as fast as we can and everyone is on the same page because once we do that, we have a really good front. I am excited, and you just never know with this opportunity. Have to be ready."
LB Christian Kirksey:
On playing MIKE this week:
"It just next man up mentality. We have some younger guys that are going to play. We are taught to play multiple positions so you have a primary position and you have your second position. I am comfortable playing both positions, inside and outside."
On the fact that he has played ILB before and worn the in-helmet headset:
"Linebacker is linebacker. If you are playing inside or outside. In the 4-3, you are still in the box, regardless if it is classified as an outside linebacker. It is all the same to me."
On the Buccaneers offense:
"Obviously, they are a pass first team. They have a lot of weapons. They have some good tight ends. (Buccaneers WR) DeSean Jackson is still playing at a high level. He played like 50 percent of the snaps. They have a lot of guys who can take the top off in the passing game. We have to make sure we make it uncomfortable for them."
On challenges defending both Buccaneers TEs Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard, particularly as complements to the Buccaneers WRs:
"I think we have the players on this team to match-up pretty well. They have a good offense, and we have a good defense. We will see Sunday how everything will unfold. Like you said, they have some awesome players on their team and the same thing [on our team]. It will be a good game."
On why the Browns defense struggled to stop the jet sweep against the Chargers:
"We did not stop the jet sweep last week. We struggled with perimeter plays that were effective the previous week. This is a copycat league so if they see something that is being very productive for the offense, of course, they are going to try to do the same thing. We have been harping on making sure we set the edge and making sure we do not allow plays like that to be sparks. It is something we are working on right now."
On the domino effect of multiple defensive injuries:
"Next man up mentality. We all go to the same practices. We all go to the same training camp. We all are in the same meeting rooms. Guys are ready to play. Unfortunately, when guys go down – hopefully, they come back with a speedy recovery –we have to keep the ball rolling. Another week for us, and we just have to make sure that we focus on what is ahead of us and that is the guys that are on the field. I have total faith in our defense and belief in those guys."
WR Jarvis Landry:
On extra work with QB Baker Mayfield this week outside of practice:
"Honestly, just getting in the film room, looking at the tape, seeing the communication or if we missed how can we get better at it and knowing the spot to be in. That is really it."
On if the film evaluations are just Mayfield and him:
"No, it is everybody. It is everybody. I like to go into detail. I like to know what he is thinking. I like to know what (offensive coordinator) Coach (Todd) Haley is thinking. That way, we all can be on the same page. If we can do that, we can be good."
On Mayfield continually saying he has to be better for Landry:
"I think he puts that on himself, but I do think that he throws a lot of catchable balls. To take some of that away from him, I have to do a better job of catching them more and making the plays for him. I am working really hard at that, trying to do that and trying to earn more and more of his trust every day in practice."
On if this week's game is a chance for the offense to get back on track, given the Buccaneers' defensive stats:
"It is definitely a game that we can take a step forward as far as being in the right direction as an offense, but those guys are going to come to play. They are not just going to lay down and let us throw the ball and let us run the ball at will. We have to make sure that we come to execute. We have to play well, as well."
On if he has dropped more passes than expected at this point of the season:
"Yeah, a lot of them have obviously been on me. Just have to find a way to make plays and make catches. It is just that simple."
On if the amount of drops are typical at this point of the season:
"No. Obviously it happens, but having to put the pressure on myself to catch every pass, it makes letting one of them hit the ground hard. At the same time, we have to put it behind us and make more plays."
On 'carrying the weight of the receiving corps' with multiple Browns young WRs:
"Honestly, it is just making sure that every guy knows every detail on every play. I think that is the biggest thing. Especially being in the right spots for when the time comes that it is situational football and I am getting doubled or whatever it is and (QB) Baker (Mayfield) has to move on in his progression, other guys are going to be in the right spot to make the plays. I think that is the biggest thing."
OL JC Tretter:
On wearing a boot due to his ankle injury but it not seeming as bad as it may appear:
"There is only so much time during the week to kind of get right and get ready for the next game. The plan was to give myself and give me the most amount of time to get healthy as possible. I probably will be wearing the boot for a while. Just trying to get as protected as possible and not have any wear and tear on it. I rested yesterday and today. I will do something tomorrow, and then we will kind of adjust and see where I am at and how it feels. We have just been rehabbing it, doing everything that we can do in the training room to get it prepared and then we will test it tomorrow."
On if he will wear the boot up until determining whether or not he can play Sunday and potentially even after the game:
"I would not be surprised if I was in the boot after the game, too. I think it is one of those things that is going to linger probably for little bit. Just about trying to get it as right in the seven days that you have to get it ready for Sunday and then do the exact same thing the next week. That is just kind of how this business works with a little bit of a tweak here and there. It will be a good test tomorrow, and we will see where I am at."
On when his ankle injury occurred:
"It happened on the quarterback sneak. One of the D tackles kind of just dove in, pinned my foot and then kind of just got twisted underneath everybody."
On if it is a high ankle sprain:
"It is a high ankle sprain."
On if he has previously had a high ankle sprain:
"Yes. We are doing a good job. I think that it feels pretty good for where it is at right now being three or four days after. We will just keep rehabbing it, and we will see how it feels tomorrow."
On if he played through the previous high ankle sprain:
"That was in high school. The other one was in high school playing basketball. Not much similar nowadays."
On confidence he will be able to play on Sunday:
"Yeah, I feel confident going out there tomorrow and running around. We will tape it up and we will see what it feels like, and we will make a good decision. I still feel confident about playing on Sunday. I played with it during the game for the rest of it, and it feels better than it did at that point. I feel confident."
