WR Taylor Gabriel:
On if opponents are going to circle his number this year more than they did last year:
"I hope I can sneak up on them again, but we have some awesome players like (WR) Dwayne Bowe and (WR) Andrew Hawkins so I'm pretty sure they are going to take a lot of pressure off of me."
On what goes through his head when hearing DB Joe Haden raved about him as a difficult player to cover:
"Much respect for Joe. They put our lockers next to each other so we talk all the time. Even out here after a route or he has broken up my pass or I have caught a pass on him, we are talking about the route. What coverage were you in? What kind of technique were you doing? Every step of the way, he has been helping me. He has been as much of a big part as the wide receivers in the receivers' room."
On if there was ever a time last year he realized he was good enough to play in this league:
"I still feel like I have a lot to prove. I still feel like I have a lot of room to grow. Just coming out here every day and grinding and getting in my playbook."
On if he has a chip on shoulder due to being overlooked for his size:
"Of course, you always have to carry a chip on your shoulder because I do feel like I got overlooked just because of my size, but they can never measure my heart or how hard I wanted to work out here. (WR Andrew) Hawkins coming out here, him being my idol coming out of high school, just to be with him and see his work ethic, I feel like it pushed me to be better."
On if it is a blessing to be on a team with a guy like Hawkins who is so well respected, skilled and has a similar body type that he can emulate:
"I feel like I am a little taller than him (laughter). Yeah, it is a blessing just to be with all the guys. (WR) Brian Hartline – he came in and his routes are so crisp. Every route he runs is almost a perfect route. Just things like that I feel like I can pick and choose form all the wide receivers that we have."
On if he ever told Hawkins he was a fan of him growing up:
"No, I could never tell Hawk that I was his biggest fan. I don't want his head to get any bigger than it already is (laughter). I am a big fan of Hawk and I'm pretty sure he knows it. I just try to pick and choose the times I bring him to the side and ask him things. It is a blessing to be with him and all the other wide receiver s in the group,"
On if it was cool to see Hawkins when joining the team:
"When I first got here, I looked at his locker and was like, 'Oh my God that is Andrew Hawkins,' but he didn't know that until probably Week 8 into the year."
On if he has ever talked to Hawkins about his journey to the NFL and how it shaped him:
"Of course. He took a long road – the CFL, then he did the Dallas Cowboy challenge, the TV show. That is crazy. Hawk (WR Andrew Hawkins) has come a long way and he deserves everything he is getting right now."
LB Nate Orchard:
On the personality of the defense and if his teammates push him to be great:
"Definitely. It's a high demand for greatness. (DB) Donte Whitner, (LB) Karlos (Dansby), those guys that have been in the system, been playing for years and years that's just what they demand and that's the expectation on this defense. It's not different from me playing University of Utah where defense is the entire team, and that's the mentality here. Defense is going to win games. I feel like I'm in a great system and I have great players around me."
On the first practices in pads facing veterans in drills:
"I haven't had the chance to go up against (OL) Joe (Thomas), but I mean, in OTAs or things like that, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to go up against someone who has been in a Pro Bowl eight years in a row. I'm beyond blessed. To go up against the best, to be able to work on my craft, if I can get my way around Joe, going up against other guys in the league, [I'll] probably do good."
On if is holding his own in practice:
"Yeah, I think I'm doing well, but at the end of the day there are always things to improve on technique-wise, pass rushing, even if it's run stopping. There's so much on the table so every day you just have to keep building and building."
On his sacks improving from 3.5 to 18.5 in his senior year of college:
"Marriage (laughter). I always tell this: it's a mentality; you have to go in with the right mentality. Going into my senior year, being married, having a kid, growing up so much just in those one or two years, I realized that football is going to help me provide for my family and to take that next level I have to go in with the right mindset. I went to the coaches, talking to them, they helped me getting the right help and helping my pass rush game. That's just why I did so well senior year."
On his role in the defense:
"As far as my role in this defense, I'm just doing what the coaches want me to do. Listening to (outside linebackers) coach (Brian) Fleury, (defensive coordinator) coach Jim O'Neil, whatever they demand of me. At the end of the day, I get my practice report, I have to fix my mistakes and I just I have to keep building on that day after day. At the end of the day, wherever they need me, if it's on sub packages or things like that I have to go in and make plays."
On the types of things he needs to improve on:
"Little things like footwork, hand placement are the biggest thing. Not getting reached on run blocks and things like that. Those little things can make a huge difference, getting around the edge, things like that. Everyday just have to keep looking at those notes and fixing those mistakes going into the next practice."
LB Scott Solomon:
On if he expected to get some reps with the ones during training camp:
"Yeah, just based on OTAs and how things have been going. I am just trying to keep it up and keep it going."
On what he brings to the defense:
"I think I set a good edge and that is what I try to do every day. I am trying to work on my craft now."
On if he uses being cut by former teams as a chip on his shoulder:
"A little bit. I have said it before: it is all about keep on grinding and keeping at it. That is what I try to do. Get better every single day and stay confident."
On his goals for the season:
"Try to be a better player every day and every game and contribute to the defense, get some sacks, make some plays and just do everything I can to help the defense."
On what LB Paul Kruger has taught him about this defense:
"He has taught me a lot. He has taught me – him and Mingo (LB Barkevious Mingo) really kind of helped me with my technique and where I fit, especially in pass with coverage stuff. I am still learning a little bit. They have helped me out a lot. They have been huge."
On what it means to set the edge well:
"Really, it is just coming off the ball hard and just crushing down that edge and setting it hard, keeping anything from going extending to that side."
On if he has changed as a player with the Browns or if it is more a reflection of opportunity:
"I feel like I have gotten better every year that I have played in the league so it is definitely a progression for me and with that comes experience and confidence, too."
On if he ever had doubts after previously being cut that he might not get a chance to play as much:
"I think that creeps in a lot of times with a lot of guys. It just happens, but again, it is just staying confident, training hard and keeping at it and staying focused. That is the huge thing, especially when you have that off time when you are cut as a player."
