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Best of Patriots.com Radio Wed Apr 24 - 04:00 PM | Thu Apr 25 - 07:25 PM

Transcript: Players Media Availability 1/25

Patriots center David Andrews and special teams captain Matthew Slater address the media during their press conferences at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, January 25, 2018. Plus, see what Malcolm Butler, Patrick Chung, Brandin Cooks, Phillip Dorsett, Dion Lewis, and Devin McCourty had to say inside the locker room.

CENTER DAVID ANDREWS

Q: How tough is Fletcher Cox?

DA: Yeah, Fletcher is a great player. He's good in the run. He's good in the pass game. He causes a lot of disruption that might not show up on a stat sheet there say, but just hurries, things like that. Just disruption. He's done a good job. That whole front has all year so it's going to be a challenge. They've got guys that they can rotate in there and they've been playing really good football.

Q: Have you had a chance to hear anything about Tom Brady's new documentary?

DA: No. We were out at practice so I didn't have a chance to watch it I guess. No, I haven't heard anything really about it but I'm sure it's probably pretty good if he put it together.

Q: What do you think people's interest is in Tom Brady?

DA: He's, in my opinion, the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football so I think that makes him a pretty interesting person. It's such a popular sport and when a guy has had that much success for that long, I think it draws a lot of attention in. It's well deserved.

Q: Can you set Netflix aside one night and maybe watch his 15-minute documentary?

DA: That might be after the season maybe. Maybe after the season. Is it on Netflix? I don't know.

Q: Facebook Watch.

DA: I don't have Facebook so I don't know. Maybe my wife has it or something. I don't know.

Q: What makes Tom Brady so effective on opening drives?

DA: I think just us as a unit we really put a big emphasis on that and starting fast. So that's something we want to come out there and try to do, you know, is always start with points. Try to get lead, especially if you get the ball first. I think that's just every team's goal and I think he's just done a great job, and our whole offense, just trying to make that a point of emphasis.

Q: What is it about the Patriots culture that allows a player to succeed here despite maybe not succeeding somewhere else?

DA: I don't know. I've never been anywhere else so I can't really speak on what another team's culture is like. I think it's just a testament to those guys and anyone. We have tons of guys who are undrafted, guys from other teams, whatever it may be and I think it's just a testament to those guys coming in and working and doing their best to learn the system. I think they're pretty good football players.

Q: What was your reaction when you got a chance to come here and the Patriots offered you a job?

DA: It was definitely kind of a blessing in disguise I think. I didn't really know what was going on. That was kind of a crazy period, the whole undrafted thing. I wanted the chance to play with the best so I think this was the best organization and has been for a while now. I wanted to be the best and so why not come here and learn from the best?

Q: How has your relationship with Tom Brady evolved over the years? Can you compare it to when you were a younger player as to where you are now? The level of comfort I imagine has gotten a little bit better.

DA: Yeah, I think even from the beginning Tom did a great job of making me feel welcomed I guess. He knew my name the first day I was able to meet him. I was blown away by that as an undrafted rookie that this guy took the time to learn my name. It's been a pleasure working with him, as it is a lot of those guys in that room. I think he just does a great job of welcoming guys and I think it's become a little bit more comfortable. We've worked together for a while now and it's been good.
Q: Is there something comparable in the world of sports to the relationship between a quarterback and a center?

DA: I don't know. It's kind of a special relationship I guess. Maybe a pitcher and catcher, maybe? I didn't play baseball that long so I can't really speak on that but it kind of seems that everywhere - at any level of football there's kind of a special relationship with - because it all starts with you two and it's kind of your job to relay information to your other guys from him. I'm relaying information back to him. The big thing is just us being on the same page and I think we've done a pretty good job of that here. So we've just got to keep going.

Q: When you're learning a game plan for a new week, how might the implementation of the game plan be different when you have a player who may or may not play that particular week?
DA: I think our job as players is just to go out there and prepare. Even if you're - whatever your status may be you just prepare like you're going to get ready to go. I can't really speak on that. It's not my job to game plan. I just try to execute it. I think our job is to go out there, soak up as much information as you can no matter if you're playing or not because you never know when that chance is going to come. You could be injured and get healthy, you could be healthy and get hurt so you just never know. So I think that's just each guy's responsibility to prepare and know as much as you can and go out there and execute it. 

Q: There's a flood of Bill Belichick doorknockers being made. Would you know on that door? What would you think would be on the other side?

DA: Do what?

Q: There's a flood of Bill Belichick doorknockers being made.

DA: Oh, like the - 

Q: Yeah, where his mouthpiece is kind of like the doorknocker. Would you knock on that door and what would you think would be on the other side?

DA: It's got to be a big Patriot fan if they've got a Bill Belichick doorknocker. They'll probably be pretty nice.

Q: What did last years' experience of going to the Super Bowl mean to you in terms of being prepared for this again?

DA: Yeah, experience really doesn't mean much. It's who executes best, but I think you just try to stay in your routine as best as you can and prepare. This isn't a bye week. You just try to prepare like you're playing on Sunday and I think that's a big thing and just learning just how to deal with a lot of distractions. But I think you do that as you get older too in the NFL. A lot of distractions, things going on like that so just being able to time manage and handle those distractions I think. But like I said, I think you learn that as you just get older too.

Q: Did anything surprise you last year during that week?

DA: I mean I guess the media day would be the only surprise.

Q: You love the podiums, right?

DA: Yeah. I mean so that was just interesting just seeing all of the people dressed up or whatever. But like I said, I just tried to stick to my routine as much as possible. Didn't do anything out of the norm.

Q: Do you have a Super Bowl routine at this point?

DA: I wouldn't say it's a Super Bowl routine. I stick to my routine that I do - camp, OTAs, whatever that may be you just kind of - whatever phase of the season you're in. Right now we're just still playing football. This is another football game so I'm going to stay in that routine that I've been doing all year.

Q: What is your favorite Prince song?

DA: Prince song? Oh gosh. I didn't listen to that much Prince growing up. I know 'Purple Rain' so I guess we'll go with that one.

Q: Are you a superstitious guy? You guys are wearing the white Super Bowl jerseys. Do you think that jersey will help you to win?

DA: No, what's going to help us win the game is our execution. If it was just the white jersey it would be pretty easy to win a game. It's all the work you put in all year, these next two weeks and executing during the game. 

Q: When preparing for Philadelphia, is the depth of their defensive front noticeably different than a lot of other teams?

DA: Yeah, they have a lot of depth. They move people around. Defensive ends come to defensive tackles so that can give other guys blows. They've got a good system how they're doing it and they're obviously very comfortable in what they want to do. It's going to be a big challenge when new guys are rotating in like that and I think as an O-lineman you can't just be like 'Oh, I'm blocking this guy.' You need to be familiar with all the guys. That's something we take upon ourselves - be familiar with everyone and know who you're going to block.

Q: There was a play against Jacksonville where Yannick Ngakoue lined up wide and you picked him up. When a team plays the wide nine, what is your peripheral vision or your awareness of those guys on the outside? How do you describe the difference in that?

DA: I'm just doing my job and we pushed the protection that way. They had a wide three technique too so in that sense I'm just more heightened sense of games that D-linemen could run. It wasn't anything - a special play. I was just following my rules and doing my job and they fell into that. 

CB Malcolm Butler

(on the Eagles offense)
"They've got a good offense. They do a lot of things well. They're well-coached. They've got good receivers, good running backs. They've got a good quarterback with a lot of experience who does what he's told to do. We've just got to be ready to play."

(on the identity of the team this year)
"A team that started slow, that grew together and bonded together and we're all one now. We all go with the motto 'we all win, we all lose,' so everybody's on the same page."

(on what allowed him to overcome his slow start this year and improve)
"Just keep moving forward. Just keep moving forward and thinking positive and listening to the coaches and taking the coaching well and everything will fall into place."

(on if there are similarities between the Super Bowl teams in terms of overcoming adversity this year)
"Yeah, you know, I don't know about their adversity, but every team has adversity. We overcame a lot, and I'm sure they overcame a lot, too, so that's why we're in the Super Bowl right now."

(on the challenging of defending a team horizontally and vertically)
"Most definitely. They like to get deep down the field. They like to go side-to-side. Like I keep saying, just got to be ready to play and be ready for anything. The best team we've faced this year, so just got to be ready to play."

(on his emotions going into his first Super Bowl)
"Just be ready. Just be ready. I might not play, but I'm going to prepare like I'm going to play and got the results."

S Patrick Chung

(On his versatility)
"It just comes back to hard work. If someone puts something on your plate and tells you, 'Hey, you need to do this, we think you can do it,' you've got to take that as a compliment and just work hard and do whatever you have to do to keep that respect and trust. That's what I'm trying to do."

(On Eagles TE Zach Ertz)
"He's a good, he's savvy, he's fast, he has good hands and runs good routes. He can break tackles and [Trey] Burton is good too."

(On how he defends players who are bigger than him)
"Not thinking about how big they are. I go just out there and play them. It's one-on-one, either you're going to beat me or I'm going to beat you. I'm just trying to do my best. If you beat me, then you earned it. I'm trying to keep doing the same thing I've been doing to help the team."

WR Brandin Cooks

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(On if he's vocal during the game)
I try to be. I don't go out there just talking to talk. But when something comes up and when something needs to be said, I say it. And if not, I keep going."

(On the trust he has with quarterback Tom Brady)
"I think it's growing, day-by-day, every single practice, every single game. The great thing about it is, we have another chance to grow that trust in a couple of weeks."

(On why people want to know so much more about Tom Brady)
"I think it's the success that he's had over the years. The way he goes about his business, it's not loud. He's pretty quiet from that standpoint, so people just feel like they want to dig in. But he's a guy that's normal just like us. He's a great teammate and a great person."

Phillip Dorsett

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(on if he knows a more competitive person than Tom Brady)
"No."

(on if Brady gets the team going)
"Yes, I would say. I mean, you just look in his eyes, you can see the edge and the fire. I mean, you can't explain it. He's after it day and night. He lives it. He sleeps it. I mean, he dreams about it. Just everything."

(on how much emphasis has been placed on getting off to a fast start in the Super Bowl)
"I would say that's the emphasis every week. We play better when we start fast, and that's a big emphasis every week, not just in the Super Bowl but in the weeks prior to this. I mean, we have a better record when we're playing fast and we get out to a good start, when we get points on the board on that first drive. So, we always like to do that."

(on how guys are able to find a role here)
"Yeah, it's definitely a special place. Coach gives everybody a role, and I would say he gives guys a role that he knows that they can execute and it definitely will help the team, so it's definitely a special place."

(on if the locker room culture is special here)
"Yeah, I mean, it's an amazing place. I mean, the guys welcome you in and you feel like family. Everybody wants to play for people like that. It's great."

Dion Lewis

(On how it felt to get back to practice)
"It feels good to be back. It's an exciting week, it's a big week for us to prepare at home before we go out there, so it's a big week preparation wise."

(On if the team eases into the preparation or goes full tilt)
"Full tilt. That's what we do here - full tilt. Everybody is focused and locked in because we know these few days here to prepare are huge for us, just to get stuff done before we go out there, so guys are locked in."

(On the Eagles)
"They have a great defense. Their front four is really good. Obviously they're one of the better teams to stop the run so we have to be on our A game and we should be alright."

Devin McCourty 

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(On how the Eagles have been successful after losing their starting quarterback)
"Like it always comes down to, they have a lot of great players. Obviously they have a good scheme and good coaching. Bill [Belichick] tells us all the time: good players won't beat bad coaching. So you put their coaches and their scheme together with a lot of really talented players that they have on offense, it shows why they're a good football team. They have a lot of good players at all their positions, so even losing as good of a player as [Carson] Wentz, they still went out there and won games in the playoffs because the team is really good."

(On his favorite part of the Super Bowl experience)
"Just having my family there. To me, this is not just about me playing in the Super Bowl. It's about my family getting to enjoy being there on picture day and things like that. To me, it's by far the best part of it."

(On media day)
"I mean I could do without the weird dress up, but I think it's pretty cool because we get some questions that are definitely different topics, like about our faith and things like that. We get to talk about some of those different things so I always think that's cool, but I could without the questions like, 'Do I like a cat or a dog?' All that stuff, I could do without that."

(On if he has any interest in the first episode of Tom Brady's documentary)
"I didn't even know it dropped, but I don't know. I know Tom so I'm not dying to see his documentary. I get to talk to him like we're friends, but it's pretty cool though. If I was on the outside looking in, I would love to see what Tom Brady does on a regular basis."

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