5 Takeaways From Steve Spagnuolo’s Press Conference

• “Yeah, he's one of those guys I call a natural knee-bender, and he's a big guy. I think he's got a lot of power from the hips down as a natural knee-bender, and that usually means you’re a pretty good football player. Just got to get that mental part going, for all these young guys.”

2. Tuesday’s fight between Gillotte and left tackle Josh Simmons was a learning opportunity for all the rookies.

• Spagnuolo: “The head coach handles all of that. It was quick, and we're all teammates. I think our guys, as good as any place that I’ve been, do a really good job of taking care of each other, and they respect each other, and it's not an offense-versus-defense. Matt (Nagy) and I treat it that way. But every once in a while, when it’s hot and they’re getting tired, it flares up.

• “Kicking balls or doing anything that's going to be a penalty in the real game, those guys gotta stay away from that. Now, initially, because I actually had my eyeball on it when it happened, I thought Ashton was like, ‘Okay, I can't …’ But then I think he said, ‘Wait a minute!’ You know, and then it became what it appeared, but they got over it really quick.”

3. Three undrafted rookies have made good impressions so far in camp.

• Spagnuolo on CB Kevin Knowles (Florida State): “I think Kevin's done a great job. Quick-twitch guy, quick-twitch guy. Free agent, so I didn’t know a lot about him coming in, but our scouts did a good job identifying guys like that. And I think he's found a little home at that nickel spot. I think he's doing really good things for us.”

• ·Spagnuolo on linebackers Cooper McDonald (TCU) and Brandon George (Pitt): “That position in this defense, there's a lot of volume and you got to be really smart from the chin to hairline. And those two guys in particular have done a really good job. Cooper was a really good find. If you remember, we got him in the rookie minicamp as a three-day tryout guy, and I thought in the one-on-ones against the running backs he did a really nice job yesterday.”

4. The absence of veteran free agent Kristian Fulton, who now has missed the first eight practices on PUP following knee surgery, is starting to become a concern.

• Spagnuolo: "That just means other guys get more reps. Uh, and we're going to have to find out what we have in Kristian Fulton because he's missed a lot of time. It's not like you step right in here in a multiple system like we have, and know what you're doing. So, it may take a little while to get him ramped up, but we're anxious to get him back and get more competition at that spot.”

5. Chris Jones is still Chris Jones, with a few exceptions.

• Spagnuolo: “Chris seems to always be the same to me. I do watch him all the time, whether it's individual periods when he's over there with Joe (defensive line coach Joe Cullen), or at the end of practice.

• “Chris likes to refine the finer points of his game. I think he does a really good job of that, and then he'll bring along the young guys to do the same thing. I think at this point in his career, I think Chris realizes that details are really important, and I think he's sharing that with these young guys, and hopefully that helps that whole group.” 

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