On Joselio Hanson: "He has been a guy that's played a lot of years in the League in the slot and we just felt like it was a good thing to get another veteran guy in there with what amounts to a young room. So we thought that was something that helped us and upgraded our team and made us better. "
On how quickly Hanson can get up to speed: "I think pretty quickly. He's smart, we have spent some time with him already talking over the defensive scheme and the things that we would ask him to do and he seemed to grasp it pretty quickly. So I would anticipate that he would have a pretty quick learning curve."
On cornerback position changing: "I think as things played out throughout OTAs, mini-camp and in training camp, we felt like that that was a position that we needed to upgrade and we felt like with the players that we brought in here that it helps us as a team to be better."
On what makes Hanson successful at playing in the slot: "I think it's mostly his intelligence; he's really smart. He has got good quickness inside and so he matches up with some of the smaller, quicker slot receivers. But I just think he understands route combinations and how things happen inside the slot and I think that's the biggest learning adjustment that anybody that goes in and plays the nickel position that they've got to understand, they have to learn how to play the different route combinations that you see in there."
On whether learning route combinations is a skill that some guys just don't have: "A lot of it is football instincts and guys go in and just have a good feel for how things are going to happen and he has done a good job of that throughout his career, so we're excited about having him."
On what the cut process has been like for him: "It's tough. These guys work their tail off for us and to be a part of this team. So these decisions, there is a lot of time, effort and thought that goes into making these decisions. At the end of the day, this is a business and we have to do what we feel like is best for the Oakland Raiders and those were the decisions that we made."
On how daunting is it to make the cuts and bring in four fresh guys that don't really know the system: "Well I mean we have got some work to do but that's why we're here. That's part of our job and that's what happens with every team. There is a lot of coaching that has to go on during the season. You bring guys in, guys get injured, and you pick someone up off the street. So it's nothing new, but yeah, we have a few new guys back there that we have to get caught up to speed and we have got to get them caught up to speed quickly."
On going against Chargers QB Phillip Rivers in a week: "Hey, were all pros and we've got a job to do and we will all do what we have to do to get that job done. Part of our deal as coaches is to figure out what things guys can do well and figure that out quickly, and if they have to go in and play, we have to put them in those positions and not ask them to do things that they don't have a chance to be successful with."
On his options at punt returner: "Well [Phillip] Adams will be one of the guys that we will put back there, he has done it before. As a matter of fact, I think it was a couple preseasons ago, he returned one against the Raiders for a touchdown in the preseason. So he's done it before and has had a little bit of success doing it, so he will be one guy that we'll put back there and then obviously when we get Denarius [Moore] and Jacoby [Ford] back that gives us a couple other options."
On prognosis of Jacoby and Denarius: "Well, Denarius was out running around today and he has had a couple good days back-to-back so I am encouraged by that. Then Jacoby's making progress. He's not running yet but he's making progress, so I am encouraged really by both of those as far as there rehab is concerned."
On Juron Criner limping around: "Yeah, he's got an ankle. I don't really think it's a big deal. He was able to get out and run around pretty well yesterday. A little bit more sore today but it's a long time until Monday night so I think we will be fine there."
On whether there was a 'welcome to the Raiders moment' with the roster change: "No we just get to work. We've got a job to do and that's the business of the National Football League is getting ready to win games. So we didn't have any 'kumbaya' moments we just…it was time to roll so it was good."
On Stefen Wisniewski: "Wisniewski was limited in practice today but he moved around pretty good. We'll get him a little bit more work tomorrow. I would expect him fine to go at practice on Wednesday."
On Willie Smith: "Athletic, long arms, comes from the same type of system so the learning curve shouldn't be that difficult. I think he's really an athletic talent at the tackle position."
On Keenan Clayton: "Another guy that we think is going to upgrade us in special teams. He's a smaller linebacker that can really run and I am looking for him to do some good things for us special teams-wise initially to start us off."
On when the injured players have to get practice time in to be able to play on Monday: "We'll evaluate that as we go along but they need some work so I don't know. I don't know what that day is but we'll know whether they're ready to go or not before the game comes up."
On injured players playing this week: "I am hopeful that they will, I don't know that. I am hopeful that all those guys will be able to play."
On whether there is a cut-off day for Moore to be back to practice before the game: "I mean there is a cut-off day for all of us as far as being ready to go, on what that day is I don't know. I want to get him out here and get him practicing and then we will determine whether he is going to be ready to play in the game or not."
On Miles Burris: "He has made some progress, he's an athletic guy, he runs really well, he is tough, physical. He is still going to be a work in progress and he still has to get better from the mental aspect of the game, just like all rookies do. So will there be growing pains? Yeah there will be some growing pains, but I feel good about where he is at right now."
On cutting DeMarcus Van Dyke: "All of them are tough cuts and he was no exception. Like I said before, we spend a lot of time talking about these players, thinking about these players and there is the personal aspect of the guys that you like and that's hard, but then there is the business aspect and we have to make decisions that are tough and what we think are in the best interest for the Raiders and that's what we did."
