Q: Did you recognize anybody out there today?
Lamarr Houston: Yeah, all the guys from the spring.
Q: Well, you know my point is this turnover on this defense is pretty incredible on the defensive line. What does that say to you and what do you think about the turnover?
Houston: I think Reggie [McKenzie] and Dennis [Allen] are doing a great job bringing in the guys who weren't on this team, the type of guys who want to play on this team. They're building a good locker room.
Q: Dennis Allen even said that the team was even able to stop the run a little bit today. Gee, what a concept, huh?
Houston: It's the first day, we're just starting to get going. So we'll see if it holds true during pads, but I think we're doing a pretty good job.
Q: Defensively, schematically, is there a big difference from what you were trying to do last year? Is there a different planned attack or is it just go get the quarterback?
Houston: I don't think there's any difference than last year. I think we're just going to focus on being a cannibal, just doing our job and doing our job well. We want all 11 guys on the same page, and I think that's what we're focusing on right now.
Q: One of the nice things is that this team saw value in you and they kept you here, and wants to make you an integral part of that defense. How does that make you feel?
Houston: I'm happy to be a part of this team and I'm ready to play with this D-line as a team, and I think we do great together, especially those defensive backs and linebackers. They're going to be a good front seven and good back four. I think they're going to play great football as a team. Q: And you know what this story is here, four wins last year, some people say you're going to have to struggle to get four again. Is that a rallying cry for you guys.
Houston: Right now, we're not even focused on what people are saying anything outside. We're just focusing on getting better every day, focusing on our jobs, not making mental errors and being a strong defense, a strong team on the inside. And I wasn't really paying attention to anything on the outside so I wasn't even aware of that.
Q: And yet having said that, when you were driving up here, you've been around the block for a long time. What kind of thoughts came to mind as you rolled in here for another run at this?
Houston: It's just time to go to work. It's training camp. It's where you work. It's where you take everything from the offseason OTAs, mini-camp, and you put it together and progress from that and apply what you know. So, it's just time when you go to camp.
Q: How are you better? How did you get better in the last couple of years?
Houston: I think this defensive line, we've been working together on a lot of different aspects. How we can play together more as a team, more as a D-line, I think that's going to help us a lot, and we're going to progress from last year and be a lot better.
Q: I'm talking about you personally. Are you smarter or…
Houston: I'm just here to play. I think I worked a lot this offseason and just trying to improve the things I need to improve and we'll see. We'll see how it goes.
Q: What do you mean 'need to improve?'
Houston: Just anything I can do to get better by [Dennis Allen] and Reggie McKenzie's standards; whatever that is. We'll see what comes up.
