JR Interview with Jessie Armstead

It's the J.R. Sportbrief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. And right now we are being joined by someone who is a legend. And it's not just me saying it.

You can go to MetLife Stadium and see his name up in the ring of honor. It's my main man used to hit everything that moves. It's Jesse Armstead. Jesse, how you doing, man? I'm doing great, man. Glad to be on here. And just happy to be here right now.

Thank you so much. You know, here's the big question. What have you been up to? It seems like you keep things on the low a little bit. What have you been up to, Jesse?

You know what? One thing about me, you know, we've just been grinding around here with the Giants. You know, we've been trying to build from the inside. We had some stumbling over the last few years, the last five years.

Got to be honest about that. Every fan see that. But I feel like now that we start to lay a great foundation around the organization and the fans and everybody should be looking forward to it now.

Let me ask you this. We know we had a new coach. We have a new general manager.

What are your initial impressions about Shane and Debo? Well, I tell you what they bring in brand new ideals, and they look at they evaluate players very differently. You know, they, they're, they're active with the players, they want to understand the players, they want to go out there to the workouts.

They want to be hands on and as contagious because they expect they doing it, you know, you got to go out there you got to do it and you got to do it just as hard as they do it. Giants legend Jesse Armstead here with us. When you think about some of the players who are being evaluated right now there are guys who have been around your Daniel Jones your Saquon Barkley's there are new guys and we see Thibodeau. Look at some of the, and I don't want to call them old but they've been around for a minute now you know Daniel Jones who and what is he Saquon who and what is he, who do you feel on the team has the most to prove to this new regime. Well, you know what, just like you said, everybody, when they came in with an ideal saying everybody got to prove that stuff to them, because this our first year here, and you got to display yourself, and it's an open competition I'd be on the football field right now. It's not like the past, you come in here your first rounder or second rounder, you got a position. No, everybody got to prove theirself and they want to make sure they put their mark on this team their hand, their mark on the team. We saw that that first game against the New England Patriots the Patriots had their, their backup backup backup players in there the New York Giants had their starters. They were people already critical of what Daniel Jones was doing in that first game people weren't all that excited. What are your thoughts and just seeing him so far in this training camp into the preseason. Well, you know what you're gonna get Daniel a lot of credit because his whole brand new office in the head.

If you look over the past three years, three different office of my coordinators and things like that. I think that as Daniel keep going on, he have opportunity to prove itself. We're very vanilla in the New England game, just like they were vanilla. And so I think it's time keep going on the game progress, getting the Cincinnati you get to the Jets game. So let's give everybody opportunity to prove theirself and I think you have more opportunity to show that he can do it if he can't do it. Just the arms that here with us, man you made a living out of just knocking out running backs and getting the wide receivers that's what you did at a high level pro ball for all of this. So when Kayvon Thibodeau comes into the league, and he was criticized for having or not having enough passion for the game or or outside passions we don't hear any of that right now. You being a defender, you seeing him first close or up close and personal, what are your impressions of where you know what it was very funny because typical came through the ranking just like I did.

We were both the number one player in the country, top linebackers in the country coming out of high school, went to college he was top linebacker I was top linebacker only different was I blew my knee out and brought me back down to the bottom of the totem pole. Whereas, people had an impression of a person when you rank very high, but they don't. They're not dedicated that person don't get where they are if they not dedicated, you know, and typical just got to keep his head down, get the grind and keep working like he's doing the kid glider every day and sweat and earn it. The earnest keeps every day.

I'm very impressed with it. And his personality is starting to come out a little more and he's got to prove himself to people in New York City. One thing about New York, they want to make sure you're grinding, they don't want nobody coming I think they are prima donna. So, I think he has show his grinding abilities and he can be part of New York City, all of the potential that we hear about him, are we going to see him in a Pro Bowl sooner than later. You know what, we keep working like he's working and do the things and the team come around and as a team atmosphere, and we win as a team, a lot of opportunities for him is out there and he got the talent.

The coaching. We have the coach in here so it's all up to him now, and I think that he will reach that potential. One thing is you mentioned about the past four or five years with the New York Giants. We know when the Giants have won it's always been about defense it doesn't matter if we're going from Harry Carson and LT on down to you and stray hand etc. What do you think about the potential of the New York Giants and his defense, are there players that we're not paying as much attention to. You know, you always have some people but you look at, we got a big front, you know, got Leon, Leon came through and he was, he was playing at our pro level for us, you know, you look at his one on top because llamas international football league. He looked big Dexter Lawrence that, you know, find a guy that's bigger and more athletic than Dexter, and with our coaching now.

You take the next step Dexter would be all pro defensive tackle. You know we kind of loaded the outside linebacker position you know you got the x man over there you guys a safety, you turn around you got typical sitting at the outside linebacker so we're getting stronger. All around the defense now it's time to perform, because New York wants to see some grinders they want to see some blue collar.

Hey, I'm gonna knock your head off, I'm gonna get off the ground I'm keep fighting from the start to the end and that's the attitude you got to have in New York City to survive New York and New York is a hardcore place you know me. Absolutely Jesse Armstead here with us we've seen the evolution of the game it's more of a of a passing attack it's not so much let's put the ball on the ground or balance. It's almost like air it out, even the running backs are, or they have to be prepared with their hands to catch and pretty much go. What do you think about the evolution of that that linebackers spot we see linebackers are smaller now they're faster they're being asked to cover more of the field, you were fast and athletic, but now we're starting to see more of that.

What do you think about the evolution of the position where the evolution came with me. When I came national football league, everybody said I was a little linebacker I didn't fit the description of you know the Lawrence Taylor the pepper Johnson, the car banks, because they are like 64, 260 pounds, and I was sitting at six to 225 to 30, but I could run like a run like a during I can cover real well. And then it became Derrick Brooks Tampa one of their bridge that Dexter Coakley, they start going to a small line linebacker and now you get to a point where it's hard to find the linebackers now in college football. So now they want to switch from getting a safety trying to make them to a linebacker and it's hard on the safe because I was not trained like linebacker, you know, but that's how the game to change, because now you got to be covered back on the back field, you might have to move out on the slot as a linebacker and team trying to find a mismatch you had a linebacker in. They want to make sure that you cannot change personnel and put a mismatch with a running back go on backfield, and it's a mismatch, and I'm very fortunate that I could do all that. I just, it's not my era but if I was in this area it'd be great for me, you know, absolutely have a couple more INT is running all over that field. When you think about the offensive explosion, and all the points that go up and the emphasis on offense.

Do you enjoy the games as much or is it to kind of one sided. You know, it's made one side and you just look at the rules, you know, it's all about the quarterback, that's why the quarterbacks getting paid, you know, don't want the quarterback to get hurt. I would have a problem with that, you know today's game but hey, that's part of it cannot touch them, you know, look at the receivers the DBS cannot touch them after five yards.

The odds are for the offense, and the fans want to see points, but New York people want to see number defense so you know so we buy us on this way you know but but defense always win championship when it comes down to it, you know, come down to the months you get in November, so again in December and January, when it's come down to running a ball and trying to use that clock. And that's when you start depending on that defense so defense always win championships, you think about the quarterback started running around in the NFL, everyone has a different skill set it's not cookie cutter drop back and throw you got guys who are darting around and running around and flipping the ball and going down field, what quarterback when you take a look or watch the games is the is the best or the most difficult, you'd find the cover. You know what, it's always that quarterback's a threat, you know mean that can run a ball and throw the ball. You know you man coverage and covering next time you hear the crowd. You look behind you, you got this up this quarterback running behind your back you like oh my goodness.

So you. So now, I think that's the biggest threat a quarterback you can run, but also can pass the ball. Are we talking about a Josh Allen or would you go with somebody like Lamar Jackson, if you have to grab a quarterback today at all the ones who are playing who do you think is the best. Well, it's always gonna be a threat with Lamar Jackson.

It's always a threat, you know, you deal with somebody that you're not going to catch. Got the skills of a running back, and he also can pass the ball real well. You got Josh Allen this real big, you know they can run the ball also, and that's a leader on the football field so you got two different type but I just noticed it's a headache, when you deal with a quarterback and I run in about on your team.

Jesse Armstead here with us, New York Giants legend. Why do you think that Lamar is so controversial as a player, people either hate his guts, or they love him they say oh well he can't throw you say that he's a. He can pass as well. Why don't you think he gets his just do you know you always have your 5050, you know, you also have people like you know once you know but you look at a quarterback like him. Anytime you see somebody can run. Next nature is he cannot throw somebody can throw.

He can't run, you know, and so those always will be the combination when you're dealing with people fans media. And you just got picked, which one that you want to take your team to the championship, you know, it's a good debate, you know, I love how you love have either one of you know, but you know get a little more his credit and Josh Allen yeah give him his credit, you know, absolutely. When you think about the New York Giants new regime, young team, young players building. What do you think is the outlook for this upcoming season is it a matter of hey we're here we're rebuilding. What do you think the long term is for this entire year. Long term right now you know we get instruction instruction. Where you sit up there and you have to address your salary cap, you know, make sure that's lined up right with Joe Sheen and now we you know you know that's part is going to get developed the right way.

And you look at dabble. He's making sure that the players are lined up and understand and getting the right coaching. And I think the foundation, when you build in the house that foundation not right. It's gonna be a problem.

I feel deep down inside, pick the right foundation. John Murray did a great job with with this group. Jesse, man, everybody loves you we'd love to see you back on the field, hitting folks, when you talk about your day to day, what are you up to what is your full role right now. Well special assistant to the general managers. So, my role go all over you know when dealing with the players from also going and looking at evaluating talent. Also, making a determination sometime and someone did our description as a player, and we're in, and that's one thing is very. I think, very strategic, we got to make sure the right people is here as New York China, because it take a special person to play in New York City.

Absolutely. We know that that New York City comes with its gifts that also comes with its its trapping Jesse I do have to ask you, I know you played for them hurricanes man I know you were down at the you. What do you think about the new head coach and everything they're doing down in Florida. First of all, the new head coach I played for years when we're playing three national championships together, side by side, we want to when we lost one so I know his pedigree. I know we thought in the trenches together, I know his mindset, and I know that he's bringing back out a lot of former players to get that mindset ready and he's out there being aggressive and getting young talent.

That's all you need. You got the tradition, you land us against any college, and in a small wonder. And you realize the talent that came through the universe Miami, and a talent that's going to start coming back to the University of Miami. We see that coach crystal ball one of the things I'm actually happy he got rid of was that turnover chain man, did you enjoy that turnover chain.

That's all false stuff you know me, get back to real things you know, just not get somebody here and I'll make them big plays, getting that intercept and taking them back home, scoring that touchdown, everybody. We made everybody want to be the you. Every last one of the colleges coming through on crap they had tradition, a university. When we came through in the 90s. What the 80s and the 90s and 2000 and early 2000 everybody wanted to be the you, you know, so we just got to get back.

It was our tradition back at the you. It wasn't about change it by working everybody and playing on the football field. I hear that will just let me ask you this I know you're, you're in the front office office guy now, is there any chance that we see you more on the grass at any point in capacity as a coach. I don't want to go to the coach level, but I do have this, the skills and ability to help my guys, and I got the flexibility for being in the front office to go down on the field and help out, you know, so that's why I love the New York Giants give me the flexibility to be on the football field also, and I can help the linebackers that I tell them, you know, things I see from my point of view, hope that I can train them to train their eyes and things like that, to make them make a play a little faster, you know, so I'm very fortunate to be flexible with New York Giants. Well, Jesse I appreciate you taking the time don't sell yourself short forget coaching man. I know you could probably still go out there and knock some heads off yourself man. All right, thank you very much. No doubt about it, we've been chatting it up with the New York Giants legend Jesse Armstead Jesse thank you one more time for joining us. All right, thank you very much.