*Wide Receivers coach Hue Jackson met the media following Cincinnati's sixth-round selection of Tab Perry. The transcript follows: *
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH HUE JACKSON
Q: Tab Perry's a pretty big guy:
"We like them big. He's 6-4, 220 pounds, runs about a 4.4 in the 40, and played running back in high school. He didn't have a great career at UCLA, though he should have. He had some academic issues that came up. He is another guy who can really run. He's tough, has great ball skills, and he does return both punts and kicks. He has versatility, so there are a few things he can do to contribute to our football team."
Q: How does a guy with his talent fall to the late rounds in the draft?
"It's called production. When you only catch 22 balls and don't begin playing until the middle of the season, that is what happens. I remember this young man when I was at USC because I recruited him. He decided to go to UCLA, but I knew him and I knew his background. It's a tribute to the Bengals organization, because we are able to go out and evaluate these players. I was able to go out and see him and put him through drills that focus on things our current receivers have to do. He did a fantastic job."
Q: What did you see in him as a younger player heading into college?
"When he was younger, I saw a lot of what I see now, and perhaps a little more because he played running back at that time. He knows how to run with the ball after a catch. He has enough skills running after the catch to make big plays with the football."
Q: One report reads that he's fast, but not all that quick:
"That could be accurate, but he does have quickness in his body. I don't think he was asked to do a lot of things in the system he was in, but he looked pretty quick to me in the highlights I've seen. He has some quickness, and I know that will be questioned because he's 220 pounds, but he has very good initial quickness."
Q: You obviously liked Perry more than his UCLA teammate, WR Craig Bragg:
"Bragg is 6-1 and 195 pounds. Perry weighs 220 pounds and ran a 4.4 in the 40 at the NFL Combine. That is a big guy that can move. This is still a big man's game, make no mistake about it. When the big guys are matched up against little guys, the big guys usually win. When you have a big guy that can run fast and do a lot of things you like, it's a pretty good mix."
Q: Did you anticipate being here to talk about two receivers in the draft?
"No, I really didn't. I think it's a tremendous message that is being sent to our team — that we're trying to do everything we can to get better, at any position. Wherever we can make an upgrade and make a better football team. Right along with Marvin's statement: Starting faster. Whoever is going to help us start faster, well, we're going to make sure that they're on our team."
Q: Speaking of messages, it seems like current Bengals WR Kelley Washington has a clear one:
"I don't know that it's intended that way. Again, I think the bottom line is that if there are players there that can help us, in any position, to improve, I think we're going to evaluate them to see if they can help us."
Q: Do you think missing that one year for academics hurt him?
"You know, what's interesting is his best football may be ahead of him. He was a guy that played a lot towards the end of the year, so he hasn't taken a lot of the nicks that other players have. I'm just excited, as a coach, that the two guys that were added to the team are big athletic guys that can really run and, I think, bring something to the team."
Q: Have you talked to QB Carson Palmer about these wide receivers yet?
"I haven't, but I'm sure he's excited. He's probably throwing footballs off the wall. I'll see him tomorrow. He's excited. I'm sure he is. We all are. This is an exciting time."
