Packers' Mike Daniels Interviewed on NFL AM

On Monday morning, Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Daniels took some time out of his time off to speak with Paul Burmeister and Curtis Conway of the NFL Network on NFL AM. Daniels discussed a variety of topics relating to the offfseason, his progression as a player, and some new additions to the defense.

Daniels, a New Jersey native, was calling in from the NFL Films studios near his home and was surprisingly taking a few days off from working out. He discussed his down time first:

I'm known to overwork myself, so I took some time out to really get back home and relax, hang with my parents a little bit ... I usually get yelled at, my strength coach tells me all the time, 'Mike you should probably relax. Take some time off, you're allowed to.'

As for what Daniels expects to work on in his third training camp with the Packers, he said:

If it isn't broke, don't fix it. I guess I have to continue to work as hard as I possibly can ... I love the game of football. I enjoy being out there and it's not like a job to me. Everything I do is fun, from running laps to practicing and lifting weights, watching film.

With the addition of Julius Peppers to the Packers' defense, Daniels addressed one of the lessons he's learning from the veteran:

Julius, he's 34 years old and he outruns everybody in practice, so I guess what I learn from him is that you have to bring it every day because he's a guy who definitely does it ... flying around faster than some DBs, linebackers, receivers, running backs, everybody.

Daniels told Conway the advice that he provided to first-round draft pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix:

I'm a pretty simple guy and the one thing I've told (Ha Ha) is 'Come out here, give it everything that you've got, and knock somebody out. We'll make it easy for you.'

Daniels was also asked about what it's like playing on the same team as Aaron Rodgers:

Aaron definitely takes control of things. We have two offenses: the offense that the coaches call and Aaron's offense. Aaron's an awesome player. I remember watching him as a rookie, he would throw the ball about 70 yards just joking during OTAs ... When something needs to be said, he will say it, and I definitely respect that about him.

Finally, Daniels was asked to name which quarterback is the toughest to defend, though he kept his answer pretty broad:

Anybody who's got legs. If you can run, I can't stand it. (It's) Just making my life harder.

You can watch Daniels' entire interview here on NFL.com.