On Earnie’s first draft experience

Stewart: It was exciting. I didn’t sleep very well last night because we had all kinds of plots up our sleeves to try and get the number 2 spot. But it was exciting. We succeeded in the things that we wanted to do so, good, good day.

If Yaro was always the objective

Stewart: Yeah, that was the main part for us was that we wanted to get Yaro very bad and that’s why we moved up to the 2nd position.

If selecting Keegan Rosenberry at No. 3 was a reach

Stewart: No, otherwise we would have probably made that choice. We didn’t believe he was going to drop that far and for him, he was an asset for our thoughts and our plans of how we want to build our team, and build our foundation for a longer time to come. So I don’t feel that it was reaching at all and we were very, very keen on getting him and everybody was in agreement to that position.

On the club’s evaluation on Brandon Vincent

Stewart: No, no, no. Not a direct comparison. We try to look at our team and the way we want to shape it and the way we want to form it and the positions that we needed. And this one was a big one, this one was very important so we rated this high.

If having two players from same college helps, chemistry wise

Stewart: Well yeah, that’s what Jim and I were talking about, too. At the same time was that you’re acquiring two players that are used to playing with each other, that have a great future and great potential. That’s always good and at the end it makes it even more gratifying if you see the two, the way they congratulated each other when they were both picked. So that’s major for us in what we want to do, you know, we want to be together, we want to be a team. And two players that have played together in the past, and now play for the next couple of years going to play together, that’s fantastic.

If the club made a run at the No. 4 pick (which was traded to Chicago)

Stewart: No we did not because we actually planned everything out pretty much the way we wanted. We did a lot of hustling and bustling with Jim and Chris and just getting information so that we knew what was going to happen here and there. It was pretty exciting toward the end to make sure that we could get that second pick and once that was pretty much done, we had a good view of what the path was going to be and who everybody was going to pick.

Everybody did their job but today, once again, it was very exciting in the way that, you know this is my first time, but the way you go about business and try and get all the information that you can just to make sure that you get your picks when you want them.

On when they knew Jack Harrison was going first

Stewart: We knew that probably 10 minutes before, I mean, officially is when it’s said, but we were pretty confident that he was going to go as a No. 1 which made our No. 2 pick very, very good.

Curtin’s take on Keegan Rosenberry

Curtin: Keegan is a guy we’ve always been eye on, a guy I’ve coached since he was 16, a guy whose had a heck of a career at Georgetown, a guy whose stock this week at the combine soared; He did really well and we were pretty confident in talking to everyone in the room that he was going to be a top five guy so we knew we needed to make a move and grab him at the third spot. So, very happy.

If he felt Rosenberry should have been considered a homegrown player

Curtin: Those are things that are out of our control. It’s the past. Sure, it would have made things a lot smoother and easier for us, but again, it’s the past, it’s all behind us and we’re happy to have Keegan wear the badge. And it’s a badge he has wanted to wear since he was 16 years old. So again it’s something he is proud of. You can tell that when you see his family out there with his sisters and his girlfriend and just how much it meant to them. So he is happy to stay home and we made it happen and it’s a great pick for us.

On the calculus of the sixth pick

Curtin: The calculus was that we knew we wouldn’t have Keegan Rosenberry if we didn’t take him third – he was going to be gone. So that was kind of, it made that simple. And Herbers, we get a player that is a proven goal scorer. And in the college level, over the years, that usually translates pretty well to the pro game and Fabian is another guy, who went six, maybe not in the top five like people were expecting but he is a guy we value very much and great attacking player that were excited for.

If they expected Herbers to be there at six

Curtin: As much as there’s secrets and different things going on, and everybody has their little hidden things, we had a pretty good idea that he was going to be there at six and we were able to pull the trigger and get a player that we value very highly. We’re excited to have him on board. Good work ethic. Again, a kid who has a goal scorers mentality so he will have a little chip on his shoulder from maybe slipping to six so we like that and we’re happy.

If the Dutch pedigree factored in Stewart’s evaluation

Stewart: He was in the Dutch youth academy and that’s something you take into consideration, but because he was already known by our scouting here, that did make it a lot easier. I did do some phone calls back to Holland, where they saw him and how he was as a person as a kid growing up. But he is German, he has a great mentality, and I believe all the picks that we had today, and the kids that we have today, that’s what we want to build on. That’s the way they go about their business and they want to get better every single day because that’s a big part of who we want to be and develop these kids to playing a lot of games for us.

If Yaro is viewed as a center back

Stewart: Yeah, that’s why we got him. And because we got Keegan Rosenberry at the same time, it says, that says a lot.

If the three first rounders have a chance to become starters

Stewart: It’s always difficult to say they are going to start on the sixth of March, but we did have some different kinds of categories. There is some great potential there in the players that we have and they could become starters, if that is the 6th of March or if it’s going to be the 1st of July – or whatever it is. But the potential is definitely there with all these players. We were pleasantly surprised with the last pick that we had with [Taylor] Washington too, so that was a need for us at the same time to make sure we had a cover in that position, so we’re pretty happy campers today.

On drafting defenders

Curtin: We knew we needed to strengthen the defense; we have given up too many goals the past two years, so that was a priority. It’s important to stress that the defenders that we drafted all can play with their feet, too. They’re not just big physical, bruising guys. They can all pass out the back and be that first line to start our attacks to start our possession. I think it’s really important to stress that.

It will be a bit of a new style that we are going to have and we are excited to unveil it and these pieces, Washington included – I am glad Earnie mentioned it because he gets a bit forgotten in this – he’s a very strong player that had a great college career and also did very well showing in the combine. We’ve been talking to a lot of people and a lot of people have been very high on him as well. So, a good strong left back and we’re happy with the depth we now have at each spot, we have two at each position and we will have good competition in preseason.

Where Herbers fits into the team



Curtin: He can play as a wide guy I think that’s clear. If you talk to him, we interviewed him obviously and got to know him pretty well and hearing his strengths and maybe things he could improve on. [He] still could be a number nine, as a forward, and be that back-to-goal guy who can hold up the ball. So again, young player, still has some room for growth but at the same time we will see what’s best for him in the wide spot or in the number nine spot. But, an attacking guy.

If there is any more shopping to do at left back

Curtin: No, we’re happy with Fabinho. Fabinho had a very good year last year. We’re happy with where he is at. Of course we want to bring in competition, you want to bring someone in to push him so he is challenged everyday – I think that brings the best out of players. So again, I think Washington will come in and push him, and we will always be open to exploring upgrading our roster. It’s not a finished roster, by any means right now. We are anxious to get to work and we think we have identified some targets, and we will continue to look, and again Fabinho is our starting left back as of right now.

If Maurice Edu will be back at defensive midfielder this year

Stewart: That’s the coach…

Curtin: Listen, we know where we are going to play Maurice, I don’t think its adventitious now to reveal how we are going to line up and play just because, you know, there are still future targets out there that we are looking at and we want to evaluate and be respectful to our own players, too – that they aren’t hearing though a press conference or anything like that. So we will have those discussions with our guys but you guys can do all the speculating.

On Anderson Conceicao’s expecations

Stewart: Yeah we were very happy. It’s been a long while that we have been busy with him because the way we believe we need to build up from the back with a left central defender that has a left foot because you see a lot of time today, they are very hard to get – left central defenders. So this is actually a good thing for us because he has a great left foot, this gives us a little bit more of depth in how we want to attack, start our attack, playing against one forward, two forwards or three forwards. This was an important acquisition for us, so we are very happy with Anderson Conceição and he is going to be an asset for us.