Cameron Wake – August 23, 2016
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Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Defensive End Cameron Wake
(On if it is likely that he’ll play and if he feels like he needs to play on Thursday night) – “We’ll see what happens Thursday. It’ll be a game-time decision and we’ll take it from there.”
(On if he feels like he needs the work on Thursday) – “I always need work. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Then you need to retire.”
(On if he is getting antsy to play) – “I’ve been playing since (training camp opened on) July 27th. This is not really a new thing for me. I’ve been down this road a few times. I think (that) more (is) made of it than it really is, actually. It’s kind of funny.”
(On the physical versus the mental challenge for him returning from injury) – “Football is a mental and physical game. I’ve spoken about this before; the physical thing is not really new. Building muscle, running, playing football is not a new part. Just getting to the point where you’re comfortable out there and not thinking about it, that’s the only thing you’ve got to really worry about.”
(On if he trusts his Achilles now) – “I’ll trust it when I need to trust it.”
(On if he needs to trust the Achilles now) – “I’m not necessarily worried about it, to be honest.”
(On if he is bothered that age is usually brought up every time his name is mentioned) – “No, not at all. I’ve been old for five years now. (laughter) I just laugh at that comment. Eventually I guess they’ll be right.”
(On what he wants to see out of the first-team defensive line on Thursday night) – “I want to see guys play to their potential – me included, if I play. Going out there and just being the aggressive, fast, dominant front that we should be. I think anything less than that, to me, is not acceptable.”
(On playing with DT Ndamukong Suh and DE Mario Williams and if there is a sense of urgency for them to play together in a game) – “Well, if we were all a bunch of rookies, I think that would be one thing. But we all have a couple of grays – I guess I’ve got the most. But we’ve all been down this road. We’ve all played football – a lot of snaps. We’ve all had a lot of success. We’ve been playing together for quite a few snaps here in the past month or however long it’s been. I think we’ve come together quite nicely and I think when the real games start happening, that’s when those questions will get answered.”
(On if he wants to play and the coaches are telling him to take it easy or if it’s the other way around) – “We’re all working together. It’s not me and them. It’s us. We’re all on the same side working together to do what’s best for everybody involved.”
(On the biggest challenge of playing in a Wide 9 defense) – “I think it’s great. I don’t know what challenges there would be. There are plenty of techniques … It’s not any different than playing a six or a four or a three or a shade (technique) – it’s doing your job. Your job changes as far as what each guy does depending on where they’re lined up; but at the end of the day, you have to do your job as it fits into the defense. It’s not any more challenging than if I were in a six (technique) or the big guys down there in shades and three (techniques). It’s just using your job whenever the defense is called.”
(On if it is any more challenging to set the edge when the defensive ends are so wide) – “It is football. It’s not challenging. I would assume the laws of physics would probably help when you’re a nine (technique) to set the edge – you’re out there already. It plays to the strengths of some guys (and) some guys it (doesn’t). You’ve got to adapt to the situation and again, do your job.”
(On if the Wide 9 works when you don’t have the lead) – “What does work when you don’t have the lead? You have to win – period. I think that’s splitting hairs at that point.”
(On if you need a lead to force teams to pass) – “I wouldn’t say that. I think you can be successful from that position regardless of the game situation. Run, pass, draw, screen, whatever – it’s all about the mentality of the guy who is lined up there. We’ve seen it have great success when you do it right and obviously if you don’t do it right – I don’t care where you’re lined up – you’re not going to have success. I don’t think that’s necessarily predicated on where you line up. It’s whether you are doing your job correctly or not.”
(On the importance of getting penetration to help the run defense) – “I think that kind of speaks for itself and is kind of obvious. I don’t care what position you’re playing, as a run stopper, you have to get penetration. You have to set edges. You have to get into the backfield from the big guys. You have to come downhill as a linebacker. Stalemates don’t work. Sideways doesn’t work. You have to go and you have to impose your will on whoever it is – nine (technique), six (technique), four (technique), shade, linebacker – it doesn’t matter. In order to stop the run, you have to have a mentality of aggressiveness and aggressiveness is obviously moving forward, which to your point is penetration.”
Adam Gase – August 23, 2016
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Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On if DT Earl Mitchell is at risk of missing the season opener and how DT Jordan Phillips has played in his place) – “As far as Earl (Mitchell) goes, I think we’re on pace to where we feel good about that first game of the year. I think there would be a chance that we could say that fourth preseason game but I think a guy with his experience and knowledge of this defense, I think we feel pretty good as far as what he can do on the field. That’s not really a question. It’s just about getting him as close to 100 percent as we possibly can before the first game. And then Jordan (Phillips) has done a good job. The one thing that I noticed about him from the Dallas game was he was really moving well once the plays kind of start happening and it was going sideline to sideline, he was trying to get to the ball. Even in practice, I’ve noticed that he’s been one of those guys finishing quite a bit down the field, trying to do what the coaches ask him as far as tagging off there at the end. For a big man like that to run 20, 30 yards down the field to tag off the runner and then come back and do another rep, that’s what you want to see out of that front. I know they preach it. You guys hear them yelling all the time on the field as far as chase the ball. I think he’s trying to do exactly what the coaches want.”
(On where DT Jordan Phillips is from a conditioning standpoint and if he can play 40 snaps a game) – “I don’t know if I could put a number on it but I feel like he’s been good with everything we’ve asked him to do. I haven’t seen him really tap out or pull himself out of the game. He’s come out when he’s been asked to. They’ll give him a number of, ‘You got five in a row,’ and then he would come off the field in the preseason games. As we get going, we’ll see what it ends up being as far as how many actually snaps in a row he takes.”
(On how he feels with his defensive tackle depth excluding DT Ndamukong Suh) – “I think when you get in a situation in the NFL, you’re always looking for depth. Ideally you’d love to be able to say on your roster, ‘Hey, I have two starters and then I got two guys that could start for another team. Or they are really, really solid backups.’ That’s what we’re going through right now is how good can we get those interior players that are backing up obviously (Ndamukong) Suh, and whoever else ends up being in that other spot when we get to the first game. I do think this – we do have some guys that are trying to fill that role. We’re still in that evaluation stage. Hopefully once we hit that Seattle game we’ll have a really good feel of who we really have.”
(On how far behind CB Xavien Howard is) – “Well, on that position, I wouldn’t say he’s far behind mentally because he’s dialed in to what we’re doing. Now it’s just going back and refreshing his mind, ‘Here are some of the looks I’m going to see; some of the adjustments that I actually have to say when I’m out there.’ Those are kind of the learning curve for a young player like that at that position. But for the most part, he’s playing one-on-one coverage a lot of the times. At the end of the day, that’s his strength and I’m sure the more we’ve talked about it with (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph), we’re going to try to lean on his strength of just matching him up with somebody and letting him go.”
(On what was the thing that caught his eye the most about CB Xavien Howard) – “I think the fact that he gets his hands on a lot of balls and then when he does get both hands up to make a play on the ball, he usually catches it. I think even (Tony) Lippett’s kind of the same way, if you get in the range and they get their hands on the ball, they end up intercepting it. When you’ve got corners that can actually have production on the ball and turn it over, that’s what you’re looking for.”
(On if he prescribes to having starters out in the third quarter of the third preseason game so you can make halftime adjustments) – “That’s ideal; but you just kind of see how it goes. It was like last game – we didn’t want to put a timetable on it. You just tell everybody to just be ready to come out and play in the second half and then if we make some kind of adjustment, then we change our mind, then we do it. You want to have flexibility. Like that first game, that was my mistake as far as saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to go eight to 10 plays.’ We probably should have stayed in another drive with the ones. That’s why the second game we just said we’re going to play and then when we feel good about it, we’ll take everybody out. I think this game we just go in, plan on playing after the second half and then if anything changes, then we’ll change it.”
(On how he goes about improving the tackling) – “That’s the whole NFL. You turn on tapes of a lot of other defenses too, this is what it is. It’s a race to see who becomes the best tackling teams in football as you go throughout the season, because the only live work you really get nowadays are in games. Unless we want to start doing live out here and taking a chance of somebody getting hurt in practice, I mean it’s really not something that’s going to happen. We have to make sure we’re great on technique. We have to get tight to them. We got to run our feet. Those are some things that we have to do a better job of. I know the coaches are really trying to do a good job of correcting things on tape. We have some drills that we felt like were helping us. We’re not taking our drill work to the games and we just need to do that. That’s going to be a big emphasis for us this game.”
(On if it’s the same thing with the run blocking) – “Yes. The only way you get good at it is you do it in those preseason games. That’s why trying to run the ball when we get out there – we got a little pass happy there towards the end (at Dallas), but that will happen every once in a while in a preseason game – but we need to rep in live games. This week, obviously, you try keeping it as balanced as you can so we can get it on tape, see where our deficiencies are and then correct them.”
(On how much WR DeVante Parker can elevate the passing game if he can stay healthy) – “I think he’s a guy that causes problems for teams because … The one thing I learned about him last week – because you can watch tape but you just don’t really know how a guy attacks – we run a slip screen and he caught that thing and stuck it right up in there. You didn’t see any kind of finesse about that and I think that was the one part I didn’t know about him – seeing that and knowing that he’s good in short, intermediate and down the field. You’ve got a three-level guy and if we can figure out a way to keep him rolling and practicing and keeping him healthy throughout the year, that’s only going to help our offense. The biggest thing for us is (that) we need him to practice because we need the timing with the quarterback. We need that feel with the other players on the field. We have to find a way to keep those soft tissue injuries out of the mix.”
(On if he’s discussed hydration issues with WR DeVante Parker) – “That’s something that’s preached so much in our building from top to bottom. I think he’s done a better job. I know he kind of was giving me a hard time about it. He’d always have a water bottle or Gatorade or something, just constantly hydrating after that last one. But I think it’s really hit him as far as this is real down here. It is legitimately … if you do not hydrate down here, you’re going to have issues. Everybody that’s either been out on that practice field or you guys watching them and you’re out here enough to know, if you don’t take care of yourself there’s going to be a problem.”
(On if he would like to get RB Isaiah Pead more first team work) – “I would love to. Our plan last week was to try to slide him in there to see how we’d go with him and see if we could get him a couple of touches. It almost felt like more of a 2-minute mode there in that last one where he was in, so he didn’t really get a chance to run the ball. We’ll just keep trying to slide him in there just to give him that opportunity to run behind that first-team line. Ideally, you’d like to give all those guys that opportunity just to see how it would look because that whole group’s done a great job, as far as no matter who’s been in the game upfront, what quarterback has been in – they’ve all taken advantage. It’s going to be one of those deals where it’s going to be a tough decision for us as far as how many (running backs) do we keep and if we are going to stay heavy there, just because those guys have been so productive for us and they do everything right. I just think that consistency they’ve shown has been really impressive.”
(On what goes into his mind when he has to make 15 cuts next week) – “There’s a lot that goes into it because you’re thinking about the fourth preseason game, kind of what our decisions are going to be there (as far as) who’s playing. Then you have to kind of start thinking of who do you want to make sure that you have on the roster so when you do your final cuts, they’re available for you as far as possibly getting them back on the practice squad. Because other teams, they’re doing the same thing that we do. As soon as that waiver wire comes out, that personnel department, they don’t go home. They sit there, they grind, they go through their information, they start watching tape on guys and they start looking where we feel like we might be light in a certain position. There’s a lot of work that goes into it and you have to be somewhat strategic as far as who you possibly let go this first round. You’re hoping you make the right decision on guys and, at the same time, you’re hoping those guys get a chance to get somewhere else. It’s a tough deal because when you start developing these relationships with these guys, cutting these guys is not easy.”
(On if he feels like he has a third tight end) – “I think we got a battle going on right now. Obviously I’d love for one of those guys to really separate themselves so we felt great about it. But right now, I think it’s just we’re clumped in together there right now and we need somebody to kind of step up.”
(On if he’s made a decision on whether DE Cameron Wake will make his debut) – “So I asked him this today just to make sure that we have no clarification. So what we are going to do is he’s going to make sure he goes through warmups, he’s going to get ready to go and we’re just going to see how he feels before the game. It’s going to come down to really just him and myself, before the game saying, ‘Hey, we’re rolling or we’re not..’ I’m going to kind of put it on him just because he knows how he feels and once he feels right then we’ll get him out there.”
Adam Gase – August 22, 2016
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Monday, August 22, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On why WR Jakeem Grant played one offensive snap last Friday night) – “We’re just trying to find ways to get him on the field. It’s hard when you have those three guys (Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker), it’s hard to pull them off the field. I know, just in the past, any time I’ve had a returner that was kind of a specialist – which he’s different than most of the guys I’ve been around in the past – you want to try to find ways to get him on the field, but you don’t want to overdo it, especially with the three we got right now.”
(On why he thinks C/G Anthony Steen is a good fit at center as opposed to guard) – “Everything started in the spring with all of these guys, as far as we’re always trying to cross train guys. In the quarterback-center exchange, you’ll notice a lot of different guys taking snaps. When somebody in that position goes down, you better be ready with the next man, then what happens when that guy goes down? You better have some plans beyond just two guys. I’ve seen some situations where, I’ve personally lost two and then three (centers) in a season. If you don’t have guys ready to go, it’s a problem.”
(On if CB Xavien Howard was able to do more during practice today) – “Yes, he did a little team and he did a little one-on-one – not a lot. We are just bringing him along. We’re just communicating with him and see how he feels. He’s saying that he feels good, but it’s such a different animal when you go through an actual practice and contact and running against wide receivers compared to just running by yourself getting in condition.”
(On what C/G Anthony Steen’s biggest learning curve will be at center) – “He’s got a lot of guys with him because there’s a lot of inexperienced guys; but that’s the NFL. If you’re on the roster, you better be ready to go.”
(On what he wanted to see out of RB Arian Foster at Dallas and how would he evaluate his performance) – “We didn’t have much to evaluate. The couple of carries that he had, there wasn’t much there. He tried to create a couple things on his own. Hopefully we can get him going a little bit this week. Obviously I don’t want to overdo it with him but I’m pretty sure, his resume speaks for itself.”
(On if he feels there is any correlation between the preseason and the regular season) – “I don’t think so. You got to get certain guys ready and you have to evaluate certain guys; that’s what you’re trying to do. The hardest thing is, when you’re playing a full game, a lot of things change in the second half. It’s funny … I’ve gone back, even last week before we played that game, to see how my experience has been in the preseason. Some of them haven’t been real pretty, so you go back and think about how you felt after those games and you just can’t overdo it. You need to evaluate and you’re trying to prepare guys for when they have to play four quarters. It’s a big jump from when you go from, ‘We almost got two quarters in.’ This week we’re hoping we go into the third quarter a little bit and then all of a sudden, some guys might not play in the fourth game. And now all of a sudden you’re getting thrown into playing four quarters against a really good team. It’s just about trying to get guys prepared as much as possible to play a 65- to 75-play game.”
(On how much RB Isaiah Pead has stood out since signing him in the spring) – “Well, he’s been pretty consistent. I don’t think he’s changed much as far as what he’s done from the first day he’s gotten here compared to what we saw the other night. It seems like every time he touches the ball, something good happens for us. We’ll just keep trying to get him in there. We’re trying to evaluate that position. It seems like all of those guys are playing really well and that’s a good thing. The fact that we are complaining about running back depth, I’ll take that all day.”
(On what he remembers from RB Isaiah Pead’s workout when the team brought him in for the first time) – “I think we had a pretty good feel as far as what we wanted to do going into that workout. We knew his background. We had some good research as far as what our guys felt about him coming out. He did enough. It wasn’t as bad as what he’s making it out to be. It probably feels terrible at the time because everything is so fast. It’s like you and two other guys, so you get tired real quick. I’m sure the anxiety level of you want to get signed plays a part a little bit; but he did well enough for us to say, ‘Okay, let’s give this guy a shot,’ and then he’s made the most of it.”
(On DT Julius Warmsley and what he has done well) – “Just the high energy he brings. You always see him finishing; you always see him penetrating. It seems like he’s always causing some kind of problems. In the time that he’s played and in preseason games, he’s always around the quarterback; he’s always around the ball carriers. That’s what you want to see. You want to see a guy that’s just relentless. You can tell there is something in him that’s saying, ‘I’m going to do everything I can to make this team.’ That’s what we want to see, especially from that group. We just want to see that relentless effort.”
(On what kind of scenario he would need to keep five defensive tackles on the 53-man roster) – “I don’t know. That’s going to play out. We still have this game and one more. You just never know what’s going to happen. You never know how anything is going to sort out. Everything is up in the air right now.”
(On if some guys can play both defensive tackle and defensive end) – “Yes, absolutely. We do a lot of cross training in that area, as well.”
(On DE Chris McCain) – “I think yesterday he got … I think in the game he got hit pretty good. And then yesterday he got knocked pretty good again, so we were just being a little cautious there, especially the fact that we went pads today, (we’re) just letting everything calm down with him.”
(On what the secondary means when they say they’re playing with eyes) – “Offensively, people try to … When you have a team that might play vision defense and they’re looking at a lot of things, you try to put things in front of them to try to get them to bite up so you can go over the top a lot of times. One of the things that I think ‘VJ’ (Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) does a good job of is his guys seem to be always disciplined. At least that’s my experience from playing against him in the past. What I’ve seen here is it’s not like you see us being able to go over the top of the safeties all the time. To have eye discipline, knowing where your eyes are supposed to be as far as not biting up hard on play-action fakes and making sure that if you’re in some kind of zone that you’re in the right window. They’ve done a good job of that in practice, I know that for sure.”
(On the tight end group being invisible in practices and preseason games and where he’s at in the evaluation phase with them) – “We’re still kind of working through that. The two guys that have been playing the most with the ones, there are two different skill sets there. Trying to get those three receivers going as well, and the backs, sometimes it feels like that. That’s why you can’t really … it’s not completely ‘judge-able’ yet. When you play four quarters and then you start figuring out what the defense is doing … Every defense, it could be a little different – if you get a man team and you have a great matchup with a tight end on a safety or a linebacker, all of a sudden they become a bigger part of the game. If a team is playing true zone, that’s when you start seeing balls go up the seam. Sometimes the defense predicates how much those guys can get involved. Sometimes we need to do a better job as far as getting open, catching the ball and things like that. They’re two different roles. Dion (Sims) has been primarily so far used as more of a blocker in the run game than the pass game. But the other night, he showed me he has a little more speed than I realized. Going up the seam one time, he just blew past one of his safeties. Jordan (Cameron), we just have to keep bringing along and figure out the right way to use him.”
(On if QB Ryan Tannehill threw some passes in the end zone last week that weren’t caught and should have been caught) – “Yes, any time it hits a receiver’s hands, it should be (caught). A couple of those were scrambles and I thought (Ryan) did a good job of avoiding getting sacked and then making a play. It happens sometimes. You want guys to catch every ball but when DBs are tight to you and you’ve got a guy draped all over you and you try to pull one down, it’s not going to be 100 percent.”
(On QB Ryan Tannehill’s ball placement and accuracy in last week’s game at Dallas) – “He was pretty good. There’s a few things that we could pick at a little bit, at least that’s what (we all) do. You’re looking for perfection in a game that’s really imperfect. You keep striving for it and try to get it as good as you can.”
(On how G/T Jermon Bushrod did at Dallas) – “He did pretty good. As a group, I thought those guys did well. I know we made a change there on that last drive and those guys did well. We had good protection for the most part. We had the one hit that Ryan (Tannehill) took – the defensive end jumped offside and (Ryan) stood in there and threw that thing. It was a pretty vicious hit and he popped right up. I think I learned something there about that guy.”
(On if anyone has jumped out to him between G/T Jermon Bushrod, G Billy Turner and G Dallas Thomas) – “I think we’re still competing right now. It looks like it’s going to be Seattle when we’re going to be able to say this is where we’re at, at this game, and then if it changes within the season, it does.”
(On his stance on how structured the quarterback needs to be in the pocket versus improvising) – “It’s tough the way that defenses are playing nowadays to have the passing game be such a timing game like it used to be. Learning under a guy like (former Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator) Mike Martz where it was seven, hitch, throw, you were seeing a lot of teams playing zone defense. You’re getting a lot more man now. There’s a lot of times where your receiver needs to get open and you’re trying to anticipate as much as you can. You’re putting the ball in front. It’s just the game, like always, it’s always evolving one way or the other. Right now I think we’re seeing a lot more press, man, four-man rushes and the ends are getting there because it’s a tough matchup for the tackles.”
(On the team’s travel plans to Orlando) – “No, we’ll stay with our normal routine. We’ll go the night before.”
(On if the team is flying or driving to Orlando) – “I’m going to blame (Senior Director of Team Operations) Scott Bullis on this, we’re flying. We’ll be in the air for about seven minutes. (laughter) I’m not taking the hit on that one.”
(On how QB Matt Moore is doing and the quarterback plan for Thursday night’s game) – “I’m not going to say he’s doing okay; obviously that was a pretty vicious hit. I saw him this morning. He’s still sore – neck. It’s going to be a minute. As far as our plan going forward, we’ll talk to our quarterbacks and figure out who is going to go second and third; but I anticipate both of those guys playing a healthy amount.”
(On if he anticipates QB Matt Moore’s injury forcing him to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster) – “As an offensive guy, I’ll keep five if I want to, if I could. We’ll evaluate this when we get closer and see where his health is as well.”
Jay Ajayi – August 22, 2016
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Monday, August 22, 2016
Running Back Jay Ajayi
(On the importance C Mike Pouncey is to the team) – “No doubt. Pouncey is one of our best players, I would say, and he has been a Pro Bowler. He’s one of our leaders on the offense. Him not being in there is going to be tough.”
(On whether he has spoken with C Mike Pouncey) – “I haven’t actually seen him today, but I saw he posted something that said he’ll be back and he’s in high spirits, so I’m not too worried about him.”
(On the second and third preseason game) – “It was fun, this second preseason game. I felt like we got to stay out on the field a little bit more, so it was easier to get a rhythm of the game, get a feel for the game. This third game I think – for our unit, the ones and everyone that’s starting in the game – I think it’s going to be important for us to find a rhythm, get a good feel for the game and go into this game as a regular game week. That’s how we’ve been setting up our schedule, so it should be a fun one on Thursday.”
(On the running backs adjusting to tackling in the preseason games) – “That should be what we look forward to in this game. It’s (about) being out there longer, getting to go through the holes and trying to break those tackles and actually getting a feel for that (and) preparing ourselves for the regular season coming up. That’s what this third game is really about is preparing ourselves to take it as a regular season game and get ourselves ready for what’s coming in the future.”
(On the significance of the third preseason game) – “I think this one is going to be a little more important, because I think going into it we know we’re going to be out on the field for a lot longer. I think our mentality is going to be to go into this one with a regular season mentality of a regular season game and seeing what we can accomplish out there with the given time period that we’re out there on the field.”
Anthony Steen – August 22, 2016
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Monday, August 22, 2016
Center/Guard Anthony Steen
(On how things have changed for him in the past week) – “Nothing has really changed. We’re missing Mike (Pouncey) right now but as (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) said, its next guy up so I’m the next guy up. I’m just trying to do my job.”
(On if he was comfortable at center with the first unit) – “Yes. It’s the same plays, just the next level – ones from twos. You’re going against different guys but it’s the same exact plays.”
(On how much work he had with the first team prior to C Mike Pouncey’s injury) – “Probably just a couple reps. Mike would sometimes get two or three plays off and I’d go in then; but other than that, just a couple (reps).”
(On how long he has been snapping) – “Since I got here (to Miami). I’ve always played guard but when I came here, they told me that I looked more like a natural center. So then they started working me at center slowly, progressed me into it. Now I’m pretty much a full-time center, but I’ll still get a couple of plays at guard.”
(On how difficult the process of switching to center has been for him) – “It’s been difficult at times. Mainly, at guard, you’re the guy sitting there looking at the center, waiting for the calls. Now you‘re the guy who has to get up there and make the calls yourself so there’s a little more pressure.”
(On the challenge of making calls at the line) – “Really, the (challenge is the) fact of knowing that if you mess up your call you mess up everything for everybody else. It’s just that pressure on you as a center and you have to get used to it.”
(On if he feels that he has been thrown into the deep end) – “No. Right now you’re just going against a different bunch of guys moving up to the ones. It’s a part of football, that’s all it is.”
(On the best piece of advice a coach has given him since C Mike Pouncey’s injury has elevated him to the first unit) – “Just to be calm. Yesterday, they told me that you have all the time in the world to make calls and not to be nervous about it.”
(On how his attitude has changed now that he’s with the first unit) – “It’s just more studying – a more mental aspect to it – staying here longer, watching more film, trying to get prepared for the game.”
(On what C Mike Pouncey has told him about playing with the ones) – “He’s told me it’s just part of the game. It’s nothing to be nervous about. That’s all he’s really told me.”
(On his initial reaction when the Dolphins told him last year that they saw him more as a center than a guard) – “I kind of thought they were joking at first. They asked me if I could play center and I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ When they started giving me reps, I thought it was just more (of them trying) to see what else I could do. I didn’t actually think I would be playing center but it’s a good thing.”
(On if he is accustomed to the up-tempo style of offense) – “Yes. We did a little bit of that in college (at Alabama). It’s just a matter of trying to do it a little bit faster in the pros.”
(On what it was like to rush into last week’s game to play with the first team when C Mike Pouncey was injured) – “I didn’t think anything about it. I saw Mike go down at first, so I immediately grabbed my helmet and I was already almost out onto the field and I turned around and looked at coach and said, ‘Do you want me to go?’ And he said, ‘Yes, go.”’
(On how long it took him to get comfortable at center) – “Pretty much all of OTAs. They slowly, the first week or two, they had me playing both guards. After the second week they tried to throw me in at center for one period, then two periods and so on. But now, I feel fine.”
(On what type of player the Dolphins are getting with him at the center position) – “A hardworking player. I play with a lot of heart. I just don’t quit on a play. For me, winning a play and winning the game is more important than anything.”
(On how his experience at Alabama helped prepare him for this increased role) – “As you know, we played in a lot of big games so the nervous aspect of just playing in a big game is not there anymore. It’s just another game. For a lineman, you just have to know that you have to be prepared for each and every play to win because that’s your job.”
(On the possibility of starting in the season opener at Seattle and what he has to prepare for with that unique road environment) – “I think more of the mental aspect than anything. Trying to play four quarters and still be there mentally will be the toughest part. I think staying around after practice and getting here earlier will be better.”
(On who played center most of his time at Alabama) – “Ryan Kelly was. He was my center for I think two years or two-and-a-half years and then Barrett Jones was for, I think a year.”
(On if he’s asked either Ryan Kelly or Barrett Jones for tips) – “No, I haven’t. I actually watched Ryan play the other night (with the Indianapolis Colts) and I thought he played pretty well.”
(On if the N.Y. Giants preseason game was the first time he played center in an actual game) – “I think I’ve played center just a couple of reps in Arizona. But as far as starting at center, yes.”
(On what he took away from playing for Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban) – “He’s always said that this is a business for him. It’s the next guy up. You either do your job or else someone else will do it. That’s what I’ve always taken from him.”
(On if he was surprised that he was second on the depth chart at center) – “No, that’s just how the coaches have been putting me in – with the twos. They felt comfortable with how I had been performing and they told me that I was going to be moved up. I didn’t know when I got here that Mike (Pouncey) was going to be out for a week or whatever it is. When they told me, I just knew, ‘Alright, I need to start studying some more and start looking at the ones and the next game and get prepared.’”
(On the personality and leadership differences between Head Coach Adam Gase and Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban) – “I think Gase is more of a player’s coach. He’ll get to know you. He likes to mess around (and) joke around. Coach Saban is more of a hardnosed, straight business type of guy. If you mess up, you’re going to hear about it.”
(On if he was ever in Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban’s doghouse) – “I don’t think doghouse. He might have yelled at me a couple of times but I’ve never done anything to be in his doghouse.”
(On if he’s had any contact with Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban recently) – “I haven’t. I’ve had some contact with Coach (Joe) Pendry – my first two years at Alabama, he was my offensive line coach there. I’ve talked to him a couple of times.”
(On what kind of emotions he is experiencing with this opportunity for him) – “I know, for me, I’ve got to be on top of things, so I’m trying to stay focused as much as I can.”
Adam Gase – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On game planning for this Thursday’s game and at what point does he turn the page to Seattle) – “We are trying to give our guys a feel of how we are going to approach the season. Obviously, the practice time has changed. This is going to be more of our routine. We go through our normal game-planning procedures as we would in the regular season. You just don’t want to throw it out there on the first week when we play Seattle and everyone is kind of like, ‘What’s going on?’ This is a good dry run for us. It gives us a chance to make some adjustments if we need to, especially at this time of day, and practice out there in the heat. We have to make some adjustments to practice, also meeting times, as well.”
(On if today’s first-team offensive line was an experiment that he was working with) – “I think that’s just what we did today. We’re going to keep moving guys in and out and try to find out our best five at the end of the day. I trust (Offensive Line Coach) Chris (Foerster) to keep shuffling the lineup around until we feel like we’ve got the five we want.”
(On when he starts to worry about the chemistry of the offensive line) – “It’s always nice to be able to say, ‘Here’s our starting five and let’s roll.’ You just don’t want to put a timetable on it. You’d love for it to be this week and say, ‘This is what it’s going to be.’ But I think the way we are looking right now, it’s going to come up to that first game of the season. You never know, it could change during the season. I’ve been through a few instances of, we were eight games in I think in 2014 and we made a wholesale change – new center, new right guard and new right tackle. You’re going to do what’s best for the team that week.”
(On RB Arian Foster’s workload) – “We’re just trying to increase every day, as far as what he’s doing at practice. We’re trying to get him more and more game ready. We’re trying to get (the veterans) a little bit of a feel. That’s going back to the o-line thing, when you have that lineup set, then the (running) back and those guys learn how to work together. The quicker we can get set, great. But like I said we’re a work in progress on that. I think (Foster) got a couple of reps in (Friday’s) game. I don’t see him overdoing it this game, as far as how many reps Arian is going to get. I think we still need to be smart. With a guy with his experience and the amount of hits he has taken over his career, I don’t think in the third preseason game that we need to have too many more of those. We want to get him to the regular season.”
(On RB Arian Foster asking a lot of questions during practice and if he is trying to get mentally ready) – “I think a little bit of that. I think he’s been a guy for me, being a veteran guy, I just keep looking at the list and everybody is so young. He’s one of the older guys we got. He’s probably one of the guys with more experience with being in a few Pro Bowls and being in the playoffs before. For me, he is a great guy to have around because we constantly have that dialog about what we need to do better, what we can change and what we can do to help our team. For a guy that just got here before training camp, he has really taken a leadership role for us.”
(On how much CB Xavien Howard was able to do today and his timeline) – “We had him do individual. Conditioning and then going out there and practicing football, it’s just two different animals. It’s going to take a second for him to get back into the flow of things. When we start having him go against wide receivers, he’s going to have to get that feel back. It’s been since the spring and that’s a lot of time that has gone by. Hopefully we can get him in a game before we hit the regular season. We just don’t know yet. We have to see how his body feels, we have to see how his legs feel, we have to see how his movement skills are. There’s a lot of little check marks we have to make before we throw him into a game.”
(On the decision to rest DE Cameron Wake and if he has had any setbacks) – “He hasn’t had a setback. At first, I thought he was going to go and then we kept talking about it and seeing where he was at and we felt like it was in our best interest to not have him go that game. We’ll reevaluate this week. It really has to be 100 percent on this to where everybody feels really good. I don’t think he has anything to prove. I think we all know what caliber of player he is. I think the most important thing for us to make sure is, ‘How do we get him to play in 16-plus games?’ That’s got to be our number one goal.”
(On if the run fits are an area of concern) – “I think when we have opportunities to make plays, we have to make them. There were some plays left out on the field. It wasn’t all bad, it’s just when a run pops, there’s no doubt about it. Anybody knows – the guy sitting in the last row of the stadium knew. We have to do a better job as far as making sure we’re playing team football. Everybody has to do their responsibility correct. What happens sometimes is, especially with the front and the linebackers, sometimes somebody else’s house is burning down, so you’re trying to help him. Sometimes you just have to do your job because if you try to compensate for somebody else, then now we have two guys making mistakes. We have to make sure who is making the mistake, why did it happen (and) correct it. We’ve got to speed up our process as far as making sure we get it right.”
(On the evaluation of G/T Laremy Tunsil’s play on Friday night) – “I think he did a pretty good job. We have a few things that we have to clean up with him. When you look at him, pass pro is not going to be something that I think he’s really going to have an issue with. It’s just sometimes in the run game, when you’re in different parts of the field, there’s different angles you have to take, sometimes you have to come off quicker on some of the double teams. You’re in the red zone and a linebacker is two yards from you and he hits it because it’s a run, you’ve got to understand you can’t be as thick on a defender on the defensive line. It’s got to be hand and then move up to the second level, because it’s coming quick. Just little things like that. There are going to be errors. It just has to be a quick process of (if) you make the mistake, you have to move on (and you) can’t let it happen again.”
(On WR Kenny Stills making plays in the red zone area in a confined space) – “I think the speed makes a big difference as far as when he comes off the ball, he comes off with great stride length. He doesn’t really dance around at the line of scrimmage. He’s getting vertical right away. He seems to get DBs that they get turned a lot of times, and he’s very quick at the top of his routes, and he’s catching the ball well. When you put all of those things together – and being as detailed as he is in this offense and probably knowing it as good as anybody besides the quarterback – he’s a guy that is really putting himself in position to win a lot of the times. He’s getting open and the quarterback is seeing him.”
(On if C Mike Pouncey’s injury is a precautionary thing) – “No, it’s not. We’re going to be week-to-week right now. We’re still kind of feeling out what’s going on. We’re working with the doctors and trying to make sure when he comes back, he’s ready to go. Right now, he obviously won’t be playing in the Atlanta game. We most likely won’t see him the rest of the preseason. We need to keep evaluating as far as what’s going on with him. There’s going to be that constant communication of doctors, trainers, sports science, strength and conditioning. Like I said, we’re going to be week-to-week right now, and we’re trying to get him better as fast as possible.”
(On why G Anthony Steen at the center position as opposed to G Jamil Douglas) – “That’s why you go through training camp. That’s why you go through preseason games. Right now, that’s where we’re at, at that position. He’s worked his way in there and it was one of those things where you get in the spring, it’s hard to tell sometimes who your guys are. You’re giving everybody a shot and he’s come out there in training camp and really caught our eye a little bit, as far as doing everything right. He’s fit up on guys right. He’s been strong as far as at the point of attack. When you’re the center, there’s a lot going on for that guy. He’s done a good job.”
(On where G Anthony Steen is at with the line calls) – “He’s got them all. You don’t have a choice. The center’s really the starting point for us and then the quarterback really is the guy that can trump everything. It’s just going to be a little different for our guys right now because it’s a different voice. They’re so used to Mike (Pouncey) doing everything and he’s got that calmness about him and now (Anthony) Steen’s got to get in there and he’s got to be next man up.”
(On what it was about G Anthony Steen that caught his eye) – “I think at first, he’s got this toughness about him. He’s got that grit about him. When you get an offensive lineman like that, it’s hard not to like. You start appreciating that. The more we’ve all been around him, the more we’ve appreciated the way that he’s played, the way that he goes to work. He doesn’t say much. He gets after it every day. You never see him have a bad day because he comes out and he’s got something to prove every day.”
(On S Walt Aikens knee injury) – “That’s going to be another one that’s more of a day-to-day deal for us. We’ll see how that goes. We got to get him out of the training room first and allow him to feel a little better. I think at the end of the day, hopefully we can get him back out there sooner than later.”
(On how close RB Kenyan Drake is to returning) – “We’ll see here at the end of the week. Obviously for me, selfishly, I’d love for him to play this Thursday. I think we got to be a little smart on this. He’s had a couple issues there and it’s going to come down to getting him back in practice first before we just rush him on the field. I’d love for him to get some kind of game action before we get into the season. I think the rest of that group obviously has shown a lot of good stuff. He’s got an uphill battle right now.”
(On C Mike Pouncey’s injury and the possibility of missing the season opener) – “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but there’s a possibility. If things change for us or if we get some kind of diagnosis where they tell us it’s a longer period time than we originally thought, it could happen. Right now, like I said, we got to be ‘next man up.’ We can’t hope for this to happen because we don’t know right now. That’s why we’re still working with the doctors as far as, ‘Where are we at? How long is this going to be?’ We’re taking our time as far as making sure we got the right evaluation and we make the right decision.”
Ryan Tannehill – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On evaluating a team during the preseason) – “It’s tough to tell. Obviously, it matters and you want to go out and perform well, but like I said last week, it’s a process. You’re trying to build off of what you did the week before and throughout every day in practice.”
(On how the third preseason game differs from the others) – “It’s a little more realistic as far as a game. Obviously, it’s a short week, and it’s not a full game plan. We’re still working on some things that we want to work on at practice, but it’s the most realistic game as far as putting together a little bit of a game plan and having an idea, watching some tape of the team before you go into the game.
(On the significance of the third preseason game) – “I wouldn’t say it’s any more significant. Obviously, you put a little more time into the actual game, so you expect your guys to go out and be a little more prepared and execute better. It’s more of evaluating ourselves and wanting to be functioning at a high level.”
(On the quick snap he took and then ran for the first down against Dallas) – “It just kind of popped up. We were expecting to get 1 yard or 2 yards – or whatever it was – for the first down, and the way the d-line slanted (and) came across (Mike) Pouncey’s face, I had to bounce it and there was a little gap there, so I hit up the gap and slid. It was a surprising play for me as well, but it was a fun part of that drive.”
(On what he and the coaches have talked about regarding his athleticism in the run game) – “It’s part of our run game for sure just like it was last year. It’s not something where it’s going to be every snap, every run that we have. It’s a changeup for us. It allows us to give the defense a different look, give the ends a different look. If the opportunity is there, then (it is) an opportunity for me to pull it and get out on the outside. I definitely think it could be a good thing for us. We want to move the pocket in the pass game as well, change the launch angles for the defensive ends and give the tackles a chance to pass block in a different way and give (the defense) something else to think about.”
(On how much growth he has experienced under Head Coach Adam Gase) – “(I am) trying to get better every day. I think the more time that I spend in this offense – that all these guys spend in this offense – the more comfortable we’re going to get and the faster we can play. When you’re playing fast, you can let your talent really show. I think the closer we get to the season, the more and more we’re going to see it and expect to keep making progress.”
(On his growth as a quarterback so far this training camp) – “I’m getting more comfortable by the day. Every rep that I take, (I) file that away, learn from it and keep moving forward.”
(On whether the run game is knocking rust off and will continue to develop during the preseason) – “Yes, that’s definitely some of it. I think we don’t do a whole lot of live tackling in practice in run game, so the blocking is a little bit different as well as the run. We’re still knocking the rust off. (We) had some big runs. We had a couple nice runs. Isaiah (Pead) had the big run down the left side (and there was) some really good blocking on that one. We’ve seen some flashes, but we have to be more consistent.”
(On his second touchdown pass to WR Kenny Stills) – “It wasn’t exactly where I wanted to put it. I underthrew it a little bit, but I thought Kenny made a great play (in) tight coverage. (The ball) snuck over the defender’s head, and Kenny made a nice catch on it.”
(On what allows WR Kenny Stills to have success in the red zone in a confined space) – “I think he’s an all-around receiver. I think he has put a lot of time into growing his game and to becoming a complete receiver. I think he gets stereotyped a lot into, ‘He’s a pure speed guy. He’s a guy who’s going to take the top off and stretch you down the field.’ Obviously, he can do that. He’s one of the fastest guys in the league – definitely on our team – but he’s a complete receiver. He’s comfortable running the inside routes, third downs (and) obviously in the red zone (as) we saw. I’m excited about the progress he has made, the effort, the time he has put in over the course of the last year, really focusing on the details of the position and becoming a complete receiver.”
(On what RB Arian Foster brings to the team) – “Arian is a veteran guy. He has been around a long time and has a lot of experience in the zone read game, so he’s definitely going to be a help for us there, as well as coming out of the backfield. He has a good feel for coming out of the backfield, feeling the zones and has good hands to be able to make the catches.”
(On how much he knew about RB Isaiah Pead before he joined the Dolphins) – “I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew of him and saw a little bit of him on tape, but he has really impressed me since he has been here (with) the way he works. He’s constantly out there working. He’s a tough player, physical. I was giving him a hard time about his speed. He is a fast player, so I was giving him a hard time for not scoring on the long run; but he has done a good job for us. It’s a tight competition in that room. There’s a lot of talent in that room. That’s a good thing. A good problem to have is when you have guys battling it out day in and day out. They’re going to keep pushing each other.”
(On his message to TE Jordan Cameron after a dropped touchdown pass against Dallas) – “Just keep playing. It was one mistake in a season-long campaign. (You) can’t dwell on it. Obviously, (we) want to make those plays, but he’s going to make a lot of plays for us. He has to keep his head up, keep working, and he’ll make it next time.”
(On what TE Jordan Cameron can add to the team when he is at his best) – “He’s extremely athletic. He’s a talented guy. You like your matchups with him on safeties (and) definitely on linebackers. He’s a guy we want to get rolling here and be able to take advantage of mismatches there.”
(On whether the role of the tight end in this offense is more about blocking or pass catching) – “We definitely need both roles from our tight ends. There’s going to be a lot of situations where they’re going to be pass blocking and run blocking, and then we’re going to be putting them all the way on the outside and trying to create a mismatch out there. They have to be a full player – a complete player – and be able to run routes, not just tight end routes, not just corners and flats. They have to be able to run receiver routes as well, because we are going to put them on the outside and try to stress teams in that way.”
(On being a new father) – “It has been fun. It has definitely been fun. I don’t see him a whole lot – because of the season and the time I have to put in here – but when I do get a little time at home, it is nice to be able to hold him and even change a few dirty diapers along the way. (laughter) He’s getting big. He’s already growing. It’s crazy how much you see him change over the course of a week of not seeing him. It’s not something I really expected to be able to see that change or difference in him, but it has been fun.”
Laremy Tunsil – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Guard/Tackle Laremy Tunsil
(On the difference between a game and practice) – “Practice and a game is basically the same thing. In practice, you have a little more competition with one of the best – (Ndamukong) Suh over there and you have Mario (Williams) over there – so you’re going against the best every day. I guess going against them, makes the games easier.”
(On how he feels he is coming along) – “It’s going to be a process, transferring from (offensive) tackle to (offensive) guard is going to be a process. That’s why I stay in the meeting room and listen to my coaches every day and try to get better.”
(On what’s different about playing tackle than playing guard) – “It’s the same thing at tackle, I’m trying to find work. That’s all we are looking for is work.”
(On looking at the Cowboys game film and how he thinks he played) – “I actually haven’t seen the game film yet. I don’t know about my performance, but like I said when I see the film I guess I’ll let you guys know.”
(On how significant it was for him to be in the starting lineup on Friday night) – “It was nice playing with those guys – playing with the ones was nice. But like I said, we never know with the positions. I don’t know if I’ll be starting or not. We are still rotating. I’ll continue to work every day.”
(On how important it is for him to develop chemistry with the starting five offensive linemen) – “It’s a lot. Building the chemistry with the ones is (important). I don’t know if I’ll be (a starter) at the end of the day.”
(On Thursday’s game being the closest thing to a regular season game and how much he is looking forward to playing in that game) – “I’m looking forward to every game. I’m looking forward to every game and I’m looking forward to getting better.”
(On how did it feel to move the ball early in the Dallas game) – “It was nice, but we still got to get better and attack every day.”
