Tony Lippett – June 5, 2018
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018
CB Tony Lippett
(How tough has this process been coming back from a major thing? Where are you now as far as close to 100 percent?) – “I’m really close. It’s been a tough grind, but it’s been pretty good. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about the body. I just try to put one foot forward every day and just keep grinding, getting better every day and just trying to get back to 100 percent.”
(What has been the hardest part?) – “The hardest part was probably during the season, just not being out there and not being able to play and just seeing everybody grind, seeing the team doing their thing and sticking together and things like that. That’s the hardest part for me because I always want to be out there.”
(If you suffered this injury 15-20 years ago, you might not play again. That was just the nature of medicine then. Are doctors telling you that you’re on track to be the same player you always were?) – “Oh, yes. I’m definitely on track to be the same player I always was. I’m just knocking off the rust right now and I’m just grinding every day, getting better every day. I’m going out there and competing and just knocking off the kinks.”
(Did you ever have a “why me” feeling? Because you did start 13 games and have four interceptions in 2016 and you seemed ready to take the next step, and then the Achilles.) – “I’d probably say I had that as soon as it happened. Then when I went into the training room, I was just like I’ve got to take it one day at a time and just grind. I couldn’t really have a “why me” and a “poor me” feeling because I feel like everything happens for a reason. God put me here to make things happen and just take it one day at a time and just continue to grind. So that’s what I just did every day.”
(Did you ever talk to DE Cameron Wake and guys that have been through it before, in terms of things to do and how to speed up the process?) – “Yes, I talk to Cam all of the time about his whole process through it. I talked to Brent (Grimes) and all of those guys just kept me upbeat on where they were at Month 4 or Month 5 or when they first started walking again, first started running, and when it felt better down the line. I’ve always just asked for advice from them and a lot of other players around the league that had this injury or witnessed it up close and personal. I’d probably just say they help me out as much as they can.”
(Other than “hello”, we haven’t really spoken since you got hurt. I don’t even know if I know what happened. How did you get hurt?) – “(laughter) It was just in practice one day. I just went up, a regular jump for the ball, and I just came down and I just knew something wasn’t right. It just happened.”
(How are you approaching what you would like, ideally, your role to be on this year’s club?) – “Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m just getting better, knocking off the rust, and just trying my best to be 100 percent when we get back to camp and when we get back now. I’m just grinding right now through these days and just going out there competing.”
(You’ve got a lot of young guys in that room at the corner position. Guys that are one, two or three years in the league. Is that a little different for you guys, just having everyone so close in age?) – “I would say yes. It’s weird having a younger group; but I feel like we’ve got some experience. We’ve got a lot of experience in there and we’re knowledgeable and all, so we’re not that young, young group that didn’t have any experience out there. We all just try to knock knowledge off of each other and continue to pick each other up every day, and just go out there and know we’re competing for one goal, and that’s to make this team better and win.”
(You saw QB Ryan Tannehill when he was playing well in 2016. How does he look now compared to back then?) – “He looks good. I was with him every day when we were rehabbing and things like that. He’s a competitor. He looks good. He loves being back on the field right now and that’s what we need. We need a great leader up front that’s going to call the shots and make plays and be confident doing it. “
(What did you see in him during rehab? Determination? Frustration?) – “I didn’t see any frustration. I just saw him attack every day like he was still in season. He was still going to meetings. He was still doing this. He just attacked every day he could and he just grinded. It made me grind even more.”
(What did CB Brent Grimes tell you may be the last thing to come around for a cornerback after this injury?) – “The last thing to come around? Probably just the long speed. That’s probably the last thing he told me.”
(Do you feel any weirdness? Does it feel strange, painful at all? Or can you not even tell you had surgery?) – “No, you can’t really tell at all. I mean sometimes it gets sore, but I don’t feel pain or anything badly. It’s just getting used to doing this again.”
(We saw you sit out one day. Do you work every day or is it every other day?) – “No, I work every day. I just had a little soreness that one day; but this is practice seven? I’ve been in the other six of them. I’m just trying to get out here and grind, get better when I can, and just take it one day at a time.
W(hen you were playing your very best in the 2016 season, tell me about some of the things you had figured out that were working?) – “Really, watching the film and knowing your opponent. I would say that and knowing the game plan and just watching a lot of film. Basically, like I said, get better one day at a time, work on your technique in practice, know what the team is trying to do to you, know what the players are trying to do to you and take all of that in. Then you go out there on Sundays and try to execute the game plan and execute what you’ve been watching all week.”
(There’s a controversy going on with the Eagles not going to the White House. I’m curious, as you were growing up as a sports fan, did you pay attention to those White House visits, and did you say “that will be me one day visiting with the President at the White House?” Was that a goal?) – “I mean I didn’t pay that much attention to it, but I always saw when teams would win the championship or something like that and go take a visit to the White House or something like that. I would love to do that because it’s the result of you winning the championship and things like that; but, the rest of it, I don’t really know.”
(Would it be sad if that tradition ended?) – “I don’t know. I guess we’d have to find a new tradition. I don’t know.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – June 5, 2018
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Have you been counting your interceptions or your tipped passes or plays you’ve been making during practice?) – “Have I been counting them? Yes. I think every DB counts them. (laughter) I’ve got two picks and a couple of pass breakups. That’s it really. I’m just doing my job.”
(Is that typical, do you think? Or is that going to go…) – “That should keep going up. As more and more, I get comfortable, I’m going (to make) more and more plays. Sometimes I see too much or see too little during a play; but once I get more and more comfortable, it’s just going to keep going up and up.”
(What’s the process been like in terms of learning this defense? Do you feel like it’s slowing you down a little bit right now?) –“Obviously when you’re learning anything, you’re not going to be moving as fast as you want to be; but the coaches and the other players are doing a good job of just teaching me. I’m learning from my mistakes and learning from my good plays as well. But it’s just like learning anything. It’s not going to be as fast at first, but every single day I’m going to get faster and faster. I’ve been able to make more calls, see more things and make more plays. It’s just day-by-day. I’m getting better day-by-day. I’m moving faster and making more calls.”
(How many positions are they having you learn right now?) – “Strong safety, free safety and nickel.”
(How much do you think you’ve worked at each of them? Split pretty evenly) – “Yes, it’s split pretty evenly.”
(How’s it going do you think?) – “It’s been going pretty good. They trust me to do that and we’re just doing a good job of just making sure I’m learning on and off the field. (Defensive Backs) Coach (Tony) Oden is doing a good job. (Defensive Coordinator Matt) Burke is doing a real good job of just teaching me different things and different techniques. They’re not putting too much on me, but they’re definitely putting a lot on me at the same time. Every single day it’s something new. It’s new challenges and that’s it.”
(You’ve made one or two … How many White House visits have you made with Alabama?) – “Just one.”
(What was that experience like for you?) – “It was cool. (Barack) Obama was the president at the time. It was my freshman year. We flew up to the White House. I think it was in … I don’t remember what month it was in; but we flew up to the White House, we got a little tour of one of the wings of the White House. We sat in his library and checked it out; went through some books. Then Obama came into this one room. We shook hands with him. He talked with us for a little bit, took some pictures with him and then we had a little ceremony at the end. It was an overall great experience.”
(How often have you been on the field, after seven practices, with both S Reshad Jones and S T.J. McDonald, with three safeties? Have you done much of that yet?) – “No, we haven’t done anything with three safeties. We all rotate. So there will be … Reshad and T.J. go in and then I’ll take either one of them out and take a couple of reps with them. Then, it’ll be the other way, maybe a couple reps later.”
(Of the three spots you’ve been at, where are you most comfortable? Where are you best?) – “Either of the three. I’m comfortable just out there making plays and doing my job.”
(What, if anything, has been harder than you expected?) – “Nothing has really been harder than I expected. It’s all been hard, but it hasn’t been harder than I expected. I expected a real challenge. Everybody’s great on this level. Everybody’s trying to make plays on this level. Overall, competition is great. The playbook is going to be hard to learn, but I think I was prepared well at Alabama; so I’m stepping up to the challenge.”
(When you’re out there … This is going to sound weird but are you aware that you’re a first-round pick? Like do you put more pressure on yourself or do you think “I need to make impact today?”) – “No, I just tell myself I’ve just got to do my job, because once you start doing that, you start putting unnecessary burdens on yourself. You start trying to do things you’re not supposed to do. Every day, I’m just trying to do my job and learn what I’m doing. I have to tell myself I know I’m going to make mistakes. I made a mistake today. I’ve just got to learn from it, not let it happen again and that’s it. I just try to go out there every day and do my job and get better,“
(Does anybody make little “jokey jokes” with you about being a first-round pick?) – “I mean obviously everybody’s going to do that. We were making joke with Bobby (McCain) because he just got a contract extension, and so we just went through that. We were calling him “Big Money.” (laughter) Obviously, they’re going to say the same thing to me, but it’s all a part of the game.”
(What players have you leaned on thus far? It’s one thing getting instruction from coaches but as far as players helping out?) – “Just all the DBs. I’m just watching old game film, watching them play, doing it the right way, doing it the wrong way – whatever way. Obviously I’m asking questions on the sidelines and even when I come off the sidelines, they might see something that I didn’t see and they’ll talk to me. T.J. (McDonald) does it all the time. Bobby (McCain) does it some of the time. Reshad (Jones), Xavien (Howard), all of them. We just talk and communicate whatever we see and that’s it.”
(You knew obviously when you got drafted that this was coming; but what was it like when you signed that contract and see that amount of money coming to you?) – “It was good. It was a good feeling. Any time you see your hard work paying off, it’s a blessing. Me and my family, we worked real hard to be in this position; but you’ve just got to keep telling yourself ‘This is not the end goal’. It is a goal but it’s not the end goal. I said it earlier in the media, I didn’t come here just to be a first-round pick. I wanted to be a great player here and establish a great legacy here. So you’ve just got to keep on pushing it. Again, it’s an honor, it’s a blessing that we got that money and all of that stuff, but we’ve just got to keep on moving forward.”
(Did you celebrate with your family or anything?) – “No, not really. I just signed the contract and that was it.”
(You may have seen a couple of weeks ago there was a report, out of Boston actually, that when the Dolphins were on the clock, there was some discussion over whether to pick you. Maybe Owner Stephen Ross needed to be persuaded that you were the right guy to be picked at No. 11. Did you hear about that and does it add any extra motivation to prove that you were deserving of being picked where you were?) – “Yes, I heard about it. He’s a businessman, so he’s going to see the business side of everything. It’s a little extra motivation just to prove that I am the worthy pick, that I deserve to be here and that’s it really.”
Did you get a chance to chat with Owner Stephen Ross today?) – “No, sir.”
(Have you talked to Owner Stephen Ross since you were drafted?) – “No, sir.”
(Do you have plans for a big purchase after signing your contract?) – “No, nothing crazy. I mean, obviously, a house. I’m going to need somewhere to live; but besides that, no.”
(Do you feel Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban sufficiently prepared you to play at an NFL level? If so, how?) – “Yes, I’d definitely say … If you utilize all of your resources at Alabama, you’re definitely going to be prepared. Whether it’s the coaches, the physical training staff or just whatever. If you put 110 percent effort into it, you’re going to be prepared. Just the scheme, it’s almost the same exact thing. There’s small little differences that you’ve got to learn, but the scheme’s almost the same exact thing as Alabama. I’d just say the scheme and overall, I think we were prepared really well at Alabama.”
(Did you have an invitation to go to the White House most recently when Alabama went?) – “Yes, I did; but I was in San Francisco on a visit.”
(It was purely that or…) – “Yes, it was that. I was just on a visit. The schedules didn’t line up very well.”
(I know it’s only been 7 or 8 practices, but how does Head Coach Adam Gase’s personality and leadership style seem to compare to the last coach you had, Nick Saban?) –“They’re both very passionate coaches. They’re both really hands-on. The only difference is Coach Saban yells a little bit more. (laughter) But that’s about it. Coach Gase is a great coach. He’s a real energetic coach. All of the players love playing for him. I love playing for him and I’m happy that he’s my head coach.”
(Would you like to be stuck on a boat with Coach Saban when he ran out of gas?) –“(laughter) I didn’t see it but I heard about it though. I’m going to try to watch it sometime today, but it’d be pretty funny; a pretty fun experience.”
(Did you get anything back from Coach Gase on the interceptions?) – “He just said ‘Good job. Just keep doing what you’re doing.’ That’s it.”
Adam Gase – June 5, 2018
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Tuesday, June 6, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What did you think of your offense today?) – “It was probably not one of our better practices. We put a lot of new stuff in today. We’ve just got to be a little quicker absorbing it, getting out there executing it. A lot of the same concepts, just kind of move some things around. The defense did a good job today. They were moving well up front and they were playing tight coverage in the back end, so it made it tough on us on offense. It was good to see the defense really playing with a lot of energy and getting after it pretty good.”
(Eventually your depth chart suggests that there will be a lot of options for QB Ryan Tannehill, a lot of weapons for you guys to use. Would you say that’s true?) – “Yes. If we stay healthy, we should have a lot of guys that can make plays. We’ll just kind of see how everything sorts out. We’re so far away from anything being a finished product. We’ve just got to figure out what’s the best groups and really how we want to use everybody. That’s going to take time. We still have two weeks here and then training camp, and then four preseason games. So we’ve got a little bit of time.”
(Can you give us a little bit on QB David Fales’ progression over the offseason and where he’s at right now?) – “He just keeps getting better. He’s making a lot of plays in practice. I think he’s utilizing the guys he’s working with and I think getting to go with Albert (Wilson), Jakeem (Grant) and Isaiah (Ford) and Drew (Morgan), they’ve all been in this offense now – expect for Albert – for two or three years, so guys know what to do. He doesn’t have to worry about telling anybody what to do or dealing with any rookies at wide receiver. You’re able to just do you job. I think he’s doing a good job of finding the open guy and completing passes.”
(What are the points that you tried to push through with QB David Fales over all of the years you’ve worked with him? You worked with him back in Chicago, I believe.) – “Overthinking.”
(What are the things that held QB David Fales back that you were trying to get him past?) – “He can process a lot in his brain and just making sure that he just kind of sticks with what we’re doing and don’t go too far outside the box. Sometimes he’ll take a couple of extra steps that those other guys aren’t ready for. Sometimes he just (needs to) run the play and execute it. When the time comes and those guys are ready for that next step, you can take that at that point.”
(With S Minkah Fitzpatrick, what has been your takeaway so far regarding potential?) – “He’s done a good job. He’s got his hands on a lot of balls. He’s had a few interceptions. He seems to be all over the place. He has a great motor, a great work ethic. It’s great seeing him progress since that first day. You can tell he takes this very serious and this is what he does. He puts everything he has into this.”
(Is there anything about what S Minkah Fitzpatrick has done that maybe has surprised you so far?) – “No, not really. This is really the information we got. Any time Coach (Nick) Saban has the amount of praise that he had for him, that’s … You don’t hear him say a lot of the things that he said about him a lot.”
(When the quarterback is making the entire team better, not just the offense, but the defense and special teams, what is he doing or what does he … How does that affect and filter throughout the whole roster?) – “Getting first downs, converting on third down – however you do it – whether it’s completing the pass, getting in the right check, running it, whatever you have to do to move the chains. The less plays the defense has to be able to be on the field – finding a way to put the ball in the end zone, in the red area, creating a lead – if you do things like that, it puts the defense in good positon. That’s really how you affect the whole team where we can take advantage of the players we have, especially as pass rushers.”
(With DE Charles Harris – you guys obviously have a ton of defensive ends now and some pretty highly paid – how does he fit into what I guess that five-man rotation it looks like?) – “We’re going to be rolling those guys. I don’t know. You’ve watched us practice. They’re running to the ball. They’re exerting a lot of energy. You’re going to need a lot of guys with the way we’re looking to play.”
(Has DE Charles Harris done what he’s needed to do this spring?) – “Yes. He’s one of the guys I’m least worried about.”
(Does it feel commonplace now to have QB Ryan Tannehill out there on the practice field or do you still sometimes…?) – “It just feels normal. It just feels like we’re back to where the last couple of years … Last year, I had him in the spring, too, and then for 10 practices in training camp. It didn’t take us long to just get going again.”
(Have you seen the recognition you talked about, that you were expecting coming in?) – “Yes. You could tell (Ryan Tannehill) has a total grip of the offense. Everything just moves smoother. That’s just experience, whether it’s in this offense or just football in general. He’s been in the league for a little bit. When the defense throws something different at him, he has a way to solve the problem faster than probably what he did three or four years ago.”
(How important is it for CB Tony Lippett to get back to where he was or close?) – “I think he just needs to keep working on getting himself feeling as 100 percent as he possibly can for training camp. Right now, I’m not so much worried about if he gets beat or if something physically wasn’t perfect for him, because I want him to really try to stress himself and get the kinks out, because it’s been since last August or maybe even July since he’s really rolled out there. I think sometimes you kind of worry about putting out bad tape, but we know what he’s dealing with. We know what he’s recovering from and we just need him to stress himself as much as possible so when we hit training camp he feels as right as he can.”
(Is there a general time when guys kind of get over being a first-round pick? We are harder on WR DeVante Parker and DE Charles Harris. Are they harder on themselves? Is there three years into the league maybe you’re over that?) – “I don’t know. Sometimes I … I think guys, they don’t even pay attention to that first round, second round. I don’t think … Once you get here, nobody really cares anymore. At least we don’t. I know when you play a team, they don’t care what round you were drafted in. That’s not something that they’re sitting around talking about.”
(But meeting their own expectations, you just think you’re just in the league …?) – “He’s got high expectations for himself, because he wants to be a certain kind of player. He just needs to keep working and putting himself in the best position possible, which I think that he keeps trying to do every day.”
(We’ve started this ongoing debate about who’s the fastest Dolphins player. WR Kenny Stills said you can solve it for us with GPS trackers. He said you know exactly who is practicing the fastest.) – “I was looking at that today actually, because I saw that he said that. (laughter) I don’t know. We can line them up and let them decide. It depends what routes you’re running. If somebody is running the type of routes where they’re stopping a lot, then they’re not going to get the high miles per hour that they’re looking for. Jakeem, it seems like he’s running more go routes than everybody, so maybe it might add up after a while. The (GPS) thing goes off the average. Who knows what they’re looking at. (Wide Receivers Coach) Ben (Johnson) might be making up numbers for all I know.”
(So you think the best way to solve this is a an actual race?) – “I don’t want them to really do that. (laughter)”
(It’s carried over to them.) – “I don’t know. It would be interesting though, because there’s some legit speed with those guys. I know every one of them will say that they’re the fastest.”
(It’s pretty clear you’re not 100 percent pleased with how practice went today. What was it specifically that has you upset?) – “Well I’m being biased to one side. (laughter)”
(I’m glad you admit that.) – “The defense practiced well. They did a good job today. We didn’t practice … We didn’t execute and do a lot of the things that we’ve been kind of doing the last couple of weeks. That’s today.”
(Beyond S Minkah Fitzpatrick, is there anything from the rest of the rookies that stands out from an individual basis – be it RB Kalen Ballage, LB Jerome Baker, TE Mike Gesicki, TE Durham Smythe? Any particular one that’s flashed to you?) – “It’s hard for me to … You guys ask me about Minkah all the time and Gesicki every one on a while; but that whole group, I like the way those guys are working. I like the way that … I see them studying, especially here. It seems like they’re not quick to run over to the hotel. Guys are sticking around, whether it’s working out or staying in their meeting rooms and working on their own or working with somebody else or grabbing a veteran. I like the way this group is working and they’re trying to … Because they are playing a little bit of catch up. They’re lacking experience in this league, which it’s a lot of stuff. And I think these guys are really pushing themselves to try to make sure mentally, especially this offseason, to catch up as much as they possibly can before training camp.”
(I think TE Mike Gesicki threw a block or kind of tried to throw a block on the first play. Did you notice that?) – “The first play of what?”
(I don’t know. The first play of the day maybe? First 11-on-11?) – “He’s a tight end. It’s going to happen every once in a while.”
(I guess how enthusiastic and exuberant does TE Mike Gesicki seem about this whole thing, especially the blocking challenge?) – “I think for him, it’s … We’re not in pads. I think he’s trying to figure out the right way to practice. There is a little bit of technique where you see a lot of our offensive and defensive lineman, they know how to practice against each other, they know how to run some of the run game without guys falling on the ground for the most part. There’s a little bit of art form of using the right angles and staying up, moving your feet and using your hands. Sometimes it’s going to be a little bit of a learning process.”
(I saw CB Jordan Lucas in a boot. Can you give us an update on him and WR Leonte Carroo?) – “Carroo, we’re probably not going to have until training camp. He’ll be healthy way before training camp, but we decided to kind of take care of his deal now just to give him enough time to get ready for training camp. Jordan, it’s a day-to-day thing for him right now. We’ve got to see how he’s feeling tonight and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
(How big of an impact do you anticipate RB Frank Gore to have on the young running backs this year?) – “I think Frank has an impact on a lot of guys in that locker room. He’s been around for a number of years. He’s done it right. He is a real pro. He hasn’t changed. It was 10 years ago we were together and (he’s the) same guy. It’s the same work ethic. He just loves football, loves being around it. I think he does a good job. We’ve gone through most of these OTAs where we’re always like, ‘Alright, he’s not going to anything today,’ and next think I know I look up and he’s in there. I don’t know how he’s getting in there. So I’m thinking (Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) is putting him in there. He just kind of rolls in there once in a while. It’s good to see him want to be out there, want to be a part of getting things going and even in the spring, when he hasn’t really done anything in the last five or six years. I think he’s doing a good job of learning the offense and knowing what to do and figuring the things that he’s not really sure about, figure those things out right now. So, he’s done a good job. He’s impactful to those guys. Those young guys look at him and they know who he is.”
Ryan Tannehill – June 5, 2018
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(Head Coach Adam Gase was saying that it wasn’t necessarily a good day today. He said you guys put in a lot of new stuff offensively. What did you think of how today went offensively?) – “I think we had our ups and downs. We had some plays and some series where I thought we moved quickly and we were in and out of the huddle and moved efficiently and moved the ball down the field. Then I feel like towards the end of practice maybe the heat caught up to us a little bit. We just have to be better with our conditioning and grinding through that, as a team to be at our best in the heat, because that’s one of our advantages of playing in South Florida. It’s being able to play in that heat and play at a high level where other teams are coming down from up north where they don’t get to prepare in these types of environments. It’s got to be used to our advantage and that’s why we have spring and that’s why we have training camp. It’s to prepare our bodies and get acclimated to that heat.”
(How big of an advantage has that been in your experience in September games? Do you visibly see the other team withering? How do you use that to your advantage?) – “Yes, I see it. Definitely. I don’t think it’s every week but you do see teams come down here and be affected by the heat. It’s just something that we’re going to have to deal with throughout the whole year and throughout training camp, so we have to prepare for it and be acclimated for it.”
(You guys have run the offense a lot – the passing offense a lot – with WR Jarvis Landry the last few years. Would you say now that there are a lot more options open to you, there’s just way more weapons for you to use?) – “We’ve had some of the same few guys throughout the past few years but I feel right now that we legitimately have two groups of receivers that can play at a high level for us. So if we want to sub somebody out and keep fresh legs in there, or if someone goes down – whatever the case may be – I don’t feel like there’s really going to be much of a drop off from production or ability with the group that we have. We have a really deep room right now. They work really hard. You see them every day out there grinding. Nobody’s complaining. They’re trying to get better each and every day and that’s what we want.”
(Does that make it at all any harder for you because now you have to know five or six guys and be on point with them instead of maybe one or two?) – “I wouldn’t say it makes it harder. I think the hard part is keeping everyone involved and in the game. We have, like I said, a good group of guys. They’re not complaining. They’re not griping about not getting the ball; but when you do have talented guys, you want to get them the football. I think it’s a balancing act from (Head Coach Adam) Gase to myself of trying to get guys involved, finding them rhythms in the game and help them be productive.”
(Has some of the drama worn off from you originally coming back to practice at the start of OTAs? Has it started to feel more like regular work days to you?) – “Yes. I don’t think it was anything crazy. I mean I’m still excited to be out here and appreciate, I think, a little more than I have in the past, being on the field, being able to prepare and practice with the guys; but not a lot has changed in the fact of what I’m trying to accomplish every day.”
(I saw a cool thing on social media where you were actually showing TE Mike Gesicki the way you wanted him to run a certain route. I was curious how often you’ve done that throughout your career and how having literally done that, run routes, has helped you.) – “I was nowhere near the route-runner that any of these guys are, so I can’t say that I can do it any better; but I have been in their shoes so to speak of feeling how a practice is, feeling how the heat affects you through a practice and can kind of relate a little bit. As far as coaching guys up on what I’m expecting in routes, I think when you get in the first year of an offense, it’s a little tougher because you’re learning the offense yourself. You’re trying to understand what the coach wants, how you see it and how that blends together. As you move to Year 2 and Year 3, you can really take ownership of it and say ‘Okay, this is what I want. I need you to be right here at this time.’”
(What have you picked up from TE Mike Gesicki so far?) – “He’s flashed a couple of times. I think it was last week, he made a great one-handed catch down the sideline on a deep pass. He’s young; he’s learning. He’s going to take his bumps along the way, but he works really hard. He’s locked in and trying to get better each and every day, and that’s what we want. He has all of the talent and the athletic ability and once he catches up to knowing what we’re doing, he’s going to be a big weapon for us.”
(When you were a first-round pick, how long does that designation stay with you either in your head or to teammates? Like your rookie year, I’m sure it probably stays with you but does it wear off after two or three years? Do guys remind you? How aware are you of it?) – “I don’t really think about it often. That’s a tough question. I don’t really know. I think it may be different for everybody. For me, I didn’t really think about it a lot. I think how I went about my business and how I still do really has no effect on where you’re taken. Now, you might get more opportunities when you’re a first-round pick, or whatever the case may be; but how you prepare day in and day out shouldn’t matter depending on where you’re drafted. You should go out there every day like you’re an undrafted free agent and try to get better and make an impact.”
(The pressure to perform, does that come from within? Does that come from us and fans? If you’re a first-round pick, you’re expected to contribute immediately. How do you deal with that and where does it come from?) – “I think it’s different to the guy. For me, it doesn’t really matter what the media or the fans say. My internal drive is what pushes me – my willingness to succeed, my drive to succeed. But there are some guys that maybe the other outside forces push them. I think whatever it is, you have to drive yourself each and every day to come to work and try to get better.”
(We hear that your family is growing?) – “Yes.”
(What’s your reaction and what can you tell us about it?) – “Yes, we’re expecting a baby girl. I’m excited. (I’m) a little nervous excited (about) it being a girl, so we have to change the dynamics and change the hormones in the household. (laughter) It’ll be interesting for us but I am excited.”
(Due date?) – “It’s in October.”
(When you get a new receiver, especially someone a little less experienced like more so WR Albert Wilson than WR Danny Amendola, what role do you take on with Albert Wilson as far as establishing a chemistry? What’s your approach to that?) – “I think just getting reps. We started throwing with Albert back in March. I’ll take guys off the site and off the location here and just throw, and just get to learn his body language and try to coach him up on what I’m expecting on certain routes. Over time, you develop that chemistry. You get comfortable (and) seeing his indicators. ‘When I see his hips lean this way then I can let it go to that spot.’ That just takes reps but right now, he’s getting more comfortable in the offense, knowing exactly where to line up. We do a lot of formations, moving guys around, and it’s tough on those guys. Those guys have a lot of pressure and a lot of things to learn. They’re doing a good job now, especially Albert, of moving around and being in the right spot.”
(Are you patient or do you get frustrated easily when that’s not where you want it yet?) – “(laughter) A little of both. I think I try to be patient. Sometimes I might be a little short-tempered on expecting guys to do what they’re supposed to do. I hold guys accountable and I think that’s the way we’re going to win here is by everyone being accountable, myself included. You can’t look past … If a guy makes a mistake once then you might let it go. If he makes it again, that’s when I have a problem because we’ve already made that mistake and it should be corrected.”
(Even though you didn’t play last year, how much more familiar are you with the offense? How much more comfortable are you just by watching from the sideline?) – “Yes, I learned a lot last year. I was in the meeting room – in this room – as we installed. I was still around the game. I was still hearing and still seeing the tape and learning. Like I said last week, it’s not like playing. It’s not quite the same; but you do learn. You do pick up things. We installed things last year and it’s not like it’s the first time I’m hearing it now. If it was new to me last year, I didn’t run it and I was never physically the quarterback running the play; but if we install it now, I already feel comfortable running it because I’ve seen it run on tape, I’ve heard how we installed it, how we’re teaching the guys and now we can go execute.”
(With the tight end position, this team hasn’t had a high level of productivity since TE Charles Clay. What’s it going to take to change that?) – “Guys are going to have to come in and play well. Like I said, accountability is huge – being in the right spot at the right time. We brought in some young guys who are really athletic. We have MarQueis Gray, who has done a good job for us. A.J. Derby is athletic on the outside. It’s really up in the air right now who’s going to come out of that group and really lead the group; but we have some veteran guys, we have some young guys. We’re expecting somebody to really step up and make big plays with us.”
(Speaking of first-round picks, what is your impression of this year’s top pick – S Minkah Fitzpatrick – so far?) – “He’s been good. He’s flying around at practice. You see his mentality and his aggression. He plays aggressive. He plays what he sees and he plays fast, and that’s what you want to see out of a DB. You might make a mistake here or there but if you’re out there playing fast, you’re going to make some big plays and really change games for us. I’m excited with what I see so far. I can’t really speak on details because I don’t know how he’s being coached or what positions he’s being put in, but from what I’m seeing, he’s playing fast and he’s working hard, so I like what I see.”
(Quarterbacks are expected to make the entire team better. How does a quarterback make the defense or the special teams better?) – “Special teams is going to be tough. (laughter) But defense, I think it’s day in and day out at practice. It’s pushing the offense to execute. If the defense isn’t at the right spot, making them pay and holding them accountable that way because if they’re not in the right spot, then I should have a throw or a check or a run. If the defense corrects it, now it shouldn’t happen again. It’s just a constant pressure being applied to them from the offense, and they do the same thing to us. They put the heat on us sometimes and we have to adjust and learn from it. I think both sides drive each other to be better. I think when you have a good offense executing at a high level, it’s going to help your defense be better and the same thing with the defense.”
(It looked like DE Charles Harris may have gotten around the end on you at one point today. Is that something that’s happened more than once? How has he looked in his second offseason?) – “He’s moving well. I think our rushers, we have some really good rushers. You see Rob Quinn coming around the edge and it’s incredible how he bends the corner and his hips are two feet off the ground, but he’s running full speed around the corner. You can point it out with Charles (Harris)’ speed. Cam (Wake) and his presence that he has out there on the outside. We have a deep group of rushers. Will Hayes is going to come in and play strong. I’m really excited about our d-line group and how they come off the ball, especially on the outside with the pass rush.”
(Is your sense that your mobility and escapability are exactly what it was two years ago and is there any data that Head Coach Adam Gase has that can measure that sort of thing by? Obviously 40-times aren’t a good reflection of what you’re doing in the pocket when you’re trying to escape pressure. Is there any data that you’ve looked at to see whether it’s exactly the same and what’s your instinct on that?) – “Yes, we do have data. We have the GPS monitors that we wear every day at practice, so we can go back and compare speeds, agility, quickness and movements. That’s something we can take a look at; but I feel good. I feel like I’m moving well. I’m able to escape; I’m able to get up-field when the window is there. It’s still going to be a weapon for me. I think when the defense presents an open spot then we can make them pay by getting through with my legs.”
(How would you anticipate this season to be different given that you have such a versatile group of running backs?) – “Yes, we do have a diverse group of running backs. You see (Kenyan) Drake who really came on for us last year. He’s a really talented guy. He’s fast; he’s explosive. You can split him out on the outside and use him in the pass game. He’s good out of the backfield. He’s tough in protections and he runs the ball extremely well. Then you add in Frank Gore. He’s a Hall of Fame lock. He’s done it all. He’s been so consistent over the past however many years. You see it, just how he works. He doesn’t get a lot of reps with us right now with the team; but just how he prepares in the weight room and in the meeting room. He’s constantly asking me, ‘Hey, give me something Ryan. Give me something. Give me something.’ And I’ll talk through a play or a protection with him. Just his mentality that he brings to the table, really leading that group and showing them how to work and how a pro works day in and day out. Then you add that with the young guys that we have that bring a little more explosive speed to the game. Yes, we have a diverse group that’s going to be big for us.”
