Reshad Jones – September 5, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
S Reshad Jones
(Speaking of feeling pretty good here, just the feeling of getting going.) – “It’s been a long grind in the NFL. You go from spring to camp and it’s been a long grind. I think we’re ready to face another opponent, something that really matters. We’ve put the hard work and dedication in. I think we’re ready to play now.”
(How much are you looking to the three of you guys being on the field that do so many good things at the safety position with S Minkah Fitzpatrick getting in there?) – “I’m excited. I think he’ll make us better. Minkah is coming from a winning program, being a first-round draft pick, he loves the game. I think him being on the field, he can definitely help us.”
(What’s this team capable of?) – “I think the sky is the limit for us. We have all of the potential and talent here. It’s just going to take us all playing together and believing in each other. Keep all of the outside noise outside and focus on the common goal.”
(Is proving people wrong part of the motivation?) – “I don’t think we have nothing to prove. We just want to prove it to ourselves. I know what we’re capable of doing. We’ve got a lot of pieces in this locker room. Like I said, the sky is the limit for us.”
(When you mention the outside noise, are you talking about the people that are maybe doubting the defense a little bit? Is that what you mean by that?) – “No. It’s just people talking in general. I don’t really listen to it. It’s my ninth year in the league and I just try to do what I do.”
(Can you believe it’s your ninth year in the league?) – “No. It went by fast, for sure.”
(What’s the one thing you’ve learned throughout your nine years?) – “It’s a show-me league. You have to be consistent. You have to come out and prove yourself each and every year. Nothing is given in this league. You think you are a starter this week and the next week, you’re the second or third-string guy. You just have to be consistent and keep proving yourself.”
(Did coming back from that injury as well as you did prove something to yourself?) – “No. I put the hard work and dedication in year in and year out. It wasn’t surprising to me. I put the work in and it shows.”
(Have you talked to WR Rishard Matthews at all?) – “I haven’t talked to him in a while.”
(Are you excited to see him on Sunday?) – “Yes. (He’s an) old teammate. I’m definitely excited to see him.”
(What is the biggest question you feel you answered this preseason about this defense and what you’ve learned about it so far?) – “I think during the spring and during the preseason, it’s a learning process. We try to cut down on our mistakes and learn as much as we can, learn new plays and different things like that, and get prepared for this moment – Week 1 and the long NFL season. We had a couple of wrinkles and a couple of things that we had to iron out throughout preseason. I think we’ll be ready for Week 1.”
(How much do you think the rotation up front helps this defense from what you saw?) – “They make it easy on us. We’ve got a monster front line. Our front seven is very good making the quarterback get the ball out of his hands quick. That helps us out as DBs. I’m excited to play with those guys and have those guys in front of me.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – September 5, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(You’ve played in some big-time games before, but this is your first NFL game. Have you thought about what’s it going to be like going into an NFL stadium with the crowd and atmosphere?) – “I’m just thinking about doing my assignment right now. When you start thinking about all of the other things, you lose focus on what you have to focus on. I just want to make sure I’m focused on the right things, doing my assignment, make sure I’m communicating, playing fast, playing physical and just playing my game.”
(How have you been able to just step in? How have you been able to do it without looking flustered or anything out there?) – “Obviously there are days where I’ve made my mistakes. I’m not going to be perfect stepping in right away. I’m just trying to learn from the older guys and kind of do what they do and just learn from my mistakes and keep pushing. Like I was saying to him, just keep going day by day. Learn from the bad days and keep pushing through the good days.”
(How comfortable are you doing everything that they’ve thrown at you?) – “Right now I’m not really moving around too much. A little bit of nickel, a little bit of free safety, strong safety. They are coaching me through it. I’m watching the older guys do what they do and making sure I’m paying attention all the time, don’t lose focus and that’s it.”
(There’s a lot more prep to do this week, but does this week thus far have a different feel to it now that the bell has rung during the real season?) – “Like you said, it’s the real deal. Live bullets, so it’s a little bit different; but I’ve still got to approach it as another game day.”
(What’s the body type of a slot receiver that will be the biggest interesting challenge for you initially?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it yet.”
(You’re just comfortable with smaller guys?) – “I see them every single day. I go against Danny Amendola, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant. All of those guys are smaller guys. Then I go against guys like Mike Gesicki, and Kenny Stills every single day, so I don’t think I have too much of a problem”
(When you were being recruited, Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel was an assistant at Ohio State. Did he recruit you?) – “No, sir.”
(Have you talked to LB Rashaan Evans this week?) – “No, I haven’t. I haven’t talked to him. He’s one of my good friends (and a) good player out there. I loved playing with him. It’s going to be nice to see him out there.”
(What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed in preparation of an NFL game week as opposed to college?) – “There’s a little bit less reps on the field but more reps in the film room. I’d say that’s the biggest difference. At practice at Bama, we were taking a whole lot of snaps. But per practice here, we take a whole lot less. I think that’s the biggest difference.”
(Do you think it helps you getting more mental than physical. Does it save your energy?) – “I’d say physically it helps you more. Mentally it kind of … It’s a little bit different for me, I would say; but I’ve just got to adjust to it.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 5, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(There’s always a lot of excitement this time of year. Does this feel like always or is this year different for you?) – “There’s always excitement every year, right? So you come in with a certain level of excitement. For me, I feel more ready for this year than I’ve ever felt before. It’s tough to say the excitement feels different. I feel more confident, I would say, in the guys that we have and the path that we’re on. Are we there yet? No. But the standards that we have established in training camp, throughout the offseason, how guys come to work each and every day pushing to get better, that’s what excites me more, I think more than I’ve ever been.”
(Was there a moment over the last two years you thought, hmm, maybe this day won’t come? Or did you always know you would be back opening day 2018?) – “That was always the goal. I just stayed strong in believing that obviously. You never know what’s going to happen, but (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase was great along the way, just keeping me in the loop and informed on what he was thinking and where the team was headed. Yes, I always felt confident that this would be where we ended up. It’s finally here and I’m ready to go.”
(Were you a little charged up at practice today?) – “I was excited. It’s a big opportunity for us. I knew coming off of a big break that guys were going to need pushing a little bit. It was a warm day out there, a little tropical. We had to do everything we can to get better. It’s one of the few days of practice we get this week, so I really wanted to push the guys and make sure we were getting as much as we could out of each and every rep.”
(I’m assuming that you believe you’re going to show your best starting on Sunday, your best that you’ve ever shown. If that’s true, why do you believe that?) – “Because you’re constantly trying to get better. That’s the reason we’re here, right, is to build off of what we’ve done constantly and improve off of what you’ve done in the past. I feel more confident in fully playing the position than I ever have and everything it entails. It might not be each and every play you see it, but I know when certain situations come up, I’m going to be quicker to react and make the right decision and not have to think about it.”
(Because you’re more familiar with the offense? Because why?) – “Yes, more familiar with the offense; (I’m) more confident in all the things that we’re doing. It’s my third year, really, in the offense being around it and going through the mental side of things. When things break down, (I) know exactly where my outs are (and) how to save the play. It might be a throw-away and not taking the sack; it might be just getting the ball out. Little things like that, that aren’t going to really show up on the stat sheet, but can have a huge effect on the course of a game.”
(What will Sunday be like for you, 16 months in the making?) – “Sunday is going to be huge. I’m really looking forward to it. Obviously, I haven’t got to play a full game in a long, long time. To be able to do it at home in front of our fans and go out and do what I love, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
(This new-found confidence that you have with the playbook and things, has that kind of extended to you trying to maybe endear yourself with fans on social media like we’ve seen on videos recently?) – “I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. I haven’t spent a lot of time on social media in the past — I still don’t spend a lot of time on there — but I’m just trying to engage a little bit more with fans and give fans a little window into my life.”
(Why?) – “I just haven’t done it in the past. People are constantly asking me about it. I got a lot of positive attitude as I’ve kind of slowly got into it. (I) try to have some fun with it and just let that aspect of what my life out there a little bit.”
(You kind of left your son, Steel, hung out to dry a little bit with that throw.) – “(Laughs) It was actually a good throw. (My wife) Lauren is like, ‘He actually made a good throw, why did you have to trash him like that?’ I’m like, I guess for the price of comedy, right?”
(What do you like most about this group of receivers?) – “I think their work ethic. Every day those guys are coming to work. Obviously you have DeVante (Parker) out, so then Jakeem (Grant) and Albert (Wilson) are stepping up a little bit. Then Jakeem gets banged up a little bit and misses a little time. But (I’m) excited with how they’ve worked, how they’ve progressed. They come to work each and every day. They all bring something a little bit different to the table. We have a ton of fast guys, a ton of guys that can stretch the field, a lot of versatile guys. We’ve moved Albert around a lot, moved Jakeem around a lot, Kenny (Stills) can play both inside and outside. We have guys that can move all over the place and we can create the matchups we want.”
(With WR Albert Wilson and WR Kenny Stills on the field at the same time, the challenge that presents for defenses with the speed that those guys possess?) – “Yes, you have Albert, Kenny (Stills), Jakeem (Grant), you add in (Kenyan) Drake and (Mike) Gesicki, you have really five guys that can really go and create matchup problems for defenses, so you kind of have to pick your poison on defense on what you want to take away.”
(Is this the best offensive line you’ve played behind?) – “I’m more confident in this offensive line than I’ve ever been. They do a great job and have done a great job over the course of camp of jelling together and coming together as a unit. Starting all five individual guys and then really coming together as a unit and working as a unit, and once you start seeing that happen and they’re passing off twists in games up front, it gives you a lot of confidence as a passer to be able to stand in the pocket and make the throw.”
(What is the greatest challenge that the Titans defense poses?) – “They’re good. I think their back end is probably some of the strength of the defense. They have some good players back there. They do get good pressure up front. (Jurrell Casey) ‘99’ is a heck of a football player. He comes off the ball fast. He’s disruptive and can get after the passer. They have a lot of talented guys and we have to do our jobs and keep those guys accounted for.”
(When you’re facing a team that’s gone through a lot of changes, do you just focus on what you have to do? You’re going to see things that they haven’t shown on film yet.) – “Obviously, (Defensive Coordinator) Dean Pees coming over from Baltimore, facing him the past couple of years, they’ve done a lot of things with that defense. They haven’t really shown it so much with Tennessee, but it’s all on the table. So that’s kind of the wild card when you’re facing a team that changes, right? The coordinators. They’re showing a little bit more stuff than maybe they did with Houston in the past, but we’re preparing for all of it just in case they roll it out.”
(How much have you guys held back this preseason and not shown?) – “Yes, there’s always stuff you hold back. There were a few plays going into Week 3 that Gase wanted to run. I said, ‘Hey, those are great plays. Let’s save those.’ (laughter) We have some things that we haven’t shown, that we’re excited about and I think can help us, not only in this game but as we move forward.”
(Did you guys save those plays?) – “Yes, yes. (laughter) Thankfully we saved them.”
(Has QB Luke Falk been able to help you with anything as far as Tennessee is concerned?) – “I haven’t picked his brain too much yet so far. We’ll have him in the room and have those conversations.”
Frank Gore – September 2, 2018
Download PDF version
Sunday, September 2, 2018
RB Frank Gore
(What is your excitement level going to be like playing in front of your home crowd? I know you’ve been waiting for this one for a long time.) – “It’ll be good. I haven’t (played a home game in Miami) since the University of Miami. I’m in front of all the people from my neighborhood, high school and college. I’m going to try to go out there and try to be me. Whenever I’m in the game, (I’m going to) try to give my teammates (and) my coaches 110 percent (and) try to play some winning football.”
(How promising do you think the tandem of you and RB Kenyan Drake can be this season?) – “I think we’ll be good. We’ve got different styles. Drake can do a lot of things out of the backfield. He’s very fast. Me, the more I touch the ball, the better I am. We’re both competitive. I think as long as we go in and get the mindset, whenever he does something good, I’ve got to come in and try to do something good. I think if we do that … It kind of reminds me of when I was in Miami playing with (Clinton) Portis and (Willis) McGahee. We all competed. Portis used to challenge me every night before the game. ‘Hey, I’m going to go get 100-something yards and be out the second half. I’m going to let you go in and you’ve got to go get your 100.’ That’s my same mindset. I still want to play and I’m going to push Drake every time. I want him to go do good. I want to do good. I think if we just keep that mindset and just work together, it’ll be good for this team.”
(Speaking of Miami, they’ve got a big game today.) – “Oh, we’re going be fine. We’re going to be fine. We’ve got the Miami boys. You know how Dade County boys, we don’t really care about the anybody. I think we’ve got a bunch of those guys in Coral Gables now that have that mindset. They just have to go out there and play ball.”
(Has anything surprised you about RB Kenyan Drake, in terms of how good he is or a certain skill he has that maybe you hadn’t been fully aware of when you got here?) – “When I first saw him when they played Denver, I was like, ‘Man, he can play.’ And when I got here every day … What I love about him is he’s very humble and he respects the game. I love guys like that. He works every day. He wants to be great. I’m going to push him to be great. I think if we both push each other, I think we’re going to have a good team.”
(Did you get many ticket requests?) – “Not yet.”
(Has DT Davon Godchaux talked a little trash to you about the LSU-Miami game?) – “I’m not … It’s all good. I’ll see him tomorrow. (laughter)”
Xavien Howard – September 2, 2018
Download PDF version
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Cornerback Xavien Howard
(How difficult was it coming in today and seeing some guys that you kind of built a bond with are not here anymore?) – “It’s a business. It’s part of the game and I’m hoping guys find other teams that are willing to bring them in. It was just a crazy day for me, just seeing a couple of guys that I came in with, some of them (are) gone.”
(How excited are you just focusing in on Game 1 now that it’s kind of squarely in your sights?) – “Like I said, preseason is over with. It’s Game 1. This is what we’ve all been waiting for. I’m just ready to go out there and ball.”
(You have some familiarity with Titans QB Marcus Mariota and what he does at quarterback. What are the challenges you face when you have a quarterback that can do a little bit of everything?) – “He’s a running quarterback. He (extends) plays, so I have to be on my receivers and cover for a long time, guard (my) man for a long time just in case he runs out and makes a pass. We just have to be on our A game.”
Brock Osweiler – September 2, 2018
Download PDF version
Sunday, September 2, 2018
QB Brock Osweiler
(Are you surprised by the decision to keep three quarterbacks?) – “Nothing really surprises me. The decisions that are made by the front office and the coaching staff, I leave that to them. I’m just solely focused on – like I’ve always told you guys – just trying to get better every single day, become a better quarterback (and) become a better teammate. That’s where my focus is right now.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said today as far as who’s number two, it could change from day to day. He’ll make an evaluation repeatedly. Is that good by you, I presume?) – “Once again, I focus on the things I can control. Whoever’s the two, whoever’s the three, that’s something I can’t control. The only thing I can control is how I come in, how I prepare every single day, how I practice and my focus in the meeting rooms, weight room, you name it. That’s where my focus is right now.”
(You always just remain so confident throughout the process. Where do you get that from?) – “I think you have to have confidence to play in this league. If you’re going to play quarterback in the National Football League, you need to have confidence in yourself as well as your teammates and your coaching staff. If you don’t, it’s going to be tough to have success out there.”
(Are you motivated to try to prove anything about yourself at this point?) – “I think every player in this league is very motivated to prove things on a weekly basis. This is a league that someone is always coming for your job and you’re always trying to keep your job. That’s what makes this league so special is because the competition is always so high. I think we’re all constantly trying to prove something.”
(Have you talked to Head Coach Adam Gase about how the backup reps will work and what his plan is with the three and maybe four quarterbacks on the roster?) – “All of the conversations that I have with Coach Gase, I’m going to keep those between us, but maybe he’ll shed a little more light for you guys.”
(Have you made assumptions about being here and if not, how does you actually being here change your life going forward as far as where you live and how you live?) – “Nothing changes for me. Really from yesterday to today to tomorrow, nothing’s different. If anything, my focus just goes straight to the Tennessee Titans; but other than that, nothing changes with life.”
(What would you say is the main reason that you ended up making the cut?) – “That’s a great question for Coach Gase and the rest of those guys upstairs.”
(What do you feel is better about your game than it was five months ago or whenever you signed?) – “One area of improvement (that) I think I’ve made great strides in since coming to Miami is just fundamentally. I think my feet are quick and better than they’ve ever been. That’s really a credit to our coaching staff. (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Dowell) Loggains, (Quarterbacks) Coach (Bo) Hardegree, they coach all of us quarterbacks very hard every single day at practice on our fundamentals and I’m definitely seeing that pay off.”
Mike Gesicki – September 2, 2018
Download PDF version
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Tight End Mike Gesicki
(What do you think it’s going to be like going out there for the real deal?) – “It’s going to be exciting. Obviously I’ve been working for this for a long time. Everybody in this locker room (has), going through training camp and all of that kind of stuff. It’s ultimately what we work for, so I’m excited to be out there.”
(Can you compare for us where you’re at now versus when you came in?) – “I’m still learning (and) still trying to pick up some new things. Obviously I’m not even close to where I want to be, but I’m just going to continue to keep working, learn from the other guys and just continue to progress. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable than I did when I first got here.”
(Specifically, what’s better now?) – “I think just the mental aspect of the game. When you first get here, you’re trying to grasp the playbook and all of that kind of stuff. Now that you’ve had the reps and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes to learn from those mistakes, so now (I’m) taking those experiences and learning from those and taking it into the regular season.”
Adam Gase – September 2, 2018
Download PDF version
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What was the thought process behind keeping three quarterbacks?) – “I kind of hinted at it for the last nine months, but we didn’t pick up on it. (laughter) Really, at the end of the day, we talk about that being one of the most important positions in professional football. Our thought process is we’re going to try to develop guys and get them ready to go and if we ever have any situation where we need the next guy to get up, we want to make sure we have the right guy. We’re going to keep working with the two guys we’ve got.”
(Do you anticipate keeping all three quarterbacks all year?) – “Yes.”
(When you look at the 53-man roster, what do you see now?) – “Kind of what we envisioned. We got to this point fairly healthy. We had a couple (of injuries). Losing Mike for a little bit – Hull – that kind of stings us. We had a good plan going into training camp with him, to make sure he stayed healthy. We were getting him ready for a big year of special teams and just having him ready at linebacker. Losing him in that preseason game, that stung a little bit because he’s an impact player for us on special teams. For the most part, we’re going into the season healthy and I like where our team’s at right now.”
(Who is the player yesterday that you really just had to grit your teeth and let him go even though you didn’t want to.) – “It’s hard on all of them. Every guy you talk to. It’s not a fun part of the job.”
(Is there a particular guy though, talent-wise or personnel-wise that fits…) – “It’s hard to think like that, at that point. You know that those guys have been working here since April, even longer. Some guys have been here multiple years. It just makes it really hard.”
(I guess we’ll see when you release the depth chart but do you have a No. 2 and a No. 3 in mind at quarterback?) – “We’ll kind of see. It might be an ‘or.’ We’ll see.”
(The decision between CB Tony Lippett and CB Cornell Armstrong, what went into the thought process there?) – “That one was, we went off of basically what we felt like the performance was this training camp. Some people might disagree. We felt like that’s where we were at right now. We wanted to keep those guys. Maybe it was time for us to part ways with Tony. That wasn’t fun, just because of history, being here together and being a Michigan State guys as well, I’m always going to be pulling for him. If he ends up back here at some point, I’m all for it. That’s where we’re at.”
(How close is it between QB Brock Osweiler and QB David Fales in your mind?) – “It’s day-to-day. I feel like it goes back and forth. It’s one of those things where, who has the best protection on that particular night? It seems like that guy has a good night in preseason. That’s what is always going to make it tough about who’s the backup? Because you’re guessing a little bit.”
(Is that good? Or is it bad for you?) – “It makes it hard. If it was easy, more people would do it, I guess.”
(What did G Isaac Asiata not do?) – “He’s a young player. There are some things … If he ends up back here (on the) practice squad, who knows, in two weeks maybe he’s up. I mean, you never know. I think we made some strides; but this year the numbers that we kept and having two tackles that we feel good about and one we feel can play guard if we needed to, that was kind of the direction we went. I think he’s getting better. I do think he got better during this preseason and this training camp. It’s just the numbers got tight.”
(The decision to go five wide receivers, is there one close to making that sixth spot or was it pretty clear?) – “I mean it’s always close. You just have to look at the big picture; but I think the five guys we’ve got, I like that group.”
(With WR Leonte Carroo and his time here, is there anything that comes to mind with why he fell short here?) – “You just never know how the rest of this is going to play out, especially with how practice squad is nowadays. You have those exemptions to where guys who have actually played can be back. I think it was just a tough room to crack. I mean those guys that we have right now, I think Jakeem (Grant) has really found something to where he’s contributing on offense and we really like him at the spot he’s been playing. I think moving him outside last year was huge for us and for him, and he feels comfortable. Those corners are not happy to see him because of his speed and he’s making plays and he’s getting better at catching the ball consistently. I think that makes it tough. Before it was three guys and we were always looking for that fourth and fifth. Now it’s legit. You’ve got five guys that you feel really good about.”
(How do you feel about this team and what the strengths are at this point?) – “I like our team. I like the fact that we’re a team. That’s the best part about what we have going on right now, is that locker room. I like where those guys are at. I’m not really worried about what anybody else thinks about that because when you’re not there every day and around these guys and watching them work, watching them at meetings, watching them practice, you don’t know. You look at a piece of paper. That’s why they play the games.”
(How likely is it that WR DeVante Parker and WR Jakeem Grant will practice this week?) – “I don’t know. I’m not there yet.”
(With C/G Ted Larsen’s injury, what is his status?) – “He’ll be alright.”
(So C/G Ted Larsen is cleared to play?) – “Yes. We’ll be good. We’re good there. We probably got scared more than anything. I know it looked bad the way he went down. I know I was sitting there (thinking) this is perfect about this time of year, where it’s the last day and you have one of those kinds of injuries; but as he said, it’s a good thing he has tree trunks for legs. (laughter)”
(Do you anticipate LB Mike Hull and C Jake Brendel moving to IR?) – “We’ll get to that here in a few hours.”
(You mentioned the respect that DL Kendall Langford has in the building. Was there anything he could have done? Or was it just numbers?) – “I think it’s tough because I think Vincent (Taylor) is playing really well. You guys have probably noticed him a lot. It seems like he is in the mix so much. For d-tackles, sometimes it’s hard to notice (them) and I feel like he shows up a lot. It was a tough ask of (Langford), coming in preseason (week) two, getting thrown into a game and trying to battle as hard as he could for two weeks. It was just one of those situations where I wish we had him in the spring and started from there, to where he could learn all of the techniques and what they were asking of him on defense. I think the timing was just not great for him and everything was so fast. Then all of a sudden, we’re cutting the team.”
(So is C/G Ted Larsen the backup center?) – “We’ve got a couple options. You just have to watch at practice. (laughter)”
(Speaking of which, when are you practicing?) – “Wednesday.”
(At tight end, has TE Mike Gesicki come far enough? Is Mike reliable now to start? Or if not start, whatever…) – “He’s going to play. We’re going to have a mix of packages and things that we’re going to do. We have a plan. This isn’t a hobby. We’re not just going to throw it out there. We’ve got an idea what we’re doing. (laughter)”
(But has TE Mike Gesicki come far enough that you trust him in those spots?) – “Yes. I trust him a lot.”
(Did having two rookie tight ends impact you in going with four at that position?) – “No. That was the plan the whole way, the whole time.”
(With RB Senorise Perry, what did he do to sort of solidify his standing with the team?) – “He’s an outstanding special teams player. He’s one of those guys (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi is glad he has, and he has been as consistent as I’ve ever seen him at running back. He doesn’t make many mistakes. He runs hard. He can do every phase that we’re asking him to do, whether it’s pass pro, receiving, running the ball. He has a great grasp of the offense right now. It’s great for me to see three years in this offense and he’s gotten better and better. Just getting to see him develop, I’m happy for him and I love the fact that he’s an impact player for us on special teams.”
(Can you talk about what it’s like with 1,100 players released, it must be mind-boggling to go through each one. I know the scouting department and personnel department, but you’ve got to look at each one and say, is he better than the guy I have at that position?) – “The good thing is our pro guys do a great job of keeping up throughout spring, summer, training camp … I mean, they listen to everything everybody is saying. Everybody’s got different teams and they kind of are able to project and if somebody gets cut free, it’s flagged and we have an idea. It just kind of shortens everything up for us instead of going through it that night. There’s a little bit of a progression there to where those guys prepare. It moves quick. They do a great job to where right away when everything starts coming out, they’re in your office like, ‘All right, this guy, this guy or this guy for this spot.’ And you start talking options. Everything moves real quick. Time goes fast, though. I know that. Next thing you know, it’s really late at night and you’ve blinked your eyes.”
(I asked you going into the Carolina preseason game, did you have an identity? Do you have an offensive identity? Now you’re headed into the regular season, what is this team’s identity?) – “I think it’s going to take the progression of the season to really … to label it. I mean, you’re going to have to play games – real games, meaningful games – to really figure it out. I have an idea, but that doesn’t mean anything until we’re really playing games that matter and you get behind and you have adversity. That’s when you’re going to really find out who you are as a team. Like I said, I have an idea of what I think we are and who we are, but really we have to prove it.”
(Does it mean anything to you that you kind of led the league in rushing most of the preseason?) – “I’m all for anything good when it comes to running (and) penalties. I’m fired up about that. I know that seemed to be a topic of conversation all training camp. I know it’s probably my fault, but I’m glad the guys responded to that. We had a great point of emphasis on certain things. I thought the guys did a great job, and now we have to go into the season and we have to make sure that we continue some of the things we were doing.”
(So today there are 32 coaches who like their teams, including you. Did you like your team on the first day after cut-down day last year? And so, what’s the difference?) – “I wish I could remember that day.”
(Did you have a hint?) – “I don’t exactly remember what I truly felt at that moment because I know we were dealing with a lot of things between Ryan (Tannehill), Ted (Larsen), and I think we were just informed that there was a possibility a hurricane could hit. I just feel like there were a lot of other things that were going on besides just us cutting down our team. It’s a different feel for me, I think, in Year 3, because you’ve experienced so many … It feels like a lot of things have happened over the last two years. Good or bad, it’s been great learning experiences for everybody in the organization and I feel like this year, we have a really good understanding of who we are, what our locker room is, our players. I like where our health is. I feel like it puts us in good position to start moving towards this season and kind of see what happens.”
