Dowell Loggains – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains
(Your expectations for the 2018 Dolphins offense is what?) – “Have a good practice tomorrow. (laughter) No, it really is that simple. It’s a long season. I’m excited about the roster we have. Those guys in the front office and (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) have done a great job of building it and we really need to have a good practice tomorrow and get ready to go play a ball game.”
(How does losing TE MarQueis Gray affect your tight end rotation and what you want to do there?) – “We drafted two tight ends (Durham Smythe and Mike Gesicki) and have high expectations for those guys. They’ve had a good camp and a good round of OTAs with Durham and those other guys. The nice thing is we have a guy that had been in our system for a long time (Gavin Escobar) that we were able to bring back. We expect those guys to play well. They’re smart kids. They understand the offense. They’ve had an opportunity to be in it for a little while now. They’ll keep getting better with every rep and every play they get.”
(Is it safe to say that neither TE Durham Smythe and TE Mike Gesicki will be eased in anymore given you guys need them to produce now?) – “I think all of them were going to play to begin with. It may expedite the process a little bit because ‘Q’ (MarQueis Gray) would have been part of the offense. But they’ll be ready to play.”
(Can you give us some insight on how far WR Albert Wilson has come since you got your hands on him?) – “Yes, Albert was a guy we really liked in free agency. He’s a guy that can do a lot. I don’t know how far he’s come but he’s really done a good job of studying and learning the offense. There’s a lot. He’s a guy you can move around and do a lot of cool things with. We’re excited to actually be able to use him and do some different things with him in a variety of different ways.”
(You were one of the leaders in the league when you called plays for Chicago in terms of running the football. Maybe that had a lot to do with the fact that you had a rookie quarterback but how do you translate that commitment to the rushing attack here?) – “To me, it really depends on what you have. If you’re a team that is built around your offensive line and you have an inexperienced quarterback and you’ve got good running backs, then you’re going to run the football more. If you’re a team that has good skill guys and good tight ends and good backs and a veteran quarterback, then you can do different stuff and you can be more versatile in your system. A lot of these guys are in Year 3. Our quarterback is in Year 3 of an offense even though he’s only played in it … This will be his second year actually playing (in it); but just being around and understanding it. I do think it’s important to run the football. I think you need to be able to run the football when you want to and when you need to. Sometimes that means you run the ball more late than early because you’re trying to close out a lead. Or sometimes you get it going early in a game and then you stay with it. It really depends on how the game unfolds.”
(What sign more than any other gives you confidence that QB Ryan Tannehill is going to have a productive season?) – “His preparation. He has been an impressive guy that way. He works at it. It’s very important to him. It’s very important to him. He’s a good practice player. He studies a lot. I’m really excited to see how it is this first Sunday that I get to be part of it.”
(Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi told us that from his unit, the most improved player from the end of April until now is CB Cornell Armstrong on special teams. The most improved player offensively from the point of the draft until now would be who or what couple of guys?) – “That’s hard. That’s a hard one. Ryan (Tannehill) number one. Just seeing how he’s developed over the last couple of weeks and during training camp. The more we’ve been able to give him (the better). Kenyan Drake has been a guy that’s been impressive, just his versatility and the things that he can do as a runner and in pass pro. The two young tight ends (Durham Smythe and Mike Gesicki) have done a really good job of really getting up to speed quickly. I don’t know if I can say one guy. Obviously Josh Sitton has been impressive. Laremy Tunsil I think has done a really good job and the more I think about it, Laremy may be that guy as far as just a guy that we have high expectations for because of the talent he is and where he was drafted. He’s met that to this point and he needs to go out and play well for us.”
(Titans S Kevin Byard, what makes him so dangerous?) – “His eight interceptions last year. He’s a guy that has good range in the middle of the field. He’s smart. You can tell he understands their system. He’ll be in a new system but I think he’s a smart football player that gets around the ball.”
(Some offensive lines are great at pass pro. Some are great at run blocking. This offensive line is great at what?) – “We’re about to find out. (laughter) I think it’s a group that right now, their strength is in pass pro. It helps going against our defense because they play the Wide 9 and they’re going to rush the passer and they run all of these stunts and games and (Defensive Line Coach Kris) Kocurek has them going crazy and playing hard. Right now, I think that’s the strength of it. We need to become balanced and be a good run football team as well and be able to run and rely on those guys because that should be a strength for us.”
(Is there anything RB Kenyan Drake can do to prove to you and Head Coach Adam Gase that he should be the focal point of this offense?) – “Perform. Consistently show up and do his job. He’s got a unique skill set that a lot of backs don’t have – the ability to catch the football and run the football. So when you have those traits … As he proves the more he can do and the more he can handle, we’ll continue to give him more that way.”
(Preparing for a game and having three veteran quarterbacks, what possible opportunity does QB Luke Falk even have to show you all what he can do? Are there throws after practice, just learning? What exactly?) – “That’s a great question. Luke was a guy that we brought in here in the draft visits and is a guy that we were all intrigued with. He had a unique personality. He has a swagger to him and a confidence that you feel right away and he’s a smart kid. He’s a natural thrower; but just the opportunity. What’s great is we have young guys like that, that we’re able to work with him after practice. There’s been some times where the coaches have gone up and I’ve stayed on the field and they went up and watched the tape. I’ve had an opportunity to get on the field and work with him and the extra meeting time that (Quarterbacks Coach) Bo (Hardegree) has had with him. He’s a guy that loves football. It’s important to him. Any time you get young, hungry players in the building, as coaches that’s what we like to do. I’d rather go on the field and coach quarterbacks for an hour and fundamentals and technique then stay until two in the morning drawing up ball plays.”
Darren Rizzi – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(What do you think RB Brandon Bolden and WR Tanner McEvoy bring to special teams?) – “Well first off, I’m real excited to get those guys. I know a lot about both of them, obviously Bolden from coaching against him all of these years, and I have a lot of respect for him as a player. I joked around with him the other day that I was sick of coaching against him so we might as well get him here playing with us. He’s a guy that has done a lot in New England where he was. He played a lot of different positions. I know he was a little bit of a leader. I got a chance to evaluate him even more specifically a couple of times in free agency and I dove into exactly what he does. Obviously, playing those guys two times a year and knowing exactly where the positions he played, we thought that after the cuts and where he was, it would be a really good fit. We’ve been really excited. He’s a guy that’s obviously ready to go. He’s mature and obviously very well-coached up there and I have a lot of respect for him so far. He’s a guy that can do a lot for us. He should be a four-core player and I’m excited to have him here. Tanner on the other hand, is kind of a unique story, I met Tanner McEvoy when he was in grade school. I recruited his brother to walk on at Rutgers University. His brother is Colin McEvoy, he played at Pascack Valley High School in New Jersey and grew up in the area that I grew up in. I recruited his brother and I know his family, so I think the first time that I met Tanner, he was in grade school. His brother was coming into Rutgets, ended up walking on and being a player there. So, I followed his career a little bit and kind of – he’s a guy that made the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent a couple of years ago. (He’s) a guy that’s played multiple positions, was drafted out of high school as a quarterback, played safety, played receiver, could kind of wear a lot of hats. A very, very bright player with good football IQ. He played ‘P.P.’ (personal protector) for them, has blocked punts, has caught passes, has done a little bit of everything. So, again, a little bit of a jack-of-all-trades. Again, the fact that I had a little bit of familiarity with both guys, both playing against them and knowing who they were, that certainly helped. As you know, I kind of follow the special teams core players around the league and we had the opportunity to get both guys, and we thought that they could both come in and help us out.”
(How is the roster cut down day for you? Obviously your guys play such a big role in who are the last or last few guys on the team.) – “It’s bittersweet. It’s a situation where as special teams coaches, we work with everybody on the team. Right when we start off in OTAs and we’re back in the spring, we’re getting everybody ready to play. So we’ve spent a lot of time with these guys and there’s some really tough decisions. It’s never easy. You come down to and there’s always going to be those really, really tough decisions on those players – I don’t know, I want to call it 48 to 53 – the last five or six guys where you’re trying to fit the pieces into the puzzle and see what’s best for the team. Sometimes you have to put personalities aside and relationships aside and do what’s best for the group. It’s hard because there are a lot of good players that we let go. Right from every single position, there’s some good guys that are going to continue to play. So, it’s difficult for me. Once we get down to the 53 … I can promise you this much, one of the nice things, the bittersweet part, is my depth chart goes from 90 players down to 53. All of a sudden, you’re shrinking down and the sideline starts looking like a ghost town a little bit. There’s not as many people you’re dealing with. One of the challenges for special teams coaches in the preseason is the substitutions. How many times do you watch a preseason game and there’s a guy running out there late – not just in our game but in any game – there’s a guy running out and you have 10 or you have 12 (guys on the field). You see it all the time because the depth chart is a little bit of a nightmare for a special teams coach in the preseason. It’s a huge challenge. So that part of it is the good part. We’ve narrowed it down to 53 of the guys that we feel are the right 53. Obviously a couple guys weren’t here. It’s a little bit hectic for me. It’s a lot of work on the excel spreadsheet on the old depth charts. (laughter) We’re sad to see those guys go because a lot of those guys put a lot hard work in and so that part is the tough part.”
(With LB Mike Hull down, TE MarQueis Gray down, do you feel like you have enough bodies for that core unit on special teams?) – “I think that’s a good question. I think the additions of (Brandon) Bolden and (Tanner) McEvoy certainly help. Listen, Mike Hull and MarQueis Gray have played a lot of quality snaps – not only a lot of snaps, but a lot of quality snaps in the last couple years. So, is it a challenge? No doubt. Do guys have to step up? No doubt. There’s no question that I feel confident in the guys that we’re going out there with. We’ve lost some players to free agency, we’ve lost some players to injury. That’s just the way it goes. As a special teams coach, every year, that’s something that you’re dealing with. You’re dealing with getting young players ready, you’re dealing with players that you no longer have and you’re kind of managing the roster the best you can. Right now, I feel like we still have some good returning players – Walt Aikens, Senorise Perry, to name couple of guys – that have really played well for us in the past. Chase Allen really played well last year and his arrow the entire year was going up. Now with the addition of Bolden and McEvoy, I think we have a pretty good group.”
(Were you guys at all tempted by K Dan Bailey or any veteran kicker that became available Saturday, or did you all go into Saturday night thinking K Jason Sanders is our kicker regardless of any name that becomes available on Saturday?) – “I think the first thing is one of my jobs as special teams coach is you kind of get a pulse on the rest of the league and where teams are at with kickers – really all of the specialists – across the league. We’re always monitoring that situation, there’s no doubt about that. That’s year-round. You always know the cut-down day, there’s always a couple of names you maybe weren’t certain would come available that come available. So, yes, we definitely had kind of a pulse on that. I was definitely looking at that. However, I really felt as camp went on, Jason and Greg (Joseph) both got a lot better and really improved. There was a point in camp where I felt like we have our kicker here in Miami. I feel like our guys here on the roster … That thing went down to the wire. Both of those guys were good and really improved throughout. At the end of the day, the decision to go with Jason was really more of a consistency thing. Obviously, we chart everything and the analytics and all of that stuff right from when they get here. It just felt like Jason was a little bit more consistent and they both obviously have great ability. Greg’s already gotten tryouts I think with other teams since he’s left here. I think Cleveland worked him out the other day and maybe some other teams. It’s not a surprise because he’s a talented guy and that wasn’t an easy decision, but we’re really happy to have Jason as our kicker. I’m really excited moving forward and I think I’m really looking forward to getting him out there next Sunday. ”
(I know that WR Jakeem Grant is cleared to play. I’m sure you’re relieved about that. But what was the ‘what if’ strategy if he wasn’t cleared to play? Who would be your kickoff returner? I’m assuming WR Danny Amendola would be your punt returner.) – “That’s something we’ve talked about throughout camp. I talk about that stable. I always like to have that stable of guys, and in my opinion, you can never have enough. You can never have enough returners. I think we talked about this earlier in the preseason about getting as many guys ready to play as possible. The punt returner group right now is Jakeem, it’s Danny Amendola, it’s Albert Wilson, it’s Kenyan Drake. We have a couple of younger guys ready. Our kick return pool – obviously Grant, (Kalen) Ballage is a guy that can do it, Torry McTyer is a guy that’s done it, Albert Wilson, again Drake, if needed. We have more options than we’ve had in the past. You guys that have covered this team for a long time know that we haven’t had as many options in the past. Maybe if a guy went down, we have to get somebody that’s not here. I don’t feel like that’s the case anymore. I feel like we have more of a group of guys that are able to go out and do it, so I feel a lot better about that. Senorise Perry is a guy that returned kicks last year for us at times as well, when there was some injury stuff with Jakeem and stuff like that. There are guys on our roster that can do it, so I feel a lot better about that. We’re practicing that way, and we’re going in maybe two or three deep where in the past it wasn’t like that.”
(Obviously you might not know until it actually happens, but with K Jason Sanders being a rookie, how comfortable do you feel in a pressure situation, 48-yard field goal to win the game, that he’s ready for that moment?) – “The bottom line is until that situation happens, we’ll see what the result is. The bottom line is two things – one, I’m very confident in him. I’m very confident in the way he went through training camp. You saw what he did at the end of the Falcons game the other day. He kicked a long field goal with a lot of leg left on it. I’m very confident in his consistency and all of that. My confidence level in him, he wouldn’t be here if we weren’t confident in him. I can tell you that much. I’m not really talking out of school, everybody knows that. If we didn’t feel like he was the guy, we probably would have went with somebody else, a veteran or somebody else that we felt more comfortable with. The second thing is there’s going to be bumps in the road with rookie kickers, rookie specialists – snapper, punter, kicker, returner. We went through it with Jakeem (Grant) when he was a returner. Really, you can group those guys in the same pile. Are there going to be peaks and valleys with a rookie? Am I going to stand up here and say that he’s going to go perfect for the season? That would be a little bit unrealistic based on history. Do I think he’s going to be consistent enough for us to win on a consistent basis? I do, and so I am confident in him. I really like where he’s at from a mentality standpoint, too. It’s something I’ve talked about with him before. He’s never too high, never too low. He has a great temperament for a kicker, and there’s a lot to be said for that. That’s not a small thing that’s to be glanced by and overlooked. He has a really good mentality. If he misses one, makes one, he’s kind of got the same mentality. He’s kind of mature beyond his years and that part, I think, is going to help him here moving forward.”
(Any of the rookies, so you’re thinking S Minkah Fitzpatrick, LB Jerome Baker, TE Durham Smythe and CB Cornell Armstrong – have any of those guys jumped where you’re like ‘wow, they can really be a part of one of the four cover teams, can cover a kickoff, or made great progress since they arrived?) – “Maybe more than in the past, we brought in some rookies that had a little bit more special teams experience in college than maybe some groups in the past. A guy like Minkah played a lot at Alabama. He played a lot of special teams at Alabama. Baker played a lot of special teams at Ohio State. (Kalen) Ballage played a lot of special teams at Arizona State. That’s usually not the case, especially with the higher draft picks. So these guys had a little better foundation coming in than most. I know it makes them a little bit more advanced. They’ve all flashed at times in the preseason. Minkah didn’t play a ton of special teams in the preseason, but he had maybe the most experience of anybody and so I’m very comfortable in using him. Baker, obviously I know his linebacker coach and defensive coordinator at Ohio State – Greg Schiano. He’s a guy I worked for for six years, and so I certainly had some history there and kind of knew his makeup coming in. He hasn’t proved anybody wrong. He’s flashed and made some plays on both defense and coverage. Ballage is another guy, although he missed a couple of games. They’ve all flashed at times. Ballage played in this last preseason game and played a little bit of everything. We had him holding up punts; we had him playing gunner, kind of a jack-of-all-trades. We got him moving around and got him a lot of work. So, all of those guys … Cornell Armstrong probably made the biggest improvement of any player on the team in special teams area from day one until now. He’s made a really big jump and so I’m really happy with his progress. He really was a guy who was on the most-improved list, if you will, as we go through. So, all of those guys have flashed at some point. All of the rookies are going to play for us. Durham Smythe is a guy that came in right away and probably picked up things quicker than anybody in the rookie class, in terms of mentally. (He has) really good football IQ. We kind of knew that coming in. (He has) really good make up. He picked up things very quickly. Nothing was too big for him. All of those guys that I just mentioned have all, at one point or another, have proven that they can kind of hold their own so far.”
(With all of the changes on the special teams, how much more important does CB/S Walt Aikens become?) – “Well, Walt, I don’t know if he becomes any more important. He’s always important to me. I think you guys know how I feel about Walt. He’s been kind of a foundation guy for us, if you will. (He’s) a guy that we’re kind of building around here in the offseason. Obviously, he was a free agent and we decided to sign him back and we’re kind of building the core group around a guy like that. I think Walt has come a long way in terms of leadership and a leader by example and things like that. He’s really grown in that way, and so we’re looking for a lot more leadership out of him. When you start to lose guys, you can start naming the guys we’ve lost in free agency, injury, or whatever. You lose some leadership there. We were looking for some cohesiveness at least, and a guy like Walt brings that. He brings some energy, he brings leadership, he brings experience, and so you’re looking for guys to be looking to a guy when you’re on Sundays and things start flying around and he’s the guy kind of holding it together right now. So, I’ve been really happy with his progress, both as a player and a person and a leader. His maturity has really grown, his maturity has kind of taken off. I can’t really speak enough about him. He’s been great, and he’s been a guy that younger guys are going to lean on. I watched him go and mentor some guys in practice. I watched him grab guys in meetings, ‘Hey, sit here next to me.’ That’s great. That’s no small thing either. So, he’s been really good. He’s been a model for us and kind of a guy you’re looking for, a model of consistency this offseason. Hopefully that shows up on Sunday.”
Adam Gase – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What happened to TE MarQueis Gray?) – “Non-contact injury. We were doing one-on-ones, he took a step and the Achilles went out on him.”
(How does this affect your team?) – “We’ll move some things around as far as what we’re going to do offensively. We felt like we had some pretty good depth. We’re lucky we got a couple of guys out there that have been in the system more recently than not. We’ll come up with a plan and be ready to go on Sunday.”
(What did TE Gavin Escobar show you in the preseason?) – “Consistency. I thought he did a really good job. That was one of those ones where we had four guys and he was five. There was probably argument that it was more like 4a, 4b.”
(Was it yesterday with TE MarQueis Gray?) – “Yes.”
(Was it a full tear?) – “Whatever he…”
(He’s out for the year though?) – “Yes.”
(Do you expect TE Mike Gesicki to work into that starting role with TE MarQueis Gray out?) – “We’ll see what personnel grouping we’re in. It could be any of those guys, whoever we have up.”
(What does this mean for TE A.J. Derby now that he’s in the mix for that in-line job?) – “We kind of had … We were going to play all those guys. We really weren’t going into the season thinking we were going to have one guy playing 70 plays. Every guy is involved in special teams in some capacity, so we know … We knew ‘Q’ (MarQueis Gray) was going to play a lot of plays on special teams. We were really trying to figure out how are we going to balance this out and really it could change from game to game, because it depends how many special teams reps those guys are getting. We’re going to play off each other between (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi and myself as far as who’s in the game, how many plays and things like that.”
(How might this impact TE Durham Smythe’s role?) – “He’s obviously just got to be ready to go.”
(How comfortable are you with TE Durham Smythe’s blocking in particular?) – “I’m good with that. That’s one of the reasons why we drafted him. We thought he was a really good blocker. We felt like he brought a little but more to the pass game than what people realized, so we were excited that we got him and thought he got better as camp went on. He’s just got to be ready to go.”
(TE MarQueis Gray is a guy who is … It seems to be very beloved in your locker room. He seems to be one of your key people. How did that go over with your team?) – “There was a lot of us that went to see him when he got back, when we just made sure to confirm it. I think it was just tough to see him like that. It wasn’t a … It showed everybody how much he cared about being on this team and how much he wanted to be a part of it this season. It’s one of those things that he’s going to work hard to get back and it’ll be good when we do get him back.”
(What can you tell us today about WR DeVante Parker?) – “Same as yesterday. You can put ‘same as.’ (laughter)”
(How has DE William Hayes looked to you this week?) – “Good. He’s just ready to go. He’s not saying much right now. He was bugging me for the last month saying he’s ready. He’s just ready to get to the game.”
(Can RB Brandon Bolden sign – whenever he signed – and compete on the very following Sunday?) – “Mhm.”
(How much does DE William Hayes’ insertion into that defensive line sort of fortify you guys probably against the run?) – “He’s a difference maker. I don’t know if there’s many guys that set the edge as violent as he does. I think what makes him a little different than some of the guys that I’ve seen in the league over the last five years is he can transition to the pass game as well. Being able to move inside, outside, he just has a very large skillset for a defensive end. He has a different attitude.”
(Once you get to in-game preparation, how difficult is it to divvy what remaining snaps there are beyond QB Ryan Tannehill with three quarterbacks?) – “We have a certain way we do it. It’s nothing that’s keeping us up at night.”
(Is there one aspect of the game or one player that you’re looking most forward to seeing on Sunday, whether it’s QB Ryan Tannehill or no-huddle or covering tight ends or anything?) – “No. I’m just getting ready for the game and we’ll be ready to go.”
(How do you believe this defensive group is better equipped or prepared to cover opposing tight ends this season with some new guys? You’ve got S Minkah Fitzpatrick, LB Jerome Baker, LB Raekwon McMillan – three new players. How do you think that might help?) – “Our safeties are probably going to cover tight ends more than anybody. Half the time people thought the linebackers had it. They didn’t. We’ll be alright.”
(Do you feel like this unit is more equipped to … You guys led the league in tight end production last year. Do you feel like this unit is more equipped to do it better?) – “Yes. We’ve got enough safeties to handle it. We’ll be alright.”
(What do you think about S T.J. McDonald’s offseason?) – “(It went) really well. It’s good to go through a training camp and know that he’s going to be there for that first game. We lost him for eight weeks, which he was playing really well in training camp and preseason games. Then we lost him and he comes back and just tried to jump right back in there. We knew we were kind of in a spot where we lost a couple of games and he was trying to help flip it for us. That’s the kind of player he is. He’s unselfish and did everything he could to try to help us. I’m sure that wasn’t the easiest thing to do just coming from being at home. Him getting a full offseason, training camp and going into this first game, I think he feels like he’s in a good place.”
(There was always a lot of speculation on the outside about him, especially with you guys drafting S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Did you ever talk to T.J. and reassure him that he is part of your plans?) – “Yes. We signed him to a new contract last year. We like what he does for us, we like how he is in the locker room, meetings, practice field, games. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
(How do you feel in general about how Wednesday and Thursday practices went leading into the first game?) – “I thought it was good. Yesterday was one of those days where we had good weather. A little rain steamed it up. It’s a challenge. I thought guys did a good job, put their head down and worked hard. Today I thought was fast. Guys were ready to go. They did a good job of recovery yesterday and we had good meetings this morning. We came out and practiced hard.”
(How did WR Tanner McEvoy do today?) – “Good.”
(WR Tanner McEvoy, physically he was fine?) – “Yes.”
(Generally, I think I understand how it works with two quarterbacks in a practice in the regular season. How does it work with four?) – “You just rotate them in. We have plenty of plays. They do some work after practice as well. We do a lot of throwing with a lot of practice squad guys. (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) and (Quarterbacks Coach) Bo (Hardegree) do a good job of mixing it up and getting reps with guys, whether it be in practice or after. That’s really what we’re doing. There’s a lot of mental things that we do as far as it might be on air. It might be, one guy has this period and the other guy is working on the game plan. Those guys do a good job of making sure it’s organized and it’s nice and smooth. Those guys are engaged and they know what their plan is before they go out there.”
(How important was it to get WR Jakeem Grant cleared going into the season opener?) – “Once you get into the concussion protocol, the coaches are out of it. You just wait for somebody to tell you one way or the other. Once you do, you adjust accordingly. When they said that he’s out of the protocol, we can either continue on our plan or make adjustments to the game plan and move some things around. It’s not that difficult.”
(There are not a lot of real mobile quarterbacks in the NFL, but you’ve seen QB Tyrod Taylor twice a year for the first couple of years you were here. What did you learn from those experiences going against QB Colin Kaepernick and guys like that?) – “You have to do a good job of not creating running lanes and really hurting yourself; and you have to have a really good rush plan and make sure that you don’t accidentally open up a lane, to where they’re dropping back – especially on third down – they are dropping back to pass and something gets opened up because somebody is either undisciplined or you’re being a little bit too aggressive and they take that and not only does it become a first down, but it becomes an explosive play. QB Marcus (Mariota) can cover a lot of ground really fast. If you don’t do a good job of keeping him in that pocket, he’ll hurt you.”
(What are the challenges with two backs that are as different as the backs they have in RB Derrick Henry and RB Dion Lewis?) – “You need to be aware because those guys have certain things that they are really good at and you have to have an idea of who is in the game. It’s hard to simulate anything with really either one of those guys. We don’t have a guy as big as Derrick. Maybe we put a wide out back there on pass routes to try to make the linebackers and safeties realize what kind of speed they’re dealing with and what kind of shiftiness at the top of some of his routes that you’re dealing with. It makes it difficult because you have to make sure you understand who is in the game. You can’t get lost in the game and not pay attention to that.”
Kenny Stills – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
WR Kenny Stills
(With you, WR Jakeem Grant, and WR Albert Wilson, what challenges can your speed present to opposing defenses?) – “I’m not into predicting any type of damage that we can do. We’ll have to wait until Sunday, but we’re excited about the guys that we have. We know that we can go out there and make plays. We can’t wait to get out there on Sunday.”
(You had a pretty good season with QB Jay Cutler last year, how good could it be with a healthy QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “We’ve seen what we’re capable of doing when Ryan is back there at quarterback. Just like what I just said, we can’t wait to get out there on Sunday and play and have four quarters to have an opportunity to go out there and win a game.”
(Do you like the balance at running back with RB Kenyan Drake, RB Frank Gore and rookie RB Kalen Ballage?) – “Yes. I read something about Frank being close to being in the top three (all-time leading rushers), right?”
(Four, 75 yards.) – “It’s fun for us being the receiving corps and priding ourselves in our blocking, to get out there and be a part of that – to be a part of history. We know that whoever is in the game behind Ryan (Tannehill), he has an opportunity to make big plays and change the game for us. It will be a fun season for us.”
(You’ve been one of the individuals who’ve knelt since the whole QB Colin Kaepernick situation began in 2016. What does it mean to you to have a major corporation stand up and support him?) – “Yes. I’m like the last one standing from that group that started. It’s incredible to see what they are doing. I’m really taken back by that commercial and I’m excited to see … I heard that they’re going to be putting out some apparel. It means a bunch to see where all of this is and how it’s changed. I can remember the type of things people were saying to me and sending me initially when the protest started. Then you see this, Nike, a global corporation, a global organization, a global company putting this type of messaging out and really starting to understand what the protest was about. I don’t have any type of contract or anything with them. I don’t work with them, but growing up as a kid, I remember the ‘Just Do It’ slogan, campaign. A part of that made me a fan of Nike. This campaign coming back with what they are doing with Serena (Williams) and ‘Kap’ (Colin Kaepernick) has made me a fan of them again.”
(What do you think is the reason that most people who don’t support the protest, what is the misconception they have?) “A lot of … From my understanding, from what I’m reading and seeing, is now just personally attacking ‘Kap’ (Colin Kaepernick). Whether they didn’t like a shirt that he wore or socks that he wore or something about him as an individual, I think that’s a lot of what I’m seeing now. I think a lot of people are coming around and starting to understand the protest. If they don’t, there’s a ton of information out there to go out and read. I think these conversations are happening and people are a little bit more receptive to having these conversations, but it seems like now they’re looking to personally attack somebody and not understanding that people aren’t perfect. If you look into the mirror, you understand that you’ve made mistakes in some of the things you’ve done in your time in your life. Yes, I think they’re just kind of personally attacking Kaepernick now.”
(Do you understand why the issue has been so divisive in this country?) – “I understand how it can be divisive if you’re not willing to have a conversation and listen. A lot of times when you’re having a conversation, you’re listening to respond instead of to hear what they are saying, comprehend it and then have a response. To continue to say people are being disrespectful when we’re telling you that it’s a sign of respect, then what? At that point, it’s just an opinion and we’re just going back and forth. What you’re saying is it’s disrespectful and I’m saying I’m being respectful. At some point in time, we have to be able to come to a common ground and understand that at the end of the day, I feel like the protest is about making this country a better place, making the world a better place and you can either be for or against that.”
(Do you feel that Nike’s indorsement will help the player activism?) – “I don’t know. I don’t know. It seems the other side of celebrities, I guess – actors, actresses, musicians – they’ve all supported Colin (Kaepernick) and I’ve seen a lot more support from that side. I don’t really know how it will affect athletes and guys in the NFL. I’m really encouraged by it. It brought a smile to my face. It was probably just the fact that in the beginning when they even just put the first messaging out and then getting to the commercial, those are things that really brightens people day in a time when there aren’t many things to be happy about.”
(It seems like it’s been two years since this begin, since Colin Kaepernick began this. Where do you think we’ve come and where do you think we still have to go?) – “I think we’ve come a long ways; but I definitely feel like we have a way to go. I see this, like I’ve said before, about how I feel like the NFL could’ve done a better job of controlling the narrative from the beginning. You think if the NFL would have done something like Nike did – some type of campaign, explaining this whole situation, having his back, supporting us, supporting our first amendment right – then this thing would be going in a whole different direction. I think we’ve made progress but obviously we have a ways to go.”
(What would you like to see from the NFL now?) – “Did they release a statement recently? I haven’t read that. I haven’t kept up. What did the statement say?)
(It said these are issues that we care about and we’ll continue to make an effort to improve on it.) – “With work and getting prepared for the game, I haven’t really had an opportunity to really think about and process that. I can answer that for you another time.”
Jerome Baker – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
LB Jerome Baker
(You prepare yourself physically, but mentally do you prepare yourself also?) – “The game is mostly mental, so that’s how I prepare myself. The physical part is going to come. That’s natural, but the mental side of the game is what I’m really focusing on.”
(Has practice been different this week? I know in your third preseason game, you’re sort of preparing yourself for a game; but this week it’s for real. Is it different for you and what do you think is different out there?) – “Yes, in some ways it’s different. Right now, I’m just focusing on a routine and tuning up all of the things I have to read and my different checks. I’m pretty much just getting ready for the game. Now you know this is the real deal.”
(Do you seek advice from veterans who have been there and done this before?) – “Yes, every day. I sit next to Kiko (Alonso) in the room and every day I’m tapping him, ‘What does this mean? Why did you see this? Why did you do that?’ I try to learn from the vets more than anything.”
(How does LB Raekwon McMillan kind of help you out in that process?) – “He’s helped me on the field and off. From things I may not be seeing on the field, he’ll come in after practice and we’ll watch film. He’s not the only vet that’s helped me. Kiko (Alonso) is probably the main one because I sit next to him, so I’m always asking him questions. Overall, the vets definitely help me.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase was saying that he was thinking about putting a receiver to kind of replicate Titans RB Derrick Henry’s speed and size. How do you stop a guy like Derrick Henry, that’s so dynamic like that?) – “Those are special players. You can’t really stop guys like that. You can contain them, but you can’t really stop them. We just want to go out there and do our job and everything is going to work out. That’s all we have to do.”
(How much do you expect to play this weekend?) – “As much as I can. If it’s one rep or 10 reps, I’m going to give it all I’ve got. That’s all I can really control.”
(We mentioned LB Raekwon McMillan and you mentioned this during the preseason that having him out there at the same time with you, there was sort of a comfort level. Do you feel the same now going into a real game, because this is a guy who has known you since college?) – “Yes. It’s definitely comfortable, but there’s guys that I really lean on a lot. Kiko (Alonso) is one of them. It’s definitely very comfortable to know Raekwon is out there but I pretty much learn from all of the guys around me.”
(What’s been the number one thing you’ve learned from LB Kiko Alonso so far?) – “There’s so many things I’ve learned from Kiko, it’s crazy. We got to even … I started asking him to teach me Spanish a little bit. I stopped. (laughter)”
(Why, what happened?) – “He knows the slang of Spanish, not the proper way. (laughter) Kiko teaches me so many things, I can’t really pinpoint one thing. Every day I pretty much learn something new, so it’s a lot of credit to him.”
Kenyan Drake – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
RB Kenyan Drake
(I know we’ve talked and asked you about it but now here it is, the week of the game. How different does it feel for you going into this season?) – “It doesn’t really feel different at all. I’m ready to just go out there and play football. I’m not putting any added expectations on my shoulders. I’m just going out there and trying to help this team win games by running the ball, being efficient in the pass game and just being a playmaker.”
(How much momentum can you take from the way you finished personally last season, and going into this?) – “Just using it as a stepping stone. I don’t try to look back at it too much because it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ type of league. So when I go out there, I just want to make sure I improve upon things that I do well, learn from the lessons and the mistakes that I make and just try to be a good player.”
(In this offseason and in this training camp and preseason, what kind of questions do you think you answered about this offense?) – “I don’t feel like we’ve answered really anything yet because at the end of the day, the season hasn’t started yet. I feel like we have a big task ahead of us with a good Tennessee team coming down here. We’re just ready to go out there and play ball.”
(When was the last time you started out a year being ‘the guy’ at running back?) – “Probably my senior year of high school.”
(How good does that feel, just knowing that you’re No. 1 there on the depth chart?) – “I’d say at the end of the year when we have a lot more wins, because last year I finished the season as ‘the guy,’ but we finished 6-10. I wasn’t happy. This year I look forward to having a lot more wins and being in the same position, so I’ll let you know then.”
(How curious are you to see what this offense can do with the new players and everything now that the regular season is here and you aren’t holding anything back anymore?) – “I feel like this team has a lot of potential. I feel like that’s every team though. When you step onto the field for the first game of the season, all 32 teams have aspirations of making the Super Bowl. That would be an understatement to say that we don’t have those aspirations, obviously; but we’re taking it one game at a time. We know we have a lot of weapons. Having ‘17’ (Ryan Tannehill) back is definitely a pivotal thing for this team. We’re just ready to go out there and make plays.”
Danny Amendola – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
WR Danny Amendola
(What makes you think this can be a successful NFL offense? What specific things have you seen?) – “We’re going to have to put in the work and we’re going to have to make the plays on Sunday. We’ve been practicing hard; we’ve been working hard and we’re going to get out there and we have a lot to prove. We’ll get out there and try our best to prove it.”
(How’s your chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill so far?) – “We’re working hard. We’ll get out there on Sunday and let loose.”
(When you’re on a new team and you’re starting a new season, what is the anticipation like? How do you keep it just like a regular game?) – “It all comes down to just busting your tail out there in practice, mentally preparing in walkthroughs and throughout the week and then getting out there on Sunday and letting it go and seeing what happens. It’s a big game so we’re excited to get out there.”
(You’re lined up with a big tight end that can be sent outside. What kind of problems does a guy like TE Mike Gesicki provide when you line up next to a guy like that and you know there’s a 6-foor-6 guy next to you on the outside?) – “Certainly he can run, he can jump, he can catch and he’s a good football player. He has a lot to prove too. He’s a rookie. He’s never played in the league yet so he’s going to get out there and give it his best shot and go from there.”
(Have you added an intensity to the team, your personality?) – “I don’t know. You’d have to ask somebody else that, I guess. I’m just me. Whatever I can do to help this team win games is why I’m here.”
(You’ve obviously watched QB Ryan Tannehill some from a distance. Is there anything that you’ve learned about him about his skill set that is, I don’t want to say a pleasant surprise, but something good that you’ve learned working with him the last five months?) – “His communication skills are … that’s one thing that he’s really good at is communicating and getting guys lined up in the right spots, especially some new guys that are here this first year and trying to learn the offense. He’s got us right. His ability to communicate is huge.”
(When did you feel, whether it was in the offseason or camp or in preseason, that this offense would be pretty dynamic? When did you feel that?) – “We have a lot to prove. We don’t ever think that we’ve arrived or that this is easy because it’s never easy. Every game that we’re going to play is going to be a hard-fought, tough game. We’ve got to play well every game, every series and every snap. That’s my mentality.”
(This is the first time in a while that you’re entering a season as not the AFC frontrunner – on the team that’s considered that or certainly one of the top two – so is that a different feeling for you?) – “Good. Good. We’re going to come out fighting, for sure.”
Gavin Escobar – September 6, 2018
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Thursday, September 6, 2018
TE Gavin Escobar
(When did you get the call?) – “Noon, I guess, Pacific time. I hopped on a flight at 2 and got here around 3 a.m.”
(Did you pack anything?) – “You know what? My bag wasn’t even unpacked yet. It wasn’t even all the way unpacked from getting home. I kind of threw some stuff in there.”
(Were you in California?) – “Yes.”
(Obviously that’s a terrible way to come back to the team.) – “When they gave me the call, I had no idea what the situation was. It sucks to come back because of that; but obviously it’s the nature of the game. I tore my Achilles back in 2015 and it sucks. It’s a bad injury. But we know ‘Q’ (MarQueis Gray) will be back strong than ever.”
(What do you expect your role on this team being?) – “I’m just here to help the team. I haven’t been told anything specifically, so I’m just out here working like everyone else.”
(For you personally, do you think this is a great opportunity?) – “For sure, definitely. It’s great to go to a team that you spent the offseason with, too. I’ve been in situations where you go to a brand new team, you have to learn the offense in a week, so it’s nice … familiar faces, familiar offense. It’s good to be back.”
(Were you told before you left that if something happened, be on the look out?) – “Coach just told me, if something happens throughout the season, you’re one of the guys we’re going to call. I was definitely not expecting it so early. Football is a rough sport, so I got the call and here I am.”
(In what way do you feel you can help this team?) – “However they need me. I feel like I can catch the ball and I can block. I’ll just get the job done.”
(Did you have a hard time waking up this morning?) – “(laughter) I got about two hours of sleep. I’m running on fumes, but I’ll get some rest tonight.”
(Do you have an apartment or no?) – “(I’m) at the hotel.”
(They want to get the tight ends involved in this game plan; do you have a lot of catching up to do?) – “The good thing is, like I was saying earlier, I’ve been part of the whole offseason program. The plays aren’t necessarily new. There might be a couple new plays, but overall it’s not like I have to learn a whole new offense in a couple of days.”
