Adam Gase – August 4, 2018
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Saturday, August 4, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Your observations from the scrimmage, either good or bad?) – “Not sure if I can really get … The only thing I noticed was the pre-snap penalties. We’ve just got to get that cleaned up. The delay of game, I’ve got to figure out what really happened there. I don’t know if we were a little slow, either me calling it or relaying it in, or whatever happened there. We didn’t change personnel. That was odd. We’ve got to do a better job. I know it’s second group going against the ones and they’re trying to get a little bit of a jump. Sam (Young) going against Robert Quinn, that’s always a fun matchup for him. We’ve got to do a better job of not losing 5 yards on a no play.”
(When you have pre-snap penalties with the first team anyway, could that have anything to do that the Kilgore-Tannehill relationship is new?) – “No because it hasn’t been those two guys. It’s usually a lot of times we’re getting a little anxious on the edges. That’s really where we’ve had any kind of issues. The ones really haven’t been an issue for us, outside that delay of game we had.”
(What did you want to get out of today and what did you get out of today?) – “Really, for us it’s just getting ready for Thursday. Going through the pre-game warmup, getting into the stadium, just all those little things. You don’t want that to be the first time – the headsets, just everybody, the communication. It’s a little different because you’re not going back to the bench and then going back out for another series, so it’s kind of going a little quicker; but there’s a lot of things that we can carry over to Thursday.”
(Would you say the gassers approach is working? Not working?) – “Did it look like it was working?”
(What more can you do to get…?) – “I don’t know. We’re just going to have to fix it. We just have to focus and understand the cadence is for us on offense to help us, not to hurt us. We’ve just got to hang in there and we’ve just got to do a better job being consistent with it.”
(What did you notice about DE Charles Harris today?) – “He’s a tough matchup, especially on pass downs. The thing that he’s improved on, especially from last year to this year and then through training camp, is his transition to a pass rush when it’s first and second down. That’s really kind of where rookies across the league will struggle always. You’ll see that their pass disruption numbers aren’t as good on first and second down because they’re always thinking run and then they have to transition to the pass rush. I think he’s really improved in that area and then you can see he causes disruption, especially if he gets a matchup where it’s a tight end/tackle trying to work with him. It’s really tough if he wins off the ball.”
(How big could it be for DE Charles Harris’ confidence to get after the quarterback like he did today?) – “I don’t think he had any confidence issues to begin with. He’s doing the same thing he’s done since he’s been here.”
(Did you have any tackling-to-the-ground segments today?) – “Were you there? (laughter) I want to say something, but I won’t. (laughter) But we did, yes. We did with the twos and the threes in that last period, we did. We went to the ground.”
(Does DE Andre Branch look a little different to you now that he’s healthy this year? Has he regained maybe what he was missing with the issue last year?) – “For him, he tried all season to fight through that and he gave us everything he had. His numbers, he had one less sack. Really, where he struggled last year was … He made a lot of plays that were away from him down the field with extra effort. Last year it was hard for him to get that burst that he showed the year before. I think now that he’s healthy, we see it in practice every day. There’s eight guys rotating in there with that first group. When those guys are fresh, it doesn’t matter who’s out there, they’re tough to block.”
(We didn’t see a lot out of QB Ryan Tannehill obviously but a couple plays stood out and one was the bootleg. It seemed like he was pretty good moving there.) – “Yes. Ever since he’s come back from spring to now … He rehabbed extremely hard. He’s probably stronger than he’s ever been. When you spend that much time in the training room and the weight room, it’s going to happen. I know he’s excited to get going and get in a real game and just kind of get the season rolling.”
(I know it’s early and you haven’t looked at the film or anything but off the top of your head, are there any guys who might have been under the radar who you’re saying to yourself, “Maybe I should take another look at this guy next week?”) – “That’s hard for me to say. After we get done watching this, we’ll have a better idea. If we have to shuffle things around, whether it be on offense or defense, even special teams, ‘Rizz’ (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi) might see a couple of things that maybe gives a guy a boost and give him a little more playing time in that Tampa game.”
(What has Rob Ryan been doing with you guys?) – “He’s just really kind of taking in some ball. I know he’s working around probably a little bit of the country and dropping in some places where he knows people. That’s what coaches, when you’re not with a team, you try to go to a couple places. It’s learning. You’re just trying to keep the knowledge expanding and learning different things, so when the next one comes around, you’re ready to go and your mind is still on football.”
(Are you guys considering bringing Rob Ryan on staff?) – “I mean, he hasn’t asked me or I haven’t asked him. He’s just here visiting (Senior Director of Football and Player Development) Joe (Vitt) and a lot of us know him.”
(What is the most impressive thing you saw today in the scrimmage?) – “I think it was good to see in that second group, they made it tough on … The ends made it tough on the outside guys. I think they always do. We got them with the twos, but really they are ones. I think Brock (Osweiler), you can see he’s been around for a minute. He likes being in this offense. It didn’t seem real difficult for him to move the ball down the field. That was good. I think Brandon Radcliff did a good job as well. He had some good catches, had some good runs. We need kind of our ones and those guys that are really kind of locked in already, we need those guys to keep improving and that’s going to be the biggest thing for us.”
(What was the most horrible, vomit-inducing thing you saw?) – “Pick one of the pre-snap penalties. They all can go in the same area.”
Raekwon McMillan – August 4, 2018
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Saturday, August 4, 2018
LB Raekwon McMillan
(I bet it feels a whole lot different than the last time you were on this field.) – “Yes. Last time I was on this field, I could barely walk straight. I’m just glad to be out here. I’m glad to be out here with this team and glad to be out and finally contribute.”
(What did you guys see today from the scrimmage defensively?) – “We saw a lot of schemed up plays from the offense. They gave us a lot of draw plays on long-distance downs, so it was kind of hard in the run game. When we look at today, we had a lot of false starts that we have to clean up, a lot of little small things that we have to clean up before we get down to September.”
(What was the biggest takeaway for you personally coming out of the scrimmage?) – “I’m just glad to be back. A year ago from today, I was named the starter. I was doing all this, doing all that. I had a big head but then I was humbled a week later. I’m just fortunate enough to be back in the same position and have a role with this defense.”
(How did it feel when you got here this morning?) – “I felt good. I’ve still got camp legs. I’ve still got a lot going on. I’m still sore; but we felt good as a team. Like I said, we have a lot of things to clean up, but as a team I think we’re rolling in the right direction.”
(But were you thinking back to what happened a year ago when you arrived here?) – “No, not at all. I wasn’t thinking about what happened. I don’t usually think about the injury anymore. I just thank God for bringing me back to where I am today.”
Adam Gase – August 3, 2018
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Friday, August 3, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We’ve seen a lot of encouraging things with QB Ryan Tannehill and TE Mike Gesicki the last couple of days. How encouraged have you been?) – “I think once we hit the red-area period, I think it was that third or fourth day of camp, you could see Mike started really feeling comfortable. I think we’ve had more success on the field on third downs (and in the) red area with those two guys developing some chemistry. I think him taking so many reps over spring and the beginning of camp has been good for him. He’s playing fast. He’s not thinking. We have a good feel of some of the things that at least our starting point with him, what we want to keep working with him on and see if we can really accelerate him and his growth and give him more as time goes on. But right now, I like the way they’re working together. I like the way they’re making plays. Ryan has had some good throws and Mike has done a good job of if there’s any kind of error, he’s a big target that can go up and get the ball.”
(Tomorrow we have the scrimmage coming up. What’s it going to be like in terms of format? What should fans expect? Secondly, what are you going to be looking for out of that?) – “Really, it’s the dress rehearsal for our preseason games. We try to keep everything close to what we’re going to do in our preseason opener – how players come out of the locker room, how we do things pregame, our pregame meal at the stadium. It’s all of those little things to where if you’ve been here you’ve gone through it before, it’s not as big a deal. If you’re new, it’s like your dry run. Understanding how to get to the stadium, where do you go, where do you park and then locker room, what we’re doing, how you get stretched out before the game, the routine pregame with everybody on the field, who comes out when. And then when we hit the scrimmage, it’s the same format we did last year. We’ll get some individual, get some 7-on-7. We just keep it as close to the game as possible. We do the 7-on-7 a little longer and then when we hit those team periods, all three groups will roll through. It’s really just a move-the-ball period, really. It’s really like practice for us. We get the headsets on. We just can’t do the sideline adjustments. That’s really the only thing missing from the whole scrimmage experience.”
(Any live tackling?) – “I haven’t really gone through it with the guys yet. To be determined.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about the new changes to tackling. I’ve watched the video and it’s kind of vague except for you can’t hit with the crown of your helmet. Do you think some of those calls when you get into the course of the games will be subjective and how will that impact coaches?) – “I’m not sure. It’s a hard question for me to answer because I haven’t gone through a game this year yet. I will say this: having the officials here, we were keeping track of whether it be a thud period or live tackling in practice to where we were wondering, ‘Is this what we’re talking about?’ or, ‘Is this good?’ or, ‘Is this bad?’ We went through that yesterday. There weren’t a ton of them, but we got some really good feedback. I think the way our coaches are coaching right now, they’re doing the right things as far as we’re emphasizing wrapping up, which that’s what you want anyways. When we see some of these guys throwing a shoulder in there, that’s when you kind of get that head start to lower. When you wrap up, you’re going to see what you hit. And that’s really what our point of emphasis has been is see what you hit and just make sure we’re not dipping our head down there. We’re not trying to overemphasize it, but those are our coaching points. I think guys have done a really good job of trying to follow through with what we’re asking them to do. Really, the toughest thing is when you see some of the pulls, the bigger lineman and they try to get lower, that’s where you have to avoid dropping your head.”
(With DE William Hayes, he has obviously been around a while. So if he’s out for a minute, do you think he’ll be fine when the season starts rep-wise and all of that?) – “Yes. I’m never worried about him. We try to hold him out of practice every once in a while just because we know how hard he goes. We know how much he loves practicing. He likes every step of the way of football. We have to remind him of his age sometimes, that he’s not 22 anymore; but he doesn’t want to hear that. We try to protect him from himself sometimes, but he’s a warrior. He’s an old-school football player. He doesn’t like missing time. He doesn’t like getting special treatment. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with that. He knows what to do. We’re not worried about that. When Sundays come around, we know one guy for sure is going to set the edge.”
(After practice, your kids are out there, a lot of players are out there with their kids. What do you think that means to them? What does it mean to you? Is it beyond just take your kid to work type of situation?) – “I think it’s that you’re gone … You go such a long period of time … When you’re in camp, you’re not home at night. You’re staying at the hotel. It’s nice to go to work and you’re on the field and then afterwards, get your kids on the field and be able to run around and let them have fun. I know my kids love coming out here and they’re usually with the wideouts and hanging out with those guys. My son thinks he knows a lot right now, so that’s awesome. (laughter) I get a lot of good information from him. He crushes me more than anybody. (laughter)”
(How long do the kids usually stay up here?) – “You see most people’s kids probably 30 minutes. They’re here most of the time. I think towards the end of camp, a lot of people show up later so they can see, whether it be their kids or their wives or girlfriends, after practice. I think they did a good job of setting everything up to where it’s good with the tents and making sure nobody is sitting out in the sun.”
(Is your son supplying game-plan ideas?) – “No. Well, he thinks he does. He’s got like eight guys on the field. I’m like, ‘You’re missing a couple.’ (laughter)”
(We’ve seen TE Mike Gesicki time and time again make catches on contested passes in the end zone. Besides his height and his size, what special skill does he have allow him to do that?) – “I think it’s one of those … You guys have seen his basketball highlights. Guys that can go up and get a ball and put it in the hoop. (It’s the) same thing here. He just has unique timing. He knows how to box a guy out. He knows how to keep his position. If a guy is draped on him, it seems like … That was the first time we saw him not get one against Xavien (Howard) today. A couple of us were calling for a flag. It’s good though. It’s good competition. I think the corners and safeties, it’s good for them, because we have a guy in our division that’s very tough to cover and anytime we can get work against your own team that could carry over to Sundays, that’s a plus.”
(QB Brock Osweiler has been better this week. Do you think some of the tweaks you and Quarterbacks Coach Bo Hardegree have made have maybe started to be reflected more consistently in his mechanics?) – “I think so. With Brock sometimes it’s just kind of getting in a rhythm. With him, David (Fales) and Bryce (Petty), really we’re trying to give those guys all a fair shake at this thing. They get two and three and occasionally four, but it’s just that rhythm. That’s why I like some of these 2-minute periods, some of the stuff we were doing where David took six straight (snaps). Those are good for those guys because it starts to feel a little bit more like a game. I always love the looks when we’re doing call-it periods and Brock has three plays and I call two runs. That’s something that irritates those guys, because they’re like, ‘I only got three plays. Give me something to really do something in the passing game.’ I think it’s all about the rhythm. That’s why I think these preseason games are going to be critical for these three guys. It’s really going to be, ‘Alright hey, make the most of your drives.”
(I saw WR DeVante Parker jump up and catch one high over two defenders. What are some key points for him when it comes to contested balls and also improving as a red-zone threat?) – “I think it’s just the timing (and) fighting through the holds. That’s what happens is you can’t be held. Everything’s not going to be seen. When it gets to tight quarters and you get a bunch of bodies around him, you have to time it out right, you have to be strong going to attack the ball and use his length, use his vertical. He has all of those. On paper, you have all those traits. Just keep repping it and put him in positon as much as possible. I think we had one a couple days ago. It didn’t work out. This one, it was good to see him really have a tough catch because there were more defenders than there was the last time we had one of those. To see him go up and get it, that was good to see.”
(WR Rashawn Scott had a couple of nice catches in practice. How would you evaluate his progress?) – “He’s one of those guys. He keeps doing his job. He stays in his book. He’s really good in meetings. He’s going to give you everything he has on the field. He fights. The thing I love about him is he never looks at anybody else. He’s not worried about, ‘Alright, where am I on the depth chart? Where do I stand? How many reps?’ When he’s put in there, he does everything he can to make a play.”
(You obviously have a lot of numbers at wide receiver. What does WR Rashawn Scott need to do to sneak his way in there?) – “It’s going to be the preseason games. Make plays in preseason. I have to give these guys opportunities. We have to be good up front and be able to protect in these preseason games so we can throw the ball and mix that in with the run game. We’re doing some evaluating with the quarterbacks, so if we have to throw it a little more, then we’re going to throw it a little more.”
(With QB Ryan Tannehill, we obviously saw the picks yesterday. He had a really good bounce-back day today. Is he a guy that as soon as he comes off the field, it just washes away?) – “He’s doing a better job of that. He doesn’t hang on interceptions, at least from what I’ve seen. That’s what you have to do. The better ones in the league, if they make a mistake, they try not to ever repeat that mistake. I think a lot of these guys have just a long library. When you see the really good quarterbacks that have played for a long time, you’ll have to go back years and say ‘I screwed that one up 10 years ago.’ That’s what you’re hoping for. You keep banking, like ‘Alright, I’m aware of that. That’s not happening again.’ I think he’s done a good job of not letting things bother him. He knows when a guy made a really good play. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) made a really good play yesterday, and I think he just moved right on.”
(Kickoff and punt returner, is that a preseason determination or do you have a pretty good idea right now?) – “I think we have a pretty good idea, but at the same time, we’ll give a guy his opportunity. It’s just like when how (Kenyan) Drake got started. We felt like Jakeem (Grant) was going to be our main guy and we kind of went with him and Drake back there because Drake earned his spot and it paid off for us. It got him really going in his career.”
(With T Ja’wuan James, what kind of growth do you want to see from him this season?) – “At this stage of his career, I think he just needs to use his experience that he’s gained over this time and really start to maximize what he knows so now he can just use his athletic ability. He’s a very good athlete, he’s done a good job adjusting kind of to what he was taught the last two years to kind of what (Offensive Line Coach) Jeremiah (Washburn) is doing. There’s a little bit of a change. I think he looks really comfortable with what they’re doing right now, and it’s just him and Jesse (Davis) getting that chemistry going together. We’ve seen a lot of these – that’s where the league has gone with these pick games and them trying to get the guards and the tackles on different levels. We just have to keep working on that. I think they’ve done a good job. I don’t know if they’re quite where Laremy (Tunsil) and (Josh) Sitton are right now as far as that chemistry, but I think it’s coming along. We’re seeing steps throughout this camp of positive improvement. If we keep doing that, our line should be one of our strengths this year. I think the run game has kind of shown up for us to where these guys are really doing a good job getting on their blocks and sustaining their blocks.”
(With substitutions, obviously you want to see different guys with the ones for chemistry reasons, offensive line, defensive line. In the case of corner, when Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke and Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden run it by you eventually during the day and decide who will take first-team reps that next day, is it based for them and you primarily on who played best the previous day among the guys in the mix?) – “I tell the position coaches, ‘you make the decision of what you think is best for that group that day.’ When you get into situations, kind of like with the d-line sometimes, when you’ve got multiple guys that are battling it out for a spot, it might be who had the best day the day before and that’s the starter the next day. I guess I just don’t get hung up with the whole starter thing. To me right now it’s all about reps, experience, matchups, how you play him when the ball is thrown your way. We just want to keep mixing it up. We want to give guys the opportunity to compete for that spot. I think they’re doing a good job of rotating that around and doing that, and we’ll kind of see how it plays out.”
(So are we to assume that CB Torry McTyer – because he’s gotten four days with the starters – out of all of the guys, has been – when you watch the film – has been the top performer?) – “So far, that’s what it’s been. That’s what those guys do. They watch tape all day and if something changes from one day to the next, they’ll make an adjustment. He’s out there right now and unless somebody else has a better day, then he’ll just keep going out there.”
Mike Gesicki – August 3, 2018
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Thursday, August 3, 2018
TE Mike Gesicki
(It was fun to watch you the last couple of days. How encouraging have the last couple of practices been? Obviously you and QB Ryan Tannehill seem to be achieving a lot of chemistry.) – “I think it’s been going really well, not only for myself but for everybody. I think the offense is doing a great job moving the ball. The defense is doing a great job. Everybody is doing a good job. It’s been an exciting first, I think it’s been 10 days now. It’s been fun.”
(What’s clicked for you this week? It’d be natural for a rookie there would have to be steps taken. What’s clicked for you?) – “I think just the more reps you get, the more comfortable that you’re going to get out there. You’re going to see one thing, make a mistake, and then you’re going to make sure that the next time you don’t make the same mistake. I’m getting that opportunity to get out there and just go out and play fast and learn from mistakes.”
(As far as what would make you a good red zone threat, height obviously is a big asset for tight ends in that area. What else is needed to be able to consistently catch the ball in the end zone as a tight end?) – “Obviously awareness, being able to attack the football, chemistry with the quarterback, knowing your assignment and your role and then at the end of the day, it’s just not making it a 50-50 ball – making it a 100 (percent) ball. If it’s up there, it’s yours. That’s the mentality that you have to have and I’m very appreciative that I’m getting the opportunity to go make plays.”
(Blocking – how pleased are you with it to this point?) – “I think I can continue to get better each and every day. I think that right now, it’s something that obviously I need to continue to work on, but I think I’m having some good ones out there. I’m having some good blocks here and there and I’m still learning from the other ones. It wasn’t going to happen overnight and it’s still not going to happen overnight, so I have to continue to come out and get better each and every day.”
(How have T Laremy Tunsil and T Ja’wuan James helped you with that. I see at times Ja’wuan talks to you. How helpful have they been?) – “They’re awesome. They’ve been tremendous in terms of communication, talking about who we’re working to and helping on some pass pro(tection) and that kind of stuff. They’ve done a phenomenal job and that’s why they’re considered leaders on this football team.”
(You had two more really good catches on contested balls in the end zone. How much do you relish those opportunities to win those one-on-one battles?) – “I think that that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. If I’m going to be out on the field, I have to be able to make those plays. Having the opportunity to go out and make those plays, it’s awesome. I just continue to stay after practice and do my normal routines. This way when I get out there and have those opportunities to make plays in practice and in games, I’m ready for it.”
(Do you fall back on your basketball background and look as those like rebounds or jump balls?) – “It’s just kind of natural, honestly. Here, they’re giving me an opportunity to go up and high point the football and that’s something that I’ve been able to do in years past. Now, obviously this is a whole different level; but at the end of the day, it’s still just football. When the ball is in the air, you have to go get it.”
(Going into tomorrow, your first time playing at Hard Rock Stadium, what’s your mindset heading into the scrimmage tomorrow?) – “The same exact mindset heading into all of these practices. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be exciting to get out there on that field and kind of see that territory and all of that kind of stuff. At the end of the day, you just have to lock in and focus on your job, your assignment and go out and execute.”
(Is there any particular aspect of your game that you are looking to improve going into tomorrow’s scrimmage?) – “Yes. I’m looking to improve on my route running, I’m looking to improve on my blocking, I’m looking to improve on my pass pro, I’m looking to improve on my run blocking, I’m looking to improve on my conditioning, I’m looking to improve on everything. Each and every day, I’m trying to get better at everything.”
(Obviously you’re psyched to be out here and motivated, whatever team you’re on. But the fact that you’ve gotten a lot of first-team snaps this week, does that give you an extra oomph a little bit?) – “I don’t think that that’s the mindset that you should have going into it, whatever team you’re on. You have to know your role, know your assignment, know your job. Whoever is out there, whether you’re blocking the first-team d-end or whoever, you have to attack it 110 percent and that’s the mentality that you have to have.”
(I have a question about communication. A couple of times on drills, especially in the end zone, I’ve seen you and QB Ryan Tannehill talking. One time I saw Ryan hand-motioning and the next play he throws it to you. What goes on there, do you go to Ryan, does Ryan go to you? Is he telling you ‘hands up, this is where I’m going to throw it?’ What’s going on there?) – “I’m listening to everything and anything that he’s telling me to do. If he told me to go to his house and walk his damn dog, I’d be there. (laughter) So, whatever it is. If he’s coming up to me giving me any coaching points and tips and communicating with me on how he wants me to run a specific route, I’m going to do it. He’s done a phenomenal job being a mentor and kind of being patient with me and being somebody that I can lean on and talk to. You’ve probably seen it a bunch, just him coming over and talking to me, helping me out with some routes and that kind of stuff.”
(Is it usually QB Ryan Tannehill going to you or do you ever go to Ryan to say ‘this is usually how I run this route?’) – “Yes, I’ve gone to him a couple of times; but right now I’m kind of more learn and don’t speak as much. Right now I’m kind of listening, learning, and just letting everything else around me happen.”
(What is the best tip QB Ryan Tannehill has given you? In the red zone is he…?) – “He’s just very detail-oriented, so he’s telling me exactly how to place my foot and how to stack the defender and go and get the ball and all of that kind of stuff. He’s done a great job.”
(Has QB Ryan Tannehill ever had a thought late at night that he’s texted you or shared with you a thought at an unusual hour?) – “Nothing too crazy. He texted me one time at 5:15 in the morning, but I’m sure he’s up at that hour anyways and in the building. It was just on a specific release during OTAs way back. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s an unbelievable leader and I’m really happy to be able to play with him.”
(Is there an NFL tight end or two who’s red zone work you’ve studied or enjoy studying?) – “Honestly, I haven’t. Coming out of the draft, that’s kind of the question everybody asks and all that kind of stuff. I was kind of focused on my game and how I needed to improve. Obviously, there’s phenomenal tight ends in this league that make a living off of scoring touchdowns in the red zone, so it wouldn’t hurt to go check them out.”
Ja’Wuan James – August 3, 2018
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Friday, August 3, 2018
T Ja’Wuan James
(How good do you feel about this first group? You all are obviously getting a lot of work together unlike past years. You have one set group. How helpful has that been for all of you being together?) – “I feel like it’s been great. We had our struggles but that’s every camp. Just coming back in, I feel like we’re getting better everyday. That’s all we can ask for, just getting better at one thing a day.”
(When you look back at your season last year, anything you’ve identified or even coaches as big point to improve on?) – “No. They told us we’re not even talking about last year. We’re focusing on this year because that’s all we have in front of us. I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do now.”
(What has been your priorities as far as areas of growth for you? Anything specific?) – “Just always technique because you can never get too good at it. You always have to keep working at it. That’s pretty much the biggest thing is just honing in on your technique.”
(What’s the biggest thing the offensive line can get out of something like tomorrow’s scrimmage?) – “Being out there in a live setting almost … The coaches are all gone (off the field). Just getting in the rhythm of a drive. We’re going to be in the stadium, so we’ll have that feel to it. Like I said, everybody is going to be off the field and it’s going to just be plays called in the helmet. Just a good opening drive really.”
(How much has the technique changed as far as what’s being coached now that Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn is back?) – “Honestly, not too much. Him and our last coach were similar. That’s going to help us a lot; but how he coaches it is different. That’s the biggest thing, just communication and we changed names of some things; but it’s pretty much close to the same.”
(What have you learned about the new linemen – C Daniel Kilgore and G Josh Sitton – as far as their personalities?) – “Man, great dudes; especially Sitton too. (He’s a) great leader. You can tell he’s been around the game a long time. He’s been around some elite players and his knowledge of the game is crazy. He’s come and helped me and ‘L.T.’ (Laremy Tunsil) a lot with a bunch of little things. ‘D.K.’ (Daniel Kilgore) as well. He’s another guy that’s been around a while and he knows what he’s talking about too. They bring another level of knowledge and leadership in that way to the offensive line.”
(I know one of the challenges you’ve talked about is having a lot of different offensive line coaches. You’ve had to learn new technique. How much of a relief was it to you when you learn that what Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn is doing is similar to what former Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster and the coaches last year did?) – “That was huge for us this offseason, getting Coach Wash. That was a big part of everything going into this year. Like I said, he got to be here in 2016 when we were on a roll, so we’re trying to get back to that and focus on this year. With him I feel like we can do a lot.”
(We’ve seen a lot of tight ends packages and a lot of the new guys lined up next to you. I’ve seen you talking to TE Mike Gesicki. What’s it like working with so many new faces at tight end?) – ‘It’s great. I love the tight ends. They’re partly us and partly receivers. That guy Mike, he is doing a heck of a job. He’s coming in, he embraced his role, he’s ready to block. Not too many guys come in this early and want to block. He’s shown that and he’s making big plays in the red zone. I’m looking forward to seeing him out there on the field. The other tight ends too. We’ve got a lot of guys working in, like you said. I feel like the communication has been great and I feel like they’re on a roll.”
(TE Mike Gesicki has a lot of information coming at him. How’s he taking it from you? I’ve seen you talk with him and work up close with him?) – “He listens. Most of the time people ask questions, but when we’re up there on the line, we’ve got to go. He listens well and he goes out there and does his job.”
(How are you guys going to stop the pre-snap penalties? What’s the focus?) – “Repetition. That’s what we’re doing out here at the end of practice. We’re running gassers now for it. We’re doing these extra plays. Over time it’s going to come. It’s unacceptable but this year, we’ve got a clean slate until the season starts. Hopefully we cut those down.”
(What, if any, difference have you noticed in Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn now that he’s back? He was the assistant o-line coach in 2016 and now he’s the o-line coach.) – “He’s more vocal. This is his group. Before it was a different o-line coach. He was an assistant so he was in the back. He would help us here and there; but you can tell that he’s very vocal and he’s very passionate about the group. He’s got our back and that’s all we can ask for.”
(I think it was yesterday, was it yesterday you missed some time? Was it back soreness or something?) – “(Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, you’ve got to refer to Coach Gase. You’ve got to ask Coach Gase. He just gave me some time.”
(You’re not overly concerned?) – “No. I’m good.”
Stephone Anthony – August 3, 2018
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Thursday, August 3, 2018
LB Stephone Anthony
(You’ve been taking a lot of snaps with the first team defense. How do you feel things are going so far for you?) – “For me personally, I think my job is to come in and get better every day. As far as rotation-wise or anything, it’s camp. We move guys around just from day to day and you try to put your best foot forward. That’s all you can do.”
(Did it come as a surprise at all that you would line up with the first-team defense? Is that something that you were really hoping for?) – “I’m happy to be out there. Honestly, I’m happy just to be out there flying around, trying to make some plays, to be with the guys that are on the field.”
(Is there anything physically that feels better for you? Have you noticed yourself a little faster or anything like that?) – “I’m just trying to be consistent. I’m trying to work at it every day, get better, take my coaching and go from there.”
(I mean compared to the end of last season – how have you gotten better physically?) – “Just working hard in the offseason – believing in offseason training, getting myself to this point, and trusting in the guys here as well. The strength and conditioning staff here does a great job and we have to lean on them whenever we get a chance.”
(What’s the result – strength, speed, anything different for you?) – “I don’t think I can pinpoint one attribute as far as what I’ve gotten better at. I just try to overall get better.”
(Did it make a big difference, obviously the fact that you were here from the start of OTA’s where as last year you came in late September?) – “Of course. You get a chance to get the cement laid down, get a chance to flatten it out yourself, smooth it over and go from there.”
(Has it been a good camp for you? Have you played well?) – “I think so. Like I said, my job is to get better every day and keep putting my best foot forward.”
(How has it been with LB Raekwon McMillan in the middle, a guy you haven’t been around to play with last year? How has it been so far?) – “Raekwon is outstanding. He is what you see. He’s going to be the leader. He’s got all of the intangibles to do it and he’s a good kid, a young kid and he’s got some talent.”
(You had really good coverage on TE Mike Gisecki before Gisecki caught a touchdown. What does that say about his ability to make those catches?) – “The kid has got some special abilities, no doubt about it. He can jump and his ball skills are off the charts. That’s what makes him special. I have to fight through the pocket on that one, but that’s football. There’s good players, too. He’s a good player. ”
(What’s your mindset heading into the scrimmage tomorrow?) – “One play at a time, do my best and try to get the job done. That’s it.”
(Is there any particular area you’re focusing on improving on heading into the scrimmage?) – “All of them. As a defense, I think we need to come out and it needs to be a good day for us overall.”
(In your matchups with TE Mike Gesicki, have you noticed him getting better? Is he getting a little tougher every day? Is he starting to catch on?) – “The kid is a sponge, and everybody knows it. Once he catches on and he really gets it, he’s going to flourish. That’s easy to see.”
Vincent Taylor – August 3, 2018
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Friday, August 3, 2018
DT Vincent Taylor
(How happy are you with your start of camp so far?) – “It’s going pretty good. We are out here working. The offense is doing their thing; we’re doing our thing. We’re just out here trying to compete.”
(For you personally, what have you noticed is the big difference from last year?) – “I’m not thinking as much. Last year I was afraid to make a mistake. Now, when I make a mistake, I just forget about it. I’m not thinking as much as I did last year. Last year I was trying to work on my footwork. This year I think it’s where it needs to be but it can always get better. I think this year I’m not thinking as much as I was last year.”
(Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek was talking about your upper-body strength yesterday and how you’re able to control guys and shed them. Tell me how you use that. How does that turn itself into a tackle for a loss?) – “It helps me out a lot. I’m a d-tackle but I don’t have a bigger lower body like most d-tackles. So, I use my power in my upper body to my advantage and it helps me out a lot.”
(What does that entail? Do you have to get your hands on the offensive lineman first? Can you take me through some technical stuff?) – “I think Coach Kris (Kocurek), before each practice we work with the snatching drill and I think once we get in 11 vs. 11, you can see how it helps us out what we do in individual. I just take what I learn in individual to 11-on-11.”
(What does it take to shed a block? Is that strong hands, is that some knowledge of the play, is that all upper-body strength?) – “No, it’s technique. Like I said, we do it in individual and I just take it from individual to 11-on-11. Most of the older guys have been telling me, ‘football you’ve been playing it your whole life, go out there and make plays.’ Really, it’s 11 vs. 11, man on man.”
(What does DT Akeem Spence bring to the d-tackle room?) – “Spence, he’s an older guy so he’s been there. He knows what it takes to make plays. He knows how to lead and he was with Coach Kris (Kocurek) in Detroit. Everything he’s learned in Detroit he’s telling us young guys (what) Coach Kris expects.”
(When you watch yourself on tape, how much further along are you now this year compared to where you were last year?) – “I think this year I’m playing faster. Like I mentioned earlier, last year I was afraid to make mistakes; but now, if I make a mistake, I just keep going. I don’t worry about it anymore.”
(Is it because your focus is different on what you’re trying to improve on?) – “That’s one of them, but last year I was a rookie, so I was trying to do everything right to make sure the coaches don’t get on me. But now I understand it’s football and I’m going to make mistakes, so I just learn to get over it.”
(How much do you bring every day to practice because of Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek and the way he coaches you guys? It’s every rep.) – “It starts in individual, like I mentioned. Coach Kris (Kocurek), if we give him our all, he’s going to do the same with us. Playing for a guy like that, he just makes you want to come out here and get the job done.”
Matt Burke – August 2, 2018
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke
(What has been your impression so far of the defense the first couple days of camp so far?) – “Overall, I’m really just happy with the way they’re working. We’ve really stressed in terms of getting to the ball and everybody chasing and putting that high level of effort on tape. So, that’s really been the starting point for what we’re trying to do. That’s been good and we’ll go from there. We’ll clean up the mistakes as they keep coming, but I’ve been happy with the work ethic and the effort we’ve seen so far.”
(We saw the picks today from CB Xavien Howard.) – “You did?”
(Yes, we caught them. It seems like the entire week he has ‘got it.’) – “He’s got it?”
(Yes.) – “I don’t think anybody ‘has it’ quite yet. Obviously, he (Xavien Howard) has made some plays, which we’re happy for. Again, another sort of point of emphasis for us is taking the ball away. He has been getting his hands on balls. I think for us with ‘X,’ it’s continuing that high level of play and keeping the consistency. He can’t get lazy with his techniques or get bored, and he hasn’t been. We’ve really been pressing him to stay competitive play in and play out. A lot of times with ‘X,’ sometimes it’s when he’s on the backside of things and he’s not getting action and he kind of gets a little bored with what he’s doing. We’re trying to stress the consistency of play in and play out no matter whether the ball is coming to you or not, that you have to play your techniques right and he happens to. When the ball has been thrown his way, he has been in good position to make some plays, which will obviously be a good boost for our defense if that continues.”
(Is consistency the big thing you’ve seen CB Xavien Howard take a step forward with?) – “Yes, probably. Honestly, I would literally say probably his worst day of camp was the first day. He came to me actually and was like, ‘Man, that wasn’t good for me. I’ll be better.’ Since then he has tried to, like I said, come in day in, day out and keep that level of performance. That’s something with really everybody on defense. With everybody on defense, that’s something that we’re trying to stress is it’s not good enough to do it one play or one series or one game. It has got to be every day – day in and day out – that we’re performing at the level of expectation that we hold. The longer that he puts those type of days together, the better off we’ll be.”
(What are you looking for, for that cornerback opposite CB Xavien Howard?) – “The same. Honestly, I think all of that group of guys that are working on the other side across from ‘X’ have had their days and have had their not so good days. We’re rolling those groups and we’re trying to see what the best combination of guys are, too. Sometimes guys are working together and communicating together; but really it just hasn’t been … To me, there’s been a little bit of lack of consistency that one guy will make a good play one day and then doesn’t have a good day and then we put another guy in there and it’s sort of the same thing. Especially at that position, it’s hard to play with an up and down corner. You can’t count on what’s happening. We’re really, again, very similar to ‘X,’ stressing to whether it’s ‘Tank’ (Cordrea Tankersley) or Torry (McTyer) or ‘Lipp’ (Tony Lippett) or whoever, Bobby (McCain), all of those guys, that we have to get that level of consistency play in and play out because then, as a coaching staff, you can know what you’re working with. If you know what you’re getting every play then whatever our calls are going to be or techniques that we’re using, then we can work with. But if you’re not sure what you’re going to get every play, then it kind of puts us in a bind. If we get those guys, we want one of those guys to really step up and get to that level where it’s every play is the same thing we’re getting from them.”
(Do you play a different style with each of those corners – CB Cordrea Tankersley and CB Tony Lippett?) – “Again, I think it’s just that every player – not just at the corner position – they have their strengths and weaknesses. There may be a technique that’s better for ‘Tank’ than for ‘Lipp’. They’re different body types than Torry and those guys. I think there’s sometimes where we would play different techniques or teach a little something, a different way to get to the same spot with different guys. But within each of those sort of techniques, they’ve got to be consistent with what we’re asking them to do. Again, it’s at every positon; but obviously there we’re going to keep flipping groups until a guy really takes hold of that spot for us.”
(What has Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek brought to this project here?) – “You guys have seen him out there, right? (laughter)”
(We hear Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek, too.) – “You hear him? It’s hard not to. Kris is an energy bringer, an energy giver. I’ve worked with Kris for a long time. We worked together in Detroit and went through some tough seasons together. I know our little forged in the fire sort of thing – Kris and I were forged together. We had our offices right across the hall and there’s an innate level of trust for myself with him and what he brings. I think he’s a very demanding coach, but the players respond to it. They see that he cares. They see he’s passionate about what he does. He’s passionate about d-line play and about what his beliefs are and the level of play he expects from them. He’s demanding, but I think all the players respect the passion that he brings to the table. It’s been fun to have him out here. I have to watch where I stand on the field sometimes because I forget sometimes he’s right here and I get an earful. (laughter) But just the energy and the passion and the level of expectation.”
(Is that a particularly good match for the position?) – “Yes, I think so. People might get mad at me for saying this: I think the bigger you get, the more motivated you’ve got to get from somebody externally. Maybe that’s the best way to put it. I think he (Kris Kocurek) knows … And it’s hard on him. It’s hard for him to come in day in and day out and do that. And I always used to say with Kris, people would sometimes see him at Pro Days or at a local workout in the draft stuff and they think it’s an act; but it’s not. That’s how Kris is. That’s who he is as a person. That’s the way he is when he steps in the building at 6:30 every morning. I think it’s hard on a coach to be that way every day. But with that group, sometimes it takes a little bit of extra yelling and pushing and it’s a good group.”
(We’re patiently waiting to see the three safeties on the field together.) – “Are you patient?”
(I’m not really patient, but when do you have to practice that?) – “I don’t have to do anything. (laughter)”
(You don’t have to.) – “We’re mixing the groups. Really, what you’re probably not seeing is … We can … We’re repping guys at different spots, but maybe not all together, if that makes sense. There may be times where there’s only two safeties on the field, but one of them is playing a spot that they’d be playing when there are three safeties on the field if we’re going to do something like that, really. What we’re really trying to do right now – and it’s tough with splitting reps – we’re trying to cross-train really all three of those guys at multiple spots so when the time does come, they’ve gotten the work at whatever spot they’re going to end up. We’re just rolling groups. There have been a few snaps where we have them all out there together and there’s sometimes where we only have the two. But like I said, maybe Minkah (Fitzpatrick) is at playing a different spot than he would be in another situation. Again, this time for us is trying to find out how versatile all of those guys are and what the best alignment is for all three of them so when the time does come then we say, ‘Alright, let’s do this together.’ That they’ve gotten the rep at those techniques or those spots or whatever it is. I don’t feel pressure right now to (say) we have to get this package out of this group. We’re really trying to work it within the confines of our base defense. It’s only been one week, so we’re really trying to, within our defense, get those guys that work at those spots so when we start trying to get a little more exotic, a little but more tricked up, that they’ve actually gotten the reps at those skill sets that we’re going to ask them to do.”
(How have you seen in terms of the chemistry between S T.J. McDonald and S Reshad Jones?) – “It’s been great. I think T.J. has been probably one of the pleasant surprises. Reshad has been very good. Obviously, he has got his hands on a lot of balls, too. But I think T.J. has been a pleasant surprise at camp. He has shown some range in the back end. He has made some plays down the field. I think (Defensive Backs) Coach (Tony) Oden has done a really good job with the whole group in terms of communication. To me, if you start with the communication aspect, then the camaraderie builds and the rapport builds between those two guys, because now they’re always talking to each other. Whether it’s T.J. and Reshad or Minkah and T.J. or whoever – Walt (Aikens) has been back there – all of those guys, that you start with them having to communicate and forcing that communication, now It starts becoming second nature. I think there’s a level of respect from T.J. and Reshad in terms of what they’ve accomplished in this league so far. I think it has been a pretty natural rapport for those guys. So, it has been good. That whole group has been talking better and really fitting and gelling a little bit together.”
(Tackling technique, do players come in from college having that stone-cold down or is it something you’ve got to start over with?) – “No. We don’t have it stone-cold down. Everything we do is organic and it’s a work in progress. I think the good thing about where the country is going in terms of tackling, at every level, the emphasis is on in terms of keeping the head out of it and keeping the eyes up. They’re hearing similar things at every level of football nowadays. It’s not that we have to break them down and destroy bad habits or at least what they’re being coached to do. Again, it’s organic. It’s an ongoing process. Certainly every day that we have full pads on, we practice tackling and we talk about. I know there has been a lot of uproar about the new rules and stuff and we have the officials here this week for the next few days, so we haven’t had the presentation on that yet, but when we met with them in the spring, I really don’t think that it’s going to be a change in technique of what we’re telling our guys to do. We don’t want guys leading with their heads. We don’t want guys dropping their eyes down and leading that way. I think it’s going to be an extension of the technique we try to teach. I wouldn’t say that … I think college football is talking the same language we’re talking. Again, really probably like anything else in college football, those guys are limited in the hours they have with players and how much time they can spend and guys are coming out younger and younger, so there’s maybe less time on task with those sort of things that we have to keep working with. Again, with practice the way it is and how limited we are and what we can do in the time we have now a days, any time that we have plastic on, that we have shoulder pads on, we’re working that because we have to get those man hours in to get close to making sure we get what we want.”
(On going live tackling in practice.) – “When we have full pads on head coach Adam Gase will call some live periods. It will be period to period where he’ll say ‘this one is live’ or this one is thud, whatever it is. Every period he’ll dictate the tempo. Again, it’s a fine line for him. Obviously you want to protect your own team from injuries and those sort of things; but again, the issue of trying to tackle, live tackling without tackling is sort of that fine balance. Whenever we have full pads on, he’ll try to sneak in one or maybe two periods a day that are actually full go, and the rest are when we’re just thudding and trying to get a fit and let them run. You’re always walking that line, walking that balance, but in terms of the technique and what we’re trying to teach and keeping the head out of the game, I don’t think that’s going to change.”
(The preseason kicks off tonight. Will you watch?) – “Does it? No, I don’t even know which day it is.”
(It’s Thursday.) – “If I’m in my office doing something maybe I’ll put it on T.V., but I’ve got other things to worry about.”
