Ben Johnson – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
Wide Receivers Coach Ben Johnson
(How would you evaluate the work of the wide receivers in these early parts of training camp?) – “It’s been good. We’re only four days in, so we have a long ways to go; but we really picked up where we left off this springtime. We’re not making the same mistakes that we made back then. It’s encouraging. It’s encouraging. I like the direction this group is heading right now.”
(WR Isaiah Ford is a guy who has flashed to us watching practice. What have you seen from him?) – “There’s no question. He’s a guy that when he left college, he kind of faced some adversity. He got drafted later than he hoped for (and) got injured that first year. He’s done a nice job for us in terms of picking up this offense and now he’s being able to show us what he’s able to do. For him, we’ve just got to see him in games. He missed all of preseason last year, so the games will tell us the tale of how good Isaiah can be for us this year.”
(How has WR Danny Amendola stepped up as a leader so far?) – “It’s unbelievable because as long as he’s been in the league, he’s still the first one in the meeting rooms every time. He’s the first one in the bubble for walkthrough. I think it’s great for the rest of the group just to see his professionalism. And, believe me, he has not mastered this offense yet. He comes in (and) he’s scared. He’s scared that he’s going to mess up and he doesn’t want to do that. I think the rest of the guys understand, ‘Hey, if this guy, with as much success as he’s had, is this worried about not messing up, then I better be on my stuff as well.’ So it’s great to see what kind of leadership he’s got for the rest of the group.”
(How have you seen WR DeVante Parker’s development coming along so far?) – “He’s done a great job. Like I said in the springtime, we’re going one day at a time with him. We’re going to have some bad days in there, but we’re just looking to keep stacking as many good ones in a row as possible. He’s trending in the right direction right now. We’ve got to keep developing him and get him going; but we’re really, really excited about him as well.”
(Have any under-the-radar young guys caught your eye so far?) – “That whole back end, there’s a ton of competition. I could not tell you four practices in who’s going to separate themselves in terms of back end of the roster (and) practice squad spots. Everybody is in play. As you know, (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Darren Rizzi is going to have a huge say, special teams-wise, in who ends up staying on the roster this year. I’m really confident because none of those guys are rookies. We’re probably the only group in the NFL that doesn’t have any rookie receivers. We’re in front of probably the rest of the league in terms of knowing the playbook and being where we’re supposed to be for the quarterback. It’s encouraging.”
(What have you seen from WR Isaiah Ford? He’s a guy who seems that he’s flashed out here.) – “Like I said, he faced a lot of adversity coming out of college, and being injured last year was part of that. It’s funny because when he faces this, it’s not ‘woe is me’ or anything like that. He just puts his head and starts grinding harder than the rest. It’s almost like he’s a mute because he’s just focused on his job. It’s been fun to watch him work. He’s incredibly smart. I was in the quarterback room for a little bit early on in my career and he would be fine surviving in that room with everything a quarterback has to handle. He’s that intelligent. He knows every position. He’s extremely versatile, but we’ve just got to see him in games at this point. We’ve got to see him do it live. He’s got to also contribute on special teams, like I said earlier, but he’s headed the right direction.”
(One more on WR Isaiah Ford. With size at 6-foot-2 and he has some speed, we’ve seen some acrobatic catches. You said you obviously need to see him in games, but does the package and the talent suggest better than seventh-round talent?) – “Oh, yes. We liked him better than the seventh round. We were shocked that he was still there in the seventh round. We felt like we were getting a steal when we got him in the first place. His 40 time that he probably ran in college, it’s not indicative of how good of an athlete he is. He can jump out of the roof. I know (Assistant Head Coach/Offense) Shawn Jefferson and I joke all the time, he probably could play in the NBA. That’s the level of athleticism (that he has). When you get him on the basketball court with the rest of the receivers, he’s the best one, which you might not think of because that room is so talented. He’s an incredibly talented player and has a lot going for him, no doubt.”
(I’d like to ask you one thing about WR Isaiah Ford, tongue firmly in cheek: Isn’t it unfair to throw to a guy in a red jersey? How can they defend him?) – “(laughter) He’s been trying to take that jersey off in the middle of practice and it’s up to us to keep that thing on him right now. He hates it. He hates it. He doesn’t want it on there. He wants that thing off as quickly as we can get off of him.”
Jeremiah Washburn – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn
(What happened with your leg and how did it happen?) – “This is the first time I’ve told this story. (laughter) No, we were in Uganda for a couple of weeks. We got back and the next night I was just running an errand and you know that you can’t just run an errand across Federal (Highway) on a bike. I was on the sidewalk and going through a crosswalk and a truck was trying to get out on a red light and turned right. He accelerated into me and then ran over my left leg. It was an accident. The guy owned up and he was great. It should have been way worse. I was really … It was a blessing. God is good. It tore an MCL and PCL and I just got a couple of lacerations.”
(Were you taken by ambulance to the hospital?) – “I was, yes. Lighthouse Point first responders – they’re studs.”
(And how are you today?) – “Better. I’m better. Considering what happened, there’s a lot of gratitude that it wasn’t worse.”
(What’s the prognosis as far as rehab?) – “Well, we have the best training staff in the league; but they are savages. They are working to get range of motion right now. (Assistant Athletic Trainers) Nao (Inoue) and Troy (Maurer) are both very tough on me right now with that. The whole group has been awesome. Dr. (Gautam) Yagnik and (Dr. John) Uribe have been … It’s a blessing to work for the Dolphins. They have such first-class care.”
(Does it show your players how tough you are?) – “Heck, no. Those guys go through way more than I do. I didn’t make much of it with the guys. They were awesome. All of them reached out and have done a lot for me and have mocked me pretty well. They’ve been great.”
(I assume you’ll still be on crutches when preseason games start.) – “I threw my crutches out there today and tried to walk. (Josh) Sitton started picking on me. I don’t know. I’m going to try to walk. I think I can.”
(How hard has it been to do your job out here when you’re out here with these two hour practices?) – “There’s nothing to it. (Senior Director of Football and Player Development) Joe Vitt had to work with an Achilles. My dad (former NFL coach Jim Washburn) got leg-whipped like five years ago by a Pouncey and he had to work with a broken leg. We all have to deal with something so it’s not hard. We all have to do our jobs.”
(You’re a field guy anyway. You wouldn’t be in the booth, right?) – “I think. We haven’t talked about any of that, to be honest with you.”
(When did this happen? What was the date?) – “July 3rd. The night before (the Fourth of July).”
(We’ve been asking QB Ryan Tannehill about going with different braces and stuff like that. Did you have like a scooter or a different kind of crutches?) – “So they threw the scooter out at me. I just kept thinking of George Costanza, so (Head Coach Adam) Gase kept sending me YouTube clips of Costanza when he was working at Play Now Sports. So we’ve had a thing going with that. (laughter) So I said no way. Luckily they gave me a golf cart. They’ve been great. Adam has been unbelievable.”
(How much support have you gotten from Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “It just tells me the man. I mean I don’t want to patronize him but he stayed on the phone with my wife all the way until like 2 a.m. through my surgery. He’s amazing.”
(Was the incident itself to the level of where the trauma was almost like a life-threatening incident to you?) – “Yes. You do … (Director of Football and Player Development) Clyde Christensen called me a couple of days later and you know, he’s Clyde. So he gave me a verse. He said ‘Hey, Psalm 23:2: He layeth me down in greener pastures.’ And he said, ‘You just meant to lay down here for a couple of weeks,’ so that’s how I took it. I spent a lot of time with my family and watched a lot of football and felt prepared for training camp.”
(I think you mentioned there was a chance you could have lost a leg. Was that correct?) – “Well, it just looked bad. The adrenaline is flowing and when you stand up, you stand up and my leg is kind of at an angle and I thought, ‘My gosh, I just lost it.’ But then I was standing. You have those prescient moments where you think, ‘I think I just lost my leg,’ but then I didn’t so I was pretty grateful.”
(Has this always been your personality? You’re talking about something that most people would be … You’re kind of nonchalant about it right now. You take things in stride, I guess?) – “To be honest with you, you can roll your eyes but I’m a man of faith and I was raised by a man of faith that went through a lot: my dad. He always took everything in stride and when you witness those things growing up, that’s just how you’re conditioned to be. You don’t say ‘Why me?’ It’s ‘Why not me?’ I’m grateful for the things you get. And I had just come back from a third-world country. We’re fine. They deal with real stuff. I’m dealing with a leg and I’ve got the world’s greatest care. Those guys, where I had just come from in Uganda … You see a whole lot different there.”
(Are you pleased so far with what you’ve seen from the offensive line in the first four days of practice?) – “No; but yes, I guess? We’re not near where we need to be. I think Adam (Gase) probably said the same thing yesterday. But I do like our group. It’s a good group of guys and they’re working hard, but in terms of production, we’re not near where we need to be – protections, run game and screens. We’re going to have to continue to work at it. I know that sounds cliché but that is really it. We tell them the same thing every day and those guys should be saying those things to you, as well. We’re not near where we need to be. I know (Defensive Line Coach Kris) Kocurek just said that about his group and I thought, ‘Really? They look fantastic.’ (laughter)”
(Can you elaborate more on the work that you’ve done in Africa and how that started and what you guys have been doing over there?) – “Sure. Four years ago I had a couple of players in Detroit that supported this mission and this ministry is an orphanage. The quick of it is they wanted a sports camp for the kids that go to school there. There’s about 150 (of them). A couple of players set it up. (Defensive Coordinator) Matt Burke and I went, one of my players – Dylan Gandy – in Detroit, we all went over. It was an impactful experience more for us than for them. My gosh, they took to American Football really well. It was just a way for us to mission. My father-in-law is a doctor and he’s traveled overseas and I think, ‘My gosh. I’m so worthless.’ But then you go over there and you say, ‘There is a place for all of us.’ My gosh, journalism is such a big deal over there. Not being corrupt in terms of that, let’s go over there and help. So we all have a place and we’ve just found our place. We’ve gone for the last four years and it’s expanded and it’s been a blessing for us to be able to go.”
(With the chemistry that you’re trying to develop by keeping that unit together since OTAs, are you seeing progress?) – “Yes; but it’s not fast enough. You guys know that have been around, we just don’t get the time that we used to with groups. That’s not an excuse but every day is priceless for us. It’s so precious out here – a padded day – so we need to see progress. But I’ll say this, it is nice having some continuity. It really is. You guys know around here that it’s been a shuffle, even when I was here in 2016 and then in Chicago (last year) we had the same thing. It is nice having that same five start every day and hopefully we’ll see some benefits from it.”
(What do you lose when you’re not shuffling?) – “Well, something always happens. What is that, Murphy’s Law? It’s always going to happen so you do have to get guys in there. We do have to stay mindful of that of getting guys in non-traditional spots. In Chicago last year, I had two guards that had never played guard before – Tom Compton and Bradley Sowell. And you’ve had it here too where you had (Anthony) Steen, (Kraig) Urbik. You had Sam (Young) playing. You had all of these guys playing different spots, so they need to get valuable reps in that, as well. You do lose that but we have to stay mindful with that with the rotation, which Adam (Gase) does a good job with that.”
(What do you want to see from G/T Jesse Davis to make sure he takes that next step?) – “I can’t answer this without being incredibly cliché but just consistent day-to-day play. I mean that’s the life of an offensive lineman. We’ve got to be boring. We don’t want you to talk about us. It’s just embracing the monotony of offensive line and being consistent with that technique day to day. He’s getting there. He’s working at it.”
(Talking to the guys, you use the word “Forged” a lot when you talk to them. What does that word mean to you and what message do you want that to send to your guys?) – “Oh, the ‘forged.’ You’d have to ask more of Coach Gase. That’s been a really cool message. I’ve enjoyed that. I haven’t worn the t-shirt yet but I think it’s just building relationships and connection through work. I think a lot of that is authenticity, which is hard to find in the NFL. That’s what I really enjoy about our team is there are a lot of genuine, authentic guys that speak their mind – sometimes to their detriment. (laughter) I think those things are going to forge a real team, not just some of this fake stuff that you see in the NFL. I think you can be real and authentic, so I think that’s the message.”
(With T Laremy Tunsil, is there anything you guys are trying to do to rebuild his confidence and get him out there playing with some swagger and kind of a nasty demeanor?) – “He’s done it himself. He came with that eye. He had that eye as soon as he came back in the spring. It was something that he found within. Look, I’m his biggest fan. I was here Day 1 with him. He’s come back with that. It really hasn’t been … I don’t have to motivate Laremy Tunsil. He’s a motivated young man and he knew after last season. He’s very prideful. You guys know that talking to him. He’s wired that way. He just has to keep that up.”
Mike Gesicki – July 28, 2018
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Saturday, June 28, 2018
TE Mike Gesicki
(On the start of training camp) – “Good stuff, bad stuff, all kinds of stuff. Everything you would expect from a rookie tight end, that’s kind of what it’s been. (Tight Ends) Coach (Shane) Day has done a great job and our group has done a phenomenal job helping each other out. Honestly, it’s not as much the mental stuff anymore as it was when I first got here. I wasn’t able to play fast and all of that kind of stuff. Now, it’s just adjusting to this weather. It doesn’t feel like this over at Penn State. (laughter) I’m definitely getting used to that and adjusting to that. Once you get used to the weather, once you get used to the heat, you can play fast and do what you do.”
(Do you feel antsy at all to put yourself in position to get more first-team reps? Because they’ve stuck with the veterans primarily as starters at this point?) – “No, absolutely not. It’s Day 3. I just need to come out here and do my job.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase mentioned that you had trouble with the heat the other day. How bad was it for you? How did you snap back into it?) – “I mean it takes a toll on your body; but I think that today, yesterday, it’s getting better. And then it’s just going to continue to get stronger, get faster, all of that kind of stuff, while taking its toll on your body. These guys do it every single year. There’s no secret potion or anything like that to get through it, but you will.”
(I remember when you got here you said, “Oh, I’ve been through some hot days in New Jersey.” Did you underestimate this a little bit?) – “No, I didn’t underestimate this. I knew it wasn’t going to be like New Jersey; but I have had hot days before.”
(Did you have to take an IV at any point?) – “No.”
(Did you end up buying a white board back in New Jersey when you had to leave this spring?) – “Yes, absolutely. I had the white board and everything. (I was) studying and all of that kind of stuff, so I came back here mentally ready.”
(Who quizzed you without TE Durham Smythe around?) – “Whether it was one of my friends, whether it was my family, anybody that could just read off a play.”
(Does this seem slower to you now?) – “Yes.”
(When you hear a play called, you know it instantly?) – “Yes. Everything mentally is there. Then when I can run as fast as I want and do what I want physically, everything is coming along.”
(How much does this change right now with pads on?) – “I don’t really think it changed much, honestly. Even when we’ve just got shells on or jerseys, you still see us out there getting hands inside, punching and all of that kind of stuff. Definitely, you add a little bit, but nothing too crazy.”
(Do you feel you’re a better blocker being around an NFL coaching staff? Have you picked up things, or won’t you know until you’re in full pads over the next couple of weeks?) – “I think blocking in uppers or blocking in full pads is the same thing. Today, I was able to get out there. I had a few good ones. Then I had a few ones to learn from. I think that’s just football and I’m going to continue to get better every single day.”
(How much confidence does it give you to make the kind of catch you made against S Minkah Fitzpatrick?) – “Obviously Minkah is a great player, but that’s my job is to go make a play. It was just a one-on-one rep. Once you start implementing that into team periods and seven-on-sevens and then when you get into preseason games … Right now, it’s good to make those plays, but that’s my job.”
(When you’re not working with QB Ryan Tannehill in team drills as much, do you try to spend time with him after practice, before, just to work on chemistry with the two of you?) – “Yes, I mean, whether you’re sitting there at lunch; yesterday was his birthday, make sure you tell him happy birthday, all of that kind of stuff. (laughter)”
(A gift?) – “Right? No, I should have run out to the store. (laughter) He’s a very personable guy. He’s trying to help everybody. He’s trying to help this team win a lot of football games. It’s very easy to build chemistry with him.”
(After three days, and you look at yourself on tape, what is your self-assessment of what you’ve put on tape?) – “I think I’m doing well, being able to … there’s no more mental errors. There’s not going to the left when you’re supposed to go right or doing this when you’re supposed to be doing that. That’s a huge progression. And then just continuing to battle this heat and get acclimated with that because … When you’re out here for OTAs and you thought, ‘All right, it’s hot.’ Then you get out there in late July and the beginning of August and now it’s really hot.”
(So what’s the trick? Do you dump water on your head? Do you keep a towel with you? Are there any tips?) – “At the beginning of practice, I try not to drink a lot of water just because then you’re full and you feel like you’re going to throw up the whole time. So just hydrate when you need to and then maybe put a towel on your head to block yourself from the sun.”
Bobby McCain – July 28, 2018
Saturday, June 28, 2018
CB Bobby McCain
(Obviously, you’re going to play a lot regardless, but do you want to be in competition when you open with two corners to be that other guy?) – “Definitely. I’m just coming out and working every day. There’s competition everywhere – corner, inside, outside, safety. You have to come out and give your best game every day, and when your number is called, you have to be ready, because your number will be called to go inside, outside, wherever they want to put you – safety – and you have to be ready.”
(How many positions do you want to play this year?) – “As many as I can. I like to know the defense. I like to study the defense. I love football. I like to know where everybody is lining up, what’s my weakness, where’s my help, where isn’t it. Knowing nickel, corner, safety, knowing it all, it helps you.”
(Who has been the most impressive member of the defensive backfield?) – “So far, Torry McTyer has been really strong. He has come out really strong and had a few really good days. He showed his offseason workouts have really paid off for him.”
(It seems like you have a good mixture of youth and veterans in the secondary. What’s that like in the meeting room?) – “It’s good. It’s good because we know how to talk to each other. We’ve got a little chemistry. We’ve been with each other for two or three years. It’s not like if I’m saying something to them, it’s like I’m yelling at them. I’m telling them as a brother – as a family member – ‘Let’s pick our stuff up. Let’s do what we have to do. Let’s tighten up,’ and everybody listens and vice versa. They’ll tell me, ‘Let’s get it together and let’s get it done.’”
(I noticed you explaining to some of the other guys in the secondary, especially at your positon, about the little things, about alignment, about leverage. Can you talk a little bit about that in your mind, because you have the experience?) – “It’s (their) first camp. We’ve got like three or four rookies and it’s their first camp. It’s just knowing the ins and outs. It starts off with alignment, assignment and technique. (I’m just) coming out there and getting aligned right and just being that veteran guy that can help because like I said, when I came in, guys helped me. So I’m doing anything I can to help the young guys make the team.”
(And explaining where they can and can’t go from that alignment?) – “Yes, exactly. Exactly. Explaining your weaknesses, your strengths, knowing where you want to go, where you don’t want to go, what can help you, what can’t. It’s all big. For you to come in as a rookie, you may not know. Now you know (and) you can put it in your back pocket.”
(Any tips for them to beat the heat out here?) – “It’s going to be there. That sun, he’s undefeated. (laughter) Hopefully we get a little cloud coverage the next couple days. Maybe not. At the end of the day, you’ve got to come out and work, because when another team comes in here on Sunday at 1 o’clock, it’s going to be tough on them.”
(What’s the biggest difference going against WR Danny Amendola compared to WR Albert Wilson in terms of same kind of body type, but are they different?) – “Yes. Albert, he played inside at Kansas City, so he can do both and so can Danny. Danny can do them both. Danny is a proven vet and Albert is proven. At the end of the day, Albert is a little faster than Danny, but Danny has got that quick-twitch movement. He’s that possession receiver that you know third-and-4, third-and-5, he’s going to make a play. And Albert, he can take the top off. He can be a possession guy. He has had a really good spring and a good camp so far. They’re both going to be really, really good for us.”
(When it comes to beating the heat, is pouring the water on the head help or wearing the towel for a little when you take the helmet off?) – “For me, it’s the towel. You wipe the sweat off. Wipe the sweat off your face, wipe the sweat off your arms. Hopefully that’ll last you for about 30 seconds and then it’s back on you.”
(I know it’s only been three days, but watching yourself on tape, what have you learned about yourself the last couple days?) – “I’m just trying to stay consistent, trying to play my technique and trying to get into that game mode, because you know it’s coming around the corner. It’s not more or less mental, now it’s more physical and mental. Mentally you have to be prepared, because you never know what they’re going to throw at you. That’s why I love practice, because (with Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, you never know what play is coming. It’s nothing you can just put a beat on. At the end of the day, it’s competition.”
(With the preseason games so close, it comes fast. It’s crazy there’s a scrimmage one week from today. Have you been told which positions to be prepared to be expected to play when a game comes?) – “Yes, be ready to do it all. I have to be ready to do it all at the end of the day. That’s what we’re preparing for now here in camp – getting the outside reps, getting inside reps. Regardless of where they put me, I’m going to get the job done.”
T.J. McDonald – July 28, 2018
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Saturday, July 28, 2018
S T.J. McDonald
(What, if anything, changes when you guys put on the shoulder pads for the first time?) – “It’s just the feeling that you have. Just the feeling that you get just being out here with the pads on. The excitement of just putting the pads on. Just hearing the sounds. Just hearing them all sound off and the physical part of the game shows up, so it’s real fun.”
(Is this real football?) – “Yes, this is real football right here. It’s real football. We’ll keep moving from here forward.”
(How do you feel about the secondary right now as far as the depth you guys have? How good can that group be?) – “I feel we can be really good. I feel good about the depth that we’ve got. We’ve got guys that are improving. When one guy comes out, the next guy comes up and there’s no drop off. We definitely need to continue to get better as a group, try not to make the same mistakes twice, be able to mesh as a group and be able to trust each other. That’s what we’re doing right now.”
(Is there an abundance there? Do you feel like you have more starters than spots? More starting-caliber guys?) – “I think that’s a good problem to have. I don’t … I think that any time you’re on the field, you’re a starter. That’s just the mentality that you’ve got to have in this league.”
(You, S Reshad Jones and S Minkah Fitzpatrick, you obviously have three stating-caliber safeties. How do you get you guys onto the field? Is it a rotation thing? What’s your best sense right now?) – “I think that’s a good question for the coaches. Like I said before, that’s a good problem to have. I think that the best players are going to be on the field at whatever spot that might be. I trust the coaches to put a plan in place to be able to get us all on the field and be able to figure it all out.”
(How would you describe the vibe among the players?) – “The vibe is great. The team chemistry is great. We all want the same thing and all have the same goal in mind. We’ve got to keep stacking these days. I know it’s hot out here. We’ve got to keep stacking these dog days and it’s going to pay off in the end.”
(What are the veteran tips of beating the heat when you’re out there during practice? Is it pouring water on your head or doing what?) – “You’ve got to hydrate the day before. If you get thirsty, it’s too late. You’ve got to hydrate the day before and be able to try to withstand it. It’s mind over matter at this point. You can’t hide from this. There isn’t any shade out here. You can’t hide. You’ve got to be able to come out here and let the dog show.”
Torry McTyer – July 28, 2018
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Saturday, July 28, 2018
CB Torry McTyer
(How was your offseason? What did you do to kind of get yourself ready for a big opportunity this year?) – “I went back home for a little bit, just working out and just doing everything I can do to help the team.”
(You got a taste of it last year. How much experience did you gain, or how much more comfortable were you coming into this year?) – “I was a lot more comfortable than I was last year. Just being one year in the scheme and just working out with some of the guys like Bobby McCain and all of the other guys, just feeding off them.”
(When they told you that you were going to open with the first group today. What was your reaction?) – “No certain reaction. I just come out here and just compete every day.”
(Do you feel like you’ve injected yourself into that mix where you hope they’re looking at you as someone in competition for that starting job?) – “I’m not really paying attention to that. I just want to come out here and work hard every day.”
(You had an interception out there. Tell me if I described it right, I guess WR Jakeem Grant was kind of running a slant and I don’t know if you jumped the route or used your speed, but you stepped right in front of it. Am I describing that right, can you tell me what happened there?) – “I was playing off and I just got a good break on the ball, so that was pretty much it.”
(What enabled you to make that? Was it your speed, did you read the quarterback, experience, sit on the route?) – “It was a little bit of both. It was just me just playing the situation and playing down and distance, and just getting a read on the quarterback.”
(And do you feel that you’re a lot more advanced right now than you were last year in that aspect?) – “Most definitely. I’m more comfortable in the scheme, just being one year in, so I’m a little more comfortable in the scheme and just more comfortable in myself.”
(What does that comfort allow you to do?) – “Just play more confidently and just play faster.”
(After you did all that work coming into the season, did you get any recognition? Anybody kind of notice it and any reaction coming from teammates telling you ‘Oh man, this looks a lot better than last year,’ or anything like that?) – “All of the guys, we all recognize each other. So we all just kind of compliment each other.”
(Nothing specific?) – “Nothing specific.”
(Are you physically different at all, faster, bigger, thinner?) – “I’m heavier now than I was last year. Last year I came into camp at around 182 (pounds). I’m at 190 right now.”
(Any veteran corners you study? Guys that you think might have similar skillsets when you look at on tape.) – “Well, I like all of our guys, so I kind of study all of our guys. Like, even, I started taking things from Bobby McCain. I take things from Xavien (Howard). I take things from Tony Lippett. So, all those guys I kind of take after.”
(Some guys who go undrafted carry a chip on their shoulders for years. Do you have that from not being drafted?) – “Always. I don’t think that’s something that I will lose. I’ll always have a chip on my shoulder until I stop playing.”
(What did the end of last season do for you confidence-wise?) – “It gave me a lot of confidence, just being out there, getting some experience at corner and just knowing that I can play with those guys. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
(Best aspect of your game?) – “Best aspect? I would say my speed.”
(What kind of speed, like 4.3, 4.25?) – “4.3.”
(I know you said you’re just coming out here trying to do your job, but how significant was it for you to line up with the first-team defense?) – “It was just, like I said, coming out here doing my job. I didn’t really pay too much attention to that. So just knowing what I need to do.”
(When you say you went back home this summer, where is home?) – “Los Angeles, California.”
(And what did you do back home? Work out with anybody?) – “Just working on my craft. Like I said, just doing what I need to do to help this team win.”
(Were there any other NFL players in L.A. when you worked out?) – “During the offseason, I kind of worked out with a few guys like (Arizona Cardinals cornerback) Jamar Taylor. There were a few other guys but nobody specific to name.”
(A lot of times when you’re coming in as a rookie you’re just trying to survive, just trying to make the cut in camp and just scrap for whatever you can get as far as a role. Do you have a bigger goal coming into year two?) – “Like I said, I just want to come out here and do what I can do to help the team win. So whatever that is, it is what it is.”
Kalen Ballage – July 28, 2018
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Saturday, July 28, 2018
RB Kalen Ballage
(On carrying shoulder pads.) – “Yes, regular rookie stuff.”
(Is that the extent you guys have had so far or did you guys have some other stuff you guys had to do?) – “No, just getting the older guys snacks and stuff like that for the meeting room. Other than that, nothing too crazy.”
(How has training camp been going for you, the first training camp in the NFL?) – “It’s been really good. I’m just getting used to it – the schedule and everything. You’re up from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at night. You try to get home and go right to bed and do it all over again. I’m just getting down the routine.”
(You’ve had a couple of nice runs out here. How seriously do you take those? Do you kind of pat yourself on the back just a little bit or do you not even acknowledge them?) – “No. I mean I’ve been playing football since I was in the third grade. I try to break a long run, give our team an opportunity to move the ball down the field. I just move about it in that manner and just try to get better every day.”
(A sense of pride or no?) – “No.”
(Just totally business like?) – “Yes.”
(What kind of feedback have you gotten from both your assistant coach and your head coach?) – “Pretty good feedback. I’m learning the playbook right now fast. I think that’s the most important thing. You have to be able to know what you’re doing in the first place. I think that’s the most important part.”
(Do you think you’ve been able to process everything quickly?) – “Yes. Yes, sir.”
(What have you learned from RB Frank Gore so far? The guy has been in the league and is a potential future Hall of Famer.) – “He doesn’t say much; but he moves by example with his actions and the things that he does and the way he takes care of his body. I kind of just sit back and watch him and look at the things that he’s doing.”
(Has anything in camp so far struck you as being really different form college?) – “Not really, just more attention to detail at every position. I think that’s the thing that’s the big gap.”
(It’s coming fast, these games. You’re going to have a scrimmage coming up one week from today and then the preseason is here. How would you describe your personal goals during the preseason?) – “I just want to win games. It doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, regular season, scrimmages. I want to beat the defense. That’s just my mindset. I’m just moving about it like that.”
(Do you have any good RB Frank Gore stories?) – “Yes. Some that will stay in the locker room that’s for sure. (laughter)”
(Any that will leave the locker room?) – “No.”
(What’s one thing that you feel that you did well in the spring that you will like to continue up until the regular season?) – “Really, just learning the playbook, like I said. The coaches understand it’s big, it’s extensive, it’s detailed. You’re going to make little mistakes here and there. I’m just trying to limit those mistakes as much as possible.”
(How is the number of plays or the thickness? They don’t really give out playbooks anymore do they?) – “A little bit.”
(How does it compare to Arizona State?) – “Well, at Arizona State, we had a no-huddle offense so everything was quick. A lot of signals and stuff like that. It’s just a little bit different from the way we do it here.”
Adam Gase – July 28, 2018
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Saturday, July 28, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We saw today CB Torry McTyer on the field when you started team drills. What about his skill set has you guys intrigued?) – “I think he’s had a good start to camp. For the way that we’ve operated over the last previous training camps and going into this one, I’ve told the defensive staff ‘let’s not wait around. If we feel like a guy is playing well, give him opportunities, especially with the first group.’ They feel like he’s played well enough to be put into that spot and compete with that first group.”
(Today was the first day in uppers. How did your offensive line look?) – “We have work to do, obviously. I think the challenge of going against our d-line probably magnifies it more, than maybe in the past. I feel like the way that they’re coming off the ball and the way that they’re rushing, it’s going to be a challenge for us all of training camp, which is a good thing for our team. I do think that as we go along, we’ll get better up front. I do like that these guys are getting some good continuity going to where they’re getting used to playing with each other. With today being the first day in uppers and being able to actually squeeze out some of these holes, I thought we did a good job of picking up pressures. It wasn’t perfect as far as being able to be firm, but we weren’t cutting guys free. We were doing a lot of good things. We’ve just got to clean a few things up.”
(Can you explain how it is that you guys came to the strategy of keeping those guys together, especially the starters?) – “Well, when we ended last season, we really thought that Jesse (Davis) played well enough to where he was going to be a starter. When we signed Josh (Sitton), that’s really kind of what bumped Ted (Larsen) out of his spot. We just kept talking about if we could get one group out there to where we weren’t always rotating, that would be ideal. We knew when we signed Sitton that we weren’t going to be able to practice him (all the time). If we were doing six-play period, we figured he was probably going to do four. With an older guy that’s played a lot of games in his career, we wanted to make sure that we did the right thing. We wanted him and (Laremy) Tunsil to work together but at the same time, we want to make sure that we’re not overusing him too early. Ted is still getting work with that first group, just not as many reps. It really helps Jesse. The more reps he gets with that first group, the better.”
(Who among the defensive tackles has really popped for you?) – “Well, if you take any of those four guys that are rotating in with that first group, it’s hard to pick just one. I think each day it seems like a different guy is the guy that’s penetrating and causing problems in the run game and then breaking through the line when it comes to any kind of pass and pass protection. It’s hard to single one guy out. I think you have different body types and you have different skill sets by all four guys; but the one thing that they’ve all four done very consistently is the way they’re getting off the ball, the way that they’re using their hands and the way that they’re striking the offensive lineman. It’s been impressive to watch but at the same time, it’s really been tough for an offensive lineman because these guys are getting shot out of a cannon. This is great work for us on the offensive side to really go against guys that are playing defense the right way.”
(When you put the pads on, does the evaluation process begin sort of for the linebackers and tight ends in terms of their physicality?) – “I would say that’s true. I would say you’re probably right with that. When we get the pads on, you really have a better sense because even though we’re not tackling to the ground, we’re thudding guys up. Who’s going to wrap up? You saw a couple of guys drop a shoulder and really reject the receiver or the tight end and our point of emphasis is we need you to wrap up because we’ve seen that enough over the last few years where a guy drops his shoulder and then the next thing you know, that guy doesn’t go to the ground. So we’re making a big point of emphasis of it’s not only making sure that you hit the offensive player correctly but that we’re wrapping up and we’re putting ourselves in position so when we do go live tackling, we’re actually getting guys down.”
(S Maurice Smith seems to be a guy who flashes every now and then at safety. What have you seen from him this camp?) – “He’s been a guy that’s improved since he’s been here. I think he had a really good camp last year. I don’t know if I want to use the word surprised but you normally don’t see a guy that is undrafted who really makes a move and then finds a way onto the roster and gets better throughout the year. I think his confidence level is extremely high right now. He understands the defense. It’s allowing him to play faster. He’s in unbelievable shape. He’s probably one of our best conditioned athletes that we have in the building. He’s really put himself in position to compete for a spot. He’s in one of those unusual positions as far as it’s a deep group and it’s really going to be ‘yes, you can play safety but can you contribute on special teams?’ Because that’s really where he’s at in his career right now where we need him to be able to do multiple things and we need him to be able to contribute on special teams.”
(A second interception today for LB Chase Allen. I know he’s working as an inside linebacker but at what point, if any, will he get an opportunity to push for that third starting spot?) – “Right now we’re trying not to move guys around too much. We want to get going a little bit before we completely make a change at that position, just because we want to kind of see how that group plays out, because you have to play a little more as a group at linebacker with the defensive line. I think it’s a little different in the secondary where those guys are kind of one-on-one so much that it becomes almost an individual game when you’re playing man-to-man coverage or any kind of middle of the field closed zone. I think at linebacker, we kind of want to see how it goes with the guys that we have out there right now. If he keeps doing what he’s really done since he got here – which is he keeps getting better, he keeps finding a way to be around the ball, he gets his hands on a lot of balls – you’re going to have to give him a strong look and really get him with that first group to see where he’s at. Last year he did a lot of good stuff. We’ll just kind of play it out. It’s so early that I think we’re going to have time to see how that group ends up panning out.”
(With RB Kalen Ballage, I think he had a long run today. How has his camp been and has the way he’s played made you rethink anything at all at running back?) – “It’s kind of like when I talk about the tight ends, we’re trying to get him as many reps as we can so he can see as many things as possible. We want to get him to the point where he can play as fast as possible. We don’t want him overthinking things. We want to be able to use his skill set to the team’s advantage and put him in great position. It really starts with his knowledge of the offense because at that position, there are a lot of moving parts. There are a lot of different spots you have to be at. There’s a lot of different things you have to do because you’re involved in all three phases of the offensive game. I think he is handling that pretty good. Every once in a while we’ll have a slight misstep here and there where his brain freezes up. That’s what happens with rookies sometimes; but we’ll keep pushing him along. We want him to be a guy that can contribute on special teams and be ready to go as a guy that we can stick in there on offense.”
(The other day you mentioned that QB Ryan Tannehill has got to learn … I think you said learn how to slide. I don’t know if it’s how to slide or when to slide but will you ever take him physically out there to work on sliding, like a baseball player? Or is it just watch film and it’s situational?) – “Well, he’s used to sliding on the leg his knee brace is on. I don’t know if you guys have ever seen a guy slide with a knee brace on and go with the knee brace first. I’ve witnessed it first hand and it’s not a pretty sight. You can get it stuck in the turf. It’s unusual to go the other way for some guys. We’ll get to a point where we’ll have to figure out how we’re going to do it; but I’m sure between (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) and (Quarterbacks Coach) Bo (Hardegree), one of us will think of something creative just to get him comfortable and try to make it natural.”
