Brian Flores – May 10, 2019
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Friday, May 10, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I guess you agreed to terms with CB Xavien Howard on a contract extension. I don’t know how much you can say but why was that important for the franchise?) – “Yeah, we agreed to terms. I think Xavien is obviously a very good player. He’s a leader in the locker room. I think he works hard. He does a lot of the things that are core to what we see moving forward and we’re excited to keep him and have him here for a while.”
(What kind of message do you think this contract sends to the rest of the players in the locker room?) – “I don’t think it really sends a message. I think every kind of situation is case by case. I think Xavien (Howard) is a really good player. I think we’ve got a lot of really good players in our locker room. I think they’re all really working hard and doing all of the things that we ask them to do from a conditioning standpoint, from a learning the playbook standpoint (and) from a fundamentals standpoint. So I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
(We saw a lot of good from CB Xavien Howard last year. Do you think there’s still another level of his play?) – “I think there’s always room for improvement for every player, for every coach, for everyone within the organization. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement from Xavien as well as from the rest of the group – offensively, defensively, in the kicking game and the coaching staff. We’re always on a quest for improvement.”
(When you reviewed all of CB Xavien Howard’s film from last year, what stood out to you as his on-field strengths?) – “He’s got good length. He’s got good strength at the line of scrimmage. He’s got really good ball skills. He tackles well. I think he’s just a good overall player. Again, he doesn’t have all of the answers. He’s not the perfect player. I don’t think there is one. Obviously it’s an imperfect game. But he does a lot of things that we like and he’s a team player. That’s one of the things that as we met and talked, he’s definitely those things. Before I forget, the last time I talked to you guys, I failed to thank the scouts – our area scouts and our scouting department – after the draft. I think those guys did an amazing job. They work hard. Those guys are on the road. It kind of gets lost in the shuffle, kind of the things that they do. I just wanted to show my appreciation for that group and I forgot to do that before, so I’m doing it now.”
(T Jordan Mills, why was his addition to the roster important?) – “We looked at … After the draft, we re-evaluated what else was out there. We saw Jordan and obviously I know him and this organization knows him from playing against him in Buffalo. We just saw an opportunity to add a veteran player who has some experience and thought it was a good move for our team.”
(We’re going to see over the next few months obviously a lot of position battles. Quarterback is the one that’s going to get the most attention, obviously. When you’re evaluating quarterbacks with two guys who have an equal chance of winning the job, what do you look for? What are those important things that one of those guys has to do to win the job.) – “You hit it. There’s going to be competition, really across the board on this team. I don’t think that there’s any way to raise the level of a group than to create competition. We’re going to do that here. As far as the quarterback position, like every other position, there will be competition there. In that position, we’re looking for leadership. We’re looking for obviously accuracy. We’re looking for someone who, for the most part, can lead the team and put together successful drives and put us in good position in the run game, in the pass game and from a protection standpoint. So there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a leadership position. There’s going to be some competition at that position, for sure.”
(If QB Ryan Fitzpatrick wins that competition and then wins it every week until the end of the season. Are you good with that?) – “(If he’s) the best man? Yeah. If he wins the competition, absolutely I’m good with that (if it’s) what’s best for the team and what’s best for the Miami Dolphins. That’s the same for all positions. We’re going to play the players we feel are going to help us win games. That’s just what we’re going to do here. That’s at all positions, quarterback, running back, d-line, all positions.”
(What would that do in terms of evaluating QB Josh Rosen?) – “Thankfully we get to evaluate him every day at practice. You guys probably don’t see that, but we do. I think that’s a good enough evaluation for me, probably not for you guys; but I think that’s football though. We get to evaluate them every day from an individual period, to a group period, to a team period, and all of that counts. I think you have to earn your right to play, just like you have to earn your right to write articles. You’ve got to earn your right to coach. To have it any other way, I don’t think that’s the right way to do things.”
(What’s impressed you about DT Christian Wilkins since he stepped foot in the building?) – “Christian brings a lot of energy into the building. He’s a fun loving guy. For me, someone who is straight-edged, he brings … Let’s call it … He brings energy – good energy in a good way. That’s something that I like; but at the same time, he works extremely hard, or he has worked extremely hard over the last 24 hrs. He’s working, he’s asking questions, he did a good job in the walkthrough. I’m excited to work with him – we as a staff are – and he’s got an opportunity to … Right now he has to earn the respect of his teammates. He has to learn the playbook, he has to understand how we practice (because) all of this is new for all of these guys. We’re not going to throw a bunch of expectations on them, but we’re excited to work with Christian.”
(DT Christian Wilkins reminds me … He’s not as polarizing as TE Rob Gronkowski was, but it seems like his personality has the ability to galvanize his teammates on the team. How do you let Christian be Christian and have his personality shine through?) – “I want each player to be who they are. I don’t want to put that on this kid that early. He has yet to step on the field and practice. To say he’s going to be a leader … Does he have the potential? Yeah, a lot of our guys have that type of potential. I’m not going to put that on this kid. I think he has a great personality. I think he’s shown leadership in the past. Is it there? Yes. Do we expect him to be captain of this team this year? No. That’s not … We’re not going to put that on him right now. Right now he needs to learn the playbook, earn the respect of his teammates, go out here and set foot on the field first and foremost, and we’ll take it from there.”
(What’s your timeframe on installing the offense and defense? Has that already been done? Is it more training camp?) – “We’ve got some of our basic install in right now. I don’t know if I want to give you my timetable as we move forward. I don’t want to give away any tricks of the trade here; but yeah, we’ve started the install. It’s really basic with these guys. These guys are trying to find out where the locker room is, where the training table is. (It’s) a lot of basic, basic information for these guys right now.”
(This rookie camp, how intense do you want it to be and what kind of drills can you do, or do you hope to do?) – “We’re just going to work on basic fundamental techniques. That is the focus of a teaching camp. That’s the focus of this camp. We want to get these guys up to speed on what we do from a fundamental standpoint – offensively, defensively and the kicking game – and from a basic information, basic install standpoint offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. Obviously it’s a noncontact camp. We all know that. We want guys off the ground, no excessive contact. We’ve talked about that already as a group. I do think you can get a lot accomplished. I think to get 11 guys in the huddle, the quarterback/center exchange and get going with the communications and those types of things, really in all facets, you can’t replace that.”
(I know it’s important for all of your offensive linemen to be cross-trained, either left-right or guard-tackle or center-guard. What is the vision for OL Michael Deiter? Is he a guy that’s going to have to learn both sides or is he a guy that’s going to focus primarily on one side?) – “My first response is I think he’s going to have to – versatility is obviously big for us and really big for every team in the league. You want to start a guy in one spot, but I would never say ‘it’s just going to be this.’ We try to teach him the entire concept, and really all five positions. He’s a guy who’s played multiple spots in his career. We’re excited to work with him; but really, at the end of the day we’re going to try to put our best five guys out there. Wherever he fits, if he’s part of that five – a big if (as) he has a long way to go; again, he has to step foot on a field first – but if he’s part of that then we’ll see where the five fit. That’s kind of how I look at it from that standpoint. How do we get the best five guys and what way do those fit as far as how we get the most production out of that group? It could be left guard, right guard, right tackle – I can’t tell you.”
(This organization has done a good job the last number of years of drafting running backs from Lamar Miller, Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage, Mike Gillislee. They even found Damien Williams undrafted. Are there organizations that are just good at finding a particular position?) – “Like I said earlier, we have a really good scouting staff. Those guys do a really good job. They’re on the road for 100 days a year. From evaluations to background information, these guys work really hard. They do a good job and they’re really thorough I would say, really at all positions. Yeah, you’re right. We’ve done a good job at the running back position. Hopefully we continue to do so. We have good backs and we’re excited about the ones we have right now.”
(Is there a reason? Is it identifying them? Is it developing them?) – “I think it’s all of those things. It’s identifying. To me, it’s always about developing guys, for sure. (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) does a great job with the running backs here, and I think that’s a big part of it as well. There’s some continuity as far as that’s concerned and these guys, they’ve grown under him and hopefully they continue to do that.”
(Your understanding of QB Josh Rosen coming in, considering he’s been through so many different systems, has he had a good initial grasp of what you all are trying to do offensively?) – “I would say so. He’s very bright. He’s really studying the information and trying to get it all down as quickly as he can. He, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), Jake (Rudock) – the three of those guys – they’re really working to become leaders on this team, to lead the offense. That’s in all facets. That’s in the huddle, that’s inside the building, that’s in the meeting rooms. I think all of those guys are doing a really good job. Josh, obviously just being here a couple of weeks, he’s done well I would say. I think he’s done well, but there’s a long way to go.”
(You guys have talked a lot about liking a lot of DE Charles Harris’ traits but didn’t necessarily mention him as a defensive end, sort of like a hybrid-type player. Where is your comfort level with this team in the roster at defense end right now?) – “I feel good about our end positon. I think Charles specifically, he’s a young player. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s another guy that’s working extremely hard to learn the different facets of the defense. I think Tank (Carradine) has come in and done a good job. ‘Wood’ (Jonathan Woodard) has come in and done a good job. I think we’ve got a lot of edge players I would say – end of the line players – who are working, who I’m excited to work with, I would say.”
(You and your staff have done a good job in the past of developing UDFAs. Do you use some of those success stories to this current crop and how do you see that process in trying to earn a job?) – “I think across the league you see undrafted free agents make it and I think they do that. Obviously, they all have … I’d like to think they all have a little chip on their shoulder. I’d like to think everyone has a chip on their shoulder. I think those guys specifically do. I think having been around a few myself, I think they’re all tough. They all compete on a day-to-day basis. There’s no complacency with those guys, because there can’t be any. They know their margin for error is slim. I wish everyone felt that way, but that’s not the case for whatever reason. But their margin for error … They feel that way. There’s that big chip and you need a chip on your shoulder to play in this league, really at all positons – to coach in this league as well. I like that mentality. I think that – and I say this to the team – I don’t care what round you were picked in, undrafted, drafted, tryout – if you can help this team win, then you’re going to have a chance to do that. I think there’s a mentality there that from their standpoint, they may feel undervalued.”
(When facing an offense that utilizes a fullback – you guys obviously drafted one – what in your experience can be a challenge that formation poses?) – “I think with the way offenses have trended I would say in the last 10 years, really away from the fullback into more spread, not a lot of teams know how to defend the two-back run game. It all moves in circles, right? I think, for us, I think having the ability to do that may be an advantage, it may not be an advantage. I don’t know. We like Chandler (Cox). What I specifically like about him was his energy, his play on the field, obviously, his toughness, his intelligence. But really his toughness, his grit. To me, that’s … He embodied a lot of things that I love about the game. We’re going to have a fullback one way or another. We’re going to be a tough, physical team.”
(How do you handle players who may want to know the “why” of things versus guys who are comfortable doing what they’re told, so to speak?) – “I want my players to want to know the why. I think in order to get a player to really believe in what he’s doing, he should know why. I think that’s coaching. If players don’t ask why, they should be asking why. I want my players to believe in what they’re doing. Is it through doing what we ask them to do? Yes. Should they ask why they’re doing it so they can believe in a little bit more? I think so. I’ve always kind of challenged my players to ask why. I challenge my coaches to be able to give them an answer as to why. That way, the whole thing works a little bit better, in my opinion.”
Karl Dorrell – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(How are the guys adapting to the new coaching staff, the new techniques and getting back to fundamentals?) – “They’re adapting really well. I’ve been very impressed with my group in particular, just because they’re hungry in a way. They’re excited about the changes that have been made and our offense. But all of those things, whether the X’s and O’s aside like you said, we’re really harping on and building on building a strong foundation with these guys. Fundamentals has been the coach speak right now and what we’ve been doing the last few weeks. We start OTAs next week and going against each other, so that’ll be another big step for us. But their attitude has been just tremendous. You couldn’t ask for anything better for a coach right now.”
(It sounds like you’re excited about the group. It’s a group that seems like wants to take it to the next level. You have guys that have experience, yet they’re not on the cusps of relying on what they’ve done in the past. Is that close?) – “You hit it on the button there. They’re guys that, as you know, that are probably in their mid-way portions of their career where they can really start to take off and get some name recognition, so to speak, or from their own personal standpoint, they just want more production, which is fun. It’s good to see that. They’re a hungry group. They get along very, very well with each other. They work their tails off. So, I can’t ask for anything more from what they’ve been giving me from the things that we’ve been doing. I’m excited about what this potential is for this group. It’s a very talented group. It’s all shapes and sizes so to speak. That’s fun for a coach to deal with when you have some smaller, shiftier, athletic guys that are real explosive to some big, long, strong with long hands and good arm length and things like that. It’s a good mixture of guys that are very, very talented.”
(I know you’ve seen them on film because a lot of guys still coming back from injury with WR Jakeem Grant and WR Albert Wilson. But a lot of speed, a lot of electricity, a lot of potential in getting the football in their hands.) – “Absolutely. Probably as a group, this is one of the faster groups that I’ve had in terms of the entire group. They run pretty well, they’ve got good speed. Some of them obviously are faster than others, but as a group they run very, very well. It’s a talented group. We have some work to go in terms of developing those techniques and getting better at our craft, but there’s no question in my mind that I think it’s going to be an exciting fall.”
Eric Studesville – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(What do you see in RB Chandler Cox?) – “I think you love his enthusiasm, his energy. You see a guy that’s committed. Having spent some time with him, you can tell that he’s got a tremendous work ethic. He’s passionate about the game. He’s smart. He picks up adjustments. I think there’s a huge upside for him.”
(How about RB Myles Gaskin? What did you see out of him?) – “Coming out of college, he was incredibly productive with the numbers that he put up, up there at Washington. Just his flexibility and versatility, (there are) a lot of different things there. We’re going to see how that translates to our game and here and what we’re doing, but I think a guy that’s had that much production has got a great chance to be successful too at the next level.”
(What do you want to see out of the young guys this weekend at rookie minicamp?) – “I think you want to see how they come to work, the professionalism. You want to see can they learn and process. At the beginning of the process, we’ll throw some information at them and they’re going to have to pick those things up. It’s going to be kind of quick. And then this weekend is just to get them oriented and acclimated to our environment and how we do things, so that when they’re here next week with the older guys, that they fit in and it’s kind of a seamless transition.”
(What have you seen so far from the guys returning – RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage? What have you seen out of them so far?) – “I think what you’ve seen is guys that are really committed to coming back and want to take more steps going forward. They know that they can do more. They want to put that on themselves to do that. We’ll see how all that plays out. But you can tell guys are focused. They’re really committed to wanting to be good. They want to win. They want to be successful. I think you’re seeing the offseason work that they’ve done says that and what they’ve done so far on the field says that, too.”
(Would you like to see them step up and take the young guys under their wings from a leadership standpoint?) – “I would, I think if that’s who they are. I think it’s going to be a collective effort to take young guys in. That’s got to be not just myself, but the room, the team, the offense, the organization, it’s everybody. We’re going to need to help these young guys get acclimated to the NFL lifestyle and that’s the great part of being on a team.”
Pat Flaherty – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty
(How excited are you to start working with the two draft picks – OL Michael Deiter and T Isaiah Prince?) – “I’m really fired up. I had a conversation with both of those guys last week just to check and see how they’re doing, working out, make sure that they’re running and things like that to get ready for this weekend. (I am) really looking forward to see how those guys develop, because they’ve both played a lot of football at really good schools – Wisconsin and Ohio State. I’m fired up.”
(What do you look for when you were looking at these college kids? What was the one trait that you needed to have?) – “Any more nowadays, you really want … A lot of college offenses throw the ball, so you want to find some guys that are skilled in run blocking. You never get a lot of guys that (are) overall developed in both areas. We want smart, tough, physical guys and that’s what we were looking for in the draft.”
(You obviously did some work and saw T Jordan Mills I assume. What do you see in him?) – “He’s a veteran. He’s played a lot of football. He was in Buffalo this past season and watching tape from week to week, you have a lot of crossover tape. So, I had an opportunity to see him there. I think he’s a good football player. Still even though he’s been in the league a little bit, he has got a high ceiling and he can get better at a lot of things he’s doing. We’re excited about having him.”
(Obviously, he has to win the job – I’m talking about QB Josh Rosen – but you want a clean pocket for this guy, so you can actually evaluate what you have, I’d assume, right?) – “You do. You have to. That’s the first thing. We must be able to run the football and get 4-plus yards a carry and then we have to be able to keep the pocket clean and protect the quarterback. Pressures are going to happen. Hits and sacks, that’s a bad word, bad words in our room.”
(Do you have a vision for OL Michael Deiter, because he played a lot of spots?) – “He did. We’ll get him settled in one position. Where that is right now, we’ll kind of meet on that tonight and see where we’re going to start him. I would assume it’s going to be one of the guard spots. You don’t want to move a young guy around too quick in too many positons, because he doesn’t learn the one positon. It’s going to be, as we tell them, the volume of the offense is a lot different than what it was in college. It’s still football, but the learning part of it (is bigger). And the techniques that I’ll be teaching – the fundamentals and techniques I’ll be teaching – are going to be different than what he has learned. So, we want him to start at one position. And then as he feels that he knows what he’s doing at one positon, then we’ll work him at other positons and he’ll be versatile. He is a versatile player. As you mentioned, he played a lot of different positons.”
(OL Michael Deiter told us he was pretty left-handed in college, I think at tackle and guard.) – “He did. He played … Did he tell you that?”
(Yeah.) – “Yeah, he did. He played … He brought that to my attention when I talked to him on the phone to congratulate him after we drafted him, just recapping. I watched him. But I said, ‘I took notes you just played left side.’ He said, ‘That’s all I played.’ But to get in a right-hand stance is going to be new to him at first, but he’ll be fine.”
(Do you think you’re going to start OL Michael Deiter out on the right side then?) – “We don’t know. We’re going to put him on the right side at some time and see what he can do, whether he starts there or he moves there after we get a couple weeks under our belt.”
(OL Michael Deiter also told us that he had to play right tackle it’d take him about three days to learn the positon. Does that sound like a characteristic of his that you know?) – “Is that good or bad? I don’t know. (laughter) He’s going to have about three minutes to learn the position is what he’s going to have. That’s part of getting these guys ready to go. As I said, if you start moving them around too soon, too fast, it all jumbles up in their head. They have to learn a new offense and you want them to have a clear mind, get them ready to go with the snap count, the formation of the play. That’s a lot of learning for these guys, especially the short time we have in minicamp.”
(So the challenge for you I guess is you’ve got all these new guys, some play multiple positons, at least they have, and get them in quickly to where you want them so they can…?) – “That’s a good point. Really, you guys over the years have asked me, ‘How long does it take to get guys together to get that chemistry?’ With the way the makeup of the NFL is, when you only have seven active offensive lineman, you have to be able to have some versatility within the positons that they play. And then you also have to move them around a little bit in training camp. You have to try to find that right formula that gives you the opportunity to have success.”
(Do you find yourself now … it’s all new to you here, all of the new guys shuffling mentally, “Okay, I can do this or I could do this?”) – “Yeah, because the guys that we’ve had thus far in phase one and phase two have done a real good job learning in the classroom. We’ve done that. Now, we haven’t blocked anybody, except for the couple days of minicamp, but they’ve been able to go from the right side to left side, from guard to tackle, guards to center, center to guard. There has been some versatility with that.”
(Who do you have at right tackle right now?) – “It’s going to be open. Zach Sterup has done a good job in the offseason program. He’s worked his tail off in the weight room and on the field. Now with Jordan Mills here and drafting Isaiah Prince, you would think that the two veteran guys have a little bit of a step ahead of the rookie, but we’ll see how it goes. It’s hard to evaluate really where you are at the offensive line until you put pads on.”
(We saw about five minutes of C Daniel Kilgore last year before he got hurt. How has he looked?) – “He’s looked very well. He’s looked good. All of his injury is past him. He’s fully healthy from that. (He is) working well in the weight room and on the field.”
(Since we last spoke to you, the team added G/C Chris Reed, a guy you obviously are familiar with. What do you like about him?) – “Chris, he’s the kind of guy what we were looking for the Dolphins. He’s a strong, tough guy with grit. That’s what we’re looking for, for a Miami Dolphins offensive lineman. He fit that mold.”
(I’m working on something on the AAF guys that you guys have. G Michael Dunn is one of them. You had him in Jacksonville. What can you tell me about him as a player and as a personality?) – “The Alliance league helped Michael because he was able to go play. When any young player asked me about other leagues in the offseason, the number one (thing) young guys have got to do is they got to learn, they’ve got to play. Now you’re on the practice squad, you’re practicing, but you’re not actually in a game situation. That really helps those guys. It probably compares to (something) that I’m a little bit familiar with – the European league – and those type of leagues like that. But that helped Michael. He’s versatile. He’s never played center in a game, but he’s done some snapping. He’s done some snapping in the Alliance league and he’s done some snapping here for us.”
(Would you say that AAF guys have a better shot with the Dolphins, because this is kind of s stripped down roster or football is football and opportunity is opportunity?) – “Probably football is football. But the roster is lean right now and we’re looking for guys to step up and they’ll have an opportunity to step up and be the guy.”
(What would a guy have to do to get your attention? Is it classroom, is it little things, details on the field?) – “First of all, it’s details because you need to be detailed to be a good offensive lineman. And then it’s taking the classroom to the football field, taking the drill work to the teamwork, that type of emphasis. We really won’t find out until we get to training camp and we put the pads on. Guys are different now. There are many stories about guys that look good in gym shorts and then you get them out there in pads. They know. These guys have been in pads before. They know what it takes to be a physical group. That’s what we’re looking for.”
(How much AAF film have you seen and what would you say the quality was?) – “It’s funny you ask that. I’ve probably watched more as a fan when it was on TV, whenever I could find the channel it was on. And I have some friends that were coaching in it, not that I ever saw them. But it was kind of interesting as a fan and it interested me to watch it. Once their season was over and the evaluation process started, our personnel people did a nice job and said, ‘Hey, look at this guy, look at that guy.’ So when they gave me a guy to look at, I looked at him.”
(There’s no downside for those guys. Like you said experience, right? There is no downside.) – “It’s totally an upside in my opinion. I think it can do nothing but help players like that.”
(What’s your challenge this year? Everything is new. Like you said, it’s kind of lean. There are not a lot of settled positons, especially on the o-line I guess.) – “It’s not really any different than any other year I’ve been in the league. This is my 20th (year). It’s exciting because the room I have – the guys in my room – I really enjoy coaching those guys because they come in, they listen, they pay attention to detail. I’m really excited about … As I talked to them about phase one, phase two, this is what the objective of that is and then we go to OTAs, and here is the objective of that, then you work out on your own until we come back in training camp. When we get to training camp, now, it’s true football day in and day out, now.”
(I read somewhere you get goosebumps on the first day of training camp.) – “I do. I’ve been coaching a little bit as you can tell. My black hair is turning gray. Now it’s turned to nothing. (laughter) Anyhow, I do. As an athlete – I’m not telling you guys I was an athlete, but I played sports – but you had that competition and this is the closest thing to it. If I ever – the first day of training camp or the 20th day of training camp – don’t have those goosebumps, game day don’t have those goosebumps, I guess it’s time to go and sit in a rocking chair and smoke a cigar.”
(A two-part question on T Laremy Tunsil: this is your first time working with him. Any early impressions? Obviously, you haven’t practice. And two, because of his standing as an elite or almost elite left tackle, would you look for him to be a leader?) – “I’m looking for Laremy to be … We’ve laid everything out. We talked to him about, ‘Here’s what you need to do to reach the goal that you want to be.’ And he set high goals for himself. As a coach, I’m trying to help him attain those goals. Thus far, he’s done everything everybody (has asked) – the weight room, what they’ve asked him to do on the field. He’s pushed himself through everything and he’s gotten better at his techniques.”
(Tell us a little bit about OL Michael Deiter and what you’ve noticed about his personality?) – “He’s a football guy. He has a passion for the game. What’s interesting is when I talked to him and I said, ‘How did you get to Wisconsin,’ he said, ‘Because of their offensive line tradition. They play power football and I wanted to go.’ He had opportunities to go to other schools. He said, ‘That’s what I wanted to do.’ That mentality fit in. It put a smile on my face.”
(Have you had a lot of Wisconsin players through the years?) – “A few. Not as many. But I’ve always studied those guys.”
(Is there a common trait with them?) – “You see guys like that, an offense like that, and they run the ball. They’re not in the spread offense. They get in the (shot)gun like everybody else does on third down, but they’re not consistently in the (shot)gun like a lot of teams are. So, you see more of their run blocking ability.”
(One thing I read about OL Michael Deiter was that he’s sneaky funny and one of the o-line coaches at Wisconsin was saying that he worried about Deiter when he first got there because he’d see the offensive lineman standing in a circle and everybody is laughing and Deiter had a straight face and he said somebody later explained, “He’s not laughing because he just told the joke.” Have you seen that? I know you haven’t been around him that much.) – “No. He won’t have too may jokes as a rookie, I’ll tell you that. (laughter) I’ll tell him the first thing I hear a veteran offensive lineman say is, ‘As a rookie, the motto is be seen, not heard.’”
(Isn’t that the motto for all offensive lineman?) – “It pretty much is, especially for rookies.”
(How did you become an offensive line coach?) – “My dad was a high school coach. I was an offensive and defensive lineman in high school. I played offensive line. I really started in … Like I said, I coached 19 years as an offensive line coach in college, one year as a defensive line coach. My first four years in the league, I was a tight end coach. So, it was really neat. But I always had a passion to be an offensive line coach. How? I don’t know. That was the last seat in the room, I guess. I don’t know. (laughter)”
(Is G/T Jesse Davis staying at guard?) – “Right now, yeah, he’s staying at guard. But we’ll move him around a little bit. You’ll see that.”
Tony Oden – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(How has the offseason been so far in terms of getting your guys accustomed to new schemes and getting to know some of the players as well?) – “It’s going well. Guys have been energized. (It’s a) fresh start for those guys. They’ve been practicing hard, studying hard, asking good questions. I’m not surprised by it. I expected it out of them, so I’m not shocked in regards to that. It’s been good.”
(Personally for you, how does it feel to be back in the same place coaching in the secondary with the Miami Dolphins and having new coaches around you to learn those personalities on the defense as well?) – “It’s the best-case scenario for me. I obviously don’t have to move my family. That helps. Having familiarity with the players that we have, that’s one less thing I have to learn when you move on, and just learning new things. It’s kind of like you get re-energized. It kind of locks you in so you can focus a little bit. You can’t take the little things for granted. You can’t assume that you know because I’m learning along with the players that we have, but you have to learn at a pace fast enough where I can teach and instruct and motivate them as well. It’s been fun.”
(Speaking of learning, how difficult do you think it was and how do you think S Minkah Fitzpatrick was able to play so many different positions as a rookie. Is that a credit to his athletic ability and his mental strength as well?) – “Without question. It’s probably more to his mental ability. I think the mental beats the physical probably 10 to one. A lot of times, you may not have the athleticism, but if you understand what’s coming on and you understand the game, you can position yourself. He happens to have a good mix of that. I would say that his third attribute is his mother and father have done a phenomenal job with him. He is cut from a different cloth in regards to his work ethic and those kind of things, so he has the trifecta. With that being said, he’s still a young guy. He still has a long way to go, but the good thing about him is he works hard every day. He doesn’t take anything for granted and he wants to get better.”
(What’s it like for you, being on the defensive side? Last year, you come from an offensive-minded head coach and now you have a defensive-minded head coach. Do you feel like there’s more eyes on you and the defense or is it basically the same? How would you characterize it?) – “I think the biggest thing for me, when you have a defensive head coach, hopefully we get some more breaks on defense as opposed to everything being towards the offensive perspective. (laughter) No, I think it’s pretty much the same. When the season gets here, things make change; but as of right now, (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores is doing a phenomenal job of setting a culture for the entire building. He’s kind of sharing the wealth with regards to his experience and his presence in a whole bunch of different meeting rooms. I haven’t seen a difference just yet in regards to how much time is spent. They’re both very busy. I’m glad coach is here. Just listening to his expertise, his knowledge of the defense and his vision has been refreshing as well.”
(How would you say Head Coach Brian Flores, on a scale of one to 10, his importance of fundamentals that he has stressed? It seems to me from the outside looking in, it’s pinned at 10. What is it like for you guys?) – “It’s all fundamentals. At some point, you’re going to have to rely on it. Your athleticism is not going to be a factor at some point in a game or at some point in your career. In certain situations, you’re not going to be able to out-athlete everyone or out-scheme everyone. It’s going to be if your eyes are right, you get aligned correctly and you’re playing with the proper pad level and the proper technique. That’s what’s going to get you out of tough times. When you get older, that’s what’s going to put you in a position because you have learned the proper body mechanics, the proper progression with your eyes. It all goes back to technique, in my opinion. I’ve been wrong before. I’m sure I’ll be wrong again; but to me, it’s technique, because that’s what’s going to separate the difference between the good ones and the great ones, the difference between you knocking the ball down and intercepting the ball. That’s the difference in how fast you get there. It all falls back on technique.”
George Godsey – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(How is the room shaping up, even with the vets and everything, for you?) – “It’s good. We’re all learning about each other. I think that’s the time right now, the offseason. We’re finding out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and trying to teach those. It’s early, but that’s the time of the year right now we’re in.”
(Both quarterbacks – Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick – they have a history of utilizing the middle of the field, utilizing tight ends. When will you know how fast your group is in terms of progressing and developing chemistry?) – “I think for any quarterback, the closer they are to them – the receiver I’m talking about – they’re always an outlet. When the tight end is just three guys down the line, they have to get open. That’s part of our deal: get open and catch the ball. We’ll see how much we’re used. If it’s not necessarily running routes, maybe it’s blocking. All of that stuff ties in – the play-action game. We’ll take it day-by-day and see where we’re at at the end of the spring, and then progress when it really counts with pads on in training camp.”
(TE Mike Gesicki had a lot of playing time last year. What kind of development do you want to see from him going into year two?) – “I think it’s a big year for him, year one to year two. It is for any second-year player. (We’re just) trying to see and use what he does well. He’s worked this offseason and asked a lot of good questions, so now it’s meshing with the quarterback, finding his role on offense and then improving that and taking it from there.”
(TE Mike Gesicki has a reputation as a long-strider, somebody who takes a while to build up speed. Is there something that you can do or teach or implement that can make him faster?) – “I think everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. As a taller, longer guy, he covers ground quickly. He might be a long strider but those strides are pretty quick. We saw that this past weekend with the (Kentucky) Derby. (laughter) We’ll try to use whatever he does well. If it is down the field, get down the field. If it is catch-and-run-type plays, it’s catch and run. If he needs to block, he needs to block. We’ll ask for him to do what he does best more frequently than the other stuff.”
(With TE Dwayne Allen, he didn’t have much of a role in terms of a pass catcher in New England the past couple of years, but he showed it during the Indianapolis Colts years. How long does it take him to dust that stuff off?) – “I don’t know if it’s dusting stuff off or if it’s kind of when it’s his opportunity getting the ball. He’s in a different place than he was last year, so it’s hard to compare that – different people, different quarterback, everything – the dynamics are different. It’s a new year for him, and that’s this time of the year.”
Josh Boyer – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer
(You have a versatile group back there. How do you shake that whole lineup out in the defensive backfield?) – “I think one of the things that we try to do as a defensive staff is we try to put our players in the best position to succeed. That can change based on game plan, based on opponent. The more multiple our guys are, the different things that we can do defensively. I think the bottom line is we try to put them in the best position that they have to succeed play in and play out. We look at numerous different guys in different positions to kind of see how that will all shake out.”
(When you have a guy like S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has already basically done that his rookie year – he was all over the place – that’s a pretty good building block to start off with, a young guy like that with a year of experience already.) – “I think one of the things we talked about – whether it’s a coach or a player – whatever we’ve done in the past is really kind of irrelevant. We’re just … Everybody as a blank slate. We’re working on this year. We’re trying to get the coaching to where it needs to be, we’re trying to get the playing to where it needs to be. I think moving guys in and out of spots, if they have a little bit of familiarity with it, it will help them a little bit, but some guys have never done it and then all of a sudden, you ask them to do multiple different things and they’re able to do it well.”
(What was your first impression when you see a guy like S Minkah Fitzpatrick? He’s pretty athletic and he can pretty much do it all, so what’s your first impression of a guy like that?) – “Again, like I said, I kind of came in with an open mind. You use everything as a blank slate, so the first thing you kind of look at is work ethic. I would say as a group, as a whole, our guys are working really hard right now to try to improve and get better each and every day. I would say the thing that’s impressive with Minkah is he has a little bit of versatility and obviously will try different things. Ultimately, it will come down to us trying to put him in the best position to succeed.”
(How has defensive play-calling changed? Like you said, you want guys that are versatile. Obviously, you don’t want to give away what you’re doing. Is that what you guys more or less … As a staff, everybody has been saying that you want to give a look where you can take advantage of matchups. That has to be at the top of the list.) – “I think over the years, the offenses have evolved. I think that the quarterback position – the time and the study that they put in, and the athletic ability to make all the throws, run all of the calls and to be able to diagnose what you’re in – if you sit in the same thing over and over again, you’re really not putting much pressure on the offense. I think the more you can change your looks, the more you can change your coverages, change your fronts, it puts a little bit more pressure on the offense and just doesn’t let them run at a normal pace seeing the same thing over and over again.”
(How much work is that to get guys to understand? It has to be a process.) – “I think it starts from an install standpoint where you try to teach concepts so everybody has it. It’s a holistic approach. All 11 guys out there understand what the guy next to him is doing, so that helps. It eliminates variables that can happen to you when you kind of know everything that’s going on out on the field.”
Rob Leonard – May 9, 2019
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard
(Can you go through the importance of being assertive to the linebacker crew of saying the play call once they get it?) – “Playing in the NFL is all about communication, especially at the linebacker positon, so that’s essential. All those intangibles, not just communication but the way you say things, you are the quarterback of the defense. If you sound hesitant, people may not believe your communication even though you may be saying the right thing. It’s all in your presence, your demeanor and what you say. The way we’ll say it on defense, ‘We’re all wrong. We’re all right.’ So if you say something, it may be wrong; but if you say it the right way and we believe it and we execute it, then that’s okay. We can live to play another down. Communication is essential for us.”
(Do you think the linebackers have added pressure with a linebackers coach, the defensive coordinator has coached linebackers, the head coach has coached linebackers at one point? Everybody has a feel for the linebacker positon.) – “There’s no doubt. They understand. There’s one thing, they’re going to get coached. They’re going to get coached. They don’t have to doubt that. That’s a great thing, in my opinion. Nothing is going to go unseen. We’re going to get the best out of you. You’re always being evaluated by the first level, second level, third level. To me, that’s how you be great. That’s how you’re going to be great.”
(Have you faced a situation in coaching where two teammates like LB Raekwon McMillan and LB Jerome Baker played in college together and now they’re here? It’s almost like a little brotherhood before they even came here.) – “Absolutely. For whatever reason off the top of my head, I can’t think of one. I’m sure I have; I’m almost sure. But for how close they are in age as well, they not just went to the same school. No, not that I can think of. It’s great. When you know somebody like that, there’s a trust, there’s a transparency from day one when you walk in because you know somebody. You know who they are as a person first and foremost. That’s only a bonus for us.”
(You have a new addition through the draft with LB Andrew Van Ginkel. What do you like about him when you were evaluating him?) – “I think I may have said this last time but overall, he’s a football player first. He’s always around the ball. He’s a good tackler. We could go through all the traits, but he’s a productive, instinctive football player that’s physical. All of the things that we say we value from a personnel standpoint, he is those things. He’s tough, he’s physical, he’s athletic, he’s versatile. In my opinion, what’s there not to like?”
