Ryan Fitzpatrick – August 26, 2019
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Monday, August 26, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(You’ve been through a lot and seen a lot, so I guess nothing really phases you, but is there any level of antsy-ness or eagerness awaiting a decision on starting quarterback?) – “No, not really. I think this time of year, everybody’s is amped up and ready to get the ball rolling, ready to get the season started. I think more so than anything, just being this time of year and ready to go, I think everybody is excited about that.”
(Do you have any sense when a decision will be made and you’ll be informed?) – “No.”
(How much work are you doing on Baltimore?) – “We’ve got a little bit here and there. I think a lot of the focus right now is on us and cleaning some stuff up, whether it be timing on routes with the quarterback and the receivers or the quarterbacks and the tight ends, communication with the guys up front, the running backs. A lot of that stuff that will apply to Baltimore, but really apply the whole season to all our opponents, just getting ourselves better right now.”
(How do you feel you’ve played in the totality from training camp through the first three preseason games? How would you assess your own play?) – “I think every time you come into a new situation, new building, new staff, new people and you’re starting from the bottom up and installing a system and this is one of the more difficult ones, and the volume that you’re doing and trying to get everybody on the same page. I’ve had a lot of fun going through it this offseason and trying to get everybody on the same page and getting to know guys and work with them. I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s always something where I know I can continue to get better. I’ve had a good time this offseason and improving my game, but as a whole, getting everybody on the same page.”
(Not that sports talk radio should ever be used as a gauge, but Channing Crowder, who’s a local talk show host, former linebacker, was making a sound point…) – “2005 draft class, yeah. (laughter)”
(Bingo. He said he’s a big fan of yours. He said if he saw – he was making a point of this for a while on his radio show last week – if he saw you he said he would tell you to be the Ryan Fitzpatrick we’ve come to see in terms of being daring, throwing the ball downfield, making plays. He thought you’d been very cautious in preseason. Do you agree with that and if you have been cautious is it merely trying to avoid turnovers in preseason?) – “I mean, it’s preseason. I think every year, that’s the only thing we have to talk about right now, right? So, I would just say it’s preseason. I think historically, if you watch me and the way that I play in real games and the things that I do, I think my history speaks for itself in a lot of that regard.”
(You’ve played behind a lot of left tackles – 20, 25, 30 maybe.) – “Probably upwards of 30 or more, yeah. (laughter)”
(How good do you think T Laremy Tunsil can be?) – “’L.T.’ obviously is a very talented guy. I think everybody in that huddle feels safe around him, feels better when he’s out there. He’s done a really nice job this offseason of trying to get integrated into this system and feeling good. He’s a leader for us. He’s a guy that we all take a lot of pride in and gain a lot of confidence in him being out there.”
(T Laremy Tunsil has talked more than once in camp about becoming more vocal as a leader. Is that something you can help him with?) – “Every guy is different and does it in different ways.”
(You’re not really vocal.) – “I think the biggest thing is you have to be yourself. If that is him and who he is, then that’s fine. But it’s got to come from the right place. Sometimes guys, if they’re not real vocal or don’t really lead all the time with their voice, sometimes it is once or twice during a game or during the year when they will say something and you really listen up. I’m excited to be out there with him and to see how he does, because I enjoy having him in there.”
(From your experience, how important is it for this team to know who the quarterback is in terms of being able to lead the group and moving forward?) – “It’s obviously something you want to know. You want to be able to – continuity I guess is a good thing in this league and having the right guys – the same guys, but really having the right guys in the huddle – I think that’s really important. Continuity certainly helps out.”
(With Andrew Luck, could you imagine retiring at 29?) – “Everybody I think is different and it’s hard – I can’t compare my career to his, because being the first pick overall and all that stuff; but I know I’ve been through a lot of up and downs and different things. I watched all 26 minutes and 43 seconds or whatever it was of his press conference and it hurt, man. It hurt my heart to watch, because I love watching him play football. He absolutely – You could just tell – I don’t know him real well, but you could just tell that he loves the game of football and he’s the ultimate competitor. His long list of injuries, I’m sure there’s a million more that weren’t out there. But he played the position the right way. He was tough, he never complained. That one, it really affected me and hurt my heart to see him up there like that and knowing how much he loved the game. Without having much of a relationship with him, he exuded all those great qualities that you want to see in a quarterback. That one was tough to watch.”
Kenny Stills – August 26, 2019
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Monday, August 26, 2019
WR Kenny Stills
(Where is your mindset now with one week left, I guess, until a game week really starts for real?) – “I’m just focusing on being ready for Week 1.”
(Do you have any doubt in your mind that you’ll be part of the roster in Week 1?) – “I mean, the business side of this game is all of us – any of us – could potentially be somewhere else.”
(Have you talked to Head Coach Brian Flores about it at all or no?) – “I haven’t.”
(Do you have a gut feeling?) – “No. I just come to work and focus on improving myself and hanging out with the guys and trying to get prepared for Week 1. I think a lot of guys are in a similar position in this locker room. We’ve got to get down to however many dudes from 90. It’s something that we all go through at this time of the year.”
(Are you at all concerned that your advocacy may have worked against you or no?) – “No.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said that he was playing the music last week to challenge you. Your response to that?) – “I talked about it last week but people have been heckling me, challenging me and trying to get under my skin since the beginning of this – not even just with the protest. Growing up or whatever, people have always tried to challenge me and I think I’ve always stepped up to the challenge. It was just music.”
(Who did they challenge this week because I got a headache just listening to that music today?) – “(laughter) I have no clue who the challenge was at this week. But it’s a challenge for us as a team always. (Coach Flores) is talking to us about being tough, being physical, about playing smart. It’s not like he’s just going after me. It’s something for us as a team that we’re really working on and trying to improve.”
(Did you like the head-banger music at the beginning of practice?) – “I like all music. Today I played a little bit of house music in the locker room to get the guys going. I like it all.”
(How do you feel like you are fitness-wise and preparing for the season wise?) – “Good. We’re all in great shape. You can kind of tell from the third preseason game. We all played a pretty good amount of snaps and the body felt good. We’re just trying to get prepared for the Ravens and making sure we handle business this week with the Saints.”
Brian Flores – August 26, 2019
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Monday, August 26, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(With the quarterback choice, does General Manager Chris Grier have any input? Or is this your decision after talking to Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski?) – “Chris has a lot of input. He and I talk about the quarterback every day. Chris, myself, (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore) and obviously the coaches, we all are putting our heads together as far as the best choice for this team. We’ll make the appropriate choice at the appropriate time.”
(How active do you and General Manager Chris Grier anticipate being in the trade market before cut-down day?) – “This time of year, there’s a lot of movement. Obviously teams will be cutting down here at the end of the week, so there are a lot of conversations, really on a daily basis. Chris and Brandon (Shore) handle a lot of that and I’m obviously involved. There are a lot of discussions but all of those conversations are obviously private and internal and we’re going to keep it that way.”
(We know that roster moves are designed to make you a better team. How is this team without S T.J. McDonald?) – “Any time you make a decision, you try to do it in the best interest of the team. We just felt like in this situation, that was the case with T.J. He’s done a good job with this organization for the last few years. Again, all of those decisions are tough but a lot goes into them. Again, those discussions that we have about personnel – and we have a lot of them internally – I’m not going to talk about those particulars and the specifics of those with you guys. But obviously, we have those (conversations) internally and again, those are private conversations that we have as an organization.”
(Is there anything sudden that happened with S T.J. McDonald that kind of changed his direction?) – “No. Nothing sudden. T.J. has been a good player for this organization. He’s been a great teammate. It was just a decision that we made as an organization.”
(Philosophically, how do the middle-aged guys, if you will – the six-, seven-, eight-year veterans – how do they fit into this team? It seems like you’re going more youthful.) – “Good players and productive players and guys that we feel fit what we’re trying to do offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, we’re going to try to keep around. That’s going to be the case as long as I’m here. So sixth, seventh, eighth (year veterans), rookies, a 12th (year veteran), it doesn’t (matter). If you’re a good player who works hard and embodies a lot of the qualities we’re looking for out of the guys on our team, then that’s what we’re looking for.”
(About the S Bobby McCain/S Reshad Jones safety combo – if that’s the way it ends up – do you think those two complement each other? Do you like the upside of that combo if you go in that direction?) – “Again, Bobby and Reshad – it was good to get Reshad back out there. He’d been out for a couple of weeks there, so it was good to see him out there. Again, he’s going to have to get himself back into playing shape. He’s going to have to get back into the defense with the communication and the things of that nature. But yeah, he and Bobby – Bobby has had a good camp so far. I think the communication between those two, they have a great rapport. Then really, the communication amongst the entire secondary and the rest of the defense, that’s something that we spend a lot of time on. It’s very important for this team. I’m looking forward to working with both guys.”
(Players are very aware obviously when a veteran gets cut that they might be next. Can you give assurances to guys like WR Kenny Stills and LB Kiko Alonso that they’ll be here this time next week?) – “I think at this time of year, I think each individual player has to focus on today and focus on getting better today, their technique, their fundamentals, their communication. That’s really where their focus should be. We’ve talked about that as a team. That’s something I’ve talked about and harped on really since we – you guys have seen me up here. ‘Let’s focus on today. Let’s lock in on today. Let’s just get better.’”
(Did S T.J. McDonald’s strengths and weaknesses as a player – he’s a big safety and he’s not particularly fast. We all know this. He’s played some linebacker. Is it accurate to say they did not mesh very well with the scheme and what you’re asking your players to do?) – “I would say that’s inaccurate. I think he’s a guy who has a good skillset, one that’s been productive in this league. There’s a lot that goes into putting a team together – skillset obviously, production obviously, communication obviously and things of that nature. I think with T.J., at the end of the day, it just wasn’t the right fit and we, as an organization, decided to move on.”
(It’s a salary cap league as you well know. You guys are soon to have plenty of salary cap room. How much of the decisions that you’ve made roster-wise and are about to make have to do with finances?) – “I think that’s always a part of any move we make. When you look at the team today, the team this year and the team moving forward, that’s always part of it. Putting the roster together, there’s many variables – the salary cap being one of them. That’s just one part of the equation that goes into making these decisions. Myself, Chris (Grier), Brandon (Shore) and the coaching staff, we take all of these things into account. Like I said – I keep saying this over and over again and I feel like a broken record – we’re going to do what we feel is best for the team from a salary cap standpoint, from a performance standpoint on the field (and) from an overall team standpoint. That’s just kind of going to be what we’re going to do.”
(On looking at moves beyond this year.) – “I think every team is always looking – this year obviously is at the forefront; but every team in this league is looking into the future – future years – and we’re no different. I think we keep that in mind as well as today and this year’s team. We’ve got all of that and you have to balance all of those things as an organization. How you do that is through communication – open, honest communication. This is what I think, this is what you think, let’s talk it through. Like any decisions you make, I think that’s the process. I think we have a good process. It’s something that we’ve worked on really since I’ve got here. Any decision we make, it goes through a certain process. It’s well thought out. A lot of time goes into it. A lot of thought goes into it. All of those variables that we’re talking about – production on the field, age, salary cap – they all play into it. There’s no – I know we want to have one reason why this happened or that happened, but that’s not just how this works. Again, we’ll always do what we think is best.”
(How smooth has that process been for you personally balancing the now, which you are focused on, and what’s best for the team two years from now?) – “I think we have a good process. I think it starts with communication. I think it starts with transparency and being open and honest about how we feel about Player X, Player Z, Player Y. We go through that process with open and honest communication. I think this, I see this, you see this, you see that. If we do that and we’re transparent, then at least everyone’s opinion is out there and we can come to a collective decision as a group. That part I think has been good. At least that way there’s no, ‘I should’ve done this; we should’ve done that.’ It’s all out there. Between Chris (Grier), Brandon (Shore), myself, and our coaching staff, that’s something we harp on. If you have a thought or opinion, let’s get it out there. Let’s talk about it. We’re going to have differing opinions. That’s football. That’s the world, really. You just work through it.”
(What’s your general philosophy on the fourth preseason game?) – “Get better. I think it’s a great opportunity for young players, really all players. Any time you can step out on a football field and play the game and tackle at full speed, tackle a quarterback, cut block and play the game like you will in the regular season, I think that’s a great opportunity. The players who – the young players, let’s call them – the young players, the guys who are trying to make this team – well everybody is trying to make it – but who are, let’s call them, on the fringe – it’s a great opportunity for them to make plays in the kicking game, make plays offensively, make plays defensively and try to put some good tape on film and make our decision hard. That’s the goal of each player: to make our decisions hard. I think that’s what you get out of the fourth preseason (game).”
(The other night you had mentioned that you were trying to challenge WR Kenny Stills to raise his game. In the four days since then, what have you seen? How has he responded?) – “I think he’s responded well. I think he’s practiced well. I think he’s a guy who’s got mental toughness and he works hard. The game is important to him. I think he’s responded well.”
(T Laremy Tunsil has been talking about how he feels the need to be more vocal in his fourth year. Is that something that you think needs to happen and should happen?) – “I’m always looking for leadership from players. At the end of the day, those are the guys that are on the field. I’m not going to go out there and make a tackle, I’m not going to go out there and make a call, nor do I have the ability to do that anymore. At all. (laughter) Yeah, we’re looking for leadership from Laremy. I think he’s a guy who has that capability. Obviously, he’s a very good player, well respected on the team. I think he’s trending in that direction. I like seeing it. I do.”
(Is it fair to say that T Laremy Tunsil’s accomplishment and imposing physique, his voice, the whole package, that when he talks to teammates, you’re going to be inclined to listen to him?) – “I don’t know about the imposing physique. He’s a big guy, but I don’t think you got a lot of guys in that room who are just going to bow down to anyone. (laughter) I hope not. I hope that’s not the case with anybody on my team. I really hope that’s not the case. (laughter)”
(But T Laremy Tunsil’s voice is deeper than anybody else’s.) – “Yeah, but I hope that doesn’t do it for our … (laughter) I really hope that’s not the case. But yeah, from a leadership standpoint…”
(T Laremy Tunsil’s accomplishment?) – “His accomplishment and the way he works, I think – Yeah, this is a good player who’s done a good job over the last few years and really worked hard. I think he’s got respect in the locker room as a player, not as an imposing figure. (laughter)”
(We saw LB Kiko Alonso doing a little bit out there on the field yesterday.) – “Yeah. It was good to see him back. Yeah, like we talked about yesterday.”
(I guess another linebacker in LB Raekwon McMillan we haven’t seen a ton of. Where is he in his…?) – “He’s working his way back. Honestly, I’ve never seen a guy work so hard to get back as hard as he’s working. He’ll be back as soon as he can. We’re getting close. I can say that. We’re getting close. But it’s not for lack of work, I’ll tell you that right now. This guy, he’s in there as long as a lot of our coaches training, lifting and trying to get himself back out on the field.”
Jakeem Grant – August 25, 2019
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Sunday, August 25, 2019
WR Jakeem Grant
(On if he has made any big purchases since signing a contract extension.) – “No, not anything in particular. I’m just still thinking about what I should do. I definitely want to get a house, but I’ve kind of just (been) debating about it: should I wait? But, I definitely want to take care of mom, though. She’s worked her butt off to raise three of us all by herself, so I’m definitely going to take care of her.”
(The human moment sometimes gets lost on us on how big of a deal this is for you. Can you kind of put it into words?) – “It’s a very big deal. It just shows that the hard work has paid off. All the criticism and everything that went with it just from people saying I can’t make it to the league, I’m not going to be able to make the roster, this and that, and then just going out each and every day with that on my shoulders and just playing and just going out there and saying, ‘screw what they say. I’m going to go out there and make the best of my moments.’ And also, just from a financial standpoint, it’s a great blessing. A very big blessing, so I just want to take care of mom. My family is always going to be straight. My wife and kids are going to be great. I just want to take care of my mom because she put in a lot of hard work, and I put in a lot of hard work to make sure that she can get a chance to breathe.”
(What does this also say in terms of the Dolphins basically telling you you’re one of the guys we want with us going forward as we build this thing?) – “Man, it’s truly an honor. Just for them to have the faith in me and saying that, ‘you’re one of our key guys and we want you here for the long term,’ it just brings joy to my heart. It just makes me want to go out there and play even harder, and it’s a big relief of just saying now the weight is not on my shoulders anymore. I can just sit there and breathe and just go and be me and play the game like I know I can and just not worry about, ‘oh, am I going to make – should I able to be healthy making it to free agency?’ So now I can go out there and just turn the wheels loose and just go out there and grind.”
(Former NFL WR Devin Hester, CB Deion Sanders, former Kansas City Chiefs WR Dante Hall, there have been some guys who have changed games and changed many games in a season through special teams. You were among the league leaders in punts and kick returns last year. What kind of an impact do you think you can have on the team and in kickoff and punt returns?) – “I think I can have a big impact. I feel like those are the guys that I look up to, especially Devin Hester and Dante Hall. It was Dante Hall before Devin Hester came about; but man, it was just – my goal is to try to top everything that they have done. I want to be known up there with those guys and be able to go out there and put on a show just like those guys, and they could change the game just like that. I remember watching – I think it was the Super Bowl – when Devin Hester ran it back. I was like, ‘man, I’m going to do that one day.’ I just said, ‘I’m going to do that.’ And then I got to the league, never played punt returner ever, in my life; but I always watched Devin Hester and Dante Hall do it, and I was like, ‘man, this is a lot harder than watching them do it,’ and so when I got out there and I had a few hiccups and then the next thing you know, I started getting good at it. I started going to practice and catching limitless balls. I mean, I couldn’t even count how many punts I’ve caught and just hone in on my craft and just say ‘man, I’m trying to be the best in the league at this.’ Again, I just go out there every practice and try to be the best and go out there and say, ‘I’m going to be the best in the league at kickoff return, punt return and everything that I do.”
(You mentioned the security of having this done before you got to free agency. Is that the No. 1 reason you re-signed, or did you want to be here long-term? What was that?) – “No. The reason I resigned is because I love the coaches, I love the organization. I just love the way ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) coaches and just the rough and tough coaching. It’s just down to a tee, and I love it. I love the position coach. I love (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl Dorrell. I love (Offensive Coordinator) Chad O’Shea. I love all those guys. Just the way they coach is – I just felt like I was going to have a bright future, and I felt like those guys are going to push me to be the best that I can be. ‘Coach Flo’ does it every single day. He told me, for example, he told me at practice – I bobbled a punt, and he told me, ‘a bobble is a drop to me,’ and I was like, ‘what, Coach? I caught it,’ and he was like, ‘that’s a drop to me.’ Just little things like that just made me think, ‘man Coach just wants the best out of me.’ With that being said, it was no hard decision. I want to be here, and I feel like they’re going to make me become a great athlete.”
(On offense, your reception numbers have gone up every year. Is there any reason why they wouldn’t go up again this year?) – “No. I think they are definitely going to go up again this year. I feel like I am going to have a bigger role with whatever (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’shea) and those guys have for me. I feel like the receptions are definitely going to go up and I’m just going out there and I’m doing whatever the coaches have for me. I’m just honing on my craft, perfecting my routes, catching balls every day, and making sure that whenever I get there, my routes and my fundamentals are and details are to a point where whenever I’m ready to go in a game.”
(The competition at the position at the bottom end. It seems like guys like WR Trenton Irwin, WR Preston Williams and WR Isaiah Ford, there is going to be a lot of competition to make this roster. How do you see everything playing out with being so loaded at that position?) – “I think it’s great for those guys. They come in, and they compete. They’ve been competing against us as well and pushing us to do great things. I’ve seen Preston making plays, Trenton Irwin is making plays, Isaiah Ford is making plays. Me and Isaiah go back and forth talking about the releases. He’s been doing great at releases catching the ball, and having great fundamentals and details at the top of his routes, and having great hands. He’s been open. He’s been getting open. And Preston, everybody knows Preston has been doing a hell of a job just going out there and being a big playmaker. I feel like every last one of those guys are great guys and it’s hard to say. It’s coach’s decision but I love each and every one of those guys. I wish that every last one of them could be here.”
(What do you make of what your former Texas Tech buddy is doing on defense at linebacker?) – “My boy Sam (Eguavoen)? Man, he’s doing a good job. I told – (Wide Receivers) Coach (Karl) Dorrell asked me about him. I was like, ‘he’s a hard worker, fast, physical, smart player.’ I played with him at Tech. I think he’s really talented and he can do a lot of things in this defense and a lot of things for this team, not just on defense but on special teams as well. He’s an all-around player. He can do it all. I’d just say, ‘Texas Tech is in the building.’”
(I wanted to ask you about the quarterback competition. Does coach give updates from time to time? Because he gives us updates. Does he get in front of the meeting room and kind of tell you where things are at?) – “No, he really doesn’t. He keeps it plain and simple. Everybody knows there’s a quarterback battle going on. We just get in and compete with both of them. It’s either we’re in with Josh (Rosen) or if we’re in with ‘Fitz” (Ryan Fitzpatrick). Either way it goes, we love those guys. They are both great, talented quarterbacks and I think that both of them can lead us to the promise land.”
(Is there something we might not have seen about that battle that might be interesting for us?) – “No, not really. I guess I would say their personalities. They have great personalities. They love to joke around and just take ownership of this offense.”
Daniel Kilgore – August 25, 2019
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Sunday, August 25, 2019
C Daniel Kilgore
(What has been the challenge, particularly with the two rookie guards? Obviously, they’re young and have talent but have a lot to learn.) – “The challenge, just like any rookie coming in transitioning from college to this level, is the speed of things and just the day-to-day being able to pick it up. Things are going to change on a daily basis. How fast can they pick it up and retain that is probably the biggest task that they’re having to do right now.”
(What have you seen from them in game? There’s a lot coming at them, of course the sack given up, they’ve got to fix quick. What have you seen from them?) – “Their tenacity and their willingness to get better. They may screw up here and there, but it’s water down their back. They line up the next play and they’re ready to get after it. They know that they’re going to make mistakes along the way, as we all do. They’re easy to forget about it and move on.”
(This quarterback battle is starting to wind down. Obviously, the opener is in two weeks. How have you seen the dynamic between those two guys as this has gone about?) – “As far as the battle, I think it’s not really a battle. I think it’s just two guys working together, trying to get better. Josh (Rosen) is obviously the younger guy, he has fed a lot off of ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick). And ‘Fitz’ has done a good job communicating with him. The whole quarterback room – Jake (Rudock) has done an excellent job coming in and communicating with those guys. Across the board, the whole quarterback room is communicating with the receivers and offensive line. It’s really – I wouldn’t call it a battle. I think it’s more or less three guys trying to get better with this team and they’ve definitely done that.”
(Has Head Coach Brian Flores talked to the group about where it is and all that?) – “Absolutely not. That’s Coach Flores and the staff’s call. No matter who it is, we’re going to roll with them and we’re going to go fight for them.”
(Did you see what happened with Colts QB Andrew Luck last night with the fans? Do you have an opinion on that?) – “I did see it. Spending my time out in the Bay Area, I met Andrew a couple times and (he is a) great guy. I’m not sure exactly what he’s going through right now. Obviously, he’s got the injury history, but I hate it for him. He’s obviously a great quarterback and definitely a great person. As far as the fan situation, I can’t comment because I think we got some of the best fans in the leagues here with the Dolphins. I hate that for him. I hope whatever he’s going through, he’s at peace with it and he’s able to walk away from this game and doing it on his own terms.”
Brian Flores – August 25, 2019
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Sunday, August 25, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you know who the starting quarterback for the regular season is yet?) – “Not just yet. I think we are still – we have time to go through the evaluation. There’s not a big rush right now; so no, not just yet. Both guys have strengths, weaknesses and things that we like. But no, we have not made a concrete decision yet. No, we haven’t.”
(Do you have a way that you probably think you are leaning?) – “No. They both have strengths. There’s a lot we like about ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and a lot we like about Josh (Rosen). This could go either way. Both players I thought played well on Thursday night. They’re both working hard. They both have leadership. Both have done a lot of good things and it’s going to be a hard decision for us as a staff. That’s kind of where we’re at right now. We’re still kind of going through the evaluation process and there’s still some more time to evaluate them. Again, we don’t want to rush this decision. Obviously it’s a big one. I think we’re going to take our time with this one.”
(Are you going to spend this week preparing for Baltimore, like game-planning for Baltimore? Or are you going to play this week as is…) – “This week is about the Miami Dolphins getting better, so fundamentals, technique, communication, tackling, punting, kicking – this is about the Dolphins getting better. Really, that’s kind of the idea every day. Obviously we have New Orleans coming up and preparing for them. Then we’ll have at least 10 days to prepare for regular-season (game) number one. But right now, today, is about fundamentals, technique and us getting better individually and as a team.”
(I think I’ve asked you about a lot of those injured guys last week – LB Kiko Alonso and S Reshad Jones and that whole crew there. At what point – it seems like you’ve been very cautious with them. At what point does a sense of urgency kick in where you’ve got to see those guys for the last…) – “I think there’s always a sense of urgency to get guys on the field, get them practicing, get them evaluated and get them looked at. Those guys know that and they’re doing everything possible to get back out there. We’ve got a number of guys who are dealing with things and they’re all working to get back. Hopefully we see them sooner than later, because we do need to get them evaluated. We’re coming down to that time where we’re going to have to make some moves on the roster. Obviously those guys and their experience and the things they’ve done in the past, that plays into it as well. We’ve got some good players there and hopefully we get them out there and get a look at them.”
(Given that it’s still a competition for quarterback, what should we expect as far as a quarterback rotation for Thursday night?) – “That’s also part of our overall conversation that we’re having as a staff. We didn’t see Jake (Rudock) the other night. You’ll definitely see him. You may see all three quarterbacks. That’s something that we’re talking about as a staff. Again, that position is obviously very important. We’re going to do what we feel is best for this team and we’ll always take that approach.”
(Did you get some clarity the other night on the cornerback spot opposite CB Xavien Howard?) – “I thought Eric Rowe played well. There are some things that we didn’t like – the DPI (defensive pass interference) penalty and one other long ball. But I thought he tackled well. He made the play on the interception. I think he’s had a productive camp, so he’s played well. I thought (Jomal) Wiltz played well. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) has obviously played well over the course of camp. I thought Torry McTyer went in there and made a few plays, as well. Again, there’s a lot of competition there. We’re going to have to – look, you need DBs to play in this league. I wouldn’t say it’s two guys and you’re good or three guys and you’re good. We need depth at those positions. There’s a lot of running that goes on there. Combine that with the kicking game and we’re going to need some depth. We have a lot of guys pushing for spots there.”
(Obviously LB Kiko Alonso has had a big role on the defense here in the past. Is he a guy that you think is still a fit for a significant role here?) – “Guys who make plays are a fit, period. He’s a guy who has made a lot of plays in his career. We’ve just got to get him out here. Is he a fit? You’ve got to be healthy to be a fit. I know he’s working his way to get back (and) get healthy. He’s getting close. I have a lot of respect for Kiko. He’s been in every meeting. He’s in-tune to what we’re doing. He wants to get back out there. I think once we see that from him, we’ll have a clearer picture.”
(Obviously you don’t have to put the injury report out yet but are you able to give us a little bit of an idea of what LB Kiko Alonso has been dealing with over the last month?) – “I think he’s just – I don’t want to call it minor but these are things that we feel like he’s going to get over pretty quickly. I think we’ll see him – he’s working to get back. He’s working extremely hard to get back out there. Hopefully we’ll see him sooner than later.”
(How would you assess what you’ve seen from DE Nate Orchard this summer?) – “I think Nate has worked extremely hard since we got him in the spring. We’ve asked him to play a few different positions. He’s been productive in these preseason games. He’s out there every day. He’s gotten better and improved in a lot of areas, specifically in the run game. I’ve been happy with his progress. He still has a long ways to go. We’ll see. This is going to be a big week for him as well as every other player on this team.”
(Are you going to move ahead with G Shaq Calhoun and G Michael Deiter at guard after Thursday? Was there enough good to where you just want to continue on with the same five guys you’ve had?) – “Yeah. I think Shaq and Deiter, I think they’re both – again, they’re young players. Every time they step out on the field, it’s good for them. They saw some different looks last week from Jacksonville. They saw some different looks from Tampa the week before. Hopefully they see some this week. Again, every time they step out on the field, it’s good for really any player, but specifically young guys. I’m looking forward to seeing them out there this week. We’ll get them out there practicing. I think if they just really focus in on their fundamentals, technique and communication, I think they’ll be okay. They’re improving in those areas really on a daily basis.”
(How do you feel G/T Jesse Davis’ transfer from guard to tackle has gone?) – “I think it’s gone well. I think his versatility is very important to this team. His ability to play guard and tackle, we like that. Obviously, this is a new position, so there’s some things at that position that are new to him. There’s a little bit of a – he’s got to have some experiences out there as well, which he has, and I think overall, he’s done a good job; but hopefully he continues to build on the good things he’s done and learn from the things that he hasn’t done so well, and we just continue to get better.”
(When you’re picking your 53, I know there’s a minimum – you need to have at least two quarterbacks, but do you go in saying, “I need three quarterbacks. I need 10 offensive linemen,” or at the end of that list, does it kind of vary on performance?) – “I think everyone’s got a general, ‘Hey, in a perfect world it’d be this, this, this and this.’ But every team’s different. Every team is dealing with injuries. Every team is dealing with their own specific situations. If you’ve got 11, 12 really good offensive linemen, you really don’t want to let those guys go, so it’s specific to your team. Every team is a little bit different, just like ours is different than every other team in the league; but yeah, in a perfect world, it would be this many quarterbacks, this many defensive ends, this many tackles, this many corners – in a perfect world, but the world’s not perfect as we all know. Position versatility is very important like we talked about with Jesse (Davis) and we talk about with really everyone defensively. Again, you only get 46 in the game, so when you’re picking those 53, you need the best 53 because I just feel like, to let a good player go because of numbers – because you have an exact number in your head – I don’t think that’s what’s best for the team. I think we just need to put the best 53 (on the roster). We need the best 53 guys.”
(When TE Dwayne Allen was signed as your first offensive free agent pick up in the spring, I think a lot of people assumed he’d be your starting tight end. Obviously, he was hurt – only seven snaps in the two games that he’s played in. Is he on your team, or is he competing for a job?) – “My mom used to say something about when people assume things. She had this whole quote she used to give me. (laughter) I won’t get into it. Dwayne – look, I love Dwayne. I do, but Dwayne knows – he knows that I’m all about competition. I think he’s worked really hard to get back. He’s gone out there. He’s played well in spurts. He had a couple of tough plays the other night. That’s a good room. That tight end room – we’ve got some good players in there from Durham (Smythe) to Nick (O’Leary) to Mike (Gesicki). Clive’s (Walford) gone in there and made a lot of plays this preseason as well. (Chris) Myarick’s gone in there, so it’s a good room. (There’s) a lot of competition in there, so no assumptions. We’ve got to go out there and perform, be productive and like I said earlier, we’ll try to keep the most productive players and the best 53.”
(How has DT Christian Wilkins’ pad level been over the past week?) – “It’s been better. Thank you, guys. (laughter) Appreciate it.”
(The organization decided to extend WR Jakeem Grant. Can you talk about what you see in him and his value as both a returner and his potential as a receiver?) – “Well, you know I’m a big proponent of the kicking game, so his value as a kick returner, punt returner and his ability to make big plays in those areas, I think it’s very important. As a receiver, I think there’s – obviously, he can be dynamic. This guy’s fast. This guy’s elusive. He’s strong for a little guy, and he works hard. Football’s very important to him, and being part of this team is very important to him, so congratulations to him. I think it was well-deserved, and we’re happy to have him.”
(Question about the quarterbacks. Obviously this time next week, I think you’d have to have a decision made or soon thereafter…) – “Maybe, maybe. (laughter)”
(Seriously, would you go into next week and make a decision during the week next week?) – “You’re asking me if we could go through next week? The Baltimore week?”
(Yes. Will next Wednesday kind of be like the cutoff? When you come in and prepare your team for the Ravens, do you have to have a depth chart?) – “Oh, we’ll make a decision by then. Whether or not I tell you guys what we do, that’s a whole other story. (laughter)”
(Out of left field, but we had major NFL news out of Indianapolis last night. I’m wondering what your reaction is and if you ever had an opportunity to get to know Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck a little bit in your travels?) – “I have a lot of respect for Andrew Luck. He is a very, very impressive person, first and foremost, and he’s a great, great player. He’s a guy who really from early on, trying to defend this guy, it’s a hard thing to do. He’s smart, he gets the ball out, he can make every throw. I have a lot of respect for him as a player. I know this was a tough decision for him, but I respect the decision. I think everyone deals with things on a personal level, and those are personal decisions that they have to make. I applaud him for making a tough decision. It’s hard to make that decision with the scrutiny and what people say on social media. I know what happened last night. I didn’t think that was – I felt bad for him, to be honest with you. He’s done a lot for this game and the way he approached it. I have a lot of respect for him, and I think he’s a great player, a great person and I wish him all the best.”
