Will Holden – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
T Will Holden
(Do you think you had left any imprint with Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo in the 11 or 12 days you spent on the Colts’ practice squad last year?) – “Yeah, that was a short time; but ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is a good guy and he’s a hard-nosed coach. That’s something that I like to take to as a player. That’s just kind of the coaching I’ve always had, so I’m excited to see what he can do with us. Obviously, at the end of the day – like I said – we’re trying to win games, and we’re going to put the best guys out there. The best five are going to play, whoever that may be. I just know that I‘m here to keep getting better and to push guys and hopefully play on game day; but at the end of the day, that’s up to the coaches.”
(When you looked on the board today and saw first-team guard, your reaction was what?) – “It’s still early camp, so I’m not going to make assumptions. I’m just trying to play the best I can and develop at right guard, develop at left guard, develop at tackle, so at the end of the day, they can rely on me. Like I said, it’s still really, really early, so I’m just going to keep on working and hopefully that time comes.”
(What do you think are the strengths that you bring to the table?) – “I’m a smart player. This Miami heat gets to you, but you’ve got to sink down to your training, and if I can be out there and just communicate with the guys and really just be sound in my technique, at the end of the day I hope it pays off.”
(What’s the identity that you guys want to have as an offensive line?) – “Obviously, we want to be a smart, physical offensive line. I think every offensive line wants to be that. We want to run the ball and we want to protect the quarterback. Every team in this league wants to do that. So I mean, whether people think we have the most talent, we have the least talent, at the end of the day, we’re going to work hard, so we can do those things – so we can protect the quarterback and so we can run the ball efficiently.”
Jesse Davis – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
G/T Jesse Davis
(A little bit of a shakeup in the coaching staff yesterday and today. How did you hear about it and what was your reaction?) – “I heard about it just like everybody else. It came across the clicker and stuff happens. You just take it with stride. You don’t worry about it; you just move on. Pat Flaherty is a hell of a guy. I wish him nothing but the best.”
(Were you surprised about the move, just four practices into camp?) – “I think everybody was. It’s just a part of the business. If they don’t get along or if stuff doesn’t happen right, there are changes and that’s about it.”
(What’s the biggest change in voice and personality between Pat Flaherty and Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “I don’t know. They’re all about the same. Like I’ve said previously, everybody is kind of cut from the same cloth. There is not much different in that. It’s just ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is ‘Guge’ and ‘Flats’ (Pat Flaherty) is ‘Flats.’”
(Today, did Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo put any different imprint on how he’s going to run the line?) – “It’s too early to tell. We met for probably about two or three hours. There wasn’t much to it. It’s just ‘Here is what we’re installing, now let’s get out there and get it done.’”
(How much does it help that you guys have some familiarity with Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “I think only a couple of us do. I think only me, (Laremy) Tunsil and (Zach) Sterup. I can’t think of anyone else that does; but it does help. We’ve known him from the short time he was here in 2017. Going forward, everybody is kind of new to us anyways as a group.”
(How surprising was the news today?) – “It was probably the same reaction as everybody else had. It was like ‘Oh wow, that’s interesting. I guess we’re moving forward with ‘Guge.’ There are no hard feelings anywhere, but we’ve got a job to do. Let’s get it done.”
(Has Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo told you that he likes you at tackle? Obviously we saw you back there today.) – “No. There was no conversation. It was just on the script on the board and I think that’s how we shake it up a little bit.”
(What message do you think this sends to players, team, coaches, that a coach gets fired one week after training camp?) – “Everything is kind of par for course as it goes right now. I’ve been here for three years and we’ve had like five different guys. I don’t know what message it sends. People have their own idea of who we are, but we know who we are. It’s nothing that everyone else is saying.”
(Who are you guys?) – “We’re tough guys and we’re going to get stuff done. We’re going to protect ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and (Josh) Rosen. We’re not going to take any crap. We have a job to do, let’s get it done and keep guys clean and put points up.”
(You’ve bounced everywhere on the offensive line and you hear guys getting cut all the time. When it happens to a coach, is it more or less the same feeling?) – “It’s different. It’s kind of a different neighborhood. It sucks. It’s always not fun when someone gets canned but it’s the way she goes and you just move forward with it.”
(What was your reaction when you saw the script today with you at right tackle?) – “I was just like, ‘Okay.’ I knew it was going to happen at some point. I wasn’t scared of it or anything. I was just like ‘Okay, let’s get it done. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
(You were anticipating returning to right tackle at some point during camp?) – “I figured I’d get a couple of reps there at least. Everybody is shaking the line up a little bit.”
(Did Pat Flaherty reach out to you guys since the move was made?) – “That’s between us.”
(I wouldn’t expect you to divulge what was said, but did Head Coach Brian Flores give an explanation to why the move was made?) – “That’s just between them two. Whatever they have going on, whatever was said, it was between them. It doesn’t concern anybody else outside of the building.”
(What’s the biggest difference today, in terms of teaching, loudness? Was there any tangible difference?) – “Yeah, I mean he’s (DeGuglielmo) a little bit more fired up. Obviously he’s got to leave his mark on us moving forward. This camp is not supposed to be easy or not hurt people’s feelings. If you can’t take the coaching, you’re not going to really make it in the NFL. I mean, yeah, a couple of drills were a little different. It’s a little different coaching style but it’s the same offense.”
(Do you feel like you’re coming into your own right now with whereever they stick you? Is that pretty much the feeling with you?) – “Yeah, I mean whatever is best for the team. I’m not going to sit there and argue with them and be like, ‘I don’t want to play this.’ Wherever there’s a spot for me, no ifs, ands or buts, I’ll do it.”
(How would you describe QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s leadership in the huddle, outside, in the meeting rooms and everything?) – “He’s definitely more of a laid back guy – not in the sense of ‘Alright, let’s go,’ but more like ‘let’s get it done.’ There are times to joke around and when there are times to put the throttle down, we are going to do it. Ryan shows great leadership skills. He’s been in the league for 20 years or whatever. He’s a great guy.”
(Is that veteran presence pretty evident as soon as he steps on the field? Just the way he carries himself?) – “Yeah, I think so. When guys look at him, I don’t think guys see just some guy that is trying to compete. They see a guy out here making everybody else better and that’s awesome.”
(DT Adolphus Washington, have you noticed anything about him as far as hands, feet, athleticism, physical or anything?) – “Yeah. He’s got good hips, he’s got good hands, especially good feet, and a good get off. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us in terms of making this roster. I really haven’t gone against him too much. I played against him in Buffalo but I think he’s a good player.”
(Have you gone against DT Christian Wilkins much? What’s your observation on him?) – “He’s leaning his role, learning how to play the speed of football here. I think he’s been good. He’s giving me a tough time. (He’s a) strong guy, big guy, hard to move. (He’s) a good competitor too.”
(In your words, it’s not often that a coach gets fired after four days. But in your words, what do you think went wrong over those first four days?) – “I don’t know. There wasn’t any signs to us. Whatever happened, like I said, that is between them. Between us in the room, that stays in the room. Moving forward, we can’t sit there and dwell on what happened. We just move forward in stride. That’s kind of how this business works. If it happens, it happens.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Head Coach Brian Flores came out today and pretty much said you’ve asserted yourself so far in the quarterback competition as the lead guy. What are your thoughts on that?) – “I’ve just got to continue to put the work in, work even harder in terms of gaining the respect of the guys, gaining the confidence and the trust of the guys on the field and the coaching staff. I have been through a lot in my career to know that it all depends on what you do every single day. You can’t harp on what happened in the past or what you did the last game. Nothing is given in this game. For me, I never take any of these opportunities for granted.”
(With that experience, Head Coach Brian Flores said you’ve built quite a rapport with this team. How strong would you say the rapport is considering the stops you made along the way? Would you say it’s on a normal pace you’ve seen over the years?) – “I love playing this game. I love playing football and a lot of it is the relationships you build – sitting in the lunch room, goofing around with the guys in the locker room, out here going after that common goal and putting in the sweat and working together. That’s a lot of why I love this game. I have so many great memories. Forget the ups and downs in my career and all of the different stops, I absolutely have enjoyed stopping everywhere, meeting all the people I’ve met and playing with all the people I’ve met. I hope when I’m done playing that they all have good things to say about me in terms of how prepared I am, in terms of my competitiveness, in terms of wanting to go to battle with me. Those are things I really put a lot of weight into.”
(This is your 15th training camp now, is that right?) – “Yeah.”
(How would you compare how you’re throwing the ball now than years past?) – “The last five or six years, I’ve gotten better every year. I think right now, I’m seeing it better. I’m throwing it better. I’m understanding stuff a lot better than I ever have. That’s what makes it an exciting opportunity.”
(Are you peaking in your mid-30s?) – “There are so many things with me that I don’t think anyone is ever going to put on tape and say, ‘We want your form to look like this guy.’ That’s not really who I am. But I really have honed in things that make me more accurate and really worked on some stuff with myself in terms of I know myself well enough to know when it’s going to be a good throw or a bad throw and releases and when I let it go out of my hands. I feel more comfortable with myself and my game right now than I ever have.”
(Have you had any conversations with the coaches about managing your workload or having a pitch count of sorts in practice?) – “No. I hope that doesn’t come up. I feel really fresh. I love being out here every single day. I try not to say that too loud in front of the linemen at the lunch table, because I know I’m not the one banging heads and hitting every day and all that; but I love being out here. I love throwing the ball. My arm feels fresh and I can – if there is a problem that arises, we’ll talk about it; but I don’t foresee it happening, because I haven’t really had any arm issues my whole career.”
(Where do you view yourself in this competition as it stands right now? Head Coach Brian Flores said you’re clearly ahead at this point only five practices into camp.) – “From Day 1 when I got here, my goal was to help get this thing established, get the guys going, making sure I’m running the offense the way that it’s supposed to be run. There’s a lot that they put on the quarterback in terms of things that happen before the snap, during a play or even after. I’m just trying to execute to the best of my ability, be open and communicate with all of the guys. We’ve got a good group that’s willing to work.”
(What did you see from the offensive line today?) – “It’s always hard for me during practice, (because) there’s so much that goes on. Those guys are working extremely hard. Those are things (like) pushing at the end of practice there, doing an up-tempo when we’re a couple hours into practice and those guys sweat, get into their stance and firing off the ball. Those are things that are going to help us as the season gets going here.”
(When there is a coaching change that happens this early, how does that affect the locker room?) – “The NFL in general, you always – every year and the longer you’re in it – you know that everybody is replaceable. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter where you were in the past, what you’ve done in the past. There’s not really – it’s tough when we’re in it, because there’s not really a human element to it. It’s just next man up and you keep going, because we’ve got so much to do and we’ve got our focus forward, so it’s hard to pay any mind to it right now. We continue to grind and try to move in the right direction.”
(As it relates to validation and empowerment, with Head Coach Brian Flores’ statement today about you being the leader, how does that play into the concepts of validation of you as a player and empowerment lead the whole team?) – “I think as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve played on different teams and been in different systems and try to get with different groups of guys, I think I’ve become better at that. I think I’ve become more comfortable in that role. I try to do my best and be myself and hopefully guys decide they want to follow that. It’s something that’s worked well for me in the past.”
(What do you hope to accomplish this week before the scrimmage on Saturday?) – “We’re still in installation mode and doing different things. Each practice is a little bit different in terms of the focus and what we’re trying to do. We’ve had a bunch of red area days. We had some stuff in the field and play action. I know we’ll have some third-down stuff and some two-minute stuff coming up. It’s a lot of situations and making sure everybody’s on the same page and understanding. But I think every day no matter what we’re doing with all that is communication, making sure that everybody knows what I’m thinking, I’m making sure I know what (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) is thinking and making sure that we’re all communicating and going in the same place.”
Josh Rosen – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
QB Josh Rosen
(Earlier today Head Coach Brian Flores came out and said that right now QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s kind of leading this quarterback competition. What is your viewpoint on that?) – “I’m just trying to control what I can control. I’ve been taking after him since Day 1. He’s been helping me out a bunch, and I keep saying it each and every day that I’m just trying to be better than I was the day before. I think I’ve been on a pretty good trajectory. I think I’m doing better each day and continuing to.”
(Do you feel like you’ve played well?) – “I don’t know about ‘well,’ but better each day. You guys keep asking kind of similar questions. I keep giving similar answers, so I apologize, but that’s kind of like what Coach Flores preaches every day, and that’s what I’m trying to take to heart.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had about a month head start here with the Dolphins. Do you feel like you’ve at least caught up with the stuff like in the film room, playbook, those sorts of things?) – “Yeah. It was kind of like drinking water from a firehose through OTAs, but I got to catch up all throughout the summer as well, and I think we came into training camp on relatively equal ground. He obviously sees defenses in a blink of an eye. He’s been playing for 15 or 16 years, so he can recognize defenses a lot quicker, and I’m trying to get to that level eventually. In terms of the offense, I came on a pretty even playing surface in camp.”
(What specifically do you think you need to do better?) – “Everything. I mean…”
(Is there one or two things that come to mind?) – “Just ID’ing defenses. This offense gives a lot of control to the quarterback, and there are a lot of things I’m doing that I’ve never done before; but I think that it’s an empowering thing, and ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) shows that when you can control everything, you can operate quicker and you can really take advantage of certain things as opposed to sort of dispersing responsibilities, so it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”
(What’s it going to take to get to where you want to get to with the control of the offense?) – “Making the next day better than the previous.”
(Is it watching film, too? Is it play-calling? Is it a bunch of things? Are there a bunch of factors to that?) – “All of the above, yeah.”
(What did Head Coach Brian Flores or Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea say to you today, yesterday, relative to this Flores statement today? Did they kind of give you a heads up? How did they explain things to you about this situation as it stands?) – “I mean I think you guys and us as players are in a little bit different of a memo system with Coach Flores, so it’s kind of fluid throughout camp. For you guys, they’re big announcements; but at least in the locker room and whatnot, it’s always fluid, and everyone’s always battling, and everyone’s working as hard as they can.”
(So are you saying you got the memo before me?) – “Yeah, I would say so. It wasn’t like an official memo. He’s constantly dispersing reps uniquely throughout each practice, and you kind of understand where you are. Today isn’t different than any other day.”
(Do you feel like you could benefit from getting some more work with the ones?) – “I don’t know. It’s not up to me. Whatever rep I get – if it’s one or if it’s 50 – I’m trying to take advantage of every single one.”
(So you think it’s just a matter of how you perform, not who’s around you then?) – “Yeah, absolutely.”
(With everything you’ve kind of dealt with this offseason, have things slowed down for you yet?) – “Yeah, I think – it’s cliché – but literally, every day, it’s just a little bit better, and it’s kind of a daunting task to look at it from a macro perspective, so I try and keep it small and digest each install one by one and try to take each practice one by one and each play. It’s a lot to swallow if you try to take it all in, so I think you’ve got to pick it apart and just can’t get overwhelmed.”
(What do you think you’re doing well?) – “I think – that’s a good question. I think I’ve picked up on this ID’ing the middle linebacker. I’ve never had to make Mike (linebacker) calls before. I think I’m starting to turn that a little bit into second nature, especially in the protection world. So I’m starting to be able to think a little less and play a little more.”
(What about Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea’s offense has excited you?) – “I think Coach’s offense is exciting because of how much power it gives in the quarterback’s hands. I haven’t been able to – I would say – to take complete advantage of it because I’m still kind of fighting against myself in certain moments, but to see ‘Fitz’ and his ability to walk up to the line of scrimmage and damn near know exactly where everyone is and have the power in the offense to be able to change things, I’m looking forward to getting to that level and being able to have that control. You see it with (New England Patriots QB Tom) Brady. I mean he can do literally anything he wants at the line of scrimmage, and it’s all kind of – it’s all within the system. It’s not like he’s improvising. It’s all sort of built in.”
(We know you’re a competitor, obviously, but can it be a little bit dejecting the fact that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has so much experience with the system, knowing it a little bit more that you’re not at his level yet to be able to understand and put up that competition that you want to?) – “No. I would say it’s just a bigger and better challenge to fight, and it’s also better to learn from. I would much rather compete against the best guy that I can because if I beat him, I know I’m that good, and if I don’t, I’ve got someone to learn from and build with, and he’s been awesome with me and helping me out. It’s an ongoing thing, and we’re supporting each other. Whether it’s him, me or Jake (Rudock) that ends up playing, we’re all going to be supporting each other because we’re all on the same team. That’s kind of how sports roll.”
(We pepper you with these questions about starting. What do you get from the outside? Do you get texts from friends or family on how’s it going, and how do you handle that?) – “I mean, I get texts saying, ‘How’s it going?’ and checking in and ‘How’s camp and stuff?’ But I don’t think they’re really asking like, ‘How’s the competition?’ and what not. I think it’s more like, ‘How are my sisters doing?’ and ‘What are they up to back in Manhattan Beach?’”
(It’s been a couple months since this trade. As the dust settles, what have you taken away from your experience last season?) – “I don’t know. It moves really fast. I think you’ve got to get your routine down, and I’m also lucky to be behind ‘Fitz’ as well to kind of see his routine and how he works throughout the season. I would say, probably schematically from last year, I’ve learned – I mean, I understand now – but last year, the defensive schemes were a lot, and I think it – I enjoy this offense as well because as we have to make Mike (linebacker) IDs, we have to understand all 11 on defense. We’re not just trying to see the coverage or trust the center can make all of the calls, so I think that’s a good challenge on my plate that I’m looking forward to.”
(You guys have a scrimmage Saturday. What do you want to accomplish, two or three things that you want to accomplish there?) – “Just trying to execute every play, make all my Mike (linebacker) points in the run game and complete as many passes as I can and score as many touchdowns as I can. That’s three. (laughter)”
(I know you’re in a competition with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but it sounds like you’re actually kind of appreciative that he’s the guy that you’re learning from right now.) – “Yeah, absolutely. Like I said earlier, if I’m going to beat him out, I’m going to be proud of myself because I know I beat out really, really stiff good competition, and if I don’t, I know I’ve got a really good guy to learn from. I’m excited for the next couple weeks and months to come.”
Brian Flores – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I think any reasonable person would say there are a few guys on your team who should play every down – CB Xavien Howard, T Laremy Tunsil, a few. Would you consider S Minkah Fitzpatrick part of that group? Should he play every down this season?) – “That’s up to Minkah. I think if he shows us that he can play on every down, play in different spots, tackle, play the deep part of the field (and) cover, the guy is deserving of playing every snap. That’s up to him and that’s the case for the other guys you mentioned – Laremy, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and really anyone on this team. It’s up to them and they have to show that in practice and in games, meetings and walkthroughs. It’s all a part of it.”
(Why the change?) – “We felt like we needed to make that move. I felt that way. I think I’m always going to do what’s in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins and I thought that was the case with this move. As a team, we need to move forward. It was a tough decision – it was. I think the easy decision would have been to do nothing and hopefully it gets better and hope that it got better. But I just felt like it was the move for us to make and build moving forward.”
(What was it that you weren’t seeing in Week 1 of training camp that you hope to see from this point forward?) – “I think there are a lot of factors here – from a communication standpoint, from a fit standpoint. I just felt like for us as a team, we needed to make the move. I thought it was the best decision for this team and this organization. There was no one specific incident. I have a lot of respect for Pat Flaherty. He’s obviously coached in this league a long time. But at the end of the day, I felt like ‘Guge’ (Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo) would be a better fit. He’s somebody that I had targeted as an o-line coach if I ever had an opportunity. He wasn’t available when this process started and then he became available, we brought him in and I just felt like for me and this team and our staff and that offensive line group that this was the right move to make.”
(You’ve now lost two of your top assistants in three weeks. Are you concerned about the continuity of this coaching staff and will you be ready for Week 1 with the changes made?) – “I’m not (concerned). I think we’ve got a very good staff. I think the players respond to the coaches on this staff. I think (Offensive Line Coach) Dave (DeGuglielmo) is going to do a great job. I think (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) and the rest of the offensive staff is up for the challenge. Honestly, I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat, to be honest.”
(What did you tell the players about the decision?) – “I told them that every decision I make is going to be in the best interest of this team right now and moving forward. Some of those are tough decisions and that’s the truth. I’m as authentic as I can be. Nothing is more important to me than this team, this organization and part of that is making the hard decisions. And this was a hard one – it was. That wasn’t an easy conversation but I think – I went with my gut on this one. I’m always going to do that. If I don’t do that then I’m not being true to myself and I’m not being authentic with how I feel about this team and this organization and where I want it to go, so I’m always going to go with my gut.”
(What do you need to see better from your offensive line going forward?) – “We need a tough, smart, disciplined offensive line that communicates well and understands where guys need help and understands what we’re trying to do in the run game, the pass game, the play-action game and the screen game. I just think we need a continuity in that room and all five are involved. It’s really a unit. It’s not a one-on-one deal across the board, it’s a unit. That unit is so important and so vital to the success of this team, and we need to get that right.”
(Where do things stand with the quarterback competition?) – “Yesterday was obviously a day off and as a coaching staff, we really evaluated the entire roster. I would say from a quarterback standpoint, it’s pretty clear to me that Ryan Fitzpatrick is leading the way. I think he’s done that in a lot of areas from leadership to production on the field, in the meeting rooms, in the walkthroughs. I think this is an ongoing competition but right now, I’d say he’s leading the way.”
(What is the potential of this offensive line with the pieces that you have?) – “I think we can be a good offensive line. I do. I think we’ve got good players across the offensive line. We’ve got to put the right unit out there and if they work together and they spend time on their fundamentals and technique and communicate the way an o-line needs to communicate, I think we have a lot of potential.”
(DT Durval Queiroz Neto, can you talk about what you’ve seen from him so far in limited reps and also what you expect in preseason games? Will he make an appearance?) – “This is a hardworking young man. I think when he got here in the offseason, all of this was brand new to him. From conditioning, from a technique standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint, from just an overall learning of football, he’s come a long way I would say in these four or five months. I like the kid a lot. He’s strong. He’s as strong as anyone we have on the team. There’s definitely an opportunity for him to develop and he’s taken advantage of that. He’s getting limited reps. He’s still learning the game, I would say. I like what I’ve seen from him and hopefully we get him into preseason games and see what he can do.”
(I know TE Dwayne Allen isn’t here yet but what do you see at the tight end battle right now?) – “Well, Dwayne is working to get back as quickly as possible. The rest of that group, I think it’s a pretty good competition. Durham (Smythe), Nick O’Leary, Mike (Gesicki), Clive (Walford), these guys are really working hard. Even (Chris) Myarick, the rookie, has gone in there and done some good things. I think that group, from a blocking standpoint, I’ve been pleased with that. In the pass game, I’ve been pleased with that group as well. That competition is ongoing and I think it’s a good one. I think we’ve got some good players there. Again, it’s early; but we need to continue to build on the start that we’ve had.”
(So you made this change because you saw Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo as a better fit? Is that accurate?) – “I saw him as a better fit within the coaching staff. I also saw him as a better fit with the overall group and team. Again, like I said earlier, Pat Flaherty is a very good coach. That goes without saying. In this instance, I just felt like this was the best move for this team. I went with my gut, to be honest. I think ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is a very good coach. Obviously he was in Indianapolis last year and did a great job with that group. He’s been in Miami before and done a good job. This is a well-respected guy taking over for the o-line and I think he’ll do a great job.”
(Philosophically and technique-wise, what, if anything, will change going from Pat Flaherty to Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “Look, we want a tough, smart, physical offensive line. Philosophically, that’s what we’re looking for. We can get into techniques if you want, but it boils down to hand placement, footwork, getting your hands inside and protecting inside-out. All of those things are just the basic, basic fundamentals of o-line play. That’s what I’m looking for. Communicating that, along with communication along the offensive line, combination blocks in the run game, passing off twists in the pass game, all of those things go into it. Then the overall communication along the offensive line, that’s what we’re looking for. We’re really looking for that at all positions – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. There’s a few different things at play there but tough, smart, disciplined and fundamentally sound – that’s what I’m looking for out of the o-line group.”
(When did you make the decision?) – “Yesterday. I think it had been something that had been on my mind for some time before that. Again, it wasn’t an easy decision. It’s not an easy thing to do. But I also feel like – like I said earlier, the easy thing to do was to just hope that it gets better. And more times than not – in my experience – is they don’t get better. Then who loses out is those guys out on the field. It’s my responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen or to put this team in the best possible situation they can be in. If I don’t do that, then I’m not doing my job and I didn’t come here to do that.”
(Did you getting a late start here because of the Super Bowl have any impact on hiring Pat Flaherty and then making this decision?) – “It’s hard to put a staff together. I think we put together a very good staff. That process, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot going on in that process; but I’m not here to make excuses. It is what it is. I think for me personally, I have to move forward. This team has to move forward. We have to do what we feel is best and I think that’s the case in this situation. I’m not here to make excuses.”
(With the quarterback situation, what have you seen from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick that makes him better than QB Josh Rosen at this point?) – “He’s been more productive. I think at the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. I think he runs the offense very efficiently. He has a great rapport with the entire team. He has some leadership – not some, a lot of leadership ability. We need that to continue. We need him to grow in that role. We need all of the quarterbacks to grow and improve and get better. Like I said, it’s still a competition. Every day is a competition. I think they all know that. But as we stand today, I think Ryan has done a really good job and hopefully he continues to improve and is consistent. That will help this team, for sure.”
Chad O’Shea – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(How have the duties that Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell was handling been split up with members of the coaching staff?) – “Certainly, we miss Jim Caldwell. He’s a wonderful coach and even more of a better human being, so we miss him as a person. He was a valuable member of our staff; but one of the great things about our staff is we have a strong staff, a lot of experience on the offensive staff and we certainly are going to use the entire staff in different roles and different ways and use their strengths because we certainly have a strong staff, and I really look forward to working with all of those guys.”
(Is that a reason why another assistant or maybe engaging another assistant hasn’t happened yet?) – “Yeah, I think that when you have the staff that we do in place, they have a lot of experience with different positions, and they’re able to work and cross-work with different positions. Again, we’re very fortunate to have a strong coaching staff – one that I enjoy working with every day. We certainly miss Jim, and we think about him often; but we feel real good about the staff we have in place and the ability to coach the players that we do.”
(You’ve worked with Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski the last couple years. What is it about him that makes him ready for this bigger step?) – “Obviously, I have a lot of familiarity with Jerry Schuplinski. He did a great job for us at New England, and we were very fortunate to have him here with us working. He’s a great communicator. He’s got a great personality to work with a position. He’s got a tremendous knowledge of our system, which is very important. He’s someone that I really trust and I really lean on for his expertise and his ability to communicate with the quarterbacks. We’re very fortunate to have Jerry here on staff.”
(How would you say that quarterback competition is at right now?) – “I think the quarterback competition – it’s been competitive. We’ve asked both of those guys to come in, and the goal is to improve daily. I believe that we have. There are areas that they both need to improve in. There are areas that they’ve both done really well in, so I think that right now it’s competitive. Right now, all positions are competitive on our roster, so I don’t think anything right now is set in stone. There are no starters. There really aren’t. There are a lot of players that are working for roles on the team, and we’ve asked the team to do whatever’s best for the team, and certainly, they’ve done that. They’ve worked hard, so we’ve been happy with all the things that they’ve done that we’ve asked them to do. Like I said, nothing’s set in stone, and that’s true of all positions right now.”
(We’ve seen QB Ryan Fitzpatrick get to work with the ones I think every day – do you need to see QB Josh Rosen get some of that work with the ones at some point?) – “I think right now, what we’ve told all positions is they’re going to work with different groups. They’ll have the opportunity to work with all players, whether they’re starters or backups, so we don’t even look at it right now as, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to take all the first-team reps.’ We just look at it as we’re going to have the opportunity to work with different players, and that way, obviously if we need to play with those certain players at different positions, and the quarterback’s not always in there with the first group, we’ll be better in the end. So they’ll both have opportunities to work with our entire offensive group.”
(Having said that, what can you tell about your offense right now even though there’s a lot of moving around right now?) – “I can tell this about the offense: it’s a group that’s embraced everything that we’ve asked them to do. They’ve worked extremely hard. They’ve been very diligent in the meeting rooms. They’ve come out to the practice field, and they truly have tried to have an edge. It’s a group that wants to prove something. It’s a group that wants to play good, quality football. I’ve been very pleased with their work ethic. I’ve been very pleased with their roles and how they’ve accepted the team approach here.”
(How do you like a 300-something pound fullback back there?) – “As ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) has told the team, the more you can do, the better. If a defensive player can come help the offense, he’s going to; and if we ever have an offensive player that can help the defense, he’s going to do so. It’s great to have Christian (Wilkins). We worked with him on the offense today, but certainly all players will have an opportunity to create their role based on what they can do, and the more you can do here, the more you’re going to help the team.”
(In some of the live action we’ve seen, the defensive line has gotten some pressure on the offensive line and gotten into the backfield. What do you guys need to do to sharpen up the middle of the offensive line?) – “I think there are a lot of areas that we need to improve on, and there are a lot of areas that we’ve done well. There are times we’ve had not as much consistency in certain areas, and that’s what we talk to the team about – is just having the consistency in all the areas, and that’s what we’re working to. That’s what we’re working to, that’s what we’re striving to be – is to be a consistently good offensive football team who takes care of the football, who plays well under pressure, who plays together as a team and who plays with an aggressive mindset. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
(What would you say you guys have done well?) – “I think that we’ve come out here, and we’ve tried to play with great effort, and we have. Certainly we have a long way to go, but the thing we’ve done as well as anything looking at our team right now is we’ve played with tremendous effort, and there truly is a good attitude on this football team. I’ve been very impressed with a lot of players. There have been a lot of skill players that have really come in and really done well within their roles, and I can’t say enough about our coaching staff – with a new system and a new scheme – how hard they have worked. It’s been tough, and it’s been a grind, but they’ve worked so hard to try to get this group on the field and playing at the level we want, so I can’t say enough about the job that they’ve done.”
(How has QB Josh Rosen responded to coaching, and how’s been working with him?) – “Josh has been excellent. Since Day 1, he’s come in here and he’s done a good job learning the offense. He has accepted our offense, embraced what we do. Obviously he has a familiarity with other systems, but he understands this is the system we’re going to run here. He’s been excellent in the meeting room. He’s tried to do on the field what we want him to do, and like it is with him, it’s a work in progress, and all positions are working to improve, and he’s no different.
(As far as the depth with wide receiver, this week you bring in WR Allen Hurns. Can you speak to the depth at that position?) – “We do have some depth at this position that I’m really excited about. It’s very competitive. With the addition of Allen, we have a really good group, a solid group – one of which that every day I walk out on the field, I’m real excited about. It’s an area that I have some familiarity with in coaching that position for a number of years, so I’m really excited about this group. I think we have a skilled group. I think have guys that have different skillsets, and I know that the quarterbacks are really starting to gain a lot of confidence in these guys, and a lot of that is because of their work ethic. They come, they have good intangibles, they work hard, and again, they try to do what we ask them to do, and that’s all we can do at this point is to keep getting better and improving.”
(What must Josh Rosen do to earn more first-team reps?) – “At this point, we really aren’t looking at this – and this is true of every position – we’re looking at opportunities regardless of where you get them. Regardless if you’re with the first team or second team, we’re looking at opportunities. We’re going to mix in groups all through training camp. There’s such a long way to go right now that what we’re asking our players and what can Josh and what can all of our other players do at this point – it’s just to go out there and try to do their job, do what we’ve asked them to do, execute at a level where we really trust them. Regardless of what group they’re in, that’s the task at hand. There’s a long way to go. We don’t even look at it right now as anything set in stone because it’s not. We’re going to have all players have an opportunity to play with all other different players, so I think it’s a long training camp.”
(What’s something that QB Josh Rosen has improved in since his arrival from your perspective?) – “I think he’s improved in the knowledge of the system. It’s a system – any system in the NFL, regardless of what it is, if it’s new, it’s challenging to learn. So it doesn’t matter if it’s our system or the next system, you come in and you have to learn the language. It’s a totally different language, and he’s done a great job. I would say over the break, he’s really worked at it – it seems like – on his own. He’s come in here, he spends extra time. Obviously (Ryan) Fitzpatrick has been a great person to have in the room because he does have some familiarity with this system and obviously an experienced veteran who can help him along the way, and Fitz has certainly been very good in that role. It’s a competitive situation. Those two are competing for a job, and at the same time, I think Fitz and Josh understand the power of team and being a great teammate, and that’s what I see on a daily basis. Those guys interact with each other, and they’re really good teammates to each other.”
(Are you going to be a field guy or a box guy? Have you decided?) – “We still have a lot of decisions to make on that, so we have some time before the first game, and we’ll see what works best for us. We don’t have anything set in stone right now.”
(In New England, did you spend a lot of time in the box or down on the field?) – “I was on the field in New England.”
(Do you like that vantage point down there?) – “I think it’s different for the role you’re in, so we’ll see what works best for our staff.”
(How do you prepare for play-calling, and how do you embrace it?) – “I think the thing about play-calling is you’ve got to lean on the coaching staff around you. Certainly, I’ve said that today, is how confident I am in our coaching staff. We have some guys that I’ve worked with previously. We have some guys that I haven’t worked with previously that I’m so impressed with and I just really enjoy working with, and I respect their expertise, so what I’m going to do as a play-caller is really lean on them and lean on the power of our staff. I think there’s a lot that has to do with play-calling that leads up to that – the preparation, the expertise of the scheme, all those things go into (it). I’m simply the messenger on game day.”
(But you have a second to be that messenger. Do you prepare for that?) – “I think it’s something that’s ongoing, and it’s something that we work on daily. Obviously, I’m in a different role as a play-caller, so it’s something that being a different role for me, we work extremely hard on whether it’s in mock setting, in a meeting room or on the field. Coach Flo has done a good job of setting us up in situations that we try to work on that area, so that’s what we’re doing, and that’s true of all areas right now.”
(So preseason games are important for you personally?) – “Yeah, I think the preseason games are important for me, they’re important for this team. I think they’re a valuable part of our process of building an offense.”
(I was going to ask your philosophy towards the running back rotation? Some guys like to go with the workhorse philosophy, and some rotate on who’s hot.) – “It’s a great question. It’s one we’re still evaluating, and it’s one we’re still looking at, and I would say that’s true of all positions. You can say, ‘Hey, what’s the rotation?’ And that’s something we talk about daily as a coaching staff of what we think is going to be best for our football team and what rotation works best. The thing is, whenever you’re talking about a rotation, that means you have some depth at the position, so that’s what excites me. You would’ve not asked the question about rotation if we didn’t have multiple people at that position, so I’m really excited about the running backs. They’re a group led by (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) that has come out here and really impressed me. They work their butts off out here just like a lot of other positions, and certainly, I’m really excited about that group.”
(What gives you confidence that the offensive line is going to be better than what we’ve seen in out of that group the last few years?) – “Like we tell the team, in all positions you have to come out here and take action and prove it. So obviously the offensive line has come out here, and just like other positions, there have been some times where we’ve had some real positives, and then there are times we want more consistency. That’s true of all positions. I have a lot of confidence in those guys and spent the spring with them and now spent the early part of training camp. It’s really a group that I like. I think they work hard, and again, they’ve come out here and done everything we’ve asked them to do, and right now, that’s all we can ask of them.”
(On the field, what has been encouraging about what you’ve seen?) – “I think that there have been some times we’ve really established the run. There have been some examples of us really protecting the quarterback and staying inside-out and being very firm in protection. The communication level on the offensive line – because it’s a new system – has gotten better and better and it’s continuing to grow there. So the area of communication, the area of being able to run the ball and protect the passer are areas that certainly there have been examples of positive things for our offense in that area.”
(Now getting to the position where you specialize in – wide receiver – in New England, you guys have kind of revolutionized that slot position. Here, you don’t really have a defined slot. Is that something that you groom somebody to be, or is that a unit where everybody’s going to be contributing?) – “I think truly, like I said when I first got here, is that we have to utilize the skillset of our players, and that’s true of that position. I think we have some players that have a skillset to kind of be a multi-position player, and certainly, it might be a different look than what I’m used to as far as lining up somebody in the slot, but there’s certainly a lot of success we can have based off of the strong – I think it’s a strong receiver group, and regardless of where we line them up, we’ll be able to put them in position to have success at that position; but I can’t say enough about it.”
(What makes you feel like this is a strong receiver group?) – “It’s a group that I’m familiar with, a position that I’m very familiar with working all the years at New England, and it’s an area that when I look at those guys, I’m just, I’m really excited about them. I’m never going to make comparisons, and I’m not going to do that at all. I just know that this group right here – there are few days I walk off the field where I don’t look back and say, ‘I’m really excited about that group.’ I’m really excited about a lot of groups. The tight end group doesn’t get a lot of talk around here, but I see, like Nick O’Leary is as dependable of player as we’ve had through the offseason, and he’s done a great job. Mike’s (Gesicki) working in his role to be the player that he needs to be, and Durham Smythe’s trying to be the blocker that we know he can be. There’s really – there are a lot of positives in a lot of different positions, it’s just our job and their job to create their role. They’re basically going to create their role, and that’s true of the slot position, too. Whoever can line up in there and do some things is going to be the guy we’re going to lean on in there.”
(The former coaching staff invested in WR Jakeem Grant as a slot in the first season, and then they scrapped it. They said it wasn’t a good fit for him. Is that something that you guys will try again?) – “What we’ve told the receivers is we’re going to clean-slate this, and we’re going to utilize this where we think you can help the offense. Whether it’s inside or outside, whether that’s true of Jakeem or Albert Wilson or DeVante (Parker) playing inside some, we’re going to use those guys in a multiple-position role, so we definitely haven’t pigeon-holed them into any position. We truly haven’t. You saw today we lined up our outside receivers inside, some of our inside receivers outside, so we’re going to try to have that mindset that really says, ‘You guys need to learn our offense conceptually. You need to understand the big picture and be able to get lined up at all spots.’”
(At what point do you hope to establish that offensive identity of who this team is?) – “I think it’s an ongoing process. I really do. I don’t know – obviously they know what our identity wants to be, and we stress that to them daily, and they come out here and try to be that daily; but I think that it’s a long season, it’s a long training camp, and I don’t ever want to put a timetable on that because I think this is ongoing, and improvement’s ongoing. You never stop improving, so we’ll just see how far we can go, but they definitely know what the standard is. They know what our expectation is, and it’s high. We told them we’re not going to waver on that. We’re going to have high expectations, and we’re just going to work on staying day-to-day, winning that day and improving daily.”
(To our eyes, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has consistently been better than QB Josh Rosen. Is that a fair evaluation?) – “We evaluate those guys daily, and there certainly have been things that they’ve both done well. There are some areas of improvement. That’s true of all positions right now. We walk off the field, we evaluate these guys, we watch every bit of film, including the individual drills as a staff, so we’re definitely on top of the evaluation, and we’ll stay real close to that, but at this point, it’s a long way to go. It’s a competitive situation and again, they’re both working hard to be great teammates and help our football team.”
Eric Studesville – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(I want to talk about the running back situation. Let’s start with RB Kalen Ballage. How would you classify his training camp so far and what has he shown you?) – “I think he’s working hard. He’s done a great job in the classroom and he’s bringing it out onto the field. He’s putting himself in a position to compete and that’s what we want them all to do. I think all the guys are doing a good job at that.”
(What about RB Kenyan Drake?) – “I would tell you the same thing. We’re early on in this thing and we’re doing everything we can to be prepared to come out on the field because if you don’t know what to do, you can’t perform on the field. We’re all working at that and coming out here, and they’ve done a great job with that. That’s creating competition, which is what we want.”
(RB Mark Walton?) – “It’s no different. It’s a great room. These five or six guys I have in this room, you can go through all of them – you can go to (Kenyan) Drake, (Kalen) Ballage, Kenneth Farrow, Mark Walton, Myles Gaskin, Patrick Laird – these are great kids that work hard, that are passionate about this game and they all come to work every day. That’s going to give every one of them a chance to compete when they come out here. That’s all we can ask for.”
(We’ve seen RB Kalen Ballage get a lot of work this camp so far. How much should we read into that?) – “We’re trying to figure out everybody’s role on here, so we’re going to move people around. There’s going to be people moving around and doing things at different times. Sometimes there’s plays on the script. We want guys to go in and compete. We’re going to put them in positions to compete and it may be a play here, it may be two plays there, I don’t know. It changes every day. There is no set rotation of what we’re doing.”
(Obviously, RB Kalen Ballage has about 20 pounds on RB Kenyan Drake. What does that offer for you in terms of power running, goal-line situations and things like that? It’s got to be a big advantage.) – “Those things. And then Drake has 20 less pounds than him so he’s got advantages to having 20 less pounds too. The thing is they all have different skillsets. What we’re trying to do is figure out how we can utilize their skill sets and give us the best chance to win. That’s all we want to do.”
(Has it been fun for those guys to run behind a fullback for a change?) – “I think it will be, but it takes time to do that when you haven’t done that. It’s different to have another guy closer to you and he has to make decisions. There is a trust that builds in that. Chandler (Cox) has done a great job of coming in here. It started yesterday in pads right away. He’s physical with his pad level. We’ll all get better at that and we’ll get better feeling him and what’s going on. I think it adds another dimension to our offense and capabilities and what defenses have to prepare for.”
(Is it possible fullbacks will make a comeback in this league? For a while, it was like they didn’t exist. You’re shaking your head no?) – “That’s not a no. They’re just hard to find. They’re hard to find guys because the job description is not great. It takes a special person to want to go in there play after play and want to smash it in there. That’s what you’ve got to look for and that’s what those guys do. When you can find one and they’re dependable, they can make a difference for your football team. We think Chandler (Cox) is on that road. We’ve just got to keep developing and keep getting better and getting better and see how it ends up playing out.”
(What is the next step for RB Kenyan Drake? You’ve spent a year with him already. What does he need to do to get his game to the next level?) – “I think there’s different things every week. Every day they come out, to take his game to the next level, he has to continue to work and continue to develop and find other things that he can do to use his skillset. It’s not a magic formula. It’s just that we’ve got to keep working to get better. That’s all of us. That’s not him. That’s all of us to go to the next level, we’ve got keep working and keep working. You can’t stay – we’re good today so tomorrow I’m going to do the same thing. It doesn’t work that way.”
(It seems RB Kenyan Drake been a third-down back most of his career, used in that situational roll. How does he do more?) – “Play on first and second down. We played him a bunch on first and second down last year. I don’t think he’s a third-down back. He’s going to determine what that role is by what he does out here. We’re not pigeonholing him and saying he only does this. We’re going to put these guys out here and they’re going to show what they can do. They’ll show us what they can do and then they’ll determine what the roles are and how they do everything.”
(With RB Mark Walton, what does he need to do to make this football team?) – “I hate to say this but he just has to keep working and establish what his role is and how he can contribute. I don’t know what that is. I don’t want to say I’m looking for him to do this because that might be limiting him. He’s going to demonstrate to us what he can do and if there’s things that fit into how we see the offense being built and developing, and he’s part of that and he is, he’ll establish that. We won’t determine that and put him in a hole.”
(Different teams have different philosophies when it comes to running backs. Some like to have a so-called ‘workhorse’ back. Others go with maybe situations and different roles and things like that, or maybe you go play to play. What is your philosophy and Head Coach Brian Flores’ and Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea’s philosophy towards that?) – “Put the best players on the field that give us the best chance to win. That’s a fact. Whoever gives us the best chance on Sunday, that’s who we need to have out there to give us a chance to win. Then we have to do things around them to make them successful, whoever that is.”
(That may change week to week or play to play?) – “There’s so many things that could change. It could be week to week, it could be injury situations, this and that. But somebody has to be out there and somebody has to give us the best chance to win, so we have to get them prepared. They have to demonstrate that we can trust them, that they’re accountable. We have to put them in positions to be successful and that’s what we’re all doing out here. We’re trying to establish all of those things now. That’s what these practices are for.”
(I know it’s only been four days but you seem, just by hearing you talk, that you’re pleased with the work that they’re putting in and the way they’re going about the job.) – “Yeah, I really am. I think these guys have a tremendous work ethic. I think they’re smart, they’re dedicated and clearly putting the time in in the classroom. I think it shows out here that they’re able to come out and execute their assignments. Now we’re seeing can they do it physically, and that’s the next part of the whole transition.”
(It seems like that’s been limiting their mental mistakes or physical mistakes because there haven’t been all that many out there.) – “There’s some, but that’s why we practice. We practice because – some of them are learning situations that we can learn from, some of them are mistakes for whatever reason – but that’s why we practice. So what we have to do is we have to find the guys that don’t make mistakes, those we can trust, and they are going to establish their roles by those kinds of things. Those are the guys that end up kind of rising to the top.”
(So there’s room in the backfield for a guy from Alabama and a guy from Auburn?) – “(laughter) I just hope that they don’t start throwing punches in the huddle at any point in camp. I think there’s room.”
(Where have you seen the most growth in RB Kalen Ballage from this time last year until now?) – “I don’t know if it’s any one area. I think it’s all-inclusive. It’s everything that he’s done – how he works in the meeting room, how he has prepared himself physically. He comes out here knowing what to do. He knew what to do last year too. It’s just a matter of getting opportunities to sometimes show what you can do. The timing of it is different all of the time for different players. But he continues to push himself. He’s passionate about it, he wants to be really good and he works like that.”
(Was that 75-yard run last year an eye opener for RB Kalen Ballage?) – “No. He had some runs out here last year in practice that were pretty impressive too. That’s what we say: when an opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Jerry Schuplinski – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(With Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell taking a leave of absence does this mean you are going to take over that role?) – “I think we’re all trying to do what we can right now to prepare the quarterbacks as best we can as a whole. I know ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) said that he’s basically going to divide up Jim’s responsibilities and, as a result of that, we’re all taking on a little bit more. If that’s me in the quarterback room with those guys doing that, doing more, or (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) or whoever, I think we’re ready for that and we’ve been working at it pretty hard so far.”
(I know this came about quickly with Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell. How do you mentally prepare for that to take on a little bit more?) – “I think the good thing about Jim, and working with Jim for four months together with him, is we built a great relationship together. He’s someone that I really respect on a personal level. Getting to work with him from a coaching standpoint has been really good. I think we were working together as a unit anyways, which has been really beneficial to us. As sad as we are not to have him here right now, I think we took it as business as usual minus one guy. I wish he was here, but that’s not the case.”
(What’s it like to have one guy with one year experience and a guy with 15 who’s probably smarter than everybody in the room?) – “That’s a good one. It is pretty challenging. I think it’s really good though. Ryan (Fitzpatrick) has been around a long time, obviously – I would say not just years but the experiences in different systems and stuff – so his breadth and wealth of knowledge is really good in our room. I think we all have a good relationship with one another. I know working with those guys, it’s far from, ‘I’m the only one talking for now.’ Sometimes that happens on occasion, but we have good dialogue amongst ourselves, amongst everybody, and there’s good questions going around the room with Josh (Rosen) and with Jake (Rudock) and with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and with everybody else. It’s been really fun and really interesting. It’s challenging because people are at different levels, but that’s just the way it always goes. Sometimes you’ve got to – I would say the goal is to work everyone up to the level of the highest we could go and not work downward. It’s constantly a challenge on maybe the younger guys a little bit, but that’s a good thing.”
(I was going to say it’s probably a challenge, because how do you evaluate a guy who’s of course going to look good because he’s seen it all?) – “We’re definitely evaluating on a daily basis, but I think we have also a long-range evaluation in mind. I think that’s really important.”
(Is part of the challenge not to lose QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to where you’re boring him with stuff he already knows?) – “I don’t think we’ve worried about that yet. He’s very engaging and he’s got a lot of good questions and so you really have to be prepared for all those guys, because they all ask really good questions. So far, I hope we’re not boring everybody, because it’s been really fun and then there has been so much material to cover that you don’t really have a lot of time for, ‘I’ve heard this.’ For all of us, we were just saying this the other day – for all of us, the four of us – we have never all been together before. Even though Ryan has a little experience in this system, none of us have ever been together before. So, we’re all still learning from each other and figuring things out.”
(Why through four days has QB Ryan Fitzpatrick gotten the vast majority of first-team quarterback snaps as opposed to evenly splitting them with QB Josh Rosen?) – “Actually, when you look at the whole thing, it’s pretty even in the midst of all the team reps and all that stuff because there are some other periods involved in there. When Josh came in, he came in and whatever it was, four weeks we had already started. The way it is with the rules, you only get a limited time to work. I think this training camp has been a good opportunity for him to learn and grow in our system from the ground up as opposed to catching everything on the fly. Ryan’s experience and knowledge in that area in terms of an operational standpoint may have been ahead a little bit at this stage when we first started training camp, but really the reps are pretty even.”
(Is that one reason though why we’ve seen QB Ryan Fitzpatrick open with the first team all four days?) – “Pretty much, yeah. Yeah, pretty much.”
(Is QB Josh Rosen way behind QB Ryan Fitzpatrick? Obviously, I know it’s four days of camp and there are weeks to go in this, but would you say Josh is way behind Ryan at this point in terms of knowledge of the offense, what needs to be done to run this offense?) – “I think we’re all still learning together. Nobody’s perfect on anything. There’s plenty of mistakes that are going around and plenty of good things that everybody is doing. In terms of who’s behind, who’s ahead, really, I’m sure ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has said something (like) this, we’re all just trying to compete and get better every day. I understand things have to be done and positions have to be made and decisions have to be made, but really we’re just trying to work harder every day and get better and everyone’s really in the same boat. Nobody’s perfect. There’s mistakes out there to go around; there’s good stuff. That’s really what it is.”
