Raekwon McMillan – September 2, 2019
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Monday, September 2, 2019
LB Raekwon McMillan
(Do you feel like you’ve lost anything?) – “Have I lost anything?”
(In terms of rust – just from sitting out for the last four months, or were you out there today feeling, ‘I feel as good as I would if I hadn’t been out for a few weeks?) – “Yeah, I went out there today and felt real good. I got back out there with the guys and tried to lock back in and get back to where I was.”
(What’s going through – you’re not able to practice, you’re not able to be out there, so when you see all these moves being made and stuff, what’s going through your mind?) – “I’m not really worried about what’s going on on the outside. I just worry about what I can control and how I can get better.”
(And how do you think you guys are going to start the season? There are a lot of new faces in here.) – “It’ll be interesting. We’ve got a lot of new faces, like you said, but I think we’re bonding together as a team, and we’re going to put a good product out there on Sunday.”
(One thing Head Coach Brian Flores has said often and early is “selfless players.” He wants selfless guys. In this system, you have to kind of be that way, no?) – “Yeah, for sure, because you can be put in at any position, and the coaches expect there to be no drop-off. Wherever you’re being plugged in, you’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to be productive.”
(Does it take a certain mindset to be that type of player?) – “Yeah, for sure.”
(You can have the talent, but if you don’t buy into it…) – “Yeah. I feel like in this defense, you’ve really got to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself in this defense, then you’re not going to be able to play.”
(Do you have any sense of what your role will be? I assume we’ll see you a lot in three-linebacker sets. Is that your understanding?) – “I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s just, like I said, I’m just trying to get my body back right and ready to go out there Sunday and play ball.”
(How’d it feel today?) – “It felt good. I’m back to 100 percent out there on the field, running around – just ready to go, like I said.”
(So you could play, physically, Sunday if needed?) – “Yeah, for sure.”
(So much turnover in the locker room. I overheard one guy asking somebody, ‘Hey, where’s the showers?’ You guys have so many new guys around now.) – “Yeah, we’ve got a lot of new guys looking for where to go and don’t know what they’re doing. (laughter) Half of the guys here that have been here for a while still don’t know what’s going on. (laughter) We’ll be all right.”
Brian Flores – September 2, 2019
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Monday, September 2, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What went into the decision to move on from LS John Denney?) – “Organizationally, we just felt like – look, John has done a tremendous job for this organization for a long time. I think it’s something like 224 games or something like that he’s played in a row. From a leadership standpoint, from a coming in and working every day standpoint, no one has done more than he has, so I’m very appreciative of the time I spent with him. At the end of the day, we felt like this was a move we needed to make. Again, I’m appreciative of the time I spent with him.”
(Did you know there was going to be this much change and talent leaving the roster when you took the job?) – “I think when you start something new, you never really know until you get into it. I didn’t walk into it saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to do exactly this.’ You get in, spend time with the team, make assessments and evaluations, and you do what you feel is best at the end of the day, and that’s kind of the process we’ve taken organizationally.”
(Can you talk about the challenge of getting 10 new players up to speed for the opener on Sunday?) – “It’s a challenge, but it’s something that we’ve talked about as a staff, and we have a plan in place to get those guys up to speed offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. That starts today. We’re off and running with that.”
(What have you or will you – I don’t know when the full team meeting is – what have you or will you tell the players about all that’s gone on in the last 48 hours?) – “Yeah, I’ve addressed that with the team. Again, like I’ve said many times, my conversations with the team stay between myself and the team; but yeah, I’ve addressed them (about) all of the transactions in the last 48 hours.”
(There’s a lot of frustrated, angry, upset fans out there that are curious as to what the future holds for this team. What will you say to the fans that wonder what’s going on?) – “I’d say we’re going to come out, practice, prepare, work and do everything we can to win this game on Sunday against Baltimore. That’s where my attention is. That’s where my effort, my energy – that’s where it’s going to be. It’s on Baltimore, and I think the more people who take that approach, the better off we’ll all be this weekend.
(What does the organization view as T Julien Davenport’s strengths?) – “He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s got good length. He’s a good, young tackle. We’re excited to have him.”
(Has the personnel standpoint of this job surprised you in any way? You knew being a head coach was different than being a coordinator, but shaping this roster and being in on trades – has any of that surprised you, or is it about as you expected?) – “I mean, I spent four years in personnel, so I kind of know what that part is like. I spent that time with guys like – well, I spent some in personnel, so I had a pretty good understanding of this process, the (waiver) claims, the 53-man (roster), the cuts, the claim process. I know what that’s about, so ‘surprised?’ No, that’s not the word. I would say that for every team in this league, you try to get better. You try to make the team better, and that’s kind of what we felt like we were doing int his situation.”
(How do you put together an offensive line with, what, six days to go?) – “We’ve got what we have, and we’re going to add (Julien) Davenport to that, and we also added two new guards. We’ll spend the next six days working those guys in different spots, position to position and trying to put the best group out there we can. It’ll be a challenge, but it’s something that we as a coaching staff, we have to meet that challenge. That’s what we have to do.”
(Has DT Vincent Taylor been cut?) – “Yeah, Vincent Taylor was cut this morning.”
(In the context of this past weekend, you still have some veterans on your roster. Do you expect them in the market to be traded, or are you guys done trading?) – “Right now, the focus is on Baltimore. That’s where our effort and energy need to be. It can’t be on anything else. Again, this is a good team. They’re tough, they’re disciplined. They’ve got playmakers offensively, defensively, in the kicking game. We need to point our attention to this team. That’s been the message. Anything outside of that is just going to detract from what we’re trying to do on Sunday afternoon. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
(Will LB Raekwon McMillan practice today, and what’s his status?) – “Raekwon is doing everything he can to get better. We’re close. We’re getting close with him. I think you’ll see a little bit of him today, but we’re getting close.”
(Two kids from Miami from college down here that were picked up – Trent Harris, what did you see last year when he was on the practice squad in New England? And Gerald Willis to the practice squad. What drew you guys to them?) – “Those are two young guys who are talented. I felt like we needed some help on the edge and inside, so they’re two young guys. We felt like they have a ceiling they can reach and they have not yet reached their ceiling, so there is some potential with both players and that is the case with every person we traded for or claimed. We’re excited about that group.”
(When LB Kiko Alonso expressed his frustration and eventually his desire to get out, what was your reaction?) – “Again, we can sit here and talk about those things and put our energy on what happened yesterday and two days ago and two weeks ago and I don’t think that is going to help us against Baltimore. I really don’t. That’s just kind of my approach and my thought process. So, what happened in that situation or in another situation is just not going to help us, so my focus is on Baltimore.”
(There was a hurricane concern for a while – did it ever reach your desk as far as things might change?) – “Oh yeah, absolutely. There is a plan in place and we are still watching the hurricane. Obviously it hit the Bahamas pretty hard. We are still in the – I don’t want to say the cone because that is the word everyone is using right now, but it is close. It’s something that we are aware of and we’ve got a plan in place if we have to make a move and hopefully we don’t and we can stay on our normal schedule.”
(Did you have a conversation with your team about all the changes that have happened and what it means for them this season?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I address the team every day. I don’t stay away from the things that are happening within the team and I don’t stay away from those things, so I try to address them. My message to them was the same thing I said to you guys: The more time we spend and the more energy we give to everything else that is going on, the less we are giving to our preparation for Baltimore. This is a good team – this is a tough, physical, well-coached team and if we don’t put all our efforts into the preparation for this game, we are doing ourselves a disservice. That was how I addressed the team.”
Brian Flores – September 1, 2019
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Sunday, September 1, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I want to ask you this right off the bat regarding WR Kenny Stills. Was any part of him being traded personal or political on the part of the team, or you or Stephen Ross?) – “Not at all. You guys saw the compensation we received in the trade. It was something we couldn’t turn down. Kenny is a very talented player, as is Laremy (Tunsil); but at the end of the day, we felt like we were doing what was best for the team and the organization.”
(As far as T Laremy Tunsil, why couldn’t he be part of the rebuild? Why wasn’t he viewed as part of the rebuild?) – “Again, you guys saw the compensation. He was a part of that. It is one of those things that, again, he’s a very good player. I like him; but at the end of the day, we just felt like this was the best move for us. You’ve got to make tough decisions when you’re sitting in this seat. I think (General Manager) Chris Grier and (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore) and myself, we spent a lot of time talking through and thinking about it. At the end of the day, we felt like this was best.”
(You’ve been asked this a lot this offseason, but in light of the recent moves, are you guys tanking?) – “I think you know what my response is going to be on that. Again, this game means a lot to me. I wouldn’t disrespect the game with that. Again, no we’re not (tanking). We’re going to try to win every game. I think that’s disrespectful to even say that. These guys have worked extremely hard. They’ve done that all summer, they do it all spring, and they’ll continue to do so. It’s disheartening to hear people talk about it, to even say that. For a guy who respects the game and for as much as the game has done for me, when people say that – you shouldn’t say it.”
(With that being said, when you look at the roster, I think you’re going to be the youngest team this year. You’ve gotten rid of, in my opinion, many of your best players. How can you put together a team this year that has a chance to compete?) – “We’re going to come to work every day. We’re going to coach this group to the best of our ability. We’re going to come out, we’re going to work hard and we’re going to fight. We’re going to play hard and try to win every game. I think that’s what you do. That’s kind of how I’ve been brought up. This team is motivated. I think we’ve got some talented players and we’re just going to try to go out here and try to win every game.”
(How does trading WR Kenny Stills and T Laremy Tunsil help you win every game in 2019?) – “Well, I think again, like I said earlier, these are two very talented players, but we’ve got a lot of talented players on this team. I feel good about the receivers. I feel good about our offensive linemen. These guys work extremely hard and they’re going to do everything they can to help this team win.”
(Can you put into words the larger strategy or play the Dolphins are making with these trades and other trades to – a timeline beyond this year?) – “I don’t really like to look into the future and timelines. Right now, my focus is on right now. Right now, really my focus is on the Baltimore Ravens. They’re a tough, physical, well-coached, disciplined team. They’ll be ready to play and we’ve got to kind of turn our attention to that.”
(What has Stephen Ross said to you, if anything, about – what is his reaction and his input on the direction the organization is taking, particularly given the deals in the last couple of days?) – “He’s been very supportive. We – myself, Chris Grier, Brandon Shore – as an entire organization, we’re all on the same page. He’s been supportive. We’ll continue to stay on the same page moving forward. Again, he’s been very, very supportive. I could go into detail on those, but those conversations are private, and we’re going to keep them that way.”
(What was your reaction when this particular trade combination was brought to you, including LT Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills?) – “There are a lot of conversations with a lot of teams on a daily basis. We’ve had several different offers. My reaction is always the same: does it help this team? Does it help this organization? We’ve got to put all those things – all those things factor into my feeling on a particular trade. In this instance, I felt like this trade would help this organization and this team. Myself, Chris (Grier), Brandon (Shore) – we spent a lot of time talking through this. Like I said before, we’ve got a process on how we make decisions here. I think we went through that process and we did what we felt was best.”
(Who is vying for your starting left tackle job now?) – “We’ve acquired Julien Davenport. We’re excited about him. He’s a good young player. I think his best football’s ahead of him. We’ve also acquired Evan Boehm and Dan Isidora through trades this weekend, and we’re excited about those guys as well. Again, it’s going to be a team effort. There’s 11 guys that play. The communication, the camaraderie amongst the offensive line – we’ve got to build that and try to build and improve on a weekly basis.”
(Have you spoken with LT Laremy Tunsil and/or WR Kenny Stills after the trade, and what was their reaction?) – “Yeah, I spoke to both guys; but again, my conversations with players, with other coaches about contracts – those are all private. Honestly, I just think that’s common courtesy. I try to respect the privacy of those conversations. I’m not going to go into detail about how those conversations went.”
(There are going to be some guys in the locker room who are sad, and there are going to be some guys in the locker room who are mad. Tell me how you plan to deal with that.) – “I think we’ve got a good locker room. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who care about each other, work hard and want to play for each other. I understand there are relationships that are built over the course of years; but at the end of the day, the guys in this locker room – I think that they’re going to band together and play together, and at the end of the day, we’ve got to play for one another.”
(How important is it for this organization to win in 2019?) – “It’s always important to win. I’ve always believed that. I think to take any other approach, that’s just not how you coach the game. That’s not how you play the game. To take any other approach is disrespectful to the game, so it’s very important.”
