Andrew Van Ginkel – May 20, 2021
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(I wanted to ask you a little bit – I saw on social media that you and your wife are expecting a child in July and I wanted to ask you a little bit about that. Is that your first child, what’s your emotions right now and what kind of dad are you going to be?) – “Yeah, it’s going to be my first child. I’m super stoked. It’s just under two months away, so the time’s kind of pressing and I’m super excited for him to finally arrive.”
(I have a 1-year-old – she turns 1 tomorrow. The first three months is pretty rough, but it gets great after that so lots to look forward to for you there.) – “Right, I heard you learn fast. (laughter)”
(You do. My football question for you is this: last year you talked about the goal of getting stronger in the offseason and your coaches talked about that. You talked about it throughout the season. I’m wondering what your goal is this offseason and how you’re working to achieve that goal?) – “It’s kind of the same goal. Keep adding strength and get faster, and then just have a better knowledge of the playbook. This being my third year in it, to be able to be more assertive with my calls and adjustments. I think that’s a huge part that I’m trying to improve on my game.”
(I wanted to ask about T Austin Jackson. You went against him in practice obviously last year. You probably – I don’t know if you have seen his development this offseason. Have you? And what do you expect out of him in Year 2?) – “I think just the way that he comes into work on a daily basis. He’s competitive, he’s tough and he’s going to do exactly what the coaches ask of him, so I expect him to make a big jump in his second year and just to continue to improve and get better. I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses this year.”
(Two months from now – training camp. How are you going to balance the new baby and training camp? That’s my first question and secondly, I’m wondering with more chances – more reps basically this year – do you see an opening for yourself for higher productivity?) – “First off with the baby, it’s going to be tough trying to be a father and then a husband and then just trying to raise a kid. It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to do everything I can to be ready for training camp, so when I go home I can just relax and let all the stresses free. And then about productivity, it’s just doing everything that the coaches ask me to do – be in the right spot, do the right jobs, communicating and helping other guys get aligned and so they can play fast. That ultimately is going to bring us to achieve our goals as a defense and as a team.”
(Going back to the productivity question I saw last year you led the team in special teams snaps. Is that something that you definitely took pride in and do you think that maybe playing some less special teams snaps would allow you to have some more productivity like you’re hoping for on defense?) – “(Head Coach Brian) Flores prides himself and his team on special teams, so obviously hearing that from him and just (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman and how important special teams are, I really took that to heart and just made the most out of my opportunities. I’ll continue to work hard and whatever my role is, I’m going to try to excel at it.”
(My question is what are your early impressions of LB Jaelan Phillips? Obviously he’ll be a guy that’s around you and within the same position group a lot of your days. What’s it been like getting to know him and what are your impressions of Jaelan?) – “It’s awesome. Just seeing him come in and he’s trying to take everything in, soak it up and just be the best version of himself. He’s here to compete and it’s going to be a good training camp just to work with him.”
(I believe I read there’s about 70 guys at camp right now for these offseason workouts. What has the mood been like? Has it been any different from the previous seasons that you have been here coming in?) – “The mood’s been great. Any time you can get around the guys and just catch up and spend quality time with them and build friendships and relationships, it’s a blast. The energy is always up on the first few days and whenever you’re around each other, so it’s been good and just being able to soak everything in as well – just the coaching and trying to get a better understanding of the playbook. It’s been a blast.”
(If I could follow up real quick, has Head Coach Brian Flores been the same coming into these offseason workouts than previously when you came in?) – “Yeah, for sure. He’s hard-nosed and he’s going to make everything competitive and he’s going to push you to be the best you can be and come out there prepared. So yeah, I’d say he’s been the same.”
(I wanted to ask you, you’re one of the guys who made that huge second-year jump. Guys who had ok rookie seasons and I know you were healthy, but what do you attribute to the increased role, the increased productivity that you had last year?) – “I think it’s just keeping my head down and going to work. I’m not a big ‘rah-rah’ guy, but just doing all the little things right, doing everything that coaches ask of me and to not sit here and complain, but to really take it to heart and build off of each and every day.”
(Going back to last season, I know you talked a lot about Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark helping you with different aspects of the game. A little bit of shuffling this year with Clark going to the d-line, Campanile still at linebackers and then Robbie Leonard obviously your outside linebackers coach. My question is how does the collaboration of how all those guys kind of come together to get the best out of you? Like what’s the process for I guess how you’re coached by that trio of coaches?) – “I’d say they all do such a great job in their position groups and on this defense, you’ve got to be versatile because you can play any different role, so just being able to learn different outputs from each coach really helps improve your game and just getting their understanding of the game as well, ultimately is going to make you into a better player – hearing it from three instead of just the same thing from one coach over and over again. So I think just having all of them there has really honestly helped benefit my game and hopefully this year, I can take it to another level.”
(What do you want to improve this offseason? And I know you’re going to want to say everything, but if you could be a little bit specific about what you want to address and make sure that it’s better come the season?) – “I’d say continue to work on my pass rush. Whenever I can get my win percentage or be able to beat a tackle cleaner or whatever the case may be – quicker and faster is the biggest thing. Just being able to explode off the line and be able to bend the edge or get stronger and counter inside. I’d say that’s the biggest part of my game that I would like to improve on.”
(Talking about the second-year jump that you had and the production that you had – obviously what you were doing was working to an extent. What is that feeling like, knowing that you saw some results last season and how excited are you to put in the work to possibly see more?) – “Each year I come in and train as hard as I can to put me in the best position to succeed and I think the coaches will put me in the right spot to help me succeed and help develop me as a player. I’m looking forward to going out there and just use that relentless effort and try to help this team win.”
(I wanted to ask you about the jump that the defense made in general last year. I believe you were No. 6 in scoring. What did Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer do in his first year as coordinator that made things come together as well as they did?) – “I think it’s everybody believing in his coaching and everybody buying in. Everybody was doing their specific job and nobody was trying to do anything extra. If you take care of your business and make sure your grass is green, everything will be fine. You don’t need to be worrying about your neighbor’s grass. Just take care of your grass and everything will take care of itself, and as a defense, you’ll come together and you’ll be a darn good defense for sure.”
Austin Jackson – May 20, 2021
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(As Year 2 kind of gets underway here for you this offseason – I’m sure you’ve been training for awhile now – but looking back at this time a year ago, how would you compare where you are now compared to then, from both the physical and mental standpoint?) – “Well, things are a lot different when you’re not in a pandemic, first and foremost obviously. Being able to just have way more access to resources this year as opposed to last year certainly helps a lot. Getting my feet set for my second year, having more knowledge, knowing a little bit more of what to expect is pretty good. I would say that’s probably the biggest difference from this time last year to this time this year.”
(On kind of the same topic, we had T Liam Eichenberg in for media and he talked about working out with you once upon a time, and witnessing and admiring the Dolphins culture from both you and TE Durham Smythe, who he knew from Notre Dame obviously. I just wanted to get your perspective on that workout and what you’ve seen in Liam’s game.) – “I’ve watched – we did work out recently before all of this kind of unfolded. He’s a great player, honestly. He always has been. When you turn on his Notre Dame tape – I came from USC so I always respected what the o-line was doing over there and what he was doing, especially after guys like Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson left. He stepped in and did a great job. We’re excited to have him with us. I think he definitely fits the culture of what we’re trying to build and I think he adds a good piece for us.”
(The last few months, were you here? Were you in California? Were there instructions from the coaching staff on things to work on this offseason? Were you asked to put on some weight this offseason and did you?) – “Nope. I wasn’t asked to put on weight. Obviously every year – well, that’s not obvious but every year, you want to kind of try to take off bad weight and add more good weight because muscle is heavier. Just working out and making sure my technique is consistent. It’s hard to pick one thing to work on because you’re pretty much working on everything. But I can say that knee bend and getting lower is something I’ve been working on – my flexibility. Strength and conditioning, torque power, turn power and all of that stuff, that’s something we as offensive linemen work on every day.”
(Have you seen strides in those areas?) – “Yeah, most definitely. Most definitely. Especially being able to have a year under my belt. I know what to expect, how it’s going to look in person. You can take that knowledge and put it into your training, which helps a lot.”
(You got a new offensive line coach, Lemuel Jeanpierre. Tell us about how he approaches teaching and how you guys connect.) – “He approaches teaching very well. We had him on staff last year so it’s not like he’s a brand new guy or we’ve never heard him coach before, stuff like that. He’s a great teacher and a great coach. We’re excited to have him. He does a great job with all of us, in general, making sure we’re on the same page. As offensive linemen, the front five have got to work as one. A big part of that is all of us being able to communicate and being on the same page. I think he does a great job with that.”
(It seems like you’re going to get a new partner to work with at the left guard spot. Obviously there’s a lot of mixing and matching going on right now. You talk about chemistry and how important it is. How do you establish that when you’ve got so many guys mixing in there?) – “I think the best thing for me is to make sure that I know both positions and make sure that I’m able to communicate and – I don’t want to say help whoever steps in – so that I can be of assistance if I need to be, so that I can even know what they’re doing. It just makes my game that much better and makes it easier for the left guard as well.”
(To piggyback on something you said earlier about the pandemic. It’s better now, you’ve got more resources, more access, more wisdom. What do you hope as a unit – we can’t call you guys rookies anymore – that you guys learn and took from what you did last season, and it helped you become a better line?) – “Like what could we take from last year to make this a better line? I’d say one thing we can take from last year is just going through adversity. I think when you go through a lot of adversity and come out the other end of it, you kind of learn how to just be consistent in yourself and what you can control. So the things that you can control as a football player is what you do on the field, how you take care of your body, showing up every single day. I think we got a real good glimpse of that last year, which will help carry us over into the future and being able to lock those things down. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. We’re just going to keep it moving with that.”
(There’s been an adage around the NFL for many years that players make their biggest improvement between their first and second season. Does that ring true to you?) – “Yeah, that’s what everyone has been saying. I’ve heard that a lot as well. That’s how I’ve been working, too.”
(So how exciting is that from a personal standpoint? That idea.) – “From a personal standpoint, it’s really exciting. As a competitor and as a teammate, I definitely want to go out there and do everything perfect for myself and for my team. Having that kind of expectation, but also having the knowledge of what needs to be done, is exciting. It excites me a lot and I’m looking forward to it.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa. Does he look a little different to you? Does he seem a little different to you this time around?) – “He’s got a beard. (laughter) Yeah, he’s got a beard and has a little more bass in his voice.”
(What about his biceps?) – “(laughter) I haven’t looked at his biceps. But yeah, he’s doing good. I see him a lot. He’s been working hard, every single day just like all of us. That’s my guy. He’s a great kid. He’s looking good too, and he’s working hard.”
(Last year you guys had three rookies that wound up starting on the line with you, G Solomon Kindley and G/T Robert Hunt. So that having been said and with the expectation of the Year 1 to Year 2 jump, what kind of jump as a whole from the offensive line is fair to expect in 2021?) – “I would expect – the type of jump from the offensive line, first and foremost, we look back to our values and how we want to see ourselves. We have our own kind of culture in the room. We want to be tough, disciplined, detailed and nasty. All of those four words are kind of what we aim for and I think you can see a big improvement in those aspects. We want to do our job well, know we don’t have any errors and we want to do it fast and do it with a sense of urgency.”
(Have you had conversations with G Solomon Kindley and G/T Robert Hunt about you three guys being the foundation for this offensive line for years to come, and all that that entails?) – “It sounds nice to say; but at the end of the day, what it really comes down to is you’ve got to look at what’s in front of you right now. Right now, between all of us, our head is on this next season and what we can do, however it plays out, making sure that each one of us individually is putting the work in to be better and help those around us. For years to come? Yeah, I love it. That sounds great. But keeping the reality of it, we know what we want to do next year. That’s kind of where we’re at for now.”
(Whenever a new player comes into the offensive line room, it’s like adding a new cog to the machine. How long would you estimate it takes to get everything running smoothly the way that you see it?) – “Between?”
(For instance, you add a new person, you have to gain chemistry with that person. You have to get an idea of how that’s going to affect the entire offensive line. How long do you think it takes to really build that chemistry to the point where you say, “I know how you function, let’s make it go?”) – “I would say it’s hard to give an exact timestamp. But I would say maybe even after – I can’t even give you a timestamp. I do know that with us having new people in, everyone in the o-line room, and on our team in general, does a good job of bringing them in, bringing them up to speed, communicating so we all can get on the same page rather quickly. In terms of gelling and being completely in sync, I would say a couple of practices – a couple of practices, a couple of extra walkthrough sessions like we have been doing.”
(You mentioned about the nastiness of the offensive line. Does that really start during these offseason workouts and programs and not really once you hit training camp?) – “Definitely. It’s a mentality. You can’t just show up and be nasty. Everything you train for has to be aggressive and with intent. It definitely starts now with how we train ourselves to go to battle.”
(Compared to a year ago in the midst of COVID-19, it’s opening up a little bit now. There are about 70 guys, I believe, in the offseason workouts at camp. Is it different right now? Is the feeling more upbeat right now that things are changing and you guys can do more and it’s a little bit more open?) – “Definitely. Definitely. Last year was very unusual for I think everybody. I think that everybody in the world had an unusual last year. The NFL was definitely affected. We have all of our drafted guys down here already; but my class, we weren’t able to do that. It’s a big difference. I think we’re all excited to get over this thing.”
(Earlier you mentioned adding good weight, and getting rid of bad weight, so I’ve just got to ask you, does that mean no more Saturday night ice cream?) – “I think you guys asked me that question even before the season started – it was an ice cream question. I think as the season went, I think ice cream Saturdays have been done for a while, when I realized how the season was going to go and how many games we had. So that’s done. (laughter) In terms of good weight being put on, that’s just muscle. That’s just learning what your body digests well and what it doesn’t, maintaining your body for the long season.”
Myles Gaskin – May 17, 2021
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Monday, May 17, 2021
RB Myles Gaskin
(When you look back on last season, what are some things that you’re most proud of and what are some things you wish you could have done better?) – “I’m just proud of how we finished as a team. I was proud of how I handled my recovery of my injury, just missing a couple of games. Just kind of how I finished and just kind of, for myself coming into this next season, just working on staying healthy as much as I can. I know I missed a few games with my knee and COVID. Just missing those games kind of hurt myself, just kind of hurt the team and hurt myself in my own eyes, so I’m just trying to work on staying healthy, trying to take care of my body, trying to work on a lot of things so things don’t come up during the season.”
(I’m pretty sure you’re aware of your production level, but if you hadn’t gotten hurt and hadn’t caught COVID, do you realize you would have been like the fourth-most productive player in the NFL at your present pace? Did you know that or?) – “I had heard things like that but I mean; I guess it’s like a compliment, but I wasn’t so you know what I’m saying? Like at the end of the day, I liked how I was playing, but I did miss those games and that’s not a factual statement. You never know what happens in those games, so I appreciate that just kind of being brought to light. But that’s my point of being healthy. I’ll just do as much as I can. Obviously football is football and things happen, but just trying to do as much as I can to make sure my body is able to go through a 17-plus game season with the playoffs.”
(What are the things that you can do that can help a back be more durable?) – “I work on knee health, ankle health, things like that. Work on stability, just being more like sure – just work on those small muscles. I did a lot of Pilates when I went back home to Seattle, and I think that helped my body just working on those small muscles, working on awkward movements. And moving your body like I said, moving your body awkwardly – just new things I haven’t done in the past, I think that’ll take my game to the next step.”
(It seems like Tracy Ford has meant a lot to you and the people at his gym. Could you just kind of explain what he’s meant to you? Over the past couple of years specifically, this offseason coming off your best year and like you said, the training regimen with your health and just everything he’s meant to you lately.) – “I’ve known Tracy since I was, what, 15 years old? I’ve been training with him every opportunity I’ve had every time I’m in Washington. He’s obviously been a trainer helping me with my football, but he’s been a real big mentor for myself, just kind of being around a lot of guys that have been in the league. He knows a lot guys at the Seahawks, like Bobby (Wagner) and K.J. (Wright), so he’s been around a lot of top-shelf players, two Hall of Famers in my eyes just being from Seattle and watching Bobby and K.J. play. He just kind of coached me up on how I need to work when it’s the offseason, like what you should be doing right after the season, what you should be doing like right before OTAs. Not necessarily, I feel like in my in my younger years, especially in college, I’ll be working out in like February like I was going play a game on Saturday in college. But he’s just kind of teaching me, showing me those ropes on how to treat your body as a professional, how to be a professional and things like that. It definitely helped me last year and going into this year, we talk every day. We talk about what I need to be doing and getting workouts all the time. So yeah, that’s my dog.”
(And if I could just follow up on one quick on that, obviously RB Salvon Ahmed has meant a lot to both you guys and your relationship. What did it mean to have him kind of by your side for this past offseason as you’ve had the years prior at Tracy Ford’s gym?) – “It means everything. Just having a brother with you at all times and having a guy to compete with. Obviously we’re best friends off the field, but definitely when we compete, like we’ll be going back and forth. He’ll win some, I’ll win some. We get mad at each other. Like the other day, we were racing and I didn’t even feel like – I lost – and I didn’t feel like talking to him on the ride back. I was sitting in the car just silent. I was so mad. (laughter) So I mean, just having somebody to compete with, especially having like a real friend to compete with, talk about the playbook with, all that type of stuff. Like we’ll be quizzing each other at dinner and stuff like that. It’s cool.”
(It was important for you to be back for these voluntary workouts. You flew across the country to be a part of it. Why did you think that it was in your best interest to be here this week, as opposed to what the NFLPA was asking the membership to do?) – “I’ll just speak for myself. I just needed to get up out of Seattle, to be honest. Florida is Florida, so everything’s open. And just the weather. I mean, I got an apartment here. I’m not trying to – I’m not paying for an apartment not to stay there. So I have my other reasons for myself and obviously, help me learn the playbook being on-site. I mean, we got everything you need here, but there’s definitely a mix of football and just trying to get up – I was living at my parents’ house, so you know how that goes. It’s cool and all until they want you to clean a bathroom or something. (laughter)”
(And a follow up, if I may, how was the turnout today? How many of you all were there?) – “It was good. It was a good amount of us. I think a lot of guys – it was good to – we’ve been having these Zoom meetings, so it was good for guys. I think guys were excited to get out there to walk through it. It was very slow-paced, but just getting in that huddle, just having somebody call a play is different than just like reading off flash cards or sitting in this type of setting, a Zoom setting. It felt good.”
(You mentioned earlier your competition. I’m curious, the Dolphins had a lot of draft capital heading into this year’s draft. They had a couple first-round picks and second-round picks, and there were some really good backs who were coming out this year. As someone who’s trying to make a name for himself on the Dolphins, was that something that you were mindful of? Did you want them to maybe go out and get a big back or was that something that you just kind of ignored?) – “Above my paygrade. (laughter) To be honest with you, whatever they do upstairs is what they do upstairs. Whoever we bring in, I know it’s going to be the best for the team. I don’t think drafting a back or bringing in a back is going to change anything for me. I’m trying to compete with myself, compete with others obviously; but definitely compete with myself, make sure I’m the best running back I can be come the end of July whenever camp starts, and then leading up into the season. So I don’t think bringing on anybody changes my routine. I’m excited for the guys that did get drafted. A couple years ago, I was in the same spot, so I mean – I watched the draft, which is exciting for people, but whoever we draft, I’m just excited to have them on the team.”
(This is sort of along those same lines, but I am curious if the fact that the Dolphins did not spend a high draft pick on a running back, if you maybe take that as a vote of confidence in what you can do; and at the same time, did you hear any of the talk before the draft that Miami “needs a running back?” Is that maybe another slight toward you, which I know you’re kind of used to your whole career?) – “Not really. You see the stuff on Instagram. You get tagged on things on Instagram. I try my best to stay off of that, but I don’t find my confidence in what anybody else says, whatever it may be. I find my confidence in myself. It is what it is. Whoever is going to be out there, they’ve got to play just as much as anybody else. So it is what it is.”
(You mentioned earlier getting into the playbook and with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey being promoted to co-offensive coordinators, I’m curious how much has changed?) – “I feel like for the running backs that were here – myself, Pat (Laird), Salvon (Ahmed) – just kind of seeing the playbook, it has changed. It’s much different than last year’s but us being around ‘E’ (Eric Studesville), we kind of see his offensive mind sitting in the room with him. You see his offensive mind kind of clicking, kind of moving, so I feel like me, Pat, ‘Salv’ kind of had a good – not that we understood what it was going to be, but what it was going to look like, if that makes sense, coming in and just being able to kind of get the terms and stuff like that down now. Obviously it’s super early. It’s still the first one, so it was just like very basic stuff; but just kind of seeing what ‘E’s’ input has been on it along with George (Godsey) how they came to bring one offense together, I think obviously surprised with some things, excited for some things, but at the same time, I’ve been around ‘E’ for a while so I know what he likes and what he wants things to look like.”
(What do you feel like the point of emphasis is going to be? What are those two guys driving home on all the meetings? What do they say over and over again?) – “It’s still early. Just getting lined up, get set and know where you’re supposed to be. Know the formations. It’s super basic right now. Like I said, it was a walkthrough today, so just knowing where you’re going to be. You can’t run a play if you don’t know where to line up. It’s Day 1, so it’s early.”
(You talked about with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, knowing what he wants and what he likes. Is that just from being in the meeting rooms with him and knowing his style and what he believes? And how much different was it than what you guys ran last year?) – “Definitely, just being in the room with him, so you know what he wants. You know his terminology. I think that’s kind of like the biggest thing from coach to coach. A lot of coaches call the same thing or have the same thing but just call it different wording around it, especially when you’re watching film. But it’s definitely different. It’s a whole new playbook. It’s not the same as last year’s, but it’s not – like I said, it’s still early. We’re still picking it up. I think everybody is very open-minded and just kind of just soaking it all in right now.”
(Kind of continuing that theme here of questions about comfortability and stuff, you saw a big jump last year in terms of playing time and then production as well. I’m wondering at what point for you to kind of the experience of playing the position in the NFL kind of starts to be recognizable for you? Like when did the game kind of start to slow down? And do you kind of see that continuing going into Year 3?) – “Yeah, I definitely think so. When the game started slowing down – I don’t know. Maybe the Buffalo game? The first time we played Buffalo in Miami. But just more reps, just more playing. I mean, obviously, it just keeps on slowing down and you learn new things and just kind of how to play the game. I think that was just my biggest jump each week was just kind of like eye-opening that, hey, I need to do this this week to be successful, or I need to be looking for this. Obviously it slows down, but I think each week is its own new task. So whenever you can master your – I guess for me, it’s always like, put away whatever you played. You’ve got to learn a whole new team.”
(I guess my main purpose of the question is, if you look at where you were Year 1 – your rookie season like going into the year in May that year compared to where you are now. How would you compare those two, those two times of your career?) – “I’m better, I guess. Just more better in the mind, better just physically, just ready to go. I know what I’m looking for. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses and I’m trying to get those all to strengths and even my strengths are even stronger. So I think I just have more of a focus on what – I feel like when I first came in, I was just wide-eyed. ‘I just want to get better.’ But now I’m really focused on what I want to get better at, if that makes sense.”
Elandon Roberts – May 17, 2021
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Monday, May 17, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(I’m asking about your recovery because that’s kind of the most important thing from our standpoint. How do you feel now? What has the rehab process been like for you? What’s the toughest part of this whole process?) – “It’s been cool. I’m just taking it one day at a time and stuff like that.”
(What was it like when the Dolphins offered an opportunity to bring you back, even though you’re not completely healthy? Were you thankful? Did you feel like you wanted to explore what was possible when you could get healthier and do a work out?) – “I think me and the Dolphins, we knew that we definitely wanted to be a part of the family, and we made it happen.”
(Did you need surgery on your injury?) – “Eh. What you may call surgery, I may call a sprained ankle. (laughter)”
(Which was it? Was it surgery or a sprained ankle? Those are two totally different things.) – “Nah, I had surgery.”
(How’s the recovery going?) – “It’s going good.”
(What’s one thing you’ve probably learned about yourself so far during this recovery process? How have you kind of kept upbeat during the whole thing?) – “This is my first time really being hurt. It tests your mental because I’ve never really had an injury. But at the end of the day, just me and how I grew up, it’s really nothing like – I’ve been going through adversity my whole life. It’s just another bump in the road. But it’s really not a bump to me. I just laid the pavement.”
(When you kind of get to that moment where you realize, “okay,” you kind of have your sorrows and then you realize you’ve got to work towards getting better again, what is that feeling of inspiration like to you?) – “I really haven’t even had that moment.”
(My question was about kind of starting out of the gates faster this year. I know that you’ve played with Head Coach Brian Flores before and this is your second year here with him in Miami. Starting 1-3 last year, you guys finished strong. Do you think there’s something to having so many new pieces in the defense in general, that made you guys kind of start slower? And do you think you can make that transition this year to start faster?) – “A lot of things went on last year. You don’t make excuses for anything but you’ve got to be realistic to what every team in the NFL went through last year. You’ve got some teams with a fast start that had a bad ending and you’ve got some teams with a slow start that had a rise in the middle and stuff like that. So you’ve seen it kind of across the NFL. I think with it kind of going back to some kind of normal (from) COVID and stuff like that, that teams will be able to not start slow like they did last year. I’m not just speaking for us; I’m speaking for the whole NFL.”
(Just personally for yourself, do you feel like your second year here in Miami, with this staff and with this team, might make it a little bit easier in the offseason to get ready for the season ahead?) – “Yeah. I have (already done) that meeting everybody, shaking everybody’s hands and trying to learn this person and that person, and stuff like that. It should be smooth. I’m comfortable with it. I think as a vet, you just adapt and do your thing.”
(By my count, there are currently 13 players on the Dolphins and Patriots who used to wear the other uniform. So given that you open against the Patriots this year, what’s that going to be like?) – “Another day on the job. (laughter) I don’t like hold grudges or anything like that. I left there on a good note. When I return, at the end of the day, y’all have heard it: when I go against my opponent, I don’t really think about it like, ‘oh, that’s my partner, like I want to kick it with him after.’ You guys have heard it. I’m trying to handle it.”
(What’s your confidence level that you’ll be fully back healthy at the start of training camp, at the start of the regular season?) – “Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. When it’s time for me to y’all up, I’m going to wake you up. But right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. (laughter)”
(What do you know about your new linebacker partner Benardrick McKinney?) – “I’m from Houston. My family lives in Houston. So I always knew of him, just from being in the Houston area and stuff like that. I feel like McKinney is a great guy. I can’t wait to – man, I lost my train of thought. I’m sorry.”
(I think you’re the one remaining defensive captain with the team having moved on from LB Kyle Van Noy and S Bobby McCain. What was your reaction to the other two defensive captains being let go?) – “Real great guys. I loved playing with those guys and stuff like that; but at the end of the day, a business is a business. I don’t know about those guys’ situations but I do know they were great teammates, great people on and off the field and I wish them nothing but the best on their new teams.”
(What’s it like having DB Jason McCourty as a teammate again?) – “’J-Mac,’ that’s my guy. He’s funny. That’s my guy. A great leader, a great guy. A great person to learn from off the field. He’s the type of guy that gives great advice on and off the field. ‘J-Mac,’ that’s my guy.”
(With the exodus of leaders – the only guys that are left are you and G/T Jesse Davis from last year’s leadership group. How do you instill that culture? How do you pick up where you guys left off last year from a leadership standpoint?) – “I think you just get all of the guys and as everybody gets in here, you just build that camaraderie. Like I said, this year will be so much different than last year because guys will be able to do that and stuff like that. That’s what you do. Last year was kind of – you had to build it through the year so quickly with training camp and stuff like that. It’s nothing anyone else wouldn’t have to go through in a regular NFL season. This league changes every day and stuff like that. It’s about adapting. It’s like week to week we play against different offenses. We might be going against a true pro style and then next week, we’re going up against a West Coast (scheme). You’re going to adapt. We’re just going to adapt to everyone new in our facility and from a team perspective, we’re just going to come together as a team, learn each other and put all of the marbles and ducks in a row.”
(I wanted to ask you, the feeling from what you’re saying about the camaraderie and things like that, is there a different energy in the building that you feel from players like yourself and the coaches, of what the season coming up could be?) – “I feel like the energy around the building since I’ve been here is always good. You’ve got players and coaches that love football. They love the grind and stuff like that. If it’s a problem, we’re trying to fix it; and we don’t really care how long we take. That’s the good thing about the building is there’s no complacency and stuff like that. You’ve just got to understand that all we’re going to do is try to get better and better.”
(Obviously the team spent a high draft pick trying to help the defense this year. I’m wondering if you’ve met LB Jaelan Phillips yet and what your impressions of him are, whether you’ve seen him on film or just in the building.) – “Jaelan, he’s a great kid. I’m definitely excited about having him, just like I’m excited about having all of the rookies. I feel like all of the rookies, to this point, are doing a phenomenal job. They’re doing what the coaches need them to do. I feel like him and this rookie class, they’re going to do what they came here to do. And hopefully all of them have a great year.”
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