Durval Queiroz Neto – August 6, 2021
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Friday, August 6, 2021
G Durval Queiroz Neto
(What has gotten better since you first got here – your English or your football skills?) – “For sure my football skills.”
(How much better would you say they are than when you first got here?) – “Coming from Brazil was already hard because of the level of football. Then they changed my position, and then for sure that transition, learning everything from o-line standpoint, that is the part I’ve most improved. I learned how to be patient. It’s really different than being aggressive playing d-line. I think being patient is the biggest improvement I’ve made.”
(Do you have any family here or are you by yourself?) – “No. I live by myself. My family, they are here right now for (training) camp, but they live in Brazil.”
(What’s that like being apart from them?) – “Life is hard. I’m doing this because it’s my dream to be here. This part of life I need support for that. That’s one thing life has asked from me before I realized this dream. I can’t complain. We talk every day on the phone and Facetime. They try to be present in my life every day somehow.”
(What would it be like for you if you to get into a game, if you’re able to contribute in a regular-season game?) – “This is everything I want since I came here. Every day I practice, practice and practice. For the last two years, I’ve been watching all of my teammates on the weekends go for the game and I have to stay. Every week has made me more hungry for that. I want that. I want to be in a game. Nothing is more important for me than being in a game to help my team.”
(How close do you think that dream is coming to be true?) – “In a lot of parts, I need to get better a lot. I think they are going to give me a chance when I’m ready. I don’t know when it’s going to be, if it’s in the next games. I don’t know. The coaches are going to decide that.”
(When you first got here, did you have an idea like maybe three years, four years? Did you plan like that?) – “The things in life don’t happen like the way we want. I came in on the d-line, I said, ‘it’s close. It’s going to happen in one or two years.’ Then they changed my position and then I said I don’t know. I’m just getting better. I don’t know.”
(Has there been a moment when they switched you to offensive line where you said ‘ok, I can do this?’ Has there been a moment, a play or practice where you really felt you were getting more comfortable?) – “In Brazil when I was playing d-line, I said this is my thing. The only way I’ll be happy is if I play d-line. I like to run and hit people, make tackles, tackles for loss. When they moved me, I said I can play guard for sure. But I don’t know if I’ll be happy. But after months playing and training, I’m happy. I love what I do. When I do pass protection and block people, I love that. I enjoy (it).”
(What was it like when you got the notice that you were going to be called up to the second team?) – “They move people around. There is no ‘you are with the second team right now.’ They are moving people around. They want to give me more reps. They move people around. There is no ‘Q you are with the second team. You will be there.’ I don’t think it works like that. They are going to see when they need to move me up, when they move me down. It’s up to them. But yeah, it’s great.”
(Do you know whose idea it was for you to move from defense to offense?) – “Oh, yeah. (laughter) When I first came here, they had a coach, Dave DeGuglielmo, the o-line coach. He was watching my practice every day and saying, ‘hey ‘Q,’ we have a white jersey ready for you. You need to make that move.’ I’d say ‘coach, I was born to play d-line.’ When they signed him to be the main o-line coach, he asked for me and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) talked with me and I decided to make the move. From there, they spent a lot of time and patience teaching me everything I know right now as an o-lineman.”
(What were the discussions like with your family when you said ‘hey, I’m going to America to play in the NFL?) – “My family – coming from Judo, I’m a black belt in judo, they always supported me in any sport. When I was graduating with my Agriculture and Engineering (degree), I was ready to come back and help my dad with the farm. Then I said I needed to try and they supported me. They give me everything I need and I have my friend, my agent. We came together and we started, training and then the NFL, they discovered my story. But they always support me. Like you said in the beginning, it’s far. You support your son being far from home, but that is how family is.”
(What about the teammates? How long did it take for them to accept you as one of the guys as opposed to that guy from Brazil?) – “Everybody who made it to the NFL, they already did something in college and high school. They didn’t know nothing about me. When we introduced ourselves and they say where did you play? I say, ‘I’ve never played. I came from Brazil. I never played college.’ In the beginning, it was hard for them to understand; but after (that), they were like ‘Q,’ he didn’t know nothing about football. But he’s here and he’s trying to work.’ Then they started to recognize that and then from there it was easier, the relationships.”
Brian Flores – August 6, 2021
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Friday, August 6, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Had two unrelated questions, but the first is really quick. Without giving a reason how many assistant coaches do you expect not to be here today? And then also what appealed to you about QB Reid Sinnett as your third quarterback to keep around and develop him? What specific skills do you all like in him?) – “The first question – one. Reid (Sinnett) – I think he’s smart. I think he’s done a good job learning the offense. I think he’s taken command of his group when he’s in there. I think he’s made some nice throws and I think he’s working hard and improving on a daily basis.”
(For years, players who are unhappy with their contract and perhaps demanding or requesting a trade would hold out where they stay away from the team. Times have changed. Now players hold in. CB Xavien Howard is unhappy but present. How do you view the hold out versus the hold in?) – “I guess I would say I think Xavien (Howard) has done a nice job. He’s dealing with an ankle. I think he’s been very supportive of his teammates. I think he’s been attentive in meetings. I think you see him on the field coaching guys up – the young guys. I think he’s dealing with an injury like we have several other players dealing with injuries and I think he’s working on a daily basis to get back. Obviously he’s an important part of this team and he’s taking things day to day and when he gets back, we’ll get him in there and get him working with his teammates. I think he’s doing a nice job considering his situation.”
(So will CB Xavien Howard be out there today and do you expect him to travel with the team to Chicago?) – “Yeah, we’ve got our walkthrough today. I expect ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) to be out there. Again he’s dealing with something, let’s call it day to day; but it’s walkthrough today so I expect him to be out there. And yeah, look, we’re taking things one day at a time, so as far as who’s traveling to Chicago and things like that; yeah, we expect to bring him to Chicago but there’s a lot going on here as far as COVID and injuries and things of that nature. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you exactly who’s going when and who’s going to be here, but I don’t. We’ll take things one day at a time, but assuming all things are – guys are healthy and guys are available – yeah, he’ll be there.”
(Could you see any scenario where you and GM Chris Grier acquiesce to CB Xavien Howard trade request or do you want him on this team, period, he will be on this team, period?) – “We don’t want to trade ‘X’ (Xavien Howard). You can write that down. He’s a very good player. He’s a big part of the team. We don’t want to trade him.”
(Have you and CB Xavien Howard – I know you decline to discuss details of conversations, but can you share if it’s true – have you and “X” had any productive or positive conversations over the last week either in your office or on the field?) – “Yeah, I talk to ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) pretty much every day. I think every conversation is productive. We’ve gotten into specifics of X’s and O’s, contract, things of that nature. I think they’ve been productive. Like I said last week, I think we’re moving in the right direction and we’ll just continue to keep talking to him and his representation. Again, I think we think these – we want these things to happen quickly. We want them to happen right now. But some things take time and we’ll work through it and hopefully come to the best resolution for all sides.”
(You said you don’t want to trade CB Xavien Howard, but given the caliber of player he is, have other teams called to ask if you’re willing to trade him?) – “We keep all that internal. Calls we make, calls teams make to us; it’s kind of common courtesy just to keep those things in-house, internal, confidential. Not talk about what other people are asking for from our end or what we’re talking to other people about. And that’s kind of how we want to operate. Again, I think it’s just common courtesy.”
(Last one on CB Xavien Howard. I’m curious if you can share anything about what message, if any, you have delivered to the group about the “X” situation? They know what’s going on. They’re not oblivious. So have you addressed it with the group?) – “I think you hear these guys talk; they’re very supportive of ‘X.’ He’s a very good teammate. There’s relationships that have been built over the last – since I’ve been here and longer in some instances. He’s supportive of his teammates. He does a good job in meetings. He’s helped these young guys. He’s supportive of everyone – offense, defense, special teams. He answers the questions of the young rookies and young players. Yeah, I think everyone understands the situation, but things have gone fairly smoothly from our standpoint.”
(I had one more question on CB Xavien Howard. Of course, as you pointed out during June, it’s an unusual thing for a guy to ask for changes to his contract two years after signing a long-term extension. That said, have you and GM Chris Grier while sitting in a room – while not prying – have you and Chris sitting in a room said to yourself, “Let’s just do a little something, a nice gesture for him just to make the player happy since he was really good last year and just to put this behind us. Let’s do a little something contractually for him?”) – “’Not prying?’ (laughter) I’ll say this: last week I stood up here – and I’ve said it again – talks are progressing. I’m not going to get into the details of those conversations, but talks are progressing. You take from that what you want. Again, these things – they take time. But as long as the lines of communication are open, as long as everyone is willing to compromise; then we can get something done.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene, for a long time you and the coaches have described him as a – and I hope this isn’t a trigger word or a negative connotation – a “developmental prayer” – I hope that word didn’t set you off…) – “No. We’re all developing. None of us are (perfect).”
(What are the things that CB Noah Igbinoghene does need to start to form pretty quickly in his game?) – “I think we’re all developing. I think when you’re a rookie, a first-, second-year player, third-year player, 10th-year player; there’s always something you can improve and get better at. I think that’s the case with Noah (Igbinoghene). I think he’s working hard. I think he’s doing all the right things in the meetings and the walkthroughs and we just need to continue to work on the techniques, the fundamentals, believe in the techniques and the fundamentals, apply those techniques and fundamentals in practice and I think over time he’ll have success and he’ll get better and we’re just trying to make incremental improvements on a daily basis. I think that’s the case for all of us – players, coaches, support staff, everyone in our building. And Noah is no different. He’s got more of obviously a spotlight on him than some other people, but he’s working hard and if he keeps working the way he’s working, he’ll make improvement.”
(How close are WR Will Fuller, LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Andrew Van Ginkel to being able to do individual or team drills again?) – “Day to day. Every day they’re getting better – or I should say every day they’re working to improve and get better. I would say they’re all getting better. I know you guys want me to say it’s day to day or week to week, but I just take things one day at a time so everything is day to day to me. I know you asked that last week. Those guys are working to get better on a daily basis and that’s all we can really ask of them. Get up, get your treatment, get more treatment, get in the hot tub, get in the cold tub, work out, work on your conditioning, do a good job in the meetings and they’ll get out there as soon as they can. They want to be out there.”
(I know you guys are cross-training people on the offensive line at this point; but at what point do you worry about chemistry development. And also I would like an update on G Solomon Kindley, who was working with the third team the last time we watched practice. Where is he in his progression in terms of what you need to see from him?) – “I think there’s a lot of competition in that room. I think you’ve seen guys work with the ones, with the twos, with the threes. Solomon is a guy whose worked with the ones, with the twos, with the threes. But again, like I’ve said numerous times, it doesn’t really matter what group you’re with. From alignment, assignment, responsibility, technique and fundamentals, are you doing the right things? That’s for each player. That’s really what we’re looking for and that’s what is being evaluated, so it doesn’t matter what group you’re in. Are you taking care of business with the reps that you have? As far as the team chemistry or chemistry along the offensive line, I think it’s very important and a very valid question. It’s something that we don’t take for granted at all. At some point we’ll kind of narrow this thing down to let’s call it five, six, seven guys because you’ve got to have at least seven to eight guys at the game. Whatever five of that group, that group has to have the chemistry you need to be an effective offensive line. So there will always be some moving parts. I think we’d all like to say it’s just five guys so let them play and let them work. But again – and I think (you guys) asked this the other day – we’ve got to get some other guys in there too so that chemistry with the sixth lineman and the seventh lineman, there’s not a big drop-off because inevitably that’s going to happen. So if you want to see all five every day for days and weeks in a row, I’m sorry that’s just not going to happen (laughter). I just don’t think that’s the best thing for the group overall. But yeah, we’re going to narrow this down to let’s call it seven or eight guys at some point.”
(Do you have a good feel for six, seven or eight?) – “Early on, yes. There’s some guys that are ahead of others up to this point. But we’ve still got – the practices against Chicago will tell us a lot. The preseason games will tell us a lot. (I heard) we’re keeping score on this but it’s still early. It’s still very early. The Chicago practices will go a long way. The preseason games will go a long way. I don’t think we’re going to make a full-on evaluation or declaration of who is who until we get through that. It’s still early. It’s still early. It’s still early. It’s still early. (laughter)”
(Speaking of developing players, where is G Durval Queiroz Neto in his development?) – “I think he’s doing a nice job. He’s having a nice camp. I think this is Year 3 for him. His first year he was a d-lineman. We moved him to offensive line after training camp, so let’s call it roughly two years training on the offensive line. I think he’s made steady improvements. I would say look, this guy is big, strong, athletic, fast. I think it’s kind of the football acumen, techniques and fundamentals – things of that nature – that I would say he’s made significant improvement over the last two years. He’s gone in and done a nice job. His mental errors are down. His technique is better. We’ll just continue to see if he continues on the trajectory that he’s on and try to build on it on a daily basis. I think he’s off to a good start but once you start getting into days seven, eight nine and 10, practices against Chicago, playing a game, we’ll really get a good feel for what this is.”
(What about the running backs and RB Myles Gaskin, how has he looked to you? We didn’t see RB Malcolm Brown last practice and RB Salvon Ahmed, how is he coming along after he was in the red jersey?) – “Salvon was a little banged up. He was in a little bit but we expect him – again, he’s day to day. We expect him back at some point here in the near future. You mentioned Malcolm? He missed practice? I thought he was out there and it was modified, but ok. Maybe I’m confused on my days – I could be, it’s training camp. But let’s call him day to day also. I think Myles is doing a nice job. He’s working hard and doing a good job in the run game, protections, catching the ball out of the backfield. I think leadership – he’s continuing to evolve as a leader as well on the team.”
(S Jevon Holland pulled off his first interception of training camp the last practice we watched, which was Wednesday. Where is he in his development? I know you guys were working DB Jason McCourty at cornerback. Is he ready for the heavy responsibility of that free safety spot?) – “I would say he’s doing a lot of good things. He’s smart, he’s tough, it’s important to him. We’re asking a lot of him – multiple positions. I think he’s doing a nice job. But it’s not necessarily the interception – and that’s a good play, one that everybody sees – but it’s getting guys lined up, getting himself lined up, being in the right position, being in good position to make a last line of defense tackle, communication with the corners, with the linebackers, down and distance situation. There’s a lot that goes into that position. I think he’s taken on that responsibility and been very – let’s call it forthright and trying to do a good job as far as taking on that leadership or signal-caller spot, which is hard for a rookie. I would say to step in there and tell somebody else what to do – that’s what the position calls for. He’s growing. He’s getting better. There’s still a long way to go. Again, I think the next few practices – for us these next three days and then Chicago and then the preseason game – we’ll just try to make steady improvements.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 4, 2021
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Wednesday, August 4, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(How much of the accuracy we’ve seen on the deep ball and other throws has been physical changes? Are you that much farther removed from the hip surgery? Is there something physical that you feel is helping?) – “I guess to that – I’ve been playing football since I was little. I’ve been playing the quarterback position for as long as I can remember. Really, it’s just coming out and working on your timing with the guys, seeing the speed of players. Not everyone is really fast. And I guess just everyone coming out to practice and being able to work on it. That’s what helped.”
(Where do you fee like you are right now in terms of the comfort level of this offense and understanding of it?) – “I would say I’m very comfortable. I think the biggest thing with my position is you can never get overly confident with the position that we’re in. You’ve got to stay even-keel with the ups and the downs. For me it’s just continuing to learn the offense, continuing to learn my guys up front, the receivers; and really just working towards what we want as a team.”
(How much do you feel your work with guys like WR Albert Wilson, WR Jakeem Grant and WR DeVante Parker, all outside of practice, has helped you from a chemistry standpoint?) – “I think being able to get with the guys throughout the offseason has helped tremendously with the timing. But I think until you’re able to put the pads on, come out and really work against an opposing team or guys on the opposite side of you, that’s when I think those things come up and show.”
(Has the previous chemistry you’ve established WR Jaylen Waddle helped in this camp? Are there things you just know he’s going to do in anticipating throws from the time at Alabama?) – “It’s not necessarily me knowing all the time where he’s going to be, but us really talking through it in the film room and then kind of getting an understanding when we’re coming out here of what we’ve seen previously from the defense and what they’ve shown. We work off of that.”
(Yesterday, LB Jerome Baker talked about how you come into the linebacker’s room and ask them questions and you’re super curious in asking different position groups questions. What can you gain from talking to the defensive guys at this point?) – “For me, it’s being able to see their alignment and their positioning. Why do they align this way? For me, it gives me an edge to know where to go with the ball a lot quicker and it speeds up my process. I think it’s always good to nitpick the other side. We have a veteran like ‘JMac’ (Jason McCouty), so being able to ask ‘JMac’ some questions. And also seeing how they disguise things.”
(Beyond just comfort level, what would you point to as the area that you feel there has been the most improvement for you?) – “I think every day I’m trying to get better. I’m not looking at the things that I do right; but most of the things I don’t do right. It’ll keep coming back to me just continuing to get better and continue to work day by day.”
(We’ve seen the deep ball out here a lot. I know you talked about it a little bit; but does it feel like a different ball that you’re throwing than last year? Or are we just seeing it more? How can you gauge where you are with that?) – “I mean, if the guy is open, I’m going to throw it to him. That’s what I can say to that. I would say it’s very much no different than my time I had at Alabama throwing deep balls.”
(What’s it like for you to have a veteran receiver like WR Albert Wilson back in the lineup after he opted out last season?) – “It’s good, being able to see what Albert is able to do. The coaching points he gives to the receivers when we have our group meetings, I think it’s really good to have someone like him, his work ethic, his mindset, to help not just the receivers; but to also help us in the quarterback room.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said today about throwing guys open … that some guys might be hesitant; but to throw a guy open, what is the difference between throwing a guy open and knowing where it’s supposed to go?) – “I personally think those two kind of fall hand in hand. You know where the guy is supposed to be, he has a guy right on him; but you throw it to the spot and he has an inch of separation from the guy and he makes that catch. I think that’s what it means.”
(The confidence in the group that you have, to be able to do that. You’re obviously getting more chemistry together.) – “I think all of us in the quarterback room have a lot of confidence with the guys we have right now.”
(This is a rough deal; but with the Olympics going on, there has been a lot of attention on the pressure that athletes have on them, especially when they are on a major stage. You’ve been in that position at Alabama and now here as a first-round pick. Is that something you can identify with and how do you deal with that pressure?) – “Luckily for me, I’m not on social media too much. I don’t see as much of what the talk is going around. For me, it always comes down to my family, being able to spend time with my family, spend time with my dogs – Dallas, Star, Gotti, if you guys see this, daddy loves you guys. (laughter)”
(What has it been like to have WR DeVante Parker out here today? Even though you haven’t had the chance to work with WR Will Fuller, have you been able to build a chemistry with him off the practice field?) – “Yeah, I’ve been able to find a chemistry with the guys. I think it’ll just continually have to be reps with a lot of the guys. But in the film room, we’re all sitting down, we’re all seeing the same thing and we’re all talking about the same thing. That’s what a veteran sounds like. (laughter)”
(How much did you and WR Will Fuller work together on the field? In June obviously with the mandatory minicamp but were there any other days that you’ve thrown to him beside the mandatory minicamp?) – “Yeah, there has been a couple of days in the offseason and throughout the month of July where I’ve been able to get with Will a couple of times and throw with him.”
(The times you were holding onto the ball for a couple of reads, was there something you need to see better or do you just chop it up to the coverage? – ‘Well, I’m not as tall, so I’ve got to get back and try to maneuver my way to see where the guys are going to be. But for me, it’s really spots on the field.”
Christian Wilkins – August 4, 2021
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Wednesday, August 4, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(I wanted to ask you about the run defense. Obviously you guys, before you went down with COVID, last year struggled a little bit earlier in the season and then it tightened up. What was it that you guys were doing or achieving that made you have more success in the second half?) – “A few things. I think just guys learning to work together, confidence, mindset and just getting better. You get better with reps and as time goes on. So the more reps we get together as a unit and just as a defense, you’re able to do a little bit more things. Definitely we’ve just got a good group of guys on the d-line and on the defense, period, who lock in and try to get better every day. That’s why I feel good about this group, that we’ve got a group that works hard; so it’ll be exciting to see what we can do as we build this season.”
(I’m not sure how much you’ve gone against him in practice, but I’m curious as to what kind of progress you’ve seen from G Durval Queiroz Neto?) – “That’s my man. I love ‘Q’ (Durval Queiroz Neto). Just love his spirit. Just love how he comes every day. He just likes to get better, loves football, likes to get better, likes to work hard. It’s good seeing some good things out of ‘Q.’ He’s a fun guy to have on the team. We crossed paths well before I knew I was going to be a Dolphin. I like ‘Q’ a lot. He’s a good guy. Like I said, he just works hard and really just loves football and he’s a good guy to be around.”
(So you crossed paths with G Durval Queiroz Neto before you got to the Dolphins?) – “Yeah.”
(Circumstances?) – “He was a Clemson fan and he liked our d-line.”
(Last week I asked DT Raekwon Davis obviously knowing both Marion Hobby and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark. Both good coaches. I asked him sort of what the difference has been in the approach. He said Coach Clark is very demanding. You can’t screw up. You can’t have a mistake. He’s actually a little afraid at times of Coach Clark, is what Raekwon said. So I was going to ask you is there anything in particular that Clark has honed in on with you where he said “I want you better in this specific area” and are you able to share what that is?) – “I’m not going to exactly share what it is, but (Austin) Clark is definitely one hell of a coach. I feel good having him work with me every day. He’s a great coach. Like you stated, very demanding and just really cares about his players and wants us all to be great. He doesn’t want us to be good; he wants us to be great. And good isn’t good enough. So he is definitely very demanding and got a lot of respect for him to be such a young coach, too.”
(What’s it been like on the field, especially since pads came on yesterday?) – “Hot. Hot. Hot as hell. Hotter. (laughter) No, it’s been good. It’s been good to finally get the things on and get a little more physical in there and really see more so what guys can do. Some guys show up a little bit more in pads once you can finally get a little more physical and things like that; but it’s good. I like what we’re seeing out of the guys in the first couple days and it’s just been fun competing.”
(On that topic of the running game, I know you guys obviously work a lot – the defensive line with the linebackers in terms of stopping the run – but what – communication is a big part of this club as well. How much do you communicate with the linebackers in terms of pre-snap and just kind of getting things aligned? Is there a lot of communication between those two position groups?) – “Yeah, definitely. We work together and we’ve got to work in cohesion. If I do my job right, the ‘backers make plays. If they’re doing their job, I’m going to make a play. So it’s definitely a team effort. We’ve all got to work together and be coordinated and definitely when we break down film or watch film together; it’s like, oh, you really get to see the big picture. Sometimes when you’re just out there practicing, you don’t necessarily see it; but then it’s nice when you go back and watch the tape and you’re like, ‘Oh, I took this double team so now this ‘backer can run free and make this play. And if he shoots the gap, then I’m free.’ Or whatever it is. It’s definitely good to see that and we’ve got to be on-point together.”
(Is there a communication in a game or in practice where you’re doing one thing and he says, “I need you over here” or vice versa? Is there some of that communication?) – “It’s constant communication pre-snap, in the huddle before the snap or if we get this look again; let’s do this. Or whatever it is. It’s constant communication.”
(Obviously you, DT Raekwon Davis, DT Zach Sieler, DT Adam Butler are going to play a lot. Does it matter to you if you’re on the field the first snap of practice? Some days you have been with first team. Some days you haven’t. And in games. Is that important if you’re on for the very first snap?) – “The biggest thing for me is to just make the most of my snaps and for all of us; we’ve got a really good group of guys who care about each other and want us all to succeed and want us all to be great and do better. We’re not focused on counting the snaps; we’re focused on making the snaps count and just being there for each other, supporting each other. ‘Hey, good job’ or ‘I’ve seen this, I’ve seen that.’ And that’s what I really like about our d-line group. We’ve got a really good group, a lot of guys who’ve played a good bit of ball, who know a lot of different things and we try to help each other a lot as much as we can. We’re a fun group to be around, that’s for sure. I really like what we’re building in there.”
(What’s the next level for you this year?) – “I just really want to keep improving. Mindset, every day just working on the little things that I need to work within my game or within myself to get better. I just love this game so I just love to compete, work hard and just love that football is the ultimate team sport. So I try to be a leader, try to be a good teammate. All those things are important to me.”
(Finish this sentence. “A defense that does not stop the run…”?) – “That’s not how I would have worded the sentence. (laughter) No, like, you’ve got to stop the run. It’s tough to compete; it’s tough to be a good defense or the defense you want to be or to be great if you can’t stop the run. So we’ve got to be able to do that first and then if we take care of that, that takes care of a lot. You can either run the ball or pass the ball, so if you stop the run, you know they’re going to have to pass and things like that. That takes away half of their options, so you definitely have to just make plays in the run game and do all you can to stop it.”
Jason McCourty – August 4, 2021
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Wednesday, August 4, 2021
DB Jason McCourty
(I know you’re willing to play anywhere, but was it fun to be back at corner? Obviously that’s where you spent most of your NFL career?) – “Yeah, I’m taking it all in stride. Corner is a lot more stress, I’d say that, of having to cover some of these young guys play in and play out. But I said when I first got here, whatever position they want me to play I’m going to go out there and I’m going to execute it to the best of my ability. Today it was corner. Getting a chance to get out there and still try to be a key piece of communication, whether it’s from the middle of the field or from one side of the field, I’m just trying to continue to grow with this defense and whatever spot the coaches feel is going to help us be a better defense, I’m willing to go out there and compete at it.”
(What have you seen the strides S Jevon Holland has made? Obviously as you moved to corner he moved to first-team safety.) – “Yeah, for sure. A ton of strides. I think my interactions with him early on when we first got here, you can see the intelligence. I think that’s the toughest thing, especially a rookie, of being able to learn the defense. Because as a safety, you’re the key communicator. You’re the guy who has to get checks out, who have to tell guys what to do. So you have to be able to master the defense. Early on when I first jumped on the Zoom calls, you saw that from him. Whenever a question came his way, he knew the answer. He knew what to anticipate and you can see it out here on the field. As we go on, he’s making more and more plays. He’s a hell of an athlete and he’s a fun guy to be around. I call him Canada. That’s where he was born, so we refer to him as old Canada. He’s making a tone of strides and it’s fun to watch him and a lot of the younger guys out here.”
(On differences between playing against tight ends and wide receivers) – “A lot of it is body position. The smaller guys, you’re just the same size and you can body them up. The tight ends you kind of have to get at it away and use your speed to your advantage. It’s a little bit of a technique thing, but I’m figuring it out as we go.”
Brian Flores – August 4, 2021
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Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(This is probably more of a question to ask you like at a breakfast at the owner’s meetings when we’re relaxed but since there were no owner’s meetings and no breakfast, I just wanted to ask you just going back, what the thinking was in making changes in the linebacker room. Obviously you made significant changes. What did you hope to accomplish in terms of skills you wanted to add? Are you happy with the group now that you have after obviously adding a handful of players at linebacker?) – “I’ll take you to breakfast. That’s not an issue. We can go to breakfast. (laughter) Yeah, we made a couple of additions to the linebacker room – Duke Riley, (Benardrick) McKinney – and yeah, we like the group. They work hard, they’re tough, they’re smart, they’re competitive, it’s important to them. It’s early so over the first few days of training camp – and I shouldn’t say that. Going back to the spring and OTAs, it’s a group that works well together, or they’re trying to work well together. They’ve all got a different skillset that we can potentially use, whether it’s pass game, pass rush, run defense, kicking game. Again, (it’s) a very competitive room. The new guys plus ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker), plus (Elandon) Roberts, plus (Calvin) Munson, plus (Sam) Eguavoen – I think it’s a competitive group. If we continue to just build and take it one day at a time and try to improve every day, we’ll hopefully have a solid group.”
(WR Jakeem Grant was able to attain All-Pro status for his performance as a kick returner and punt returner. How do you value and balance a player’s ability in that area, even if he’s not necessarily say a starter at the receiver position?) – “I think there’s a lot of value in having an explosive returner who can flip the field and flip field position and score. I think there’s a lot of value – I think we all see the value in that. Jakeem, obviously is very explosive. He’s obviously productive, not only as a returner but as a receiver as well. We’re happy to have him. We’ll keep working. Obviously there’s a lot of competition in that room. Again, last year was last year. I think we’ve said that multiple times and I think while we use that as a barometer for what we know he can do, every day we’ve got to prove it. That’s kind of what we tell the players; and they know that. They understand that. We’ve got to prove it every day in meetings and walkthrough and practice. And if you put all of those things together, we feel like you’ll have success in games. But right now, we’re just focused on today.”
(What level of growth have you seen from QB Tua Tagovailoa as far as the deep ball? We’ve seen it from our eyes but from your eyes, what have you seen?) – “I think it’s something he’s placed an emphasis on, and we’ve placed an emphasis on. Not pushing the ball downfield but taking advantage of those opportunities if they’re there. Like always, we want to have good fundamentals, good techniques, good mechanics, go through his progression, and if it’s there and it’s open, we can throw them open and take a shot. We’re not going to make them if we don’t throw them. I think he’s taking more shots downfield and I think hopefully he’s gaining more confidence that he can make some of those throws. But at the same time, not every throw is going to be a 50-yarder or a 60-yarder. You’ve got to make good decisions. You’ve got to check it down when you need to check it down. We’ve got to throw the intermediate route when we need to throw the intermediate route. We’ve got to throw it away and take an incompletion when we need to do that. He just needs reps. We’ll just try to give him as many reps as possible. That’s the same with all of the quarterbacks – Jacoby (Brissett), Reid (Sinnett) and really all players at all positions. But specific to Tua and the downfield throws, that would be my take on it.”
(What have you seen out of DT Zach Sieler? We see him working a little bit with the ones. And did DT Christian Wilkins come out with a little more juice last practice after he had some reps with the twos?) – “Wilkins always has juice. Sometimes too much juice. He messes with me a little bit. (laughter) No, we like Christian’s energy. His energy, his juice, his theatrics – I think he adds a lot to the team from that standpoint. The ones, twos – there’s no ones, there’s no twos in my mind. Everyone is out competing. Sieler has done a good job. He’s working. He’s had some production in practices. We’ll just continue to roll guys and work guys against different players. Both guys are working hard and I’m pleased with where both guys are.”
(The other day you used the phrase “moving in the right direction” regarding CB Xavien Howard. Where do things stand today?) – “Moving in the right direction. (laughter)”
(This time of year and when training camp rolls along, maybe guys have seen some of the same drills over and over, the same route concepts or whatever it might be. How do you evaluate the process of those practice reps if guys might be – not cheating the drill but maybe they know what’s happening or what’s going on. Is there an evaluation difference with that?) – “Yeah, guys cheat the drill. That happens. But I think we just need to keep the drills moving and there’s always an element to a drill you can do to force a guy not to. Normally he goes in and we go out. If he goes out, we go deep. There is an element of that. I think it’s up to us as a staff to try to eliminate that as much as possible, but I think we just need to continue to work the techniques, work the fundamentals; and I think whether they cheat the drill or not cheat the drill, we’re evaluating the fundamentals and techniques now. They may look a little cleaner because they’re anticipating it and not truly reacting. That’s part of the evaluation also. Is that a true rep? Are we counting that one? The player may think so but we may not be counting that one.”
(Yesterday was your first day in pads, I wanted to get your evaluation of the good that you saw and also the things that concern you that you need to see get better?) – “Day one in pads is every year kind of the same conversation – pad level, technique, fundamentals, footwork, hand placement. It’s the first time you’ve done it in a long time. Everyone is a little bit rusty. That’s what we’re talking about – footwork, hand placement, pad level. That can always be better. We can always play lower. We talk a lot about leverage and how you win against an opponent. We make those corrections and we come back out here today and get a little bit better. Come back out on, (the next practice day) is a Friday, and a little bit better and try to make those improvements on a day-to-day basis. Then we get into preseason games and do it for real.”
(How much of a priority was improving the run game and then improving the run defense this offseason when you talk about how you were going to build the 2021 team?) – “I think you always want to improve on a lot of areas. Obviously, in every area. But yeah, run defense is important. I think that’s always kind of a standard, ‘hey, we want to be good against the run, force them to be one-dimensional and play defense that way.’ I think every defense – high school, college, pros is saying the same thing from that standpoint. So yeah, there’s importance placed there. We’re working on that. We worked on that yesterday. Conversely, it’s important that we run the ball so we are going to spend time on that offensively (and the) run defense, defensively. Hopefully, like everything else, we’ll just try to get a little bit better every day.”
(Rushing the passer obviously in this heat can be exhausting. Are you comfortable now after adding DL Adam Butler – obviously to mix with DT Christian Wilkins, DT Raekown Davis and DT Zach Sieler – are you comfortable with the number of defensive linemen that you have that you can alternate in in this heat to rush the passer? And what did you like specifically about Butler? You knew him obviously well, which made you want to sign him.) – “I think our guys are in good shape. You’re right, it’s hot. Our ability to roll guys in and out of the game is important. I feel good about that group. Adam, specifically, he’s tough, he’s smart, he loves to play, he’s competitive and he’s team-first. I think he fits in well with the group. He’s a good communicator. Again, it’s early so we haven’t said, ‘you’re doing this, you’re doing that.’ We’re still in the evaluation process. I think all those guys in that group are really working. They’re in there early watching film and trying to get better and just trying to string good days together.”
(We saw LB Andrew Van Ginkel leave practice early yesterday. What can you tell us about his status?) – “He’ll be out today. He’s day-to-day. He’s already in the training room rehabbing. He’s just going to take it one day at a time and get back as quickly as he can.”
(Sometimes things can get testy at training camp or joint practices. I guess there was like a little scuffle out at Giants camp. In your whole career, is there sort of a memorable training camp or joint practice scuffle or something that you actually keep in mind now that you’re a head football coach?) – “I mean you put pads on, things get chippy. It’s a chippy game. It happens. It’s also a game where you have to keep your poise. That’s what I talk to the players about and it’s something that we talk about as a staff. We talk to the players about – we know it’s going to get; somebody is going to be on the ground, somebody is going to do too much. We had a little bit of it yesterday. Your natural reaction is to react and fight back. As we know, it’s normally the second guy who gets the penalty and in those instances, we have to keep our poise and we have to practice that. Inevitably, there’s going to be some kind of fight on the field and we just have to learn from it and get better. We try to use it as a learning experience when it happens because when it happens in a game, it could be costly. We just try to use it as a learning tool.”
(Yesterday T Austin Jackson talked about the importance of the bone marrow transplant, what it did for his sister. He also mentioned specifically to use that platform as an NFL player. How important is it, do you feel, that players can use their status or platform to help other people, whatever it may be?) – “I think it’s very important. I think these guys have worked extremely hard to get to this point. When you’re talking about something like what he did for his sister or a charitable organization that’s important to them, I think they should use their platform to – acknowledge probably isn’t the right word and showcase probably isn’t the right word either. I can’t think of the right word but I think they should use their platform to speak out about the things that are important to them. Kudos to Austin for doing that.
(Is it because they are so recognizable that they have that voice and they can inspire people?) – “Yeah, they’re NFL players. He’s got a platform to speak to you guys and reach all the Miami Dolphins fans and football fans who watch. I think it’s great that he’s doing that and he has my full support to do it.”
(We are 10 days out now from the first preseason game. At what point do you start to switch from a training camp mindset to preparing for a game week mindset?) – “It’s a little different this year because we are going to practice against Chicago. In a normal year, probably three days before. I like training camp practices. Those games are about fundamentals and techniques. We’re not trying to out-scheme anybody. We’re just trying to really evaluate the players, I would say at least the first preseason game, and get your first taste of blocking, tackling – a live taste of it, I would say. This year against Chicago, we are going to practice against them so it’s a little bit different. We are going to see them and then play against them, so it’s a little bit different.”
Jerome Baker – August 3, 2021
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Tuesday, August 3, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(How much of this is like a redemption day for all the big passes and plays that they’ve gotten on y’all without pads?) – “(laughter) I wouldn’t call it a redemption day. It’s just one of those days that it’s the first day of pads; we come out here and have fun. And we really just see who can compete, who really loves the game. It’s definitely easier on the first day, but the fourth, fifth day is where you see who really loves it.”
(Did it help that you had a little cloud coverage today?) – “Definitely. Oh man. That was a blessing. But yeah, it definitely helped. It was fun.”
(What was the energy like in that last period there on the goal line?) – “Amazing. It was fun. It was just one of those periods where it was live and you can really play ball and you can just let it loose and really show what you got. I just loved the energy. We were hyped with the ones and we were hyped with the twos. And we carried that same energy. We made some mistakes, but at the end of the day, we’re just getting better and that’s what it’s really about.”
(You’re probably getting to work with LB Benardrick McKinney. What’s it like to have him as a teammate and also how long does it take you guys to get that chemistry and communication together?) – “Oh, it’s amazing. He’s a big dude. He’s willing to learn. He goes hard and communicates. That’s the one thing he does; when he doesn’t know something, he asks. He tries to get better. Right now you can get chemistry, but the real chemistry is in a game and you really see when the bullets are flying who’s really with you. We’re just getting better every day and I definitely love having him next to me.”
(First day of pads on. I know it’s early, but did you learn anything about this team today?) – “We compete. We really are competing. Even the young guys – they came in and they’re doing the same thing. They’re feeding off the older guys and that’s what it’s all about – the young guys feeding off the older guys. The older guys – we set the example. I’m definitely proud of this team. Today is the first day, but we’ve definitely got more days to go.”
(Was there a hit today where you felt back to football? One that you made or somebody hit you with?) – “It wasn’t me. It was ‘B-Mac’ (Benardrick McKinney) on the goal line. He was bringing it. But it’s football at the end of the day. It’s all good.”
(A lot of the defensive players have talked about they need to do better stopping the run this year. When you look at film of last year, what did you see in terms of the run defense?) – “Technique and knockback. For us, you know where to be but sometimes your technique is not good and just the knockback. It’s not about just being in the right gap. It’s about being in the right gap and stopping them and not getting the extra two or three yards; and me especially, I know I have to work on that and it’s definitely an emphasis this offseason.”
(Does it get discouraging when guys are running on you like that?) – “I mean, yeah. Running the ball is one of those things of if you can’t stop the run, it don’t matter how they pass or whatever they do, they’re going to keep running it. So as a defense, there’s an emphasis to stop the run.”
(I know you get some visitors on the sidelines. When you’ve got a big boy like Vince Wilfork out there, what does it mean to have a guy like that out there watching practice?) – “You want to show that we still have that tenacity he had when he was playing. He played in this defense. He knows how it works, so it was one of those things where you want to make the older guys proud. Especially me – I went up to him just to say hi to him, but at the end of the day you want to make the older guys that played in this defense proud and that’s what it’s about. That’s what football is about – continuing the legacy and continue being a great defense.”
(I know you take pride in a lot of that stuff because of the history and all that. What does it mean to have Head Coach Brian Flores – he always has those type of guys come around – so what does that mean for a program like this?) – “It means a lot. It means the younger guys know that you can see the success older guys had and the cool thing is, is these older guys; they come back and they teach us. They give us the tools. They give us a little insight of what to look for and we take those nuggets and we apply it to today’s game, so we definitely appreciate it.”
(Last week when you talked about CB Xavien Howard, you were so supportive of him. Just to have him out here even though he’s not able to practice and supporting you guys, high-fiving you guys – what does that support mean?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) is ‘X.’ He loves us. We love him. That’s what it’s all about. We support him. He supports us. That’s one thing you can never say about ‘X.’ He’s a great teammate. He’s a great guy and we all love him, so we’re going to be good.”
(What stands out defending this offense now compared to…) – “They’re fast. They are fast. We have some young guys. We have some weapons. Our o-line; they’re ready to get better. They come out there every day and they’re getting better. They’re communicating. Tua (Tagovailoa) – he comes in the linebacker room. He asks questions. It’s one of those things where our team is truly trying to get better and we’re truly trying to be the best team we can be, so I’m excited. That definitely is encouraging so I’m definitely excited.”
Albert Wilson – August 3, 2021
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Tuesday, August 3, 2021
WR Albert Wilson
(I know you talked about this before; but obviously the year away, can you describe what that was like, as far as what you did to keep yourself in shape? It looked like you came back in good shape.) – “Yeah, I’ve been with the same trainers, (Pete) Bommarito’s for the last three years since I got down to Miami. I’ve just stayed with those guys. But you know, time heals all. Just being able to have that time off to be able to rest that hip and rest everything else, that’s pretty much it.”
(How about being refreshed and not taking hits for a year?) – “For sure. Anything that is banged up, it has a limit. When you’re healthy, that limit is pushed a little further. So that’s how I feel right now, not having a limit.”
(Your explosiveness looks like it’s still there. We saw some shake and bake earlier this week with some of the deep routes. How do you feel now compared to throughout your career?) – “I feel pretty good. I feel explosive, I feel fast. I’m just coming out here to work again. It’s just a blessing being able to get out here.”
(Is the first day of pads more for the big guys? Is it more for the big guys, they get more excited?) – “It’s just the physicality of the game. The mindset, the toughness, the extra weight that you have on you, just to grind it out. It’s just all of those things put together. But yeah, you definitely want to be able to bring those big guys into – in OTAs, they don’t get to do nothing. The beginning of camp they don’t get to do nothing. For them to finally get the pads on, I know that makes them feel a little bit more better.”
(LB Jerome Baker was out here a few minutes ago talking about the speed on offense, and what it’s like from a defensive perspective. What is it like for you guys? What are you seeing out of this offense now in terms of the ability to stretch the field vertically as opposed to past years? How much better does it seem?) – “I don’t know. I think we’ve stretched the field pretty good the last time I was out on the field. We definitely got new pieces that can do it well. It’s just exciting that we all can get out here and work.”
(A lot of people are saying you’ve been one of the studs of camp so far. Are you pleased with your performance?) – “I’m just happy that I’m able to get out here to play. It’s been a long time coming. I still feel like I’ve just got to prove myself every day, day in and day out.”
(What’s your chemistry level with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Obviously you weren’t here with him last year. What is it like at this point?) – “I think it’s pretty good. These last two offseasons, we got a lot of work in. When he first got here before I opted out, we spent the whole offseason together, and this past offseason. We didn’t work at the same facility, but we were close and we got a lot of work in. I feel like the chemistry just picked up where it left off from the offseason.”
(Does something stand out to you about the ball QB Tua Tagovailoa throws?) – “He has a really nice catchable ball. It’s not too tough to catch, it’s not darting at you. It’s pretty much easy to grab and go. I like it.”
