Myles Gaskin – September 6, 2021
Monday, September 6, 2021
RB Myles Gaskin
(When I asked Head Coach Brian Flores about the areas in which you’ve improved since he met you, the first thing he said was blocking – protection. So how have you done that?) – “Just making it an emphasis for myself. Being a smaller guy obviously – you’re in the league now – so those guys are 260, 250, so you’ve got to bring everything you’ve got each play. I think I just kind of dove into it. ‘Coach E’ (Eric Studesville) and all the other running backs – we’re always trying to help each other so I think that’s kind of brought me along. Obviously when I was younger to now, being able to help the younger guys – Salvon (Ahmed) obviously, Gerrid (Doaks). Just kind of seeing it. Just seeing it over and over again and seeing what I’m good at and kind of honing in on those skills.”
(The follow-up is when a LB Khalil Mack kind of guy is coming at you…) – “I wouldn’t be blocking him. (laughter) He’s on the edge, but I mean…”
(It could never happen?) – “It could. No, no not like that. (laughter) But I’m saying I’d probably just cut him. That’s a rare dude. But outside of that, I try my best. Just keep working at it. If a Khalil Mack is my matchup, I’ll do my best.”
(How new is this to you? Did you do much protection in Washington?) – “Yeah, I did at UW. When I was younger – freshman, sophomore year – they kind of shied away from letting me do it. They kept me in like, free releases; but as a I got older just like here, I got more comfortable with it obviously in practice and then translated to the game. So just like anything else, just repetition and believing in yourself and not being afraid to make mistakes. That’s how you grow at anything.”
(Did you take it as a vote of confidence when your team didn’t draft anybody, didn’t draft a running back this year? Did you see that as believing in you?) – “Yes, but I mean at the end of the day, I don’t think – I think they have confidence me. I have confidence in myself. Just always work. However the draft went, I knew I was going to work as hard as I possibly could and that’s every year, every season, every day. I love this game, so I just like the grind.”
(You’re such a good receiver that you could be a third-down back, but you are also the lead first and second-down back. So what do you think is required of an NFL back who actually doesn’t have to come off the field?) – “Being consistent. Knowing his responsibilities, just like anything else. Just being able to do their job to the best of their abilities; for myself, if it’s running the ball – running hard, hitting the right holes, communicating with the O-line, what they see, what I see. If it’s receiving – getting open, catching the ball when it comes to you. And if it’s blocking, like I said before, just working on it and being able to be where I am now; I guess – ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) said what he said and I appreciate that obviously, but I still think I got a lot of work to do in that aspect. I probably always will just being a smaller dude.”
(Kenyan Drake was a dude – you were with him for probably a year, right?) – “My rookie year.”
(He wasn’t the biggest dude, but he would sometimes throw a nasty block. Did that rile up the team watching it back on film?) – “Absolutely. That was a guy I kind of learned a lot from in that sense. His pad level – obviously he’s not the biggest dude either – bigger than me a little bit, but his pad level when he was blocking was kind of interesting. I never really looked at it like that and just kind of like I said earlier when I was a rookie; just learning from the older guys, just taking bits and pieces from their game and just kind of talking about it. And being able to do what I can do – I feel like a lot of young players try and emulate people – just taking bits and pieces for myself.”
(Aside from pass blocking, a lot of fantasy football owners are excited about what you can do because of all the other things that you mentioned – running the ball, catching the ball. What’s the message to anyone that trusts you on their fantasy team?) – “I don’t know anything about fantasy. Best of luck. (laughter)”
(I thought it was interesting that you were a seventh-round draft pick and you’re currently the seventh-most popular running back that the world is drafting. So I guess the question is, what does that say about draft status and what a guy can get done in the league?) – “I think when I first came in the league, my dad and a lot of people also told me, but definitely my dad – my dad never played in the league or anything about that – but it’s not about getting to the league, it’s about how long you can stay in the league. And I’ve heard that around the league from a lot of people and I think I just kind of carry that with myself. I don’t know about the question, if that answers your question. I don’t really buy into the seventh-round draft pick. I only just keep it as a chip on my shoulder in that sense; but fantasy, all that type of stuff does not interest me. I just play football. I play football.”
Jason McCourty – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
DB Jason McCourty
(Pretty big game this weekend. Are you excited to see DB Devin McCourty?) – “I would be more excited if I could see his kids but I won’t get a chance to see his kids. Him, eh, he’s alright. (laughter) I saw enough of him the last three years.”
(What are the stakes? Do you guys have any stakes for the winner of this matchup?) – “Nah, just a lot of trash talk. He talks a lot. That’s just him. A lot of trash talk that probably will just be continued by a lot of trash talk after the game. All in love and fun.”
(He’s the bigger talker of y’all?) – “In regards to this, yeah for sure. He has an arrogance just from his years of a lot of winning. He’s developed that. It will be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
(If you win, are you going to let him know about it or what?) – “We’ll have conversations but I’ll leave that more up to him. I’m just trying to focus on executing and going out there one play at a time and see where that leaves us on Sunday. For sure in the offseason, there will definitely be a lot of trash talk going on between us two. Hopefully we can get our kids into it too. They can start trash talking each other. (laughter)”
(Your thoughts on going against a rookie quarterback in his first NFL game on Sunday?) – “I think for the most part, whenever you are preparing for an opponent, you don’t really want to look at their experience. You want to watch the film and see what they’re telling you on film and as we have gotten a chance to watch Mac (Jones) throughout the preseason, he’s doing a lot of good things for them. Just the subtle things he does, the way he moves the defense when he’s looking off; getting them into the right play at the line of scrimmage. I won’t say in regards to a rookie quarterback this or that, I just think we have a tough opponent coming and obviously a divisional opponent we are going to visit for Week 1. With Mac Jones there, it’s going to be a tough game and you can see some of the things early on in his career that he is able to do that puts him in a good place on offense so we are really going to have to go up there and execute well.”
(Were you surprised when QB Mac Jones was named the starter?) – “I think there’s always surprises and things you don’t really know as you get to the end of training camp in the NFL in general. I would say I wasn’t expecting that, but it just goes to show what he’s been able to show in his time there and how he’s been able to execute, how well he’s been able to pick up the playbook and everything he’s shown them on the practice field to inside the building to make them feel comfortable with that decision. We’ve got to know whoever they put out there was the best guy for the job. That shows us we really have to go out there and prepare well to get ready for him.”
(Where do you think the emotions will be like for you?) – “I won’t say I’m used to it but I think having to switch teams before in my career, I’ve done it before. My first year in New England I went back to Nashville to play against the Titans. The second year in New England, I played against Cleveland. I’ve gotten a chance to go against former teams and I guess, what I’ve even told guys here, what I’ve learned is it’s another football game. I think sometimes as players, we get so involved and you get so riled up that you go out there and you psych yourself out of execution or you psych yourself out of a play. For me, you’re getting a chance to go. It’s a fun game because you know a lot of guys on the other side and it reminds you of growing up, playing football in your neighborhood where you’re going against all your friends and it’s more trash talk and it’s more competitive because you really want to beat those guys. For me, I look at Sunday like I’m to play a game in New England like I’ve done other times in my career. I just spent some time there this time. It should be exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
(That being said, is there a player that you are looking forward to going against or tackling the most knowing that you know those guys well?) – “(laughter) Nah, I can’t say there’s any given person. I don’t think over my three years I don’t think I had any of those in-practice battles or heated arguments where you’re like finally getting to go against a certain guy. I wouldn’t say that. If I got a chance to go against my brother that would be a lot of fun but obviously that won’t happen because we shouldn’t be on the field together at the same time.”
(Not to beat the QB Mac Jones horse, but do you almost have to look at him as more than your average rookie given what you have to do to earn Bill Belichick’s trust?) – “I just think for us, there’s no film of him. I once had a coach say, ‘prepare for war in a time of peace.’ I think sometimes you look at it and you’re like, ‘Oh there’s a rookie quarterback, we’ll be alright,’ and you have no idea what this rookie quarterback is going to go out there and do Week 1 of the season. You better make sure you’re dotting all of your I’s, crossing all your T’s and disregard Bill Belichick. Just the fact that he’s a rookie quarterback and he’s stepping into the NFL, you know he’s prepared for the moment or he wouldn’t be out there. I think for us – especially when there was a veteran in front of him so you know he’s going to be prepared, he’s going to be ready to go and we have to make sure we are doing the same.”
(Bill Belichick is the most successful of the active coaches on opening weekend. What was your perspective when you were up there? Why is he so successful on opening weekend?) – “I have no idea. He scores more points than the teams he’s going against, I guess. (laughter) I don’t know. I have no clue why opening weekend or whatever. I guess for me, I just want to make sure this weekend he’s not successful on opening weekend.”
DeVante Parker – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
WR DeVante Parker
(You’ve had a whole camp with some of the new guys in the receiving corps. What stands out to you about this group as a whole?) – “We have a lot of speed in the room now. A lot more than what it was. We got guys that like to compete, as usual. I’m just looking forward to getting going.”
(Talking about the team with the season just kicking off here, how would you describe the motivations of the team?) – “The motivations of the team?”
(What’s your sense of how motivated the team is for this season?) – “We’re just getting ready to play the first game. We’ve got a long season ahead. We’re looking at the first game first, then we’ll worry about the next. We’re motivated though, I would say.”
(How has this offseason been for you? From January up until now – physically, mentally, everything?) – “It’s been pretty good. I have a trainer keep me on a strict schedule I’ve been on and making sure everyone is right. Making sure we’re all getting healthy.”
(Is any part of you disappointed that CB Stephon Gilmore isn’t going to be out there on Sunday?) – “A little bit. I want him out there but they have a good group of guys back there without him. I’m just looking forward to the matchups.”
(Between QB Tua Tagovailoa’s development and the new additions to the receiver room, how much better suited is this year’s team to be more of an aggressive passing offense than last year’s team?) – “We just have to execute our plays. That’s it. Not comparing this year or last year, we just have to execute our plays. That’s it and we’ll be fine.”
(How many big plays do you envision the offense making?) – “You got to have some big plays if you want to win. We just got to go out there and make them.”
Raekwon Davis – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
DT Raekwon Davis
(Did you get to play with Patriots QB Mac Jones?) – “Yeah, I did. I did.”
(Tell me about him as a player. What did you learn about him out there on the practice fields and watching video and stuff?) – “Smart guy. Smart guy. He likes to take one play at a time. He’s an accurate guy. I loved playing with him at ‘Bama. He’s a funny kid.”
(You said funny. What was his sort of personality like?) – “He thought he was the Joker. Like he was into the Joker so he really thought he was the Joker. (laughter)”
(Inaudible) – “I mean yeah, he looked just like him, you know, so that was his thing. (laughter)”
(Like Heath Ledger Joker or a different?) – “No, like the Joker like the villain.”
(That’s what I’m saying. Like which one did QB Mac Jones kind of – there’s obviously different actors who played the Joker) – “Uh, yeah, I definitely don’t know his character on that. (laughter) No I don’t know his character on that, but that was his guy.”
(Have you talked to QB Mac Jones since he’s been named the guy there?) – “Just here and there. Not too much. Just here and there when I can.”
(Probably like “congrats,” that sort of thing?) – “Yeah.”
(On having QB Mac Jones, QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Jalen Hurts in the quarterback room at Alabama now getting ready to start Week 1 in the NFL) – “Man, that’s crazy. It just – they earned it. They worked for it. That was their dream growing up so just watching them all get drafted and all developing, it’s just crazy.”
(Obviously you weren’t in the room, but just kind of being on that team, what was their kind of relationship like because you have a bunch of highly regarded recruits and quarterbacks all in the same room and each of them are kind of waiting for their opportunity. What did you see from all their relationships from afar?) – “They all were just great leaders. They always just took the offense and they always just pushed the offense to do well. They’re just all great leaders.”
(How different is this Week 1 game week for you compared to the same time last year?) – “For me, it’s just dialogue and just getting that playbook. Just one play at a time. That’s about it.”
(How much grief have you given LB Jaelan Phillips today or is it just ho-hum with spanking another team?) – “I just try to lead him. Just push him to go hard. That’s about it.”
(No, I meant about Alabama beating Miami.) – “Oh, (University of) Miami. No, he was there. Like he was watching it. (laughter) He was watching it. I’m not going to get into all that but he watching it, so he knows. (laughter)”
(Alabama beats the crap out of opponents so often. When you were doing that, did you ever have any sympathy, empathy? Did you ever at all feel bad for the other team?) – “(laughter) I don’t even know how to answer that. No, I mean, we just did our part. Coach (Nick) Saban, he just always preaches one play at a time. Beat your box. Just beat your man. That’s all we did.”
(But you just killed people. It seemed like it wasn’t even fair sometimes. There were so many five-star recruits. Did you ever look around and be like, “man, we’ve got a lot of five stars?”) – “No. To be honest, I never paid attention to all that. My thing is just building a team and building relationships with guys. We never just looked at all that.”
(When it comes to the Patriots rushing attack and what they try to accomplish, what’s kind of a key coaching point for this week against the Patriots rushing offense?) – “Stopping the run. Make them earn it. Make them earn every yard.”
Brian Flores – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(TE Adam Shaheen is out, correct?) – “Adam Shaheen is on the COVID IR list. Yes.”
(Can you tell us if T Austin Jackson is out?) – “Austin is the COVID IR list also. So both guys were placed on there this morning. They’re currently out and we’ll just kind of take it day-to-day and see how things go over the next few days.”
(How much does that impact you kind of having that pop up today?) – “I think it’s kind of a ‘next man up’ mentality and that’s kind of how we’ve taken it this morning. Obviously those are two players we like, we feel strongly about, who are contributors to this team; but we have to assume and move forward as if they won’t be with us and then we will kind of – well, we’ve already reassessed and said, ‘hey, we’re going to do this, this and this’ – and prepare for the next guy to play and contribute. That’s the plan moving forward.”
(For T Austin Jackson I guess in particular, I think he was supposed to be your starting left tackle. Do you have a plan for what will be your left tackle plan if he can’t go?) – “Yeah, we’ve talked about that as a staff. We’ve got a few different options. We’ve got multiple players who have played over on the left and on the right, so we’ll work a few different combinations today and see what that looks like in practice and talk about it over the next few days. There’s an opportunity to get both guys back, so we’ll see how it goes.”
(How has T Greg Little done since he arrived?) – “I think Greg (Little) has done a nice job. I think Greg has worked hard to learn the offense, to learn the terminology. He’s a hard-working kid. He’s taking in all the information and then tried to apply it in practice and in games, and I think he’s had some bright moments the couple weeks that he’s been here. We’re just going to continue to work with him and develop him.”
(We saw T Liam Eichenberg kind of early in camp and then I think he got banged up at some point. Where is he maybe health-wise? Is he ready to contribute Week 1 if you need him to be?) – “Liam (Eichenberg) is day-to-day. He’s doing everything he can to get back out there as quickly as he can and he’ll try to get out there as soon as he can. That’s where he’s at.”
(Are S Jevon Holland and WR Preston Williams fully good to go in practice this week?) – “You’ll see both of them at practice today. Both have worked to deal with their situations, injuries, worked hard and have rehabbed, and yeah, they’ll both be out at practice today.”
(I wanted to clarify something a minute ago and maybe this is just me so you’ll have to forgive me, but I think a minute ago you said there’s an opportunity to get both guys back. Does that mean it’s possible – underline the word “possible” – that T Austin Jackson and/or TE Adam Shaheen might be able to play on Sunday?) – “It’s possible, yes. I think under the protocol – yeah, it’s possible.”
(I know you’ve talked about it a little bit in the past, but vaccination and whatnot; obviously when you have TE Adam Shaheen who is not vaccinated, how do you kind of approach that situation where a player tests positive or is a close contact and that may impact the team for a variety of reasons for that?) – “I think it’s – I would never question Adam’s (Shaheen) commitment to the team. I think guys have a decision to make. They make it. We support it and we move forward. And I think that’s how a team, teams work. So I’m never going to question his commitment; I’m never going to question any player’s commitment. I think it’s a personal decision. (He’s) someone that I support and we deal with whatever happens after that.”
(I didn’t know if this past weekend or I guess this current weekend was Labor Day weekend – did you have any message to your guys about traveling or doing different things back home during this weekend?) – “I told them to be safe. I told them it was probably not in their best interest to just lay on a couch for three days; so get up, get out, get a workout in, go over the game plan a little bit, but enjoy themselves and spend time with their families, but be smart. I think that was kind of the message and I think our guys did that.”
(Do you get the sense guys are coming back now feeling refreshed and now ready to ramp up ahead of Week 1?) – “I mean, yeah, there’s excitement in the room. I think with this opponent, the opportunity to play a division game, a team like this, on the road. I think guys are excited to practice, to prepare for this opportunity and I think that’s what it’s about. It’s about preparation and if we prepare the right way, we’ll give ourselves the best chance to have some success. I think the focus is on the preparation.”
(The last time the Dolphins beat the Patriots and I think I have this stat right – it was in my story so I hope it’s right – it said that QB Tua Tagovailoa’s longest completion in that ballgame was 15 yards. Obviously you ran the ball very effectively that particular day. How much better prepared do you think Tagovailoa is to create explosive plays this season as opposed to last season?) – “I think Tua (Tagovailoa) is a better player. I think he’s worked hard. I think he’s made a lot of improvement. I think every game is a little bit different. I really do. I think every game, the ebbs and flows of the game, what’s working, what’s not working, where the matchups are, the weather; there’s a lot of things that play into that. So yeah, we always want to create explosive plays. We want to limit them defensively. But every game is a little bit different and I think at the end of the day, the quarterbacks wants to have command of the offense, move the football, protect the football and to me that’s playing well.”
(I want to ask you about slow starts. Something that has been – it happened in this franchise before you even got here there has been years where the team has started slow and picked up steam as the season went along. What’s your message to the players in terms of the importance of starting fast? Is there anything you as a head coach can do to try to get this team on track early?) – “You always want to start fast. I think it’s all about preparation. If we’re ready to go and we prepare, it gives us the best chance to execute. Again, every year is a little bit different and we’re not really thinking about previous years. We’re thinking about today and what’s in front of us and the preparation for this week will give us an opportunity, or a chance to potentially have good execution on Sunday. You can’t have one without the other. I think our players know that. That’s where the focus is right now, not on previous years. It’s more on right now, today. We always want to start fast. Every drill, every period, every meeting, we always want to start fast. I think the preparation is a big part of starting fast.”
(The Patriots spent a lot of money during the offseason on free agency. How much of an impact do you think those players will have for the Patriots, and how surprising was it for you to see them having that strategy?) – “I think they will have a significant impact. They’ve got some very good players at the tight end position, defensively. I think they’ll have a significant impact. I think they are good players. They are guys that could potentially be featured on both sides of the ball and the kicking game as well. They complement a lot of the players they already have on the team. They fit what Bill (Belichick) and his staff are trying to do. I think they are good additions. It will be a competitive game. They’ve got a good team. They are well coached. We’re going to have to prepare the right way and execute the right way if we’re going to have success.”
(What made CB Jamal Perry the choice to be the COVID-19 replacement from the practice squad considering you guys already have 12 DBs on the active roster?) – “Jamal is somebody we have a lot of history with and we think he can help us. At the end of the day, we’re going to do what we feel is best for the team. We’re going to bring guys up who can help us. We felt that way about him, so we brought him up.
(I wanted to get back to what you mentioned earlier about trying a couple of different offensive line combinations. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think G/T Jesse Davis was probably going to pencil into the right side of the offensive line. What’s your philosophy on moving multiple guys, just trying to get the best five versus replacing one guy? I know some coaches think differently on that.) – “Get the best five. That would be my initial answer. There is a lot that goes into that. You want your best five players out there. I think we’ve had a few different combinations. I think from a communication standpoint, the guys should’ve worked together in some different roles. My first thought would be to get the best five guys out there and take it from there.”
(You brought up one COVID replacement over two spots. The idea behind that?) – “Wait and see. (laughter)”
(Is one expected to come back sooner?) – “Wait and see.”
(What stands out to you about WR Jaylen Waddle’s summer and how early he can be a key contributor for you guys?) – “I think Jaylen has worked hard. I think he’s gotten better over the course of training camp. I think he’s smart, I think he’s tough, I think it’s important to him. I think he prepares that right way and when you put all of those things together, it gives you an opportunity to play well and be in the right spots and gives you an opportunity to execute. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who have done those things and we’ve just got to put it all together. That’s what training camp is all about and what this week is going to be all about. I think that’s where our focus is right now.”
(What’s the first thing that jumps out about RB Myles Gaskin in terms of what he’s better at now than he was when he first arrived in the building?) – “The first thing that comes to mind is protection. I think he’s really worked hard at that and made that a part of his game where he’s not a guy we’ve got to take out in those situations. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. And then his professionalism. He’s a guy who is in early, out late, doing extras – whether it’s JUGS, whether it’s running routes, whether it’s film study – and all of the work that he puts in. Again, all the preparation he goes through gives him an opportunity to have some success on the practice field and then hopefully in games. He’s done a nice job.”
(I know you’ve done it a few times as it’s your third year here. But going up to Foxborough playing the Patriots, given your history, does it add any significance to you?) – “It’s a good team. Well coached. I was there a long time. I think as the years pass – I’m a Miami Dolphin. That’s where I’m at. When we go up there, we’re going up there to play a tough competitive team and we’re going to compete as well. It’s a road game in a tough environment against a good team that’s well coached. We’ve got to prepare the right way to have some success. No, there is no nostalgia or anything like that.”
