Brian Flores – September 10, 2021
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Friday, September 10, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Has it been determined if T Austin Jackson will travel to New England with you?) – “We’re taking this one day at a time and going through the process, so we haven’t determined whether he is or he isn’t. The same thing with (Adam) Shaheen. Just one day at a time with that group – with those two guys.”
(I was going to ask you about WR Preston Williams. We’ve seen him on the first two injury reports of the year with a foot and limited. Is that you being cautious with him obviously coming off something significant last November as opposed to something new? I don’t know if you’re able to share that.) – “Yeah, obviously he’s coming off of a – I think he just recently came off of PUP. He just started practicing, played in the Cincinnati game a little bit and he’s still a little bit limited; so we listed it that way. Look, Preston (Williams) has done a very nice job of kind of working his way back and definitely moving in the right direction, but just transparency – there’s still some issues there and that’s why we listed him as limited.”
(You’re just a few days from the start of another regular season. Do you still have time to reflect on what this opportunity means to you having a chance to coach an NFL team again one more year?) – “I’m very fortunate. That’s for sure. And blessed and excited about the opportunity to coach this team this year. But I try to keep my focus in the moment in the present and hope our team does the same thing. I’m just really kind of worried about today’s practice and putting the kind of finishing touches on the game plan and getting ready to take a flight tomorrow and head up to New England.”
(Where’s your comfort level regarding T Liam Eichenberg, should he be pressed into the starting lineup because of T Austin Jackson?) – “Liam (Eichenberg) has done a nice job really since he’s been here. He’s tough, he’s smart, he works hard. It’s important to him. He’s in there all the time studying film and trying to just improve and get better. He’s had some good moments during training camp. He’s dealt with some injuries also, so I think he’s done a nice job with just fighting through that. It’s hard for rookies. It’s their first kind of time out and we take that into account, so we’ll see how it goes.”
(How has that competition been – filling the left tackle void with T Greg Little and T Liam Eichenberg and also does injury play a factor into that decision considering Liam is kind of nicked up?) – “I think there’s a lot of things that play a factor into that. Obviously we’re preparing with Austin (Jackson) being on COVID IR. We’ve gotten a few guys ready at that position and I would say it’s not just one position. It’s how that player affects the next player and the next player and the next player. So like I’ve said many times, we’ll play the best five guys. We have a pretty good idea of what that is right now and we’ll practice it that way today; but we’ll also practice some situations where such and such is down, who’s going in, and kind of the moves that would have to be made if that were to occur at a specific position. So that might be somebody going from right to left, left to right, guard to tackle, tackle to guard, center to – I think all our guys are flexible enough to do that.”
(I’ve always liked, appreciated, respected, understood your “best five” in terms of you’re going to play the best five. However in this situation, this is the only time you’ve had a rookie offensive lineman where you’ve actually worked him at multiple spots during training camp, OTAs. Even C/G Michael Deiter played left guard. G Solomon played right guard. G/T Robert Hunt played right tackle. T Austin Jackson played left tackle. And they were allowed to settle in. Why has it been different for Liam?) – “Because he’s got very good versatility and he’s smart and he’s tough and you try to find a way to get players like that on the field. So I think that’s not just – I think that happens at a lot of positions. I think if you’re a receiver and we try to get you in; you could play Z, you could play F, you could play X. We may put a four-wide package in where he’s playing Y and then we put him in the backfield where he’s playing the H. I think like I’ve said many times, I think players – their opportunity on the field is based on their performance and I think Liam has shown in some instances that he may be able to help us, so we’ve tried to move him around. Now I would say the injuries have affected that so obviously that goes into our decision for this week; but to answer your question, he’s bounced around because he’s done a good job and I think you do that really at a lot of positions. So safety – hey, let’s play him at linebacker to get him in, let’s play him in the kicking game, let’s play him at corner in this grouping. I think that’s kind of how we kind of handle things as a coaching staff.”
(How would you assess S Jevon Holland’s level of readiness in light of the time that he missed because of the injury he had?) – “Jevon worked hard to get back. He’s back out at practice. He’s moving well. Any time that you miss time, you miss some opportunities to improve, to grow, to get better; but he was certainly diligent about his film study, diligent about going through our practice film. ‘Hey, I would’ve played at this position or I would’ve been here.’ Just taking mental reps is probably the best way to say it when he was out. I would say all of our guys who have been out have done a good job with that. I think Jevon is another young guy, another rookie, playing in his first game. I think we take that into account when talking about playing time, how much, how many groupings, how much we want to put on young players. We’ll see how it goes.”
(At the end of a long offseason program, training camp, all of that fun stuff and heading into the regular season now, what’s your final message to the guys heading into Game 1?) – “Really, all of the things we talked about through training camp – alignment, assignment, good communication, good fundamentals, good technique, follow your rules, read your keys and play ball. I try not to steer too far from that. I think if they do those things, the results will take care of themselves.”
(You have two veteran NFL starters on your practiced squad obviously with DE Jabaal Sheard and T Bobby Hart. Is it difficult with practice squad guys to evaluate where they are? Just impressions of those two and is there enough work at practice to get a sense of what they could be if active for you at this stage of their careers?) – “There is a lot to unpack in that question. I have experience with Jabaal, so I know him. His intelligence, his toughness, his physical ability. So that one is a little bit different on being able to gauge or having a history on what it looked like versus what it looks like now. I probably have a better feel on that. With Bobby, I don’t have as much history, so we’re learning. We’re evaluating. That’s what we try to do with all of the practice squad players. We’re evaluating them in individuals, team periods, group periods and it’s still early with both guys, so no decisions there. I’m happy to have them both. I think they are both good players and they’ve done a nice job since they’ve been here.”
(Did you get a chance to catch any of the game last night and are you amazed at what QB Tom Brady is able to still do considering he was old when you were with him in New England and he’s even older now?) – “He’s a great player. There are no ifs, ands or buts about that. I only watched the first half. It was an exciting first half both ways. I thought Dak (Prescott) played well too from what I saw. I just saw the final score this morning. It’s exciting to watch football again. I’m sure you all were up watching it. I’m excited to get going this week. It was some good ball last night from what I saw.”
(One of your most consistent players last year was K Jason Sanders. How excited are you to see what he can do this year? How would you evaluate his offseason?) – “I think he’s been great. He’s been consistent and that’s probably the one thing about him that is probably his best quality is his consistency. The way he works, the way he trains, the way he goes about his craft, how important it is to him. The minute details that go into kicking, he’s on top of them. I’m happy that he is our kicker. His consistency – not just as a kicker but the way he trains and goes about his business, I have a lot of respect for it.”
(It’s been a while since you played in a full stadium. I know you always talk about the tough atmosphere, but do you feel like you ever have to bring the younger players back to earth? It’s been so long since they’ve played in front of a sold-out crowd.) – “It’s something we’ve talked about. It’s been a while since we’ve played in front of a full stadium – college, professional. Crowd noise is something we talked about, something we’ve practiced in. that element is something we’re going to have to deal with, especially on the road in a tough environment. We’ve talked about that and that’s just one more part of the road we have to deal with. It’s part of the adversity and it’s not going to be easy. We’ve talked about that. We know and understand that and we’ll have to perform with that stress as part of the entire game. We’ve talked about it with rookies, veterans, players coaches. It’s been a while since any of us have been in a full stadium. I would say it will be similar to getting used to playing with no fans. We’ll just get used to playing with fans.”
(You’ve addressed WR Preston Williams, but with WR DeVante Parker and WR Albert Wilson coming back to practice, what have you seen with them during the sessions and are you comfortable with them playing a role with an offense considering most of them missed all of the preseason?) – “Both guys worked hard to get back. We got them back out there. They practiced well. Yeah, we’re very comfortable playing both guys; but that’s kind of too far out. We’ve got practice today. Let’s see how that goes and put the finishing touches on – for those two specifically, ‘this route, this block, this motion.’ Just put the last bit of the game plan together and assuming all of that is good, I’m comfortable with both guys.”
(Can you talk about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s chemistry with RB Myles Gaskin and how that will help the team this season?) – “Tua’s chemistry with Myles is good. The two of them have spent a lot of time together. Whether it’s ball handling on run plays, in the pass game. Myles moves around a lot so he ends up in some receiver situations, and obviously catching the ball out of the back field. I think they’ve got a good rapport. They are constantly talking about a variety of things. When you have a player like that who runs the ball, catches the ball and protects, there are a lot of conversations. I think Tua has a good relationship with him and really all of the backs. I’m sure that will continue.”
Salvon Ahmed – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
RB Salvon Ahmed
(I just remembered that the last time you played the Patriots, you ran for a lot of yards. What went well that day? What would be something that you would hope that could be recreated in the game on Sunday?) – “I think that was just a team effort. We want to go out there and have success every year and every game. We’re going to attack this game like it’s the first one of the year, like we do every single game. Last year, that was a great win to be a part of as a team. This year is a new one.”
(What did that do for your confidence, having a breakout game like that?) – “It was cool, but I think it’s a team effort. That builds confidence in the team – what we were able to do, the offensive line was able to do great things, Tua (Tagovailoa) was able to do great thing, the receivers were able to do great things. It was just a team effort. I think having games like that builds the team up for sure.”
(How important is it to have a run game identity? Every year it’s a goal, but how important is it to establish and start out the year strong?) – “I think the run game is obviously a big part of the offense. It’s something that us running backs take big pride in. Whenever we get the ball, we want to be able to make the most out of it. But like I said, it’s a team effort. We have to be able to do more than just run the ball. We have to be able to pass the ball and be able to protect. I think we’re going to be able to do everything.”
(We’ve seen you maximize the passing game. We saw in training camp the sideline routes when you’re matched up against the linebacker. How much have you worked this offseason to make sure you are your best self as a receiver if you’re getting targets 15, 20, 25 yards downfield?) – “I just try to be a complete back. I just want to be able to do everything. This offseason, I focused on not just one thing, but everything that comes with being a running back – pass protection, running the ball, catching the ball, being complete. I just try to be as much as you can for the team. At the end of the day, you just think about how you can help the team.”
(You had a meaningful moment in your life last October when the Chargers tried to poach you. Have you ever thought about what happened then and are you happy the way it’s turned out?) – “I love being here. I love being a Dolphin. I love this organization. I want to be here as long as I can, for sure.”
(What was your primary focus this offseason?) – “Everything. Just being able to focus on everything. I think that’s when you get problems is when you try to focus on one thing. There are things that you do well during the season that you’ve still got to work on. Even though you did well, it still needs to work. I think you try to focus on everything.”
(After the game in New England last year, I remember a story that you were supposed to give the game ball to your grandmother? Tell us what happened after that, what was the follow up?) – “Yeah, I was able to give her the ball when I was able to go home in the offseason. That was a special moment for her.”
(Is she doing well?) – “Yeah. She is doing well. She is doing well and kicking. She’ll be here this season getting some games in.”
(You got promoted to the 53 after the Chargers wanted to sign you?) – “Yeah. It was something like that. Really my agent handled a lot of it. I just got the call from my agent and talked to the organization and I was able to get promoted. I don’t really know too much about it, but I’m happy to be in this organization and I love being a Dolphin.”
(When you signed here, was it practice squad to start?) – “Yeah, I was on the practice squad when I first got here.”
(What’s the difference between practice squad life and 53-man roster life?) – “Really, how I approach it is every day is important. I don’t really think much changes from being on the practice squad. On practice squad, you’re still here every day. You have a chance to help the team on game day. I think you’ve got to take those reps you get at practice and make the most out of it. I don’t thing too much changes really.”
(The money too, right?) – “(laughter) Yeah, you could say that, too. But as far as football-wise, I think there is no difference from practice squad and being on the team. You’re still on this team and you’re an important part of this team.”
(You have a prominent role even though you were an undrafted rookie, on the practice squad, that got elevated. Do you ever think about where you came from? You were cut before you even got here.) – “Yeah, definitely. I’m just thankful to be here every single day. It’s a blessing. Like you said, I’ve been cut and I felt what that felt like. I’m just thankful to be here every day. Every day is a blessing. It’s not forever. You can’t play this game forever. I’m happy about my journey, how I got here and how I continue to be a part of this team and things like that.”
(What was being cut like?) – “It was hard, for sure. But I think at the end of the day, it’s a part of the game. It’s not your last try, it’s not your last go around. You just have to keep your head up and keep going. It’s something you’ve got to work through. What can I work on? What do I need to do to be better? Coming here and being a part of the practice squad was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I was getting those reps and just getting better every day, going against the defense. You don’t get to just go against the No. 1 defense all the time. I think you could say our defense is pretty good. I think doing things like that is just a part of the journey.”
(How much time do you and RB Myles Gaskin now spend together off-site? Are you at each other’s apartments much? Will you get together to watch the Michigan/Washington game Saturday night?) – “We’re together all the time. We hang out 24/7. That’s my road dog. We hang out all the time.”
(How close are your apartments together?) – “Not too far away from each other.”
(Y’all moved out of the same building?) – “Yeah. We were in Davie. We don’t live too far from each other. We stay close. That’s my dog.”
(I’ve noticed that both of you guys put in extra work – whether it’s in the weight room or on the field after practice or before practice. If you had a 40-yard dash tomorrow, you would win right?) – “Absolutely. I bet on myself all the time.”
(You are faster than RB Myles Gaskin?) – “I tell him all the time I’m faster than him. He says he’s faster than me but that’s an awesome thing we get to debate on and go back and forth with. I’ll take myself nine times out of 10. (laughter)”
(What part of RB Myles Gaskin game or his attribute as a football player do you most admire?) – “I learned a lot from Myles, just from being in college. We were in college together and everything. I learned a lot from him, so I don’t know. Patience is one thing I took from him. When I first got to college, I just wanted to run fast and do everything. I took his patience and tried to put that into my game. We’re both two different guys, but I’ve learned a lot from Myles. I can go on and on; but yeah, I’ve learned a lot from him. That’s my guy, for sure. I appreciate him a lot.”
(Are you all gift givers, do you give each other gifts on your birthday or anything?) – “Yeah, for the most part. He got me some shoes last year. I forgot what I got him. Oh, I think I got him some slippers for his birthday. He got me some shoes; I got him some slippers. (laughter) It’s a give and take.”
(Have you bulked up from last year or anything?) – “I think I’m about the same weight. Do I look bigger? I’ll take it. (laughter)”
Brennan Scarlett – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
LB Brennan Scarlett
(Academically, how do you compare Notre Dame to Stanford and Cal?) – “It’s funny you asked that. There is actually an article that came out recently in Forbes that said Cal is actually the No. 1 school in the country and I think Stanford was somewhere around 4th. I didn’t see Notre Dame in that top 5, so I don’t know. (laughter)”
(One thing that Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer are known for is creative blitz packages and doing things to keep the opponent off guard. Without giving away anything obviously, how much of that have you witnessed this week in the first regular season game prep from them?) – “Something that I’ve been really impressed with since I’ve gotten here, and gotten to see how Josh and ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) go about their business in install defenses. They really do a great job of having a large attention to detail. There is very minimal gray area, which as a player, we all appreciate. It’s this if you see that, or that if you see this. When it’s given to you that way, it’s much easier to go out there and play fast with all of the different looks. I’ve been really impressed and excited to go out there on Sunday and get to it.”
(Why do you not like the gray area?) – “Sometimes it’s easier to coach things than it is when you’re out there on the field. If you’re in a position and you see some formation or you get some sort of motion or missile, and it really hasn’t been cleaned up in your mind, then at that time and in that moment, that’s that pause that’s the difference between making a play and not. That’s what gray area in my mind. As players and definitely personally, I don’t like that. They’ve done a good job of cleaning that up and minimize that gray area.”
(Edge players everywhere have a lot of responsibilities in terms of setting the edge against the run, some in coverage. I know LB Jaelan Phillips is going through learning all of that. Does this system, as best as you can tell, maximize edge players in terms of having to know a lot of different things and you don’t know if you’ll be coming rushing on a play, dropping into coverage? Is that fun for you? Does it maximize edge guys?) – “Yeah, I think in this system it gives the edge guys a lot of responsibility as far as being in coverage, setting the edge, rushing and needing to know the whole defense and different spots. That’s something that I appreciate, and it does maximize our edge talent. We’ve got talented guys in the room – Jaelan and ’Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) and Shaq (Shaquem Griffin). We all appreciate the responsibility that’s placed on us, and understand how important our role is.”
(You had a good start in Houston, but what do you feel like is your calling card as a player in this league? Or what do you hope to be your calling card as a player?) – “For me, it’s embracing my role, whatever that is on the team. I take pride in whatever that role is – whether that’s being on the edge, rushing inside, being on special teams, dropping into coverage. Whatever it is, for me it’s taking pride in that role, in that responsibility, and doing it to the best of my ability.”
(What have you or what would you say to LB Jaelan Phillips to kind of help him out as it relates to the transition from the college game to the pro game?) – “We talk about it every day as a team – just taking it one day at a time. As you’re going into a practice, into a play, into a rep or whatever it is, focus on that one rep. If you had a bad one in the past or a bad play the last play, forget about that and let’s move on to the next one and clean it up as we go. That’s the biggest thing coming into this league is being able to clean up your mistakes; but at the same time, stay in the presence of mind, taking every play as they come and being able to focus on every rep.”
Christian Wilkins – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(Are you looking forward to going to Massachusetts?) – “Of course. For multiple reasons. Massachusetts is home for me. I’m from Springfield, Massachusetts – 413 (area code) stand up. So for that. Also, the first game of the year. It’s always exciting. The start of something new is always fun. I have a lot of family and friends at the game, too, so it’s always exciting to go up to Foxboro.”
(There are a few changes obviously with DT Adam Butler a part of your group. LB Kyle Van Noy, DE Shaq Lawson no longer here. But it’s largely the same group. Now we know LB Elandon Roberts is obviously next to LB Jerome Baker. Does the continuity do you think help at all to build off last year?) – “Yeah, it definitely can help, just guys being comfortable with the scheme and the system and just comfortable with each other; and then that way when you get guys from outside, they can come right in and you can make them just feel like a part of the team and everything. But it only helps so much because you do have to start over and you do have to rebuild the chemistry and you do have to refocus and take it one step further and one play at a time, one practice at a time to get better as a unit.”
(What was your team growing up?) – “What was that?”
(What was your team growing up?) – “Yeah. Yes. It was… yeah, yeah. Big time. But now… (laughter)”
(You can’t even say the words.) – “No, I’m not going to say it. (laughter) But yeah, growing up – diehard. Big time. But happy to be a Dolphin now.”
(I saw you were doing some work at CB Xavien Howard’s shop the other day. You want to tell us about that a little bit?) – “So I lost a bet. My boys couldn’t get it done – Clemson-Georgia game – but I know they’ll get back right. I have faith in all those guys over there in Clemson, South Carolina, that they’ll get back right and do what they need to do. But yeah, lost a bet, so as part of my punishment – but it wasn’t really punishment for me. I had a good time. I brought a lot of business in for ‘X’ (Xavien Howard). Really, I just think it was a marketing thing for him because I brought a lot of business to his store, so that was a lot of fun for me to work there and it was really kind of humbling, too. I feel like everybody should get a 9-5 or work in that kind of environment because it teaches you a little bit and it’s just different, so that was kind of fun for me.”
(Is the key when you go up against a rookie quarterback like you are Sunday to rattle him early on?) – “Again, you’re not necessarily focused on those kind of things. You’re just worried about playing your game. Whatever the plan is, just execute it as best as possible. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a rookie quarterback or a 10-year vet. You’ve just definitely got to execute your plan and it all starts with preparation throughout the week.”
(If I can follow up, were you personally surprised when they released QB Cam Newton and they named QB Mac Jones the starter?) – “That’s on them – again, I just focus on us and what we’ve got to do and what we got going on here.”
(Have you watched only QB Mac Jones preseason tape? Have you gone back and seen any Alabama stuff collectively as a group?) – “You try to watch as much as you can. You see some stuff. Just try to take away different parts of everyone’s game and just kind of what everyone does.”
(You’ve faced the Patriots a few times now in your career. What is so tricky I guess or what challenges arise when going against this offensive line?) – “They’re definitely just – the Patriots as a team, they’re definitely just really disciplined. And they do what they do and they do it well. So if you’re not on your game, it can be a challenge for you. That’s why it’s important that we prepare the right way each and every day.”
(You appear to be fit. Are you a few pounds under fit? Are you a few pounds under where you were at the start of last season?) – “I’m at a comfortable weight right now. Just feeling good. Feeling explosive and just feeling like I can go 17 games at least right now and just feeling healthy so that’s most important.”
(LB Elandon Roberts also refused to tell me if he lost even five pounds. I tried. It’s hard during the season for me. They feed us well here.) – “I can see that. (laughter)”
(I try to stay around 178.) – “You look a little bit more than that. No, I’m just teasing. (laughter)”
(I know fans are obviously excited to see some of the young players, the next step they take – you, DT Raekwon Davis, etc. Personally being next to Raekwon, spending so much time with him, are you curious how good this guy can be? Obviously we know the tools.) – “Raekwon (Davis) has got a chance to be really good. Just as long as he keeps coming in every day, working to improve and it’s on guys like myself, too, like an older guy to Raekwon. Someone that he – I think he likes me (laughter) and looks up to a little bit – just to bring him along and vice versa. We need each other to be great, but Raekwon has a chance to be pretty good.”
(Going back to offensive line, we’ve heard T Liam Eichenberg and we’ve heard C/G Michael Deiter talk about the difficulties in switching sides and switching positions, but as a defensive lineman, can you ever tell when an O-lineman is I guess adjusting to playing on an opposite side or can you tell when he’s kind of trying to get his feet right?) – “I mean, maybe sometimes. You might just notice ‘oh, you’re not usually here’ or ‘now you’re over here.’ But you kind of just more focus on your game and your technique and doing your job more than anything.”
(Are you participating in the league’s program that allows slogans on the back of your helmet?) – “Yes, I am and I have ‘it takes all of us’ on the back of mine.”
(And why did you choose that? What does that mean to you?) – “Just feel like that’s a good strong message and it goes deeper than just the social injustices. It just speaks deep to me in a way. It takes all of us to essentially make the world a better place, so everybody should just do their part.”
(You guys were improved in run defense as last year went along. What’s the key to taking the next step?) – “Again, just taking it each and every day, just building as a team, as a defense and just taking it one play at a time, one meeting at a time, one day at a time. Just focusing and honing on our crafts and getting better and just focusing and working hard on our technique and fundamentals and then honing in on those each and every day and just applying them to practice and game situations.”
(I did a little project the other day where I looked at all the Dolphins sacks and takeaways from last year and just kind of watched what your impact was on those plays; and it seems like so often you’re taking on double teams or creating gaps for guys to make plays off of you. My favorite part about it was watching the way you reacted to those guys making plays. I’m wondering, was it always like that for you in football from Day 1 where you’re just so selfless and care about the team making those big plays?) – “Yeah, always. As long as I can remember since I was in youth when I was just nothing but head and shoulders. Just always been a thing to incorporate your teammates. You’re part of something greater than yourselves and that’s what I love most about football. It’s not about me; it’s always about we. It’s the ultimate team sport so I definitely just try to apply that and just make those around me better because I know I need them when I’m not at my best.”
(Not going to lie but I watched you celebrate with LB Sam Eguavoen on his four sacks and you punched him twice and they were some serious ass punches.) – “Yeah it might have been more than twice. It was quick. (laughter) I was feeding him. I was feeding him.”
(Do you ever worry about hurting people doing these celebrations?) – “I get a little – in the moment, I’m just a little excited. I’m just a little overzealous; but yeah, I don’t really think about it. I just get excited in the moment.”
Adam Butler – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
DL Adam Butler
(Is there much institutional knowledge of Patriots personnel that you can share with teammates to help them this week?) – “There’s nothing I can tell you about this team other than I know that they are tough from the guys that I know that are still there. They’re a tough team. All-in-all, they’re a new team. If I were to tell them anything, it could be wrong. No information is better than disinformation. That’s how I look at it.”
(Is that just also how Bill Belichick can switch things up very easily? Keep opponents on their toes so anything from the past could change easily?) – “To be honest, you just got to drown all that stuff out. We have to trust in us as a team. We have to trust that each other knows what to do. We have to trust that everybody is going to use great technique, play with good fundamentals and all the extra stuff that goes into it. If you try to guess and cloud your mind with a bunch of stuff, you could be wrong.”
(Just to question your theory, you have knowledge of when guys you’ve lined up against, practiced multiple times against, so that institutional knowledge doesn’t help you perform against them?) – “To some degree, I would say. It’s kind of like, when you’re dealing with a new team, it’s kind of like being a rookie again. You are trying to see what it feels like to go against something new. For me to expect them to be the same old team or the same old guys is unreasonable.”
(Have you ever seen the Gillette Stadium road locker room?) – “No. I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
(I wonder if it’s smaller than the home locker room.) – “That’s usually what happens. (laughter)”
(I know that DB Jason McCourty has told us that he’s gone against former teams before so this is really not a particularly emotional experience for him. Any sense of how this is going to be for you? Will it feel a little odd?) – “Well, he’s old as hell and I’m getting there (laughter). I would definitely say it’s another day of work.”
(The thing you took away from Head Coach Bill Belichick, everyone knows him from the outside as one of the best coaches of all time; but the thing you took away from your experience with him that you think will help you in your career was what?) – “I would say just not beating yourself. That’s something that I took from him that I take into everything that I do. Minimize mistakes basically. Don’t beat yourself. I think that applies to every team. It doesn’t just apply to that particular organization.”
(I disagree with you. A lot of people say that in theory, but most teams cannot do that. The Patriots are consistent, they don’t beat themselves. It’s harder to do than it is to say.) – “I didn’t say it wasn’t hard to do, I just said I agree with it.”
(What helps you guys get to that level? I’ve been covering the league for 14 years. The Patriots, you go to Foxborough and they’re not going to beat themselves, you have to beat them and I don’t know if you can say that about any other team.) – “Well, one of the keys to winning is that – is not beating yourself. At the end of every season, the best team – the best team, not the best individual – the best team is going to be the one who takes home the trophy and the ring. I think what you just said about every team not being able to do that, well you have to ask yourself what kind of chemistry do they have? Being a part of that organization, the teams that I was on, they had great chemistry. I’m not there now. I’m here trying to help this team establish the same kind of chemistry. That mindset of not beating yourself is a chemistry thing.”
(Since Head Coach Brian Flores’ arrival, the Patriots are the least penalized team in the NFL and the Dolphins are No. 2. How does that happen? Why does that happen?) – “I would say Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) and Coach (Bill) Belichick. I think it’s just their leadership. When you get behind that kind of leadership, that strong leadership, it establishes chemistry between your teammates. Once that chemistry is established and everybody gets behind it, that becomes the focus.”
(If someone commits a false start in practice, you run it again or what is it that they do? Players are going to make mistakes. They’re human. What is it you do to correct those mistakes to make sure they don’t happen on Sunday, that maybe they happen on Wednesday?) – “I can’t speak for anybody else but myself; but if I was to do that, I’d just shake it off and move on and try not to do it again. That’s all you can do. You can’t go back and change the play.”
(LB Brennan Scarlett was in here and incredibly is the only person who I have only met in my life who went to Stanford and Cal. He said that he looked it up and they are ranked higher than Notre Dame because TE Durham Smythe was in here. Where is Vanderbilt in terms of best academic institutions in America?) – “I’m always going to rock for mine. Vandy all day. I’m going to put us at No. 1.”
(Have you noticed that there’s actually a bunch of smart dudes in that locker room?) – “Yeah” (laughter).
(I guess that’s probably on purpose, right?) – “I mean, yeah. Probably.”
(How good do you feel about your room? It’s certainly a good group on paper with you and DT Christian Wilkins, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, DT Raekwon Davis, DT Zach Sieler and DT John Jenkins. How good could that collective six defensive linemen be?) – “I’m proud of all of those guys. Obviously, we haven’t played a regular season game together but I am looking forward to getting out there and showing them what I can do and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. I think as a unit, we definitely have a lot of potential but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Durham Smythe – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(Since the entire season is about to start, I’m curious if there is anything about this year and this team that is unique in terms of a theme or something that the team is focused on or if there has been a message that has been harped on about the season?) – “I think you kind of hit on it when you began that question with just taking everything one practice, one game at a time. Obviously, that is a football cliché but that is something that we have really harped on since April. What makes this team unique, there’s a lot of things that actually do; but like I said a couple of weeks ago, the depth of this team is the deepest I’ve ever been on. I think just a mixture of depth and really taking things one step at a time like you mentioned is what this team is focused on thus far.”
(I try to take it one story at a time.) – “Yeah, exactly. That transcends everything. (laughter)”
(Do you feel like you caught Co-Offensive Coordinator George Godsey’s eye last year doing what we saw you could do when you had chances at Notre Dame but catching a higher volume of passes? I think like 26-of-29 targets you caught last year. Has that, do you think, left an impression where you hope you might be more involved in the passing game?) – “Sure. I hope so to an extent. I just try to be reliable when the number is called in the run game, in the pass game, special teams. Just get your job done, that’s how I have been throughout my football career. If it’s more looks in the pass game, if it’s more block and power in the run game; whatever it is, I just want to get the job done.”
(Last time you guys played the Patriots, you guys ran for a lot of yards. What are some of the things that were successful in the run game that you would like to see repeated?) – “I think we had a good plan, obviously. I think all of last year we were really harping on being more physical as an entire team and that’s what sets the pace in the run game really specifically. That’s something that we’ve worked on extensively through this preseason. That’s something that we touched on the first day of pads. That’s something that we’ve really tried to improve on since the beginning of last season. I think if we can continue on the upward trend in terms of being more physical, obviously there is going to be good game plans every week from the coaches but the physicality, as long as that’s tuned up, we’ll be able to run the ball.”
(I’m always curious with the guys who are up on contract years. How tough is that to put it out of you mind? Like, ‘My NFL future rides on this season.’) – “It’s funny you hear guys talk about that all the time. Ever since my rookie year here, you hear guys talk about contract year this, contract year that. But I really haven’t thought much about it. I didn’t even think – going into it, I thought I probably would. Two years ago I would be like, ‘Oh yeah, sure. I’m going to be nervous going into that.’ I haven’t thought about it at all really. I think that’s kind of naturally been nice for me. Like I mentioned before, there’s all the football clichés of taking things one step at a time and it will eventually lead to something else. That’s what I have been focusing on and I think to this point, it’s just kind of been natural. There’s so much to focus on, it’s kind of hard to focus on something like that.”
(You had a glimpse of this in the Atlanta game, but are you excited to see what this offense looks like? It won’t be WR Will Fuller on Sunday but you’ll have WR Jaylen Waddle, QB Tua Tagovailoa who is an improved player, new coordinators. Is that exciting to see what this looks like on the field in a meaningful game?) – “Yeah. It’s always exciting at the beginning of a new season to see an offense take an identity. There’s more dynamics this year in terms of the speed that we added to this team. And like I said, harping on physicality. There’s a lot of things I’m looking forward to in terms of developing identity. That’s something that takes a whole season to really master. It’s always fun at the beginning of the year because that’s where it really starts.”
(What is it about Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach George Godsey that you think will enable him to excel in his new role?) – “He’s been great for us personally, the tight ends, the last three years. He teaches from an entire playbook-based approach. He’s not just coming into the tight end room and teaching us what we need to do. It’s this is what the quarterback is reading, this is what the receivers are doing, the running backs scanning or whatever this way to that way. I think that’s helped us a lot in terms of the tight ends. You could see it two years ago that he has a grasp on this entire offense. He can coach any of the positions that he needs to. I think having everybody in the same page in terms of what the guy next to you is doing, that adds a lot and it allows an offense to mesh incredibly well.”
(You mentioned depth earlier, how well suited do you feel in the event where TE Adam Shaheen is unavailable and how many members you have in the tight end room?) – “From a sheer numbers standpoint, we are lucky this year because we have a larger number than we’ve had in the past. Like I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I think this room is the deepest I have ever been a part of. It would take something serious to get our room hurting. Four of us would probably have to go down. It’s always the next-man-up mentality and we’re confident with everyone in the room and we can honestly say that. I think we obviously wish him the best but I think we will just keep rolling.”
Byron Jones – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
CB Byron Jones
(Studying Patriots QB Mac Jones preseason and in college – what are some things that you notice right away?) – “He looks like a smart player. Good arm. He’s adjusted well so far in the preseason games, so I’m expecting to get his A-game.”
(I’ll ask you what I asked DT Christian Wilkins a minute ago. Are you also participating in the program that allows you to put a slogan on your helmet?) – “No.”
(How helpful this week can DB Jason McCourty be in terms of their personnel? Obviously they’ve had transition at wide receiver, but is there anything you all can extract from him this week? Just in terms of Patriots personnel offensively, even though they’ve had some transition there.) – “They have a lot of good weapons. They added a lot of good players to their team and have a lot of good tight ends, too, so we’re expecting some good uses out of those as well. Just matching up, that’s one thing that we do fairly well and pride ourselves in so it should be a fun matchup.”
(DB Jason McCourty – one of the defensive captains – what does he bring to the secondary in that regard?) – “A lot of experience. Just coming in and being a vocal leader right away is so impactful for a young team and he just has so much experience at different positions, whether it’s dime, nickel, corner and safety. So he’s been able to go back there and just pick up the defense very quickly.”
(One of the guys the Patriots added in the offseason is WR Nelson Agholor. What do you feel his strengths are?) – “He’s got good speed. He’s a guy that can blow the top off of a defense so we’ve got to watch out for him. They’ve got a bunch of guys who can run and run good routes, so like I said, we’ll have our hands full.”
(Any increased comfort level for you Year 2? Do you feel about the same as you did last year entering your first year here?) – “I feel better. I definitely feel better in terms of playing a different style of football here. It was a little bit of an adjustment, but that’s the fun part. That’s a fun challenge of life, is always being adaptable and just standing up to all the challenges.”
(What have you enjoyed about playing opposite of CB Xavien Howard and what does that pairing at cornerback do to opposing offenses?) – “It’s been a joy because he’s such a good and smart instinctive player and you learn a lot from a guy like that. Just watching the way he undercuts routes and the way he’s reading different concepts and whatnot. He’s a guy who gets it. He’s putting in the work. I think ‘Chuck’ (Charles Burks) is doing a great job at coaching us both. He’s on our backs pretty hard, but it pays off.”
Cethan Carter – September 9, 2021
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
TE Cethan Carter
(Where did you grow up?) – “New Orleans.”
(Is your family doing ok?) – “Yeah, they were up here with me. They evacuated up here with me. My parents just went back home. The electricity just got turned back on. They’re all fine.”
(How has your Dolphins experience been going so far?) – “Everything I expected. Just come in here and work, work, work and go show it on the field. It’s what ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) says every day – meetings, individual, practice, game.”
(What are practices like here, the Patriots week, a big traditional showdown?) – “It could be any opponent and it’s the same philosophy – meetings, individual, practice, game. Take every rep like it’s a game rep.”
(What’s the vibe in the tight end room? Are there enough chairs for everybody?) – “Yeah, we’re all excited to get out there and show what we can do, the work we put in from camp and just preparing. We’re excited to get out there Sunday and play.”
(When you came here, it was already a deep unit that put up records. Was that at all in your thought process when you’re signing with a team as a tight end?) – “Nah, not at all. Just come in here and work, that was my thought process. Come in here and work, earn whatever role I’ve got and do my best at it.”
(With the depth that you have in that room, how well suited do you feel for an event that might happen this Sunday with TE Adam Shaheen possibly being out? Just to be able to have another guy come in.) – “It’s the ‘next man up’ mentality. We’ll get Adam back here soon. Just work. I’m excited to go out there and play Sunday.”
(You had a knee injury coming from, I think, the Chicago game. I’m not sure. What was that like coming back from it – the journey back from rehab to back on the football field?) – “Just coming back from every injury. It could have been any injury. The mental part of it mainly. Once you get out there and get playing, it’s in the back of your end. It’s just ball.”
(You actually were the Dolphins’ first free agent signing in March. Did Head Coach Brian Flores or General Manager Chris Grier call you? Or was everything done through your agent?) – “Everything was done through my agent.”
(Was it flattering? I don’t even know if players are aware of that, that they’re the first free agent addition of a team once the period starts. Was that something you were even aware of or flattered by?) – “No. I was just excited when I got the news that they wanted me here. I’ve put in the work since Day 1. Now I’m here and ready to play Sunday.”
(Obviously we saw training camp up until about two weeks ago when we can’t watch much. But as far as H-back, fullback, are you getting reps at different positions? I know you’re capable of playing both of those spots.) – “Yeah, I’ll play whatever role they give me. If they want me to play receiver, tight end – it doesn’t matter, I do it all. Just whatever they ask of me.”
(Describe the approach that you take to special teams when you’re out there.) – “Just the same way I approach the game. Play my hardest, give my best effort, study, know what I’m doing, know what I’ve got to do on that play. That’s just it.”
(How would you describe sort of your career journey and your career path?) – “I came in undrafted and had to work for everything. I bust my ass. That’s about it.”
