Brian Flores – August 21, 2021 (Halftime)
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Saturday, August 21, 2021
Halftime – Atlanta
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How do you like the offensive efficiency? QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Myles Gaskin? How are you making things work for you early on?) – “We did some good things. Moved the ball, get the drives going. Punched it in a couple times. Missed opportunity on the last drive down here but overall we are playing some solid ball. We’ve just have to do a good job in the second half.”
(Saw a little toughness out of your rookie WR Jaylen Waddle coming back in the game.) – “Yeah, he’s a tough kid. Took a hit. That happens in this game. It was good to get him back there. He played a couple plays. He did a good job.”
(They were able move the ball a little bit but you did a really nice job down at the goal line, it’s always good to see that.) – “Yeah, any time you get a stop in the red zone and keep them out of the end zone, that’s a good play for us. Then we were able to turn it around and move the ball down the field. We just have to finish that drive there…”
(Will we see some of the starters in the second half?) – “We are going to sit a couple guys and we’ve already sat a couple guys. We’ll talk about it in the locker room. We definitely want to see some of the other players as well.”
Elandon Roberts – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(How’d it feel to be back out there?) – “It felt good to be back out there with the team.”
(After the knee happened in Las Vegas, everyone was alarmed. Had you known pretty early that you’d be back in time for the start of the season or was it unclear to you if you would be?) – “I just took it one day at a time. The Dolphins have a good staff around me. We just took it one day at a time. To be honest, it was going to be one day at a time.”
(How tough was the rehab process?) – “It was cool.”
(With you back, you’ve got even more depth at inside linebacker with LB Benardrick McKinney having been acquired. That’s an awfully strong front top three of inside linebackers – Duke Riley in there too, with you Jerome Baker, McKinney and Duke Riley. How good could that group be of inside ‘backers?) – “As a group, we don’t look at what could we be. What we look at right now is coming out to practice each day, being able as a unit to get better each day. When you start looking too far ahead then in about a month or two you guys will be saying we need to get rid of the whole linebacker crew. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and our expectation is to get better each day.”
(Are you feeling all the way back health wise, or is there still somethings that may need to gain with the knee over the next couple of weeks?) – “What (do) you think?”
(Well, if they took you off of PUP then you’re probably in pretty good condition. But is it feeling normal running around out there?) – “No. I’m just going to continue to still – with my situation – take it one day at a time.”
(I think we were kind of surprised that the first practice you were out there you were doing everything. The confidence level of what you can do right away…) – “I just think – like I said, the Dolphins have a good medical staff here and whatever they want me to do, I just do and continue to take it one day at a time.”
(Was it like riding a bike right away? Like you’re going against another team. It’s not like you’re going against your own guys. Was it like riding a bike to just jump in there, and have everything going right away?) – “Like I said, it was just on some one day at a time. Like that.”
(Participating in all of the offseason stuff, was that mainly because it was walkthrough and not serous running? Or did you feel like you were going to be healthy enough to start camp?) – “I felt like we had a good plan around it. The offseason, it was a walkthrough so I was able to get those mental reps; but at the end of the day, I had to still take my situation one day at a time. Just another step in the right direction.”
(It’s not every day that a guy who has a major knee injury enters free agency and is re-signed by their team. The fact that you were shows what Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier think about you. Was that flattering? Was it pleasing to know that even though you were a free agent coming off the knee, they liked you, they wanted you back, they wanted to stick with you even though it took some time coming back?) – “I felt like the organization, ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores), Chris (Grier), they had a lot of confidence that I’d do the right thing during my rehab process, and they had confidence in me just allowing them to keep taking it one day at a time and not set too big of an expectation and stuff like that. Now it’s just another stepping stone. But like I said at the end of the day, with me, my situation, I’m still just taking it one day at a time.”
(You appear to be in good condition. I’m just curious are you the same weight that you were the last time you played or have you actually dropped a couple of pounds?) – “Do I look bigger? Or smaller? (laughter)”
(I didn’t see you in person last year because we didn’t have the open locker room, so it’s kind of hard to judge. Don’t take this in a weird way, but you appear fit. Where are you on that?) – “I’ve always been pretty fit.”
(Is your playing weight stay the same?) – “It’s where the Dolphins needed me to be. So wherever they wanted me to be, my expectation was to be exactly where they wanted me to be.”
(A couple of former Patriots here – just because we haven’t had the chance to talk to you. What’s DL Adam Butler going to bring and what is S Jason McCourty going to bring?) – “I think they bring the same thing that like I said, the Dolphins expect all of us to bring. Come in each day, work hard, do your job and keep the team first. One thing I can say about them guys is their mentality is right on with that.”
(On the other side of the ball, your thoughts on how WR Preston Williams went through a similar PUP thing and coming back?) – “I think with Preston, you should ask Preston. Like I said, everybody’s situation is different, so I think you should ask him about his own situation.”
(Do you expect to see any preseason action?) – “I expect to keep taking it one day at a time. That’s it.”
Xavien Howard – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
CB Xavien Howard
(Thoughts on how the D looks? Obviously you’re incorporating LB Jaelan Phillips. LB Andrew Van Ginkel is getting more time. S Jevon Holland is getting more time. What intrigues or excited you about what you’ve seen on this defense?) – “Just being out here with the guys and understanding we’re getting better. I feel like the sky is the limit for us on the defensive side. We’re just working on getting better each day.”
(Joint practices with the Falcons going up against WR Calvin Ridley these days.) – “It’s a nice matchup. I appreciate that we’re doing the joint practices. We’re just focused on getting better. Every week we go up against a top receiver no matter where we’re at, so just getting better and just working on guys, seeing different ways and how you can play different guys in this league.”
(Do you expect to play on Saturday?) – “Yeah.”
(Ten interceptions last year. Is that repeatable?) – “I’m just focused on getting better each year. I’m not focused on that right now. Like you said, that was last year. It’s time to get better. It’s time for new goals and stuff like that.”
(You guys led the NFL in takeaways. What’s kind of the emphasis in practice and how are you guys working to do that…) – “Our main focus on defense is get the ball. We’ve got guys and that’s all our focus is getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, the receiver’s hands. We’re just focused on getting the ball.”
(I saw you had an interception early in practice and you had a tipped ball that went up in the air and S Jevon Holland got one. How did you feel about the way today went for you in terms of being involved around the ball?) – “I feel great. Just getting back to it, I feel like this is probably my Day 3 of practice. I’m getting back to it and really just getting comfortable with the guys, knowing what guys’ strengths are and stuff like that. Like I said, our main focus is just getting around the ball and making plays on the ball.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said earlier today that it really takes game action for a player to get into peak performance. How much does that play a role in your desire to play in some of these preseason games?) – “Yeah, that plays a big role. You’ve got to get back comfortable with it – the game, system, situational football and just knowing what you’ve got to do in a situation. Seeing situations like that and just adapting to it.”
(I know you had the ankle injury. Are you very close to 100 percent?) – “Yeah, I practiced – this is my third practice full go. I’m out there.”
(How excited are you to get this thing going?) – “Like I’m saying, the sky is the limit for us. I see a lot of great things going on out there. I can’t wait to start back with the season and just playing.”
(So their guy WR Calvin Ridley, you obviously covered him in a couple of joint practices and hopefully get a chance to cover him a little bit on Saturday night. What do you think are his strengths?) – “(He’s an) all-around receiver – releases, fast. That’s what you’re looking for in a receiver. He has nice releases. Catching the ball – anywhere the ball is at, he’s going to go get it. That’s what you want from a receiver with everything – all of the techniques and everything.”
(Seeing S Jevon Holland’s ball-hawking, does that excite you, that particular skill of the young kid?) – “Oh, yeah. He finds the ball and the ball finds him. That’s one thing that me and him, we find the ball. Just seeing that from a young guy, a safety, making plays on the ball, I’m just excited to have him.”
(It looks like you have a nickel now with CB Justin Coleman and CB Nik Needham. Is that good to have two guys at least and beyond that can play that role well?) – “Oh, yeah. We’re all just about getting better, no matter who is at the position.”
(By adding in guys like LB Jaelan Phillips and S Jevon Holland and DL Adam Butler, do you think that this group can be even better than last year?) – “That’s our goal is to be better than last year. I feel like that was just shown a little bit. There’s a lot of meat on the bone. I feel like with the guys we added, they can help out a lot in any situation.”
(In general, how are you doing? Are you feeling pretty happy?) – “Yeah, I’m feeling great. I’m just focused on just getting better out here, knocking some rust off and just getting back to the movement.”
Austin Jackson – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(Obviously a better day today. What do you feel like you’re getting out of these joint practices? Obviously a different opponent, but do you feel like it’s helping you take your game to the next level?) – “Yeah. We’re in our third week of the season. We’ve got about five more months of football to go. It’s definitely good to really get a good look at another team and start competing early like this for the time being. You said we got better today. I feel like we get better every day … we work on. There is always stuff that comes but that’s mental toughness.”
(It seems like the Falcons ran a lot of stunts and twists at you guys. What’s the key to communication to make sure you don’t let a free rusher inside?) – “There is a lot of different aspects to that. I can’t hand you our playbook and tell you everything that goes on right now. But there are certain blockers in certain situations – sometimes more, sometimes less. Amongst usually about seven people, there are different responsibilities that vary all the time. Like I said, I can’t tell you every play, but communicating and being on the same page. Sometimes a guy is a free rusher and he’s a free rusher – that’s all we have to block.”
(With this offensive line, obviously you guys are working to try to develop chemistry. You’ve got new left guards every couple of days. How difficult has that been?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. For me, it helps me become a better leader. Whoever is in there, just making sure we’re on the same page, playing fast. It’s a little bit of a challenge, but to say it’s difficult, it’s not too difficult. I think it actually betters me.”
(Regarding leadership, at this point in time, how would you describe the quarterback’s leadership style, and approach of QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “He’s doing a great job. He’s doing a great job leadership-wise. He’s going into his second year. Him also like myself, having a whole year under your belt and then getting an offseason to prepare, you can anticipate more things. That’s really what football comes down to. We all can line up and play but you have to anticipate stuff. I think he’s definitely gotten a lot better with that.”
(G/T Jesse Davis is one of the leaders on the line because of his experience, and communication skills. Is QB Tua Tagovailoa – I don’t want to put words in your mouth – but I want to ask you is Tua the leader of the entire offense?) – “Yes, I would say so. He’s our quarterback. (laughter) I get what you’re saying I think, but being a quarterback is a lot of responsibility at the end of the day. He can’t run our routes, he can’t call all of our protections, so I think that’s kind of where the 11 people working as one thing comes together. He’s definitely a leader of the offense.”
(We’ve gone through years where the quarterback is not a leader, which is weird.) – “Yeah. He’s definitely our leader.”
Brian Flores – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(With the T Greg Little pick-up a couple days ago, was the thinking for you and General Manager Chris Grier that we need more depth on the offensive line, this is a guy who can come in and compete? Or was it the case that maybe this guy can come in here and challenge to be a starter here? I know you have invested in T Austin Jackson.) – “We have some familiarity with him from the draft a couple years ago. (It was an) opportunity to get a young player, come in and compete. Look, it’s a new environment and new locker room. He’s got to learn the playbook. He’s got to learn his teammates. He’s got to figure out the surroundings here in our building and this area. The message to him is let’s take it one day at time, let’s try to improve, get better, learn the system, get to know your coaches, get to know the players on the team, figure out where the bathrooms are, figure out where the meeting rooms are, figure out where 595 is. That’s kind of where we’re at right now. We’ll take it one day at a time and just try to improve and get better. We will coach him up and see where it goes. We’re happy to add him. My conversation with him was very good. He’s excited to be here and excited for the opportunity to compete.”
(When you evaluated T Greg Little in college, what were a couple things he seemed to have going for him?) – “We had a 30-visit with him so we sat down and talked to him. There was some good rapport there. As far as his love for the game and passion about working and getting better. Obviously on film, he’s athletic and has size. He was competitive on film. We are happy to have him but look, this is a process. We will just take it one day at a time and try to improve and get better.”
(Any decision on how you’ll manage snaps for the veterans for the final preseason game? Will it be that dress rehearsal?) – “That meeting is tonight. We are trying to get through – well not get through, but have a good practice today against Atlanta. I expect most guys to play but as far as how much and who exactly, we will talk more in depth about that tonight. We’ve had some, lets call it early conversations, about that. But that’s a meeting for tonight. Right now we are just focused on this practice against Atlanta.”
(Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith said yesterday that he didn’t have a great deal of familiarity with you before going into this offseason. From afar what were your thoughts on him as a coach and why was it appealing to have this with him?) – “We’ve gotten to know each other pretty recently. From afar, (I have) a great deal of respect for him. I think just in meeting with him and having conversations with him over the last few months about these joint practices, I’ve seen he’s a guy who’s tough, who’s smart, who’s competitive, who loves to coach, who is team first, who is humble, down to earth, very bright. I think he’s an excellent teacher watching him out there yesterday. I think he’s an excellent teacher, excellent coach. I understand why he had so much success in Tennessee and why he’s been granted the opportunity to be the head coach of the Falcons. (I have) a lot of respect for him and hopefully we can continue this professional relationship. Yesterday was good and we talked about the practice and the competition in the practice and how we both felt good about the structure and the things we were able to get done and the conversations we were able to have with our teams. (I have) a lot of respect for Arthur and I look forward to working with him and his team today.”
(I wanted to ask you about being a 30-something first-time head coach coming from a coordinator level. What advice can you give him?) – “I’m 40 now, are you trying to get that out there? (laughter) This year they’ve been asking about my weight, my age now. (laughter) Arthur, he’s very bright, very organized. I think he’s just going to continue to do the things he’s done in the past. I think he’s going to be himself and he’s going to be just fine.”
(Through your two-plus years here you have not been afraid about turning some things over on the team. You’ve gone through some coordinators, some players. Do you think that sends a message to the players?) – “I think we try to do what we feel is best for the organization. I don’t know if having a Boston guy in here is that. (laughter) We’re always going to do what we try to feel is best for the organization – for the team, for the organization. That’s always going to be the case. I preach that we need to be team-first. I think when we are making decisions – myself, Chris (Grier), our coaching staff – for anyone who comes into the building, we want to make those decisions with the best of the organization in mind. We are going to continue to do that.”
(QB Matt Ryan said yesterday that he was joking with you about the 2003 Boston College days and not to treat him hard like that. What do you remember most about those days and practicing against him?) – “I remember he was a very good player. I was a senior when he was a freshman, so he was a very good player right off the bat. He was carving us up as a scout team player and we wanted him out of there. That’s the true story. (laughter) I’m sure that’s the one that’s more believable here too. He’s had an incredible career. He’s a good friend. It’s just been a joy to watch him grow, get drafted and have the success he’s had. I’ll tell you this, he’s a better person than he is a player. That’s the one thing about him that I’ve always had a great deal of respect and admiration for him because of that. I think he’s a great ambassador for Boston College, I think he’s a great ambassador for this league as well. Nothing but respect for him but when we step in between those white lines, we’re trying to go after him.
(With your running backs, which one do you think has separated themselves the most from the rest of the room at this point in camp?) – “We like all our backs. They’re all a little bit different. They all have the ability to play multiple downs. We are going to try to use them all. From Malcolm (Brown) to Myles (Gaskin) to Salvon (Ahmed). Patrick Laird has gone in there and done some good things. (Jordan) Scarlett has gone in there, he had a couple good runs last week. (Gerrid) Doaks has gone in there and had some good runs. We try to use them all.”
(What does that do to an opposing defense when you can give them guys with different skillsets and multiple looks? How does that compare when that person is just a …) – “I think every back has got a little different skillset. If you got a big back and he’s more of an inside runner, that’s what you’re ready for defensively. If on the next play you’ve got a fast guy who is going towards the perimeter, then your edge guy has got to set the edge. If you have somebody that is good out of the backfield and they’re going to line him up in empty, then you have to be ready for that too. Offensively, we have the ability to move those chess pieces and each guy has shown themselves to be dependable when they’ve been in there. To me, that’s a big thing. If you’re a dependable player and you’re going to be where you need to be and be productive when called on, you will probably get an opportunity to play here.”
(What is WR Jaylen Waddle giving you compared to what you thought you were getting when you drafted him?) – “Jaylen is a tough, smart kid. Football is important to him. Improvement is important to him. He’s a good teammate. He’s as excited about someone else making a catch or having a good run or a good block as anything he does. There’s a selflessness there. We knew that. It’s been fun working with him. He’s still got a long way to go. He’s a rookie. He’s still getting used to practicing in this league and the competition in this league. These preseason games, these joint practices, are good for him and really all of our rookies. I’ve been very pleased with him.”
(Where have you seen the most improvement in WR Jaylen Waddle over the last three weeks?) – “For all the rookies, I think when you come into this type of environment, all of it is so new. I think creating a routine for yourself and learning how to be a professional and what that is. For all of them – you asked specifically about Jaylen Waddle – but learning or figuring out a routine for yourself that’s going to help you perform at the best of your capabilities. I think that’s something all of our rookies are still trying to figure that out. Do I cold tub after practice? Do I get a massage on my off day? Do I get in the cryo chamber? They’re listening; they’re taking the coaching. We’re coaching them up. I know you talked specifically about Jaylen but Jaylen in particular is just trying to find the best things and asking a lot of questions about the best ways to keep his body healthy and keep his mind healthy so that he can go out there and perform.”
(Having missed some time, how close is CB Xavien Howard to returning to his peak form?) – “It’s hard to get into peak form without games, I would say. Even in Week 1, no one will have played 60-70 snaps. Even if you call a dress rehearsal – let’s say if we did that in the preseason, it’s not going to be four quarters or else everyone would be yelling at me to take the guy out. Peak performance, you can get close but there is no way to mimic a 60-minute football game unless you do it. I think the first time out is different than the sixth, seventh, eighth time out. So if you’re talking midseason form, I think midseason form is midseason.”
(What are you looking forward to about being back at Hard Rock Stadium?) – “I’m excited to get back into our home stadium. I’m excited to see the fans, for sure. I think that was the first thing that came to mind, especially with last year. We had fans but it was capped at maybe 13 or 14,000. I think compared to some other places it felt like it was 113,000. I’m excited to play in front of our fans. I think we have a great fan base, a supportive fan base and we are excited to get in front of them. We love feeling their support and I would say that’s the No. 1 thing.”
(With this being your only preseason game, do you view this as a way to get ready for the regular season in terms of your coaching staff and players getting used to the stadium and the locker room?) – “We’ll walk through. There are a lot of guys who have haven’t been over there. We’ll go over there. Hey, we park here. Locker room is here. Training room is here. Weight room is here. This is our sideline. That’s the play clock. That’s the game clock. We’ll go through that. I think you have to do it. To assume that these guys know exactly where all that stuff, where to go, I think you make assumptions and we know what happens. From that standpoint, we are going to try to do as much as we can to make game day as comfortable and seamless as possible knowing full well that the first time out there is always going to be something with a tablet or a headset or whatever it may be.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 18, 2021
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Wednesday, August 18, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to ask you about tight ends. You seem to find them a lot. Is the offense geared to more opportunities for them or is it maybe a chemistry thing you have?) – “I think they do a good job of getting open out there on the field. A lot of the plays are tailored towards us going through our progressions in the quarterback room. Whoever is open, that’s really who we are trying to get the ball to. Obviously, it’s easier said than done.”
(You had joint practices with the Bears last week, now the Falcons. Are you getting different looks out there this week?) – “Yeah, I think their DC does a great job and their defense overall, they do a great job disguising looks. They have a lot of good players on their team. They do a great job communicating what they want to do and what they want to accomplish. I think today, for us offensively, we’ve got to be a lot better operationally. Getting on the ball quicker, seeing what the defense is giving us and playing. If you look at their two-minute drive, I think that they did a really good job from an operational standpoint. That’s something that we can also look at and continue to learn and grow not just on our side of the ball, but both sides of the ball.”
(Regardless of how many series you play on Saturday, what do you want to see from yourself and the offense in the second preseason game?) – “I think what we all expect to see is a cleaner operation. Everyone knowing what to do, minimizing the mental errors going out there; but really just going out there and executing at the highest level that we possibly can.”
(How would you compare how much you get out of joint practices opposed to how much you get out of a preseason game?) – “I think joint practices are really good because you get to see a good glimpse of the packages that these coaches have installed with the players on the defense and with their team. I would say when it comes more time to the preseason games, they obviously don’t want to show everything. Us too, it’s the same and I think it’s like that around the league too.”
(You mentioned their two-minute drill. On yours, you got pressured a couple times and after you came back to the sidelines. What was the nature of the conversation?) – “It’s just communicating. Just, ‘hey, how are you feeling in the back there.’ For me, just kind of talking to those guys about what I’m feeling and what I’m seeing as far as pressure and just communicating that to them. They don’t see everything. All they see is the guy they’re blocking.”
(You’ve gotten a chance out here to work with a lot of different receivers, which I’m sure that you would think is a good thing to develop chemistry with them; but at what point is it a concern that some of your top receivers that may be starting a lot of these games, that you are not getting to work with them because if injury? At what point is that concerning?) – “I don’t think it is a concern. For me, I think the most important thing for them is their health and making sure that they’re right because if they’re not healthy then that’s going to be a concern. We won’t have any of those guys to come out and play with. It gives a lot of opportunity to the other guys. For me to get work with them and for them to also experience the different looks, the coverages. Whereas a lot of the veterans who are injured, they’ve seen a lot of that. We’re all still in the same room, we’re all still in the same meetings communicating and talking through that. I don’t think it’s a concern at all.”
(I know we’ve been asking you about the hierarchy of the play caller. In regards to this dynamic when you were at Alabama, you had Josh Gattis and Mike Locksley kind of co-offensive coordinate. Do you see any similarities to back then and now?) – “Really, when I was at Alabama it was only Locksley that was talking to the quarterbacks and kind of giving us the play calls. I think that’s something that they would discuss; but it was always one person coming and talking to our group in the quarterback room. I think it’s very similar to here with Charlie (Frye). Charlie is the one that gives us the plays. He’s the last person that we hear in our headset. Whatever discussion goes on between Charlie, Eric (Studesville) and George (Godsey), that’s what they communicate. But the last person we hear is just Charlie.”
(When did you begin your relationship with Charlie? Was it 7-on-7 as I’ve read?) – “It was when I was in high school at the Elite 11.”
(What was your interaction with him then and impression of him then?) – “I thought Charlie was a good guy. He’s a good coach. Very fun to be around. When I was able to talk to ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) about a lot of that, when he was talking, ‘hey, what do you think about this?’ I was all for it.”
(You had mentioned that they disguise coverages real well. You’ve seen the Bears defense, now the Falcons and the Bengals next week. How do you think that has helped your progress, having an offseason where you’ve had different defenses, different schemes to look at compared to last year it was just the Dolphins you were facing every day?) – “I think it’s really good for not just young quarterbacks, but young rookie players to also get this opportunity. To see different looks, how guys can go from four down, to a three-down drop and what to expect within the coverages. There are just a lot of things. For us, that’s what we’ve seen and we’re going to go into the film room later on today and try to get those things corrected come tomorrow.”
(I noticed in the last preseason game that there were moments where you were able to avoid pressure by sensing or feeling where it was coming, and you were able to keep your eyes down field. What are some of the specific drills that have helped you improve in that area, and what do you think is the key to keep in mind on gameday in terms of pocket mobility?) – “I think Charlie (Frye) does a great job with the drills we do beforehand – before practice starts for us, just to get our feet in line with our arm. But we’re never looking down. You always want to look at your target. I think it just comes with practice – the practices we’ve had with our defense, and also the practices that we’ve had against the Bears and now the Falcons.”
(Inaudible) – “I don’t remember, but it’s good to see you.”
(Having the opportunity to kind of comingle with other veteran quarterbacks from around the league – last week in Chicago and now a guy like QB Matt Ryan. What can you gain from conversations here and there?) – “You can gain a lot. From a personality standpoint, I think Matt is a great guy. He came up, first class and introduced himself to all of us in the quarterback room. Also just watching how he’s played and how he’s handled himself throughout the years, growing up when I was young, it’s fascinating to see that he’s still in the league and I’m just starting my journey here. It’s awesome.”
(I couldn’t help but notice that you made a few connections with WR JaylenWaddle today. Where has that growth grown in the last few weeks that you guys have been together in camp?) – “I think it’s tailored to what the defense is giving us more importantly. With these guys, when they are bringing pressure, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to get the ball out quick. We’re not trying to get hit. We’re trying to work on the operation of our feet and timing it with our arm, and really what we’re seeing out there. I never realized how many times he was targeted today. But that’s the mindset that we have, just try to get the ball out quick, and let our guys and our playmakers make plays for us.”
Jaelan Phillips – August 18, 2021
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Wednesday, August 18, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(How good is it to be back out there, being able to practice after sitting a week?) – “I’ve just been sitting, literally just crawling out of my skin to get back. I’m blessed that I could come out here and get the reps that I did. I’m definitely feeling better and excited to keep going.”
(What were you able to take away from the Bears game, just being on the sidelines? What were you able to learn?) – “It just gives you a new perspective of the game. You see things differently. You have different conversations with the coaches and everything like that. I thought that we played really hard. We definitely have some things to work on, but it’s definitely a good starting point. It’s only up from here. It was cool to see it from that perspective.”
(I saw you with your hand in the dirt a few times. Did that feel like a natural thing to do even though you’re listed as a linebacker?) – “For sure. It’s definitely something that I’m used to and comfortable with and excited about. You’re going to see me do a couple of different things.”
(How exciting is it to make full use of your multiple skills?) – “I love it. I love being able to utilize my body and do everything that I can. The fact that I’m standing up some, putting my hand in the dirt – I’m a team guy so I just want to do everything that I can to help the team out. It’s cool. It’s really cool.”
(Last week G Solomon Kindley told us that the one-on-one drills favor the defensive linemen. Do you agree with that? Also, what should we be looking for in those drills? What are you trying to get done?) – “I guess to answer your first question, it depends on who you’re going against. Sometimes the defense is going to come out on top and sometimes the offense is. I don’t think it favors the D-line by any means. If anything, it favors the O-line because they know when the ball is about to be snapped. To look for in those, honestly it’s to master different parts of your arsenal honestly. Like if I’m coming into a one-on-one, I have a plan and I’m working a certain move or working different counters based on what he does. It’s really cool to be able to take the one-on-one drills and apply that to a game when we’re playing 11-on-11.”
(After seeing how other teams operate when you go through joint practices like the Bears, and now you have an opportunity with the Falcons – what have you seen, what have you learned just seeing how other organizations function?) – “It’s an incredible experience. It’s been really cool because I know a couple of the guys on both the Falcons and the Bears. Being able to see them, and then the coaches, I had this two or three month interview process where I got to know some of the guys, so then I finally got to meet them in person. It’s really cool to be able to have this experience and have them come down here and see how they run their program, and they can kind of see how we run ours. It’s fun to be able to see some old friends. It’s just friendly competition.”
(How much of a goal is it to be a starter as a rookie?) – “For me, I’m just here to plug and play. I’m here to do whatever it is they need me to do. Depending on the reps the coaches want to give me, that’s up to them. I can’t really control that. Just know that I’m out here working my hardest to improve on every aspect of my game and I’ll be ready when that time comes.”
(How well do you know a guy in your draft class TE Kyle Pitts? Do you know him much at all?) – “I don’t know Kyle really well. We know of each other, like we know who each other are. But I’ve never spoke to Kyle. I know a couple of the guys on the team though – Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, I used to play with him at UCLA. Adetokumbo Ogundeji, I know him from the pre-draft process. He went to Notre Dame. A couple of guys – Darren Hall he’s from Southern California, he’s from where I’m from. Yeah, I’ve got a few friendly faces.”
(Any personal goals for 2021?) – “To honestly improve all aspects of my game. It’s my first year, first try at the NFL. I’m just excited to see where I can take this and how far I can go and just come out here. Honestly, I’m just blessed to be in this position. No particular goals, but I’m working every day.”
(What part of your pass rush do you feel most comfortable with and what are you trying to add in your first year?) – “I think I’m a versatile guy. I can kill you with speed; I can kill you with power. They always say, you don’t want to be a jack of all trades as a pass rusher. You want to be able to master one or two moves. There have been things that I’m working on and I’m just trying to perfect my craft.”
(Are you all the way back from what was bothering you physically that kept you sidelined? Are you limited still at all and how frustrating was that 10-day period where you couldn’t do team work?) – “Yeah, I am just listening to the trainers and coaches. They’ve been kind of guiding my recovery process. Last week I was able to get into one of the practices with the Bears and then obviously today I was able to get in. I can tell you that I feel good and I’m just getting better every single day. Obviously the timeout was frustrating; but like I was saying earlier, it was kind of a new perspective. It was real cool to be able to see it from the outside looking in. It always makes you be able to appreciate the game more when it gets taken away for a couple of weeks. I just know when I came back today that I was definitely excited. I woke up this morning in a good mood.”
Malcolm Brown – August 18, 2021
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Wednesday, August 18, 2021
RB Malcolm Brown
(We know that obviously you’re going to get playing time, RB Myles Gaskin will, RB Salvon Ahmed will but not having the opportunity to start very much in your NFL career, I guess two starts even though you’ve played a lot – would starting be meaningful? You got the opportunity on Saturday. Would that be meaningful to be a regular-season NFL starter?) – “Yeah, it would be dope; but at the same time, I’ve been in this league for so long I know how it goes. We all have our roles and we all contribute to this team in different ways. Starting, not starting, playing time – at this point in my career, I’m not overly worried about it.”
(What are your impressions of RB Myles Gaskin?) – “I like him. We’ve got a great group of guys in that running back room. A lot of guys, we just like to work. That was my first impression of Myles (Gaskin). He just puts his head down and works. There is nobody in that room that is a prima donna or anything like that. It’s a great group of guys in there.”
(What was it like seeing another team out there?) – “It was good, man. It’s always cool to practice against somebody else. You go against your own team for so long. To go against somebody else is always fun – to get something new, something fresh and some more competition out there.”
(Do you like this version of training camp better? Where it is a little more condensed but you get to see different faces to break up the monotony a little bit?) – “I don’t know if I have decided if I like which one better or not. Like I said, it’s always cool to see something new, something fresh. Like you said, some new faces and go against somebody else, a different scheme and just getting more experience with some different stuff is the biggest benefit to that.”
(I know you must take pride in your goal line work. What did the Bears do in that preseason game? There were a couple games out there in the joint practices that you got the better of them then.) – “They have a great group of guys there. I think that they are known for their defense and especially that d-line. They got it done. We just really need to execute better on our end. Nothing too technical, nothing crazy. We just need to execute better and do a better job of what we were doing.”
(When you start, do you also think that also gives the other running backs an advantage when you wear them out and then those other running backs can come in against a defense that’s tired?) – “It works both ways. Just getting something new out there. Some other guys and change of pace. I’m a change of pace. Whatever you want to put it like, I just know the group of guys that we have in our room, we contribute in so many different ways and it’s always fun. But yeah, I think it gives us a little bit of an advantage just switching different types of backs in and out.”
(You guys play the Falcons this year. Is there anything that you can take away from this week that would help you in October?) – “Really we just got to go back and look at this film and see what we can improve on. After that, I think we will get a better feel of it.”
