Brian Flores – June 16, 2021
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Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(We get to talk to WR Allen Hurns and WR Albert Wilson today. Did it look to you like there’s been any rust at all with them or anything that would suggest that they sat out last season? Or did they pick up where they left off in 2019 basically?) – “First I want to say sorry, guys, for being a little late. But as far as Allen (Hurns) and Albert (Wilson), I think that they’re both in good shape. I think they both look good. I think they both – there’s always a little rust from any player after having some time off – but I think they look really good. They’re both in good shape. I think they’re both running well, moving well, picking up the offensive concepts well. Yeah, I’m pleased with both guys.”
(And one last quick thing about receivers in general. The fact that you kept so many, at least at this point, instead of maybe paring down the roster of what you have there, you could very well have eight to 10 NFL-quality receivers. What’s the thinking of you and General Manager Chris Grier to keep that many as opposed to maybe cutting one or two of them to clear out cap space?) – “I think we like the depth in the room and the competition in the room, and we’ll see how it all plays out. We always talk about creating a competitive environment for each position room and I think that’s the case in the receiver room. We’ll see how it shakes out through training camp and preseason games. The best five, six, seven guys will be on the team.”
(A somewhat relatable question with WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns, my question specifically is about scouting a guy that you guys drafted – S Jevon Holland – who also opted out last season, but you guys showed confidence to pick him pretty high. For guys who did opt out like those three mentioned, do you look at I guess individual training during that period? Is it more so like with Jevon, what he had put on tape previously? How much thought process in the scouting with Jevon went into his individual training during that period of last year?) – “As far as their individual training, we really don’t know what each of those guys – they’re not with us. Obviously Jevon wasn’t with us and neither were Albert and Allen, so we don’t know what they’ve done specifically. I think when you see them in person and watch them work with us, we know that they’ve been doing something and doing something that has kept all three guys in good shape. The ability to move the way they need to move to have success in this league, I think with Jevon specifically, he’s learning. Knowing the defense, the terminology, learning, getting to know his teammates – that’s part of his kind of learning curve. Not necessarily the case for Albert and Allen – older guys who know a lot of the guys on the team already; but I think we can assume. I don’t know exactly what they did from a training standpoint. I think we can assume they all were working – working hard and doing a good job from that standpoint. I know you mentioned kind of as far as how we evaluated Jevon without seeing him, we went off his ’19 tape and a lot of things we liked and we’re happy to have him. Really happy to have all three guys.”
(I wanted to ask you about the decision to stay outside when they elements got kind of rough yesterday. What was the thinking? Was there any thought of going inside and what did you accomplish by being in that weather?) – “We could end up playing in that type of weather. It’s really as simple as that. I think we need to be prepared to play in that type of weather. We live in South Florida. It rains pretty much every day and we could potentially play in that weather, that type of setting, and I think it’s good work for us. People may not want to stand out in the rain, but I think how you – your body mechanics need to change. You’ve got to keep your feet underneath you. You’ve got to be able to keep yourself under control so you can cut and make tackles and make people miss. I think oftentimes when you get into rain-type of situations, that’s the first thing that happens, is you just lose your footing and a tackle that would have been made means the guy was on the ground or a big play you don’t get because the receiver or running back is on the ground. I think you need to practice in those elements, so any time it rains and we have an opportunity to stay out there and there’s no lightning and we’re not forced to go in, I think it’s a good opportunity for guys to practice in those elements, so if they do show up in a game, we can still have success and not turn back and say, ‘Aw man, I wish we practiced in the rain one more time so guys would know what it feels like to make a tackle or make a cut and get vertical or make a break on a pass or get your plant foot down on a field goal.’ We’re not always going to have perfect weather conditions.”
(Quick follow-up if I may – were you pleased with how they responded to the elements yesterday?) – “Yeah, I think any time you get into any type of situation where you have experience, I would say, it helps you. So yeah, we were on the ground a little bit; but offensively, defensively, in the kicking game, they now know what it feels like to play in the rain and they can make some adjustments. And I think the flip side of that is if you’re not practicing in the rain, how do you make those adjustments? You end up making them in the game and hopefully we’ve prevented or maybe gotten one more play because we practiced in those elements versus not practicing in them and not having understood or felt what it’s like to slip, fall and know what those adjustments need to be.”
(I’m sure if it was October or November and your starting quarterback threw five interceptions, you’d be losing your mind. So in June in a minicamp, QB Tua Tagovailoa throws five interceptions and you think what?) – “I think practice is a time where not just at the quarterback position, but at every position you test the waters and see what works, what doesn’t work so that you can go back, learn from it, make adjustments and try to improve. I think that’s the same thing for us as coaches. There’s been many times where I say, ‘Hey, I want to see what this blitz looks like,’ or ‘I want to see what this coverage looks like,’ or ‘let’s see what this pass route looks like or what this punt fake looks like against a certain defense.’ And then we’ll come back and say, ‘We probably shouldn’t do it that way. We should do it this way.’ I think that’s the case for any position. If you’re a DB – hey, let me see if I can jump this route and make this play and let’s see if I can do it in practice versus a game where obviously if you jump and you don’t make it, that’s not what you’re looking for. Or if you never attempt a 60-yard field goal in practice, how do you know you can make it in a game? I think it’s the same thing at every position. I want to punt it inside the 5-yard line. If I never practice it or never try to attempt to do it, then what makes me think I can get it done in a game? I think it’s the same at the quarterback position. We’re going to see if we can fit some throws in and then there might be a minor adjustment that we need to make to make the play. How do you know that if you don’t make the attempt? But at the end of the day, you never want turnovers anywhere so we need to limit those. We always need to limit those. But at the same time – what, this is the first day of practice? We’re not looking for the finished product. Mistakes are going to happen. We’re going to correct them and continue just to improve and get better.”
(I wanted to ask you about G Solomon Kindley. Where is he, one from a conditioning standpoint; and two, what do you expect to see from his development in the second year? I know you’ve got so many of them grouped in, in terms of second year players; but specifically him, since he started most games last year?) – “You mentioned conditioning and I don’t think anyone is where they need to be from a conditioning standpoint. It’s hard to think anyone on our team is ready to go out there and play 70 to 75 plays in an NFL game right now. We haven’t had enough practice. We haven’t had any preseason games. So collectively across the board – look our guys are in shape, but it’s different type of shape to get into and get ready for an NFL game, which that includes putting pads on and practicing in pads play after play after play. I think Solomon, as well as really everyone on our team, is working to get into condition. We’ll continue to do that. As far as where he is as far as a player – I think you mentioned going into Year 2 – I think he’s a little more comfortable and understands the importance of communication along the offensive line, and how important his techniques and fundamentals are. I think he’s trying to take it one day at a time and improve and get better. I’ve been pleased with where he’s at and hopefully he continues to make strides to get everything – his techniques, his fundamentals, his conditioning, all of it – where it needs to be so we can have a good finish to this minicamp up, then hopefully that springboards us into training camp.”
(My question is similar to the earlier one in terms of how you calibrate aggressiveness in training camp. I’m wondering, when do you kind of pull that back and start to focus on “we have to be more detailed and more sharp in those areas, and not be so aggressive, and play more like a gameday week?”) – “Well, we always want to be detailed. We always want to be detailed. We always want to make the right play; but there is a little bit of – I think you have to practice. I don’t think that’s Day 1 of practice where it’s, ‘everything has to be – the ball has to be perfect, this has got to be –’ I think there is some leeway. I think we try to tell all the players practice is a place where you work your fundamentals and techniques and if there is a specific route technique you want to use to try to get open, let’s see if it works in practice. If there is a specific technique as a DB that you want to work a quick jam, or you want to work press, or you want to work off, or you want to blitz from depth, or you want to get up on the line of scrimmage and blitz them that way – there are a few different ways you can approach any play and I think you use practice as a way to figure out what’s the best thing for you individually. And we, as coaches, will say ‘this is what I think you should try.’ The players have input on that as well. I think that’s when you do it. When do you say – I think you need to try it first before we as a staff say you probably shouldn’t do that, you should do this. I think you just learn from those experiences. Whether it’s football, whether it’s anything – I’m sure it’s journalism, whether it’s any sport – I think you learn from experiences. That’s the case with all of our players. I know we’re talking specific to one position, but we’ve got guys that try different things really at all positions.”
(To follow up on that QB Tua Tagovailoa thing again, he mentioned the aggressiveness and you mentioned his aggressiveness. I think a lot of people who watched last season would know that’s something you guys want him to improve on. What do you say to him after that practice so that he doesn’t go back into a shell as far as aggressiveness?) – “I don’t think Tua is going into a shell. I think – look, I tell him to continue being aggressive. Really, the conversations are a lot of what we’ve already talked about here. It’s using this time to practice pushing the ball down field, then we’ll make the adjustments and the corrections. Then we’ll go at it again the next day. That’s the normal progression of how this goes. My conversations with him are, ‘we’ll look at it, we’ll make the corrections and we’ll get better and come out here and go tomorrow.”
(If I can ask about another second-year player, CB Noah Igbinoghene is obviously getting a lot more reps out there because of CB Xavien Howard’s situation. Where have you seen him going into Year 2? I know he maybe didn’t perform as well as he wanted to as a rookie, but have you seen elements of his game that have made an early jump at this point?) – “I think he’s worked hard this offseason. I’d say from a training standpoint but also just understanding conceptually the defense and all of the things that are going on in the back end. I think he’s made some improvements and I’m pleased with where he’s at. Hopefully he continues on his trajectory.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Nik Needham’s rise and his improved play over the years. We saw him pick off WR DeVante Parker yesterday on the outside. It seems like he’s always been a consistent player who has practiced well and showed up in games for you. What can you say about his progression over the years?) – “He’s worked hard. He’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s a team-first guy. He’s made improvements really since he’s got here, and he’s continuing to get better. He’s aggressive. He wants to be out there, he wants to compete and normally guys who put all of those things together, they improve. And he’s definitely made a lot of improvement. He’s continuing to improve and I’m very happy with where he’s at. He does everything necessary to continue to make improvement.”
(Is there any news to report on CB Xavien Howard and do you expect him today?) – “I do not expect him today. Obviously we talked in length about him yesterday. There’s really nothing else to report.”
Solomon Kindley – June 15, 2021
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
G Solomon Kindley
(Do you feel good about going back to left guard? Obviously that’s where your experience at Georgia came. Is that more natural for you than right guard?) – “Football is football. So yeah, I played left guard at Georgia. I’m just filling in wherever I can. Football is football. I’m just helping the team.”
(Is there any difference as far as comfort level or are you now equally comfortable with both?) – “Yeah, I’m pretty comfortable at both. That’s what you train for in the offseason and everything.”
(“Big Fish,” you were kind of in your element out there today, huh?) – “Yes, sir. A lot of rain. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about the off-field stuff you are doing with the swimming camp and the seven-week program for kids in the community. What made you want to do that and how did the first week go out there so far?) – “First, what I’m doing in the community, it’s just a blessing with where I come from and the money I’m making and doing the things that I’m doing. My mom always taught me to give back, so that’s my biggest thing. I want to bless others. Somebody made an impact in my life and I want to do that for other kids. For your second question, it feels good to be back playing football. We’ve been away for a long time. We’re back in our element, like you said.”
(One of your teammates, LB Brennan Scarlett, has his own mastery in the swimming pool. I’m wondering if there’s been any trash talk back and forth between you guys yet.) – “The last person that said something to me about the pool on my team, I don’t think they talk swimming with me anymore because I blew them out of the water. (laughter) But yeah, Scarlett hasn’t said anything to me about the pool yet. I don’t really think he got the memo that I’m really a “big fish.”
(Then my football question for you, just kind of taking into account your second year now and looking back on where you were at this time last year – what’s different for you in terms of the experience and just how you feel going into practices here in Year 2 and the level of comfort you have now?) – “It’s just not making the same mistakes that I made as a rookie. It’s my second year. The coaches and everybody look forward to you doing better things than last year. You feel your game should elevate every year, so that’s just my thing. I’ve got to stay in the film room and just execute even better than I did last year.”
(If you were asked about it, I’m sorry; but I heard you talking about swimming. What was that like to be able to get some kids together for a good cause?) – “Like I said, it’s a blessing. Me and my brothers grew up – we always went to the pool. Mom used to be at work. She used to tell us not to go out of the house. We’d sneak out of the house and go to the community pool. So we always used to go there and we made fun of it because if we got caught at the pool by the time Mom gets back home, we were going to get in trouble. So we just went to the pool and had fun. That’s my biggest thing. I wanted to let kids come out and have fun because that changed my life. I met a lot of people during that time, so just being a blessing towards those kids.”
(The role that you’re kind of playing in OTAs so far, how has that kind of allowed you to kind of learn a little bit more and maybe perfect your craft a little bit better?) – “No doubt. It perfected my craft even better because if anybody goes down, no matter where it is, I can fill in. I can play football on either side, so just helping the team. Just being there for anybody on the team on the offensive line.”
(And what can you say about G/T Robert Hunt? He seems like he’s taken a big next step for himself once he started after last season and kind of how he’s doing so far in camp right now. What can you say about a guy you shared the right side with last season?) – “Robert Hunt is being Robert Hunt. He’s playing football. He’s just being himself. He’s good, so that’s what he’s doing.”
(From a body standpoint, are you where you want to be? Where do you think you’re best as far as weight?) – “Oh no doubt, I can always get better. That’s what camp is for, so I can always get better.”
(I saw you working with Coach Torrian this offseason. What has your work been like with him and how has he kind of helped you this offseason?) – “Coach Torrian is an amazing coach. I appreciate working with him in the offseason. He gave me different aspects of the game – pass pro, run blocking, also conditioning – so yeah, he’s a very good coach and I appreciate him.”
Tua Tagovailoa – June 15, 2021
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Expectations – probably for you, you put so much on yourself. Where does your drive to chase perfection come from?) – “I’d say my drive to chase being great at what I do, it came from when I was very little. I’ve been playing football my entire life and all you try to do at the end of the day is try to win the game. When the outcome doesn’t go your way, that’s a feeling you don’t like feeling. For me, I don’t like feeling the losses. Obviously we want to win. That’s why I harp on putting all of that pressure on myself.”
(How would you describe what it was like practicing in these conditions? Was it as crazy, in terms of the weather, as anything you’ve ever experienced?) – “It was really good. We’re going to have to play in the rain. We’re going to have to play in conditions where the ball is going to be wet, where it’s going to be cold, where it’s going to be hot. You’ve got to expect the unexpected. It was really good for our guys to go out there and compete in the rain. I thought today, overall was an all right day. There’s things we’re going to have to fix here within the next couple of hours, to look over film and correct for tomorrow.”
(The Dolphins made it a priority this offseason to get you some help at wide receiver. What’s it like now that WR Will Fuller V is here, WR Jaylen Waddle is here and you guys were able to get out there and get the first one in the books?) – “It’s really good to be able to throw to all of these guys and get good timing with full-speed routes, looking at a defense and also communicating on what they see within the defense and how we’re communicating, how we’re going to run our routes, where we’re going, landmarks and so forth. It’s been really good to throw with all of these guys.”
(When you look at a practice day like this where it’s raining and a lot seems to not be going right for you as far as throws, what can you take out of that, going into the next day?) – “I think today, the emphasis for us quarterbacks – we wanted to be aggressive today within the pass game. We wanted to see if we could fit throws in, we wanted to see what throws we could make under these conditions. We were just trying to push the ball vertical down the field. There are some plays that didn’t go our way, but (those are) plays that we can take a look at in the film room and move forward with.”
(That’s kind of what my question is for you, was how much do you want to push the ball in these practice situations? What does it do to increase the likelihood of completing these passes on gameday when you can be more aggressive on the practice field?) – “Kind of like what I said the last question, that’s just been the emphasis for us coming out to this first day of minicamp, was just to be aggressive and push the ball down field. Obviously you want to be smart; but if there is a time to make mistakes, now is the time to make mistakes. We’re trying to see what we can fit in the hole, what we can throw within coverages, come into the film room and then learn from it.”
(I haven’t heard you talk about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick moving on to Washington. I was just curious – because you guys had a really interesting relationship – on the one hand he served as this great mentor for you and on the other hand, you were kind of going to take his job; and late in games and late in the season there were times where Head Coach Brian Flores would go to the bullpen for Fitzpatrick. I’m just curious how you process him moving on and what it means to your career moving forward?) – “I understand the game of the NFL and how the NFL works. For me, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) has been a great mentor. ‘Fitz’ is a great person. Just the kind of characteristics that he has as a person is kind of slim to none. I’m actually very happy that he has an opportunity to go to Washington and compete. The impact that he’s had within my first year and the things I can take from him are going to be very big this upcoming year.”
(At OTAs, you talked about the decision to stay in South Florida this offseason. What has Nick meant to you – Nick Hicks – being able to train with him and have him in your close corner this offseason?) – “It’s been good to have Nick. Nick has been a good resource for me to be able to help train the things that I need to work on and whatnot. I have a lot of respect for him and the things he’s helped me accomplish. That’s really it. He’s helped me to get better with my strength and whatnot; but I think a lot of the things outside of that is going to be mental for me, the mental aspect of the game.”
(I know you haven’t looked at the film yet and today was a learning day – I get that – but was there a consistent thread to the interceptions? Was there something you were trying that just wasn’t working or was there nothing consistent you could put your fingers on as far as the cause?) – “That’s kind of how I answered it earlier. Those are the things that we were trying to work on. We were trying to be aggressive and push the ball downfield, and try to move guys to fit the ball in tight windows and spaces. Now that we put that on film, it gives all of us as a quarterback group (a chance) to go back into the film room, talk about what we’ve seen, what we were trying to do as far as leverage the defenders with our throws, then take the coaching from our coaches and also one another.”
(What’s next for you after minicamp wraps? What are your plans in terms of yourself personally, and also working out with the guys?) – “As far as next week, I’m not too sure yet. I’m focused on what we have to do within the next couple of hours to fix what we’ve got to fix with today’s practice, and then worry about tomorrow’s practice to finish out strong for this minicamp.”
Noah Igbinoghene – June 15, 2021
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
CB Noah Igbinoghene
(You’re still obviously needed mostly on the boundary especially with CB Xavien Howard here, but Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander told us a couple weeks ago that he does envision you getting some work in the slot. Has that work happened to this point? Have you done any work at all in the slot or have you been entirely on the outside?) – “I’ve actually worked both positions and it’s really going really well, so I’m excited. I’m excited to see what the coaches have for me. I’m just following the plan and the process they have and see what happens.”
(What level of growth do you think you got from your rookie season? What are some of the lessons that you took that will help you become a better pro?) – “Honestly the offseason – my first offseason was huge for me. Just finding a consistent routine, just a consistent schedule, just working out and conditioning and just doing the same thing over and over again every single day. That was the biggest thing for me and my growth this offseason I feel like. So the offseason was huge for me. It was a blessing just to go through it. God really moved in my life this offseason, so I thank Him and I can’t wait for the season.”
(Speaking about God, in what way? How did God move in your life?) – “I just grew as a man, obviously like everybody does. Just grew up. I was young last year. I’m still young now, but I’m growing up as a man and figuring things out and I’m growing up. It is what it is.”
(I guess part of that grow-up process is kind of realizing where you’re at in your career as a young player, as a first-round pick, with some high expectations. Kind of how do you deal with all that and just work to continue to improve so that you can prove yourself on the field?) – “I just keep my head down and keep working. It’s all I can do, really. Follow the process, like I said before, and everything will work out for itself.”
(What has helped you this offseason kind of have a better mindset into what you want to accomplish?) – “Honestly like I said before, just a consistent routine. Just a consistent schedule. Just the same thing over and over again – the little details – over and over again. Last year (in the) offseason it was rough for me because (it was) the COVID year. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do. We couldn’t really – I didn’t have a consistent workout place at all. This year everything was laid out, planned out, month-to-month-to-month. I feel better going into Year 2.”
(It was great last year how you shook off a tough start obviously against the Bills and Seattle. You played really well against Jacksonville. You played well when needed late. What allowed you to rebound and come back from what might put some rookies in a shell? You didn’t go into a shell.) – “Honestly the coaches and the older guys and just my teammates. They all surrounded me. It’s just a family here. So honestly it wasn’t really that hard. I just kept my head up. Everybody kept supporting me. I just kept working. Honestly that’s all it is. You’ve just got to keep working.”
(And are you looking forward to that opportunity in the slot should that continue to come into August?) – “I’m looking forward to playing wherever they want me to play. (laughter)”
(I don’t want to name every receiver in the room, but just WR DeVante Parker, WR Preston Williams, WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Will Fuller V, WR Jakeem Grant, all these guys that have different varied skillsets – I’m wondering how seeing these different types of receivers helps you develop your game at this stage in your career?) – “They all have different skillsets and it’s amazing just to see them. They’re all growing as well. I can’t wait. We’re going to get some work in. We’ll get some real work in this offseason. We’ve worked so far. I can’t wait to see where we go and where they (progress) as well, where they grow as well.”
(Who’s helping you study film? Who’s helping you get to that next level from an understanding quarterbacks and offensive concepts standpoint?) – “Just my coaches, honestly. I come to work every single day. I listen. I take notes and that’s really all it is. Just follow the process every single day I come to work and it’ll happen.”
(Kind of a fun question for you. What’s it like being represented with an agency that’s full of MMA fighters like Jorge Masvidal and Tyron Woodley? Are the perks pretty fun? Do you get to go to a lot of free matches? What’s it like being with their agency and with the guys they rep?) – “It’s great to see those guys. Honestly, I haven’t really been to a lot of matches. I’ve only been to one I think, but UFC is amazing. I’m glad to have them at my agency. I’m close with all of them, so I have good relationships with all of them and I can’t wait to see where they go as well.”
(Do you think fighting in UFC is kind of like football in the same sense where football – you’re an individual player, you’re trying to work out for the team, but everybody is just constantly striving to improve? Do you kind of see the same kind of tone in both those sports?) – “Yeah, that’s every sport. That’s every sport. It’s the same thing.”
(Just throwing this out there. What has CB Xavien Howard told you about his contract situation?) – “That’s honestly none of my business. (laughter)”
(Has CB Xavien Howard talked to the cornerbacks room?) – “I don’t know who he’s talked to. I don’t know nothing. (laughter)”
Brian Flores – June 15, 2021
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask you with QB Tua Tagovailoa, when you guys drafted him, obviously you knew with the hip that it was going to take some time to eventually progress. How does it feel from a franchise standpoint to be kind of 18-19 months after the injury for Tua and kind of see where he has come along so far and where he can go ahead?) – “I think he’s worked extremely hard obviously coming off the hip last year and getting himself ready to play as much as he did last year. I think he’s just continued to build on his rehabbing the hip and really kind of I would say training just from a total body standpoint. I think he’s done a nice job from that standpoint. He looks healthy and he’s really just trying to improve in all areas and we’re happy and pleased with where he’s at.”
(Just from a team standpoint, to kind of be at this point here in his recovery to kind of see where QB Tua Tagovailoa can go forward after drafting him and kind of knowing that kind of drafting him was a big risk – I guess how do you guys feel about that now?) – “I think we’re just trying to take things one day at a time. He’s trying to improve on the field, off the field, in his training, in all areas and I think that’s kind of more of a big picture question; but I think we’re just trying to shrink it down to let’s get better today. Let’s improve from a meeting standpoint, from a walkthrough standpoint, from a practice standpoint, from a training/rehab standpoint if that’s the case, which it is with Tua. I think he’s done well with that and he’s continuing to improve every day really in all areas.”
(I wanted to ask if CB Xavien Howard was among the participants today and if so, how’s he looking physically?) – “I have not seen Xavien today; but the meetings are Zooms, so guys kind of get lost from time to time. But I have not seen him today.”
(Do you expect CB Xavien Howard to be participating this week?) – Quite honestly I don’t think – I’m not sure he’s going to be here today. Again, I haven’t seen him, so I expect him to be here, but I have not seen him yet.”
(In terms of CB Xavien Howard, has he expressed what the issues are that he has if he chooses to sit out this minicamp?) – “I think it’s pretty clear that this is a contract situation, which we’ve talked about internally. That’s what I believe it is and obviously we’ve had discussions and we’ll continue to have those discussions.”
(Last week you referred to the development of a young cornerback like CB Noah Igbinoghene and the value of seeing the game from the outside-in and it got me thinking – is there a similar benefit for a young offensive lineman with regards to seeing the game from multiple perspectives?) – “I believe so. I think if you’re a tackle who has played guard or a guard who has played center, that perspective when you’re trying to communicate with the guy next to you, what that block feels like, what it looks like, what you need if it is a double team, what you need from a guard on a double team if you’re playing tackle, what you need from a tackle on a double team if you’re playing guard. Same thing with the center position. I think it’s very helpful. I think like any situation, if you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you have a little bit more understanding of what they need, the struggles that come with a specific block or a specific player and it can help even if you’re playing another position.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa has said that he wants to improve on cadence, pre-snap read, shifting guys, using his words. Will this minicamp the next couple of days be a place where he can improve on that?) – “I think any practice setting is a situation you can improve. I think that’s what we’ve done the last three weeks even in the OTA and walkthrough sessions. So yeah, I think it’s definitely a situation or opportunity for him to improve. Obviously we’ll be going at a faster pace, or a little bit of a faster pace. You’ll see different defenses and we’ll do it for a longer period of time. And I think that’s part of it – you’re tired, you get taxed a little bit and I think that’s for all positions, not just the quarterback. You get to see if your techniques, your fundamentals, your communication, your ability to adjust, if you can do that under some duress.”
(And for the layman, when it is right – when the quarterback and everybody else has that right, how does that help produce positive plays?) – “You’re no layman. (laughter) I think any time you’re on the same page from a communication, a cadence, a shift, motion; that just helps the execution and if you can execute, then you have positive plays. But if you miss a shift, you miss a motion, you miss a cadence, you miss this, you miss a tackle, you miss a communication, ‘I’m in this gap, you’re in that gap;’ that’s how bad plays happen basically. So the more practice, the more reps you can get as a team, as an individual, I think the better off you’ll be; and we have an opportunity to do that today or these next few days.”
(Obviously the organization rewarded LB Jerome Baker with a contract extension. Certainly you can touch on that, but my question is what message would you give to any top player such as TE Mike Gesicki or DE Emmanuel Ogbah who has one year left on their deal without an extension at this time?) – “I’m excited for Jerome (Baker) and like we talked about last week, I think he’s done a really nice job for us these last two years. Look, he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s team-first. He wants to be here and we’re happy to reward him. I think (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Senior Vice President of Football and Business Administration) Brandon (Shore) and Drew Rosenhaus really kind of sat down and hammered it out this weekend and we’re excited about that. As far as other guys, I think every situation is a little bit different, and we want to keep everybody. We would if possible, but situations are just a little bit – every one is a little bit different. There’s obviously a salary cap. We all know that. So I think – you mentioned Mike (Gesicki) and you mentioned (Emmanuel) Ogbah – we love those guys. They’ve both been productive players on our team and we’ll continue to have or will have conversations with their representation; but again, every situation is a little bit different. And I think there’s an understanding that the ones that if we can get them done, we’ll get them done and if we can’t, then we can’t. But we’re always working to do what’s best for the team and the organization.”
(To go back to QB Tua Tagovailoa for a moment, has there been any significant maturation – if that’s the right word – in how he carries himself from year one to year two? Or with him, was that maturation already there when you got him?) – “I think anytime you’re a second-year player, I think there is a natural maturation. I think you’re in an environment and a little more comfortable with your environment, more comfortable with the playbook, more comfortable with the people you’re talking to. It’s not the first time you’ve heard instruction from a coach, so you know what guys expect. You can call it maturation. You can call it just an overall understanding of how we expect things here. I think as players, they have a little bit more of a barometer of what’s needed to have success. I think we put all of that together and you see players in their second or third year mature a little bit more. I think that’s what you’re seeing form Tua and hopefully we’ll see that on the field as well.”
(You mentioned earlier about you and GM Chris Grier having internal conversations about CB Xavien Howard and his deal. Is that something that you think will be worked out before training camp or do you have an idea of where that is?) – “I would say that normally we keep this stuff internally; but generally speaking, I think you put them in buckets. So you have contract extensions, you’ve got free agent contracts; so we have a player and we extend a contract. You have free agents you bring on. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), this is a little bit of a unique situation. I’m sure you guys all understand this. He was extended and now we’re talking about a renegotiation of an extension, so that’s a little bit different. We’ve had a lot of discussions about that. Again, it’s a very unique situation. We’re talking about a potential renegotiation after one year. I think those turn into longer conversations and we understand that. We’ve obviously had a lot of talks and conversations about those. We will continue to have those and keep those internal; but it’s a very unique situation.
(You guys, from what we have seen, have done no helmets. I’m wondering if that was a condition you made to the players when you asked them to participate in the offseason program? Also, do you lose something or do you gain something when you do that? And will you guys have helmets during minicamp?) – “We’ll have helmets on during minicamp. I think the OTA sessions were about communication, about alignments, assignments, making adjustments. I don’t think you lose anything there except maybe wearing a helmet in the heat. I think what we were trying to get done was just the communication, the alignments, the assignments, and I think we got that accomplished. But we will have helmets on during minicamp.”
(One more thing with CB Xavien Howard, this whole thing with him started when he saw what CB Byron Jones got from the Miami Dolphins. In signing Byron Jones, did the organization kind of expect that “we’re signing him to more money, our other guy who has been here might want more money?”) – “Again, each situation is different. We treat these case-by-case. I think at the end of the day, we’re going to keep these conversations internal. But specific to this one, like I said earlier, it’s very unique. It’s a renegotiation of an extension after one year and it’s honestly something that hasn’t been done before. I’m not saying that we’re drawing a line in the sand, but different players set the market every year. We love ‘X.’ Let me go ahead and say that right now, so you guys can make sure you write that. We love him. He’s very productive. He’s a team player. He’s an important player on this team; but again, (it’s a) unique situation. We want to keep him here. Again, markets are set. Specific to Byron, markets are set differently every year. Yeah, that’s a part of the conversation; but again, that’s what makes this unique, like I mentioned, which I’m sure everyone can understand.”
(The new offensive lineman that you signed form the Patriots yesterday in free agency, do you view him as a depth signing? Or did you feel like you needed more competition to find a potential starter at either right tackle or somewhere else on the line?) – “We’re excited to sign Jermaine Eluemunor. Any time you can add someone who has experience, has history as a starter at multiple positions, gives us flexibility and we think he’s a good player. He will add competition to the room. I met him for the first time yesterday, and was excited to meet him and talk to him. He seems like the type of guy that – just from a personality standpoint, hardworking and loves to play. (He’s) chomping at the bit to get out there and compete and create an opportunity for himself. I’m excited to work with him.”
Jerome Baker – June 11, 2021
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Friday, June 11, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(I want you to blink twice if you want a new contract, if you’re uncomfortable with playing on your rookie deal.) – “I don’t even know how to answer that. (laughter) But I’m out here. I’m just doing my thing. All that stuff is going to figure itself out.”
(Can you speak a little bit about whether the Dolphins have spoke to you about a long-term future with the team or if that’s something you guys have talked about?) – “I guess. (laughter) I mean, we haven’t really talked about anything. I’m just going into this year and…“
(Can you see yourself playing in Miami for a long time?) – “Oh, yeah. I want to play here for the rest of my career. I love it here. I love the fans. I love the organization. I love everybody here. Yeah, I definitely see myself playing here for a long time. Do you see the hat? Do you see the hat?”
(I was actually going to ask you where I could cop a bucket hat.) – “So look, you’ve got to hit up (Equipment Manager) Joe (Cimino). Joe doesn’t give them out, but he plugged me today. I was like, ‘Can I get a buckie?’ It’s a little small, but I made it work. But I got you. We can talk. I got you.”
(What was that lighthearted moment right here before you went in the locker room with QB Tua Tagovailoa? I know we always ask you about Tua – I’m not really asking about Tua but I’m just saying what was that moment like and what’s it like having him here for a second year?) – “John did one of his – it’s a little skit he did. He basically just made fun of everybody. And me and Tua, we’ve been talking and hanging out this offseason, so it was pretty funny because it was pretty accurate. It was just a funny moment, but you can tell this team is excited to be with each other and ultimately next week, we know what’s ahead of us so we’re just getting our laughs in before we get all serious and back to work. It’s all good.”
(This is Year 4 for you, Year 3 since Head Coach Brian Flores has been here. What do you – we’ve used the word “rebuild” with this team. Where do you think this team is at now next and what’s next for the Dolphins?) – “It’s still early, but we can be as great as we want to be. Every day, we’ve got to go in there and ultimately just get better; and just ultimately just do what we’ve been doing – playing together, having fun with each other, playing great offense, great defense, just playing as a team. The sky’s the limit, honestly, for this team. We’re young, we’re hungry and we definitely have some things we need to work on; but ultimately if we just play together and play as a team, it’ll definitely be a good year for us.”
(Why was it important for you to be here for these voluntary practices even though your contract situation is a little unsettled?) – “Why was it important? I love this team. I love being out there. I just love being on the team; and just being out here, getting back to football, it ultimately helps me in the long run. The contract stuff is the contract stuff. I really don’t care for it right now. I honestly just missed being out there with all the guys, especially all the personalities we have, the new guys. And ultimately just learning and getting better. I love to play football. That’s honestly why I’m out here. That’s what I love to do and I just want our team to get better.”
(This morning, Head Coach Brian Flores talked about different ways that guys can lead, and you’re one of the more tenured members now of this team. I’m wondering if you can describe your approach to leadership?) – “For me, ever since I was young, it’s always been the same. I lead by example and I kind of just do what the team needs me to do. If you need me to be the guy that yells today, I’ll be that guy. If you just need me to be that guy to just lead by example, I’ll be that guy. But ultimately, I think I’m just a lead-by-example guy. I just try to do the right things. I try to do what’s best for the team and that’s always been my approach. I don’t see it changing any time soon and I think that’s what’s gotten me here thus far.”
(To kind of follow up, Head Coach Brian Flores talks a lot about guys that want to be here – team-first players. In your experience as a football player, do you find it easier to lead those kind of guys when you have that kind of team-wide mindset like that?) – “Oh yeah, it’s definitely easier. It makes the game more fun. It’s more enjoyable and guys that love football that want to be here, it’s just something about it that it’s easier to talk to them, it’s easier to communicate to them, it’s easier to be out there, to trust them. It just makes everything easier, that definitely you have that love for the game and you love being out there. So it is definitely a good thing.”
(What’s the next step for you in terms of the things that you want to add to your arsenal?) – “For me, it’s really locking in the run game. I definitely know all the chatter of all of that, but I definitely look at myself in the mirror. I know what I need to do to get better and for me, it’s locking in on the run game and being one of those linebackers that secures the inside, not just in the passing game, but in the run game. That’s just my own personal goal, but ultimately what I want for this defense is to be one of the best in the league, and we definitely have the coaches, we definitely have the organization behind us and ultimately we’ve got to go out there as a defense and prove it every year, every game.”
(I’m sure you are aware of WR Will Fuller V’s reputation around the NFL for getting deep on defenses and his speed. Have you been able to see that yet in one of these OTA practices, what that’s like?) – “A little glimpse. You don’t really see the top-end speed just yet. You don’t expect guys to really open it up fully yet, but I’m definitely excited. I’m definitely (excited) just to see all the new guys and see what they bring to the team. I’m excited. I’m definitely excited and that’s why I love this game so much. It’s very fluid, so new guys come in, guys just want to get better and just want to help the team win and for me, it’s another guy to compete against, so I’m definitely excited.”
Will Fuller V – June 11, 2021
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Friday, June 11, 2021
WR Will Fuller V
(Do you want us to address you as Will Fuller, William Fuller, William Fuller V? How does that go? What do we do?) – “(laughter) Man, you can call me whatever you want. You can call me Will. Don’t call me William. You can call me Will, you can call me V, whatever; just don’t call me William.”
(I guess what I need to know is by the end of this football season, will South Florida definitely know your name?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. I’m here to help the team win and I believe I can do that. I’m excited for the team and what we can do this year, and … South Florida.”
(It’s been awhile since you’ve been back on a football field with teammates. I just wanted to get your feel for how that went for you today. How does it feel to be back on the field with teammates?) – “It feels great. It definitely feels great. Like you said, it’s been awhile; so just getting back on the field with the guys, hearing play calls, moving around, competing a little bit and just thinking football stuff on the field, it feels good to be back out here.”
(What’s the process for you like in terms of getting to know the new guys? Is there some sort of pop culture quiz that you guys do with each other? Is it kind of related around the game? How do you create that camaraderie this time of the season?) – “For sure. I’ve only been here for a few days now – about a week – so I’ve just been in the building as much as possible, talking to as many people as possible, and just putting names with faces, just showing my face and letting people know who I am.”
(I noticed that you were excited to become the director of player outreach for The Players Company. What will that company do and why did it appeal to you?) – “That’s actually my best friend’s company. He’s been asking me to help him for two years now and I’ve just been so focused on football that I didn’t have time, really. But this offseason, I had more time and I just took the time to help him and reach out to as many people as I could to try to help him out. He’s doing a great job of helping players on and off the field to set them up for success after football, because football is not for long. One injury and you could be done. A lot of people, all they know is football; so they don’t know how to transition outside of football. We’re helping people with that and trying to set up players with a good team around them so they know the right things to do with their money. The beginning was just trying to help people with financial literacy. We’re real passionate about that because we do see a lot of people making not-so-smart decisions, so the more people we can help, I think the better we’ll be as athletes.”
(What types of mistakes have you seen teammates and friends make in the financial area that even if you were just giving them advice in the locker room, you might say to them?) – “Like I said, football is not for long; and we do get a large amount of money quick. I don’t think a lot of players understand that has to last us our lifetime. Other people in other professions, they don’t get paid a big lump sum at one time, so they learn how to manage their money. We’re coming out of college and a lot of us – me, I’m from Philadelphia and I didn’t really have too much money. My parents really couldn’t teach me how to manage my money, so when I got to the NFL and I got that big lump sum of money, some people think it’s going to last forever; but that’s not the case because like I said, you have to know you’re not going to play for that long so income is not going to continue to come in like that. You just have to be smart with your money.”
(I wanted to ask you about coming back from the offseason and your impressions of the Dolphins before signing. What were they and what are some of the things that you’ve maybe learned about the team now that you’ve been here a couple of days?) – “This is my first free agency, so I just took it as I wanted to go to a team that wanted me. The Dolphins showed the most interest. That’s why I chose the Dolphins and of course, I know we have a great team here and we can do great things. Ever since I’ve been here, it’s been great. I love the culture here. It’s just been easy to be here; and like I said, I’ve been in the building as much as I can. I enjoy being here so I’m happy the Dolphins decided to take a chance on me.”
(What are some things you think that you guys can accomplish this year, especially with you in the fold now?) – “I’m going to take it one day at a time, but I know we have a very good team. There’s going to be a lot of competition in camp. We’re going to get better each and every game and see where that takes us.”
(We already know that you have an ability to get behind secondaries. Obviously we know WR Jaylen Waddle has an ability to get behind secondaries. How excited are you to see what you and Waddle can do when you blow the top off some defenses with your speed?) – “You can’t teach speed and we do have that on this team. It’s not just me and Waddle. There are other players with speed too. It’s going to be fun. We’ll see – we’re going to do what the coaches ask of us and we’re just going to be playing fast and make some stuff happen.”
Brian Flores – June 11, 2021
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Friday, June 11, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to get your thoughts on generally the attendance of these voluntary – and I stress it as voluntary practices – and is it your understanding that everyone will be present and participate in the mandatory minicamp next week?) – “Yeah, I expect to see everyone at the mandatory minicamp. Like you mentioned, it’s voluntary; so we’ve gotten a good number of guys here, I would say over these last few weeks. We’ve been happy with it and we’re happy to work with the guys that we have here and get them coached up and help them improve and get better at their fundamentals, their techniques, their communication and things of that nature.”
(We’re going to talk to WR William Fuller V here in a little bit after practice and I’m wondering if you could share why him as a free agent signing and what you see in him that attracted the team to him?) – “I think he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s talented. We had multiple conversations during that process and (he is a) team-first guy and just felt like he would bring competition and talent into the room. As many talented players as we can bring in and guys who are willing to compete and improve our team, that was the goal.”
(And if I could ask, obviously speed is a big deal in part of his game. How attractive was that, even though I guess you guys already knew you guys were going to add a speed receiver in the draft?) – “Just overall talent. He has obviously very good speed, but good hands, good after the catch, good as a route runner, smart, can play multiple positions. That’s one area that obviously we feel good about, but he does a lot of good things and I think he’ll bring a lot of competition to the room.”
(I wanted to ask you about leadership. A lot of the leaders from the past years have either left via free agency or been released. How do you fill that void? I know you’ve got a young team. You do have some veterans here. How do you get guys to step up and become leaders?) – “We have good leadership on the team. I think that’s something that you’re constantly trying to develop each year, especially with younger players, and I think we’ve got some veteran players who will provide us leadership as well. And you need it. Every team needs it offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. I think as a staff, we try to pinpoint guys who have some of those qualities and try to empower them and try to help them grow in those areas. I think that’s part of the job as well from my standpoint and us as a coaching staff, and really us as an organization. I think we have some guys who fall in that category and will try to help them grow and develop. And we have some guys who are older and have been in those roles as well and we’ll continue to try to help them grow as well.”
(How do you help those younger guys grow and develop into that role? What’s the process? Putting them in the leadership council or making them lead team meetings? What does the process look like?) – “I think it’s different. It’s different for each individual. I think I’m going to lead differently than you would or (someone) else would. Everyone is a little bit different. Some people are more outgoing and louder. Some people are by example. Some people say nothing and then when they speak, people listen. I think there’s different types of leaders and they come in all – it’s not a one-size-fits-all. I think there’s a little bit of – you can develop it. I think it’s something that, yeah, you put them in situations where they have an opportunity to speak up and I think it’s something that people have to get more comfortable with. There are times where there’s guys who that’s not what they want to do and if you don’t identify as a leader, then there’s no point in kind of putting them in those situations. Again, it’s case-by-case. It’s a much longer discussion than this and the discussions that we’ve had here – obviously this year and last year and the year before – it’s something that I think it’s important and we’ll continue to try to develop with guys on our team.”
(We recently heard from Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander talking about what awaits CB Noah Igbinoghene this season as he’s introduced to some reps inside versus last year’s focus which “G.A.” said was on things like technique and transitions. I was hoping with your personal coaching experience and background, if you could share some insight as to the unique challenges that DBs face when asked to play inside as compared to on the perimeter, and any traits you feel are needed to excel in one role versus the other?) – “I think ‘G.A.’ was right in that Noah played predominantly on the perimeter last year. I think that in itself, in this league, it’s not easy, so it was stick him in one position, let him learn the techniques, the fundamentals, feel the speed, feel the quickness of the receivers, go through the different combinations that happen in different coverages and once you feel more comfortable in that specific role; then this year obviously we feel like he’s ready to move and at least take some reps inside. Versatility is important to our team, so we’re going to move guys around – not just Noah, but really everyone in that corner room, in the secondary, really across the board. As far as what it takes to play inside, I think it’s obviously speed and quickness and ability to tackle. I think those guys who have played the nickel position end up in run fits a little bit more than guys on the perimeter, so just an understanding of fronts and what’s happening in front of you – more opportunity to blitz. And then just from a coverage standpoint, you don’t have the sideline, so they can go inside, they can go outside. You don’t have that as an extra defender or a place you can kind of push either a receiver or two. It’s tough playing in there. It’s not easy and from a mental standpoint, there’s a lot going on as well. So as many guys as we can get to play inside and play different roles – I think Nik Needham has grown in that role. Justin Coleman has played that position in the past and Jamal Perry as well. We’re just going to continue to train guys and help them improve, grow and I think a lot of times if you can play inside and you’ve played outside and you understand what’s happening as an outside corner to the inside corner, if you have that kind of understanding when you’re making calls and those guys are working together, there’s a little bit more of a, ‘Hey, I know what you’re going through. I’ve been in that spot.’ And oftentimes it works better together.”
(I wanted to ask you about G Durval Queiroz Neto. It’s been a while since you’ve talked about him and I know early on when he was with the team, there was talk about fundamentals. I want to know where he is at the moment and what are you expectations for him in 2021?) – “He’s one of our hardest-working players. It’s very important to him that he improves and gets better at whatever technique, fundamental that he’s working on. I think that he’s talented, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast. I think he’s still learning the game; but I also think he’s made a lot of improvements over the last couple of years. I’m excited to see him in training camp, obviously today, and then the veteran minicamp, and training camp and preseason games. He’ll have an opportunity to compete and I think he’ll do well.”
(I wanted to ask you something along your lines of your comment to Peter King a couple of weeks ago where you said the guys we got in 2019, the guys we got in 2020, the guys we got in 2021 in the draft, that’s the team. They will be the reason we make noise or don’t make noise. Where do you see the team right now? I know we’ve used the word rebuild. Is it kind of after that stage of the team right now? What would you call the stage that the team is kind of at right now and where do you see it?) – “I think we’re trying to improve and get better on a daily basis. I think that’s in meetings, walkthroughs and practice. I think that’s the goal. It’s one day at a time, it’s building camaraderie, building chemistry and I think you build that through reps and practice. That’s where we’re at. So we’ll take it one day at a time. We’re trying to get better offensively, defensively and the kicking game. As coaches, I think we understand that this doesn’t just happen. You’ve got to put time in and work in, and when you’re dealing with 53 players – counting the practice squad, 69 players. I’m talking more regular season here, but right now (we have) 90 players. You have to work to create the execution you’re looking for during the regular season. You do that one day at a time, so that’s where our focus is.”
(Just the fact that you guys had 10 wins last year, a lot of success; but still on the cusp of the playoffs. Just having that in your background, how do you think that drives everybody’s focus and wanting to improve even more from last season?) – “I think we’re more focused on this year, and last year was last year. It was a different team, different players – we were in a pandemic. It was a different season. It was very different. The focus right now is this year and really today. That’s kind of where we’re at; trying to improve today, trying to get better today and if we string enough good days together, hopefully we’ll put ourselves in a position to be successful.”
(How close is the team to any vaccination goal that you’d like to see hit? And how important is it to reach any goal that may allow greater flexibility in meetings, scheduling and movement?) – “I think we’ve talked about this the last couple of weeks. We educate players and the staff. We’ll give them all the information as far as the pros and cons of vaccinations and the different types of vaccinations – Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna. But at the end of the day, each player, each coach, each person within the organization makes their own decision and we’re comfortable with that. We’re not going to get into anyone’s medical situation or who’s doing this or who’s that. I’m happy to talk about my own, but as far as getting into how many people we have vaccinated, not vaccinated, I think I’ve been pretty consistent about not talking about anyone else’s medical situation.”
(One thing you do is plan for every scenario. Have you thought out the fact that some teams could have a competitive advantage over others based on their vaccination rates?) – “As of today, there are no – we don’t have information that would kind of support that. If that were the case – we’re really talking about hypotheticals, and if that was the case, if there was a competitive advantage – it’s hypothetical. I don’t really like to get into hypotheticals.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Jerome Baker. He’s led the team in tackles over the last two years. Where is he from a developmental standpoint and what do you want to see next from him as a player?) – “Jerome has made a lot of improvements and has gotten better in really all areas. I think he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s competitive, he loves to play, he’s team-first. He’s really gotten better in every area – pass coverage, run defense, really across the board. He’s a very good player. We’re excited about working with him and he’s a team guy. I think that’s the thing I liked most about him is he’s a team player. He wants to win and we’re excited to have him.”
(What particular skill or trait do you feel might make Robert Hunt better suited to play guard than tackle?) – “I think Robert’s a good young player. I think you saw him improve over the course of the last year playing tackle. I think he has a chance to be a solid offensive lineman. Whether that’s guard or that’s tackle or that’s the right side or that’s the left side, I think it’s hard to say. I think we’re going to play our top five guys and I think he’s got the opportunity to be one of those five. Where he lands – whether it’s guard or tackle – it’s going to be up to him. Like we talk to all of the players, your role is what you make it. Those guys, Rob in particular since we’re talking about him, he’s got an opportunity to play. Whether that’s guard or tackle, we’ll figure that out as we get to training camp. Right now, with no pads on, it’s hard to really see if he’s a better guard or a better tackle. We don’t have pads on. We’ll make that decision come training camp.”
