Mike Gesicki – May 26, 2021
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa and specifically this: some of your offensive teammates keep saying that he’s more comfortable. They see a comfort level with him whether he’s in the huddle or giving cadences. What do you see? I know it’s early, but what do you see?) – “I think Austin (Jackson) said it best when he said he’s got the beard going now. He’s got a little more hair on top. (laughter) I see some confidence, but also that’s just natural. He’s got more experience. He’s coming into Year 2. He’s been around the guys now. He’s not just building relationships; now he’s boys with everybody. It’s more of just coming in here and rather than learning everything new from scratch. Now he’s just picking up where he left off.”
(If I could follow up real quick, what is it about him that you have learned and seen? Things don’t seem to rattle him.) – “I think if you look at his past career, dating all the way back to college, I think he’s been put in big positions and made plays. He’s dealt with adversity whether it’s injury or whatever it may be. He’s fought back from that and he’s also dealt with people saying stupid, uneducated stuff about him that they’re not right about. So he’s dealing with that and he’s continuing to work and continuing to come in here each and every day, and I’m happy that he’s our quarterback.”
(I want to hear more about the stupid, uneducated stuff that was said about him. What in particular?) – “Of course you do. (laughter) Of course you do.”
(What bothered you most about the criticism?) – “The problem with the criticism is it’s not – there’s nothing behind it. The kid came in here and people were already calling for him. He played nine games and he did a lot of really good things for us, stepped up in some big situations, made plays and I think got better each and every week. And now everybody’s been talking about his confidence and how he looks this year obviously in a couple walkthroughs and all that kind of stuff, but he still looks good. He’s been working hard and investing a lot of time into the season. I’m excited for his future.”
(I want to hear more about this, too. I wanted to ask you what did you think about the trade rumors and just the offseason?) – “Are you trying to get some clicks right now? (laughter) Trying to get me to say something stupid, get some clicks right now or what? (laughter)”
(No you’re saying some great stuff right now. It’s not stupid. I’ll pay your fine for you if you want though?) – “You’ll pay my fine if I dunk it in the goalpost, too? (laughter)”
(It might take me a little while to pay it. [laughter] But how do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa has kind of dealt with all this?) – “I think he’s dealt great with it. I think it goes back to like I said. He’s been through adversity before. He’s played in the biggest games dating back to his college career and I think he’s just going to continue to focus on what’s important and the opinions that are important because at the end of the day, that’s really all that matters is the people inside this building and the guys upstairs and the guys in the locker room. I can tell you that firsthand, the guys in the locker room, we all believe in him, we all respect him and we’re all excited about him.”
(As you’re well-aware, a lot of guys are going from that first year to second season this year and I wanted to kind of get your perspective. When you made the jump from your rookie season to your second year, what is kind of the moment where it kind of clicks for you or kind of comes together where it’s just a big improvement? What can you say about that jump from Year 1 to Year 2 from your perspective?) – “I think it’s just learning more. You kind of understand the game more. You see things happen and I think it’s just kind of making that one play. So I think that’s the difference between me and (Tagovailoa) because he’s already made the play. My rookie year, I don’t think I did a damn thing. (laughter) I think that play didn’t come until my second year and once you make one, you kind of build that confidence and keep building off it, then you keep rolling. So I think that him, he already kind of built a foundation and he’s just continuing to build on it right now and I think he’s doing a phenomenal job so I’m excited about him.”
(If I could just follow up and a question about yourself, what was your offseason like this year? What are you doing to get ready for Year 4 compared to your previous offseasons?) – “I’m sticking with it. I had to just continue to kind of rehab up on the shoulder postseason and kind of fix up on that. I’m feeling good, feeling healthy and now I’m out here back at OTAs and just getting ready, finetuning some things, getting in-sync with all the guys. I think that everybody right now is kind of happy to be back in the building and just working and just back in the locker room.”
(Obviously you guys drafted a tight end and signed a tight end. Are you guys running a five-tight end set? What’s the deal out there?) – “Well, yes. We’re actually – all the tight ends are pitching in. We’re going to give some of our salary to the OCs and they’re going to get us all on the field at the same time, so it’s going to be truly special. Durham (Smythe) might get a snap in at running back, so it’s going to be good. You probably don’t want to see him carry the ball from the backfield, but for pure enjoyment, it would be good. (laughter)”
(What are the players hearing from the union about attending minicamp?) – “Well, minicamp is mandatory. I personally don’t have the funds to hand back to the organization, so I will 100 percent be here. They also give out free food in the facility, so I’ll be coming for breakfast, lunch, dinner. (laughter) It’s really a special place. We’ve got waters and Gatorade in the fridge, snacks in the weight room. It’s a nice place to be. Happy to be here.”
(Most of your teammates are the same mind? What do you think the level of participation is going to be?) – “Yeah, I think a lot of the guys like the food here. It tastes good. (laughter) We’re all happy to be here and the guys that aren’t, I don’t know. Maybe they get some good food out there wherever they’re at, but we’re all real happy to come in and get some work.”
(My favorite time with players is when they’re entering their fourth year and they realize that the NFL is a business and they’re trying to get the new contract. What’s that process been like for you? I’m sure your agent is trying to handle that, but what’s it like knowing you’re going into the final year of your rookie deal?) – “It’s crazy honestly. It goes fast. I know that sounds cliché and you guys want to hear me say something more interesting than that, but it goes fast. It’s crazy I’m already going into Year 4. But I’m just continuing to learn, trying to maybe expand my role. Right now, I’m just coming in here each and every day just hammering down the playbook, trying to learn this stuff and be able to be as versatile as possible for my position, so that’s really what I’m looking for.”
(Given that you are in a contract year and that the Dolphins drafted a tight end, some guys in your position might take that personally. How do you take it?) – “I haven’t talked to Hunter (Long) since he’s been here. Like I’ve got no interest in it. (laughter) No, I’m happy with it. I like Hunter. We’ve been just getting to know him. He’s a good kid. He just graduated on Monday, so congratulations to him. Go Eagles. We’re happy to have him here. Good player, good kid, smart kid and I think he can just add another element to our offense. If you know anything about the tight end brotherhood, we’re all happy for each other. We’re all excited for one another, so when we drafted him, I just thought more opportunity for the tight end room. I’m excited for him and his career.”
Zach Sieler – May 26, 2021
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(What would you say are some specific points of emphasis for you that you want to focus on between now and the start of season?) – “I just want to focus on improving. Obviously I want to improve everywhere, but improve my run game, my reaction, run, pass, the play-action stuff and improving my early-down snaps.”
(I know this defense, one of the things they want to be is multiple and I think you’re a big part of that. My question for you is as you prepare for the season, are there different things you do – whether it’s drills, strength training, film study or whatever it might be – to prepare for the difference of being an interior guy versus a guy that plays on the outside? Is there a difference in that at all?) – “Yeah, obviously there is a difference in a DT and a defensive end and their training. I think we work really well on training here or training wherever it is, being very multiple and being able to train quicker in explosion stuff and also training power, so you can take on the doubles and also you have the speed.”
(I wanted to ask you one, how is the mobile home and have you added anything to it or made any alterations to it? And also I do want to come hunting. How do I get a Zach Sieler tour?) – “(laughter) Well, it’s going to need to be offseason, for sure. After minicamp I’ll be out there for a while. We’d love to. Give us a call, really. RV-wise, our RV is up there right now. We were so busy in turkey season, we wanted to space everybody out more, so we used it as an extra spot out there so we didn’t have people close together during COVID.”
(So where are you living now since the RV is up there?) – “We got a little spot down here. I got a fiancée now. I got to get moving into real life. (laughter)”
(So she made you move out of the RV?) – “She didn’t make me. She was great about it. She is awesome. She fully supported me; but two big dogs and her, it wasn’t working so much.”
(How are players doing with preparing your body and your normal offseason preparation, just knowing that you’re going to have to add on an extra week here?) – “I think we’re just preparing like we always have. We’re still going to have to play and if you think you’re going to the playoffs, you’re getting those weeks anyways. Really, it’s just making sure you keep your body healthy. You really just can’t veer off of your routine. The key to all of this is routine – your recovery routine, your daily routine. Just really making sure you keep going and don’t lose focus during the season, especially with the extra week.”
(I wanted to ask you about the rotation you guys have at defensive tackle. Obviously you’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of new guys coming in here with DL Adam Butler and them. I wanted to ask you what you’re seeing in them and how you think they’re going to be able to contribute along side you on that line this upcoming season?) – “We’ve got a lot of great guys. We brought in some really good talent between free agents and rookies. It’s just exciting. It’s early. We’re all rotating, we’re all doing – it’s just exciting to see where the team can grow to. The coaches are doing a great job of honing in on some things that we wanted to improve on from last year and getting each other better. Nothing beats competition.”
(What are you seeing from the younger guys? Do you think they have a lot of good potential? Do they have some things that you feel you can teach them? What are you trying to impart to them?) – “I’m excited. They definitely seem like they’ve got a good attitude. I was always told to come in like a sponge when I was a rookie. Take in all of the information from the vets. They definitely have an attitude towards that. They don’t have an attitude of, ‘I’m too good for this,’ or anything like that.”
(I think this is the first time in your career that you’ve actually had job security. You’re entering the season knowing that you have a pretty good sense you’re going to be on the team. How is that from just a personal level different for you, and how have you approached this offseason?) – “Obviously, I signed the extension in November, but I don’t really look at ‘hey, I’m this, or that.’ It’s whatever. I like to keep growing. I like to look back on times from before to always have that fire driving me, to just see where I came from and keep growing from there. Just keep going.”
(I wanted to ask you about DT Christian Wilkins working alongside him. What are some of the things you’ve seen from him this offseason and how he’s kind of matured as a player and kind of grown?) – “Yeah. He’s definitely matured. He’s matured on the field, but he’s still a kid at heart. (laughter) I think everyone sees that. He’s really good at reading the backfield sets. He’s always been the next level of learning ‘what combos can I get in this front? What can I do here when we’re in this front? What is the offense going to do?’ He’s been really good at focusing on those kind of things.”
Tua Tagovailoa – May 26, 2021
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I know you’ve addressed this with other audiences in the past few months but now that you’ve had some time to reflect on last year, in what ways would you say that your rookie season was not up to your season? I know you’ve expressed that and said it in the past.) – “I’d say in every aspect – getting to the line of scrimmage, getting that order of operation down, my cadence, pre-snap reads, my post-snap reads. Just the whole shebang with that. I felt I wasn’t comfortable during my rookie year. So I’m just working on a lot of those things in Year 2 to be better.”
(What is your comfort level in May of 2021 and where do you sense the biggest difference in that regard?) – “I’d say it’s still a work in progress with all of those things – having the guys hear my cadence, getting the order of operation of hearing the play call in the huddle, getting to the line, shifting guys, moving guys and getting everyone in the right spot. I still think that’s something that I’ve got to continue to work on.”
(I don’t know if you heard TE Mike Gesicki’s nice little rant about you just now, saying that people were saying stupid and incorrect things about you and having the wrong views about you. What do you think about him going to bat for you and what do you think about those things yourself?) – “Well, that’s very kind. I actually didn’t hear that. I don’t know if Mike just said that. Yeah, that’s very appealing to hear when guys like Mike and other teammates can kind of help with rallying in that sense, a rookie quarterback coming into Year 2. But to be honest, that’s not really something that I’m focused on. I mean I really appreciate Mike saying that but I’m really focused on making this jump from my rookie year to this upcoming Year 2.”
(I know when we saw you during your documentary, it was watching you kind of watch the TV during the Combine process and what people were saying about you pre-draft and if you would come back from the hip injury and how much that affected you. I think we all saw that. How has this offseason been for you for doubts after your rookie season and trade rumors and things like that?) – “Really, my focus is just continuing to work on those things that I couldn’t work on last year, which is getting stronger, bettering myself like I said with things off the field and then strength training and conditioning looks a lot different this year than it did last year. I’m trying to get on the field more, trying to be able to move, run, make cuts and then also work with my drop-backs and get some throws in with guys.”
(You have clearly worked out a lot more since the season ended than I have. What areas did you target in your strength and conditioning program and do you feel that it’s going to lead to a stronger arm and greater arm strength?) – “I wouldn’t say that I focus on just one specific part. I would say it was full body. I wanted to get stronger with my upper body, my shoulders, triceps, biceps, my core. Then I guess you could say the focus, if we had leg day, would really be the glutes to kind of help support the hip. I think my hip feels 10 times better than it did last year and the confidence level for myself, I feel really confident coming into this second year after that injury two years ago.”
(I was going to ask you about how you were physically last year. I know during the season, you wouldn’t want to disclose too much; but do you feel that you might have been a little early getting back onto the field and having a full year-plus now has been to your advantage?) – “As I said before, you never know you’re ready until you actually go out there and kind of showcase that you’re ready. I don’t think the Dolphins organization would have let me go out there without the medical staff clearing me, without them thinking I would be someone that could be injured if I went out there. They wouldn’t let me go out there. Yeah, if you’re ready, you never know off of injuries. You just have to go in there and you have to go and try to play fast.”
(I guess the better way to put it was this: were there limitations – not that you were putting yourself at risk but that you weren’t the real Tua last year?) – “I think that brings up a lot of ifs and buts. What happened last year, it happened; and that’s what my rookie year looked like. It wasn’t what I expected, so that’s why I’ve been working really hard this offseason to help our team this Year 2 for me, this upcoming season.”
(Besides what TE Mike Gesicki said – about having your back like your other teammates do – he’s said this and with prior Zoom interviews with some of your offensive teammates, they all say the same thing that you have a comfort level right now. And I know it’s early, but where is that right now and where does that come from? That you’re more comfortable now than you were obviously in your rookie season.) – “I would say that comes from having the first year under my belt, kind of going through the terminology of an NFL offense, going through Mike (linebacker) points, understanding what problems we have in certain runs and certain plays. Then also, I’ve been working a lot on trying to voice my opinions out and kind of be very vocal as a leader towards the guys in the huddle and then towards guys individually.”
(On a lighter note, TE Mike Gesicki was talking about the beard and the longer hair, the new look. Some of your other teammates were talking about that. Is that just something that’s going to continue and you’ll let the beard grow, like QB Ryan Fitzpatrick maybe?) – “I don’t know. What do you guys think? (laughter)”
(I sort of like it myself. I wish I could grow a beard at work but I sort of like it.) – “(laughter) Yeah, my mom and my grandmother have been telling me to shave it. (laughter)”
(And are you going to? Or are you going to keep it?) – “I’m not too sure. My dad likes it but you never know. Maybe one day I might come with all of it shaven off. Who knows? (laughter)”
(I know as a player and as a quarterback, you talk about ignoring the outside noise; but I’m sure you heard it this offseason, whether it be QB Deshaun Watson or the criticism towards yourself. Is there any extra motivation for you this year to prove those people wrong or maybe prove the Dolphins right in sticking with you?) – “I would say there’s no extra motivation for me. It’s really just playing to the standard and the level of expectations of this organization; but then also the standard that I have for myself, and expectations I have for myself.”
(You guys made some improvements this offseason with WR William Fuller V and WR Jaylen Waddle, your old teammate. What were your thoughts on those two acquisitions and what it can do for you and this offense?) – “Well, I don’t think you can talk about Jaylen and Will without the entire group of receivers. I think when you look at all of our guys that we have, we have a variety. We have guys that can make catches in double coverage, guys that can catch the ball on a swing route and make a man miss, guys that can just flat out out-run guys and you just have to throw it to them and get it to them. I’m very excited to see what we have when it is time to go full speed. But to your question, you can’t kind of talk about one or the other without the entirety of the group.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned earlier today that he was discussing your decision to kind of stay in South Florida as opposed to going back to Hawaii in the offseason – staying here and working out with your teammates and the pass catchers that you just mentioned. Can you describe the importance of that and what went into the decision to stay here and work with them?) – “Yeah, I don’t think it was much of a hard decision. You look at the weather here, it’s year-round weather. I wouldn’t be wasting money to go all the way back to Hawaii. (laughter) Aside from that and visiting family back in Hawaii, I thought it was a very easy decision to stay here and train. I had the opportunity to kind of gather a group of guys – receivers and gather some of the linemen as well – to go over some cadences at the line of scrimmage, what it will sound like this year and kind of have that operation going at the line of scrimmage with the guys. I wouldn’t be able to throw to my guys too if I was all the way in Hawaii. So we’re working on the timing and all of those things that you don’t just wake up and do, as ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) would say. You don’t just wake up and you’re able to do this. You have to do it consistency and build a discipline to do it.”
(I was interested at the very beginning about how you were describing all of the difficulties you went through last year and what made you uncomfortable, and use that phrase, ‘the whole shebang.’ Given that you’ve been playing quarterback for as long as you have, why do you think that was? Do you think it’s just attributed to the hip or were there other factors? Why was that?) – “Well, it’s the NFL. (laughter) It’s the NFL. I can’t remember but somebody said that I said the NFL is easy, which is kind of not what I said. I kind of (compared) it to our coaches help get the defense into whatever looks that they’re going to run and they help us on the offensive side, make it easier for us, so that we see the looks and we know what’s coming, which obviously is going to be different every game. But yeah, it’s the NFL. You never know what to expect.”
(You’ve talked about the conditioning and the workouts this offseason and we’ve seen the videos and photos and stuff. I’m wondering as far as how that applies to the physical aspect. You’ve talked about the confidence you’ve gotten back. Where does that added strength and the mass that you’ve cultivated show up from your perspective? Where can you see the biggest difference when it comes to throwing the ball and the physical aspect of the position?) – “I’d say I can feel it. That’s one thing I can say. Then also from recordings, I can see the difference. But as far as how I feel overall, just physically and mentally, I think I’m at a better stage than I was last year.”
(Was that something that you kind of thought about when you tried to really get your motion into the throw and drive the football? Was it kind of in the back of your mind or is it something that’s been removed this year?) – “Can you elaborate?”
(Just with how the hip kind of felt for you last year when you were trying to drive the ball down the field. Did you ever kind of feel any hesitation or just knew it in the back of your mind? And if so, has that gone away this year?) – “To be honest, I wasn’t worried about my hip last year. I wasn’t necessarily thinking of it while I was making throws or was on the run making throws. I just think that coming into this year, throwing it isn’t as much arm this year as it was last year. It’s kind of everything like using my legs, using my core and then the arms just following. Very similar to golf.”
(In terms of chemistry with your weaponry, that was something that a lot of people felt like wasn’t there late in the season last year and I know a lot of injuries played a part in that. How much do you feel that can help you improve from a performance standpoint?) – “Well, I think last year for me, last year wasn’t – I wasn’t as comfortable just in general. I wasn’t comfortable calling plays. I think the guys that we had last year were phenomenal. I just didn’t have the comfortability of kind of checking plays, alerting plays and doing that. I just rode with the play even if I knew in a way that it wasn’t going to work. I was going to try to make it work still. But the firepower that we have this year, it’s good but you’ve got to get it out to them too. If you’re able to protect yourself and then get it out to them and have them make plays, then you’ll be good.”
(So you’re saying that there were instances last year where you were executing plays that you didn’t feel comfortable with, and you didn’t feel comfortable checking into other plays – checking out of those plays into other plays?) – “Actually, what I’m saying is that I didn’t actually know the playbook necessarily really, really good; and that’s on no one else’s fault but my fault. Our play calls were simple when I was in. I didn’t have alerts and checks whereas now, feeling more comfortable, I can kind of maneuver my way through these things now.”
Brian Flores – May 26, 2021
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Are there any talks within your team about making minicamp optional or dispensing with it entirely?) – “No, we plan on doing minicamp the week of the 14th. I think that’s the right date. So no talks. We’re going to have minicamp and we’re excited to have minicamp. We’re excited to have the guys out on the field now in Phase III. It’s good to see we had fairly good turnout the other day and really I would say the last couple of weeks. It’s good to see the guys and really kind of get working on the fundamentals and techniques and communication. Like I’ve told them, you don’t just roll out of bed and jump back into it as if you’re in midseason form, so there’s a lot of working through some kinks, I would say, even just from a basic fundamentals, footwork, hand placement standpoint. It’s good to get them out here and work through some of those things. We’ll see them these next few weeks to include minicamp.”
(And on another subject, what is the level of vaccination participation with your players and is the team taking any steps to educate players about vaccination?) – “We’ve certainly educated the players on the different vaccines. We’ve given them a lot of education on it. I’m not going to get into the medical situations of the players on our team as far as who is, who isn’t. I just feel like that’s kind of personal, so I’ll stay away from that; but yeah, we’ve definitely given them education. Kyle Johnston, our head trainer, has done a very good job as far as presenting that to the players, the coaches, really everyone within the organization. They have the information and it’s each person’s individual choice.”
(Have you been vaccinated?) – “Yes, I’ve been vaccinated.”
(I wanted to ask you if you could just probably share the nature of the conversation you guys had with trying to get the players into the facility and maybe the workload or how much actual work is being done during this offseason with you guys?) – “Conversations between myself, players; they remain internal. I know you guys will be out there today so you’ll see what the workload is; but we’ll stretch, we’ll have some individual periods, we’ll have some team periods. I think we’ve gotten in these last, I would say, three instances where we’ve been on the field, I feel like we’ve gotten a lot out of it from a communication standpoint, from an alignment, assignment, communication standpoint. I think there’s a lot you can take from even just being out there and just getting to know your teammates, building team chemistry. I think we’ve gotten something out of it and hopefully we’ll continue to do so.”
(I wanted to ask you some of your players who have been on Zoom already – offensive players – they’ve said that they have noticed with QB Tua Tagovailoa that he’s more comfortable when he’s in the huddle, when he’s giving out his cadence. I know it’s early. What have you noticed right now coming into his second season?) – “I think he’s definitely more comfortable, but I think that’s normal for anyone in the second year doing anything that you’re doing. I’m sure the same thing is for you as a journalist. Year 1 is Year 1 and you learn a lot and then you get a little bit better in Year 2. You’re more comfortable. I think that’s the case if you’re a football coach, football player, journalist, plumber, firefighter. I think you’re just a little bit more comfortable. You know your surroundings. You know what’s expected of you. You’ve got a better rapport with your teammates, with the people you work with. So yeah, I would say I’ve seen him, as well as a lot of the second-year players, I think over the years this is kind of what you see. They have a better understanding of how we practice, the things that we expect from them as – the things that coaches expect from them; and then what they expect from themselves. ‘These are some things I need to be better at,’ whether it’s cadence, whether it’s communication, whether it’s getting aligned, whether it’s a certain specific fundamental, whether it’s double teams or pulling or defeating a crack block or your footwork on punt protection. Everyone’s got something that they want to work on and I would say in any job in your second year, you’re just a little bit more comfortable and we’ve seen that from him so far. Hopefully he continues to just grow and improve. That’s what we ask all our players and I’ve seen that. I’ve seen him being a little bit more comfortable, yes.”
(On a quick lighter note, you like the Florida Panthers’ chances tonight? I know you were at the playoff game the other night.) – “Yeah, they obviously played well the other night and I’m rooting hard for them. Same with the Heat. I know they play tomorrow night.”
(I know that you’ve had Melvin Ingram for a look. I’m curious what you’ve seen from him over the years that draws your interest to begin with? Do you see those talks continuing? Is he still a possibility?) – “Melvin as a player, over the years, I’ve seen a nice career. He’s had a very productive career as a run player, as a pass rusher, as a disruptive defensive player. I think everyone in the league has seen that from him. We do our due diligence on any player that’s available and that’s the case with Melvin. We brought him in, had some conversations. Again, I’m not going to get into what those specific conversations were with Melvin were or what our conversations have been internally about the possibility of adding him or not adding him. I’m not really going to get into it; but we do our due diligence and in this instance, we wanted to take a look and see where that is. We’ll see where it goes from here. I’m not at liberty to go into what may or may not happen.”
(I wanted to ask you about the hybrid defense. I don’t know if that’s what you call it. We always go back and forward with names. Where did that multiplicity get birthed? Where did it evolve? I mean in the early stages when you guys were winning championships in New England, you were pretty much your basic 3-4 defense with Vince Wilfork as a nose tackle and worked from there. When did you guys get to the point where you wanted to become multiple or hybrid?) – ”I think I’ve always wanted to be multiple. That’s something that for me – the one year on offense where I was a coach under Bill O’Brien and spent some time with them offensively, I would say I learned a lot from that year about how offensive minds think. If you view the same thing or run the same coverage or run the same front or run the same of really anything, there is something or some scheme or something that’s going to beat it. They’ll find it and they will try to take advantage of it. I don’t think this is just what we do, but I think every team tries to have enough variety that no one can pinpoint, ‘hey, they are doing this,’ so we can attack exactly what they are doing. I guess that’s kind of, to answer your question – and in order to do that and to do that – it’s not easy to do that, I should say. In order to do that, you have to have guys that are versatile and smart enough to basically change from one defense to another – one front to another front, one coverage to another coverage. It takes a certain type of player just from a versatility standpoint physically and then mentally to be able to do that. It’s not easy to do and as a coach, you may want to be multiple and I think we all do, but you just may not be able to do that based on the guys you have. We’ll see if we have those guys. I’m not saying we do. I think it’s something that you learn over time. We’ll practice it and we’ll try to see how much they can handle. If they can handle a lot, then we’ll do a lot. If they can’t, then we’ll do what we feel like we can get accomplished.”
(I’m writing an article about the new 17-game schedule and I wanted to know with the extra game, extra practices and all of that, how much emphasis do you expect to be placed on the recovery process? And can you talk about how you expect the strategy to play into the league overall with the extra reps and everything for the players?) – “I think we’ve always spent a lot of time on load management and recovery and loads and things of that nature. I have a meeting with Dave Puloka, our strength and conditioning coach, and Kyle Johnston, our head trainer, every day. The second we start training camp, we meet every day and talk about where guys are from an exertion and load management standpoint. The 17-game season, obviously with us playing 13 in a row, we’ll keep a keen eye on that. We’ve had a lot of conversations about it. I’ll tell you that. We’ve had a lot of conversations. I think we have a plan in place right now, but we know we have to be able to adjust, be flexible. We can have a plan right now but as you know in an NFL season, a lot of things change, a lot of things happen and we’ll be ready to adjust and be flexible and that may be practice, that may be – I think the thing for us as coaches and as a staff is getting enough practice in, managing the players and giving ourselves an opportunity to practice so that we can prepare ourselves to play at a good clip.”
(As you guys are getting on the practice field, I have a question for you in regards to players are going through portions of practice that might seem innocuous to outsiders – whether it’s stretching, warmups, walkthrough – what is it, if anything, that you guys are looking for in those periods from players?) – “Do you mean individual periods? I’m assuming you’re saying individual periods, so footwork, hand placement, in some cases when we’re talking about watching the footwork, we’re talking about an assignment that that footwork will be kind of tied to. Stretch is stretch and we get on them about stretching and hydrating and making sure that they are ready and prepped for practice. But specific to individual drills, footwork, hand placement, their strike on pads, timing – obviously we’re seeing with quarterbacks. Timing from a ball handling standpoint with quarterbacks and running backs. All of those things that may seem mundane – I’m not sure what innocuous means but I feel like it’s probably in that realm. It may seem mundane to some other people; but I’ll tell you what, if we screw up a hand off, it’s not going to seem mundane to anyone then. They are very important to us as coaching staff. If the timing is not right in the passing game and we can’t complete a pass, they are not mundane and innocuous. Those are the things that for me, I pay a great amount of attention to.”
(I enjoyed meeting Cornerbacks Coach Charles Burks yesterday for the first time and I know he’s been around you guys for a couple of years. I’m just curious, how did a guy with five Division II stops, how did you find him?) – “Yeah, Chuck (Charles Burks) was a good find. I think my relationship with John Wooten and the Fritz Pollard Alliance is kind of how I got to meet Chuck. We interviewed him and he did well on the interview. We hired him. He’s done a great job the last few years and he’s climbing the ranks. He’s a very good coach. He’s a good teacher, a good communicator. I love him. He’s got great relationships with the players, great rapport with the players and I think he’s a very good coach.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa’s conditioning and physical strength, how does that seem to you with him returning now for his second year?) – “Good. He’s clearly been working hard this offseason. Not only that, but he’s done a good job as far as when we weren’t here at the facility, grabbing guys. He had a group of receivers that were meeting at I don’t know what field somewhere, but twice a week. (They were) throwing routes. Again, building that timing that we just talked about, building that timing, building that rapport, building that chemistry, I think he’s done a good job from a leadership standpoint in that respect, away from the facility or when we were away from the facility. Physically, he’s in a good place.”
(I wanted to ask, going back to that 17th game and the 13 weeks in a row, you’re going to London. I was wondering if you had a chance to maybe elect a bye after that game or you didn’t have a choice. And if you did have a choice, why did you choose not to take it?) – “I guess my first thought is the schedule is what the schedule is. To go back and say whether we did or we didn’t, I don’t know but it’s not really something I’m worried about. I think the schedule is what it is. We’re going to London and then we’re playing the next week. We’re excited about playing football in the fall but honestly, that’s kind of far out for me. I’m really kind of thinking about today and today’s interaction with the players, helping them improve and get better today. There was a second part there that I didn’t catch.”
(It was all about having to play those 13 games in a row and what challenge that presents.) – “It will be a challenge. It will certainly be a challenge, but we’ll take it one game at a time, like anything else. I don’t think we’re really thinking about the 13 (games) straight. We’re really kind of focused on today, quite honestly. When we get to the season and we get to training camp, we’ll focus on the days in training camp and the preseason games. We’ll focus on that and just try to take it one day at a time and improve on a daily basis. Look, there’s challenges in every schedule. There’s challenges in anything we do, whether it’s football or personal lives or the schedule or training camp. We meet them head on and we do the best we can with them. I think we’ll put our energy on that and not on could-have, would-have, should-haves.”
(If I could ask a brief non-football question. We didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday but it was a year since George Floyd’s passing. I know that’s been a passionate issue for you in the past. Have you had a chance to reflect about that and kind of where we are a year later?) – “Yes. Obviously yesterday was the one year (anniversary) of the George Floyd murder. It just brought back a lot of memories of that time. The pandemic, that situation, the protests that followed, the vision throughout the country and really the world. I think this country has grown a lot since then. I think empathy has increased and that’s a good thing. Hopefully we continue to do that. It’s not perfect. I’m not saying that by any stretch of the imagination. But I think some hearts and minds were changed and hopefully we just continue to educate people and continue to improve and get better from that standpoint.”
(You mentioned earlier about QB Tua Tagovailoa getting guys together in the offseason. I’m curious, obviously that position being a leadership position, how much do you talk to him about leadership versus just kind of getting better on his own and maybe the balance between those?) – “I think it’s a combination of both. I think we talked to him about his fundamentals, his technique, his accuracy, his command in the huddle. I talk to him about a lot of things, with that obviously being a big part of what we’re talking about. I think all of that kind of goes together. So just his – we talk about his presence and his presence in the huddle, his presence in the building. But we also talk about everything football-specific as well, because he’s got to lead that way too. If his fundamentals are good and his techniques and communication are good, then that kind of leads the way for the entire offense and gives us an opportunity – it’s not just Tua. It’s Jacoby (Brissett), it’s Reid (Sinnett) and really the entire team. But my conversations with him are no different than they are with the signal-callers. I think that’s something that I talk to really the team about. If you’re a signal-caller here – which is obviously quarterback, the center position, linebackers, safeties – we ask those guys to do a really good job with communication and kind of lead the way from that standpoint. Those are part of the responsibilities.”
Gerald Alexander – May 25, 2021
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander
(I wanted to touch on something Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned when S Jevon Holland was drafted here about his communication and leadership skillset. I was wondering from your perspective, how could a rookie establish himself as a primary communicator or leader on the defense early on?) – “Really for any rookie, especially in Jevon’s case, he’s got to develop a great understanding of what we’re doing and what to say. He’s been doing a really good job of being attentive in meetings and gathering all of the information and the things that he’s going to be responsible for because as a free safety in our defense, we need him to right the wrong, and really know all of the other individual spots and know how the 11-piece puzzle on defense works. For him to be able to establish that, he’s got to know what to say in what situations and not just what to say, but also be loud and confident in his demeanor in order for him to take command that we need him to take as a free safety or any position on the field.”
(I just wanted to ask you on two guys what positions they are focusing on. With DB Jason McCourty obviously we know he can play corner. He’s done it for years. He’s done safety recently. Which of those two do you have him focusing on? I know with CB Noah Igbinoghene, you told us last year that you didn’t want to put too much on his plate. So you had him focus on the boundary and did not work him much in practice in the slot. Is that still the case? Is Igbinoghene still focusing primarily on the boundary?) – “For Jason, he’s got a lot of experience in this system. Ideally, we’d like him to be as versatile as he has been in his experience. Whether it be playing at the perimeter corner or in the slot or as a safety, he’s got the versatility to do a lot. So he’s going to get a lot of the information and really just try to be an X out there on the field where we can kind of put him wherever. In Noah’s case, he’s still going to develop as a perimeter corner but also have the versatility to be able to play inside. I think when we looked at his skillset, ideally when we got him drafted, we knew that he had the physical ability to do both. In order to focus on the communication part, yeah there is going to be a little bit more that he’s going to have to pay attention to this offseason, so he can be an effective communicator playing inside and knowing what to do. Especially when you think about the responsibilities in the run game, and how that vision changes than being a perimeter corner on the outside, you’ve got to look at a little bit more and know a little bit more in the box as a Star.”
(You mentioned S Jevon Holland earlier. What do you lose in a player like S Bobby McCain?) – “You just lose experience in relationship obviously to a rookie with Jevon. I’ve known Jevon for a long time, being on the West Coast and recruiting out there. Jevon was actually in Northern California when I was at Cal. With Jevon in the building, now you’ve kind of got to get him up to speed in regards to some of those things that Bobby was able to do as a communicator for us. Obviously we appreciate the things that he’s done. We know that with what we have now, it’s a challenge to get a young guy to be able to communicate at that extreme level in order to put our defense in great situations to be successful. So we look forward to obviously working with him, as we have, and I think we’re off to a great start just with his demeanor and his energy in meetings.”
(I have a DB Jason McCourty follow up too. Essentially you guys have four cornerbacks who could play on the outside and having a fourth one is also really important too just because you don’t know what happens with the first two. Is that what went into the thought of bringing McCourty along? Along with the versatility and experience, he could also be your fourth corner, if necessary?) – “I think when you look at the NFL, it’s a passing league, so you can’t have enough guys who can cover and who can be efficient on the back end and make plays. With the attacks we see, especially even within the division, the way that Buffalo spreads the ball around, you can never have enough guys that can be guys that you can rely on in the secondary. Getting Jason, getting his versatility, getting his experience, getting his veteran leadership, that’s going to be some of the things that really don’t show up on the stat sheet on how he could impact the group. That’s going to be beneficial for us and I think that was the idea going into it to get him a part of our squad.”
(Going back to CB Noah Igbinoghene, what’s a fair expectation in terms of the kind of development and jump he can make in his second year?) – “I don’t necessarily deal in expectations as far as potentials; but I think right now, Noah is giving himself a great chance in regards to how he’s being attentive in meetings and how he’s developing out there on the field and developing his body. The expectations are going to be the work that he puts in. That’s what I expect. Based on what he’s doing so far, I know he’s chomping at the bit to get into competitive situations to see how far he’s come along the way, and only going to get better as we continue to work. Who knows? I think he has the potential to do a lot of special things as we’ve always thought about him and his skillset. It’s just a matter of putting the work in and having it apply on the field and being consistent in the performance.”
(How far along would you say CB Noah Igbinoghene has come since the first time you’ve got your hands on him?) – “Noah was in a situation last year where he was able to really concentrate and develop. Again, this is a guy that hasn’t played the cornerback position for very long in his career, not just his pro career. He’s developed a lot just as far as his technique, his fundamental footwork, his transitioning and then not to mention developing in our defense and what we’re asking him to do. Now it’s time to take really the next step and also learning some stuff on the inside. Now getting a chance to know what the run game looks like and know what keys to look at and guard guys in the slot that are dealing with a little bit more space and having a little bit more presence in the middle of the field, or any help versus out there on the perimeter. We have a long way to go. I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat it like we don’t have a long way to go; but I think for him to be as good as I know and we know that he can be, we hope to continue to make strides where he can become what we think he can.”
(You talked about having familiarity with S Jevon Holland’s game due to some of the West Coast connections. When you drill down on some of his college tape, what are some of the things that stood out as far as strengths that you hope one day could translate to the pro game?) – “There is a lot. I think Jevon, when you look at his college career, as a freshman – he’s a guy that opted out, so he really only played two years of college football. But as a freshman, he played as a deep safety. If you got a chance to study his freshman film, he played as a deep safety a lot in sub packages and situational packages because of some of the upperclassmen. But he did some really good things as a deep safety as a young guy being thrown into the fire, and his willingness to tackle in the middle of the field showed up as well. His second year, switching defensive philosophies, Andy Avalos was the coordinator and they really allowed him to play really more in the box, really more of an edge guy, nickel guy, big safety. So he was able to be physical in the run game, make tackles in the open field, be an underneath zone defender, play some man-to-man. So when you evaluated his college tape, along with his natural athletic gifts, you can see a very versatile player. So getting a guy like that who can be multiple – which as you guys know, we prioritize multiplicity in our defense – and understanding who the person was, me having a familiar background with his personality, you knew that he had that person that we wanted in our building. Our kind of guy in a sense. We knew that we could get a guy like this and work with him and we look forward to his development.”
(I just want to clarify on S Jevon Holland, you were trying to recruit him when you were at Cal? Is that where the connection first started?) – “Oh my god, yeah. I was trying to recruit him, of course. (laughter) I was trying to get him to do the stuff that I want him to do now at Cal. But he had other plans. It’s one of those things where it just worked itself out in the end. Better late than never.”
(I need to know how come you couldn’t close the deal.) – “(laughter) Listen man, do you see the nice shiny toys that Oregon has? They’ve got uniforms, they’ve got buildings. All I’m doing is selling academics, you know what I’m saying? He wasn’t really worried about that part. (laughter) He knew he was going to get into the league and he knew he was going to get a new building here in a little bit. I guess he knew what the plan was before I knew it. (laughter)”
Robbie Leonard – May 25, 2021
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Outside Linebackers Coach Robbie Leonard
(LB Jaelan Phillips – what has struck you so far? I know there hasn’t been a ton of on-field stuff, but the physical gifts that he has that had stood out to you in-person and on tape.) – “Really just for me is all the intangible stuff that he brings to the table. Who he is as a person, his work ethic, his detail and just his drive. He’s been consistent day-in and day-out so far, but that to me as a coach and really as an organization, outside of the obvious physical ability, is first for me that has stuck out with him.”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel had himself an awesome jump last year with the Dolphins. I wanted to know what it is that you’re wanting to see from him moving forward and to further his development as a pass rusher, as a more balanced linebacker? What is it that you’re looking for from him?) – “For him, it’s really just stay the course. If you truly believe in the process of getting better every day and those aren’t empty words – which I think he speaks for himself when you ask him about those things – to stay the course and with anything, time comes, confidence comes, anticipation with the experiences. So build on the experiences he’s had, show others the way and the processes he’s developed over the past two years of being a pro. When I think of Van Ginkel, he’s a true pro just in every way that he goes about his business.”
(And to follow that up, I wanted to also ask because LB Kyle Van Noy, a lot of the veterans on the team now they’re gone, so LB Andrew Van Ginkel kind of has to take a little bit of a step up in that role. What kind of lessons do you feel that he learned from Van Noy and others last season that he can take into this next one?) – “Kyle (Van Noy) did a great job for us. Again from a professional standpoint, and I think ‘Ginkel’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) observed all that through the last year. But first and foremost with him, I would encourage him to just be himself. If you want people to follow you, you’ve got to be yourself day-in and day-out on the field and not to try to be someone you’re not and people will follow. People notice. They notice all the little things, all the detail and in my opinion, that’s what people follow is genuine authenticity. I think Andrew is those things. He doesn’t have to try to be anybody else.”
(I wanted to ask you about a free agent acquisition in LB Duke Riley. What has been your early impression on him so far on the defense and on special teams as well?) – “Duke – he’s been great again with coming here just with his intensity in which he practices, eager to learn and he’s done well so far. He’s learning the techniques and fundamentals we’re teaching him, and it’s fun to see someone embrace those things and with such tenacity. He’s done a good job.”
(I wanted to ask you – your movement on the coaching staff the last three years. How have you taken that? How have you taken on your roles and how do you think you’ve come out better as a coach for the movement that you’ve had?) – “Coaches are kind of like players in this system. I just came to work, tried to get better and tried to keep a humble mindset and learn. It’s amazing what I learned last year just being able to observe and see a way that I can improve personally, the way things all tie together. This is a special place and the time being here, seeing things evolve over time as they have, last year helped me have time to think and see all those things.”
(Could you give just an overview thoughts of what you have in your room obviously among LB Andrew Van Ginkel and LB Vince Biegel and LB Duke Riley and LB Brennan Scarlett, because you lost two pretty good players with LB Kyle Van Noy and DE Shaq Lawson at outside linebacker? Just what you have talent-wise in that room. Obviously LB Jaelan Phillips as well.) – “Again, this probably may not be what everybody wants to hear, but I always start with the intangibles and how they work together as a unit. Physically, they’re always out there trying to improve better physically in the weight room, fundamentally on the field and those things all matter; but the way we play defense here is collectively as a unit. When I see that room, that’s what I see. Guys that can communicate, they’re aware, that are smart, that won’t beat themselves and play with a relentless motor. After that, if you’re willing to do all those things, the physical things will come.”
Anthony Campanile – May 25, 2021
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(Obviously LB Kyle Van Noy did a lot for you guys. Who do you see fitting in his role and I’m sure it’s going to be multiple guys from all of the options you have – LB Andrew Van Ginkel, etc.?) – “I think the guys have all kind of always done a good job with that just as a group picking up for one another, being good communicators. I think Elandon (Roberts) did a great job with that last year. Benardrick (McKinney) coming in, he’s another guy. Jerome Baker did a great job with that, so I’ve been very, very pleased with that as a group so far. So pretty much everybody.”
(LB Benardrick McKinney – do you envision him being able to help you both inside next to LB Jerome Baker? Obviously LB Elandon Roberts is in that mix as well and on the edge because even though Houston didn’t maximize him maybe as a pass rusher, we know he has that type of ability.) – “I think Benardrick, like a few other guys in our room, he’s really got a versatile skillset, which here in our system, we value that. He gives us a chance to do a lot of things, like a lot of other guys. We’ve played with a lot of guys in our system even in this last year, as you guys have seen, doing multiple jobs and multiple roles. I’m very, very excited obviously that he’s here with us. I think he really gives us a chance to do a bunch of things with him.”
(When you studied LB Jaelan Phillips going into the draft – I don’t know if you salivated a little bit – what were some things that jumped out?) – “Just a really high-level competitor. He played really, really hard. Great motor. And when you get to know him, just a really good person. Good kid. Fits in well because of those qualities. That’s what we value here – team-first guys, unselfish guys that run around, have a love and a passion for the game – and he checked all those boxes. Just a great guy to be around to this point and we’re excited to have him. But hopefully to answer your question, just a high-level competitor and great motor.”
(I wanted to ask about LB Jerome Baker. Two years as the team’s leading tackler. Obviously you weren’t here for one of those seasons, but what’s next for him and how can he take his game to that next level, that next tier?) – “’Bake’ (Jerome Baker) is a guy – like I’ve said in some of these media meetings or gatherings in the past – who’s a really great guy to coach because he’s an extremely bright guy. He understands football concepts really, really well and those things come easy to him. Just his level of study I feel has continuously improved over my time here and he’s been really, really diligent in the classroom. His technique on the field in various ways has improved, and we’re hopeful that he’ll continue to do that. I know he will because it’s important to him. Just from in the run game and the pass game and even in pass rush, he’s really made improvements in a lot of ways and we’re just hopeful to do that, just like everybody else, hopefully to get better every day.”
(We’ve got a couple Sundays between now until the season where you could invite me over. You haven’t invited me over yet. I’m kind of hurt by that.) – “Come on through. (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark is over every Sunday. Me and this guy – forget it – we eat Sunday dinner like – we went Saturday the other day though because my daughter’s birthday was Saturday; but we’ve been going crazy. I need to go on a diet. The season can’t start fast enough. (laughter)”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel – he kind of expressed that he’s going to be kind of calling out plays a little bit more when we talked to him last week. We know him and he’s kind of like a quiet, mild-mannered guy, but on the field when he plays, it’s a little bit louder for sure. But how do you kind of see him transitioning into that role where he’s going to be calling a little bit more plays?) – “I think Andrew’s been a good communicator. Even last year, I remember talking to you guys early on in camp, just saying he had jumped out and that was something I think he’s got a knack for that. He’s a very bright guy. Like I said, he’s always up in the office trying to do extra, trying to learn, study, just (trying to) get every little edge each week against his opponent. Just the players themselves that he’s playing against and then understanding our game plan. So he’s a guy that we feel good about in that role in terms of communicating. That’s important to him. It’s important to us and he’s done a very good job with that so hopefully he continues to excel that way, which I think he will.”
(I wanted to ask you about something the offensive coaches spoke about yesterday a little bit and they were, to a man, very adamant about being multiple much like your defense is. I’m wondering if the multiple looks the offense has and all the speed they added and the motion and stuff they can do pre-snap, how much do you guys use that in the defensive room whether it’s on the practice field or in the film room to kind of train yourself to not take the eye candy as it were and just to be disciplined with your eyes and your feet and all that stuff?) – “I think that’s football really at every level. I think there’s a lot of stuff going on pre-snap and what we try to focus on in our room – and I’m sure you’ve probably heard this from other guys more often than not – is worry about doing our job and doing our job well. And a huge part of doing your job – I talked about this last year as well – is your eyes. Before everything else, the eyes control the function of the body in football. And in order for you to communicate well, which is very, very important defensively obviously, to make sure everybody is on the same page in terms of forces and coverage structures; in order to do that and communicate well, your eyes have got to be right. I think the more you can do that at this time, the more we work on that with our guys; the better it’ll make us defensively. So that’s really what we’re working on right now, just worrying about ourselves and communicating well so that we’re all in the correct spots and totally understand every level of the defense in terms of structure and forces, coverage structure.”
(I wanted to ask you about a guy you were missing last year – LB Vince Biegel. Where is he in his rehab? What can he offer you guys this season?) – “Vince, he’s done a great job. I know he was a big part of the defense in ’19 and obviously he was doing really well in camp before his injury; but he’s worked tirelessly to get back and he’s really doing a great job for us and I’m very, very excited about him. He’s a team guy, too. A really, really smart football player, high-effort guy. Just a great guy to be around, so I’m really, really excited to have him back.”
Austin Clark – May 25, 2021
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark
(I wanted to start off with DL Adam Butler today. You guys brought him in this offseason. I just wanted to get your take on his game and what he brings to the d-line.) – “A wealth of experience to start. Adam has had a very successful career thus far. He’s a hardworking guy, a good interior rusher, has some versatility and I really, really like what he brings to the group. He’s been great so far.”
(I just wanted to ask you to assess DT Raekwon Davis’ rookie season and areas where you think he could get better.) – “I would say first and foremost, starting faster is I think something that as a group – not just Raekwon specifically – but getting off to a hot start. I think he did a good job of developing throughout the year in terms of his run defense and being able to win one-on-ones consistently and hold the point on doubles. I think the major focus for him is finishing plays. I think he specifically probably feels like he left some more out there. Just taking the next step like any other guy this year, taking the next step in his second year. I’m looking forward to him. I’m really looking forward to everything he brings to the table. I love him.”
(I want a player you aren’t actually coaching but that you’ve been reunited with this in LB Brennan Scarlett. How cool is it to be coaching on a staff that includes a former teammate?) – “Yeah, ‘B-Scar’ (Brennan Scarlett). Me and him had a little background playing together in college. He’s had a successful career thus far. I think this is year five or six for him. He’s a good teammate and a great guy. It is cool any time you get another Cal guy around here. We have Pat Laird here too and ‘GA’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) really considers himself a Cal guy, I think. So I’m really proud of that and excited for Brennan this year. It’s a really cool experience.”
(Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander blamed himself for not getting S Jevon Holland to California. Was it your fault or was it his fault? Who is to blame here?) – “(laughter) I was actually at USC then and we didn’t get him either. (laughter) Obviously we both didn’t do so good there. But Jevon Holland is a hell of a player. I’m glad we are on the same team now, I’ll tell you that much.”
(What about DT Christian Wilkins? How much more do you think he can do?) – “I think he can definitely do a lot more. I think he did do a good job throughout the season of getting better and better. He had the COVID thing and whatever and missed some games. I do think that hurt him because he was starting to come on right then. But I’m really fired up about him. Obviously going into year three, I think his best ball is ahead of him. I couldn’t be more excited for him this year.”
(I wanted to ask you about the rotation that you guys are going to have on the defensive line because you guys have a lot of talent available – DT Zach Sieler, DT Christian Wilkins, DT Raekwon Davis. Now you’re adding DL Adam Butler to that group. So how important is it to have this internal rotation of guys just coming in and out of the game as opposed to having maybe one superstar like DT Ndamukong Suh way back when, and having that on the team – the important of having that rotation?) – “I think there’s no question that collectively, there’s a competitive group up front. I think a lot of that is matchup based and week to week. I think we have a lot of different guys that have a lot of different strengths. To be honest with you, I think it’s kind of tough to assess that without even having a minicamp and stuff like that. But I know that we’ve got a lot of great pieces up front. I think they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. I’m looking forward to building this thing with the players and I love the group.”
(As a former d-line player yourself, what pride do you get out of coaching the d-line here now?) – “I would tell you heart, effort, dedication, stopping the freaking run, and ultimately having a team-rush mentality. It all starts up front. There’s no question about that in the game of football. To be honest with you, that’s why I enjoy coaching d-line and coaching the front. I think what’s awesome is we have guys up front on this team that ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and his staff has built that believe in those same values. I consider myself extremely lucky every day I walk through these doors and I’m fired up about this season.”
(What’s the difference between stopping the run and stopping the freaking run?) – “There’s another word we probably would use instead of ‘freaking’ in there. (laughter) Yeah, it’s a big deal. There’s no question that there are teams where – it’s become a passing league but when they know they’ve got to run it to get a yard and we know they’ve got to run it, we’ve got to be able to freaking stop that thing.”
(Just to piggyback on that, you talked about getting off to a faster start. I know you weren’t coaching the d-line last year, but do you feel like that was the issue in terms of the run-stopping ability?) – “I would say it’s a team game and ultimately, in terms of stopping the run, it starts up front but collectively as a unit and as a team. I feel like there’s no question that as a defense, we want to start faster. That starts right now. I think these players have done a great job so far. Yeah, I think there’s no question that’s a starting point, especially out of the gates. We’ve got to be able to do that as a d-line.”
(I wanted to ask you about the versatility of DT Raekwon Davis, DT Zach Sieler and DT Christian Wilkins. I know you used those guys a little bit inside as well as outside last year. How valuable is it to have those guys that are such big players on the defensive line, that can play both tackle and on the end?) – “Yeah, I think it’s definitely something that we want. You want guys that are versatile, that are smart, that can handle a lot. I think ultimately we now have that and it’s the game plan, it’s matchups, it’s week to week there; but it’s awesome to have the group of guys that we have that are versatile enough to do a lot of things, for sure. Absolutely.”
(One final quick thing on two young guys. DE Jonathan Ledbetter, is he back with you guys? Is he healthy? And the DE Jason Strowbridge skillset that intrigues you, Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores a year into his pro career is what?) – “I would say Ledbetter has been great in everything he’s doing. I’m really excited about him. He’s a good smart player. The stuff I’ve seen on tape of him is great too in the year prior. With Strowbridge, I think ultimately for him is he has some twitch and he definitely has some pass rush and some versatility. It’s just putting it all together in year two. I think there were moments where he went in in some games and did some really good things. We’re just looking for him to build on that and I think he’s done that so far. I’m really looking forward to seeing him.”
(The signing of DT John Jenkins kind of went under the radar a little bit a few years back, but he’s a guy – how big could he be in terms of helping you guys stop the run?) – “He’s played a long time. I think in Coach (Flores)’ first year here, he did a great job in terms of playing the run but also as a veteran presence for some of our younger players – how to get ready for a game, things that he sees and things that he’s seen in the NFL so far. He’s done a great job. We’re really, really lucky to have him.”
