Xavien Howard – August 11, 2023 (Fourth Quarter)
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Fourth Quarter– Atlanta
CB Xavien Howard on CBS Miami Broadcast
(What’s it like being back on an NFL sideline, live action out here with the fans and everything?) – “It feels great. You see the atmosphere, the fans came out to support us. Feels good just to see the younger guys and some of the guys trying to make the roster go out there and compete.”
(You’ve been here a long time, you’re the longest tenured Dolphins player. Coming in with expectations and hype. It’s been a little different the last past years. What’s it like for you? How much fun is this?) – “It’s always fun to come out here like you said with new expectations. But since I’ve been here I feel like every year it’s been like they have high expectations for us. That’s part of the NFL and part of the league. We just want to go out there and do the best we can do.”
(I know you have a lot of tools in the toolbox, but how has learning a new defense under Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio really allowed you to flex some of those muscles and show more of your skills as a corner?) – “I love the defense. It’s something different from what I’m used to being in situations. I feel like it’ll get everybody a lot of opportunities to make plays on the ball. For me, I feel like it gives me a little more like I can have my eyes on the quarterback. I can know the route concept and stuff like that and also more opportunities to get my hands on the ball.”
(Obviously we hope CB Cam Smith is okay, but what do you think of the young kid so far in his first action?) – “I like the kid, I like the kid. He’s doing a lot of good things out there. Some plays I know he wish he could take back, but it’s part of football, it’s part of learning. It’s his first time out there in an NFL game, so he can only get better from here.”
(We got joint practices in Houston. You’re going home this week. How fun is this for you?) – “I’m excited. Last time I was there was probably 2018 with my team. So going back to the hometown and seeing some of my college friends, some of my high school teammates and everything and going back to see my family and help support.”
Mike McDaniel – August 11, 2023 (Halftime)
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Halftime – Atlanta
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on CBS Miami Broadcast
(We saw you guys move the ball a lot. Obviously you didn’t finish the way you guys wanted to, but how did QB Mike White do out there?) – “He did all right. I think offensively as a whole we’ve done some good stuff. Haven’t finished one drive, 0-for-3 in the end zone. You’re going to be losing usually in those situations.
(Didn’t know WR Erik Ezukanma could play a little running back, too.) – “He’s a physical guy. He’s had a really good offseason. Had some nagging injuries so it’s been good for him to get back out there and do the stuff we know he’s capable of.”
(Defense held them to six points, any of the young guys stand out?) – “I’d have to see the tape. I know there’s some enthusiasm out there. Guys making plays. Awesome to see a guy get his first sack, happened a couple times. Awesome to see guys get their feet wet catching the ball, so hopefully we’ll have more of that in the second half.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 11, 2023 (Second Quarter)
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QB Tua Tagovailoa on CBS Miami Broadcast
(First time in a long time you’ve been back in an NFL stadium and on an NFL sideline with this many fans in here. Are you itching to get back out there today?) – “It feels good. I think the team really enjoys seeing the fans out here, seeing the atmosphere, real game-like situations. It’s really cool. I feel blessed to be back out here. Everyone’s excited.”
(How competitive were those two joint practices against the Falcons this week? It looked like you guys had a couple slow starts but then finished strong.) – “Really competitive. They’re an NFL team. They’ve got really good guys on that side of the ball. They made some plays. We made some plays. So, it’s always good to have good back-and-forth, but there’s a lot of things that were to be corrected.”
(You mentioned the other day that you guys wanted to try some things during the joint practices. Is that just a testament with how comfortable you are in this offense in year two?) – “I think it’s a testament to the coaching style of our coaches, allowing us to do that and trusting their coaching so when we do make a mistake, it’s alright, we know we can do this. We know we can’t do that. We know we can fit this. We know we can’t fit that. It’s all learning experiences.”
(Seeing QB Mike White getting the start tonight back in his hometown, I’m guessing that whole quarterback room is excited for him. What have you seen out of him so far?) – “The way Mike plays out here is the way he plays in golf. Almost lights out. Mike is good. I enjoy having him in the quarterback room as well as Skylar (Thompson). Really excited to see them go out and get their opportunity.”
(You guys been hitting the links a lot?) – “We did once. Mike (White) is good. I like Mike.”
Bradley Chubb – August 9, 2023
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Wednesday, August 9, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(How do you see the group coming together heading into the first preseason game?) – “What I saw today was really encouraging, just seeing everybody fight for each other, fight back. The last period, everyone is cheering and everyone is going crazy as a team. I feel like that’s the first step that we needed. We needed a little bit of adversity. To see how we responded and how we bounced back, it just gives me the world of hope for this team and exactly where we’ll need to be in September, and I’m just excited to get there. Enjoying the process of it.”
(Training camp is obviously baby steps, but what will it mean for the team to be in the stadium on Friday night for a preseason game, everyone will play their different roles, but does that add to the pushing things forward?) – “For sure. It’ll be huge for us just to get the operation of everything going down. Some guys might play a lot, guys might play a little, so just getting the whole process of how you’re going to go about your game days, how are you going to do this and that, it’s going to be good for that. And it’s kind of like a dress rehearsal for the vets who have been here and just kind of get back into the feel of things. For the rookies, this is like the whole world to them. Their jobs are on the line. They understand that. So it’s going to be fun just to see them go out there and fight and see the team go out there and fight, so I’m excited about it.
(What have you thought about the front seven this camp? Because to me, you seem like you’ve been dominating. How have you done this camp? And how did you do these last two days?) – “I’m excited about this front seven. We got a lot of great talent, a lot of good guys that are playing for each other and playing together. I feel like last year kind of with me coming in late, we didn’t gel, and we got a whole offseason to gel and understand each other, how each other rush, how each other plays off each other and stuff like that. So like I said, yesterday was the first day and I felt like we did okay, but we had to respond today. And I felt like we did that. And it’s going to be fun just to see us keep building, keep building, face that adversity and build off that build off that and build off that. So like I said, enjoying the process that comes with it. And just taking it day by day.”
(How are you guys grasping Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “I feel like everybody’s getting a very good hold of it. Just seeing everybody flying off the ball. From the outside linebackers, playing an explosive plan without a care in the world, honestly. It’s very encouraging to see, you see those guys in the middle pushing things back, causing that disruption, and they’re doing everything they need to do so. Like I said, it’s not perfect, nowhere near perfect where it should be now, but I like I said, we are enjoying the process, getting into it and understanding that when September comes around, we want to be the best unit in the league.”
(What’s one thing about Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s teaching style or something he does strategically that you’ve enjoyed and you enjoy being around again. What’s an aspect of Vic?) – “I like the aspect of the way he challenges you. He doesn’t like go forth and say, ‘Oh man, you got to do this.’ He kind of just says it in a subtle way with that old kind of like tone that condescending tone. You’re like, ‘Hold on was he talking to me? How did he mean that?’ You don’t really ‘Aw, man he’s talking crap about me, I got to go do this’. You accept that challenge because I’m about to go out there and show him that I can do this and I will do this. It’s a good way. It’s not bearing down on somebody. It’s just kind of challenging in his way and once you notice it, once you kind of understand that, you’re like ‘okay, yeah, I got to step up and he wants me to do that,’ and a lot of guys have been in that position and been stepping up so it’s been good to see.”
(It seems like you and LB Jaelan Phillips have really put an emphasis on setting the edge in the running game. I’m curious how you describe just the importance of that for you guys as a team?) – “We just want to be disruptive as possible. We call ourselves the big dawgs, so big dawgs got to eat. We got to set the edge. You got to earn your way to the quarterback and I feel like setting the edge and stopping the run is the first way to do that. So we got to make sure that we do that each and every play and when it comes down to rush, we know that’s our strong suit, so we just got to make sure we maximize our ability.”
(Similar mentality when it comes to closing the game out. I saw LB Jaelan Phillips had a sack and then you got tripped by Jake Matthews I think at the end there. Similar mentality?) – “Yeah, similar mentality. We’re just trying to get after it to make sure that the big dawgs, like I said, got to eat and want to close the game out. Everybody on the team is looking to us to do that and they might not say that out loud but that’s how we take it, that’s how we wear it on our shoulders to make sure that we live up to that standard every day.”
(How are you adjusting to the weather?) – “Man, it’s hot! I’m not going to lie to you, it is hot. But finding ways, just whether it be my hydration, whether it be just my warmup, whatever it takes. Every day has been different. The first day was probably the worst because of how hot it was. It was my first time in training camp (here). But after that, I started to get adjusted, see what works for me, see what doesn’t work for me and each day has been getting better for sure.”
(You’ve been a fan favorite, crowd energizer out here. What does it mean to have the fans out here at practice?) – “It’s huge. Just to have them see part of the process that goes into it on Sundays. Throughout the year, you don’t really see that. You kind of just see the product on the field on Sunday. But to see them watch us go through the process, go through the bag drills, go through all that type of stuff to get to where we are on Sundays is dope.”
River Cracraft – August 9, 2023
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Wednesday, August 9, 2023
WR River Cracraft
(Tell me about these teams that you guys put together. Is it like when you’re a kid and the kickball team, one guy picks a guy and then the other guy picks a guy? Is that how it goes down or what?) – “What are you talking about with the teams?”
(The wide receiver teams.) – “Oh, it’s just a friendly competition within the room. You know, we have a little point system of catches, key blocks and big plays, and we have a fun time with it. Is this guy holding? Is he not? Does it count? Does it not? It’s just a little extra incentive to be competitive in the room.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle was saying his GM skills – he wouldn’t divulge who was on his team. But, are you on his team? Are you on team Tyreek Hill) – “I was ‘Reek’s’ (Tyreek Hill) first pick.”
(Tyreek’s first pick?) – “Yeah, I know, bold strategy. (laughter) We’ve got to bounce back on our team. I know Jaylen’s (Waddle) team has won a few more days. We’ve got some big-play guys over there, so we’ve got to step it up.”
(Is that a lot of pressure being the first pick?) – “No, no. It’s right where you want to be. You got some eyes on you. It’s fun.”
(So the loser has to treat the other team?) – “That’s right. Yeah, we’ve got to treat to dinner.”
(Is this weekly, daily or what?) – “Honestly, I’m not sure. I think it’s a week or a couple of weeks or something. It’s just finding a way to be competitive. So, if we’ve got to take the guys to dinner, then so be it. But it’s not a big deal.”
(What’s the nicest thing you all have eaten so far?) – “There nicest thing we’ve eaten, like as a group? We went down to Komodo last year. That was a good experience. They got some good food there.”
(So this competition has been going on for two years?) – “No, no, the competition is new. Yeah, we just went as a group last year.”
(So who determines the point system? Is it a coach that’s pointing it up?) – “Just collectively, the room. We kind of grade each other. So whatever everyone agrees on.”
(We know that Head Coach Mike McDaniel was not pleased with yesterday’s practice from the offensive standpoint. He said, “if the goal was to be average, I’m super pumped.” How do you think the offense responded today?) – “I think we had our moments. The whole point of training camp is coming out here and getting better and improving each day on the things that we focus on. So with the things that we had in mind to get better at today, I think we did a good job. We took a step in the right direction and we finished well there at the end with Skylar (Thompson) throwing that great ball. So we’ve just got to continue to come out and improve on the little things.”
(Were you near that little brouhaha that WR Robbie Chosen was involved in?) – “I was over there just trying to get my guys out. I feel like I never see actually what happens. I’m always kind of late to the party. I don’t know if I’m just dialed into the play or whatnot. But I kind of went over there and I saw people talking and I just tried to pull my guys out. I still actually don’t know what happened or who was involved. But yeah, hope that answers your question.”
(Tough to see WR Jaylen Waddle go down. What goes through your mind when you see one of your guys like that goes down?) – “It’s hard. Jaylen is one of our leaders and I have no idea what happened to him. I hope he’s all right. But it’s an opportunity for guys to step up. I think we did a good job of stepping up today in the event that Jaylen goes down or something like that. It’s very realistic to have guys go down in practice and in games, so it gives other guys opportunities to step up.”
(We know that practice is going to be a give-and-take with the offense and the defense whether you’re facing your own defense or another defense. Has Head Coach Mike McDaniel said anything to you guys about just kind of like working through the growing pains of Year 2 in the system, and just kind of any messages on that?) – “I think as an offense, our expectations are higher for ourselves. So we just try to come out every day and be better than we were the day before. Given the fact that we have been in this offense for one year, we expect better from us right now. So we’re going to continue to go in that direction.”
(You’ve spent a couple offseasons with Head Coach Mike McDaniel as either your head coach or offensive coordinator. What are some things that maybe set him apart when he goes into an offseason? How does he approach it, his mindset? Do you notice anything different about him the next year?) – “I don’t know. I mean, he’s very involved. He’s very aware of his personnel and he knows his guys and I respect that a lot. I’ve been places where that hasn’t been present. So it’s very nice to have somebody as involved as he is and care as much as he does about everybody on the team. I think it really shows and it affects at least how I can bring myself to the table every single day.”
(Do things from the previous season tend to eat away at Head Coach Mike McDaniel. Have you heard him come back to a new season and say “Okay, this is what we did last year. I’ve been thinking about this for a few months. This is how we’re going to change it.”) – “I think that might just be a question for Coach McDaniel. Sorry.”
Jevon Holland – August 9, 2023
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Wednesday, August 9, 2023
S Jevon Holland
(How has the energy felt out there the past couple of days?) – “It’s been fun. Playing against other people is a blast. I got friends out there competing, and everybody is at a high level. It’s been an enjoyable experience for sure.”
(Anything tricky or standout to you about the Falcons pass catchers or skill players?) – “Yeah. They got a dynamic that we haven’t seen really. They got a lot big personnel, and their tight ends likes to split out wide, and run a lot of routes, so I think that’s a different look for us. It’s been fun playing against it. It gives us a different look trying to move around.”
(Is WR Mack Hollins still a little loud out there?) – “You know Mack, he’s going to talk. Mack’s been like that, but it’s always fun. Mack is one of my good friends, so I enjoy the (explicit) talking and all. It adds fuel to the fire and makes the game more competitive, more fun.”
(Your relationship with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, how is that going…?) – “It’s going well. I’m just trying to get every ounce of knowledge out of him. He’s an individual with a big well of knowledge. I’m trying to learn as much as possible, honestly. How he sees the game, what things to improve – he’s very level-headed, whether it’s a good day, bad day or whatnot. He’s always level-headed. As a leader, I’m trying to really learn from him because a lot of guys follow him easily. It’s not hard to buy into his program, into his thought process because he is a hell of a coach, and he has a hell of a mindset. It’s a great experience for me.”
(Does that excite you to have a guy like that?) – “Yeah. Absolutely, absolutely. Any time somebody knows ball to that level is around you, you just want to ask as many questions as possible. Always asking him what he’s thinking, in between periods what he sees, how I could improve. Like I said, I’m trying to wring as much knowledge out of that towel as possible. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
(How do you measure the defense’s progress in these joint practices, and how do you think you guys did today?) – “I think you have to take it rep by rep, execution wise. A lot of times things get competitive and temperatures rise and guys try to make a play and you get out of placement. I think today was good. I think it was a good learning experience for us. I think both days was good for us. I think playing ball at a high level against your own team is one thing, but playing against somebody else adds that level of competitiveness that puts more fuel into your tank. I think that’s what the joint practices have done for us as far as the defense. It’s good to get that kind of energy, feel how it feels to hit somebody else. That’s basically my thought process on that.”
(How are you guys doing as far as grasping defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “Doing well. Just chopping at the wood, honestly. Just chopping wood. That’s all you can do. Head in the dirt. There is a lot to it. He made the defense, so obviously there are little things nitpicking here and there that you got to focus on. But continuous progress and knowing that every day you’ve got something to work on to really lock in on that and take advantage of the time we have.”
(Have you watched or spoke to guys like Justin Simmons or Eddie Jackson, guys who were like All-Pros in Vic Fangio’s scheme?) – “Yeah, I talked to Justin. Not recently, but I talked to him before when he was already in it. And then I’ve watched tape on Eddie and guys like that. I grew up watching guys like Dashon Goldson, and Donte Whitner. Seeing how they played it, and watching a lot of tape, trying to get the technique right, and the timing and things like that. Every player is different, every thought process is different when you’re in the game. I’m trying to make it my own kind of thing and thrive within it. “
(Were you a Niners fan growing up?) – “My pops played for the Niners, so I was naturally a Niners fan. I just kind of molded that way. Never a Raiders fan, sorry. (laughter)”
(A lot of the defensive players have talked about how detailed Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio is, like he wants things a certain way. Does anything stick out with him hammering home a concept?) – “He says for d-ends – if a tight end flashes or something, he says to ‘sled him.’ That’s one little detail he’s always saying is ‘you got to sled him.’ Is that what you were looking for?”
(Yeah, it’s like a mannerism or a Fangio-ism, or something he always says.) – “Yeah, he says you got to sled him, or clobber that guy or just little terminology that he says that makes me laugh.”
(So, no tight ends run free in this defense?) – “I don’t know about that, but I just know the terminology is pretty unique, it makes me chuckle in the meeting room.”
(On a related note, LB Bradley Chubb was just telling us that Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio has a Fangio way of challenging a player. Have you noticed it being unique when he deals with you?) – “Yeah. It’s just a level of detail. Like an extra level of detail that he kind of puts on things. It’s kind of hard to explain. You kind of just understand when he’s talking to you about it. He has just a unique perspective on how he sees the game. Very X’s and O’s to a very finite level. I think that’s kind of my perspective on that.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 9, 2023
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Wednesday, August 9, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Obviously you never want to have mistakes on the football field. When you throw a pick or something goes wrong, how does it benefit you to have something negative that you can go back and correct?) – “I think you have a lot to correct when you have more negatives then you do positive. Obviously you want to have more positive, but it’s good when you have a joint practice. For us in the quarterback room, looking at it from the outside in, we didn’t have a gauge on what they were going to be running or what to expect. We had one day under our belt. And so the second day we did come out, there were things that we wanted to try. So when you do go into the game, should you try it again? Should you not try it? That’s at your discretion. I think it’s good because you learn so much from those things. But outside of that, you just continue to keep moving forward with it keep playing.”
(How would you assess where the offense is right now?) – “Regardless of if it was the best day ever for the offense, or it was the worst day ever for the offense, we got to keep growing, we got to continue to get better. There’s a lot of things we need to clean up. And I think we’re doing so in all these afternoon meetings.”
(There’s a natural give and take with the offense whether you’re playing the Falcons’ defense or Miami’s defense. But on the field, what’s the one thing that you’re trying to combat against an opposing defense in these practices?) – “I think the one thing that’s really cool about joint practices is it almost simulates game-like situations where you have first down, second down, third downs. We had red (zone) downs, we have two-minute situations. I think the cool thing about it is that everyone’s getting their adrenaline going. And you never know what’s going to happen. You get a fight out there. The biggest thing for us is we’re trying to move on to the next play and try to get back on track like as fast as possible. So not letting the last play dictate how we play the next play and how we’re going to move forward as an offense for the following play. I think that’s what makes these joint practices good is that it simulates game-like situations and game-like feelings before you actually go out there and compete in actual games.”
(We didn’t talk to you after the scrimmage, but we saw the videoboard caught you with an animated discussion with the offense. Can you tell us anything what you were telling the guys in that moment?) – “Yeah, well, it just wasn’t up to our standard. There were some things that needed to be said that was the State of the Union that our offense already knew, just reiterating that. And yeah, that’s just what that was.”
(Are you being even more vocal this year going into your fourth season?) – “Yes, and no. I just feel like that’s just me being myself, being in this offense going into Year 2. And having understood what this offense is capable of, and what we are able to do, it just wasn’t up to the standard that day. So I had to bring the guys up and make sure everyone knew that.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about procedural penalties. How much can a coach do about that and how much is it up to the players?) – “Yeah, it takes all 11 of us on the field. It takes all 11 of us. It makes it tough when it’s a move-the-ball period, and you’re marching it down and then when you do have a big play, you try to get a cadence because of a situational deal trying to figure out what the defense is doing. Like guys are tired, and it’s trying to fight the mental urge of not jumping and just locking in. There’s a lot of things that go on that entail guys with procedural errors and whatnot. We got a lot of motions, we got a lot of things that are nuances in our offense. So you got to really be smart, and you really got to lock in and listen for everything, so it makes it tough.”
(This offseason we’ve heard the amounts of training and the jiu-jitsu. I’m curious if you did anything different with your diet as well?) – “Yeah, I changed my diet up a little bit. But outside of that, it was what it was. Like I said, I’ve just been trying to give myself the best opportunity to hopefully not get injured.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t said who may or may not play in the preseason opener, but if you do end up not playing in it, what are some of the things that you do entering the game or during the game to kind of stay engaged, try and make it as game-like as possible for yourself on the sideline?) – “Yeah, I think mental reps are just as important as taking the physical reps. That’s what it’s all about. You’ve got to understand the game as a coach, you’ve got to understand the game as a player. It’s also a lot different seeing it from the sideline than it is seeing it in the game. Things are moving quicker. You can see if things are open, but you can’t feel pressure. You’re just basically out there gazing at what those guys have, so things can be open, but if protection allows you to throw a deep ball, a short ball; then it allows it. But for the most part, it’s tough. You’ve just got to stay in it mentally.”
(What are you seeing in QB Mike White and QB Skylar Thompson?) – “I see a lot. I’ve got the utmost respect for both of those guys. This is going to be the second year that Skylar is in the room with me. I know Skylar. We have a lot of animated conversations about football and then just getting to know Mike White as well. Mike White is very smart in the quarterback room. He has a lot to say as far as input as well, so it’s really good to have both of them in there.”
(Have you seen the wildfires in Hawaii and what are your thoughts on what’s going on?) – “No, I haven’t seen or heard of any of that.”
(I guess in Maui overnight there was a fire. Do you have any family there?) – “I don’t have any family there. I feel like I need to keep up more with everything. I find things out from my wife. My wife is on social media, but I live under a rock.”
(Was that meant as motivation for you guys that there was no orange jersey today? Just no MVP of the day before. Did you use that as motivation at all?) – “I did not notice that. That’s funny. I did not notice that. That’s a good catch. No orange jersey today, huh? I had no idea that there was no orange jersey today. I don’t know whose playlist we were listening to out there.”
(Do you think that was purposeful?) – “I’m sure it was. Mike (McDaniel) probably has a plan for everything, so I don’t know what that plan may be, but yeah. I don’t know.”
(Is there anything you notice about this Falcons defense that took you by surprise or that you learned the past two days?) – “I just got to give them credit. They look really good. They’re executing defensive-wise. For the most part, I just got to give them props.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has mentioned a couple times just the journey of training camp and how it clicks at certain times for different guys. Obviously in your second year here, was there a time last year where you kind of felt that click happen for you?) – “I’m not too sure when I felt a click or when it was, but I was really dialed in on just trying to figure out like how the offense was run, how Mike wants the offense run, who Mike is as a play caller. I was just dialed in on all of that and not worrying much about how my play was. I just felt as if, if I go through Mike would expect us to go through progressions, go through reads, then we should be fine. Just find a completion wherever it may be and get the guys going.”
(I don’t know if you saw WR Jaylen Waddle went down with an injury to the midsection. Did you see that and what kind of camp has he been having this year?) – “Yeah, I did see that. I couldn’t see what had happened and I know he made the play, but I think (Jaylen) Waddle has probably had one of the best camps on our team this year and it really started with OTAs from the first day he came, he showed up and he was locked in. So it’s kind of unfortunate to see something like that happen. I hope that it’s just a couple days or whatever and I hope he gets better, but I think Waddle has had one of the best camps in this Miami Dolphins 2023 training camp.”
Mike McDaniel – August 9, 2023
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Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Any update on WR Braylon Sanders? Hopefully not too serious, but do you know if it’s long-term yet with his leg injury?) – “No, we were fortunate. It was a lower body injury that didn’t produce any structural damage. So fortunately, I expect him back – not today or tomorrow – but in the foreseeable future. Hopefully next week or something like that. But we’ll see how it goes.”
(How is QB Mike White doing? Is he the likely starter for the next Dolphins games?) – “Is the game today? He’s had a real cool couple of weeks, just getting used to everything. The quarterback position, you’re in charge of the ball every play, and you have to tell everyone their assignment. There’s a lot that goes into that which is one of the numerous reasons that I reserve judgement, because I’m such a level-minded adult, mature guy. With him, his personality off the bat, he exuded quarterback confidence and really developed relationships with his teammates. You’ve seen a steady progression of more and more plays and more and more confidence to operate within the timing of our specific offense. He’s doing a good job. As it relates to the preseason game, there’s still a hearty practice today, and again, I like to let the players determine things on the field. Whoever does play before the other player in the preseason game from the quarterback position, that won’t suggest that that person is going to be Tua’s backup. It will be based upon the reps, opportunities, what we think is best for the guys. Then in true competition form, it will probably flop the next week.”
(After watching the film or video, what did you think of your offense yesterday in practice? What did you like? What would you like to see improved today?) – “If the goal is average, then I was super pumped. I really like joint practices for the sake of I want everyone’s best effort. The tricky thing about it is, and as I’ve learned over the course of my career, what if the offense had the greatest practice in the history of all practices? Or the opposite happens, it’s the worst practice – what does that mean for today? And that’s kind of my point is there was stuff that irritated me, there was stuff that pumped me up. We did physically strain through some heat against a new opponent. The main focus to me is was that practice purposeful? How do you make it purposeful? Your approach today and it’s not the same mistakes. We had procedural penalties. I’m hoping to not have any today. If we have some, as long as it’s not the guys that did it the day before, I can work with that. It’s when yesterday was a waste, then it’s a bigger issue. I was happy that we worked for where we’re trying to go. I shouldn’t be really happy with any practice in terms of ‘Ok, we’re good.’ It’s not like that. Last year, Philly is a great example. We practiced against Philly, and that was the first time offensively that I think that we felt all 11 people executing simultaneously. No one scores a practice, but if you guys were to say, ‘Hey, they won that day,’ it wouldn’t sound crazy. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl. We did not. But that was a very important practice for us because it was the first time that we clicked, I thought, and it led into the first drive of the preseason game. So yesterday, I like the fact that guys were straining and very annoyed at the result. That means we’re in a good spot. I’m just going to keep going for the next half hour. So anyway, yes, today’s practice is more important than last.”
(Along those lines, when you look at Year 1 and Year 2, I don’t know if you want to characterize it as growing pains or whatever, but compared to the previous teams that you’ve been on kind of grow from Year 1 to Year 2, do you feel like this offense is kind of on a similar pace? Are they behind? Are they ahead of schedule? How would you characterize them?) – “I think in Year 2, relative to other teams I’ve been on, I would say overall, I’m happy with it, so it’s somewhere close to what I was hoping for. Again, that means that last year, there was a lot of – you almost needed an interpreter because the language, it was hard to kind of communicate within our own language. Some of the overall philosophical details of technique we were having to sell on guys. Now they can answer the test. Now they know when it’s not good enough. Now they have an expectation. I would say I’m very pleased with where we’re at right now, it’s just an incomplete story. In terms of being from Year 1 to Year 2, I expect it to be much better. I feel like it is. But that means nothing if we just take steps backwards for the next two weeks.”
(Going back to the procedural thing for a second. I’m sure it drives fans crazy. I’m sure it must drive coaches crazy. Beyond the obvious, “Wait for the snap,” telling players that, what are some maybe unseen things, not so obvious things, that you can do to alleviate those kinds of things?) – “Well, you have to – the non-obvious things is you have to create atmospheres where they’re in conflict of complete immersion into their plan for the play and adhering to the No. 1 most fundamental part of being a part of an offense. So it’s that conviction in assignment, that competitiveness, because that’s what – nobody wants to jump offsides. We couldn’t have emphasized it more this offseason in terms of, ‘This is what it is, the facts are the facts. You’re the worst. I’m the worst.’ (laughter) That’s what it is. So every time we false start, everyone is like – it’s not something that people are very comfortable with or pumped about. The point is to figure out the whys behind it and generally, across the board, the guy that false starts wasn’t about to execute a lazy play. So we have to continue to do that. I show it in front of the team, and no one’s fired up about it. You pride yourself as a coach to produce a clean product for the fans to watch, and our objective is to go forward, not backward, in a non-competitive manner. So that focus, ‘Hey, you want to be good?’ All this work we do, you try to put it in that perspective, but we’re very aware that we’re on the heels of being the worst. That’s not acceptable. We’ll continue to work through it. There are days that are good, but it doesn’t matter if there are quarters that are good if you’re false starting three times in the fourth quarter. So it’s something we’ll continue to get work at and it’s not going to go away. As long as you guys have your eyes open, you’ll be able to see how we’re doing.”
(I’m sure there are a lot of things you have to do better than spending time on Twitter, but last night, there was a back and forth between…) – “What’s Twitter?”
(X, I believe it’s called now.) – “Oh, ok, yes. What was that?”
(CB Jalen Ramsey and David Chao, formerly of the Chargers, had a back and forth about Jalen. I think the quote was, “It’s basically a tall task to ask Jalen Ramsey to ever be Jalen Ramsey again after that surgery. I wanted to get your reaction. I guess is the assumption whenever CB Jalen Ramsey does return that he’ll be back to the player he was?) – “I would hesitate to boldly tell Jalen Ramsey what he’s going to be. I don’t think that’s in his mind at all. In my profession, in my job, I don’t have the time to look at X. I have bigger fish to fry. We’re not even worried about what it looks like at the end. We’re worried about appropriately handling the present because you stack that stuff up and those things will be determined by things that aren’t mine, nor X, and whatever is going on there, that’s outside of our control. I’m good with where he is at and I’m very happy that I saw him yesterday crutchless.”
(What’s your assessment on the competition at left guard right now? Do you view it as the one position that’s still up in the air to determine that best five up front?) – “I think you have to earn certain things. I think we do have a good amount of NFL players that have the ability to play in the interior line. So competition brings out the best in everyone. I think that the people – that’s really our objective every offseason is with the resources available, try to maximize that competition. I wouldn’t say anything concrete except that we’re fortunate to have some players worthy to compete to start an NFL football game, and not every team can say that. So I’m happy with the way the guys are attacking it. Specifically yesterday, there was some really good play at times from both guard positions on every little rep that we had. And then there were some plays that weren’t that good. So it’s a tremendous day today to go out and see how guys respond and those types of things are going to determine every position on the offense and defense, as it should be on the grass.”
(Today is national book day. Other than the playbook, what is your favorite book to read?) – “Well that was kind of said under the guise that I re-read stuff. But my favorite book when you say it off the rip is ‘Talent is Overrated.’ I read it like in 2011, 2012 or 2013 – one of those. And ‘Deliberate Practice.’ Have you ever heard me say deliberate? Yeah, that’s where I got it from. That’s probably my favorite book.”
(How do you balance – when you have these joint practices – testing out things you want to see in the offense, especially because it’s predicated on timing so you get to practice against an opponent. How do you balance that without showing all of your cards?) – “It’s something that you have to kind of be forward-thinking. I’m very aware of when we have fan days of technology. I’m very aware of stadium practices. I’m very aware of joint practices. There is a balance and for me, I’m less secretive than I think I would have thought I would have been early in my career, just because if the offense is constructed the right way, everything has a counter to it. So at this point, we have to get good at stuff. I probably hide less (now) but there’s definitely stuff you don’t want to put on tape, especially if you’re ironing the kinks out of it. It’s a fun balance but for the most part, we’re just trying to create situations that are competitive within the offense that we do, with the idea being you get to evaluate guys and guys are put in difficult positions like a game, or hopefully more difficult positions.”
(The running backs had some good moments yesterday. I’m wondering what your take is on that room right now and if there’s any changes in the philosophy on how you might utilize them.) – “I really feel good about the whole running back room. The people and the players give us the capability to do a lot and to have fresh players on the field carrying the ball. Each dude has a different little niche within the offense but all of them know the entire offense and they’re all capable of running the ball. Some guys have some pass skillsets that we can utilize and some guys have really developed their pass skillsets this offseason. I think there’s strength in versatility. I think any time a defense is able to take something off their plate, in terms of variance, it gives them a more convicted way to defend, if you will. So I think those variables, when guys have the ability to do various things – run the ball, protect and run routes – it’s a less easier matchup. It kind of dictates the terms sometimes for defensive personnel. The depth and the varied skills, I would say, are a strength of our team.”
(We heard WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, I think yesterday, talk about the little internal competition in the wide receivers room. Like they’re broken up into teams. I’m curious if that’s something you’ve ever had on your teams before and how that kind of internal competition can help?) – “No, I haven’t. And it’s phenomenal. You have guys straining to compete. I just thought it was a really cool idea from the get-go. Rarely do you have two elite players in the same room like that. So instead of worrying about semantics that I can forecast – I haven’t been around that before but semantics of things like greediness or I want X, Y or Z. I think it really showcases how we’re going to use this, let’s create teams, the leader of each team is probably going to get the most, but let’s compete and see how collectively we can do something that’s typically not thought of as a team. Like catches and receptions are an individual stat that they’re now making a team (stat). I think that’s exactly what you’d hope and want. Any competition is where you turn Tyreek to Cheetah. I think his teammates are learning that. And what does that do? That makes Jaylen Waddle better and the whole room better. I think we’re benefitting from those results. They run a lot. They block. They’re part of everything in the offense, so you better have an edge each and every day. If that helps them, if they want me to throw apples and oranges to them, I’ll do that. Everything is on the table but I’m happy with that group and that culture that they’re creating down there.”
