Mike McDaniel – August 16, 2023
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Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(What do you expect DT Christian Wilkins to do today in terms of participation and how much has he missed by not being part of team drills the past couple days?) – “Christian is such a good player, such an important person in the locker room, who has made it clear that he feels that his play is deserving of a contract. We would agree, as the Miami Dolphins organization, henceforth we are in negotiations. As a result, he’s hasn’t been participating in team (drills). When he next participates, that will be up to him.”
(Are you comfortable with what that plan is?) – “Every player is like a snowflake, I would say – unique to itself. So I’m comfortable with the situation as it stands. Christian and I are in constant communication, and this is part of the business that a lot of teams are dealing with.”
(How much do you look at the opportunity to get out here and get the guys together for a week away from their lives in South Florida and come together?) – “That’s an overlooked part of joint practices that I hold with high regard and high esteem because it’s about a team coming together. And this offers an opportunity for guys. The unique situation that we have in Miami Gardens is a lot of guys live all over the place. People have lives and you want teams to come together and you want guys to spend time together. Well, here we are locked up in a hotel together, so there’s nowhere to hide. Even if they don’t want to see me, they have to run into me. But we specifically try to orchestrate the whole joint practice session and the travel times around that – coming out here before the player day off so that guys can really invest into each other. And I think they really have between position dinners and various things. Rookies are preparing a skit for the veterans to be entertained with on Thursday night. So there’s a lot of good things going on, and happy to be here in Houston.”
(Are CB Cam Smith, WR Jaylen Waddle, or CB Kader Kohou ready for competitive reps here or probably not?) – “Specifically with Cam and Kader, they are both dealing with stuff that you don’t really know what day it is, or it’s day to day as you progress as tolerated, really. So I didn’t expect Cam to be in stretch and the position drills the other day. But sure enough, he was on a mission to prove something to his teammates. I’m not really looking for them to. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they appear scattered along. And we’re holding Jaylen against himself. He’s a Houston native and it’s hard to believe the information we’re receiving when he’s telling us he’s good. That’s one of the things you love about Jaylen, and it’s our job to protect him for himself.”
(You’ve talked about guys protecting from themselves. CB Cam Smith got hurt the play before and stayed in and didn’t come out. What does that tell you?) – “There’s so much that you just learn about each other as teammates, all of us. There’s no way any of his teammates on the Miami Dolphins would know that about him. But when you do something like that, it definitely sends a statement to your teammates that is well received. There’s being hurt or being injured. And sometimes when guys are fighting through something, they think they’re hurt, then they find out they’re injured. But that tough-minded nature and that will to compete is not lost on any of us, coaches and players alike.”
(What do you think it’s going to be like to see Houston Texans HC DeMeco Ryans again and going against his defense?) – “Well, it will be very much like a lot of the years I know DeMeco, where I’m standing over here and he’s over there. What’s funny about it though is I think the first practice that I’ve ever had a coach that I was paid, was DeMeco’s first practice as a player in the National Football League in 2006. So it is really cool to see him where he’s at. It doesn’t surprise me in the least. I mean, shoot that day where our journeys were beginning, so to speak, he was with the first group as a starting Mike linebacker as a second-round draft pick. He’s one of the best coaches I have been around and one of my favorite people. I’m really excited to see his team take on his personality, which I know is the mindset of a winner, the mindset of a competitor. And he’s all about maximizing player’s talent, which is something that that I firmly believe in, and we hold in step.”
(One of the things DeMeco Ryans said he remembered about you during your time in San Francisco was you’d be the first guy in the building. What are some things that you remember about DeMeco when he first started his career?) – “So it worked. Little did anyone know that I was doing that to impress DeMeco the entire time. And for the longest, I didn’t know he noticed. (laughter) But some of the things about DeMeco that are inspiring, just as a human being, he has that classic balance of he’s such a well-intentioned, nice, really a guy that you gravitate towards, on a personal level. But then has a fire that I think players can really, really relate to and respond to. He’s had leadership in his blood from the day we saw him as a 22-year-old, and then to watch him progress in the coaching field right alongside him. It didn’t surprise me, but it was so impressive that I’d be at a loss to say I expected it. I think he’s exceeded expectations in everything he’s done. And I think the Houston Texans are very lucky to have him.”
(How important was this place for your professional development?) – “It’s a huge part of the journey. The days of watching – there’s invaluable lessons of every step that you take in the National Football League, but to be a part of Gary Kubiak’s staff and watch how it was to come to a place and make a culture – really a reflection of what you want the team to be and who you are. To get my first taste of working in a position group, the receiver room, to have Andre Johnson as a 25-year-old – I had to quickly learn something to offer him as far as value of coaching. I had to know what I was talking about really quick because you choose your words wisely and if you don’t have anything to offer Andre Johnson, stop wasting his time. So that got my start real fast and it will always have a place in my heart. It’s the first place that I lived right after college. And that journey has highs and lows, but it’s always rooted in the place where you started, which is where this place is, and this field with a new scoreboard.”
(You’ve mentioned the Andre Johnson story a couple of times to us. Have you been able to reconnect with him since coming back?) – “Yeah, we’ve exchanges texts, which is a slow process with me. I think I’m number one in the league in terrible phone habits. But we have talked and I was hoping to see him down here. I think there’s a chance that that might happen. But if he doesn’t end up showing up, we have Roger Clemens, so we’re good.”
(RB Dalvin Cook signed with the New York Jets. What are your thoughts on that and what role did the running backs that you have on the roster play in him not ending up here?) – “I’m very happy with our running back group. There’s been a ton of development since camp started for already talented guys that I very much believe in. So overall, I’m really pumped with the running back group. As far as other team’s transactions, really, I haven’t even paid that much attention other than to what is today? Today is practice. The 16th of August. And I’m very happy with the crew that we’re going to compete with and pumped to compete against this unit too.”
(I wanted to ask you about OL Liam Eichenberg. We saw him on the bikes not practicing in the last practice in Miami. Is that a medical thing, a rest thing?) – “That would be a medical thing. He’s dealing with a nagging injury. Every time that he’s had a ding, he proves to his teammates and everyone that’s looking how much he loves ball, because he’s tirelessly trying to grit through stuff that a lot of players would find maybe too painful to perform. He’s gritting his teeth and doing his best. And we’ll be conscious of that and make sure we don’t rush the process.”
(So is OL Liam Eichenberg going to participate in these joint practices?) – “The plan is for him to participate to a degree, but managed within practice and probably minimized in team drills, if at all.”
(What was your relationship like with Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik? He had some pretty good things to say about you the other day.) – “It’s long. I wasn’t sure if you guys realized but you came to the first Slowik Bowl. The Slowik family has been near and dear to my heart. Ryan is our outside linebackers coach and he was part of the Denver staff my first year as an intern. Then I got the chance to work with Bobby Slowik in Washington, where he started, like we all do, on the ground floor and worked his way up to work with outside linebackers. Then I got a chance to work with him again in San Francisco and then was part of the crew with myself and Coach Shanahan and (Mike) LaFleur, training him when he came to offense. I got to red-pen his run drawings, which he probably loves me for. By loving, he does not like that at all. They were always late at night and in red and aggressive with exclamation points. (laughter) But he’s a true coach, a true student of the game. I think it’s incredibly advantageous that he spent time working on the (defensive) side of the ball. That really helps shape your mind in how to be an offensive coordinator. I’m excited to see what SPF he’s wearing out in this Houston sun.”
(It’s got to be high.) – “Yeah. We’ve got to be 75-plus. (laughter)”
(You can’t say “f”, marry, kill anymore. But hang out with, ghost, and go on vacation – Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, Gary Kubiak and Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik.) – “I’m ghosting (Bobby) Slowik because he’d get over it the quickest. What were the two other options?”
(Vacation with and just a one-night hangout. Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and Gary Kubiak) – “Two elite guys to hang out with. Pick your poison on either one, because I think there’s merit to both. I’d probably just have them both to dinner and then vacation with them both and not answer your question concretely.”
(I wanted to ask you your thought process for, I know joint practices, it’s elevated how important they are in the new preseason. But there’s always a week where you guys want to game plan and want to go over film work. Do you do that?) – “You’re bringing it today. That’s a great question because you can get lost. I’ve been very clear with the team that this is such an opportunity for technique work, with some very variants on both sides, specifically for the offense, in terms of the defensive structure that you’re going against. It’s about our technique and developing it. I think it’s hugely important that we utilize the opportunity to work on our craft. It’s quite the opposite of the X’s and O’s. What’s cool about this joint practice is both sides of the ball, the best part of their functionality is their inherent technique obsession. I know that through working with Bobby Slowik and I know that working right alongside DeMeco Ryans and I know that to be the case on both sides of the ball for our team. So it is about players developing their technique and really at a critical juncture for the roster decisions that come. How do guys take failures or successes and move forward? This is going to be a great opportunity to see that with a fully digested playbook at their disposal.”
(So next week is kind of the dry run?) – “I kind of see with a three-game preseason and a two-week break, it’s kind of a mix-and-match that both weeks are incredible for the development of our team. I see both of them as kind of dry runs to a degree of how players respond to the techniques we’re asking them to do when minute things change. So as far as a label, next week or this week being the turn-up week, I see them both. With the shortened preseason, I think it’s that much more important to get ready for the regular season as opposed to having the regular season get you ready.”
(You have a relationship with Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans from your time in San Francisco. But you also were lucky enough to be here with him when he was a player. Do you have any fun stories about him when he was going through his rookie year that you can tell us?) – “Playing Peyton Manning as a rookie is hard. But I think his rookie year, the last game that Peyton Manning and the Colts lost was here. I remember that being an incredible moment. I remember him, it was funny, as a rookie, as a young rookie, he’s such an impressive dude. But you’re a rookie. Not to mention, you’re the quarterback of the defense. So his internal combustion when he would mess something up, followed by a quick reset to the next play was – I’m not sure if it’s funny. It was always unique and stood out to me just in who he was because he would literally implode. Then on to the next and go compete. No news is good news and he’s one of those guys that was a veteran the second he walked into the locker room and has really held himself to a high standard. He’s held himself to a head coach-type scrutiny and role really his whole career. I can’t say enough good things about him. Fired up for him to exhibit his head-coaching skills against the Miami Dolphins.”
(What kind of resource has Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik been since they took their jobs, head coach and offensive coordinator? What kind of resource have you been for those guys?) – “Well, I plan on being outstanding after this preseason game, but I’ve intentionally been terrible leading up to it. (laughter) You know, telling them the wrong amount of practices or wrong amount of reps that I’d suggest to do now. (laughter) They’re very deserving of both roles they have. We all aid by our peers, watching them go through their process, especially when you get roles that the people that you’ve worked alongside get before you. I can relate to that with guys getting head-coaching jobs or offensive coordinator jobs. I think we’re all tools for each other. In a way, we helped each other get here, being a part of a coaching staff on a team. We are part of the journey. So we all learn from each other and shoot, I still learn from DeMeco (Ryans) and Bobby (Slowik) from afar. I think we have a cool relationship that way and truly root for each other’s success.”
Channing Tindall – August 13, 2023
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Sunday, August 13, 2023
LB Channing Tindall
(From your performance in this past preseason game, what’s some attributes you felt you enhanced on from last year to this year?) – “Just from last year, we have a new defensive coordinator so it’s completely different this year. One thing I did take from the game is I feel like I’m getting a full understanding of what exactly I’m supposed to do on the field from the playbook standpoint, and then the anticipation is there as well. There is a little bit of anticipation, but I know it could be faster. Those are two things I took away from the game.”
(How do you measure yourself, is it daily, is it weekly? Would it drive you crazy to measure yourself daily? How do you handle that?) – “No, it doesn’t drive me crazy to look at myself daily. I do that anyway. What my coach tells me to do is take one mistake and correct it. As long as you’re getting better each and every day, you’re getting one percent better. So that’s the way I take it.”
(How do you think this defense fits your skillset right now?) – “This defense allows our inside linebackers to go side to side. We can move everywhere around the field and you’re working off of everybody. I feel like that gets to show my athleticism.”
(With you all in this defensive linebacker group, how do you feel like you all are gelling at this point so far?) – ‘I feel like we have a good group. I feel like we’re really tight. If anybody ever has a question, or if they see somebody struggling or somebody, I know that Duke (Riley) or David (Long) or anybody in the room are quick to help. Regardless of what the situation might be on or off the field, I feel like we’re a family.”
(What did the coaches tell you guys, or Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio specifically, about how you guys did on Friday – you as an individual and the defense as an entire unit?) – “He didn’t give individual per se, but as a defense, he said that we’re playing physical, but we need to anticipate more. Just really locking in on the little details of what the playbook is and exactly where we need to line up at.”
(Do you feel like that will come with time as you guys go along? It’s obviously pretty early on in training camp still.) – “Oh yeah, I definitely feel like that will come with experience. It’s not necessarily that we’re doing the wrong job, it’s just something you could be doing better. Those things just come with time.”
(As far as special teams, did Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman – I know you guys allowed a return, but RB De’Von Achane had a nice kickoff return. I don’t know if you were in on that. K Jason Sanders had a 49-yard field goal. Did Crossman have anything to say about how you guys did as special teams?) – “He just looks at it. He doesn’t take that into consideration. He just looks at are we doing our jobs and are we doing it to the best of our ability. And on some of those plays, we weren’t doing our job. He’s going to be a coach and he’s going to get on us, and that’s up to us to come back the next day and handle that.”
Erik Ezukanma – August 13, 2023
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Sunday, August 13, 2023
WR Erik Ezukanma
(We saw you got two handoffs in the preseason opener. How did that feel? It looked like you almost had the edge on the second one, what happened there?) – “Man, it was a great feeling just to get the ball in my hands. The played was called for me to get the ball, so knowing I was getting it, I was imagining myself with it and did everything I could to try to make some plays for the team.”
(Obviously there’s a lot of competition for the No. 3 spot behind WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill. I know you may not have caught a bunch of passes, but do you still get some satisfaction of making plays with the ball in your hand and showing the coaches that you can make plays?) – “Definitely. However the offense needs me to make plays for the team, whether they need me to block, run, catch, I’m able to do it all.”
(You got off to a hot start the first week of training camp and then you got injured. How much do you feel like that set you back in terms of progress that you’ll make?) – “I’m making a lot of progress. I felt like I was catching a rhythm making plays in practice. The injury set me back a little bit, but with the rehab and working with training staff, I was able to get back out there and show what I could do.”
(It looked like you had a lot of work in the running game in the game Friday night. How’d you feel you did in that? Also does it feel good to actually get a chance to execute and finish blocks in a live setting like that?) – “It was awesome. Just like I was saying, getting the ball in my hands, always love just toting the pill and following my blocks, helping my guys out and in the run game, blocking for the guys, the running backs, the quarterback, no matter what.”
(Did you play running back in high school?) – “I did a little bit, maybe my sophomore year. But I played running back all the way up until high school. Little league, I playing running back. Then I overgrew it and had to switch to receiver.”
(How do you feel about running back, per se? I know you’re a receiver, but how do you feel about maybe getting a little bit more of that kind of role?) – “Wherever Mike (McDaniel) or Wes (Welker) wants me to be in the offense, I’ll do whatever.”
(Do you have a specific goal for the season? Are you shooting to be the No. 3 receiver or just get playing time? How do you view that?) – “Wherever my coaches need me to be, my teammates, I’m just trying to show them every day that I’m improving, I’m being consistent and just mastering the playbook in my role.”
(You guys are heading to Texas in the next joint practice session. What are you looking forward to heading back to the state of Texas?) – “I’m from Texas. We’ve got a lot of Texas boys on the team, so it’ll feel good to be back. And just the weather, being able to be – well, Houston is a little humid compared to Fort Worth-Dallas, but just being in the area, it’s going to feel good.”
(How’s the weather there compared to here in South Florida?) – “I’m sure South Florida is way hotter, but I’m sure Houston is going to be a little humid. It’s going to be a little climate change, but we’ll handle it.”
(Some of us have been doing some investigative work. We’re aware that these teams between WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle with the wide receivers. I know WR River Cracraft is on Tyreek’s team. Are you on Jaylen’s team? He wouldn’t say who is on his team. Who’s team are you on?) – “I’m on Tyreek’s team. They drafted me.”
(So now we know you were at least the second pick, or were you the third pick?) – “I’m not going to say all that. (laughter)”
(Is it how it goes is you guys go to wide receiver meetings and Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker is breaking it down? Who awards the points?) – “So we got Max (McCaffrey) awarding points with catches, impact blocks, explosive plays, and we tally it up and whoever wins pays for dinner when we go to dinner.”
(What are the places that the wide receivers have been treated to during this competition?) – “Last year, we went to a nice place in Tampa. I forgot what it was called. But we’ll probably do something in Houston.”
(So the competition closes in Houston?) – “It’s going to go through all of training camp. I think we restarted already, so it’s getting competitive.”
(Who won the last round?) – “I really don’t know. We’ll figure it out. (laughter)”
(How often do you guys tally it up? Is it daily?) – “Every day. Every day we tally it up, and then by the end of a week or three-week span, someone wins.”
(How would you describe the ups and downs that you’ve experienced as a pro? Last summer, for example, we saw you making a lot of plays in training camp. And then the season began and we know how that played out. Then the other night, we saw you making a lot of plays. How does that affect your confidence and how do you try to stay on an even keel?) – “Just being where my feet are, honestly. You go through adversity, and it’s all about how you come back from it. I feel like last year was last year, and we’re in a new year now. I’m able to just showcase what I do, every opportunity that I get. I learned from last season and it’s behind me now. I’m ready to just move forward and do what’s best for the team.”
(The biggest way you’ve improved from last year is what?) – “I feel like my mobility. Being able to move. I feel like I’ve gotten faster. I bought into the weight room. Also with supplements and taking my vitamins and stuff like that, I definitely feel has helped me improve on the field.”
(Do you have a choice to take your vitamins and supplements?) – “Well, everybody has their own routines and things they do. I really believe in supplements and vitamins and stuff like that and yoga, and I’ve done it throughout the offseason. I felt way better coming into OTAs. I got hurt a little bit, but I was able to bounce back within a couple of days and play in the game like I did. So I feel like just with routine and staying to what you do every day will help you improve definitely.”
(Which of those elements have you added since last year? What’s new? Or have you been doing all of those for a while?) – “After workouts, I added supplements. Taking vitamins every day. Yoga on my off days. Rehab. Just stretching a lot more. I’m a bigger guy with muscles, so it’s hard to move sometimes. I just do a lot of stretching.”
(When you guys watch tape and see how much space WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle create in the receivers room, do you guys kind of look at that and say there’s an opportunity here for the rest of us with all of the attention those guys command?) – “Definitely. I’m really excited to get on the field with Tyreek and Jaylen. Knowing that most defenses are going to try to stop them and probably not worry about me too much, and being under the radar and being the underdog kind of gives me a little boost of confidence knowing that when my number is called, I’ll be able to showcase my ability one-on-one, knowing that I have to beat one person with them trying to double-team Tyreek or Jaylen.”
Connor Williams – August 13, 2023
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Sunday, August 13, 2023
OL Connor Williams
(Can you evaluate how the offensive line did? Obviously don’t reveal any secrets but how do you think they did Friday?) – “Obviously, some of us weren’t out there. Well, first off, it’s tough not being on the field. I mean, for a football game, it’s hard not to be out there, first and foremost. But I think we showed some good things. Obviously, things to clean up on our second season of this offensive scheme. I think we’re getting the hang of it. I think there’s some good things building. Bottom line, I think we executed well. Obviously, things in that second half that don’t need to show up that it comes with it, it comes with the territory. You got to start building on it and stacking it and learning from it. So, it’ll be good opportunities to learn from.”
(How do you think your camp has gone? We know you weren’t here for minicamp and OTAs. How is your training camp going so far personally?) – “I think it’s going well. I’m picking up where I left off from last year, been able to climb and keep climbing just day-by-day, getting better at my craft day-by-day and perfecting center.”
(With the run game, there’s always been a second-year surge with Mike McDaniel from the offensive line side. Is it just understanding more of what’s being asked of you and the technique?) – “Yeah, I think it’s just establishing identity. I mean, obviously, every team’s got a different run game, a different style of running. And coming here my first year, it was a completely different world of just run game. And so just being able to get in it and understanding where the ball is going to cut, understanding what you want from a schematic standpoint, and just from your stance and from your weight and from how you want to run off the ball and everything. So I think we’re improving, and I’m excited about this year.”
(Coming from Dallas and your ability to dominate the trenches with the offensive line there, what are some tangible things that you think you brought from Dallas to Miami?) – “I think mentality. At the end of the day, its football, and it’s about beating the man in front of you. And so all X’s and O’s out of the way, it’s about dominating the man in front of you. And it’s about taking them all four quarters, and it’s about beating his will down play-by-play. That’s what I love about football. That’s the fun part about it.”
(How long is it going to take you guys, the starting five whenever that’s found, to gel? Because OL Terron Armstead isn’t going to be out there much for practice. I don’t know how much you’re going to do in joint practices or Saturday’s game. But how long will it take this unit to gel?) – “Yeah obviously (it’s our) second year together. We know each other. We’re all around each other all the time. There’s a type of camaraderie that can’t be broken. I think we all know each other, we feel each other, and as the weeks go on, as the days go on, you get better from that and you build from that.”
(OL Austin Jackson hasn’t been out there for a long time with you guys. He only played two games last year. But how is he coming along as far as fitting in with everybody else and playing seamlessly?) – “He’s progressing day-by-day, and he’s getting he’s getting better day-by-day. And that’s all you can ask from any player.”
(OL Liam Eichenberg, you play right beside him, how is he doing?) – “He’s battling his ass off. He’s fighting. He’s executing well.”
(There’s a rotation that they have at left guard. How does that impact you in terms of communication or identification and things like that?) – “We’re a pretty solid group. We’re one beating heart so whoever’s in. It’s kind of nice because as you know in 17 weeks, you’re never going to have the same starting lineup. So just being able to work together and everybody working in unison is nice.”
(Have you all identified any goals as on offensive line that you want to accomplish this season?) – “We just want to dominate. Dominate from getting off the bus to the last whistle.”
Robert Jones – August 13, 2023
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Sunday, August 13, 2023
OL Robert Jones
(In the game Friday night, it looks like you got some pretty good surge playing that right guard spot. How’d you feel you played?) – “I feel like I did OK. Just like the whole o-line, I felt like we all did good to set the tone and dominate the line of scrimmage. But there are some things I just have to clean up and keep working at to make me a better player.”
(Is there much difference in playing left guard and right guard? We talk about the difference between left tackle and right tackle, but inside, is there much difference?) – “No, you just have to get comfortable. Just opening the hips on that side, that’s all. It’s really just the same thing. You just have to be aggressive and just find your techniques.”
(OL Connor Williams came in and spoke earlier about dominating the trenches as an offensive line goal this year. As far as that, how do you all think your progression toward reaching that goal and being ready Week 1?) – “That was the No. 1 thing coming into OTAs – dominate the line of scrimmage and fire off the rock. We’ll work with technique and everything later, but we want to show our dominance in the trenches. We’ve been doing that every single day. Going into Week 1, I feel like we just keep getting better from the joint practices and the first preseason game. We just keep focusing on it. I feel like we did pretty good. We just have to keep doing it so when Week 1 comes, we’ll be alright.”
(How do you think the climate or the temperature will change from down here to going to Houston with the second joint practice session?) – “I heard Houston is hot. I’ve really never been in that heat during summertime or anything. I’ve heard it’s hot, but it’s hot down here. That’s everything we’ve got to go through. That’s adversity. We go through it down here every day, so going out there won’t be much a difference.”
(Obviously it’s your first time in the same system in the NFL back-to-back. How do you feel like this second year within this system can kind of help your game grow a little bit?) – “It just helps me be confident, just really knowing what I’m doing, going out there and not having to guess what we’re doing on certain plays and everything. Really just not having to hear the center speak and just having confidence in myself and what I can do.”
(You talk about having the center speak to you. OL Connor Williams is pretty effective in that way I imagine?) – “Oh yeah, the center is the guy that talks in general. Everything we do comes off the center. With us going into our second year in this offense, all of us who were here last year, we know exactly what we’re doing. It’s just that confidence that all of us are on the same page. Connor is going to speak regardless because he sees it from a different eye, but we’re all on the same page.”
(Do you all have aspirations of being an offensive line that produces the next 1,000-yard rusher here for the Miami Dolphins? It’s been a while.) – “The only thing we focus on is dominating the line of scrimmage, come off the ball and doing our techniques. We’re just playing hard and everything else will come after that. As long as we just focus on what we have to do as an o-line to be that great o-line that people are afraid of, we’ll be good.”
Mike McDaniel – August 13, 2023
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Sunday, August 13, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(CB Cam Smith, do you have any update on his condition and when he’ll be returning?) – “Well, first of all, I thought that he got his feet wet in an NFL game and he showed his teammates a couple things and he made some good plays. As far as his injury, we’re fortunate that I don’t think it’s long-term at all. With regard to his treatment and his body, the timeline is a little gray but it’s not long-term at all. Next couple weeks. Could be sooner than later.”
(So, is CB Cam Smith done for the exhibition season?) – “I couldn’t even say that. The timeline really has to do with how his body responds. Those are still open for sure.”
(WR Braxton Berrios was another guy that got kind of hit pretty hard. Is he fine?) – “Yeah, he got some stitches and really the only thing that’s impeding him playing football is the stitches healing. It’s like right where the helmet lining is. So, instead of having that guy that every time he plays football, bleeds all over his face, we have to wait a couple of days to let that heal.”
(Do you expect WR Jaylen Waddle to see much practice time this week? What sort of activity will he have?) – “Really with him, he rarely misses time. He’s so tough. So we’re just trying to protect him against himself and being conservative with it. Like I said before, I’m not concerned. He’s doing well. But in terms of the timetable of it, he’s already moving around and doing exactly what he should be doing. When exactly it is, I don’t really know. But I’m very happy where he’s at.”
(I had the chance to visit New Haven, Connecticut and visit Yale University this past week and stopped by the welcome center. There’s an athletics sign that they have on display there. I was looking forward to seeing your face but I saw Walter Camp. Can you touch on his legacy?) – “His legacy is monumental. Just with the advent of football itself and what he did for – being one of the facilitators to create an entire mega-sport – I mean it doesn’t get much better than that. It was inspiring. It’s not something that you directly think about immediately when you think about Yale. But then you’re on campus and you’re reminded of all the history that began with him and his comrades.”
(So there’s no Mike McDaniel Player Lounge?) – “No, no. (laughter) That was a blip on the radar. There’s been a lot of important – much more important – people that have gone through that establishment. The bust space is minimal.”
(After reviewing game tape and film, what did you think of OL Austin Jackson’s performance?) – “It was what I had hoped for. It’s funny, I saw him in the hallway yesterday and the first thing I told him was like, ‘dude, I was so fired up for an MA (missed assignment).’ And I meant it. And the reason why is because we really collectively, as a coaching staff, try to go along the journey with the player and this dude has gone all in. And what happens when you go all in and you’re putting your best foot forward? You tend to care a lot. One of the functions of him playing, which were several, was that you get that feeling of competitive tackle football and what happens when something doesn’t go right? What was awesome is he kept his technique, he ended up responding immediately and had some really good – it was on a run play – and had some really good pass protection and then run blocks. That’s what you’re looking for, to make purpose of these exhibition games. You’re trying to figure out who gets what job. Then you’re trying to have people develop within the preseason so they’re their best selves in the regular season. That was a hurdle that I knew was coming. He didn’t wait much time and then responded as good as one can in the game of football, which was my primary concern since he hadn’t played in a minute.”
(And OL Liam Eichenberg?) – “Yeah, he had a cool week because he had some really good things and some things that frustrated him. What I saw was a deliberate approach, better technique than last year and he played not scared and learned from the practice. What I fear is that things happen to players at any position and that thing doesn’t make you better. For offensive lineman, like, shoot, you get beat on an up-and-under and then now you’re setting short for the rest of the week. So that play made you worse. What I saw was that work week actually made him better and I thought it performed very well in the game.”
(When do you expect to gain some sort of clarity on the left guard position? I know there’s a lot of guys going in there, a lot of movement. I’m assuming you want to get to a point where the whole line is working and building chemistry. When do you hope to have that resolved?) – “I feel like it’s pretty close. A good litmus test is the locker room. And I pay attention a lot to what peers feel, think, maybe say, maybe don’t say, their energy. I’ll feel it from the locker room. I’ll feel it from his teammates. Whoever that guy is, will show his face and it’s not really up to my timeline. I’d like it to be sooner than later. But that’s why you have to give guys opportunities to win the job on the field. And it’s not necessarily a negative that there’s a rotation. Listen, Liam’s playing as good of football as he’s played. He’s had his bumps and has gotten better from them in this camp. But there’s other good players. So those things have to be settled on the field I believe. And those opportunities will continue. And then I’ll know when the team knows, and I’ll be able to feel it by not just how that person plays, but how his teammates play around him. It’s a collective group, where you have to communicate, and players can make each other better, they can make each other worse, and we’re looking for a guy that plays his best but makes other people better as well.”
(This is a bit of a housekeeping question for T Kendall Lamm. Was that a, ‘we don’t need to see him’ or was that an injury situation, why he didn’t play in the exhibition game?) – “Especially when you’re fortunate enough to have a good amount of NFL players on your team more than a roster can keep, you’re assessing, okay, what is this game going to do and who else needs opportunities? I’ve loved the way Kendall has approached his job here. I feel very comfortable with what – consistency allows people to forecast what it would look like. Guys need opportunities to try to win jobs. So you try to spread those out over three games. So there’s a multitude of reasons, but it’s all in the interest of creating fair, balanced competition where football can be the deciding factor.”
(There were no orange jerseys at the last joint practice. Would you say that’s a message to the team or are you done with them?) – “No, it’s more joint practices, it’s kind of tricky. I don’t feel like putting a bull’s eye on somebody’s back for no reason. Like, oh yeah, he got the better of you today. Yeah, just so you guys know, we know too. (laughter) So it’s more of that. But there were players that were deserving of it. But yeah, I wasn’t trying to make target practice.”
(Going back to the left guard competition, you mentioned with QB Skylar Thompson and QB Mike White, how Skylar would probably get the opportunity to play before Mike. Do you expect OL Isaiah Wynn or somebody else with the opportunity to play left guard?) – “Well, first of all, every day, I expect the unexpected. My job is to handle problems. But yeah, I think that’d be a fair assessment. That’s one of the reasons you have the games, so you can get some fair and balanced opportunities. And yeah, let’s just say that that’s in vein of keeping it real, as opposed to punishment, if you do see that.”
(WR Erik Ezukanma and LB Channing Tindall both didn’t play a whole ton last year, but both had big games in the game Friday night. What does their production in that game tell you about how they’ve grown in their second year as pros?) – “I think it’s monumental. It’s my favorite part of preseason. I enjoy the that whole aspect and I thought I saw that with them. Both specifically, and a lot of guys on both sides of the ball. That’s where my excitement from a game that you lose by 16 points is because I’m looking not at – maybe there’s one or two players that are off, which very much dictates the result, but what about the other nine on the field. And there were a lot of guys that were exhibiting just what you’re talking about, really on both sides of the ball – offense, defense and then special teams, there are some guys that are new to positions that did some really cool stuff, too. So that’s what I gained from preseason. The second that 2008 happened, I cared a lot less about preseason games. What happened in 2008? The Detroit Lions went 4-0. And then you go 0-16, and you’re like, okay, well … I don’t see the correlate and vice versa. It happens every year. So I think the biggest thing is that guys continue to get better and learn to learn to worry about the right stuff and I think those two have.”
(RB Raheem Mostert didn’t practice last practice. Was that an ailment or a veteran’s day off?) – “No, I mandated that he didn’t practice because it’s more of a reward to consistency. He definitely wanted to fight me on it, but he’s got some more years of service to pay before he’s a head coach, so I got to trump him.”
(With TE Tanner Conner on the PUP list, I believe he was participating in spring workouts but now he’s been on PUP going on four weeks. What happened with him? Is that something that will lead into the regular season? And the same thing with DB Keion Crossen, I know you said he’s going to recover fast, but it’s been three or four weeks since we’ve seen him.) – “It’s all relative, my friend. Recovering fast is recovering faster than other people would, and time is relative. I believe I’m older than you, so a week is technically shorter for me relative to my life. (laughter) No, both guys are doing the best they can. In terms of exact timelines, you guys know me, I try not to put guys’ business out on the street and when they’re working through stuff, that’s a little grey, I don’t shortchange them, but I’m realistic as well. Keion, I stand by that. You never know. I would expect to see Keion before Tanner, but it might be vice versa. As far as (how) long that is, I need to update my medical degree because I’m a trash doctor right now.”
(What have you seen out of DT Brandon Pili so far?) – “Growth. Learning how to play within the system using the power that’s in his body and applying it within the scheme. Being able to maintain your gap while displacing the line of scrimmage. It’s been really cool to watch. His teammates have noticed. The dude has gotten better and was able to make some plays the other night, which I was really happy for him.”
(What was the thinking behind adding today’s practice which wasn’t scheduled, I guess, maybe a week and a half ago?) – “Well, the thinking was that I could do better thinking. There’s a lot of guys that played in a game, and there’s a lot of guys that didn’t. Four days off of football, in what we’re trying to do, makes me a little nervous. So that was a schedule rethink. Don’t worry, I gave the person who made the schedules an earful, and then I listened. (laughter)”
(Today is National Left-Hander Day. You have the only left-handed throwing quarterback in the NFL with QB Tua Tagovailoa. What’s it like to go on a journey to reach a Super Bowl with the only left-handed throwing quarterback in the NFL right now?) – “We made the Super Bowl? I told you, Mom. (laughter) You bring up an interesting point, because it was foreign to me for the most part. It’s funny, you have to watch it enough and then it clicks like watching a right-hander, but you do have to go through the mechanics of thinking and really reversing feet. For instance, for my entire career, a left-handed play fake, so inside zone to your left, turn the back of the quarterback to the defense. So that naturally is the way that I’ve thought about things – now that’s not the case. So little things like that you have to get used to, but it feels like old hat now at this point going through the coaching grind.”
(When you start putting your 53-man roster together, how much thought goes into the special teams and those core units that you have there, whether this guy makes it because he’s a wedge buster on special teams?) – “It plays a huge factor. I think that’s a cool point because I don’t think people totally recognize – fans or players included – until you’re in the NFL business and you understand that plays are plays. In special teams, there’s a lot of space for yardage to be gained and an advantage for one side of the ball or the other, a lot of points to score, win or lose games in that avenue. So if you are not a starting player, you’re making yourself very vulnerable if you aren’t adept at special teams. You only have a certain amount of players on the game day roster, and somebody’s got to cover that kick, somebody’s got to make that tackle. So it’s extremely valuable and extremely important in the process and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I factor that in severely because it does matter on the days that wins or losses define you.”
