Mike McDaniel – August 15, 2024
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Thursday, August 15, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(In the history of time, we sometimes see teams that have a backup quarterback battle, some days Joe Schmoe will be the first one to enter, some days Fred Schmoe might be the first one to enter behind the starter. So I was curious, and without getting into specific names in the question, I’m curious, what has led to you not taking that approach in recent days, of necessarily alternating second-team quarterback and where that competition stands?) – “So that’s a great question because without me answering it you’d have no clue why. I’m here to provide the why for Barry, and Barry only, nobody else. (laughter) Every year presents new challenges; we have guys that have developed in our offense and have done so from Day 1 in a competitive environment. We’re very routine with the pattern with which we were giving the opportunities to quarterbacks up until this training camp, really between Mike (White) and Skylar (Thompson). We were very routine – this day twos, next day threes. So in the vain of competition, putting our heads together from a staff perspective, we felt like that routine in itself might not be doing justice to the players and that the competitiveness would be best served if we changed up the routine for the change sake, because with that, there’s so many competing variables to deal with as a quarterback. Particularly a backup quarterback that is in charge of leading a team to victory if Tua goes down. All of those things, all of those challenges, we get to evaluate with not only the player playing in the huddle, but then how does someone respond when you get less reps, which is kind of the nature of backup quarterbacks. So all evaluation tools with the intent of not making it as consistent, but over the whole scope of camp to be able to make sure that those are even but just patternize it a little differently to make sure that the competition stays fresh. We allow the players to tell us who two and who three are, just like at every other position, because I see better than I hear.”
(So QB Tua Tagovailoa wants to play this preseason game. Will he and the rest of the starters?) – “I think – I anticipated this question. So I thought, how can I responsibly answer it and just be honest? Well, the idea from a starting point is that I want some starters to play in the game. Now to say exactly which individuals those are, specifically with the collection of injuries that you have to manage and not really knowing what takes place today, we’ll make some final assessments on who those players are going to be as a staff tomorrow. But approaching it and as I’ve explained to the players, the approach will be that the guys that are known starters, with exceptions but the starting point is that they will get some action this game, and then we’ll take it case by case from there.”
(Can you provide any sort of update on where LB Bradley Chubb stands in his recovery?) – “The update is that it’s going much like the ongoing conversations have been about Jaelan Phillips in that no timeline, making sure that he has no setbacks in the whole process and I can tell you with exuberance that there’s been no setbacks. He’s progressing, and we will – making sure that when he’s on the field, he’s there to stay. So he is doing a great job understanding his role to the team, a very important player for this team. He might be one of the if not the most popular player on the team – I don’t think there’s a teammate that he can’t reach, and with that connectivity there’s some responsibility that goes there for the organization. So he’s been very wise beyond his years in terms of making sure he doesn’t in the heat of competitiveness overstep boundaries too soon, so happy where he’s at.”
(How challenging do you think the Washington defensive front might be in today’s practice?) – “I think it’s going to be a great competitive challenge. You hope to have opportunities like this in a practice setting where you can have not only an adjustment scheme but have really good players in the scheme doing their techniques and fundamentals. It’s the absolute best way to make the day matter and get a game-like experience. So I’m really excited for that, and it’s excitement to get better. Really good players generally have some good plays, so I think understanding that and knowing that the whole unit will definitely challenge us. I have a lot of history with the head coach and I know a lot of the guys that are coaching over there, they’re going to compete and that’s all we try to do each and every day. I’m sure the really good players are going to try to compete, that’s why they’re really good players, so it will be awesome for us.”
(In practice today, have you guys structured it where you’re going to see ones versus ones, twos versus twos? Will you mix it up ones versus twos?) – “This practice you’ll see a lot of ones versus ones, twos versus twos. You can have whys and reasons to do things a multitude of ways, that’s something that I know from experience with Coach Quinn that he’s had that philosophy. The good on good, it’s been said to me for years. And we share that, so there was some congruence there, and that’s what you should expect for the most part. There’s always adjustments, particularly when two teams have their own set of issues with regard to what position is really stressed that day relative to the whole 90-man roster. So there will always be a little give and take depending on how many reps a person can get, how many times that we can give their defense a personnel that necessitates big nickel versus nickel, that determines how many nickel reps that gets. So if people get extra reps, you might see some guys that are the ones going with the twos or vice versa, because of some adjustments but for the most part, it should be ones versus ones.”
(Sort of a philosophical roster question for you. How do you balance the idea of taking a look at all the reps that occurred back in OTAs, early camp, all the way up until cut down day? Is that the approach, or is it more like you took that time to build up to who you are today on this cutoff day, and then we’re evaluating who you are at that point?) – “No, it makes sense. It is something that I think is only – the only way I know how to truly do right by the evaluation of all of our players, for not only the individual players, but for the organization, collectively having a ton of conversations. And then what to me is the only way to approach it is investing every day in guys’ stories on the field and seeing how they adjust to turmoil, seeing where – you want to be in front of that stuff, so you always have things to coach to see if the pattern is that you’re trending up. Then at the moment of truth, that trend probably speaks more than the exact player at that moment. You can justifiably, with good reason, forecast the future by that trend, and if the trend is inverse, you take that into account. I think all the things, the main thing that I think players that have been here, for this being their third year, have seen firsthand, and the players feel it during the course of camp. We don’t pretend to know the final answer. I think that’s super important, because I think you have to stay true to what is your primary importance, or what is the thing that is of primary importance, and to me, that is that players get to determine who should be on the team, who by their actions, and not by predisposed, like everybody wins if the Dolphins are their best version of themselves. So we just push that, paying attention to everything and where guys are at is very important, and sometimes there’s a caveat of assessing trends, because you’ve been along for the journey the whole time and can plausibly forecast.”
(Yesterday, TE Julian Hill talked a lot about the pressure that comes with the orange jersey, both on the field but also on the aux. The orange jersey was something that you brought when you joined the organization. What was behind that? And also, this year who’s had the best playlist?) – “I have to give credit where credit is due. I think the idea was a problem – I was presenting a problem to the offensive staff, I think, at the time. And the problem was I can’t – yeah, I have a lot of fire songs and my music is awesome, but I can’t keep up with just the daily grind of keeping guys involved in practice through some music and some juice. On top of that, music is identifying me as old, because there’s some stuff that I’m like, what? I feel like that same old guy that you know that is cursing whatever music you like when you’re growing up. So in that (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach) Jon Embree came with an idea of like, ‘Why don’t you have a player everyday kind of decide the playlist?’ That fitting my competitive spirit, or the competitive spirit is hoping to engender with practice, we thought it was kind of a cool idea to really highlight somebody to the team in a productive way to bring acknowledgement to the day of practice they’ve had and everything accumulated to that. And then really, I found out through the process that people really – they’re happy about that. They love the playlist. They love forcing the will of the listeners, one of the rules about the orange jersey is that there’s no such thing – you don’t complain about the music during practice, because if you don’t like the music, change the music. You know what I mean? So if you don’t like Liam Eichenberg’s playlist, all right, put on a show against him when he’s wearing the orange jersey and you can have a playlist, and you can truly show the audience how much better your musical ear is than theirs. So it’s a fun thing we like doing, and guys seem to like it. There is pressure like unintended consequence every single time, if I give an orange jersey to a defensive lineman, the offensive line takes it as an offense. If an offensive line gets an orange jersey, you better believe people are lining up to go against him in one on ones. That’s a competitive spirit that I appreciate and we do a good job protecting the team and protecting each other, so something I embrace.”
(You touched on Dan Quinn earlier. Can you speak to the influence he had on your career those couple years in Atlanta?) – “Two years can be a short time, or it can be a very, very impactful time. I was with Dan (Quinn) in Atlanta for two years, and from head coaching perspective, he approached the job from a different angle that kind of fit what I think you guys see today from a lot of vantage points. The culture, the energy, setting the tonality on a daily basis, these are things that the guys that worked for Dan, it was something that you really held on to and I know I’ve held on to it for all the years since. Then as well as just being – I was very, very fortunate to hit life in one of my crossroads under his leadership in an organization that he was the head coach of. I don’t know where I’d be if – it could have looked a lot of different ways if you didn’t have support when you were going through your journey of becoming sober. It’s a very different ball game if from the top, from Dan Quinn, if he’s not saying, ‘No, you can do this.’ His belief in me, as well as a lot of the coaching staff there, aided with my wife’s belief in me made it a lot easier to do something that’s been very important in my life. So love the man, the human being, the coach. All you need to know is listen to some player quotes about Dan Quinn that he’s coached. He’s a great man, I’m excited to see him today.”
(He loves you, by the way, said it during his press conference.) – “Oh, yeah? Really? Can you tell Dan Quinn through the through the internet that I love him more? (laughter) Appreciate it.”
(Is anything in particular you’re looking for when today’s joint practice?) – “I’m looking for today to matter. I say that to the players a ton, and you can make today matter for your season, the team, if you’re fully committed and invested with the right mindset and focus for the job at hand. Trimming the fat, cutting out – there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of exuberance in joint practices and having your mind through competition, still toward the team goal and the unit goal and your job each and every play, that type of mindset adds up and builds over the course of training camp that allows you to play your most convicted football in regular season, or allows you to play the most convicted football for this preseason game, which for a lot of participants, is as important as a game could get. I just want it to matter, and how it matters is through intent. Are you prepared? Have you taken all the stuff that we’ve learned? Are you heeding to the points of emphasis, and then how do you respond to the inevitable play that the opposing team makes? All those things are what I’m looking for, because I don’t know exactly what, I just know today will matter if we operate accordingly.”
(With WR Erik Ezukanma, I just wanted to ask your thoughts on where he stands. Obviously, he’s come back from injury. Does the skill set still intrigue you and Wide Receivers/Pass Game Specialist Wes Welker where you feel like there’s a lot more that we can get out of this young player as he develops?) – “Of course, I think that is kind of our model here with regard to what is our position as coaches. As coaches, we’re trying to maximize the talent of every player in their recognized dream. Erik (Ezukanma) had a great day yesterday; I think he was the fastest GPS player. I think guys are excited to be a part of his journey and absolutely, we are pouring into him to see what can come out.”
Chop Robinson – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
LB Chop Robinson
(Did you grow up a Washington Commanders fan, a Baltimore Ravens fan? Who was your favorite team and player back then?) – “Growing up, I was a Ravens fan back when they had Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, all those guys. But my dad is a big Commanders fan and he loves the Commanders especially when Kirk Cousins was there, Alex Smith, all those guys. So I’ve kind of been around it my whole life. My grandparents are Commanders fans. They live around right by the stadium, kind of grew up around that area. So Commanders, it’s cool, but I’ll see them tomorrow.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips kind of joked with us the other day that you make a big play – maybe a sack, a tackle for loss – and you never celebrate. And he’s trying to get you to emote a little bit more. Is that true?) – “Yeah, that’s just how I am. I’m just a next-play mentality type of guy, but ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips), he’s getting it out of me. When I made a few plays against the Falcons in the practice, the joint practice, I was getting a little excited. He was like, ‘I need more of that.’ He was getting excited for me, so the more I just get confident and making plays, more stuff will start to come out.”
(And then to follow up on that, what’s it been like having him back on the field and what has your relationship been like even before he could practice when he was in meeting rooms and on the sideline?) – “Having him on the field is just insane. Like just seeing how big he is and how good he can move and watching it from TV – because I’ve been watching him since he was in college – so watching it from TV and then being on the field with him and seeing it in person is just worlds different. And then off the field, he is just like a mentor to me. We go in the film room, he talks to me, helps me out, gives me keys and everything. I’m just a listener, listening to the guys that have been out here making plays.”
(Do you think you’ll play in the next game?) – “Yeah, I’ll be able the next game.”
(How will you approach your first pro game?) – “I just try not to overthink it. Just go out there, play football, have fun. At the end of the day, it’s just football, so just go out there, listen to my coaches. I know the playbook so I just go out there and play.”
(We’ve seen a lot of plays from you over the last week and a half, setting the edge obviously, getting to the quarterback. Where specifically has either Outside Linebackers Coach Ryan Crow or Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver or Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark told you they’ve seen improvement from you in the last week and a half?) – “Really just my hands and setting the edge. Sometimes I could just set the edge with just using my shoulder and stuff, but getting off the ball with my speed, getting my hands inside the tight end or tackle and being able to set it and just go from two hands to one hand. I’ve just been good with that, so I just learned that from Coach (Ryan) Crow and Coach (Austin) Clark and everybody.”
(At this point in camp how do you feel physically and how would you compare the grind to the college grind of camp?) – “It’s definitely different, especially being out here in the heat. You don’t get used to it, but it gets a little better. So just taking it one day at a time and just getting better trying to find something every day to get better.”
(Did the folks in Maryland, are they a little mad that you left to go to Pennsylvania or do you think most of them understand why you made that choice?) – “I mean, a lot of people were frustrated when I transferred there, but the real ones knew. They still wished the best for me and everything like that, so it turned out to be the best thing for me anyway.”
(I know you’re working hard, but is there a special element to the fact that if you see some play time, your first game will be against I know your dad’s favorite team? Is there something special there in your eyes like just the family aspect?) – “No, honestly just me playing in an NFL preseason game, that’ll be the biggest thing for my family.”
(If you get a sack, will it count or no because it’s preseason?) – “No, it doesn’t count. It’s preseason. (laughter) Once the regular season comes though, it’ll count.”
(Do you have a lot of family down here for Saturday’s game?) – “My dad, all my family is coming down. My siblings and everybody will be here.”
(Your dad will be in Dolphins colors?) – “Of course. (laughter)”
(We talked about your celebration, your next-play mentality. Is LB Jaelan Phillips working with you on celebrations, when you get that regular season sack?) – “Once I showed him my chop celebration, we were just talking in a meeting room. I was showing him my chop celebration. He was like, ‘When you get that sack, I better see that,’ or he’s going to be mad. So when I get that sack, I’m definitely going to hit that celebration for him.”
(Did you play with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s brother Taulia at Maryland?) – “Yeah, I played with him – that was my freshman year – that was his first year at Maryland.”
(How are they similar or different?) – “I mean, both of those guys are good. One is right-handed, one is left-handed. (laughter) Tua is definitely – you can tell he’s really advanced especially being on this level. No-look passes and everything. Every time I get hit with that in practice, it’s just different because you’ve never seen that before.”
(When I watched highlights from Penn State I noticed at least last year, you often rushed into the opponent’s right tackle. Is that a position that you’re most comfortable at – rushing over the right tackle?) – “I mean, I’m right-handed, so I like just having my right hand down when I’m getting off the edge. I’m good to rush from both sides, but of course that’s my most comfortable side but I can do both.”
(You had a good play in walkthrough where it looked like you read the screen, you were kind of there to either get a TFL or no gain. Is the defensive scheme kind of coming easier to you now at this point in training camp? What did you see specifically on that?) – “I’m understanding it. I’ve got the whole playbook down so I’m understanding everything, listening to Coach (Ryan) Crow and just going through drills that we work on every day in indy. We work on the screen drill when the linemen just let you go by past, put that foot in the ground and go back. So it’s just muscle memory from working on that every day to actually coming to the game.”
Julian Hill – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
TE Julian Hill
(Where do you think your game’s improved? We’ve seen a lot of good things from you, long TD catches, we know about the blocking, where have you improved as a player from Year 1 to Year 2?) – “Trust in myself. I’m not being so worried about outside noise or worried about trying to be somebody that I’m not. Really just believing that what I’m capable of, I’m capable of, and I can do whatever I set my mind out to do. I put the work in, I work extremely hard and just going out there and showing that.”
(We saw a lot of these things last camp too. What’s the key now to translating that onto the field into regular season games?) – “Just trusting my work. That’s something Coach McDaniel talks about all the time in meetings – trust in what you’re doing on the field. In other words, if you’re not, you’re wasting your time. So I’m just going to make sure that I trust myself and again, we’re not working out there for nothing. So I’m making sure I put that work in, and when it’s time for the game time I get to hit another opponent, I’m going to be ready to go.”
(Did Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree ever give you a project this offseason? Did he ask you to review every one of your snaps? What did he ask you specifically?) – “Yeah, he asked me, ‘Watch George Kittle.’ He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, watch him in his route game, watch him in his run blocking, because they have a very similar offense. He’s a very similar play style, similar body. So just watch him, watch how he gets after it, watch how he blocks the end, watch how he catches the ball. He’s one of the best YAC tight ends in the league, watch how he makes the play after the catch, and just really work on my second step in the run game, work on getting off the ball, work on eye discipline, where my hands are going, catching the ball because a lot of time we always want to get up field and make a play. Focus on catching the ball, JUGS and all sorts of things. I’m very thankful. A lot of stuff is working out, it’s panning out.”
(What’s different for you now, this camp, to where you were last year at this point? I mean I know you were an undrafted rookie, probably a lot of nervous energy going into your second exhibition game. What’s different now?) – “It’s almost like it’s anything. When you go to high school and you’re a freshman, it’s all new. You go to college, you’re a freshman again, and it’s all new. You come here and you’re a rookie, it’s all new. Now I know what the buildings look like. I know who the cafeteria people are. I know who the coaches are, so I’m not walking around figuring out new things, trying to find my way around. I kind of got my routine down. I know how to get in, get out. I know how to make the right plays on the field. I’ve trusted, and again, second year in the offense, man that’s all you need sometimes. So that’s the biggest thing, I know my way around the facility, I know my way around the guys. Trusting the guys now, having the coaches trust me and whatnot.”
(What kind of boost did having the orange jersey today give you? And how long have you been working on that playlist?) – “It’s an honor. I remember again, retrospect to last year looking at all the guys, even this year, I call them the ‘OGs.’ All of the guys, the older guys that have been in the league for a while that have earned that orange jersey – man, I looked at those guys last year and I was like, ‘Man, I want one of those,’ because it represents something. It represents a guy who embodies what a Dolphin means. So me just to put that on, for the coaches to give me that, it was a surprise to me, especially being a young guy, but I was extremely honored just to wear that and the playlist, I had to make sure. I didn’t know how important the playlist was before today. (laughter) In warmups, every old guy coming out there was like, ‘Is your playlist good? Alright now, you better make sure.’ So that orange jersey, you better make sure your playlist is right.”
(When do you find out you’re the orange jersey guy?) – “So you get a random message either the day before or the day of. Literally it’s a surprise – nobody knows when it’s coming, nobody knows when it is.”
(So they just say, “OK we need your playlist?”) – “Yup, yup. Again man, it’s an honor. First thing I said was, ‘Man, God doing his thing,’ and I’m excited. I got my playlist ready. Tua (Tagovailoa) loved the reggae I had going on, (Bradley) Chubb and Jaelan (Phillips) liked the Young Thug. I had a flavor for everybody. The coaches liked the old school Tupac I had going on, so it was a good playlist. (laughter)”
(So what happens to a guy that has an absolutely trash playlist?) – “I think you’re going to know about it. (laughter) Again man, I told Alec Ingold in warmups, ‘Man, I did not know how important this playlist was.’ It’s pressure. You get that orange jersey, you better come with it. Not just the playlists but even stepping up on the field. All eyes on you now. You’re going to be noticed on film. You’re not in the white – so you’re going to be spotted out in front of everybody, so you better make sure you come correct.”
(We know how important blocking is coming from the tight ends in this offense, but do you guys talk about wanting to produce more in the pass game?) – ”For sure. As tight ends, we always want to do whatever we need to do for the team. For me especially, I want to make sure whatever Coach tells me to do – if it’s go get some damn water, I’m going to get that water. If it’s block this guy, I’m going to block that guy. If it’s run this route, I’m going to run this route. We always want to make plays on the field, but sometimes you just got to do what your job is requiring of you in that moment, and sometimes that’s all you need in a team sport.”
(What would a first NFL touchdown mean to you?) – “Oh, man come on. That would mean everything. In college I didn’t catch my first touchdown until my senior year of college. So that will mean everything, but I’m not tripping on that. The fact that I’m just out here, I’m on this field, at this podium – I thought the podium was somewhere else, I didn’t know even know it was right here. (laughter) So just to be right here in the moment, a touchdown would be everything, but just representing what I got on my chest, it means a lot more.”
Alec Ingold – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(You added to dimensions to the offense this year obviously WR Odell Beckham Jr., you guys are waiting to see him go full. TE Jonnu Smith you’ve seen a lot. What dimension will that come in to play with that YAC ability added?) – “The tight end room like Durham (Smythe) and Julian (Hill), we were giving those guys some crap for being ‘Team No YAC.’ (laughter) Yeah, Jonnu (Smith) is going to be one of those guys where you can get the ball a million different ways with him. I think the most exciting thing is the different creativity things you’re going to see out of the offense and getting (No.) 9 the ball in space. Being able to run through – we’ve seen a number of times where he’s running through contact. We’re thudding, but the defense is flying around and he’s still playing fast and being able to do his thing. So he’s a great addition for sure.”
(There has been a little talk about the reinforcement of the rules for the motion so to speak. I’m just curious have you guys talked about that and does it affect maybe how precise you have to be on some of those details?) – “Yeah, all the time. I think those are the details – anytime we’re creating offense and you get ‘10’ (Tyreek Hill) running around and it’s impossible to stop, like we got to figure out what the rules are so we can follow. That’s obviously a conversation we’re all very aware of – that and special teams stuff, it’s a daily discussion and I think we’re locking in on it. It’s cool to have these officials here with the number of joint practices we’re doing. It’s great to ask those guys those questions, because whatever they see is what is going to be called in the regular season, so they’re doing great.”
(The backs in the past have talked about how you are their eyes taking them to the gap. I’m curious when you watch RB Jaylen Wright on tape, what stands out about his vision and decision making?) – “’J-Wright,’ (Jaylen Wright) he is crazy fast and there’s a lot of tendencies that you transition from college to the NFL, it’s a learning curve. I think that De’Von (Achane) has been a great resource for him just going through that last year and being able to have that sounding board of like, ‘OK, this is where you can put your eyes. We both played in the SEC last year.’ They can have those conversations. So being able to have those conversations, I think those two are really clicking. I think you really see it when he’s out there playing fast. He obviously did a great job being able to run daylight. He had that whole catch, turn around, cross the field, that normally doesn’t happen in the NFL, but he has that speed and that talent. It’s been cool to see him develop really quick.”
(One more on the motion question. You mentioned how good WR Tyreek Hill is and obviously you as a team. When you hear some of the reinforcement, do you feel like it’s targeting you guys because you’re so good at it?) – “(laughter) When we watch those videos it’s like the motions and they’re having conversations with the refs, we know who they are talking about. When the cut blocks pop up, we know they are talking about me. I’ve got to make sure I’m aware of the tackle box and all of that stuff. It’s like a little passive aggressiveness, but I think we deal with it and you’ve got to listen to it. That’s the rule and I think that’s what gives the livelihood in protecting the players and making sure it’s a great product and it’s an even playing field. When they show those videos, we know exactly who they are talking about and what plays they’re talking about. (laughter)”
(One of the few areas where the offense came up a little short statistically last year was short yardage situations. As the fullback, how personally do you take the challenge of making sure that doesn’t happen again?) – “Extremely personal. I think that’s literally one of the job descriptions of playing ‘F’ in this offense. Whether you’re a slot wide receiver, a fullback, a second tight end, that ‘F’ spot, being able to move the sticks is part of your job description. You’re playing within those margins of the game. The more we’ve worked on it all the way throughout OTAs being able to put it out onto the field, I think it’s going to be fun to see just being able to make that next first down and giving us three more opportunities for those 60-yard explosive plays that are gonna happen but then being able to stay on track a whole lot more efficiently. Yeah, I did take that personally.”
(The key to the improvement is it more technical or is it a more philosophical attitude?) – “At some point, you just got to draw a line in the sand and you just got to go get it. That’s what it is. Yes, we can talk about Xs and Os, and yes, we can talk about technique, but at the end of the day, you have to move your man past the line of scrimmage so that the back or whoever can get that first down. So I think it’s a combination of both.”
(What do you think about the work in pass protection with this new defense through 14 or 15 practices or whatever? Is there one or two things that comes to mind about how that’s improved your game or maybe given you a look you haven’t seen before?) – “Yeah, our defense is playing so fast, so convicted, they are running all over the place. Every day we go back and we watch a practice, those guys are sprinting sideline to sideline. They are tied in, they’re talking, they’re communicating, so it’s a challenge for us. This is one of the most competitive camps I’ve ever been a part of. Nine times out of ten it’s normally at this time of the year it’s either the offense beating the defense, or the defense beating the offense, and right now it’s going back and forth. I think that the blitz pickups, the different looks you can get, just playing fast – it doesn’t matter if we have pads on or not, guys are playing fast. They’re setting edges. We are playing really good high-level football right now during training camp in August which is really cool to see.”
(Without getting into specifics, is there more in the playbook this year, new elements that intrigue you that Head Coach Mike McDaniel came back with?) – “We are testing the limits of this offense right now. It’s been fun to see, we’re in the lab. I think it’s cool for everybody to kind of take that role. There’s no comfort in the offense. It is completely competition, offense versus defense, but then offense within the offense to see who can do what, who can do it well, being able to blend all of these formations, all of these personnel groups, and that’s what we are developing. It’s been fun, it’s been challenging. It’s tough. You’re only a couple of weeks in and you feel like you’ve been playing for three months already. It’s a lot of fun.”
(Is there something specific without saying what it is that you’ve seen added, that Head Coach Mike McDaniel has added, that you’re interested in seeing how another team will react to it, or how it would work in a regular season game?) – “Yeah, that’s a great question. I don’t know if I’m going to give any tea leaves out to our Week 1 opponent. But I think a lot of the pre-snap and post-snap, being able to play fast, being able to align – our offensive line is running off the ball. They’re moving people, they’re combination – it’s fun to watch. It’s fun to be a part of in the backfield, so being able to really take that next step, tie in a center’s eyes to a fullback’s eyes to a running back’s eyes, so we’re all seeing the same thing in the run game, same thing with the pass game. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Mike McDaniel – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(DT Benito Jones, we haven’t seen in several days, is he more day to day or week to week? And is CB Jalen Ramsey dealing with anything? We haven’t seen him for a couple of days.) – “Benito Jones is day to day. And then we’re being proactive with Jalen (Ramsey) on something he’s dealing with to make sure that he is full tilt as we know he loves to be and that’s a Jaelan Phillips-like battle with the training staff and Jalen Ramsey. So all good things, you’ll see them.”
(OL Isaiah Wynn, is this the same quad from last season or does he have a different ailment?) – “There’s just compounding stuff once in a while that you just want to make sure is fully healthy but it’s lower extremity related, and I’ll really leave it at that.”
(It appears T Terron Armstead has seen an uptick in practice participation, how’s that going for him and his program?) – “Good, going along the process we’ve had. Good work, really, across the board, he is included in that where we’ve been trying to find that fine line of keeping the players’ comfort level in playing but minding their body and their experience and utilizing that as a resource. It’s been going outstanding; he is in a great spot from a health perspective. We plan on doing everything we can to make sure that stays the course and he’s been as involved as any player when he’s on the field obviously, but when he’s off of it as well. He’s taken upon himself to really be a leader that we depend on. We have since he’s walked in the door, but he’s taken it to another level this offseason.”
(Why was DT Teair Tart let go?) – “Just one of those situations where you can see that from a scheme standpoint it’s not totally a fit. And when you know that you have a veteran player that has ambitions that maybe as a coaching staff we can see it might not fit, we try to be proactive with that so he has the opportunity to – wish him well at his next place, but he has an opportunity at his next place to do what we know he wants to do.”
(The last two years you guys have had joint practices against people you’ve had relationships with a long time, Dan Quinn is tomorrow. Just thoughts on why you remain close with him over these years? You’ve been pretty open about the impact he’s had in your career when you were going through some of your own personal struggles. Can you just touch on the importance of him and that really important time in your life?) – “Absolutely. I’m kind of an old guy, so there are a good amount of coaches in the NFL that I do have relationships with. Dan Quinn has been a big influence, a gigantic influence on my career. Not only from what I learned under him from a head coaching perspective and just the way he looked at really anything team related and how the culture that he really instilled. There was a lot of breakthroughs in terms of how to approach certain issues with a team, how to really set the tonality of a building each and every day by example. Those things I really got from Dan Quinn, forever grateful for that. And on top of that, from a whole life perspective or just from my journey, it just so happened that it was under his leadership that I had a crossroads in my life. And to have somebody that supports you, that pushes you in the direction of ‘No, you can,’ that believes in you and that decides on his own accord that you’re worth investing in and believing in – how big of a deal is that? It’s everything. It wouldn’t be honest to say I’d be here if it weren’t for him, along with a ton of other people, but I don’t know where my career would have gone if I didn’t have the fortune of being under his leadership, so really excited to see him. It’s also – you sign up in a joint practice if you have relationships with head coaches, you can kind of forecast what they’re trying to get out of practice. I think it’s important that you can kind of find different teams you kind of see practice the same way so that you have the tempo similar so that you can push guys in the right way but it can be organized, constructive work as opposed to who wins each and every play. I think there’s a lot of congruence with the way that, Dan Quinn, I know him to run a program and a lot of the coaches there have really high regard for us. So excited for our opportunity to get a chance to go against somebody else, different types of scheme, different plays, different situations, different matchups, those are all things that are very beneficial as we develop our team, as well as there’s a lot of jobs that are decided each and every day through the next two weeks, or whatever it is. So very important days and I think the work with the Commanders will be awesome for all of those things to occur – the development and the evaluation.”
(What have you noticed about LB Chop Robinson?) – “I notice a lot of things. I’ve noticed a guy that – you have a lot of hopes for first round draft picks when they come in to your team. I think under the radar one that’s very important is how that player is going to handle being a first-round draft pick on that team. Your peers, you’re joining a bunch of paid professionals that have been doing their specific role for years and all they want is a first-round draft pick come in and help towards the cause. And I think for Chop (Robinson), he has gone about it the way you’d want, you’d really hope from a player perspective to really add value to the team because he is really earning the respect of his teammates each and every day. And he’s doing it through work, strain, how he handles coaching as a rookie, you are inundated with things that you do wrong. You’re doing stuff for the first time, but is heavily known in NFL locker rooms, everyone is watching how you handle those, whatever they are, do you learn from it and can we count on you to contribute as a 21-, 22-, 23-year-old? I’ve seen him know exactly what the stakes are for this team, doing right by his position on this team and working to get better each and every day. He’s improving on things that he’s done well in college. He’s improving on things that he’s never done. All of those things are beneficial and really the whole edge room, starting with (Outside Linebackers Coach) Ryan Crow, but going through the entire room has been something behold. It’s much like – it reminds me of the running back room in terms of a lot of good players that are all trying to succeed, not in spite of their position group brother. They’re trying to win jobs on the plays they make and also rooting and encouraging and helping develop everybody alongside them. That room I think is a perfect place for Chop to be in and he’s recognizing the tone and improving each and every day.”
(Same question Joe just asked, except from the perspective of this draft class as a whole. What are they showing you? Are they giving you everything that you would hope for?) – “I think we were – (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I were pretty fired up working together and the collective departments for this draft class, just because it’s our third year so we have a little more understanding of congruence and parallel of what the vision is for the team moving forward. And this draft class, I think we felt like we had the opportunity to have several guys come in and contribute and the particular individuals were cut from a cloth where as long as they did the work, they might have the opportunity to come in and contribute early. I think it is very hard to be a rookie in the National Football League, and even more so, to be able to contribute from a varsity level in regular season week in and week out. I do think that we have the appropriate character in this draft class for some guys to do that and the team is counting on it. I think the opportunities that have presented themselves in the various position groups, I’ve seen multiple draft picks, from our first to our last, take advantage of those opportunities. I think it speaks to them and it speaks to the locker room on the clarity with which they’ve communicated what the expectations are for their teammates, being new to the NFL and to this particular locker room that they’re working each and every day to earn the respect of all their peers in that. So far so good, we’ll see what today presents.”
(We haven’t seen much of S Jevón Holland this week, is that injury related? If so, what’s going on?) – “He’s working through something minor, and he has been involved. He’s a big part of what we do, and he’s been involved each and every day. We’re just making sure that we’re minding him appropriately and he’s working with the training staff, and it would be a day-to-day situation for him.”
(With RB Jaylen Wright during the pre-draft process, you talked a little bit about fit there in the running back room. Was there anything that stood out about him knowing that you guys already had two great backs up top that he would fit in that room?) – “I think the way Jaylen (Wright) was competitive in and around contact was something that I think is a trait that is shared in our running back room. I think that for running backs in general from my experience, they do very, very well with competition. Really as long as you foster a culture in that running backs room like (Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville does, it really brings the best out of people. We saw a competitor that would not be overwhelmed with a lot of talent around him. I think that sets up for a situation where a lot of guys can compete, and you can take individuals that are already on your roster and help them become the best versions of themselves that you hadn’t seen prior. So I think all of that is a residual win for the Miami Dolphins. I think a lot of his teammates see that he has the potential to help us, and a lot of people are working together to make sure that whoever the players are on our team, that they’re the best version of the Miami Dolphins as we can see.”
(What’s your level of concern that WR Odell Beckham Jr. still isn’t running routes?) – “I wouldn’t have a level of concern. I think as the process goes, you have to put one foot in front of the other and what you don’t want, and what I know Odell (Beckham Jr.) doesn’t want, is getting on the grass and then leaving it. So just preparing people to be the version of themselves where they can play confident and convicted. All that is done where there is adversity – I don’t think Odell sees it like that or I don’t think the position room sees it like that because there’s been some opportunities to play football. We have some young guys that have a lot of talent, that need to battle some stuff out to be able to win an NFL job. That’s the biggest thing for the Dolphins team and really that position group. Odell has – his teammates know that he’s working hard because he shows them every day as he gets back on the field where he knows – he didn’t sign up for football to be in meetings. Even though my meetings are super entertaining, I don’t think that was the case. So he’s working his way back to be on the field which is what everyone wants.”
(With LB Jaelan Phillips, he joked the other day that the walkthrough wasn’t enough for him, that he was ready to go hit somebody. What have you noticed about how he’s attacked these past two practices – his first two back from the injury?) – “I’ve noticed that he is who I thought he was. This is a guy that is on a mission that is bigger than just being a player on an NFL football team. He’s trying to position himself where he can feel that he’s the top of his class at what he does. And that he doesn’t take a day off from that. I think I’ve seen some maturity from him and understanding the bigger picture and not being too short sighted with trying to be involved in football. He’s been very disciplined in not overstepping the boundaries outlined for him, that we’ve had numerous discussions on from our training staff. I think that he is in a great place, and he is taking steps every day. It was great to see him on Monday and I’ll be excited to see him again today.”
(13-4 at home at Hard Rock Stadium in this era for the Dolphins. Historically you see the big days for the franchise have always been at the Orange Bowl. Have you ever had the chance to visit the Orange Bowl?) – “No, I haven’t, unfortunately. I think the balance of the Miami Dolphins organization and my wife and daughter keep me full, so I haven’t made it down there. But the allure, that’s one of the first places that I knew of in terms of football stadiums in general, from my memory and all the Canes’ success and just national stuff that happened there. It’s an iconic place. I’m sure I’ll get down there, but I just haven’t found the time yet.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – August 13, 2024
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Tuesday, August 13, 2024
LB Emmanuel Ogbah
(LB Jaelan Phillips came back from injury finally yesterday. What’s it like having on the field these past two days?) – “It feels good. We know how much he put work in just to get back out there, we’re happy to see him. He brings that energy back from the old LB room, so we’re just happy to see him back out there with us.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel had said that he’s at y’all’s level mentally despite not being able to get any reps on the field. Has he been active in the meeting room and on the sideline for you guys?) – “Oh yeah, he’s there every day. We’re there learning together, talking together during special teams, when we’re having walkthroughs. He was mentally locked in, so I know it’s going to be an easy transition for him coming back out there.”
(How have you seen the rest of the pass rushing unit develop in his absence? How much will that depth help once he’s back?) – “It will definitely help. Any time you have Jaelan (Phillips) on the field, it always helps everybody else. We’re happy to see him back out there, but the guys in the room are still working to get better every day. Working together, that’s what training camp is about.”
(LB Chop Robinson had another good day today. Where have you seen the most growth from Day 1 to now with him?) – “He’s listening, man. He’s listening, coachable. He’s asking the right questions. I’m happy to see him get better every day. He’s always working, he’s always asking for advice. The sky is the limit for him.”
(What did you gather about the team in joint practices last week?) – “We’re fighters. We got each other’s backs. We know how to work well together when we have another team come in here. We’re coachable. We listen. We work hard and we try to be the best on the field, the best defense on the field every day.”
(You’re playing kind of hungry out there almost every day. I know you talk about kind of unfinished business. Can you talk about your personal motivation? It feels like you’re taking it serious every day out there.) – “You can never take this game for granted. Just sitting on the couch, training and also mentally preparing for my opportunity, I finally got it. I’m talking full advantage of it.”
(We don’t know a lot about these defensive tackles. They are in the mix for roster spots, obviously DT Teair Tart is no longer with the team. What can you tell us beyond the top two or three guys?) – “We got guys hungry; they want that spot. We got Calais (Campbell) and Zach (Sieler), we need that third guy that’s going to step in. Benito (Jones) is there, (Brandon) Pili is doing a great job for us too. But you know guys are hungry, guys want to play. Guys want to be a part of this squad, so they are working constantly.”
Jordyn Brooks – August 13, 2024
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Tuesday, August 13, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(Obviously you didn’t play on Friday, but from your perspective on the sideline, how did you notice your teammates that were on the field picking up this Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver system?) – “I thought it was good. Any game – it was a long game. It was a lot of plays, so any time you’ve got a lot of plays there are going to be some mental errors and mistakes, but for the amount of young guys that we had out there – even vets, first year in the system – I thought that the mistakes were limited and played great defense.”
(What was it like being on the sideline for a preseason game? I’m sure it’s kind of like an internal conflict of always wanting to play but knowing that this is we are where we are in the season?) – “It’s kind of like a bittersweet thing. Like as a competitor when you get out there, you want to play. You feel the juices from the game, but at the same time, it’s an opportunity for young guys to get their reps in, show the coaches (and) organization that they can play football. So it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
(We saw you knock down a pass today. Your numbers in pass coverage were good last year. Is that something that you’ve made an emphasis over the past couple years to improve and how do you do it?) – “I didn’t knock it down – I dropped it and so I’m trying to catch it next time. But yeah, that’s always the emphasis (in) all of my game, try to get better in each and every phase. So next practice I plan on catching it.”
(The defense had a good showing out today. What do you think was behind that?) – “It’s just the standard every day. You can’t be perfect every day, but we’re trying to be great and not just be one of them teams that talk about it but actually put in the work, day in and day out. Practice is the only time that we get that opportunity to be better, so I think everybody has a collective mindset of getting it done.”
(I know you made a really good recovery last year from an ACL. You played a whole season, but do you feel different at all this year, another year removed from that?) – “Yeah, I feel great. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. Got down here, lost a lot of weight, put on some muscle. I think the strength staff and the nutrition staff here have just been great for me as far as getting myself in the best shape that I’ve been in. So I feel the best that I’ve ever been in my career.”
(You said you lost some weight. Where do you want to play this year weight-wise?) – “Two-thirty. Right now I’m 230. I haven’t played that since high school and so I feel good, feel fast, feel light. So everything’s good.”
(Saw a couple plays there where it looked like you anticipated both pass and run game and got there before the receiver or the running back. I’m just curious, what do you think contributes to that for your game to playing so fast?) – “Just being instinctive and knowing what’s going on. Just doing your pre-snap reads, playing ball and knowing what the offense likes to do in a certain formation or just anticipating. I think that helps you play fast.”
(Going back to injury, the mental side of learning to trust your knee again and not to have that in the back of your mind – how long of a process does that take?) – “I think for me personally I never had that problem. I always believe in my Lord and Savior Jesus, and he helped me go out there and play worry-free from Day 1 when I came back. So I never had that problem and that’s what I trust in.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 13, 2024
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Tuesday, August 13, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(So do you think you’ll play in this preseason game?) – “I hope so. It’s always good for any of us, whether you’re a vet or whether you’re new, to get some reps, get back into the pregame routine, get back into the feel of what it feels like to prepare getting ready for a game, all of that. Get in to game-like situations, getting hit – hopefully not, but you never know when you’re out there and sort of the mental gymnastics of that when you prepare for a game.”
(How does that work with Head Coach Mike McDaniel? Do you negotiate with him? Or he just says, ‘This is what it is?’) – “I think it’s sort of like a mutual thing. He gets with the leaders of the team, guys who have established themselves and guys who have earned the respect of the guys in the locker room – gets with those guys and has a conversation with them and we come up with basically the idea of ‘Yeah, we’re all playing’ or ‘Maybe not this one,’ or ‘We’ll see what that looks like.’ Hopefully we do get that opportunity. It would be good because this is our last one at home before we go to Tampa and then we actually start the season.”
(Is there anything different about the red zone calls this year? And obviously you don’t want to give away strategy, anecdotally it appears to me that you guys are going a little bigger – going to tight ends more, running more. Is that the case or no?) – “I would say not necessarily, it’s just a new look with the defense that we’re seeing. If you look at the past couple years, outside of (Josh) Boyer’s defense, it hasn’t really been the same since then of the looks that we get in the red area and then third downs and situationally. We’re just taking what the defense gives us and if entails us to throw it more to the big guys down there, that’s what it entails us to do.”
(These are kind of the dog days of camp. Obviously the excitement when it started and excited when it ends, but how do you get through this middle part and what do you look for at this time of year?) – “I think you really just got to look at it like one day at a time, sort of have that mentality. If you start to look into the future of things, then you start to think of unnecessary things like ‘OK, what am I going to do? How am I going to prepare for that?’ I mean, you still got to get through this practice, you still got to get through this rep, you still got to get through this play. And I think that’s sort of how you take it. So now that practice is over, OK, what’s the next thing that I got to focus on? All right, it’s my nutrition. All right, it’s my weight room training, it’s my conditioning. Whatever that entails for you, so that’s why I think guys are pretty adamant about their routines and what not.”
(Are you still experimenting or is this fine-tuning time yet? As far as an offense, where are you at?) – “I would say just because of the guys we don’t have out there at certain positions, it really forces us to work on some other things and get really good. It’s really just getting back to the basics and really honing in on that – what the footwork is, what that play asks of us to do with our job, and from there we do it.”
(What was your assessment of the other two quarterbacks in Friday’s preseason game?) – “Like I said whether you’re a vet, whether you’re not, for everyone it’s to get the jitters out, for them to get back into the routine of things. I’m sure it was a little dicey for them getting out there because you’re getting new guys. It’s not the same guys as last year that are snapping to you, that you’re having to call the plays to, you’re having to tell what to do, so everything is new with the guys that they got to go with. I think they handled themselves really well, I think they did a pretty good job.”
(How long do you think it takes to develop chemistry with a guy like WR Odell Beckham Jr. or TE Jonnu Smith, the two new weapons that you have?) – “I think in order for me, at least, as a quarterback to be able to create chemistry with someone, I got to see how they run routes. I got to see how they are on their brakes, ‘OK, this guy I can’t really, really zip the ball. I got to layer it a little bit because when he breaks out of his route it’s not as fast as it is with Tyreek’s.’ Or ‘Jaylen on his out routes, it’s not as fast as it is with Tyreek’s,’ so maybe sometimes you do have to layer in. You’ve just got to know the personnel in that aspect and then with the footwork that we have for different in-breaking routes, the timing of that as well for those guys. Are they guys that like to turn their body to get in front of the ball? Or are they guys that love to run through the ball? So that has a lot to do with placement and building chemistry with those guys in this offense.”
(OL Aaron Brewer now is going to miss some time, how key was the time that you did have with him? And how key will it be not having time with him before the regular season starts?) – “It was very key having ‘Brew’ (Aaron Brewer). We were just getting into a good rhythm. Unfortunately that’s what he’s dealing with now, but I’ve had Liam (Eichenberg) the entire last year, so I have the utmost faith and confidence that we’ll be able to get back to doing what we need to do. I mean you can see it out there – not a lot of dropped snaps, if any, so it’s been really good.”
(We’ve heard the statement throughout camp about trying to make it as hard as possible on each other, offense and defense. I’m curious how would you describe that and the benefit of trying that?) – “I think you try to make it as hard as possible just because you know the defense that you’re going against – for us, we try not to focus on what our defense does. Essentially, it’s with the mindset going out (that) as long as you know what you got to do and you play within the rules and what the play entails for you to do, you should be fine regardless of what they do. If you’re hot, you know where you’re hot answer is. If you’re not hot and you got to go through your progression, two-high, one-high, you know where you should go with the ball. It makes it hard that way so that by the time that we do come to season, we understand what we’re going against and sort of makes it a little easier. Going against these guys, they’ve seen a lot of the plays, they’ve seen a lot of the tendencies that we have with motions, motion snap points and where we’re trying to beat them with the weakness of their coverages. So that’s what makes it tough and it makes it good for both of us.”
(So that entails like, if you get a look you don’t like, not checking and trying to run into that look so you can get the rep of it on tape, is that something you do?) – “That’s not the idea, but essentially that’s what you get to if we don’t have the right play we would want. It’s like all right, this is the play we got, that’s not the look we want to throw this into, we’re going to live with it because if that’s not open, you know that’s why you have the progression here to here. And so it’s just working on the training on that.”
(What were your thoughts on RB Jaylen Wright’s performance? How quickly has he acclimated to this complicated offense?) – “He’s acclimated pretty quick. I think that was one of the first times I can really say that I’ve seen his personality with running the ball. Runs the ball and then throws one of those – I was like OK, he’s got some swag to him. And I think he’s still trying to feel out the guys, he’s still trying to feel out the offense. I think once he feels comfortable and gets comfortable, then I think we’ll all start to see his personality flourish.”
(Have you had a chance to throw with WR Odell Beckham Jr. some? I know he’s not able to practice.) – “Yeah, I got to throw with him some. Not routes wise, but him spot catching, him getting to see the way the ball spins, get a feel of it.”
(What gives you confidence that you guys will be able to hit the ground running when he comes back?) – “I’ll tell you what. I think it’s more confidence for him once he’s able to start running and catching balls and seeing it in that sense with guys across from him. Then also it’s a whole other thing to do that and then also he has to know where to line up and then what that play is, if he has a motion or if he doesn’t have a motion. So that’s where I think will be one of the tougher parts, and it’s not just for him but for everyone and anyone trying to get to know the playbook in this offense, it is tough.”
(You’ve talked about I guess the motion in this offense. This offseason has kind of been a reemphasis on that motion. How much has that affected maybe you in practice and the legality of the motion?) – “I mean I wouldn’t say any of them are motions that are illegal, I mean at least they didn’t call it. We’re not having Tyreek (Hill) run from ten yards all the way up to the line of scrimmage. (laughter) But outside of that, it just gives us different ways to present what we want to see with the defense. OK, if this guy is moving just a little bit, we know we have this little crease of space right here for this route. And you know where the guys are going to be, it’s just defensively what a certain motion does to them and then what we get from that?”
(Where do you see WR Odell Beckham Jr. fitting this offense once he finally gets on the field?) – “Well, I’ve got to see ‘O’ (Odell Beckham Jr.) catching and running routes with our guys first and getting into the mix first before I can say anything. What I can tell you though is the guys out there, they’ve been working their ass off in this heat and they’ve been studying. Like I said, it’s not an easy offense to learn, so I just want to commend the guys that are out there. It’s hard, because there’s a lot of guys that are also down too. So the guys that are there that are out there right now, I commend them for what they’re doing. So hopefully we can – God willing we can stay healthy and continue to stay healthy throughout this year for all of our positions.”
