Tua Tagovailoa – August 26, 2024
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Monday, August 26, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(QB Skylar Thompson is being retained and QB Mike White is being let go. Can you talk about both ends of that; Skylar winning the job and Mike being let go?) – “I have tremendous respect for both of those guys, for Mike White and for Skylar (Thompson). I just look at the growth of Skylar – it’s hard for everyone to look at the backup quarterbacks and the competition that they’re going through when I’m getting the most reps out there. I’m in the room those guys; we go over the film and to see his growth from his rookie year to this point has been something really, really cool, I think. Just learning this offense, keeping his head down – ‘Skylar you’re going with the twos. Hey Skylar, you’re going with the threes. Hey Skylar, you’re not getting reps today,’ and just seeing his mindset that he’s had throughout the years and also throughout the practices, I really commend him for sticking it through and being able to do what he has done. In those situations, it’s tough because someone has to win; someone has to lose. Me and Skylar texted Mike – I think Skylar talked to Mike on the phone, but just the relationship that we’ve had in that room had been something really, really cool. But at the end of the day, that’s part of the business. That’s part of the job, and Mike knows where I stand with him. I appreciate the things that he’s done to help us last year and then also this year as well.”
(With those quarterbacks, what do they do to help you particularly? I know I’ve heard other rooms, guys would ask guys to, ‘Hey, cut up these third downs.’) – “Yeah, and that’s exactly it. That’s exactly it. If it’s not the third downs, then it’s ‘Hey, your job is just to watch two-minute, and then on Friday you share with me two-minute plus-50, two-minute minus-50. OK, what happens when it’s a stopped clock? Do they pressure? Do they not? Or is that only on the opposing side once we cross the 50?’ So all of those, we got that, and then we’ve also got a lot of other things, too, because of motions and what not. So looking at the wristband, sometimes the play calls get super long, so another guy’s job is for all of those long ones, see what you can shorten up and we’ll talk about it. We’ll see, ‘No, that doesn’t make sense to me, because this or that.’ So then we’ll find another way to do it, and that’s sort of the ways that they can help me prepare for a game week.”
(So when do you assign those jobs?) – “That’ll be coming up soon. That’ll be coming up soon. We’ll see who we end up grabbing if we don’t get Mike (White) back when cuts are done and whatnot leading into next week.”
(How happy are you that the preseason is over?) – “It’s a bittersweet deal just because the relationships you build with some of the rookies and then a lot of the guys who have been vets but who have been going from team to team. It’s bittersweet just because of the relationships you have with those guys, but they also understand it’s a business. They understand how this thing works, and we wish them the best. It’s the whole reason as to why we have preseason, so guys can put their film on tape and hopefully another team can pick them up and they can go ball for that team.”
(You obviously had limited work in the preseason. I was curious with that second game, the first play Head Coach Mike McDaniel called was the same one you through an interception on. Was that your idea to call that play? And is that something that sticks with you?) – “Not my idea. That was not my idea, that was Mike’s (McDaniel) idea, but I kind of had an understanding that that’s the reason as to why he called it again. So I brought it up, and he had mentioned I was on to him. (laughter) It’s just with Mike, I guess it’s all something you can learn from. Whether it’s two years ago, three years ago, yesterday, and that’s what kind of came to mind. So I asked him and he told me I was on to him.”
(I don’t think anyone thought we’d be relitigating 2021 and 2022 this summer; have you heard from Brian Flores in the last week?) – “I haven’t heard from him.”
(Did you see his comments publicly?) – “I haven’t seen his comments publicly.”
(Is there anything more you’d like to add in the conversation to that?) – “There’s nothing more I’d like to add to that.”
(You mentioned in your comments to Dan Le Batard how he was highly critical of you through that process, and yet I think there was somewhat of a surprise that he made the change when he did. Why do you think that change, to bench QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and insert you, happened if he was so down on you?) – “That’s a great question. I’m not going to answer that, truthfully, right now. But I think I know why, but I won’t speculate or give anyone any speculations on that. Whatever you want to create to think, think that, but other than that, I think that’ll just stay here with the organization.”
(Do you think it’s more important for quarterback to have support of his head coach than maybe possibly any other position?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. This is a quarterback driven league; I 100 percent think that. Without a good team, without a good quarterback, I don’t think you can do much in this league. Sure, you can have a good defense, but there’s really good offenses in this league. You got to put up points and you got to find ways to do that. So I definitely believe that, for sure.”
(How does this week change for you from the perspective of going from training camp to getting ready for an opponent?) – “I don’t think it changes in any way. We’re continuing to go against the ones, and then when it’s time to work on our craft, we’ll go against the twos and really hone in on our communication, hone in on the details of what we need to do to accomplish what we want to accomplish. And when it is time for next week, then we’ll start to prepare.”
(I’m doing something on your depth, which I think has been very instrumental in you guys making the playoffs. Who’s been injured more than Miami? What can you say about the role that the depth has played on this team in the last couple of years?) – “Well, it’s been really cool because no matter who we’ve put in there, we were able to find ways to make it work at whatever position it was – center, guard, tackle, running back, receivers. We were able to find ways to maneuver through those, and I think Mike (McDaniel), Frank (Smith), I think those guys did a really good job with the personnel groupings as well for guys that are injured. OK, we’re going to probably go 21 (personnel) a little more than we would 12 (personnel) if our tight ends are down. Or we can’t go 11 (personnel) because of our receivers. All right, we’ll go 12 (personnel) more than anything else.’ So I think they do a really good job in grouping it with personnels and whatnot and how we want to maneuver the game that way.”
(Speaking of receivers, I’ve been here 16 years; I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a receiver unit so decimated by injuries as this year. How concerning is that for you? And WR Odell Beckham Jr., Head Coach Mike McDaniel said there’s a possibility he might not begin the year on the PUP and might be getting on the active roster. How important is you and Odell developing chemistry?) – “That’s very important. For me, it’s very important. Off the field, I’ve been able to hang out with him a good amount of times – cool dude, 100 percent. But does our relationship translate on the field? I couldn’t tell you, because I haven’t gotten reps with him and that’s just the honest truth. Now if ‘O’ (Odell Beckham Jr.) isn’t on the PUP list, he clears everything and we’re able to get out there, that’s one of the first thing I want to do – routes on air, want to make sure I get as many reps with him. ‘OK, he’s going to go in for this rep.’ Let’s make sure that this guy is going to get the ball, make sure the coverage isn’t whatever. I want to make sure that the timing is good, just want to make sure that that’s all good and whatnot. Speaking to your question prior to that, that’s just part of the game. Guys get injured and whatnot, and whoever we’re dealt with to go and play with out there, that’s who we’re dealt with to play with. I’ve had as good of receivers and as fun of receivers to have with Tyreek (Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle, and I’ve also had guys who didn’t have speed like that, playing my first two years in the league. So we’ve got to go out there and we just got to find a way to make that work.”
(The roster is about to be set for this year obviously. What do you see from training camp and the roster that says, “OK, we’re ready to take the next step with this team?”) – “I’m going to go back to say, this is tough. It’s a tough day. It’s a tough week. The next two days are going to be tough for a lot of guys. Some guys’ lives are going to change for the better, and some guys not so good. But I can tell you one thing, I’m really excited for the next couple days after that to see the kind of team and the kind of guys that we’re going to be playing with in this 2024 season.”
(What has impressed you about RB Jaylen Wright and what are your expectations for him during his rookie season?) – “He fits right into that running back room. Fast. (laughter) He’s fast. He’s a rookie and might be seeing some (De’Von) Achane-kind of deals going on for him coming up this first week. So we’ll see. He’s learning, learning from a really good group of backs and I think he’ll do good for us.”
(In training camp it doesn’t seem – the starters don’t get a whole lot of work. You get your work in joint practices. The first few weeks of the season, how much of a feeling out process is that? This works. This doesn’t work. Tell me about that.) – “That’s exactly what it is. Everything is off of feel. If I like a play but the receiver kind of feels like he runs this better, we’ve got to adjust, because regardless of the coverage, regardless of any of that, if we feel like we can make it work, we’re going to find a way to make it work. And so I think that’s exactly what it is. If we feel like we can make this work regardless, it’s going to happen regardless of what the coverage says and what they put on they put on paper, we’re going to find a way to make it work.”
(What’s your confidence level in the offensive line in front of you? Specifically the interior of the line blocking for you?) – “Well, brother, I get the ball out fast, so I am confident with anybody we’ve got up there. (laughter) I’ll tell you that. I’m confident with anybody we get out there.”
(I keep hearing from players about how this offense is pushing the limits of what it can do especially now in Year 3. As the quarterback of that offense, what does that look like from your perspective?) – “Well I wouldn’t say we’re trying to reinvent football, but we’re just trying to turn the wheels a little different, if you will, with a lot of the things that we’ve tried to add on with motions and whatnot and different schemes – schematically in the run game and then what we can do off of those runs with pass or play-action. So really, we’re just finetuning all those and trying to find ways to make that work for this new year in 2024.”
(Even dating back to high school, is this the first time you’ve ever been in the same system three years in a row?) – “Yeah. Three years in a row? Yeah, I think so.”
(I was about to say, just kind of rare air for you then?) – “Yeah. (laughter) Yeah, it is really rare for sure.”
(We’ve seen improvements from a lot of guys on offense – TE Julian Hill, WR River Cracraft before he got hurt. Who comes to your mind first if I ask you most improved players offensively on this team?) – “Most improved players offensively? I would say from my first year with Mike (McDaniel), I would say River (Cracraft). Just the amount of things he’s had to go through throughout his football career and him scoring that touchdown two weeks ago or last week, that was – I don’t know. It’s almost bittersweet, but it’s almost like he can’t catch a break. Every time it starts to get really good for my man, it just gets tough. I would say he’s probably been the most improved in my opinion in camp this year until he got hurt.”
(How about defense?) – “Defense? Most improved? I’m going to say Chop (Robinson). I think Chop has grown a lot from the first time he’s gotten here. Earlier throughout OTAs – although I was only here for a certain amount of time in OTAs, but I think he’s done really good, and he’s earned a lot of respect from the guys in the locker room from a lot of veterans. So I’ll be curious to see what he does to help us to win some games this year.”
Raheem Mostert – August 26, 2024
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Monday, August 26, 2024
RB Raheem Mostert
(I guess every year you’re optimistic. Is there any reason for you to be more optimistic this year than maybe last year or two years ago or any other season of your career?) – “Every year is a new year. New beginnings on a new team. We’re at the 90-man roster and unfortunately, we have to dwindle the roster down until we get our 53-man roster. So it’s a sad day, also a good day because we get to start the season off and get ready for Jacksonville and we’re just excited. We’re ready to go, but at the end of the day, I was once one of these guys that got released and it’s devastating because your hopes and dreams are right there in front of you and then when you get that phone call, it just seems like that’s a lasting memory. I remember when I was in Philly and got that phone call. Unfortunately I was the last guy in the building to receive that phone call and it changed my life, just the business side, the prospective side. And you’ve just got to grow and learn and become a better player when teams are making those decisions. So I was able to stick with it and to all the guys out there, I just hope the best for them especially on this team because we had a good roster of guys that came in, played their tails off and did everything they possible could to make a roster spot. But like I said, it’s the business aspect.”
(How long did it take you to pick yourself up off the floor and get motivated again?) – “I learned quickly. I’m a quick learner in that regard just because I know – coming in when I was a rookie, I knew that it was a business aspect, business mindset. That’s how I took it and I didn’t take it personal. I would tell people all the time that one thing that I truly was blessed about was that I didn’t burn bridges because those same bridges that you keep ahold of and keep them strong, they come around tenfold. And so that was the case for me when I went from Philly and then Chip Kelly was in San Francisco at the time the following year. And guess what? I made a mark in San Fran, so I could live to say that don’t burn those bridges and learn from it.”
(In this running back room there’s going to be some tough choices. We don’t know for sure RB Jeff Wilson Jr. – could you make the case for Jeff Wilson Jr. being on this team?) – “I’m always going to have Jeff’s back. I think that he’s one heck of a player; he does everything right. Unfortunately, he had some injuries and stuff like that, but I still think at least from what I’ve seen, he’s in good standing. But you never know in that regard. I’m not in the office helping out with the decisions, but film doesn’t lie and Jeff (Wilson Jr.) has a good resume.”
(What has impressed you about RB Jaylen Wright and what are your expectations for him?) – “Jaylen Wright, he’s coming in. At first, he was a little bit slower, because he’s a rookie, right? So the pace of the game and understanding the concepts, but he’s picking things up. This last preseason game, I thought he did a good job. He could do better, of course, but he did a good job in his resilience to overcome a few things and his mental aspect was definitely there so I’m looking forward to that, for sure.”
(I’ve been always meaning to ask you this. You guys have such a good running back room in terms of helping guys, mentoring guys even though there’s only one ball for you. How do you keep that room the way that it is?) – “I would say obviously it’s experience. I’ve been in this offense for quite some time and even when I was in this offense at the beginning, it was more so of a brotherhood. The NFL, whether people believe it or not, is a fraternity of brothers, and your position group, that’s the same thing. And that’s the mindset that you’ve kind of got to have in regards to your position because at the end of the day we’re all trying to feed our families. We’re all trying to do what’s right for each and we’re trying to do right for the team. You can’t have anybody that’s a ‘me player’ obviously, because those ‘me players’ get weeded out as you’ve seen in the past. So just having that mindset that it takes everybody in the group, that goes a long way. We’re all just, at the end of the day, brothers and it’s a brotherhood.”
(The team went from 31st in rushing attempts two years ago to 15th in team rushing attempts last year. Do you see Top 10 rushing attempts in the Dolphins’ future?) – “Yeah, we just keep climbing the ladder it seems like in this offense. So I can’t predict that right now, but it’d be nice to have that, get in the Top 10 in rush attempts and lead the cavalry in that regard. Just excited about this season.”
(There’s so much talk on the defensive side about being more physical and being bullies. When I think about being more physical and building bullies on offense, it means the run game. Do you guys sense that there is that similar commitment to being physical, aggressive, run-set-minded on offense?) – “Yeah, in this style offense, of course we’ve got playmakers all across the board, but we feel like to set the tone, it’s definitely the run game and that’s what gets the party started. And then of course, we’ve some unbelievable receivers out there and tight ends that can just take the top off at any moment, so as long as you have that understanding that we’re going to play smashmouth ball at the beginning and set our tone, then that’s what you’re able to dictate the outcome of the game. So that’s just our mindset for this offense.”
(Something FB Alec Ingold said a couple weeks ago that you guys were pushing the limits of what this offense can do and hearing from Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith – I think it was last week – about how Year 3 in a system, how you can start to expand a little bit. What does pushing the limits of an offense look like from a player’s perspective in this third year?) – “That’s a great question. I truly think that pushing the limits means in this offense; it means that you’re doing things that are unconventional, not only for a player, like for myself, but for the entire offense. If you look at what we’re doing, we’re doing these motions that have never been done before; we’re executing them at a high rate. We’re doing things that most defenses – like I was just talking to the Bucs defense and Lavonte David, right, last week when we had joint practice and we were able to conversate a little bit in between breaks, and one of the things that he brought up was our motions. That kind of just – it left a visual that it was hard for him to paint that picture of where everybody is going to be at because you’ve got guys going left and right and up and down and you just never know what it looks like from a defensive standpoint. And that’s our thing, is we want to make the defense – we want them getting out of their shell, being confused, not understanding this offense because if that happens, that means you’re doing it at a fast rate and that’s something that’s never been done. So just trying to be unconventional, trying to do something that’s unique and different and just trying to hold that title as being No. 1 offense in the league.”
(What’s new about QB Tua Tagovailoa this year?) – “I mean, other than his contract. (laughter) No, I’m just playing. I’m just super excited for him and his growth and his mindset. These past two years and going on to this third year, he’s settled down in this offense and he’s really picking things up at a high rate and he’s doing things that he feels comfortable at. And if you look at how he’s possessing the ball and he’s getting the throws out, there’s really not any quarterback that’s in the league that’s doing what he’s doing and it’s exciting to see. I’m just excited for him this year. We’re going to be hitting the ground running and high-flying and keep that mentality.”
Mike McDaniel – August 26, 2024
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Monday, August 26, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Opening statement) – “The elephant in the room is that tomorrow, we are adjusting our roster size significantly, right? I’ll do my best to answer questions today that I’m able to, but there’s some stuff I won’t be able to. So if you just bear with me, we’ll do our best to all do our jobs, because you guys want me to do my job as the head coach by the organization and the players, right? You do, right? All right. So then I am going to do my best to do what you’re asking me for.”
(Is anybody going to stay on PUP or go to injured reserve that you can tell us right now?) – “Oh, OK. All right, I feel like roster Kris Kringle right here. There’s Isaiah Wynn, Cam Goode and Bradley Chubb will start on PUP. Boom, teammate.”
(So no WR Odell Beckham Jr. starting on PUP?) – “TBD. TBD, more information to acquire. Yeah, right? See we’re starting pretty good, right?”
(Regarding QB Skylar Thompson, I talked to him after the Washington game and he said among the things that he worked on in the offseason and training camp were accuracy, quick reads, getting the ball out of his hand quickly, which are things that QB Tua Tagovailoa excels in with this offense. So my question is, did that occur to QB Skylar Thompson organically? Or did you guys tell him? Or his private quarterback coach told him? How did he know to work on that and how did he do to that end?) – “He asked Jeeves. Does that age me? Does that still exist? Oh man, I just aged myself. (laughter) It’s a cool process with Skylar (Thompson) because I think it’s a lot easier to – well Tua’s development is put on display because he’s out there all the time and you can tangibly see how he improves. Much as the life of a No. 2 or a No. 3 quarterback is, Skylar has also progressed in that same fashion. It was a situation where he was able to get a little bit more reps this camp and all of the things that are mechanical, as well as he’s a very smart dude that sometimes as a young quarterback just in the system as a rookie, his mental speed is really fast and we were trying to catch his body up to it and I think that’s something he’s been working on diligently. And I think the proof is in the pudding, he came in day-in, day-out at practice and ultimately was able to win the job. So I think the same types of things in terms of growing at your position and growing in your game that Tua has experienced, there’s multiple things within Skylar’s game that he’s progressed that I see a better quarterback now than I did at the beginning of camp or last year or the year before.”
(I assume you’ll want a third arm now on this roster – this person serving in the QB3 behind QB Skylar Thompson as solidified QB2.) – “Yeah, I would imagine Chris Grier and the boys are – there’s a lot of things that go on in the next 24 hours in particular, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a third quarterback, whether what type of roster spot that is, that’s another TBD.”
(What are you looking for? I don’t know if I’ve ever asked you that.) – “I think for – ironically, that’s a question that I haven’t really answered, but I do have an answer for that. I think one thing that for quarterbacks that’s important to the way we play is their accuracy and ball placement, for sure. There’s a command of a huddle that your teammates have to believe that you’re the guy that can facilitate the offense and orchestrate it and make the decisions necessary for the team to be successful. And then one finer layer that I’m looking for is mechanically, is the quarterback able to do it? There’s a specific ability to be able to throw with a base and be able to throw in a phonebooth that is a skill that not everybody has, and you have to be adept to that in the National Football League because of the pass rush, as well as really hone in on quarterbacks that there’s a skill to throw a ball to someone. And then how accurate can you be? And then another level is can you look at defenders and see defenders and still throw to moving targets? Do you have to see only your offensive player to make a throw, or can you see the defense for reasons of throwing into windows, anticipation, as well as zone manipulation.”
(Do you prefer a veteran as the third or a young guy? Is it all individually based?) – “I understand the value in all quarterbacks. I think our two particular quarterbacks we have on the roster allow us to be open-minded and not stringent, just because I do think the maturation at the quarterback position, both those guys had to go through that in their own orchestration. Now Skylar (Thompson) having a lot less game experience – there’s always value in experience, but I don’t think in this particular room we have to stick to, ‘We have to have an experienced guy.’ If there’s some young player with talent that we feel good about, where his game is at now and see a high ceiling, we could go that direction as well. I think you do have to adjust your room to fit the needs of the room and the needs of the team. That’s case by case, and I think this particular quarterback room we can go with a young guy, old guy, just a good guy.”
(With LB Bradley Chubb and LB Cameron Goode out for a month, you’re going to have to rely on some of your young guys, rookies it seems like, at edge rusher. What do they, LB Chop Robinson and LB Mohamed Kamara in particular, show you that gives you the confidence that you’ve got enough?) – “Well I think where there is adversity, there’s an opportunity. I think we’ve had much talked about, I mean it’s been pretty obvious, the injuries that we’ve gone through at that particular position. So really at this stage, whether it’s a rookie or a young player at that position, I know a lot more than I usually would in terms of where they’re at with their game, and they’ve got to learn a lot of things that come with playing defense in the NFL and all the different layers that comes with that and how to learn the playbook. I think the biggest thing is that you want to see continued progression without halt because there’s so much ground to gain, and I’ve seen a ton of that. There’s been days that all of our young guys have, as they would say it, not a good day, and those are irrelevant to me if and only if things are improved upon. I’ve seen that consistent progression with the whole group, and that’s super important because that’s what you end up having to do during the season. During the season you’re going to do stuff well Week 1 and you’re going to do stuff poorly Week 1. And guess what? Week 2, in this case will happen in just a couple days, and then you’ll have to do that. The idea is that in the National Football League if you don’t do something well, teams will take advantage of it, especially if you put it on tape. So you have to get stuff fixed which has been so monumental for watching these guys get these reps is I’m not just saying I need to see progression. I need to because the second we are able to adjust something in your game, or identify something is lacking and needs improvement, you better fix it, otherwise the whole defense will feel – listen, if you’re not on the backside run chasing appropriately, you’ll turn the page and you’ll get three bootlegs on you. And then you play the next week, you got to show that you’ll stop the boot with that same guy or they’re going to keep running it and they’ll test you early. That’s just the nature of football. So all those guys, I’m happy with them because that’s what I’m evaluating, I already know what’s coming. Good and bad plays regardless, how are you able to adjust your game as the scheme necessitates each day, and that’s what I’m really pumped about with that group.”
(What went into your decision-making process in choosing QB Skylar Thompson over QB Mike White’s experience given kind of what we saw in camp of him playing in maybe adverse situations?) – “I think you just – for me, my stress comes in not allowing guys to compete on the field and to have unknowns. As a coaching staff, we really tried to create an environment that had a little more connectivity to the adversity that is natural to a backup quarterback. And in that, we got a ton of evaluation pieces that a lot of which were like how do you respond to adversity and how do you make a play when maybe one isn’t there. And doing that over the entirety of the camp, I thought what I saw in practice, I wasn’t surprised by what I saw in the game from Skylar (Thompson) – that was the culmination. But you find out a lot if you keep the competition open to the last game, there’s your last opportunity and Skylar regresses with his technique and fundamentals and decision-making. What I saw was a guy that came in during the second quarter and took absolutely full advantage of every opportunity, and I saw teammates respond to him. I saw teammates believe in him, and I saw teammates get off the bench during the drive and start getting close to the white. Those are all the things that for me, is what I’m evaluating because just going back to what is the actual job of your backup, and I thought it was a cool moment. Skylar got to play as a rookie; played in a playoff game, did pretty well in that playoff game. He made some plays during the season, and then played some preseason last year and hadn’t seen the field for a while. A lot of times that can be a player’s worst enemy. I think it says a lot about Skylar Thompson that his game continued to progress and in the final preseason game, he got to put it all together and kind of show who he is.”
Regarding your depth, I think it’s been pretty good the past two years. I think it’s helped you guys make the playoffs, not led you there but kept the train on the tracks. What have you thought about the role your depth has played in your success the last two years? What do you foresee about your depth this year?) – “I think it’s paramount. You want to talk about the 69-man roster, OK? Not 53, the 69-man roster has been crucial. You don’t necessarily know at what positions, but it’s kind of changed the way that I look at that number and what that squad is. Going into Year 3, I thought that Chris (Grier) and I have made sure that regardless of the decisions that are made between one player to the next, that 69-man roster would be one group moving in one direction and understood the finer details of what we’re trying to do. Because the one thing I do know – there is a stat out there, in football, there is a 100% injury rate. Just really think about that. Every player at one point in time gets hurt, every single player. Much of the entire league is doing your best to minimize what those injury rates are, but then also having plans of action in case whomever goes down. You try to tool yourself so that the ship can keep moving in one direction and minimize the effect of every lost player, fully understanding that there is a reason those players are starters. How do you minimize that, how do you have a stronger group that when those inevitable things occur, there is less turbulence. I think that has been steady on our minds the entire process.”
(What is your level of confident that OL Aaron Brewer is going to be available Week 1?) – “I’m a very confident person, however I’m also a very principled person and pretty much I exhaust everybody in my life, including you guys with my principles. So you say that – I’m a confident person and I’m very confident in (Aaron) Brewer in general, however, I do not want to make players worse. And if they think that I’m expecting them to be ready for anything, I run the risk of them wishing it into existence and then hindsight is 20/20 and something happens. Regardless of my level of confidence in Brewer, I literally am not worried about things if we worry about one day at a time. If that puts him ready for Week 1, awesome. If that’s Week 2, sweet. We do have a team for a reason. You have to adjust and have to learn the players strengths, and when people are out of the lineup, you adjust how you play. But that’s art of football teams and coaching and roster building and all that. So I’m very happy with where he’s at. Since my last update, I would be more happy because there’s been more individual days stacked with no regression and continued progression.”
(Do you have any kind of update on DT Brandon Pili and his injury?) – “He’s probably going to be working through a little discomfort today, but he should be fine and out there sweating right next to me.”
(With WR Odell Beckham Jr., obviously QB Tua Tagovailoa expressed concern that he had not thrown a route to him. WR Odell Beckham Jr. is a veteran, so he’s been in multiple offenses, one similar to yours. Where do you feel he would be inserted into the offense in Week 1 without ever practicing?) – “There’s not a scenario where he’s going to just jump out there with a cape on without practicing at all. I think for me, it’s like every other player; you make sure that they progress and you get them back on the field as fast as their body allows them to, and then you allow the comfort level of the player to dictate when he plays. So are we going to play football with Tua and Odell being uncomfortable with their connectivity in a real game? Absolutely not. So the measures that we’ll take, we’re trying to make sure that when he’s on the field, that he’s done absolutely everything to minimize how long it takes for him to be live action. So it’s just step by step, and you can rest assured there won’t be discomfort in Miami Gardens when we’re playing in the stadium at Hard Rock or anywhere else.”
(Beyond a confident person, you’re always an optimistic person, and now you’re about to set your roster. Coupled with the last couple of years, anything in particular you latch onto this season that says why you’re optimistic or more optimistic?) – “Well because every season, you just get tooled with an unbelievable amount of lessons if you’re willing to learn. I think from a leadership standpoint, the way I try to lead, the way Chris (Grier) tries to lead is through a lens of humility where you really open your eyes to any possible way you can get better. I think in Year 3, with the way that we’ve been able to make adjustments in the roster, where guys are at from a comfort level, understanding who they are and really leaning into the lessons of past years, I feel like this team, more than any team that I’ve been on since I’ve been here, is able to handle the things that come your way at the end of the season. And in both scenarios, I’m looking squarely at the two previous seasons and then on top of that, all the other seasons that I’ve been a part of in the National Football League, and with that where guys are at and what type of locker room can come out the gate. You want to start fast and then you want to build and maintain and peak, and you learn a lot in that process when that’s your motives. I couldn’t be – I’ve just never had so much return on whatever objective I’ve given the team, day-in, day-out. It’s a team that I try to earn trust day-in and day-out. I think this team really regards that and cherishes that, and so having the ability to move in one direction I think is absolutely of paramount importance in a high stakes game like we play. That’s why I’m so excited about all the pieces, is because I feel a stronger connection this day than then I did the two previous years, and I felt pretty good at those at those junctures.”
