Adam Gase – July 30, 2016
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Saturday, July 30, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On how he judges how well his defense is doing without no pads) – “That’s interesting that you brought that up. Me and (Defensive Coordinator Vance (Joseph) were just talking about that on the field, ‘When is going to be our biggest telling point as far as where we are at on run defense? Where are we at in pass rush? Can we run the ball? How’s our pass protection?’ The biggest answer we could come up with is, ‘We’ll see what happens in the preseason. How are we going to look?’ We see so many good things as far as guys doing what we’re asking them to do and then it’s just kind of ‘How’s the competition?’ Are we good enough at the (first) o-line (unit) versus the (first) d-line (unit)? Are we weak anywhere along that line? So I guess every … Time will tell us everything and we’ll figure it out in preseason.”
(On if there’s one or two keys to the defense, whether it’s scheme, talent, youth, or health) – “Yes, I think right now with everybody being out there, I think the biggest thing we’re looking for is just to see if we’re constantly attacking. That’s what those guys on defense are looking for and we keep seeing, especially from the interior guys, you’re just seeing that penetration. I think more times than not, you see (Ndamukong) Suh really causing havoc on most plays and Jordan (Phillips) has done a good job, Earl (Mitchell) has done a good job. Then when you look at our ends, especially the guys that have been out there with that first group, they’re making it challenging on our edge guys.”
(On the importance for older players to mentor younger players at their same position) – “It’s always beneficial, especially from a coaching perspective, because it is a different vantage point. We encourage guys to do that. We don’t want to have guys to go outside their personality though, because you want – whatever they do – (to be) authentic. It’s genuine because when a (DE) Cam (Cameron) Wake says something to somebody, it means something to that guy. So that’s really what we’re looking for more than anything. If you’re going to say something and you want to be helpful, we want you do it in a genuine way.”
(On what he needs to see for G/T Laremy Tunsil to have a starting job) – “Once we get in pads, then I think we’ll be able to figure out more. That’s the biggest thing for me. Once we get the pads on and we really see where we’re at – whether it be offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, running backs – that’s going to be a big telling thing for us. Right now we’ve been in nothing but basically jerseys and cleats and helmets. So until we get pads on and we can really start evaluating that aspect, then I think everything will kind of start sorting itself out.”
(On his mindset about DE Cameron Wake) – “For us, the biggest thing is, if you watch individual (drills), he’s doing a lot in the individual (drills). You always forget that that time is valuable for those players and it is very taxing on them. So you can’t just look at, ‘Well he’s only getting two plays a period,’ or ‘He’s only getting four plays a period.’ I think today they ended up going almost 30-plus minutes in individual. I mean that’s a lot of time on him. So the good thing is, when you do have a sports science department, when you have a strength and conditioning staff and a training staff that’s doing things the way that we’re doing it, they’re able to keep an eye on him, inform us ‘Alright, this is where he’s at today,’ and we’ll just keep doing a good job of monitoring that going throughout camp.”
(On what he’s trying to accomplish with his quarterback drills) – “One, we’re trying to create great habits with pocket presence. We’re trying to make sure, I mean you try to make things as chaotic as possible so when you do hit a game, you feel like that’s just normal for you. So you’re trying to create chaos as much as possible with the quarterbacks, as far as making them feel like that’s how it could be in a game and how are you going to handle it?”
(On if DE Dion Jordan is in the building yet) – “He is in the building. There’s a certain protocol that the league has put out – as far as what we need to follow – so we’re allowed to have certain conversations. He’s allowed to do certain type of things or certain areas that he’s allowed to be around. Obviously, we’re taking everything very slowly. We’re trying to make sure that we do everything by the book, exactly the way the league wants us to do it. He’s trying to do a good job of doing exactly what he’s told to do. You talk about step one of like 500, whatever it is. It’s going to take some time for us to make sure that we do every little thing right for this thing to turn out the right way.”
(On if he has a feel for when DE Dion Jordan will start practicing) – “I have no idea.”
(On getting to know players and DE Cameron Wake) – “Very professional. He is everything that I was told, as far as a worker, what I was going to see at practice and I feel like he has said a lot of things at the right time that I’ve heard him say to some of his teammates that I’ve been very impressed with. He’s been very, to me, a vocal guy as far to what he is looking for out of some of his teammates.”
(On what he thought of WR Jarvis Landry’s pass attempt) – “I thought it was well. I mean it’s just tough sometimes – any time (Bryon) Maxwell is covering a guy – when you don’t throw it right. He (Maxwell) is so long and he has great speed to recover. It was good. It’s good to kind of keep throwing stuff out there and seeing what all of our guys can do.”
(On his thinking about keeping two verses three quarterbacks on the roster) – “I think every situation is different. I mean, if you have a situation where you want to keep three, then you do it and you figure out a way to make it happen. If you are in a situation where you want to keep two and keep a guy on the practice squad and that situation arises, then you do it that way. At the end of the year you have to look at every situation different.”
(On what he knows about QB Brandon Doughty and what Doughty needs to show in the preseason) – “He does a great job as far as finding completions. I think I made the comment to him one time, ‘Your progressions are usually wrong but somehow you find a completion.’ Then he’s like ‘Well that’s what I do.’ So he’s been doing it his whole career and he has found success getting completions. I’ve seen a guy that really did study over the summer, because just being able to come out yesterday and as much red zone as we did, if you didn’t do anything over the summer; you were going to be in bad shape yesterday. He did a good job. He came out there and he knew where to go with the ball, he found completions, he threw a couple touchdown passes. So it was good to see that he really took some time this summer and made sure that he knew what was going on.”
(On why he thinks the defensive backs and linebackers got their hands on so many passes today) – “I think sometimes defensive players make plays. I mean, that’s kind of what they get paid to do. At some point the quarterback is going to throw an interception, it’s going to happen. That might be breaking news (laughter), but he is going to throw a pick at some point this season. Reshad Jones breaking up a ball, I mean he is a Pro Bowl player. He’s going to make plays. At no point will a quarterback have zero interceptions throughout all of camp and the entire season.”
(On if defensive players getting their hands on the ball is a sign of anything) – “I think it’s a sign of good competition – whether it be on the defense or, sometimes, the quarterback making a poor decision, or just a poor route, or the defensive player making a good play.”
(On G Dallas Thomas lining up on the right side today) – “We’re just moving guys around. I’ve got no idea, I don’t even pay attention anymore just so I can’t answer your guys’ questions on the offensive line (laughter). I have no idea who practiced today on the offensive line. (Laughter)”
(On why he saves red zone 7-on-7s for the end of practice and what he wants to see from the quarterback during that period) – “The reason why we did it is we did a two-spot thing today so we could get more reps – especially for the backup players – because sometimes what happens is they don’t get as many reps as the ones. So it was a way for more guys to get reps, but by doing the red zone, it condenses the field so there’s not as much running. But once again, it’s the most important area on the field, so the more reps we can steal on periods like that, on 7-on-7, the better; because it just gets that timing and the competition down there – especially with no rush, it kind of gets that (timing) going for both sides of the ball really, offense and defense. What you want to see out of the quarterback is efficiency and can we put ourselves in a position where, when we do have a third down, it’s third and manageable. You want to try to avoid the third-and-8, the third-and-9, the third-and-10s from the 10. Those are tough throws. It’s a condensed area, it gets tight and they are low percentage plays. More times than not, you’re either kicking a field goal or somebody’s turning the ball over. So the efficiency down there is critical for a quarterback to have in the low red area.”
(On if he would prefer quarterbacks not throwing the ball in tight areas in the red zone but still making progress) – “I think that there is a fine line of when is the right time to do that and when is the right time to move the ball. I think our quarterbacks have had a good feel as far as ‘I know this is a good place for me to go. I know it’s tight, but I can make this throw.’ I think they’ve made great decisions as far as when it’s time to turn it loose and try to fit it there into a tight window.”
(On how the cornerbacks are doing on the second day of camp) – “They are doing better than how negative you want to be about it. (laughter) They are doing good.”
Branden Albert – July 30, 2016
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Saturday, July 30, 2016
Tackle Branden Albert
(On practicing in the heat) – “This is probably the hottest training camp I’ve been through. I did miss training camp last year. It’s pretty hot out here, but we got to do what we got to do. Like (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) said, it’s a benefit for us during the season when teams come down here. We got to get used to it, and we got to deal with it.”
(On playing against DT Ndamukong Suh and DE Cameron Wake) – “I’ve battled those guys when I was with the Chiefs, so now that we’re on the same team, it’s kind of scary; but you’re on the same side of those guys. Those guys (are) pushing us every day – even Andre Branch. He’s coming along. He’s going against me; he’s going to get better. He’s making me better and (so is) the whole d-line from Jordan Philips – all those guys. We got a great group of guys on the d-line and I think they’re going to get it done this year.”
(On coming off of his knee surgery last year) – “Last year – midway last year – I was still trying to figure myself out. It’s a simple fact. I got to start in training camp and start getting my groove back. I’m still kind of starting off slow, but I got a whole month to get back. And once I do, I’m not worried about it.”
(On whether he was pleased with his performance last season) – “I’m pleased with (the performance) for the situation I was in. Coming 10 months off of three ligament tears, coming back and not being in the best shape and coming back after 10 months, I made the Pro Bowl. And I don’t care how I made it, I made it. I tried to help this team the best I could last year and stay healthy the best I could. That’s my goal: stay healthy and help this team – help this offensive line – be the best we can be.”
(On taking G/T Laremy Tunsil under his wing) – “(It is) just like how I took Ja’Wuan James under my wing and all of the other young guys. He (Tunsil) is the future left tackle of this team. When my time is done, he’s going to step in. I’m going to make sure … That’s how you leave your legacy. When you teach a young guy and you’re sitting at home retired and you see that young guy flourish, you’ll be like, ‘I helped him along his way, and (he) has the potential to make a lot of money and change the future of his family generation after generation.’ That’s what you want. You want to leave that legacy just like all the other young guys. I try to help them the best I can, so they leave the game with something and they learn something from me and they could say, ‘Branden Albert was a great mentor.’”
(On who mentored him when he was a young player) – “(Former NFL Guard) Brian Waters. That’s one thing I’ve learned, when I step in the locker room, you hear all the great stories about him. And then he came in later in OTAs and that’s how he mentored me on and off the field. That’s something I learned, and that’s something I cherish.”
(On his advice to young players, like G/T Laremy Tunsil, about overcoming adversity) – “When he (Tunsil) becomes a 14-time Pro Bowler, people will forget about this. They’re already forgetting about it. Once he becomes the great player he is, nobody will ever mention it. People will laugh about it.”
(On the pressure G/T Laremy Tunsil is under being a first-round selection) – “We got enough time. He doesn’t have (any) pressure. He has the potential to play next to me and Mike (Pouncey) or whatnot. He’ll learn. He’s going to have his bumps and bruises, but I think for the most part, he will flourish.”
(On the difference between playing guard and tackle) – “That’s grown man business in there (at guard). I’m not going to lie to you. But (Larmey Tunsil) has the physical capabilities to do it. As long as he gets the playbook down – he learns the plays – I think he’ll be okay.”
(On the biggest challenge playing guard) – “You have to wrestle around with those guys all day long. But (Laremy Tunsil is) strong enough. He’s athletic enough. He can do it.”
Cameron Wake – July 30, 2016
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Saturday, July 30, 2016
Defensive End Cameron Wake
(On how is health is doing) – “That’s the big question. The elephant in the room.
(On how he is feeling coming off an Achilles injury) – “The elephant (Achilles) feels pretty good. It feels like it’s been forever – probably my longest offseason in the history of my playing days. Being able to get back out here, run around, get all the juices flowing – it feels good. There are a lot of things that you can’t really replicate in the bubble or in the rehab. Out here, you get those live action, fast-paced, high-tempo things so (I’m) getting after it and starting to build that toughness. I’m enjoying it.”
(On how he feels about his first step off the line) – “Well, it’s one of those things where you have to work yourself back into it. I’m trying to be smart about doing just enough and finding that sweet spot. You don’t want to kill yourself but you also got to get ready for the season. As you all know, that’s a big weight on my body, a weight on my mind. It’s a lot of stress. So you have to build your way up to it and I think we’re doing well so far.”
(On when the injury happened and what his mind was like at that time) – “Get to the quarterback. That was the only thing on my mind. All the other things are kind of in the distant, distant realm of your thought process. I’ve actually watched the play once. Even after (the injury), I still tried to get the job done on one foot but I didn’t really have anything left. I went down and the guys came and got me and from then on, it was all about doing everything I can to get back on the field.”
(On whether he knew right away what his injury was when it happened) – “As soon as it happened, I knew.”
(On if it is tough to deal with limited reps in practice) –“You got to look at the big picture. You can’t be a guy who just thinks about today; you got to think about December and being smart about what we’re doing now and having a plan. You can’t just go out here and say, ‘All right, first day, let’s do 100 reps.’ You got to make sure that you take the right steps. We’ve got a great staff here who has obviously been working really closely with me and making sure those things happen. You got to kind of turn that wild animal down a little bit and try to think long term and make sure that come December, whatever date, in the fourth quarter, you’re full go. That’s my goal and so far I think we’re doing the right thing.”
(On whether 40-45 snaps is enough) – “Enough to do whatever I can to help the team win will be enough. I’ve never had a number. Some days I’ve had 80 snaps and there have been days when I haven’t had that many; but when I’m out there, just doing whatever you can to make those snaps the best snaps, that’s all I’m really concerned about.”
(On anticipating having fewer snaps) –“You’re talking distant future. I don’t know. You’d have to ask some of the guys who kind of make more of those decisions. Until they put another zero on my check, I don’t think I have that power yet.”
(On the mental stress of the rehab) – “The funny thing is the physical part – I’m not going to say it’s easy – but it’s something that you’re very used to. I’ve built muscle throughout my life – built strength, you run, you lift – all of those things are part of your daily routine, part of your job description. Muscle fatigue, feeling that burn, so to speak is not new. Running is not new. Lifting weights is not new. Being mentally strong when you can’t get out of bed and you have to put your feet up for 30 hours a day, that’s the hard part. Watching your team play and you’re not out there, that’s the hard part. Being on crutches, being a little more dependent, when you’re kind of an independent guy, those are the hard things. It wasn’t the physical part at all that was an issue. I’ve always tried my best in the offseason to stress myself, to challenge myself. But the part where you’re kind of out of the game and you’re limited mentally, those are the issues that you’ve got to deal with more than the physical ones.”
(On what he was thinking about during the 30 hours he was sitting with his feet up) – “That was the hardest part, to be honest. It was that time when I was, quote-unquote, immobile. I’m not a guy who watches TV. I don’t sit in bed. I’m not built that way. So for a doctor to say, ‘Hey, you can’t work out. You can’t get out of bed. You can’t walk around, you can’t, can’t, can’t…’ that’s like a four letter word – can’t – to me. I just wanted to get up. I wanted to do one-legged hops up and down my stairs in my room. But obviously, you have to think long-term. You have to think about December and next year and so-on and so-forth, and be smart. That next level of intellect had to overcome that raging beast that I feel like I am and calm myself down and do the right thing.”
(On how he got over the hump and if there were vital people involved with that process) – “I have people close to me – a support system, family members – who have been there for me from Day 1. There are times where maybe you want to go get something out of the kitchen or whatever it is, and you can’t. Those are the people who help you; the days that you’re down and thinking about the things that you’re missing out on, they’re the ones who are there for you. In this world, there are not many people you can rely on, but I have people who I can, that I trust, and those are the people who got me through.”
(On what a typical rehab day would look like for him) – “It depends on which stage of rehab. The first stage is just sitting in bed and doing nothing. That’s post-surgery. That was the hardest part. I actually enjoyed the, ‘Get up, go to training room, ride the bike or job on the treadmill, do some calf exercises, start plyos, change of direction, ladder drills.’ All of those things that you kind of build yourself up, those are the things that I enjoy. That’s football. That’s what we do. That’s what I’m about to go do right now. It’s not abnormal to lift weights or run or do plyos. Sitting in bed and being still, that was the abnormal part. A typical day wasn’t much different than a typical offseason day for me, where you get up, eat, train, take a break, you rest and train again. It’s just you focus more on that injured part of your body than you would do if you were working on a total body in the regular season.”
(On what point he knew that he could come back and play) – “The second the play (the injury occurred on) happened.”
(On the addition of DE Mario Williams to the defensive line unit) – “On paper, it’s amazing. But obviously, it’s not your first rodeo with me. Paper has never won a football game and you have to go out there, as we’re doing right now, starting yesterday, go out there and put all of those pieces together to make it impressive. Right now, it’s just – I don’t know – fantasy football. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not anything tangible until we go out there and we start knocking heads. That’s when I start being impressed.”
(On the size of DE Mario Williams) – “That’s a lot of individual to deal with and I’m glad he’s on our side, causing problems for our offense. I’m glad we have (offensive) guys who are able to go against the likes of him and Ndamukong) Suh and myself and (Andre) Branch – and so on, and so on and so on – because I feel like that’s the real key to make everybody better. Come Sundays, when I got to look across and see those guys blocking X and Y-Z teams, I know, ‘Hey, you got the best of the best in practice so today should be in our favor.’
Jarvis Landry – July 29, 2016
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Friday, July 29, 2016
Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry
(On the first day of training camp) – “It’s amazing. It’s fun. It’s hot, but I think we got a lot accomplished. We also got a lot to work on.”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase) – “Love him. Love him, love the energy that he comes with every day he brings to practice – to the meeting rooms – and he’s allowing us to come out here and let us play fast. That’s was this whole offense (is) about; that’s what this team is going to be made of this year.”
(On what he has seen from QB Ryan Tannehill) – “Constant improvement. As a corps, we’re just all trying to develop around each other and complement each other as best as we can. For us, again, we got a lot accomplished today, but we still got a lot to get going.”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase’s energy) – “For him, he just wants us to play fast. He wants us to control the game, control the pace. For us, it’s just something that we got to do, honestly.”
(On what Head Coach Adam Gase told the team before practice) – “We talked yesterday. We didn’t have a squad meeting this morning. Pretty much yesterday it was, ‘Come out here (and) we want to be the best conditioned team. We got to come out here and push it to the limit every day. If we do that, we’re going to see results.’”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase’s coaching philosophy) – “Adam, he’s a younger coach and he allows that interaction between player-coach to happen as frequently as possible. He’s around the building always starting conversations, building relationships with the guys and with everybody around the building. For us, that means everything.”
(On his confidence that the offense will improve from last season) – “Again, we came out here (and) we got better today, but there’s still a lot that we got to get better in doing. We’re going to go watch the tape, and we have a long way before the first game is played.”
(On how the versatility of the offense will help with at the goal line) – “I think since I’ve been here – the last two years – we’ve struggled in the strike zone. For (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, his whole thing is, ‘Get the ball in the box as many times as we get down here.’ For us, we’re just trying to work on it, save our legs a little bit, especially coming off of a conditioning test and all that. Again, (it is) Coach Gase being smart about protecting his guys.”
(On whether training camp felt more difficult than in years past) – “You’ll feel that every day in this heat, especially here in South Florida. But again, it sucks. But when it sucks, that’s when you’re getting better. That’s his whole thing: for us to come out here and get better and understand that it’s going to suck; but again, the results will come.”
(On practicing in the heat will help them prepare for the season) – “Exactly. This is our advantage. This heat is our advantage.”
Ryan Tannehill – July 29, 2016
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Friday, July 29, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On how he likes being a father thus far) – “It’s awesome. It really is.”
(On if becoming a father has changed his outlook on life and/or football) – “Not initially. I think it’s such a blessing to see the birth of your child. The love you feel immediately… You always hear about it when other people experience it, but you don’t really get it until you experience it yourself. It’s a special moment. It’s a special time. It’s a real exciting thing to be a dad.”
(On if he spoke to Texas Tech Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury, who attended today’s practice) – “I haven’t talked to him. I just said hi to him briefly right at the start of practice. But past that, I haven’t been able to speak with him.”
(On interactions with Head Coach Adam Gase) – “(They’ve been) great. I think everyone here in the building is excited about having Adam (Gase) as a head coach. I think that he’s a great offensive mind. I think he’s able to relate to players and motivate players, and that’s something that we’re excited about having over the course of the year.”
(On if he feels any urgency this year) – “There’s urgency every year. You play to win games. You play to win the Super Bowl. That’s what we’re out here every day doing – competing with each other, pushing ourselves (and) trying to get better.”
(On the feeling of stepping onto the field for the first day of practice) – “It’s exciting. It’s an exciting time of every year to come out and get better. There’s such high expectations like there are every year (and) to be able to come out and get better each and every day, especially in this new offense, it’s a fun time for everyone.”
(On if the expectations are different this year or the same as previous seasons) – “For me, it’s always the same. It’s to go out and win games. I think the culture we’re building in this building is good. I think that guys have the right mindset as a team. I think everyone is focused on (the) team and focused on getting better, and that’s what we want to have.”
(On if he looks at this as a new beginning) – “Yes, it’s a fresh start. It’s a fresh start for everyone. Obviously, the coaching staff watched our tape from the past few years, but (Head Coach Adam Gase) is giving everyone a fresh start. He wants to see us prove ourselves and come out and compete and play well. That’s what we’re here doing in camp – pushing ourselves, trying to perfect the little things and get better every day.”
(On what Head Coach Adam Gase can do to further his development as a quarterback) – “It’s an everyday thing. I think just being on the same page, pushing me, making practice hard for me so that when it gets to the games, I’ve been in those situations before, and we’re able to have success. And just focus on the little things – the details, whether its footwork, read, progression, protection – there are so many things that go into playing the position. I think that (Gase is) an expert in pushing guys to reach their potential, and I’m excited to have him.”
(On his thoughts about Dion Jordan being reinstated) – “It’s great to have him back. I don’t know. It’s the first I’ve heard about it –just walking off the field – that he got reinstated; but past that, I don’t know much. We look forward to having him back.”
(On how much studying he did in the offseason and how much he knows the offense) – “Yes, there is a lot of studying. If you take the brake off and don’t look over your stuff, then you’re going to be swimming once you come back. I stayed up to date on it and tried to spend a couple hours every day going over the installs. I spent time with the receivers going over the installs, quizzing them and getting them on their board. I think that made us all better and made us all know the offense a little bit better. That way, when we come out Day 1 – the first week – you’re not having to take a few steps back to pick it up. We’re picking back up right where we left off in minicamp.”
(On the addition of RB Arian Foster and what he can potentially add to the offense) – “He’s a veteran guy that’s had a lot of success. I think he’s one of the league leaders of undrafted guys as far as (rushing) yards and to have that veteran presence in our backfield is huge. I think he’s great at running the zone read game, which we run here, and also as a receiver out of the backfield or split out wide. He has a good knack for getting open and having great hands on the outside, so it’s something that we’ll definitely look to use him.”
(On the biggest difference with new Head Coach Adam Gase) – “There’s a lot of things that are different. It’s tough to say one thing. I think every day, he gives me a couple things that he wants to see and wants to work on and think about. That makes it easy for me to go out that day and think about those things and try to improve upon those things. He’s constantly pushing me and trying to push my buttons a little bit, get me in the right position (and) put me in difficult situations. It’s going to pay off.”
(On what Head Coach Adam Gase asked him to do today) – “I’m going to keep our stuff between us, but I thought it went well. It was a good day.”
(On if things are better) – “I think the attitude … I’m not here to compare anything to last year or previous years, but I think the attitude in the building is in a great spot. I think guys are here to work. Guys are focused on (the) team. There’s not individual agendas being talked about or pushed around or thinking about. I think guys are here to work as a team, to push each other as a team and go out and compete. That’s what we’re here to do is to compete, make each other better and be ready to go Week 1.”
(On the versatility of the roster and how it helps near the goal line) – “It’s two-fold. Red zone is a huge area throughout the year. You got to be on top of your game once you get into the red zone, so we want to get a lot of work in. Day 1, we want to keep guys from opening up too much and try to limit soft tissue injuries. It’s a two-fold thought. The personnel we have are huge. We have so many weapons down there – whether it’s our tight ends, our backs coming out of the backfield, the receiving corps that we have – (that) defenses really have to be ready for anything, because we can throw anything at them and put the ball anywhere we want on any matchup we want.”
(On if it is nice knowing that he has the entire offense at his disposal at any time) – “It’s such a relief to have (Head Coach Adam Gase’s) confidence and him giving me the freedom to change plays and get us into a good play at the line of scrimmage. It’s only going to help us score more points.”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase’s trash talking during practice and if any of it is directed at him) – “A little bit. He’s trying to push buttons, and I give it right back to him, so it’s a good rapport.”
(On if it is a different experience for him to trash talk with a head coach) – “Definitely for a head coach, but it is good. I think it just builds that competitive atmosphere. We have high energy around the building. He’s encouraged us to talk to the defense, compete and make it a high competition. That way, we’re playing at the highest level we can and the games are easier.”
Adam Gase – July 29, 2016
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Friday, July 29, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On the plan and vision for Dion Jordan) – “Well, obviously (we are) still getting all the details of kind of what’s going on. I know at some point this afternoon, I’ll get with (Executive Vice President of Football Operation) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and we’ll be able to go through every little thing that the league’s informed us on. So we’re still at the beginning stages of this. I know that’s the boring answer but that’s what it is right now. Obviously (we are) just coming off the field and you get the quick update, ‘Hey, here’s what little we know,’ and then the good thing is, we’ll have a plan. We’ll have an understanding of what we need to do and the steps we need to take moving forward.”
(On what his reaction is to the news that Dion Jordan is coming in) — “I’ve never met him so… I mean it’s hard for me to answer.”
(On the five players placed on PUP, specifically RB Arian Foster, and if the designation is a precaution or medically necessary) – “It’s just part of our process that we’re going through. I know everybody is like ‘Well, is it a surprise to certain people?’ It was kind of our thought process going in that it was a decision we were going to have to make, and we thought this was the smart decision to make.”
(On the overall conditioning level of the players since they got back) – “It was pretty good. I mean we did our conditioning test and there were a few guys that were very impressive. A couple of guys surprised me a little bit. It was good to see that guys came back in shape.”
(On CB Bobby McCain being placed on the PUP list and if that’s disappointing) – “It is what it is and we’ll get him back out there soon.”
(On the guys enjoying practice) – “I think the first day of practice, everybody’s excited to get back out there. The telling part’s going to be when we got about six, seven days into this thing and you know you get a day off and you got to come back and you’re in full pads. Where are we going to be there? It’s easy to be excited on the first day.”
(On if Dion Jordan needs to win back the players’ trust in the locker room) – “Like I said, I don’t know him, and I mean that’s hard for me to answer. I just know when he gets here, like I said, (it’s a) fresh start with me. So I guess that’s really all that matters.”
(On if he expects any of the five players placed on PUP, aside from CB Xavien Howard, to miss any preseason games) – “I don’t think I can answer that right now. All of those guys I would say are day to day right now.”
(On having different goal-line threats to work with) – “I think if you have multiple guys that can do a whole bunch of things, it makes it hard for the defense to say, this guy can only do this. If we can keep moving guys around and giving them options –different types of routes and different types of concepts, different types of runs and different guys running the ball, different guys catching the ball – the harder you can make it for the defense to game plan each week, the better it is for us.”
(On what he wanted to see in his first practice and if that’s what he saw) – “I think I did. I feel like I just wanted to see good energy. The biggest test for us was that we came out and jumped ahead of our install, and we installed something that if you didn’t study this summer, you weren’t going to survive today. It showed me that a lot of guys spent time in their books this summer and came out there and executed plays correctly.”
(On if he is still getting the feel for where he wants to stand and how he wants to run practice) – “I’m trying to do a little bit of how it’s going to be on game day so the quarterback gets a sense of where I’m going to be and how I’m going to operate. That’s why I like standing on the sideline sometimes but what happens is myself and (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) start getting into some discussions during the practice. Then I end up walking around and talking to the DBs a little bit. I start to ask them questions about what they saw on certain plays, especially when the ones (first team) comes out. Guys like (Byron) Maxwell, Reshad (Jones) and Mike Thomas and those guys, they’re valuable as far as, I’ll ask them a question and they will be like, ’Well I was thinking this, and this is why I stopped and wasn’t able to defend this play.’ It is good information for me because it just helps our offense develop, because it’s a point that the defense is making that is trying to stop our offense.”
(On DE Cam Wake’s energy at practice) – “When I go back and watch the film, I’ll be able to take a better look at that. Obviously with practice going on, it’s hard to get a look at every guy; but just watching him during individual, it doesn’t surprise me because the guy is a physical freak. To see him work through the spring and come into training camp, we felt really good about where he was at. We just have to be smart with him because we don’t want him to slow down. We want him to be able to get through the duration of the season.”
(On if everyone passed the conditioning test) – “Maybe not.”
Stephen Ross – July 29, 2016
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Friday, July 29, 2016
Managing General Partner & Chair of the Board Stephen Ross
(On his expectations for the team) – “Like every year, I think everybody starts undefeated and with great expectations. This year, I’m particularly excited. I think we’ve done a lot in the organization over the last year. To me, it’s all about winning. I haven’t been happy with the performance myself – as an owner, today – on the winning side. But this year, I think I’m excited as I can be. I have good expectations, but time will tell.”
(On his early impressions of Head Coach Adam Gase) – “When we selected him, I was very excited; and I’m just as excited – if not more so – today, having spent time with him and seeing him in action. I think you can feel the way he is, the way the players are, the excitement, the passion. I think that’s all evident. I’m very excited about him. The passion is there.”
(On his expectations every year of making the playoffs and what his expectations are for this year) – “Same. I don’t think anybody … I don’t think there’s an owner today … Everybody today is optimistic. They should be optimistic. The fans are optimistic. That’s a great thing about sports. But I think we’ve done an awful lot in this offseason, probably more so than most people. I think that our expectations are great, but at the same time, I want to be realistic. I’m not making predictions. I like where we are. Let’s put it that way.”
(On the stadium renovations) – “At 11:30 (a.m.), I’m signing the last piece of steel that’s going up, and you’re all invited to see the stadium. I’ve been on a phone call every day at 4:30 (p.m.) since January and really pushing it, using our people in New York to push it. I think what we’ve done is probably unprecedented – to put a roof on top of a stadium. When you go out there and you see it, it’s kind of amazing. I would encourage you to see it, because when it’s up and it’s all done, people will say, ‘Hey, that was easy.’ (laughter) I’ve built over 20 billion dollars worth of projects and this is the most complex – basically because you’re putting such a large structure in place in such a short period of time – and there’s no way you can be late. There’s no alternative. I know we will be playing September 1 there.”
(On how he views this season for QB Ryan Tannehill) – “I’m not going to say it is do or die. First of all, that’s the role of the general manager. I think everybody feels very confident and feels very good about Ryan. And I think he has a lot of capabilities. And I think you’re going to be … You are going to have (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) who’ll bring out the best in those capabilities. I’m very excited. I’m glad we have Ryan.”
(On ticket sales for the season) – “I think every game will be a sellout.”
(On if there are any concerns about the stadium not being completed on time and if there is a backup plan) – “Let’s put it this way, I’ve had those worries. I’ve been living with them. I don’t feel them today and there is no backup plan.”
Adam Gase – July 26, 2016
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Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Opening statement) – “I’m going to hit you with a couple roster updates here. Obviously, you guys know we signed Arian Foster. (I am) not sure how many days ago it was, probably last week. Xavien Howard will start the preseason on PUP. He was injured on the last day of minicamp. We had to scope a knee, and he will be out for a little bit. We expect him, at worst, to be back by the first regular season game. He has been working hard trying to work his way back.”
(On who he anticipates being the starting cornerback) – “Tony (Lippett) has been starting the entire time anyway. We’ve been rotating those two guys (Howard and Lippett) in and out. Tony is just going to keep working at that spot right now.”
(On RB Arian Foster joining the running back competition) – “I think it adds great competition to that group. I really like his skill set. I’ve been an admirer of his for… I don’t even know how long he has been playing. It just feels like forever. (It is) a great opportunity for us (with) him still being out there. We had been in conversations with him for a while. We had brought him in on a visit. We had a really good talk and allowed him to get healthy and work to get back. It’ll be interesting when we get him out there and see how he fits in.”
(On determining how the running backs divide their reps) – “It usually sorts itself out. It’s hard to predict anything as far as going into the regular season. I know in practice, (Running Backs Coach) Danny (Barrett) does a great job as far as making sure everybody is getting the right type of reps, whether it be routes, outside zone, inside zone, gap scheme-type plays, protections. That’s the beauty about what our position coaches are doing to where they’re keeping track of what their guys have been doing in practice and then they can adjust. They see it on the (practice) script and know, ‘I need them to get these two outside zone runs, because he hasn’t had that many.’”
(On RB Arian Foster’s route running ability) – “I’ve always been a fan of how he does things. He’s the type of guy that he can run his route tree similar to what a wide receiver’s is. When we worked him out, I put him in a couple spots to see how that looked. He runs about as smooth as any running back that I’ve ever seen. I’ll be interested to see how far we can grow the running back position with him.”
(On whether he has spoken to RB Kenyan Drake about his route running skills) – “No, because I haven’t seen anybody. We’ve been here just a couple days now and there’s not a whole bunch of players hanging out here, obviously, especially four days before they’re going to report. Everybody is trying to get that last couple days to stay away.
(On the emotions of his first training camp as a head coach) – “It’s no different for me. It feels like what it has always been. I haven’t really given it much thought. I just know that as a staff, we’re trying to get ready right now, and we know we got meetings coming up here real quick on Thursday and then we got practice on Friday. There’s just not a lot of time to waste. Training camp is going to go by fast and we’re going to be at our first preseason game before we know it.”
(On RB Arian Foster’s health) – “I have a lot of faith in our training staff and our strength and conditioning (staff), our sport science (staff). We spent a lot of time with him on two different visits. We’re going to see how this all plays out. That’s the thing. Right now, we still have to get everybody here, have our trainers reassess everything – have our sport science guys reassess everything – when you have a conditioning test. Not only him (Arian Foster), but our entire roster, to make sure, ‘Are we completely healthy? Is there anybody else that we actually have to put on PUP?’ Right now, it’s a gray area for us. We feel like we’re fairly healthy, but you’ve seen a couple things pop up from other teams to where you get a little bit surprised. We just got to make sure before we declare, ‘We only got one guy on PUP.’ We got to make sure we get everybody in the building first.”
(On determining veterans’ practice time) – “We’ve had some discussions about what’s the best way to handle some of our guys (by) looking at our schedule and the days off and when you have a preseason game. It’s almost like you count back to try to figure out, ‘Alright, what’s the smart thing to do.” (You) develop a plan and you head into Thursday and Friday and you start saying, ‘Okay, how many days in a row should we go? How many reps should guys get?’ The good thing is, it feels like you got so many people that are really good at their job that can give you a heads up of, ‘Here’s what we need to do. He’s how many reps Cam (Wake) needs.’ As long as our sports science people keep doing a great job – (Sports Performance Director) Wayne (Diesel) and his staff – as far as giving myself and the coordinators a heads up, I think we’re going to do a good job of taking care of these guys in training camp.”
(On what he expects WR DeVante Parker) – “Well I haven’t seen him in five weeks. I’m hoping that when he comes back, he does a really good job on his conditioning tests and then he’s ready to go because as far as I know, we shouldn’t have any limitations and we should be able (to be) full go right out the gate.”
(On if he plans on G/T Laremy Tunsil to start training camp with the second team like he did in OTAs) – “I would say right now when (Offensive Line Coach) Chris (Forester), whoever he trots out that first day, that’s whoever’s out there for that group. I don’t even know. I haven’t even talked about it yet. They’re going to switch lineups around. He might be on the second team that very first period and then two periods later he might be with the first team. I mean we’ll see. We still got a couple of days to sort all that all out.”
(On if there’s a point in preseason he would like to have his starting lineup set) – “You just got to kind of see how this thing comes together. I just keep thinking back a couple of years ago in 2014, I think it was Week 11, against (the Dolphins). We changed the whole offensive line and played six or seven games and (were) one of the top teams in rushing, and we changed (the starting offensive line) in mid-season. So I mean it’s really, it’s irrelevant as far as how fast we need to be declaring a starting lineup.”
(On if they’ll see one on one’s with the wide receivers and defensive back matchups and why they didn’t have any in OTAs) – “Well you can’t do it in OTA’s. So this is the best time because once you get into training camp, when we get in full pads, now you’re going to see more one on one’s – whether it be linebackers, safeties, running backs, wide receivers versus DBs, o-line, d-line. You’re going to get to see it here in the next few days.”
(On what kind of stories he’s heard about the training camp weather) – “I mean it depends who you talk to. I’m a little disappointed to be honest with you. Baton Rouge is way hotter than it is down here. So if I hear anybody complain about weather, I’m going to be severely disappointed.”
(On how different he thinks the weather will be from where he’s been) – “I mean it’s going to be different than Denver and obviously it’s going to be different than Chicago. I mean it is what it is. I mean weather – it’s hot, cold – it shouldn’t matter to our players.”
(On if he sees the hot weather as an advantage) – “I do. Because if you’re training in the heat, I mean it’s an advantage for us.”
(On if he likes to run a physical camp or will take it easy with the veterans and injury concerns) – “We still got 35 guys under 25. So it’s not going to be a cupcake. We’re here to work. I mean we need to get better. We were 6-10 last year. I mean the team up in New England has won the division like 13 out of 16 years. We got a lot of work (to do).”
(On a determination of what role DE Dion Jordan might play) – “I mean until somebody tells me that he’s reinstated, I got nothing to add to that.”
(On if he has any timetable from the league on a reinstatement decision about DE Dion Jordan) – “I haven’t heard anything from the league.”
(On what the main thing he wants to get done in training camp) – “Probably just to see where our mental toughness is. What are we going to do when it gets tough? Because it’s going to be tough in camp. There’s not going to be any special treatment. We’re going to work and we’re going to make it hard and we’re going to see – when it really gets tough – who’s going to rise to the top and who’s going to fall off.”
(On his vision of the rotation at defensive line and DE Cameron Wake’s role in that rotation) – “I mean we’re going to be smart with him. I mean we know what the end goal is with him and that’s to make sure that he plays 16-plus games this year. I know the d-line coaches will do a great job as far as rotating those guys in and out. Once again the sports science staff, the strength staff and the trainers will make sure our guys are on it as far as ‘Hey, we only want him to take this many reps this day.’ The hardest thing is the individual (drills). We have a long, long time frame there with individual (drills) and it’s harder to keep track for the assistant coaches because you really don’t keep track of those reps. It’s easy to go on a script and if you have a 12-play period saying ‘He’s getting two reps this period.’ But when you’re in individual and you’re going 20, 25 minutes, it’s like how many reps did he get? So that’s where out sports science guys will tell us ‘Hey, you got to cut back on the individual,’ and the goal is to make sure that he’s healthy the entire year.”
(On if he thinks at some point there will be diminishing returns if DT Ndamukong Suh is out on the field 90 to 95 percent of the game) – “I don’t. I want him to do his thing. That’s why he trains the way he does in the offseason.”
(On if he has spoken to QB Ryan Tannehill since he became a new father) – “I haven’t seen him. I got a text saying that happened the other day. After that, it was just ‘Congratulations, I’m glad everybody is doing well.’ I haven’t really spoken to him since.”
(On if he is looking more at the physical or mental side of QB Ryan Tannehill’s game during the first week of training camp) – “I hate to … Really both. I’m thinking that mentally I’m not going to be really worried about anything. He’s showed me that he can handle what we’re doing and he’s ready to go. It’s going to be about how fast the rest of the guys can hang with him and we’re looking to make some great strides in this camp. It’s going to be competitive just because I feel like our defense is a tough defense to go against – that attacking style – and the way our corners play, the way the DBs play and then how that front rushes. It should be a good battle between offense and defense.”
(On how much he worries about chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill and his receivers) – “The good thing about it is we’re starting over. We’ve got this camp and hopefully we’ll stay as healthy as we can all through camp so we can develop that chemistry. The good part was I felt that Kenny (Stills) staying healthy the entire spring and same thing with Jarvis (Landry), I felt like there was something there. I really thought that Kenny came on there during the back half of the OTAs and minicamp and is one of those guys where he feels really comfortable and hopefully he can carry that over to training camp. The longer we can keep DeVante (Parker) out there and keep developing the timing with the routes and just hooking it up. I feel like there is a little natural chemistry out there (with Parker and Tannehill). Even the one day (Parker) shows up (to practice), he catches three or four balls and I’m not really sure… it was just kind of like street ball almost. So I feel like there’s just something there naturally between those two.”
(On adjusting to having a young team and how it compares to other young teams he has coached) – “It’s pretty young. I’d say maybe Denver (Broncos) in 2011 might have been as close to as young. That was like the (Tim) Tebow, Von Miller, all those guys were really young. That was probably the youngest team that I was around. For the most part, this is probably one of the younger ones that I’ve been a part of. The good thing is we’re not going to have a lot of guys sitting out of practice because of age. That’s the good part.”
(On how good of a grasp Ryan Tannehill has on the offensive scheme) – “I have no concerns. He has picked it up as well as I’ve expected and I’m sure he has been working hard the last five weeks to make sure that there is nothing he doesn’t know.”
(On how much the offense has been installed) – “The biggest part about what we do to get a lot of the terms in front of them and then it just becomes an adjustment from here. Everything is week to week. Once we get going in camp, we will kind of get an install going and then we’ll start game planning against the defense. The more (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) starts tinkering with what they do, I will only do like three or four installs and then it just becomes a daily … like ‘Hey, this is what they got us with last time and here is how we’re going to beat this,’ and we will start just changing it up.”
(On the contact in training camp and how he balances the evaluation of assignments and the physical part of blocking in the trenches) – “For us on the assignments, I feel good after watching all of the spring stuff. I felt like our line on the offensive side and the defensive side both… You feel good about the assignments as far as going into camp. Now with the physical part added, is the constant contact going to throw you off as far as… Now are you trying too hard to go out and smoke a guy and now you don’t do your job correctly? It’s a long evaluation. That’s why you have all of these practices. You just got to keep paying attention and figure out who are the guys that can handle the physical part plus the mental part.”
(On the depth at cornerback without CB Xavien Howard to start camp) – It is what it is right now. He (Howard) is not going to be there and it gives a bunch of guys a chance to step up and see who wants to try to make this team. We will see how it turns out. I’m interested to see how it plays out. I think it’s great for Tony (Lippett). It’s more reps for him and it’s going to be more reps for somebody else that gets a chance to step into that role.
(On CB Tony Lippett’s development this spring) – I thought he did a good job. (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) and I were talking about it the other day. As the spring went on, we saw him getting more comfortable and he did a good job. He had a couple of picks there towards the back half. It seemed like he did a good job of even when the ball was popped up in the air, he gets his hands on it. He does a good job of making sure that he comes down with the ball when he does get his hands on it. We are seeing improvement – the fact that he is long and can get at the line of scrimmage and press. We just need guys to be able to hang in there for a short period of time. That’s why I love our pass rush, because that thing is coming.”
(On if CB Xavien Howard’s absence affects where CB Bobby McCain will play) – “No, we are not going to mess with what Bobby (McCain) is doing. We need Bobby to keep working on his craft right now and I’m sure he will get plenty of time to work on anything outside; but we want him to focus on his roll of staying inside and developing that craft.”
(On the depth of players behind CB Bobby McCain) – “We are just going to keep working on it. We are going to keep throwing different guys in there. I know there are a lot of guys that are itching to try to compete at that position so we are going to try as many guys as we can. Obviously in this division, there are some guys that can play the slot and we need some guys that can handle it so we are going to keep trying to find out who is the best guy in there. I felt like Bobby (McCain) did a great job and he got better as the spring went along I know our offense is similar to some of the teams we play in our division and he has seen a lot of those routes that he is going to see in the season and he did a good job of covering (them). Obviously the guy that he is going against every day in practice is pretty good. ”
(On RB Arian Foster’s reps) – “The good thing with signing a guy like this late, is that he has been around football long enough that he knows and understands the football scheme, it’s just the terminology. He just has to make that switch in his brain, which I have no doubt he will be able to do. He is a very smart guy. It’s going to be about what are the smart reps to get with him. How many more times do we need to see Arian Foster run outside zone? I mean he has done it pretty good over his career. I want to see maybe certain things that he hasn’t done a whole bunch of. Or how do we use him in certain areas in the passing game so we can get him some experience there? We will just be smart with how we do it because we have a decent size group of running backs and we need to get all of those guys reps.”
(On RB Kenyan Drake’s health) – He is good. He should be good. Obviously we are going to find out here in the next couple of days; but as far as I know, when he left here after rehabbing, he was in good shape. We will see after the conditioning test and after our guys look at him where he is at.”
(On how physical he wants the players to be when pads are on) – “Time will tell. I’m interested to see it myself. If I look historically at each individual guy, I feel good about it. But it’s about everybody being on the same page and being able to practice correctly and understanding what type of expectations we have as how physical we want to be.”
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