Michael Thomas – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins S Michael Thomas (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: What are the stories you’ve heard from the people you know and love about the devastation from Hurricane Harvey?
A: Some people who were just affected by the floods a couple years ago had to leave home, had to evacuate. Same thing. They lost everything, so they are going to have to start over again. My immediate family that was down there, they were able to get out together. Just glad my family was able to get out and everyone is safe. Everyone is starting to make their way back to Houston. There are a lot of people that are going to be starting over. They need as much help as they can get.
Q: What gives you optimism about the recovery of Houston?
A: Just the fact that so many people that are already in Houston have been pulling together. Class, race, money, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is coming together. To see everyone outside of Houston, outside of Texas, pitching in, the number of artists and athletes doing their thing. The people around the U.S., a person who can’t donate one million dollars, they are sending the diapers, the dry clothes, and the hand sanitizer. That’s the stuff that these people in the shelters need right now. It’s amazing to see that.
Q: Have you heard from your family?
A: Yeah, they tried to drive back from Dallas today. They are trying to find a gas station that’s not jacking up the prices, or even a gas station that is open. The water has gone down on the freeways, so people are trying to go back to Houston to assess the damages. It’s great to see a lot of people pitching in.
Q: Have you seen what J.J. Watt has done?
A: Amazing. That’s amazing for him. I don’t know what his original goal was. It’s great that he is using his platform to be able to raise that type of money and give back to the city that he plays for. That’s huge. I feel like if more people with his type of status did stuff like that, that’d be a huge thing and more people would be involved. Big shout-out to J.J. Watt and everybody else who’s tried to do something.
Mitch Matthews – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins WR Mitch Matthews (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: It’s got to be nice to get in the end zone, no matter what?
A: It just feels good, it was my first one, in the NFL wearing any uniform. I’ve been on a few teams, it was my first touchdown.
Q: How tough is it, with cuts coming up?
A: You just have to keep your phone by you, you know if it’s not with this team, it’s with another. I hope everyone here makes it somewhere. I hope it’s here, this is a great team. A lot of really good receivers here to run from, and I’m honored to be here and play pre-season for these guys. Like I say, just stay by your phone and hope for the best.
MarQueis Gray – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins TE MarQueis Gray (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: Is it always good to get into the end zone whether it is preseason or regular season?
A: Yeah, it feels really good. Hopefully I can carry it onto the regular season, but like I said, anytime you can get into the end zone it’s a great feeling.
Q: What do you think your team showed throughout in the preseason?
A: We showed that we can play four quarters and that we’re in shape. We have been down in south Florida in the heat and coach Garrison got us ready for the preseason. Now it is time to carry it into the regular season.
Q: Do you feel this team is ready?
A: We still got things to work on. I don’t feel any team is ready. At the end of the day, that is what practice is for and we have to get ready for next week.
Q: How nice is it to relax now that you’re almost guaranteed on the 53-man roster?
A: I don’t know what is going on. I may have signed a contract extension last year, but you never know in this league. I just have to wait by my phone like everyone else and hope for the best.
Jakeem Grant – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: Is this what you had in mind in terms of what you can do?
A: I was just trying to go out there and make a play. I wanted to show everybody that I am a receiver before a returner. I was just making plays and doing whatever I can to have the coaches trust me. I feel like that is another step that I took tonight.
Q: It seems like you’re in a much better position to get that chance during the regular season than a year ago. Do you agree with that?
A: This year I am night and day from last year in terms of being a better player and better pro. I have learned the ins and outs as well as learning from the veteran guys like [Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills] and looking up to those guys. I watched what they did last year that made them excel to another level so that’s what I have taken in.
Q: Do you look to make this a weekly occurrence?
A: Definitely. I just want to make play after play so the coaches know whenever they put me in there it’s going to be a big play.
Q: What do you think you showed this preseason?
A: Like I said, I am a receiver before a returner. I just wanted to go out there and show everybody that I can go out there and make big plays like [Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker]. Whenever you put me in there you can trust me and there is not going to be a slack off.
David Fales – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins QB David Fales (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: What kind of weapon is Jakeem Grant?
A: It is awesome throwing it up to him, it’s hard to stop a guy that fast. He did a good job making a play when the ball was thrown his way. He did a good job, he is hard to cover; he is fast.
Q: How do you feel about your overall preseason, training camp, everything?
A: I think I played well in the beginning, had a couple situations in games two and three that I wish I could’ve done better in. I thought I played decent this last game. Practice, it’s hard to tell. I thought I did okay with the reps that I was given.
Q: You’re still trying to establish yourself in the league, over the past few months, do you think you have made progress?
A: Yeah, I think this game helped and the first game helped. Yeah I think it has helped. I just have to keep playing that way. Last game I had a two-minute drive that I could’ve done a little bit better with but yeah, I thought this helped.
Q: What is this time like, with cuts looming?
A: I mean this is my fourth time doing it so, I’m just like, just tell me. I want to know. I am cool with Coach Adam Gase and Quarterback Coach Bo Hardegree. It is stressful though. The last couple weeks you’re just waiting, it’s a slow couple weeks.
Adam Gase – August 31, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Postgame – Minnesota
Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by the Minnesota Vikings)
Q: Has the way Jakeem Grant played in the preseason changed your confidence in him?
A: We noticed a big difference – he’s hard to cover out there. He’s done a good job usually, when you put a smaller guy outside and usually – he’s just going to wrap out and get to the corners and when he does he’s so shifty, he’s hard to get hands on.
Q: What was the thinking behind playing [Jordan] Phillips and [Davon] Gauchaux tonight and how do you think they did?
A: We will have to look at the tape. You want to play good guys; you want to play guys who are probably going to be first shift so… you know rookies need as much time as they can get. Jordan [Phillips], we wanted him to play a few plays and just kind of get a sense of how he is day in and day out.
Q: Were any jobs won or lost out here?
A: We’ll figure it out. On the flight home we’ll be able to watch the entire tape so we’ll be able to figure everything out and kind of see how it shakes out. We had some decisions made moving into tonight so we’ll see how they played.
Q: Will [Rey] Maualuga be ready to go in week one?
A: We kind of changed our minds last week on that one. We felt he was very close to be being back and could work outside and push his conditioning and keep pushing him because he was making some strides last week. We wanted to ensure to use the time we have and now we have a few more days until we really start practicing. We want him to be in the best shape possible.
Q: Does it look like Neville Hewitt will not be ready for the start of the season?
A: Yeah. It’s hard for me to answer that right now. When I get back, we’ll kind of have some discussions on where he is at.
Q: Jarvis [Landry] was back in the news today. Are you frustrated that six months in this hasn’t been resolved?
A: Yeah I think it’s a League matter. There is nothing really that we can do about it. We are just waiting to hear what the League says to us and then we can move on from there.
Q: Are you feeling optimistic about [Jarvis] Landry?
A: I have no idea.
Q: How open is the Dolphins organization to making its 53-man roster and then looking at the over 1,000 available players who are out there to see about adding a few?
A: Well most of our [scouts] have been going for quite a while now. It’s a long process and it’s a lot of work. We will see how it goes down and maybe see if there’s anybody we are going to switch out, or if we are good with the guys we’ve got. We have a couple days here and our personnel department has a lot of guys to look at, to really comb through – who is out there – and then all of the work they have already done; they have got to kind of put the pieces together.
Adam Gase – August 31, 2017 (Halftime)
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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase (Halftime)
(WR Jakeem Grant continues to make big plays for you.) – “It was a great job. He’s had a lot of one-on-one matchups. He’s figuring out a way to win and we’re hooking up pretty good.”
(Got a good chance to get a little more out of RB Kenyan Drake. You happy with what you saw out of him early?) – “We’ve got a couple thing to clean up with him; but we know he’s a playmaker. We’ve just got to make sure that we’re doing good as far as our assignments.”
(You got both quarterbacks that led you on a touchdown drive, one of them two. How do you see that going there?) – “Brandon (Doughty) will start the third quarter and then we’ll go back to David (Fales) in the fourth. We’ll just keep mixing guys in. We’re trying to give everybody an opportunity.”
(What are you happy with what you saw?) – “I like the fact that we got some plays. We weren’t three-and-out. Guys were … They’re making plays. We’re getting one-on-one opportunities, and we’re winning.”
Jordan Phillips – August 29, 2017
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Tuesday, August 29, 2017
DT Jordan Phillips
(On if he’s gotten more playing time of late…) – “We’re still doing the same thing we’ve been doing.”
(Do you feel like you have a real chance to win the starting DT job at this point?) – “That was never a question in my mind, so yes.”
(Are you pleased with how it’s gone for you that last couple of weeks? obviously you had the interception in the game (against Philadelphia). Do you feel like you’re playing at a high level?) – “I feel like this is my best preseason, training camp, everything. I’ve been sticking to the grind.”
(Why specifically do you think this is your best preseason? What do you feel like you’ve improved over the last month?) – “I’m just playing harder, honestly. Everything’s just coming together. Everything’s a lot slower.”
(What do you think about this d-line? You guys have some new faces in there. You put some resources into it. What’s been your idea of the result so far?) – “I’d say the best thing about our room is that we’re keeping the same guys in there – the same core guys. We know how each other plays. We brought on some great rookies that should help us out, and we should continue from what we did last year, just a little bit better.”
(Weight-wise, where are you now compared to the end of last season?) – “Twenty-eight, 328. So I lost about 20 pounds, somewhere in (that range).”
(How has losing weight helped?) – “(It’s been) good. I’m moving well. I feel good. That’s all that matters.”
(What did you think of DT Ndamukong Suh’s kicking form?) – “Everybody knew he could kick. I think he’s our second-team kicker, I don’t know. (laughter) The man can kick.”
(How’s your leg as a kicker? You’re not going to get back there any time soon?) – “I can do it all, so whatever they need me to do. (laughter)”
(You were very introspective with us when you talked to us in the auditorium in May about changes you wanted to make. What do you think has been the biggest change in you from the player of a year ago to now?) – “I’d just say changing everybody’s view on me here, as in just being more consistent, somebody that everybody can count on.”
(What have you gotten from DE William Hayes?) – “He’s a different man, I’ll tell you that right now. (laughter) I haven’t been around somebody like Will. He plays hard every play. He sets that edge. He’s a dominant force out on that edge and he can also rush the passer.”
(What makes Head Coach Adam Gase such a player’s coach?) – “He talks to people. He gets to know his players. You want to play for him. You want to work hard for him. You don’t want to let him down and he shows us love. Nobody practices in this heat like we do and you see this week we’re here in the bubble. He’s not taking it easy on us. We’re getting our work done, but he’s giving us that little extra motivation. He’s giving us a bonus, so we’re going to work hard for him.”
(What’s you impression of Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke in his role?) – “He’s the same way. He’s a player’s coach. He listens to us. We listen to him. He’s open to ideas. He communicates well. He gets angry, but he understands where we all are coming from. I wouldn’t say the age thing is in there, but he’s a young guy too. I feel like we just relate to him really well.”
(Did I hear you correctly, you said you lost 20 pounds?) – “Yes.”
(You’re at 328? Last year you played at 348?) – “This offseason I came in heavy. At like 347, somewhere in there.”
(What did you do? How did you lose all of the weight?) – “It wasn’t bad. In training camp out here, you’re going to lose weight. It wasn’t hard.”
(Not a big diet change?) – “I’ve been eating better. I just knew it was going to come off. I wasn’t worried about it.”
(Do you notice a difference in the day to day work, that it’s easier for you or you feel lighter or any of those types of things?) – “No. My joints feel a little bit better, but that’s about it. These turf days don’t help, but I’ve been moving around well. (I) can play longer (and) faster.”
(Not that you need competition to motivate you, but do you think that having DT Davon Godchaux play well as a rookie has been a good thing in terms of it’s great at competition?) – “One-hundred percent. Competition in every room is a great thing. It brings the best out of everybody. You can’t have a letdown in practice. You can’t have a letdown in a game. Especially in our room, we have a high standard for everybody. Any spot can be taken at any point.”
(Your thoughts on T Jesse Davis. You’ve matched up on him some in practice a little bit or no?) – “Jesse works hard. He comes off the ball. He’s smart. He doesn’t say much but when he’s in, he does what he needs to do.”
