Mike Tannenbaum and Chris Grier – January 24, 2018 (Senior Bowl)
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Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Executive VP of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and General Manager Chris Grier
Mike Tannenbaum:
(So who are you picking?) – “I’m picking the North 20-17. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
“We were actually laughing. You know you guys are here every year. You always see one team that looks so great during practice. You’re like ‘Oh, they’re going to kill the other team,’ and then it’s the opposite. They’re blown out or something and you’re just like …”
(What are the most important attributes in any quarterback that you would want on your team?) – “I think the big thing is leadership. You need a guy that’s kind of a dynamic personality that knows how to handle people, both good and bad, because you’re going to have ups and downs. (You need) a guy that’s steady and I think the important thing is a guy that a winner. I think it’s important for a guy that’s won in high school, won at the college level. You’re trying to look for a lot stuff that may translate to our level but the college game is different than our game. It takes a lot of work and our scouts do a great job in terms of background and digging and stuff. Those are some of things we look for and then, as we get to know the people. This is just Phase 2 really of the whole offseason process. We’re still early in it but we’re looking forward to get to know not only quarterbacks, but a lot of guys at other positions as well.”
(When you’re watching them on the field, what are the traits – film or field – what are the traits that you look for from the quarterback position?) – “Obviously, how he carries himself. It’s important here – for Mike (Tannenbaum) and I – we were talking and we like to watch the guys and how they handle themselves around the group with their teammates and coaches. This (event), they’ve been thrown in like a fish bowl here. Media’s here and (they have) new teammates (and a) new coaching staff. You just watch how they interact with that but when you watch it on film, again, you don’t really … I like to see them when they’re in their worst, when they’re struggling in a game and how they pull themselves out of it or how they rally their team. Those are always things you really look for. Again, just being able to see these guys live helps us tremendously with the evaluation process.”
(Wyoming QB Josh Allen I believe and Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph both said that they had time planned with you this week. I’m sure you’re going to talk to all of them if you haven’t already. What in those interviews has stood out to you and what do you look for I guess when you sit down and talk to them?) – “We’ve talked to some guys but we haven’t finished. We still have a whole day today. Really again, we’re just getting to know the players at this level at this time. I think for us the important thing is to get to know the person. We have the information from what the scouts have, so we’re just trying to see if that marries up and if there’s any red alerts or red flags that we need to look at as we go towards the Combine and the Pro Days, when we’ll spend more time with all of these players at other positions. I think for us right now, it’s really just getting to know the person and just see if they’re a fit and what kind of person they are and if they’re a fit for us.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(Just hypothetically, without getting into the specific guys or anything like that, you guys have a quarterback that you like right now, on the roster. So what would be the rationale philosophically behind considering drafting someone at 11?) – “For us, we’ve always talked about it – Chris (Grier), Adam (Gase) and I – we just want to give ourselves as much flexibility as we get closer to the draft and we’ll see what happens. Staying at 11, moving up, moving back, regardless of the position, we want to try to have as complete of a team as possible heading into the draft, so if things occur, whichever way they may, we’ll be prepared. You always hate going in saying ‘Boy, we’ve got to get position X to start this year,’ because things never work out that way and you don’t want to kind of force your own hand. We’re going to work really hard over the next couple of months to give ourselves as much flexibility as we get closer, and assuming we stay at 11, so we can take the best player for us at 11.”
(How comfortable are you with the 11th pick?) – “Well, I mean it is what it is. We’ve earned it, whether we like it or not. We were 6-10. We have to take advantage of that opportunity. History shows that if we do our work correctly, we should get a good player there. Again, we’re going to worry about the part we can control which is the preparation and being thorough and (we will) see how things unfold. A lot of things will change between now and draft, we all know that. There will be trades that none of us see, players that will go up the board or back down. A lot will happen between now and draft day.”
(I’m just trying to better understand your thought process roster building-wise, because if everything goes according to plan, QB Ryan Tannehill would be around for the foreseeable future. So what would be the logic behind adding any rookie quarterback this year?) – “Again, I think you have to balance winning for today and developing for tomorrow. Last year didn’t go, obviously, the way we hoped. It gave us a chance to reflect on some things we could do better. Part of that is making sure that we have good depth at as many positions as possible, knowing that over the course of a 16-game season, they’re going to play. That’s what history shows us. You look at the teams still playing, to their credit, they had excellent depth. For us, we’re always going to try to put the best team together, where we’re going to have players, not only in starting roles but in backup roles, that can go in and contribute right away. I think that there’s always a balancing act of trying to put a good team on the field but knowing that you’ve got to have quality backups behind them as well.”
(Where do things stand with WR Jarvis Landry?) – “Jarvis is a pending free agent. We have a lot of respect for him. He was drafted here, developed here and coached here. He’s obviously had very good production. In terms of negotiations, that’s something we wouldn’t comment on with any of our players. He’s one of several free agents. Damien Williams and Matt Moore are guys that have contributed here for a long time. I’m sure we’re going to keep some of them. We can’t keep all of them. That’s just the nature of our sport. There’s still some time before the upcoming deadlines.”
(There’s been a lot of talk in the newspapers from WR Jarvis Landry’s side on the record. He’s felt disrespected at some point in the negotiations. Did you speak to him at all about those concerns and do you feel like that’s behind you?) – “Yes, we’ve had a number of conversations for a long period of time. I’ll keep those conversations private, the ones that Chris (Grier) and I have had (with him). I’m sure they’ll do the same; but there’s been a lot of communication between us and them for a long period of time.”
(Prior to this offseason, what has your guys’ relationship been like with WR Jarvis Landry?) – “Again, he’s a Dolphin. He was drafted here. He’s been productive. I think Adam (Gase) has used him and he’s produced and he’s gotten better. Again, as the three of us (Gase and Chris Grier) said, we want sustainability. We want to keep as many of our own players, within reason, draft and develop them; but again, you can’t keep them all. That’s just part of the system that we all live in.”
(One of the strategies the Dolphins have employed in recent past is the use of the transition tag, which I’ve tried to read and learn about some. I know at least two guys you guys have used it with. Can you explain to me the philosophy of when that is used? Good? Bad? How it helps?) – “Yes, that’s obviously just one possibility that a team could use. Again, every situation is going to be different. Usually you have the right to match, I think it’s the player average of the top 10 at his position. Again, we’ll see what happens. We have some time until any of these deadlines come up.”
Chris Grier:
(How much do you guys rely on Special Advisor to the President and CEO Dan Marino’s input with quarterbacks? I saw him here.) – “It’s good to have Dan around. Obviously, a player that was of his caliber when he played and one of the all-time greats and someone that is very respected, it’s great having him in the meetings. We’ll sit and we’ll pick his brain and he’ll ask us questions, as well. For us, it’s great. It’s another opportunity for us to learn and for him to learn as well. I think the players are excited when they meet him too, which is always cool. It’s not just the quarterbacks. Last year we had a linebacker walk in. He walked in and he was like, ‘Oh, I loved you in Bad Boys 2.’ (laughter) And that’s how he knew him. That’s how the players and kids nowadays know him. It’s always cool to see how the guys react.”
(Does Special Advisor to the President and CEO Dan Marino function, basically, as an extra scout for you with quarterbacks?) – “Yes. He sits in on the coaching meetings with the coaching staff. Dan is a great guy and great to have around. He’s all-in with all of us and wants the best for us and the Dolphins as well.”
(This is Head Coach Adam Gase’s first trip to the Senior Bowl from my recollection. What does having him here bring to the evaluation process?) – “It was good. Last year we were in the playoffs so he didn’t have time and then I think this year, we didn’t have the year we wanted and so it gave him a little more time to come down. He came down for a day and wanted just to see everybody. It’s always good to see all of the quarterbacks live. He wanted to see all of the guys we’re interested in seeing, but also at other positions, as well. It was good having him here. He had some good talks yesterday and enjoyed his time here. I think he enjoyed it here; but he hopes he’s never here again. Hopefully we’re winning too many games for him to be here.”
(How would you describe the approach that Head Coach Adam Gase takes when he’s in the room with the players, especially quarterbacks?) – “Adam’s the same guy. (laughter) You know how he is. It’s no different. He’s always going to talk, challenge them and engage them. I think that’s what players love about him. You guys talk about how he is. He’s no different with any position.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(How would you evaluate the season WR DeVante Parker had? You’re going to have to make a decision on his fifth-year option. What are the plusses and minuses for a player that hasn’t yet played up to the level you guys are hoping?) – “DeVante is another guy we drafted here. We want to see him reach his potential. I know it’s important to him. Obviously, he’s dealt with injuries, which is I’m sure as frustrating to him as it is to us. We’re going to keep working with him and try to get him to be the best player he can be. Obviously he has a big ceiling and a lot of ability. He works hard at it. Like I said, I think it’s important to him. In terms of where we’ll go with his contract and his option, we have plenty of time to make that decision, so that’s a ways down the road.”
(Understanding his health, obviously an option year is not guaranteed unless it’s an injury. Would you feel comfortable betting on WR DeVante Parker to continue to develop and maybe show a little faith early? Would that be something you’d be alright with?) – “Again, we’ll look at it as the offseason evolves and where that goes. Again, we like DeVante as a person. We see his ability and, again, hope that he can grow and develop to reach his potential.”
Chris Grier:
(Last year’s first-round draft pick, DE Charles Harris, mixed in. Obviously you guys had depth at defensive line. How do you assess the two sacks and the overall performance and where you think he’s headed?) – “I think with us, it was a learning year for Charles. We didn’t expect him to come in here and be a great (player right away); but what he is is he works hard, he loves the game and he’s very competitive. I think probably over the last six games, he played really well as he kind of learned and got his feet wet and developed. That’s what, when he met with … He spent a lot of time with Jason Taylor early in the year and Jason kind of told him … Jason was like ‘I had (five sacks) my first year.’ He said ‘As the year goes on, you’re trying … As your body gets used to the long season, you’ll kind of figure it out.’ He played really well in those last three or four weeks of the season. We’re excited about his future. The guy loves football. He doesn’t say much. He just comes in. He’s a grinder. We’re very excited for him in the future.”
(How would you overall assess the rookie class and how they contributed?) – “I think it was good to get them a lot of playing time. I think like every class, you’d love for all of them to come in and be these star players but I think we’re excited for Charles’ (Harris) future. I think Raekwon (McMillan) is one we’re looking forward to getting him on the field. He was a big loss for us and we have high expectations for him. Davon Godchaux and one of the rookie free agents, Chase Allen … That whole class, overall, we’re very happy with them. We’re excited for the future; but again, we’re not settling. We know we need to get better.”
(Speaking of LB Raekwon McMillan, where is he at in his recovery at this point in time?) – “He’s right on or ahead of schedule. He’s in there every day. That’s from the coaching staff, the trainers. He’s in the meetings all of the time, and they just talk about how he is and his approach to everything. He should be ready to go in May and be out there at 100 percent.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(You guys have had a month almost since the end of the season to assess things. Do you feel like after 6-10, this is something you guys can turn around in one offseason? Or is it a more long-term project than that?) – “When you just look at the big picture of our sport, I think that’s one of the things that is attractive about our sport is how things change. When you look at the NFC playoff teams, like five of the six teams were new this year. Over the last couple of years, the AFC has kind of turned over and you have almost as much. I would say we have a lot of work to do and we’re trying to have … I think to have sustainability in our system, you have to evaluate your own correctly. We’ve been spending a lot of time talking about that and trying to learn from what happened a year ago. As Chris (Grier) just touched on, from the draft class to the work ethic of our guys, we’re very excited about our future. We have a lot of work to do but we do feel like things are going in the right direction. We’re going to have make some obviously hard decisions and choices along the way, but in terms of our view of the program and what we want it to be, we feel like it is going in the right direction.”
(What is your level of optimism that you can do that with what you have right now though, as far as getting back to the playoffs next season?) – “Again, because our sport is so close – the games, how competitive they are … We were all there for our last game and the Chargers are hanging in the balance, and the Ravens. Buffalo gets in to their credit. Things can change so quickly by just a handful of plays. For us, we’re going to start 0-0. We have a lot of work to do but we also know there is great opportunity there if we work hard and do things the right way.”
(What did you learn from last year’s turnaround, the opposite way?) – “I would say when you look at … When you sit there and look at your team on paper and the depth and say ‘Okay, we feel pretty good.’ Some of our depth was tested early and it didn’t respond as well as we had hoped. Again, I think the three of us (Chris Grier and Adam Gase) talked a lot about that – building a team for a long season knowing that the way our sport is now, all of these guys are eventually going to play and some may have to play sooner than others. Are we, within reason, prepared for all of those situations that may occur? We look at every year as an opportunity to get better and to learn, not just because we were 6-10; but we try to go through that process every year.”
Chris Grier:
(What did you learn from last season?) – “Again, like Mike (Tannenbaum) said, for us with the evaluation, you’re learning every day, every game, every week, every month. For us, I don’t think you look at it as the season’s over, it’s done. I think if you’re a good organization, you’re always evaluating and doing a self-assessment. We’ve been doing that. Right now we’re in a big phase of Adam (Gase) has got this new coaching staff. We brought in new people so we have fresh eyes and a fresh look at our team and we’re going to get together as a staff here in a couple of weeks and again, we’re going to hammer it out for two days. We’re going to knock out everything and talk about what we’re going to do offensively and defensively, what we need to get better at and what we do. Everyone, the whole organization, is going to be on the same page and I think that’s important if we want to sustain success here. For us, again, we learn every day. We were 6-10. It is what it is. We feel we’re a better team than that but we just have to prove it.”
