Ryan Tannehill – August 4, 2018
Saturday, August 4, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(Was the scramble significant for you?) – “I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now, and even in the spring, so it’s not significant. It does feel good to be out back on the grass and back in Hard Rock Stadium for the first time in a long time. I don’t think our performance on offense was up to our standard of what we want it to be; but as far as coming out here for the first time in a long time and to be back on the grass and back to doing what we do, it felt good.”
(How does your speed feel, do you feel fast?) – “Yes. I feel like I did before everything happened, so I feel good.”
(On that bootleg, it looked like you had TE MarQueis Gray but he made a real good block. What was your thought process there? It seemed like a pretty high level of confidence.) – “I just came around the corner and nobody was there. MarQueis was a little bit behind me and I saw the safety coming down, and I said, ‘Hey, if we get that one block then we’ll be able to get even more yards.’ So, it was a split second decision and I thought it was good enough.”
(How important is it to you, that stage in the offense – those bootlegs, those movement plays for you?) – “It’s big. I like having that as part of our game. I think it matches up well our outside run, zone run plays that are going to be a foundation for this offense. You kind of have to have those in order to counteract the outside zones. It’s going to be big for us.”
(You seem to be as athletic with the brace. Does it limit you at all in any way?) – “I wouldn’t say it limits me. It’s a bit cumbersome, but it doesn’t limit me from doing anything. I ran in the offseason with it, did all the drills with it and everything, so you get used to it and it becomes like second nature.”
(Have you thought about a slide approach, because I watched the review film from the officials. You can slide forward and they can’t touch you. Will that alter your decision in any way how you slide?) – “I think there will be more head-first slides, just as the nature of what it is, just being to keep your speed going forward and dive forward. We’ll work on that. We’ll work on the right leg down slides as well as the head-first slides.”
(The pre-snap penalties were something that Head Coach Adam Gase mentioned. When that happens, what are the causes of that and how do you fix it?) – “It’s discipline. Every man has to take it upon himself to listen, listen to the snap count in the huddle, have the discipline at the line of scrimmage to sit in there when you’ve got a speed rusher coming around the edge, and to be able to not anticipate the snap too much and stay onside. It’s an individual thing where every man has to take it upon himself to stay onside and do the little things right. That’s what we’re working on throughout this training camp. We’re running every day after practice trying to get it fixed. We’re doing everything we can and making it a big emphasis, and it’s going to get fixed.”
(Have they talked to you at all on how you’re going to be used on Thursday and are there any butterflies leading up to that first preseason game?) – “We haven’t even talked about it, but I am excited to get back out there and play some real football. As the spring has gone on and as training camp has gone on, every step is feeling really good as far as getting prepared for the season. That’s just the next step as we go, to get hit for the first time – hopefully not get hit for the first time, but I’ll at least have the chance to get hit for the first time. (laughter)”
(What do you feel causes these lapses in focus that lead to the pre-snap penalties?) – “There’s a lot going on. It’s football. It’s a multifaceted game. You have long play calls, you have a lot of responsibilities and adjustments that are made at the line of scrimmage. Every individual man is thinking of his technique, what it’s going to be and what the defender’s technique is going to be. There’s a lot going on. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it needs to get fixed.”
(I’m sure you’re a tough grader. How do you feel like the offense is doing at this point? Do you feel like you guys are where you need to be?) – “I didn’t feel like today was up to our standard. I feel like this week, we’ve had some really good practices, excluding today. We’re pressing forward and continuing to get better each and every day. I don’t feel like today we came out and executed to our level of expectation. I wouldn’t say that we took a step backwards, but we definitely didn’t take a step forward today, so we’re going to have to really hit it when we get back on the field next week.”
(You and TE Mike Gesicki seem to be really hitting it off as far as chemistry goes. Do you feel like this is the first time that you’ve really had this type of connection with a tight end since your days in college?) – “I don’t know. Mike has come on and he’s done a good job for us. He’s hungry, he’s young, he wants to be good, he wants to do the things the right way, he listens and he’s really athletic. That helps him a lot. He’s a playmaker. I saw yesterday, there was a play in the end zone there, and in 7-on-7 today, down the field. He has a lot of athletic ability, he’s really explosive, long arms, long catch radius and he’s going to make a lot of plays for us.”
(You talked a lot about the work you did with the receivers in the offseason, some voluntary stuff. Have you done extra work with TE Mike Gesicki since he’s a rookie and there’s a lot of catching up to do than say WR Danny Amendola?) – “Yes, I think there’s a lot more conversation with Mike as opposed to some of the older guys who have played a lot more football. Just getting the nuances of how I want to see things and he’s hungry to learn, so he’s all ears in those situations and really applying it. That’s the big key is being able to take those conversations that we have and then apply them the next day or whatever the case may be a few days later. So that’s where you’re seeing the big steps come from.”
(Have you been helping him after practice? What have you been doing in the last week or so to help TE Mike Gesicki speed things up?) – “Yes, we’ve had some throwing sessions after practice, just working on the little quick timing things that are big, especially down in the red zone, where the windows are tight and the ball has to come up early. Once you’re on the same page there, you’re going to see it pay dividends.”
(TE Mike Gesicki said he would walk your dog if you asked him, but would you ask him to do something like that?) – “I don’t know about my dog, but my lawn probably needs to be mowed, so we’ll see if he can take care of that this off day. (laughter)”
Charles Harris – August 4, 2018
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Saturday, August 4, 2018
DE Charles Harris
(A pretty productive scrimmage from your end? A couple of times you got to QB Ryan Tannehill. A pretty productive scrimmage from your vantage point?) – “It’s cool. It’s good to get a … It’s really great to get into the stadium, get a feel for the stadium, get a feel for the grass. It’s way different than last year, a lot better from last year. It’s great to get back under these lights, under this heat and in front of the fans.”
(Did they give you credit for that first one?) – “I really don’t know. We have our meeting on Monday with everything. But I really don’t know.”
(Why do you feel like you’re playing so well right now?) – “I’m peaceful. I’m thanking God for my opportunity to be out here and I’m loving the game. I feel like last year I just tried to work. I tried to work, tried to check off things. Every single day I came in, I did a check list. That’s all it was. But now I really love the game. I’ve got that love back. I feel like that’s the biggest thing. I want to be out here. Versus last year, I’m like, ‘Let’s get this thing over with.’ Now, it’s like I love it now. I got my love back for the game.”
(You talked about working on several moves, so you can have them in your arsenal. What moves have felt good today and felt good recently in practice?) – “That’s really for me to keep to myself. (laughter) It’s a lot of stuff. Of course, the in and out, the swipe, step chop – all that kind of stuff. I’m perfecting it all. I just need two or three moves. I don’t need a whole bunch of them. I feel like that was my problem last year. I do everything in the book, but I don’t need everything in the book. I have to be concise with it.”
(How is the Charles Harris that stands here with us today different than the guy from the scrimmage one year ago?) – “A year ago, Charles Harris was kind of stretched out, kind of in a dark place; but like I said, I just love being out here, love competing, love having the logo on me and everything like that. I love my teammates and everything like that. I love my teammates. That’s really all we’ve got here, too. I love playing for my brothers. I feel like we really are getting closer and closer together and that’s a shout out to the coaches – (Defensive Line) Coach (Kris) Kocurek – and everybody else that forces us to be together. It’s all love now.”
(DE Cameron Wake said you had the best offseason of any player on the team. What did you think when you heard that?) – “He just told me that, but that’s big praise from big bro. It’s kind of one of those things that go in one ear and out the other. You’ve got to show up every day. Every single day you wake up, every time you see that sun, it’s a new opportunity to get better at your craft, to be productive, to really be productive. I’m just called to be productive and that’s what I have to do every single day. All the work I put in, it doesn’t matter. It’s about what I’m doing in the present. The present is the most important. The time is now.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said he believes that you figured out a way to get more pressures on first and second down. Can you tell me about how that has happened?) – “’Coach K’ (Kris Kocurek) has really simplified the run game for me, simplified play-action and reads and all the kind of stuff, and really just go. In my mind, I tell myself, ‘Go, go, go.’ And no matter what I see, just trust myself whatever I see. If I see a down block, close. I see a run at me, extend my arms. If I feel like he’s letting off a little bit, get to a rip. ‘Coach K’ simplified everything. He told me, ‘Go, go.’ That’s the best thing.”
(Do you feel faster or do you feel stronger? Which one is more the right statement for this year?) – “I feel more at ease. Mentally, I feel like that transitioned over to speed and everything like that. I worked as hard as I can back in Kansas City with Coach Mark Moore. He got my conditioning up higher and he got my strength up a lot higher. I’m just mentally … I’m not thinking about it so much. I’m just going.”
(Is there an exercise that you feel you’ve made a lot of improvement at?) – “Not an exercise specifically. I do pushups. I do a lot of pushups. That’s really the only thing I really do. I don’t do all the dumbbell, barbell stuff anymore. I do dumbbells, but I do a lot of body weight stuff.”
Adam Gase – August 4, 2018
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Saturday, August 4, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Your observations from the scrimmage, either good or bad?) – “Not sure if I can really get … The only thing I noticed was the pre-snap penalties. We’ve just got to get that cleaned up. The delay of game, I’ve got to figure out what really happened there. I don’t know if we were a little slow, either me calling it or relaying it in, or whatever happened there. We didn’t change personnel. That was odd. We’ve got to do a better job. I know it’s second group going against the ones and they’re trying to get a little bit of a jump. Sam (Young) going against Robert Quinn, that’s always a fun matchup for him. We’ve got to do a better job of not losing 5 yards on a no play.”
(When you have pre-snap penalties with the first team anyway, could that have anything to do that the Kilgore-Tannehill relationship is new?) – “No because it hasn’t been those two guys. It’s usually a lot of times we’re getting a little anxious on the edges. That’s really where we’ve had any kind of issues. The ones really haven’t been an issue for us, outside that delay of game we had.”
(What did you want to get out of today and what did you get out of today?) – “Really, for us it’s just getting ready for Thursday. Going through the pre-game warmup, getting into the stadium, just all those little things. You don’t want that to be the first time – the headsets, just everybody, the communication. It’s a little different because you’re not going back to the bench and then going back out for another series, so it’s kind of going a little quicker; but there’s a lot of things that we can carry over to Thursday.”
(Would you say the gassers approach is working? Not working?) – “Did it look like it was working?”
(What more can you do to get…?) – “I don’t know. We’re just going to have to fix it. We just have to focus and understand the cadence is for us on offense to help us, not to hurt us. We’ve just got to hang in there and we’ve just got to do a better job being consistent with it.”
(What did you notice about DE Charles Harris today?) – “He’s a tough matchup, especially on pass downs. The thing that he’s improved on, especially from last year to this year and then through training camp, is his transition to a pass rush when it’s first and second down. That’s really kind of where rookies across the league will struggle always. You’ll see that their pass disruption numbers aren’t as good on first and second down because they’re always thinking run and then they have to transition to the pass rush. I think he’s really improved in that area and then you can see he causes disruption, especially if he gets a matchup where it’s a tight end/tackle trying to work with him. It’s really tough if he wins off the ball.”
(How big could it be for DE Charles Harris’ confidence to get after the quarterback like he did today?) – “I don’t think he had any confidence issues to begin with. He’s doing the same thing he’s done since he’s been here.”
(Did you have any tackling-to-the-ground segments today?) – “Were you there? (laughter) I want to say something, but I won’t. (laughter) But we did, yes. We did with the twos and the threes in that last period, we did. We went to the ground.”
(Does DE Andre Branch look a little different to you now that he’s healthy this year? Has he regained maybe what he was missing with the issue last year?) – “For him, he tried all season to fight through that and he gave us everything he had. His numbers, he had one less sack. Really, where he struggled last year was … He made a lot of plays that were away from him down the field with extra effort. Last year it was hard for him to get that burst that he showed the year before. I think now that he’s healthy, we see it in practice every day. There’s eight guys rotating in there with that first group. When those guys are fresh, it doesn’t matter who’s out there, they’re tough to block.”
(We didn’t see a lot out of QB Ryan Tannehill obviously but a couple plays stood out and one was the bootleg. It seemed like he was pretty good moving there.) – “Yes. Ever since he’s come back from spring to now … He rehabbed extremely hard. He’s probably stronger than he’s ever been. When you spend that much time in the training room and the weight room, it’s going to happen. I know he’s excited to get going and get in a real game and just kind of get the season rolling.”
(I know it’s early and you haven’t looked at the film or anything but off the top of your head, are there any guys who might have been under the radar who you’re saying to yourself, “Maybe I should take another look at this guy next week?”) – “That’s hard for me to say. After we get done watching this, we’ll have a better idea. If we have to shuffle things around, whether it be on offense or defense, even special teams, ‘Rizz’ (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi) might see a couple of things that maybe gives a guy a boost and give him a little more playing time in that Tampa game.”
(What has Rob Ryan been doing with you guys?) – “He’s just really kind of taking in some ball. I know he’s working around probably a little bit of the country and dropping in some places where he knows people. That’s what coaches, when you’re not with a team, you try to go to a couple places. It’s learning. You’re just trying to keep the knowledge expanding and learning different things, so when the next one comes around, you’re ready to go and your mind is still on football.”
(Are you guys considering bringing Rob Ryan on staff?) – “I mean, he hasn’t asked me or I haven’t asked him. He’s just here visiting (Senior Director of Football and Player Development) Joe (Vitt) and a lot of us know him.”
(What is the most impressive thing you saw today in the scrimmage?) – “I think it was good to see in that second group, they made it tough on … The ends made it tough on the outside guys. I think they always do. We got them with the twos, but really they are ones. I think Brock (Osweiler), you can see he’s been around for a minute. He likes being in this offense. It didn’t seem real difficult for him to move the ball down the field. That was good. I think Brandon Radcliff did a good job as well. He had some good catches, had some good runs. We need kind of our ones and those guys that are really kind of locked in already, we need those guys to keep improving and that’s going to be the biggest thing for us.”
(What was the most horrible, vomit-inducing thing you saw?) – “Pick one of the pre-snap penalties. They all can go in the same area.”
Raekwon McMillan – August 4, 2018
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Saturday, August 4, 2018
LB Raekwon McMillan
(I bet it feels a whole lot different than the last time you were on this field.) – “Yes. Last time I was on this field, I could barely walk straight. I’m just glad to be out here. I’m glad to be out here with this team and glad to be out and finally contribute.”
(What did you guys see today from the scrimmage defensively?) – “We saw a lot of schemed up plays from the offense. They gave us a lot of draw plays on long-distance downs, so it was kind of hard in the run game. When we look at today, we had a lot of false starts that we have to clean up, a lot of little small things that we have to clean up before we get down to September.”
(What was the biggest takeaway for you personally coming out of the scrimmage?) – “I’m just glad to be back. A year ago from today, I was named the starter. I was doing all this, doing all that. I had a big head but then I was humbled a week later. I’m just fortunate enough to be back in the same position and have a role with this defense.”
(How did it feel when you got here this morning?) – “I felt good. I’ve still got camp legs. I’ve still got a lot going on. I’m still sore; but we felt good as a team. Like I said, we have a lot of things to clean up, but as a team I think we’re rolling in the right direction.”
(But were you thinking back to what happened a year ago when you arrived here?) – “No, not at all. I wasn’t thinking about what happened. I don’t usually think about the injury anymore. I just thank God for bringing me back to where I am today.”
Adam Gase – August 3, 2018
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Friday, August 3, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We’ve seen a lot of encouraging things with QB Ryan Tannehill and TE Mike Gesicki the last couple of days. How encouraged have you been?) – “I think once we hit the red-area period, I think it was that third or fourth day of camp, you could see Mike started really feeling comfortable. I think we’ve had more success on the field on third downs (and in the) red area with those two guys developing some chemistry. I think him taking so many reps over spring and the beginning of camp has been good for him. He’s playing fast. He’s not thinking. We have a good feel of some of the things that at least our starting point with him, what we want to keep working with him on and see if we can really accelerate him and his growth and give him more as time goes on. But right now, I like the way they’re working together. I like the way they’re making plays. Ryan has had some good throws and Mike has done a good job of if there’s any kind of error, he’s a big target that can go up and get the ball.”
(Tomorrow we have the scrimmage coming up. What’s it going to be like in terms of format? What should fans expect? Secondly, what are you going to be looking for out of that?) – “Really, it’s the dress rehearsal for our preseason games. We try to keep everything close to what we’re going to do in our preseason opener – how players come out of the locker room, how we do things pregame, our pregame meal at the stadium. It’s all of those little things to where if you’ve been here you’ve gone through it before, it’s not as big a deal. If you’re new, it’s like your dry run. Understanding how to get to the stadium, where do you go, where do you park and then locker room, what we’re doing, how you get stretched out before the game, the routine pregame with everybody on the field, who comes out when. And then when we hit the scrimmage, it’s the same format we did last year. We’ll get some individual, get some 7-on-7. We just keep it as close to the game as possible. We do the 7-on-7 a little longer and then when we hit those team periods, all three groups will roll through. It’s really just a move-the-ball period, really. It’s really like practice for us. We get the headsets on. We just can’t do the sideline adjustments. That’s really the only thing missing from the whole scrimmage experience.”
(Any live tackling?) – “I haven’t really gone through it with the guys yet. To be determined.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about the new changes to tackling. I’ve watched the video and it’s kind of vague except for you can’t hit with the crown of your helmet. Do you think some of those calls when you get into the course of the games will be subjective and how will that impact coaches?) – “I’m not sure. It’s a hard question for me to answer because I haven’t gone through a game this year yet. I will say this: having the officials here, we were keeping track of whether it be a thud period or live tackling in practice to where we were wondering, ‘Is this what we’re talking about?’ or, ‘Is this good?’ or, ‘Is this bad?’ We went through that yesterday. There weren’t a ton of them, but we got some really good feedback. I think the way our coaches are coaching right now, they’re doing the right things as far as we’re emphasizing wrapping up, which that’s what you want anyways. When we see some of these guys throwing a shoulder in there, that’s when you kind of get that head start to lower. When you wrap up, you’re going to see what you hit. And that’s really what our point of emphasis has been is see what you hit and just make sure we’re not dipping our head down there. We’re not trying to overemphasize it, but those are our coaching points. I think guys have done a really good job of trying to follow through with what we’re asking them to do. Really, the toughest thing is when you see some of the pulls, the bigger lineman and they try to get lower, that’s where you have to avoid dropping your head.”
(With DE William Hayes, he has obviously been around a while. So if he’s out for a minute, do you think he’ll be fine when the season starts rep-wise and all of that?) – “Yes. I’m never worried about him. We try to hold him out of practice every once in a while just because we know how hard he goes. We know how much he loves practicing. He likes every step of the way of football. We have to remind him of his age sometimes, that he’s not 22 anymore; but he doesn’t want to hear that. We try to protect him from himself sometimes, but he’s a warrior. He’s an old-school football player. He doesn’t like missing time. He doesn’t like getting special treatment. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with that. He knows what to do. We’re not worried about that. When Sundays come around, we know one guy for sure is going to set the edge.”
(After practice, your kids are out there, a lot of players are out there with their kids. What do you think that means to them? What does it mean to you? Is it beyond just take your kid to work type of situation?) – “I think it’s that you’re gone … You go such a long period of time … When you’re in camp, you’re not home at night. You’re staying at the hotel. It’s nice to go to work and you’re on the field and then afterwards, get your kids on the field and be able to run around and let them have fun. I know my kids love coming out here and they’re usually with the wideouts and hanging out with those guys. My son thinks he knows a lot right now, so that’s awesome. (laughter) I get a lot of good information from him. He crushes me more than anybody. (laughter)”
(How long do the kids usually stay up here?) – “You see most people’s kids probably 30 minutes. They’re here most of the time. I think towards the end of camp, a lot of people show up later so they can see, whether it be their kids or their wives or girlfriends, after practice. I think they did a good job of setting everything up to where it’s good with the tents and making sure nobody is sitting out in the sun.”
(Is your son supplying game-plan ideas?) – “No. Well, he thinks he does. He’s got like eight guys on the field. I’m like, ‘You’re missing a couple.’ (laughter)”
(We’ve seen TE Mike Gesicki time and time again make catches on contested passes in the end zone. Besides his height and his size, what special skill does he have allow him to do that?) – “I think it’s one of those … You guys have seen his basketball highlights. Guys that can go up and get a ball and put it in the hoop. (It’s the) same thing here. He just has unique timing. He knows how to box a guy out. He knows how to keep his position. If a guy is draped on him, it seems like … That was the first time we saw him not get one against Xavien (Howard) today. A couple of us were calling for a flag. It’s good though. It’s good competition. I think the corners and safeties, it’s good for them, because we have a guy in our division that’s very tough to cover and anytime we can get work against your own team that could carry over to Sundays, that’s a plus.”
(QB Brock Osweiler has been better this week. Do you think some of the tweaks you and Quarterbacks Coach Bo Hardegree have made have maybe started to be reflected more consistently in his mechanics?) – “I think so. With Brock sometimes it’s just kind of getting in a rhythm. With him, David (Fales) and Bryce (Petty), really we’re trying to give those guys all a fair shake at this thing. They get two and three and occasionally four, but it’s just that rhythm. That’s why I like some of these 2-minute periods, some of the stuff we were doing where David took six straight (snaps). Those are good for those guys because it starts to feel a little bit more like a game. I always love the looks when we’re doing call-it periods and Brock has three plays and I call two runs. That’s something that irritates those guys, because they’re like, ‘I only got three plays. Give me something to really do something in the passing game.’ I think it’s all about the rhythm. That’s why I think these preseason games are going to be critical for these three guys. It’s really going to be, ‘Alright hey, make the most of your drives.”
(I saw WR DeVante Parker jump up and catch one high over two defenders. What are some key points for him when it comes to contested balls and also improving as a red-zone threat?) – “I think it’s just the timing (and) fighting through the holds. That’s what happens is you can’t be held. Everything’s not going to be seen. When it gets to tight quarters and you get a bunch of bodies around him, you have to time it out right, you have to be strong going to attack the ball and use his length, use his vertical. He has all of those. On paper, you have all those traits. Just keep repping it and put him in positon as much as possible. I think we had one a couple days ago. It didn’t work out. This one, it was good to see him really have a tough catch because there were more defenders than there was the last time we had one of those. To see him go up and get it, that was good to see.”
(WR Rashawn Scott had a couple of nice catches in practice. How would you evaluate his progress?) – “He’s one of those guys. He keeps doing his job. He stays in his book. He’s really good in meetings. He’s going to give you everything he has on the field. He fights. The thing I love about him is he never looks at anybody else. He’s not worried about, ‘Alright, where am I on the depth chart? Where do I stand? How many reps?’ When he’s put in there, he does everything he can to make a play.”
(You obviously have a lot of numbers at wide receiver. What does WR Rashawn Scott need to do to sneak his way in there?) – “It’s going to be the preseason games. Make plays in preseason. I have to give these guys opportunities. We have to be good up front and be able to protect in these preseason games so we can throw the ball and mix that in with the run game. We’re doing some evaluating with the quarterbacks, so if we have to throw it a little more, then we’re going to throw it a little more.”
(With QB Ryan Tannehill, we obviously saw the picks yesterday. He had a really good bounce-back day today. Is he a guy that as soon as he comes off the field, it just washes away?) – “He’s doing a better job of that. He doesn’t hang on interceptions, at least from what I’ve seen. That’s what you have to do. The better ones in the league, if they make a mistake, they try not to ever repeat that mistake. I think a lot of these guys have just a long library. When you see the really good quarterbacks that have played for a long time, you’ll have to go back years and say ‘I screwed that one up 10 years ago.’ That’s what you’re hoping for. You keep banking, like ‘Alright, I’m aware of that. That’s not happening again.’ I think he’s done a good job of not letting things bother him. He knows when a guy made a really good play. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) made a really good play yesterday, and I think he just moved right on.”
(Kickoff and punt returner, is that a preseason determination or do you have a pretty good idea right now?) – “I think we have a pretty good idea, but at the same time, we’ll give a guy his opportunity. It’s just like when how (Kenyan) Drake got started. We felt like Jakeem (Grant) was going to be our main guy and we kind of went with him and Drake back there because Drake earned his spot and it paid off for us. It got him really going in his career.”
(With T Ja’wuan James, what kind of growth do you want to see from him this season?) – “At this stage of his career, I think he just needs to use his experience that he’s gained over this time and really start to maximize what he knows so now he can just use his athletic ability. He’s a very good athlete, he’s done a good job adjusting kind of to what he was taught the last two years to kind of what (Offensive Line Coach) Jeremiah (Washburn) is doing. There’s a little bit of a change. I think he looks really comfortable with what they’re doing right now, and it’s just him and Jesse (Davis) getting that chemistry going together. We’ve seen a lot of these – that’s where the league has gone with these pick games and them trying to get the guards and the tackles on different levels. We just have to keep working on that. I think they’ve done a good job. I don’t know if they’re quite where Laremy (Tunsil) and (Josh) Sitton are right now as far as that chemistry, but I think it’s coming along. We’re seeing steps throughout this camp of positive improvement. If we keep doing that, our line should be one of our strengths this year. I think the run game has kind of shown up for us to where these guys are really doing a good job getting on their blocks and sustaining their blocks.”
(With substitutions, obviously you want to see different guys with the ones for chemistry reasons, offensive line, defensive line. In the case of corner, when Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke and Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden run it by you eventually during the day and decide who will take first-team reps that next day, is it based for them and you primarily on who played best the previous day among the guys in the mix?) – “I tell the position coaches, ‘you make the decision of what you think is best for that group that day.’ When you get into situations, kind of like with the d-line sometimes, when you’ve got multiple guys that are battling it out for a spot, it might be who had the best day the day before and that’s the starter the next day. I guess I just don’t get hung up with the whole starter thing. To me right now it’s all about reps, experience, matchups, how you play him when the ball is thrown your way. We just want to keep mixing it up. We want to give guys the opportunity to compete for that spot. I think they’re doing a good job of rotating that around and doing that, and we’ll kind of see how it plays out.”
(So are we to assume that CB Torry McTyer – because he’s gotten four days with the starters – out of all of the guys, has been – when you watch the film – has been the top performer?) – “So far, that’s what it’s been. That’s what those guys do. They watch tape all day and if something changes from one day to the next, they’ll make an adjustment. He’s out there right now and unless somebody else has a better day, then he’ll just keep going out there.”
Mike Gesicki – August 3, 2018
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Thursday, August 3, 2018
TE Mike Gesicki
(It was fun to watch you the last couple of days. How encouraging have the last couple of practices been? Obviously you and QB Ryan Tannehill seem to be achieving a lot of chemistry.) – “I think it’s been going really well, not only for myself but for everybody. I think the offense is doing a great job moving the ball. The defense is doing a great job. Everybody is doing a good job. It’s been an exciting first, I think it’s been 10 days now. It’s been fun.”
(What’s clicked for you this week? It’d be natural for a rookie there would have to be steps taken. What’s clicked for you?) – “I think just the more reps you get, the more comfortable that you’re going to get out there. You’re going to see one thing, make a mistake, and then you’re going to make sure that the next time you don’t make the same mistake. I’m getting that opportunity to get out there and just go out and play fast and learn from mistakes.”
(As far as what would make you a good red zone threat, height obviously is a big asset for tight ends in that area. What else is needed to be able to consistently catch the ball in the end zone as a tight end?) – “Obviously awareness, being able to attack the football, chemistry with the quarterback, knowing your assignment and your role and then at the end of the day, it’s just not making it a 50-50 ball – making it a 100 (percent) ball. If it’s up there, it’s yours. That’s the mentality that you have to have and I’m very appreciative that I’m getting the opportunity to go make plays.”
(Blocking – how pleased are you with it to this point?) – “I think I can continue to get better each and every day. I think that right now, it’s something that obviously I need to continue to work on, but I think I’m having some good ones out there. I’m having some good blocks here and there and I’m still learning from the other ones. It wasn’t going to happen overnight and it’s still not going to happen overnight, so I have to continue to come out and get better each and every day.”
(How have T Laremy Tunsil and T Ja’wuan James helped you with that. I see at times Ja’wuan talks to you. How helpful have they been?) – “They’re awesome. They’ve been tremendous in terms of communication, talking about who we’re working to and helping on some pass pro(tection) and that kind of stuff. They’ve done a phenomenal job and that’s why they’re considered leaders on this football team.”
(You had two more really good catches on contested balls in the end zone. How much do you relish those opportunities to win those one-on-one battles?) – “I think that that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. If I’m going to be out on the field, I have to be able to make those plays. Having the opportunity to go out and make those plays, it’s awesome. I just continue to stay after practice and do my normal routines. This way when I get out there and have those opportunities to make plays in practice and in games, I’m ready for it.”
(Do you fall back on your basketball background and look as those like rebounds or jump balls?) – “It’s just kind of natural, honestly. Here, they’re giving me an opportunity to go up and high point the football and that’s something that I’ve been able to do in years past. Now, obviously this is a whole different level; but at the end of the day, it’s still just football. When the ball is in the air, you have to go get it.”
(Going into tomorrow, your first time playing at Hard Rock Stadium, what’s your mindset heading into the scrimmage tomorrow?) – “The same exact mindset heading into all of these practices. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be exciting to get out there on that field and kind of see that territory and all of that kind of stuff. At the end of the day, you just have to lock in and focus on your job, your assignment and go out and execute.”
(Is there any particular aspect of your game that you are looking to improve going into tomorrow’s scrimmage?) – “Yes. I’m looking to improve on my route running, I’m looking to improve on my blocking, I’m looking to improve on my pass pro, I’m looking to improve on my run blocking, I’m looking to improve on my conditioning, I’m looking to improve on everything. Each and every day, I’m trying to get better at everything.”
(Obviously you’re psyched to be out here and motivated, whatever team you’re on. But the fact that you’ve gotten a lot of first-team snaps this week, does that give you an extra oomph a little bit?) – “I don’t think that that’s the mindset that you should have going into it, whatever team you’re on. You have to know your role, know your assignment, know your job. Whoever is out there, whether you’re blocking the first-team d-end or whoever, you have to attack it 110 percent and that’s the mentality that you have to have.”
(I have a question about communication. A couple of times on drills, especially in the end zone, I’ve seen you and QB Ryan Tannehill talking. One time I saw Ryan hand-motioning and the next play he throws it to you. What goes on there, do you go to Ryan, does Ryan go to you? Is he telling you ‘hands up, this is where I’m going to throw it?’ What’s going on there?) – “I’m listening to everything and anything that he’s telling me to do. If he told me to go to his house and walk his damn dog, I’d be there. (laughter) So, whatever it is. If he’s coming up to me giving me any coaching points and tips and communicating with me on how he wants me to run a specific route, I’m going to do it. He’s done a phenomenal job being a mentor and kind of being patient with me and being somebody that I can lean on and talk to. You’ve probably seen it a bunch, just him coming over and talking to me, helping me out with some routes and that kind of stuff.”
(Is it usually QB Ryan Tannehill going to you or do you ever go to Ryan to say ‘this is usually how I run this route?’) – “Yes, I’ve gone to him a couple of times; but right now I’m kind of more learn and don’t speak as much. Right now I’m kind of listening, learning, and just letting everything else around me happen.”
(What is the best tip QB Ryan Tannehill has given you? In the red zone is he…?) – “He’s just very detail-oriented, so he’s telling me exactly how to place my foot and how to stack the defender and go and get the ball and all of that kind of stuff. He’s done a great job.”
(Has QB Ryan Tannehill ever had a thought late at night that he’s texted you or shared with you a thought at an unusual hour?) – “Nothing too crazy. He texted me one time at 5:15 in the morning, but I’m sure he’s up at that hour anyways and in the building. It was just on a specific release during OTAs way back. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s an unbelievable leader and I’m really happy to be able to play with him.”
(Is there an NFL tight end or two who’s red zone work you’ve studied or enjoy studying?) – “Honestly, I haven’t. Coming out of the draft, that’s kind of the question everybody asks and all that kind of stuff. I was kind of focused on my game and how I needed to improve. Obviously, there’s phenomenal tight ends in this league that make a living off of scoring touchdowns in the red zone, so it wouldn’t hurt to go check them out.”
Ja’Wuan James – August 3, 2018
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Friday, August 3, 2018
T Ja’Wuan James
(How good do you feel about this first group? You all are obviously getting a lot of work together unlike past years. You have one set group. How helpful has that been for all of you being together?) – “I feel like it’s been great. We had our struggles but that’s every camp. Just coming back in, I feel like we’re getting better everyday. That’s all we can ask for, just getting better at one thing a day.”
(When you look back at your season last year, anything you’ve identified or even coaches as big point to improve on?) – “No. They told us we’re not even talking about last year. We’re focusing on this year because that’s all we have in front of us. I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do now.”
(What has been your priorities as far as areas of growth for you? Anything specific?) – “Just always technique because you can never get too good at it. You always have to keep working at it. That’s pretty much the biggest thing is just honing in on your technique.”
(What’s the biggest thing the offensive line can get out of something like tomorrow’s scrimmage?) – “Being out there in a live setting almost … The coaches are all gone (off the field). Just getting in the rhythm of a drive. We’re going to be in the stadium, so we’ll have that feel to it. Like I said, everybody is going to be off the field and it’s going to just be plays called in the helmet. Just a good opening drive really.”
(How much has the technique changed as far as what’s being coached now that Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn is back?) – “Honestly, not too much. Him and our last coach were similar. That’s going to help us a lot; but how he coaches it is different. That’s the biggest thing, just communication and we changed names of some things; but it’s pretty much close to the same.”
(What have you learned about the new linemen – C Daniel Kilgore and G Josh Sitton – as far as their personalities?) – “Man, great dudes; especially Sitton too. (He’s a) great leader. You can tell he’s been around the game a long time. He’s been around some elite players and his knowledge of the game is crazy. He’s come and helped me and ‘L.T.’ (Laremy Tunsil) a lot with a bunch of little things. ‘D.K.’ (Daniel Kilgore) as well. He’s another guy that’s been around a while and he knows what he’s talking about too. They bring another level of knowledge and leadership in that way to the offensive line.”
(I know one of the challenges you’ve talked about is having a lot of different offensive line coaches. You’ve had to learn new technique. How much of a relief was it to you when you learn that what Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn is doing is similar to what former Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster and the coaches last year did?) – “That was huge for us this offseason, getting Coach Wash. That was a big part of everything going into this year. Like I said, he got to be here in 2016 when we were on a roll, so we’re trying to get back to that and focus on this year. With him I feel like we can do a lot.”
(We’ve seen a lot of tight ends packages and a lot of the new guys lined up next to you. I’ve seen you talking to TE Mike Gesicki. What’s it like working with so many new faces at tight end?) – ‘It’s great. I love the tight ends. They’re partly us and partly receivers. That guy Mike, he is doing a heck of a job. He’s coming in, he embraced his role, he’s ready to block. Not too many guys come in this early and want to block. He’s shown that and he’s making big plays in the red zone. I’m looking forward to seeing him out there on the field. The other tight ends too. We’ve got a lot of guys working in, like you said. I feel like the communication has been great and I feel like they’re on a roll.”
(TE Mike Gesicki has a lot of information coming at him. How’s he taking it from you? I’ve seen you talk with him and work up close with him?) – “He listens. Most of the time people ask questions, but when we’re up there on the line, we’ve got to go. He listens well and he goes out there and does his job.”
(How are you guys going to stop the pre-snap penalties? What’s the focus?) – “Repetition. That’s what we’re doing out here at the end of practice. We’re running gassers now for it. We’re doing these extra plays. Over time it’s going to come. It’s unacceptable but this year, we’ve got a clean slate until the season starts. Hopefully we cut those down.”
(What, if any, difference have you noticed in Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn now that he’s back? He was the assistant o-line coach in 2016 and now he’s the o-line coach.) – “He’s more vocal. This is his group. Before it was a different o-line coach. He was an assistant so he was in the back. He would help us here and there; but you can tell that he’s very vocal and he’s very passionate about the group. He’s got our back and that’s all we can ask for.”
(I think it was yesterday, was it yesterday you missed some time? Was it back soreness or something?) – “(Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, you’ve got to refer to Coach Gase. You’ve got to ask Coach Gase. He just gave me some time.”
(You’re not overly concerned?) – “No. I’m good.”
Stephone Anthony – August 3, 2018
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Thursday, August 3, 2018
LB Stephone Anthony
(You’ve been taking a lot of snaps with the first team defense. How do you feel things are going so far for you?) – “For me personally, I think my job is to come in and get better every day. As far as rotation-wise or anything, it’s camp. We move guys around just from day to day and you try to put your best foot forward. That’s all you can do.”
(Did it come as a surprise at all that you would line up with the first-team defense? Is that something that you were really hoping for?) – “I’m happy to be out there. Honestly, I’m happy just to be out there flying around, trying to make some plays, to be with the guys that are on the field.”
(Is there anything physically that feels better for you? Have you noticed yourself a little faster or anything like that?) – “I’m just trying to be consistent. I’m trying to work at it every day, get better, take my coaching and go from there.”
(I mean compared to the end of last season – how have you gotten better physically?) – “Just working hard in the offseason – believing in offseason training, getting myself to this point, and trusting in the guys here as well. The strength and conditioning staff here does a great job and we have to lean on them whenever we get a chance.”
(What’s the result – strength, speed, anything different for you?) – “I don’t think I can pinpoint one attribute as far as what I’ve gotten better at. I just try to overall get better.”
(Did it make a big difference, obviously the fact that you were here from the start of OTA’s where as last year you came in late September?) – “Of course. You get a chance to get the cement laid down, get a chance to flatten it out yourself, smooth it over and go from there.”
(Has it been a good camp for you? Have you played well?) – “I think so. Like I said, my job is to get better every day and keep putting my best foot forward.”
(How has it been with LB Raekwon McMillan in the middle, a guy you haven’t been around to play with last year? How has it been so far?) – “Raekwon is outstanding. He is what you see. He’s going to be the leader. He’s got all of the intangibles to do it and he’s a good kid, a young kid and he’s got some talent.”
(You had really good coverage on TE Mike Gisecki before Gisecki caught a touchdown. What does that say about his ability to make those catches?) – “The kid has got some special abilities, no doubt about it. He can jump and his ball skills are off the charts. That’s what makes him special. I have to fight through the pocket on that one, but that’s football. There’s good players, too. He’s a good player. ”
(What’s your mindset heading into the scrimmage tomorrow?) – “One play at a time, do my best and try to get the job done. That’s it.”
(Is there any particular area you’re focusing on improving on heading into the scrimmage?) – “All of them. As a defense, I think we need to come out and it needs to be a good day for us overall.”
(In your matchups with TE Mike Gesicki, have you noticed him getting better? Is he getting a little tougher every day? Is he starting to catch on?) – “The kid is a sponge, and everybody knows it. Once he catches on and he really gets it, he’s going to flourish. That’s easy to see.”
