Rob Leonard – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard
(Where did you go to college?) – “N.C. State.”
How did you choose N.C. State?) – “My head coach in high school, Mark Capuano, played with Chuck Amato, who was the head coach at N.C. State. Then, my dad took a job in the Raleigh area and I kind of had my sights set on playing D-1 ball and that kind of was a good fit and I had an opportunity to go down there.”
(And then you became a coach later down the road. Why coaching?) – “To be honest with you, I’m kind of shaped by the coaches I had. My head high school coach had a big impact on me. I actually wasn’t sure that it was for me. Then when Coach (Tom) O’Brien asked me to come back and be a GA, I had a coach that really had a big impact on me. I actually was going overseas to play football in Germany, in the GFL. I was leaving in two weeks and Coach O’Brien asked if I wanted to come back and be a GA. I was like, ‘You know what? Okay.’ Then there was a coach there, Jon Tenuta, who took me under his wing. He’s kind of a legendary college coach. He was like, ‘You’re with me.’ I think he accelerated and gave me a foundation of ball – I know he did – particularly with how he sees the front and the run game and stuff, that accelerated my learning curve in this profession, in my opinion. I was with him for three years and he was very good to me and he taught me a lot.”
(So you never got to Germany?) – “(laughter) Never got there. It’s a silly story, but that’s kind of how I ended up in it. I wasn’t sure (what I wanted to do). I coached a year in 2009 after I was done playing. I tried out with the Steelers, had a tryout briefly. I worked a bunch of different jobs – coached high school ball, was caddying at a golf course, working at a couple of bars at night and not sure what I wanted to do. I did a sales job during the day, and then when Coach O’Brien called, I was like, ‘I’m going to give this a try.’ Once I was with Jon, after that first year, I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’
(You mentioned sales and bartending. What is the craziest job you had in that time?) – “Shoveling horse stalls at the state fairgrounds. Two dollars a stall if you cleaned out the hay out of the stall. You’d get there on Sunday nights. I’d go in there, I think there were maybe 250 stalls, and you would just clean the horse stalls. It was two dollars a stall but it was straight cash. I was living in Raleigh, a year out of college, not sure what you wanted to do and doing a lot of everything to put money in your pocket.”
(How many stalls could you go?) – “I can’t believe I’m telling this story. This is crazy. (laughter)”
(You couldn’t do 250, could you?) – “No. It was like a landscape company that had the contract and we would show up – you would knock it out in about two and a-half hours. I’d say if you did over 30, you were starting to feel it. Then you got money for raking up after, so we would make like 100 dollars cash in two hours, which wasn’t bad.”
(So you built up the biceps?) – “Yes. Then I was caddying, too. I was caddying a lot at a golf course right there in Raleigh.”
(What excites you about this opportunity and this job?) – “The people. Being at a great organization. In my opinion, this profession is all about people, and I’m excited to work with Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores), first and foremost, and (Defensive Coordinator) Patrick (Graham), who I know well. I know that it’s going to be a team-first atmosphere. And those aren’t empty words, that’s how it’s going to be – that’s what gets me most excited, in all honesty. The culture is going to be right.”
(Can you describe how it all came to be, you hooking up with Brian Flores and him saying ‘Come to Miami?’) – “I worked with Pat (Graham) straight from New England. His first year – Pat Graham – when he came to the Giants as d-line coach, I was QC (quality control) and I worked with the linebackers. In his second year, I got moved to assistant d-line, so we were like this (close) every day, just in the same room. Me being a curious young coach, I would pick his brain a lot about how they did things up north. We just had good conversations and stayed in touch after that and I met ‘Flo’ (Flores) through Pat. Obviously, I never worked with him but got to know him I feel pretty well, and that’s kind of how it came to fruition.”
(How do you describe your coaching style?) – “Being myself, being genuine, being honest. Really, kind of like Coach ‘Flo’ said, holding people accountable to, especially if it’s something that we made clear that they should or shouldn’t know. Being consistent and honest.”
(You sound a lot like Brian Flores.) – “Yeah, that’s just my philosophy.”
(Brian Flores had mentioned about how he wants to build trust with players and then once you do that, you can push them that much more because they trust that you’re doing the right thing and they want to work that much harder. It sounds like you’ve experienced that type of thing as well.) – “Absolutely.”
(In Brian Flores’ introductory press conference, he mentioned versatility, how he wants to adjust on the fly if need be on a Sunday afternoon to whatever game conditions require. How does that put pressure on you and the linebackers to be able to do all these different roles that may or may not pop up on any given Sunday?) – “To be honest, you better not have tunnel vision. You better understand concepts from a schematic standpoint and see the big picture in what we’re trying to accomplish, whatever we need to do to win a game. That’s the ability, to be able to adjust. Yes, I understand my job, but when you teach, and I believe this is just part of being a teacher – you teach concepts, not just your job. This is your job and this is how you tie into the big picture, and so doing that allows you to be a little bit flexible, a little bit multiple – the things you hear us talk about a little bit more. But in terms of being able to adjust to weather conditions…”
(No, just adjusting to various game conditions, whether you’re going against a team that’s running the ball all down your throat or a team that – one thing that’s happened down here a lot in many years is that they’ve had trouble covering tight ends. A lot of tight ends have really burned the Dolphins badly, and some of that responsibility falls on the linebackers.) – “Absolutely. Understanding, in that case, it would be mismatches. Understanding situations. Really, you need to, I guess, broaden your scope for how you see the game. It’s very important to lock into your job, how you fit and just do your job – the old ‘Patriot Way’ philosophy – but with that being said, understanding what the call is trying to accomplish, if that makes sense, so you’re able to do a different role if need be.”
(Have you had any experience with any of the linebackers currently on this roster?) – “I have not. I’ve evaluated them in the past, but no.”
(So you’re probably just starting out on the evaluation?) – “Just starting. Honestly, I’m just swimming, trying to get my family here, the whole deal. We haven’t even dove into it yet.”
(Where is the family now?) – “In New Jersey. My wife flew down last night with my oldest boy, so it was nice to see him. It was the longest period of time I’ve gone without seeing him, so that’s been good.”
(Do you prefer Rob or Robbie? Which way should we go?) – “Both. Coach (Tom) Coughlin called me Rob. He said he wasn’t calling me Robbie. Some of my good friends call me Rob. My parents will call me Robbie because Rob’s my dad. I’m good either way.”
(I know it’s very early in the tape-reviewing standpoint, but would you mind speaking in general about your group in terms of what stood out to you from what you’ve seen initially?) – “I’m excited to work with these guys. I had the chance to go up to Ohio State to meet Jerome (Baker) last year when he was coming out, so just getting him as a person, he’s a smart kid. I’m excited to work with him, for sure. (He’s a) great athlete. It doesn’t take a genius to see that off the bat. I’m very excited. Our whole room overall, in my opinion, is very athletic. They’re young and overall, through watching them, it’s a tough group of guys. It’s a tough, athletic group of guys overall, in a general sensel.”
(The speed LB Jerome Baker has – how much of an asset is that in today’s game at that position?) – “Absolutely. It can only help you. The game is a space game and he’s able to do that. I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with him.”
(LB Raekwon McMillan came on late last year. Have you gotten to his December tape to get a sense of improvement?) – “I have. In terms of that, he did improve. I just hope to build off that with him, in all honesty. He’s another physical, tough guy, and he can run and hit. He finished the year strong. I’m excited to work with him.”
(The challenge of finding linebackers who can play both 4-3 and 3-4? General Manager Chris Grier talked about that. He said it’s a little bit of a challenge but it’s exciting, too, because you can be multiple with teams. How tough is that to find guys who can be 4-3 ends and 3-4 outside linebackers, and are you going to be involved with that process with the draft?) – “I’m sure we will. It’s just what you value. When you look at players, I see them as football players first. I don’t try to put – and I don’t think anybody here does, either – I don’t put people into a box – 3-4, 4-3. (I look at) how are they as football players first in terms of evaluation, in building our team.”
(Is there anyone on the roster you’ve seen that you think could be a 3-4 outside linebacker? You have a lot of guys who are skilled at playing inside.) – “I’m not really there yet, in all honesty. I wish I could give you a better answer, but I’m not really there yet.”
(One other guy – Stephone Anthony. Obviously, talented enough to be a first-round pick. Any impression of him? Have you seen him through the years?) – “I actually was at N.C. State when he was coming out as a recruit and he went to Clemson. Stephone – he can run and hit. If you were to draw them up, that’s how they look. I’m excited. I think he’s free right now, but he’s a good athlete that can play football and is a former first-round pick. He’s a good football player.”
(On LB Kiko Alonso, just the skills that you like?) – “Kiko plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. That’s evident even if you haven’t watched any film. He plays fast, plays physical, plays with a motor. That’s not much not to like there. He’s a good football player.”
(What’s the number one trait you look for in a linebacker?) – “When I watch the tape and put it on, I’m looking for is the guy a good football player. Does have natural instincts? Or am I looking at a height-weight-speed guy? How does he play the game? Is he always around the football? Basic things. If I were to just click on a tape and you were to go to a high school game, you could say, ‘That guy can play.’ That’s how I kind initially start watching in terms of linebacker play in a very general sense.”
Pat Flaherty – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty
(This offensive line is going to go through a rebuild of it’s own, at least on the inside. What are your philosophies on the offensive line and moving forward and helping this team go through what it needs to go through?) – “The most important thing that we need to do as a unit is be the most physical unit on the field each and every game. I want to be able to will our power on opponents and be able to run the ball and pass protect and don’t let the quarterback get hit. And that takes five guys working together.”
(What are your thoughts on LT Laremy Tunsil?) – “I think Laremy is a good football player, I really do. He’s still a fairly young guy and he has, like most guys his age, has some improvement to make. He has a high ceiling and we feel he’s going to get better and better each year.”
(A lot of people thought he had a Pro Bowl season last year. I think it was 14 – 15 games without a sack. He seems to be a building piece, I would imagine?) – “He is. He has potential to be one of the best, if not the best, in the league, at his position. He still has some work to do to separate himself into that category. I really like the things he does.”
(I know T Ja’Wuan James is the right tackle. He is a free agent. I imagine if T Laremy Tunsil is protecting the blindside for a right-handed quarterback, the right tackle will protect the blindside of a left-handed quarterback? If you guys could retain T Ja’Wuan James what would that do for your offensive line?) – “I think it keeps the continuity there, if we’re able to retain him. We sure hope he does. He’s a good football player. I’ve had an opportunity to go back and watch every game from 2018. He’s a fairly young guy also, so he has some things technique-wise that he can get better.”
(To get a rookie at any o-line position, if you do that in the draft, particularly right tackle and particularly with a potentially left-handed quarterback, how difficult is it to get those guys up to speed? It’s a yearly thing. It’s hard.) – “It’s a day-by-day process. I’ve coached rookies at those positions before. You just want to make some progress because I always tell them it’s a process and you have to trust the process to make progress. Those guys are going to have to get better every day. It’s going to take some time for those young guys. Even though they’ve played at a high level in college, they’re not seeing the same type of player. You’re seeing a really a skilled player at this level.”
(Who are some rookies that you’ve coached along the way?) – “I had Cam Robinson just recently, the left tackle for Jacksonville. Cam was a prime example. I felt each and every week he got better; but early in the season, he took his lumps.”
(Who are some of your favorite players you’ve coached over the years?) – “It’s funny because I get that question a lot because of the success we had in New York. I really have to say the mark that the five guys in New York set – starting 38 straight games – really is something that I don’t know will ever be matched again. The right tackle Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee (at right guard), Shaun O’Hara at center, the left guard was Rich Seubert and the left tackle was David Diehl. Then we had some really solid six or seven men like Kevin Boothe and those type of guys. But those six guys and five of them starting 38 straight games, if you can get that done, where they can have that continuity and play week in and week out, you’re going to build success.”
(Was that around the Super Bowl years in New York?) – “It was, yeah.”
(Who was the running back at that time? It wasn’t RB Tiki Barber, right?) – “Tiki was there the first couple of years I was there and went to the Pro Bowl. Then we had Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.”
(Please tell me about this nickname, ‘The Big Toe.’ Who gave it to you again?) – “Kareem McKenzie. Really, it transpired through … It’s all the players. We were able to be the leading rushing team in the NFL and they asked Kareem and I guess my name was mentioned, so they came up with ‘The Big Toe.’ It’s comical. (laughter) I’ve always credited the players. As coaches, we try to guide them in the right direction and hopefully stay in that direction but it’s the players and they are the ones that should get the credit.”
(A lot of coaches are coming in with experience, a lot of assistant coaches on this staff are coming in with experience. You have a first-time coordinator, first-time head coach, first-time defensive coordinator. How do you go about helping the other coaches really excel in these new roles that they have?) – “We’re working together as a team, as a coaching staff and as a team. We all interject because we’re putting the playbook together right now. We’re just giving our ideas and experiences. Chad O’Shea, the offensive coordinator, has done an outstanding job thus far of bringing everybody together and listening to everybody’s thoughts. We’ll stir it up and come up with a good plan and a good offensive philosophy. We know what the philosophy is going to be because it starts with Brian Flores. He has a philosophy of being a smart, tough, physical football team.”
(I’m sure there will be an emphasis on running the ball and Patriots principals like running backs out of the backfield and things like that?) – “You would think. We haven’t gotten that far yet from that standpoint, but I think when everybody is on the same page – coaches and players – (you’ll see) the philosophy and passion and the vision the head coach has.”
(I like that this staff has a couple of Patriots ties, a lot of guys have worked for the Patriots together, but you’re one coach that has helped stop the Patriots at their highest point. Is there anything to read into that? You were part of a team that was able to stop one of the best franchises in the history of football on two occasions. Do you think that gives you a little bit of insight on how … where holes might be and certain things or how to fill holes or identifying weaknesses you guys can improve on as coaches?) – “The New England process is something that is special. All you have to do is look at the track record. To be able to stop them twice in the Super Bowl really goes back to the players. They had confidence in what they were going to see and how they were going to block it from the standpoint of offense. Those games came down to No. 12 (Tom Brady) throwing the ball on the last play of the game. It’s always scary when you’re standing on the sideline and that ball is in the air, whether it’s to Randy Moss or anybody else. It was exciting for me to work with Brian (Flores) and Chad (O’Shea) and (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry (Schuplinski) and guys that are new on this staff because I’ve always had respect for them. It’s really difficult in this league to do what those guys have done. I’m really excited to see what goes on behind doors of that franchise.”
(There was a little bit of a holding pattern for Coach Flores as he was finishing the season in New England. What was that like where you were negotiating for a new job and he’s holding out. What’s that process like?) – “For me it was … I went and spoke with other teams about jobs. I was really impressed on the phone and visiting with Brian on a few occasions, just to see which direction he was going. I have a lot of respect for what he did. I had an opportunity when I was in Jacksonville in 2017. We practiced a week up there, so I had an opportunity to be around him a little bit. I was just really impressed with the man himself.”
(So 2017, Jacksonville and the Patriots.) – “We went up and played in preseason. We spent the week working against them.”
(Was that the first time you ran into Brian Flores?) – “That was the first time I really had the opportunity to visit with him, yeah. We played them when I was in New York in preseason all of the time. So I had a chance to say hello and so forth.”
(Did you know back then that he would be a head coach now? Did you see him as a leader back then?) – “Absolutely, there’s no question about it. He’s got all the traits that you need to be a good leader.”
(How do you guys go about this whole rebuild?) – “I guess the famous words are reload or rebuild. I’m not sure which side we fall on here because we really haven’t had the opportunity and we won’t until we get the team together and get out there and practice and see where we’re at. But in the NFL, obviously this team won some good games last year and lost some tough games. There are good players here. We just have to be able to gel them together.”
(Did you really recruit Tim Duncan to try to play football at Wake Forest?) – “Well, when I was at Wake Forest, the basketball players had to come through the coaches offices upstairs to get to academics. So Tim would stop in and I had like the first office. So he’d stop in and just sit in the chair. I had one chair, a chair for myself, the desk and he’d sit in the corner and put his feet up on my desk. He was a great guy, just a really great guy to talk to. So I always said to him ‘You’d be an outstanding tight end.’ There were times he’d stop in and say ‘I’m ready to play tight end.’ And I said, ‘Alright, go tell Coach (Dave) Odom that.’ He was the basketball coach. (laughter)”
(So you and Tim Duncan would just talk in your office all of the time?) – “Yeah, he’d stop in and we’d chat.”
(Do you still keep in touch with Tim Duncan?) – “Not on a regular basis. Last year when he was retiring, he came to play the Nets and actually my son was a big Tim Duncan because he was just a little guy when Tim was playing. So he said ‘If he’s going to retire, can we go over?’ So we went over and we were able to, after the game, go back to the locker room and visit with him. It was a thrill. It really was.”
(Any other NBA guys you failed to recruit to football?) – “(laughter) No. I have a good friend that I grew up with that was the first general manager of the Orlando Magic – John Gabriel – and then I had another classmate that was a basketball coach. So I had a little flavor of the NBA with those guys.”
(Is it true that you had colon cancer?) – “I did. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah, I’m a cancer survivor.”
(It was 2004 right?) – “Yes.”
(Have you gone into remission or anything like that?) – “I did.”
(Since 2004 has it flared back up at all?) – “No, not at all. That’s behind me. I never look back. I always look ahead. I recommend that to anybody who is going through something like that. I had a lot of support from the doctors in New York and the New York Giants organization. Wellington Mara was unbelievable at that point in time that I was going through it. Really, it was pretty easy. It really was, to go through it with all of the support I had.”
(How do you go through that? How do you get that news?) – “It’s shocking. It really is. Especially when you are just getting the one spot. Of course, I asked the doctors if I could wait before I could get the surgery and they said ‘You won’t be around if you wait,’ so I said ‘Let’s go,’ because you have the best doctors in the world. The thing with anyone going through it is the support coming from your family is the most important thing, and you’ll get through it. We’re kind of built for that type of thing as coaches.”
(What’s most important for you when you’re teaching young offensive linemen where you might have some inexperience coming from where you’ve been to the Miami Dolphins? What are some of the things you focus in on to try to teach young linemen in the National Football League?) – “I think you have a core of techniques, especially when they are young. When you get them when they’re young, I’ve always referred to it as you have one time to teach them the right way. I think that college coaches do an excellent job, I was one of them at one time. We do change some of the techniques that we need to execute and be successful in this league. The important thing is find out how much the rookie has been in a two-point stance and how much he’s been in a three-point stance, from that standpoint. You have to be balanced and we are in the NFL. You have to be able to execute both stances. I think that’s the number one thing with the stance, and it is just a variety of the type of drills that you have to work each and everyday.”
(What appealed to you when you had this opportunity presented to you to join this staff of the Miami Dolphins?) – “Brian Flores really appealed to me because I got to know Brian in 2017 when I was in Jacksonville and we practiced against New England. Just the passion he has and the drive that he has as a young coach. I knew that he was going to bring that into his head-coaching role. I was really excited about that.”
(When you take a look at what’s in front of you with the offensive line here with the Miami Dolphins and guys that are currently on the roster, what excites you about it and where do you think you’re looking to improve on that?) – “It really does excite me because I think we have a good foundation of players here. The personnel department has done a good job from that standpoint. It’s like most places each and every year that you’re at. There are pieces you have to fill in. I’ve watched all of the games from last year so I know the Dolphins of 2018 and had the opportunity to, when I got here, go back and look at the games. There are some things we have to maybe fit in. I’m not sure where we’re at, at this point, with that; but we’ll find a way.”
(What excites you about guys that are more notable on the offensive line like T Laremy Tunsil or T Ja’Wuan James? Have you been able to take a peak at those guys?) – “They are young guys and they have a high ceiling. When you have a high ceiling and they haven’t arrived yet, they’re pretty dang good and when you have that type of caliber of player, as an offensive lines coach you get fired up. You really do. I’m excited for those guys.”
Josh Boyer – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer
(I know that you’re just in the process of beginning to evaluate players. One issue that is out there is S Minkah Fitzpatrick. He can obviously do a lot of things well. He said late in the season that he would love for the Dolphins to be able to tell him by late January or early February where he would be playing – cornerback or safety – simply so he’d know how much weight to put on or lose. Have you guys made that decision yet?) – “I’d say we’re still early in the process of evaluating our current roster. We’re also in the process of evaluating how we want to approach and how we want to attack things from that standpoint. I’d say we’re in the infancy stages of figuring that stuff out.”
(So no decision on that particular thing yet?) – “No.”
(Have you talked to any of your players – CB Xavien Howard, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Reshad Jones or anyone from the group?) – “I have met Reshad and I met T.J. (McDonald) briefly. I just introduced myself. That was kind of just a brief introduction. They’re going through some of their offseason stuff. I haven’t had any … It was just ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And that’s kind of it.”
(Early impressions on the talent you have back there? You have a great cornerback in CB Xavien Howard. You have veteran safeties and S Minkah Fitzpatrick is a fine, young player. What are your impressions?) – “I think our impressions are to look at it from a holistic approach in what we can have, what we have and how to best utilize it and what ways you can enhance that, if that makes any sense. That’s the process that we’re in right now. That’s going to be the same for all of our players. We’re going to try to put them in the best spots to succeed and we’ll work very hard and very diligent at that. I’d say (Defensive Coordinator) Patrick (Graham) has done a great job of organizing stuff for us. We’ve got a good staff that’s putting in a lot of hours right now trying to figure all of that stuff out.”
(How good is CB Xavien Howard? You’ve obviously seen him in games even though you were focusing on the other side of the ball.) – “Yeah. It was more of a crossover. I think obviously he had some success a year ago. For us, it’s a matter of how he’ll fit into the system and what ways we can best utilize his skills. It’s exciting to get to work with all of the players. Not just Xavien, but I would say everybody. We’re excited to – when we’re able to – work with those guys and put them in the best position to succeed.”
(What did you think of S Minkah Fitzpatrick just watching him in the draft process and anything you’ve observed so far on tape?) – “Again, I would have to keep a lot of it in generalities because like I said, we’re still … We come in and say we’ll watch these players and watch these draft players. There’s a lot of things going on and there’s a lot of balls on the court right now, for example. And part (of it) is this is our system, this is how we’re going to do it. So there are a lot of variable parts there. I would say for me, personally, it doesn’t matter. I’m excited to work with all of the players.”
(I know. I was just hoping to get maybe a little something on a couple of specific guys that maybe you would have seen in the draft process. Like one would be did you look at CB Jalen Davis in the draft process?) – “Out of Utah State? Yeah. So we looked at him in the draft process and then usually what happens is during the season, you get focused on your group and what your group is doing. So there is not much. And if you don’t see him on crossover games, and even then, more of our focus would be on the offense and not so much what the defense is doing, if that makes sense.”
(Do you remember anything specifically on CB Jalen Davis or CB Cornell Armstrong as you looked at draft corners with the Patriots last year? Do you recall anything that when you came here, you thought to yourself, ‘Okay, this could be something to work with.’) – “Honestly, coming here, I took it as a blank slate. Whatever 2018 was for those guys and whatever it was for me, it makes no difference (because) 2019 is going to be what 2019 is. Like I said, we’re still at the beginning stages of all of that. I’m very excited to be here. I’m very excited to work with those guys when we get the opportunity.”
(How does the dynamic work, working in tandem with Safeties Coach Tony Oden since you are kind of splitting up the DBs?) – “I would say we’re all trying to work for the common goal, so I think at different times, both of us will do different things with the big picture in mind that we are all trying to get it right on the same page. I’ve primarily worked with cornerbacks, but I would say there’s going to be versatility, hopefully, with some of our guys who can do different things. Both of us will be coaching the same thing, the same terminology. I’m excited to work with him. It should be a good experience for both of us.”
(What were your impressions of S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s rookie season from afar from as much as you observed?) – “I would have to go back to generalities. I would say we’re in the infancy stage of evaluating our current roster and we’re in the infancy stage of putting in our defensive game plan of what we want to be and how we want to be. Related to our roster, the key to us will be putting our players in positions to succeed and how we can do that most frequently is kind of what we’re working towards. To me, it doesn’t matter what happened in 2018. In 2019, all of the players – Minkah included – would have a blank slate. I kind of approach it that way.”
(How do you value defensive positions? Is there a position on the defensive side of the ball that you would say is the cornerstone of the defense, whether it’s a pass rusher or a lockdown corner?) – “I think it’s holistic approach. I think you need all 11 guys who are out there on the same page. Obviously there are times where you have really good coverage in the back end and it allows a little extra time for the defensive guys up front to get there, or the defensive guys can get there so quick, they can allow opportunities for you on the back end to make plays on the ball. I think it’s trying to coordinate the whole group together, all 11 guys working on the same page, and I think that’s what we are going to strive to do: putting those guys in the best position to do that based on their abilities.
(I know it’s early in your evaluation stage of this roster but you played against CB Xavien Howard a little bit and he had a little bit of success on the other side of the ball. What do you see from the other side when you were out there about that type of playmaker and a guy who can get his hands on the ball like that?) – “Xavien had a good amount of production last year. Obviously you like a lot of things you see on film. I would say for me, I was more focused on the offensive side of the ball. There is a little bit of crossover but even when you are watching the crossover tape, you are still primarily focused on what the offense is doing. It goes back to being in the infancy stages of evaluating everybody on the roster and putting them in the best position to succeed.”
(How would you characterize your relationship with Brian Flores? Obviously you have been up the ranks together for a while.) – “I’m very happy for Coach Flores getting the opportunity. We’ve worked together for 13 years. He’s a great communicator. He’s very intelligent. I’m very excited to work with him. I’m very excited to be around him. I feel truly blessed that we are able to continue our friendship and continue our professional growth together. I think that’s an awesome thing.”
(Was Brian Flores the main reason or a big reason why you felt this was an opportunity for you to come to Miami?) – “Yeah. He obviously had a lot to do with it. I was very excited about the opportunity in general. Knowing and understanding him, I feel very fortunate with the guys he’s built this staff with. I feel like he’s done a phenomenal job of putting a staff together. Whether they are guys I knew from the past or new guys I’m just meeting, I think we’re all working hard to be on the same page.
(There is a lot of history about the ‘Patriot Way’ and when you come to another area, what happens and whatnot. How much have you and Brian Flores talked or thought about that, creating a new thing here in Miami?) – “First and foremost, I wouldn’t want to speak for Coach Flores on that. You’d have to ask him. But I would say for me, whether it’s at New England or some of the colleges I’ve coached at, you take experiences from everywhere that you’re at. Whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, you try to implement the good things and the things you didn’t like, you try to stay away from. Ultimately, knowing him for as long as I did, I know what he’s thinking before he says it. It’s one of those things. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. To me, I’m fired up and excited for the 2019 season.”
Tony Oden – December 15, 2018
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(There is a little familiarity here. You worked with Jim Caldwell and George Godsey and a lot of these guys seemed to have worked together too. How does that familiarity help you guys?) – “Any time you’re familiar with anything, it helps. Pros and cons go along with things, people’s personalities, people’s quirks or whatnot. They know that you work well with them. There’s always a getting-to-know-you process. If you know someone, you’ve already advanced to the next step. That definitely helps.”
(You’re one of the few holdovers from the last staff here. Do you think that’s a little asset probably for you and Coach Flores knowing you were here, you know what happened and you can be one of the guys to give him some insight going forward into the future?) – “The first thing I’ll say is it’s an honor to have the opportunity to stay. I think that is a good thing. I’m sure from both perspectives, there’s a lot of positives that go along with that. Obviously I do have some familiarity with the players. Players do have some familiarity with me, but yet there’s still a new influx of different information, different views, different ways to go about things. That’s new. Because it’s new, you’re always going to learn. That part is good. So I think we’ll both benefit from that.”
(What are some things that you’ve kind of gained from your first meetings with Coach Flores that lets you know he’s going to be a good leader for this team?) – “I think his demeanor is phenomenal. This organization has had good leaders in the past as well. One thing I’ll say with Coach (Flores) is that what he is to you guys, he is the same thing to us. He’s very honest, very open, very direct. He’s definitely a team-first person. He believes that. He walks the walk, he talks the talk.”
(Did you know Coach Flores before you took the job?) – “I did. I never worked with him before, but this is my 16th year in the league and this is like his 16th or 17th year in the league. We both having been in the back end before at some point, so we’ve been friendly over the years.”
(Did anything strike you about Coach Flores when you first discussed philosophies?) – “After he got hired, we had the opportunity to speak. It was pretty short and brief because he was being pulled in so many different directions; but I kind of had a feel for the guy and had a feel for the man. I knew he had great leadership characteristics just from talking. You know it when you see it. It’s like most, you feel it, you see it and you taste it. Those things haven’t changed. They’ve just been reiterated once you get to spend more time (with him). He’s going to do a great job because his message is always going to be the same – clear, direct, to the point – and everyone is always going to know where they stand.”
(Now that we’re two months removed from the season, how would you assess S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s rookie season?) – “He had a solid rookie season. His arrow is pointed up. He still has so much to learn; but the thing with him is that he’s willing to do it. He’s more than willing to do it. Everyone is going to be learning right now. Everyone is starting from a clear playing field, from that perspective. I’m excited to see him grow. I’m excited to see him taking more of a role if that happens. He has to earn those kinds of things like everyone else; but he is the right kind of guy. He has the right kind of skillset, mentally and physically. So it’s going to be exciting to watch him grow.”
(Anything about S Minkah Fitzpatrick stand out to you, either physically or…) – “I could go run down the whole list, but there’s nothing different than you guys have seen or haven’t seen. There’s no hidden things in regards to that. He has the skillset mentally and physically to do a lot. That’s a good thing. We’re excited to watch him grow in this system and learn in this system.”
(Adam Gase last year told us that he thought S Minkah Fitzpatrick had more value at safety. Do you agree with that?) – “That’s last year. This year is an entirely different team. We’re going to do thing Coach Flores’ way and (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Patrick) Graham’s way. Those things are still yet to be determined.”
(It’s unclear to you where S Minkah Fitzpatrick is better? You think he’s similarly able to help at both positions?) – “He can help in a whole bunch of different positons. Where he’s going to fit on our team right now, I can’t say that just yet. We’re still trying to evaluate our guys and plug and play into the things we want this year. He has the skillset to do a lot and that’s good.”
(How do you think S Reshad Jones played? Obviously he talked to us about he was used to playing strong safety and it was adjustment for him to play free. How did he adjust to that?) – “We’re talking about last year right? Someone told me this a long time ago and this is definitely not a copout. He said you can’t go forward if you’re looking in the rearview mirror and those kind of things. Last year is last year. This year, we’re going to focus on where we want the guys to be this year. Everything is still early in the process right now. We’re trying to match our guys here to the new system and see how things shake itself out. We’re just going to go forward from that and adjust things to where they are today.”
(What’s the next step for S Minkah Fitzpatrick? Where can he improve? He did so many things well, but can you point to something he can do better?) – “They all have things they can do better. I don’t know if there’s one thing I can put my finger on. Once again, there are some differences in things we’re going to do. So what he can improve on from last year may not be the same thing he can improve on this year. Like most rookies, just learning the NFL game and the changes in that, those are always going to be there greatest things that they can learn. Technique is technique. Each team is going to do something a little bit differently. This philosophy may be a little bit different. Just learning the game, learning the tempo and all of those kinds of things. The off-the-field things, as far as being a pro, those are things you can apply to every rookie early. Every rookie, in my opinion, going from their first year to their second year, is where they get their biggest gains because they already know what to expect. They come in and think they know, but until they get in and go through it daily, now they know what to expect, so now they can adjust accordingly in the offseason. They are not training for the Combine and pro days and all of that kind of stuff. Now is when their ceiling gets a little bit higher.”
(Did you have an exit meeting with your guys, or was their not one done? Have you met individually with S Reshad Jones, S T.J. McDonald, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, etc.?) – “There were conversations. There’s always conversations at the end of the season.”
(Without asking you to give away state secrets, what was your mission to S Minkah Fitzpatrick about where he could get better?) – “I told him, get some rest, take some time off and we’ll talk when you get back. We don’t want to start working too early. It’s good for those guys to get away and pause for a second, just like coaches.”
(How about with CB Xavien Howard? He had a breakthrough season this year. What do you say to somebody like that when they are at a level now?) – “Just keep going. Just like we were talking about, last year is last year and this year is this year. We’re always on a what have you done for me now, what have you done for me lately type of deal. He had a good year last year. (He has some) things to work on. I’m excited about that for him. I haven’t had any football conversations with him since the season, but the most important thing is what can you do from this moment on?”
(What have you sacrificed to get to this point in your career? It might be another career or for some players it’s food.) – “That’s easy for me. The thing I’ve sacrificed the most is my hair. (laughter) That’s it. My hairline when I started this profession, I had a nice, crisp hairline. Now, it’s lacking, so I’m going to blame it on football and lack of sleep and all of that kind of stuff. (laughter) No, seriously the biggest thing you sacrifice for us is stability. You have to move around a lot. We are living our dreams and we’re not forcing our families but our families are living our dreams with us as opposed to theirs. So there is more sacrifice for them than there is for us. When people talk about moving and talk about our profession, the very first thing I point the forward back is our family.”
(How many times have you moved?) – “More than my hands (can count).”
(Coming back and moving forward, having pieces like CB Bobby McCain, CB Xavien Howard, how do you anticipate moving forward and having those core pieces to work with starting a season?) – “They are definitely some phenomenal pieces. We’re still evaluating where things are going to go, where people are going to go, the new system and those types of things. That is yet to be determined. The one thing I’d say about those two guys is that they are smart players, good players and extinctive players. It’s exciting to see where they are going to fit in the new system.”
(Generically speaking, what are you looking for? What is your focus on? ‘This is the type of defensive back I want to coach. This is the type of guy I want in my secondary?’) – “Guys that can make some plays. (laughter) Guys that can stop them from catching it and if they do catch it, we can tackle them. Those are the guys we want. That’s a very generic way of saying it but at the end of the day, that’s what they have to do. Stop them from catching it and if they do catch it, tackle them and keep them out of the end zone. (laughter)”
George Godsey – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(Do you have any experience coaching in a warm-weather climate such as this?) – “Yeah, I’m from Tampa. I went to high school in Tampa. Then, I was in Houston for three years. It was pretty hot there too. I’m actually happy to see the sunshine.”
(As far as the tight end’s role, how has it evolved in your eyes in the last few years? It seems like a few years ago, it became a featured position, but what do you think of the tight end’s role in general?) – “Those guys, they transcend other positions. They’re receivers in certain plays or they’re offensive linemen in others. Sometimes they’re fullbacks. In my experience, those guys have to have a good grasp of the offense and a good knowledge of the personnel that they’re going against, just because of the multiple roles that they play. There’s a lot of meeting time but ultimately it’s getting out there and having good instincts.”
(What one quality above any other would you want in a tight end?) – “It’s hard to just have one quality because they come in different shapes and sizes. Some are better in the run game, blocking. Some are better in the passing game. Some can do a little bit of both. Some can play in the backfield. It’s hard to just say one trait. They have to be versatile, they have to be smart, they have to be able to do whatever they can do the best and do it for 60 minutes.”
(You don’t want to single out one quality?) – “I’ve had a bunch of different ones – some that are effective blockers that can play three downs, some that are strictly pass-receiving tight ends, some that are first- and second-down only. They come in different sizes and shapes.”
(Are you okay with playing two tight ends or do you prefer one? What is your philosophy on that?) – “I’m sure (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) will call the best the plays that give us the best chance to score, but however many we need out there. Whatever they can do well. If they can do multiple things, then they’ll all be out there. Sometimes it’ll be four receivers out there and a back. Their role kind of goes by down, by scheme and by how we want to attack the defense.”
(What do you think you want ideally in a tight end – a seam-route runner? A red zone threat? Ideally what would you like?) – “Ideally, I’d like to play all downs and be effective at everything you do. Nowadays, it’s hard because maybe a smaller guy size-wise that can run faster is a little bit better of a matchup against a backer. In the red area, you’d like to have a bigger guy, or maybe it’s a matchup versus a DB that you like. I think the big thing is identifying their strengths and trying to use those as much (as you can), and identifying their weaknesses and trying to stay away from that as much. If there’s a tight end that maybe isn’t as good of a blocker, not that we’re not going to call on him to block, but maybe we’ll try to utilize him a little bit more in the passing game.”
(How familiar are you with the tight ends you’re inheriting?) – “That’s part of the deal right now – evaluations. It’s hard to watch every game all the time, install playbook, get ready for the draft, look at the free agents, so that’s part of the daily deal right now. I’m looking forward to working with them, that’s for sure.”
(How did you arrive here with Brian Flores exactly? I know you guys share a Patriots background.) – “That’s really mainly it. We’ve always stayed in touch. Obviously, I think very highly of him. We like to talk from our sides of the ball and kind of how we see things, so we’ve had a good relationship.”
(What kind of guy is Brian Flores? To me, he seems like he has a commanding presence. You listen when Brian Flores is speaking, but personality-wise and demeanor – how would you describe him?) – “When you kind of go through the coaching ranks, you get to a position to where you have leadership roles. Last year, part of his responsibility was the leadership role defensively, so now he’s going to carry that as far as being the head coach now. He gives us instructions, gives us what he wants and that’s kind of how it is. That’s usually what it is in that role.”
(Is Brian Flores a yeller or screamer?) – “I think everybody kind of has different coaching techniques, but you do whatever is necessary to get what you want out of it. We’re happy to be around here, we’re happy to have him as our leader. He’s intelligent, very detailed and doesn’t spend a lot of time wishy-washing with what he wants. I think that’s what we all expect and that’s what we all like.”
(We had Vance Joseph here for a year. When we would talk to him in the press conference, it was very straightforward and pretty business-like. The players said that’s how he was with them. That’s one impression from Brian Flores, but that’s kind of how I saw him.) – “It’s hard to get a lot accomplished if you’re not straightforward. The player nowadays, in my experience, he likes that. So does the coach. I think we all do. It’s kind of how everybody is usually from that standpoint.”
(Tell me about the process of coming down here. You must have had a really jumbled up time, the offseason.) – “It’s business-like, so you just kind of explain to everybody where they stand and come to a decision. It’s not as complicated as maybe you think.”
(What are your impressions of some of the guys on the roster?) – “I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now. It’s a busy time for us even though there’s really no games going on obviously, but we’re evaluating the current roster, evaluating the free agents, getting ready for the draft, installing the playbook, trying to figure out if I have a place to live or if I’m going to sleep on the floor in the office. (laughter) It’s good to get to know these guys on tape. I’ll be anxious to kind of watch them more here as the weeks go on and really get to know them when they pop by at some point. They all have different traits, different strengths, different weaknesses, so I think that’s the goal right now is to try to figure those out, nail those down and them utilize them in the best way.”
(What have you seen out of the two rookies from last year, TE Durham Smythe and TE Mike Gesicki?) – “They’re typical rookies right now. They’re just trying to get to know the NFL, get to know the personnel and get to know the schemes that may be different from college. Those guys will grow, those guys will get better. I’m anxious to work with them.”
(What’s your coaching style when it comes to tight ends?) – “Hopefully it becomes a productive coaching style, but I try to be straightforward with what we want. It may be one position at the tight end but obviously, we play together as a team. You may not get the ball every time, but we want to get open in the passing game and block in the running game (and) make sure that we can contribute on all downs and all situations.”
(What’s your position on a blocking tight end versus maybe a pass-catching tight end?) – “The tight end position, although it’s kind of grouped, everybody is a little bit different. There are guys that are bigger that block, there are guys that are a little bit smaller that run routes better. It’s hard to find that guy that actually does all three downs effectively for 60 minutes. They can’t play every down, either. Sometimes, they’re used in the backfield. That’s part of this process right now is to find out what exactly these guys do well, what their weaknesses are too and then try to lean more on their strengths. I try to do a deep dive in this position by how we characterize each player and then utilize their strengths.”
(Is it important to bring in a veteran presence for the young guys so they can kind of learn and grow that way?) – “I’ve been a part of teams that have both veterans and all young guys. I have some experience in the league and there are some other coaches too around here that do, so if there isn’t a veteran presence then we can lend that advice or experience, and if there is, certainly it helps. Like I said, now is kind of the acquisition time, so we’ll see how it works out. You usually leave that to the guys in the personnel department.”
(What is the biggest difference for the tight end position with the new special teams rules?) – “You’d like to have some special teams value from the tight end position. Obviously, these aren’t the guys that are the fastest, usually, on the team, and that’s some of your kickoff cover, punt game. But there is size to be able to block in the punt game. There is size on the kickoff return team. Every now and then, you get a guy that can run down there and is not afraid to go in there and put his head in there and tackle. (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny (Crossman) will make those decisions and hopefully those guys can provide some depth and be as versatile as possible. I think that’s the main thing a tight end can do is just help in any phase, any part of the game – run, block, special teams – and help the team win that way.”
(What do you hope to accomplish here with the Dolphins and Coach Flores?) – “I think we’re all here for one reason: to win. Do it in a team fashion and make sure we find out the quickest way to do that.”
(Working with Coach Flores, Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea, Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski in New England, how do you guys go about doing this altogether here? People are going to say you’re trying to bring the ‘Patriot Way’ here. I don’t want to say that but how do you kind of replicate from success at one of the best franchises in history to a new place like this?) – “It’s really all more about the personnel that you’re dealing with. It’s new personnel for everybody getting associated. Right now, we’re doing evaluations – strengths, weaknesses, what they do the best, what they do the worst and let’s try to lean more toward what they do well. I was in Detroit last year, I was in Houston the year before, I was in New England however many years ago. I think each year is different in the personnel that you’re dealing with and you try to utilize and make sure we maximize their strengths.”
(Do you have any initial impression of TE Mike Gesicki just from what you’ve seen?) – “I think as we’re looking at those guys, it’s a young group there, so they’re learning the NFL. Whether it’s practice or games, everybody learns at a certain degree. We’re going to try to speed up that as much as possible and get as much production at the position as asked for.”
(You were with Matt Patricia last year with the Lions, you were with Bill O’Brien in Houston, now you’re with Coach Flores here. The last two guys, are they trying to replicate what’s going on in New England? Is that something that you see happening here?) – “It’s a goal to win. It’s trying to win as quick as possible, too. I think as much as we can get these guys moving in the right direction and compete. I think every day, you start in practice, you start in the offseason, so as soon as guys get here, we’ll begin our program.”
(What are some things you’ve learned from coaching with Bill O’Brien and coaching with Matt Patricia that you believe can help you with coaching with Brian Flores?) – “I think wherever you’re at, you’re working hard and you’re learning the opponent, you’re learning what you do well and trying to streamline that as quickly as possible.”
(Are you somebody that Coach Flores can lean on?) – “He and I have a good relationship. We’ve communicated every day since we’ve met each other. I’m anxious to be there really daily with him as opposed to just over the phone.”
(How do you guys go through that purgatory of when Brian Flores is still finishing the season and you’re trying to get a new job? What’s that period like for you guys?) – “Everything got finalized really after the game, so up until that point, it’s kind of just seeing if the situation really works.”
(Were you talking to other teams?) – “All of that business stuff, I try to keep to myself, just because to me it’s a non-factor.”
(Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell suggested that I ask you about one of the guys in the quarterback room, QB Jake Rudock, just because you were around him last year. What skills stood out to you just from being with the Lions?) – “He’s attentive. He’s very detailed, works hard. He’s going to be a good asset to bring in here. He’s competitive, so he’ll go out there and earn it on the field. He’s from down here, too, so that probably helps. He knows the location. He’s a hard-worker. I’m really anxious to see him again down here after last season. There’s a lot warmer weather down here than up in Detroit.”
Eric Studesville – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(I want to ask you about RB Kenyan Drake, first of all. I know there was some frustration that maybe he didn’t carry the ball as much as you wanted although he got a lot of the touches in the past. Did he ever express frustration to you?) – “No. Kenyan has been a part of this. I think he did a great job and was trying to do everything he could to help us win games and he knows that happens a lot of different ways.”
(Would your hope be, and I know obviously Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea, you, Head Coach Brian Flores collectively will decide this, but would you hope to be able to incorporate him a little bit more in the running game next year? I know a lot is dependent on how many offensive snaps you have. That was a big factor in why everybody’s numbers were lower, but do you think he’s capable of carrying the ball more than the seven times per game that he averaged?) – “I don’t know what that’s going to be going forward. We haven’t done all of that yet. The hard part is how you build this and who we get here and how all of the pieces go together. It’s the same thing as we’ve always done, we’re going to try to put guys in a positon to help us win football games. How many that is? Enough to win the game. That’s the end goal.”
(Do you think RB Kenyan Drake played well last year?) – “I do. But like all of us, we could all get better. There’s areas for everybody to improve on and work on; but we’ll get to all that. Right now, the biggest thing that we’re trying to do is we’re trying to figure out who everybody is right now and get the pieces in and we’ll figure out what to do with them.”
(One other thing on RB Kenyan Drake, I know Adam Gase had some concerns about negative carries and there were a good number of them, well into double-digits last year as far as losses of 3 yards or more. When I asked Kenyan about it he said he doesn’t want to change his running style to reduce those, he is who he is. Are you okay with that?) – “I think backs have natural instincts. How much can you change it, how much do you adjust that, you take away what their God-given ability is. The thing we want to do is we want to do is with all of the backs, not just Kenyan, the things we talk about are we want to keep the offense on track and we want to do positive things. They all buy into that.”
(Do you just accept with RB Kenyan Drake that there are going to be some losses on some runs just because he has the explosiveness to break? Is that something you accept or do you try to tinker with his style at all to eliminate or to reduce some of the negative yardage runs?) – “In everything we’re going to do, we’re going to coach all those guys to do what’s best within the scheme of the play and what we’re trying to do and then hopefully those plays are part of utilizing their skillset.”
(With RB Kalen Ballage, what did he show you? Could he one day be a three-down back?) – “I hope all of them can be three-down backs, because you never know. You hope that the biggest thing that they can do is find their role in the offense, whatever that is. If we need them to play three downs, they’re able to do that. If we’re fortunate enough to have one back and they have roles and things, we want them all to be able to contribute and be able to play. I think that’s good for everybody too. I don’t know that there’s one answer to that. Three-down backs are hard to find.”
(With RB Kalen Ballage’s skillset, what impressed you specifically and about how he played late in the season?) – “I think the big thing you notice about Kalen is he’s a big, physical body. He can run. He’s athletic. I think he’s maturing and growing. He still has a lot of growth to do as far as seeing and recognizing things, but his work ethic is tremendous. He has got a great personality and he comes in every day ready to work. That’s the best starting point there is for a young player.”
(From a skillset standpoint, what stood out to you about RB Kalen Ballage? His burst?) – “I think his size. His size and he can run. He can catch the ball. He’s got speed for a big man. All of those things make him impressive as a player.”
(Do you hope RB Frank Gore is back?) – “The biggest thing with Frank is let’s get Frank healthy and we’ll figure out what’s next for him. Him ending the season banged up was … I want to get him healthy first and then we’ll cross all of those other bridges.”
(RB Frank Gore will be a free agent in a month. I know you probably wouldn’t reveal it even if you did know, but do you know if he will return, if he’ll be asked to return?) – “I don’t know that.”
(How much of a presence was RB Frank Gore with the young guys?) – “I think Frank was an outstanding presence. The biggest thing that Frank gives to you is leadership and a demonstration of what a veteran, professional in your room looks like. That example is incredibly valuable.”
(Another guy on the roster, RB Senorise Perry. How did he perform last year? I know he was on special teams a lot, but what did you see out of him?) – “Senorise did everything we asked of him. It’s an unusual situation when you have five backs that are active for all 16 games. The great thing about Senorise, he was ready to go every week. He approached his job in a professional way. Had we called on him to do something, he would’ve been ready to jump in there no question.”
(You’re back here this year. What did you think of the running back production last year?) – “I think like in every area, I’m going to say this every year: there’s room for improvement.”
(Specifically as far as pass protection?) – “I think in every aspect of it. I’d like to see us improve in a lot of different areas. The hard part is what those areas are exactly, we don’t know yet, because we start building where we’re going now in this direction and it is making all of those things fit. We can do a lot of little things better. We can do things better in our room and that’s where we’re going to work at, at least as a starting point.”
(The running game’s role in this offense, I know Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea just got here and Head Coach Brian Flores just got here, do you know? Is it going to be a half and half?) – “No, I don’t know. We haven’t even gotten to all that. We’re working through the playbook now and evaluating people and things. We haven’t even got to how the pieces work on the table yet. We’re still trying to figure out what the pieces are and what we’re going to ask them to do.”
(Your guys can carry a pretty big share of the load, right?) – “I would think so. I would hope so, yes. I hope there’s the confidence that we can do that if that’s what’s needed to help us win a game.”
(What are you expecting from RB Kenyan Drake as far as things that he needs to work on, things that he did well that you want to accentuate?) – “I think we’re probably being a little premature on that, because we don’t know what we’re going to ask him to do yet. Until we start putting everything together and finding out what those things are, we don’t know what we’re going to ask him to do. So then that affects what we need him to work on and improve on and all those kind of things and specifically what to work on.”
(RB Kenyan Drake has a knack for big plays. Has that worked for him or has that worked against him? In other words does he try to house it too much? We see it, but how does that manifest itself?) – “I hope that mentality is in all of my guys that they want to be out there, they want to make the big play and they have the capability to make a big play. That’s how I want them to approach it. I don’t ever want them to … Unless it’s third-and-1 and we’ll take that 2-yard gain every time. But I want them to think about big plays. I want them to have that potential in them. Obviously, as an offense and a team, if that’s what helps us win, that’s going to put is in a better chance to win. I like that mentality that he has that he feels like he can score whenever he touches the ball.”
(RB Kalen Ballage, did you see enough of him? Obviously, you saw him in practice all year. In games, did you see enough to have a good feel or you just got a little taste of him?) – “I think we all got a little bit and scratched what the potential is. Now the next step is going to be up to him and him establishing a role and whatever that is going forward, and how he can contribute in some kind of what to what we’re doing. But I think he has potential. How much? We have to wait and see. That’s what the future is going to give us.”
(I’m doing a story on black coaches and the ability to climb the ranks. The idea is this that this last round of coaching hires, we saw a lot of offensive-minded coaches and yes they were white, but offensive-minded coaches get jobs. Guys we saw lose jobs were defensive-minded coaches and yes they were black. As an offensive coach, as a black coach, how do you get play-caller, quarterback coach, offensive coordinator roles so that you can be next in line?) – “I don’t know if there’s an easy answer to that question. How I’ve always approached it is I come into work, prepare myself, get ready to go the best I can and whatever opportunity comes up, I’m going to try to prepare myself for that. You can’t control those things. Some of those things aren’t in my hands. Someone has got to say they want you to do this. The only time you’re going to obviously get that opportunity is if you’re ready for that opportunity. I know that’s not a good answer for you, but that’s really what it is, is that when those interviews come up or when somebody wants to talk to you, that you’re ready for those opportunities and that’s the only way you’re really going to get seriously considered for it.”
(I know of a few in colleges – Pep Hamilton, who’s not in college, but Scottie Montgomery, Mike Locksley up at Maryland, Brian Johnson at Florida. There are guys around. I was talking to Troy Vincent yesterday. He was saying there’s guys around, they just need to get those opportunities.) – “Those are the opportunities we’re talking about. Somebody has got to say, ‘I want to talk to Mike Locksley about this offensive coordinator position.’”
(It was something that just really, to me, it really became apparent this last round that … And Troy Vincent was saying that black coaches previously, you felt more comfortable coming up on the defensive side of the ball and that’s what we had with Todd Bowles, Vance Joseph and Steve Wilks, but now it has changed. What owners and GMs are looking for are the passing-game guys.) – “It has always been that way. I think it’s always been that way. Whatever seems to be kind of ‘in.’ For a while, it was … For years it was Bill Walsh’s guys. Then it was Mike Shanahan’s guys. There are trends it seems and now it’s the Sean McVays or whatever that is. It goes in spurts. I don’t know what the answer to it is.”
(I’m just wondering if there are offensive black coaches and Troy Vincent says there are. Troy Vincent says there are.) – “There are.”
(I don’t know how many are in the NFL. The other part is I talked to Kris Richard and Anthony Lynn at the Pro Bowl about this and they were saying I wish you would just say you’re looking for the best leader not the best offensive coach or the best defensive coach and it shouldn’t matter if you’re black or white.) – “I would concur strongly with that sentiment.”
(I thought that was interesting too because while I want to look at it one way, they’re looking at it like don’t consider one side of the ball.) – “But the reality is that that positon is not just offensive anymore. I’m talking about when you become a head coach. You’re over all three phases, so it’s not as easy as just saying, ‘I’m only in charge of one side of the ball.’ I think that’s where the leadership component that maybe they’re referencing comes up. You’re a leader over men no matter what side of the ball they’re on.”
(Give me your thoughts on coming back to the Dolphins. I believe it’s three guys who are back from last year’s staff.) – “I’m excited. I’m glad to be here and find some more time here in South Florida and be a part of this organization and help be a part of what’s going forward here with Coach Flores.”
(Did you have a good relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “I knew him. I knew him before here; but like all the things that happen in the job world, you know a lot of different people, but it’s different when you’re trying to actually get a job.”
(Where had you and Brian Flores met?) – “I knew him professionally, obviously. We played New England so many times in Denver and then here last year, but obviously Denver and when I was in Buffalo, too. (I) knew of him, respected him and who he was and how he carried himself. We got a chance to know each other a little bit more and spend some time last year at the coaches’ symposium.”
(What are your thoughts about Head Coach Brain Flores from a coaching standpoint?) – “I think the first thing is presence and leadership. Those are the first two things that really jump out at me. Obviously, he’s highly intelligent. I think he’s got a plan to go forward. I think when you sit in front of him, you see somebody that looks like a leader and somebody that can be a leader of men and create a direction that we want to go.”
(What do you feel about the potential of the running backs, especially when you have two young guys RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage?) – “I think there’s potential there. That’s exactly the right word. We have to develop it and figure out how to utilize it in the scheme and where we’re going.”
(The Miami Miracle, did that come up when you were talking to Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “No, I don’t bring that up. It was a great play. That’s one of those plays you enjoy later in life.”
Karl Dorrell – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(How does it feel to be back?) – “It’s awesome. We really enjoyed it here, my family when they were younger, living in this area and working with the Dolphins. We had some really good people we were working with at the time. We had a really good experience, unfortunately we didn’t win as many games as we should’ve won at times, so they made a staff change and I wasn’t able to stay. I had to do the coaching thing, which is continue to work and improve. I really enjoyed it here, so I’m really excited to be back and work with this staff. I think this group of receivers I’m really excited about too. It’s a pleasant opportunity for me to come back to a place that I’ve already been to. (There are) so many familiar faces in the building that are still here and the welcome reception from them. I’m excited.”
(Talk about the time that you’ve been gone and how that experience was.) – “It was good. At the time, my last year here in Miami, I was working with the quarterbacks. Matt Moore was our guy. Chad Henne got hurt and that was a good year for Matt to really get himself supplanted into the league because he ended up playing another four or five years after I was gone from here. I coached receivers the previous three years and had a really good group, a young group. It was kind of an untested, unknown group in Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn and those kind of guys. They were real productive for us. It was a great experience. When I left Miami, I went to Houston to be the quarterbacks coach there for a couple of years with Gary Kubiak and his staff there. Since then, that was my last opportunity coaching quarterbacks. I went back to coaching receivers with the Jets for the last four years.”
(Obviously you knew Todd Bowles from here right?) – “Yes, Todd was on the staff here. Kacy Rodgers was on the staff here. So those guys were all together here in Miami that were on the Jets staff too.”
(What are your ties to Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “We’ve just known each other in passing. That’s how the profession is. You meet everybody and it’s kind of a network of coaches. I haven’t really had much contact with him in terms of being in other places other than saying hello and just those type of things. I’ve always felt that people that knew him more intimately than I did, that he was a great coach, great person, a great communicator. Players love playing for him. He definitely has all of those things and those qualities that everybody has said.”
(Stop me if I’m wrong but General Manager Chris Grier was probably a good reference for you as well?) – “Yes, because Chris and I were here my first time here. Chris was, I believe, the director of college scouting at the time. It’s just good to come back to familiar people, people that know your coaching ability, that you’ve had relationships with. Obviously he’s been here for a while and it was fortunate for me to have the opportunity to come back here. To help the organization again was a blessing.”
(You mentioned how excited you are to work with this group. What do you see? I know you haven’t seen a bunch but from the film you’ve watched, what do you see?) – “I see some dynamic players. I’ve got different ranges. I have guys that are 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3, down to guys that are under six feet tall. They all have unique qualities. I’ve studied all of their tape, just getting to know the group over the last season, just watching their reps and things that they’ve done. It’s a dynamic group, so I’m excited to get a chance to help them.”
(Why do you think this place hasn’t been able to figure it our winning-wise? You mentioned that you didn’t win enough in the late 2000s. What’s it going to take to get this thing turned around?) – “We won our first year we got back here with Bill Parcells. Tony Sparono was our head coach and we went 11-5 in our first year (2008), which I think surprised everybody in football that we would have that type of success given what happened the year prior. Then the next few years, we hovered right around the .500 or just under .500 (mark) in terms of win percentage. Sometimes … I think there were some other issues. That’s just how football goes with injuries at positions. We had quarterback injuries. We had Chad Pennington that first year and then he had some injuries over the next year and a half. I think it was … That’s just a matter of what happens in this league. Sometimes you have to be fortunate to keep a good core on your team that stays healthy and always has some longevity and some tenure. I think at that time, we were just getting established with the core, then some of the things started to work in a different way for us in terms of keeping the same guys that are playing. Sometimes guys are in free agency and they get an opportunity to go other places. It’s just a numbers game of not being able to be productive given how you continue to build your team with that core group and keeping it moving forward.”
(It seems to me that the turnover is tough. The consistency … I know people are going to lose their jobs and all of that, but it seems like the turnover makes it hard to make that identity you’re talking about.) – “It helps to keep a good group or core on your team – in terms of players I’m talking about – because that’s your foundation that you build on. Then you try to acquire certain pieces that make the core be elevated. I think that sometimes like that, it’s hard to keep that together. I think that’s the nature of our business, whether it’s the free agency world or whether it’s an injury factor. Those are the things that happen from season to season.”
(What about Brian Flores has impressed you in the time you guys have worked together?) – “I think he’s on top of it. The one thing I like is that he’s on top of all the scenarios we’re doing right now. (with) all of us coming in late after the Super Bowl and trying to get things established in a timely manner. I think he had a nice plan to get that done, both effectively and we were able to hit the ground running. I think he has done a tremendous job so far since he’s been here.”
(Do you have a prototype size wise for receiver?) – “Actually, no. I like the different skill sets. You don’t want them all looking the same and doing the same things. I don’t think that challenges the defense well enough. I think you need different types because they have different attributes. Usually the smaller guys are faster, shiftier and have a lot of lateral quickness and burst and things like that. The bigger guys have range and length and came make these enormous catches and things like that, so it’s good to have a balance of both.”
(When WR Albert Wilson got hurt last year, it changed the entire complexion of the offense.) – “He was pretty dynamic wasn’t he? He’s a very unique player. I’m really excited about him. Unfortunately for him with the injury he’s recovering from … I hear he’s doing a really good job with the recovery process but like you said, you could tell when he was on the field, he had a number of ways to affect the defense and to make the defense really pay attention to where he is and things like that.”
(Have you had a chance to visit with WR Albert Wilson?) – “I had a chance to see him and introduce myself to him, but we don’t have face-to-face time in terms of football and stuff like that.”
(I didn’t know if in your draft process or anything like that have you ever crossed paths with WR Albert Wilson.) – “No. He’s in rehab and doing treatment and things like that. I did introduce myself and we chatted and just did an introductory (chat) for just a few minutes or so, but we can’t do any football or anything like that.”
(WR Albert Wilson is the most confident human being you will ever meet?) – “Really? I hear he is a very quiet but hardworking guy. That’s kind of what his M.O. has been, which I like. I like that. I like guys that in crunch time moments of a game, in a situation where a big play has to be made, guys come up and do those things. That Chicago game was obviously one of those games.”
(I can’t believe there wasn’t a spot for WR Albert Wilson in free agency.) – “That’s probably a factor of free agency, though. They maybe didn’t want to lose him but he saw that this was maybe a better opportunity than there. Who knows? But that’s a good point of he was in a really good program prior to coming here but Kansas City probably feels it’s hard to keep everybody.”
(It worked out pretty well for WR Albert Wilson.) – “I’m happy to have him.”
(Did you ever think you were going to be back here?) – “You never know in this profession. I know that my goal as a coach is to do a great job wherever I go. Hopefully people remember the things that you’ve done and in your past so when things like this happen, it’s a positive process and they think ‘Let’s bring him back.’ I’m excited to be here.”
(I guess that’s why you never burn bridges because you never know.) – “Yeah. And our profession is pretty tight too. All of us coaches know each other in one way, shape or form, so I think that helps. I’m just trying to be productive and be efficient and help people win and things like that. That’s all we can ask to do. I’m excited to be back.”
(Did you know Brian Flores before this process?) – “Just in passing. He was a casual acquaintance. I’m an offensive guy and he hangs with defensive guys. (laughter) But casual acquaintances, yes. I’m excited. I’m excited for him. I’m excited to work for him. From what I’ve seen of him so far these last couple weeks, he’s going to do an excellent job.”
(This is your second stint with the Dolphins. How is that handled by a coach like yourself? Is it different than going to a different team? How is that?) – “It is different than going to a different team. First and foremost, like in this particular case, I walk into the building there are so many familiar faces that you’ve worked with the first time and you’ve had fond memories and associations with. I think that’s helped in terms of a transition aspect of just getting back on your feet again. The other part is that I enjoyed here. This is my first time coming back to a team that I worked with before. I had such a positive experience here the first time that it made that seamless transition to be effortless, really. I love the organization. The people that are here in all of the support areas have been great. They were great to me when I was here the first time. They have obviously welcomed me here with open arms the second time. It’s a great feeling.”
(You’re staying in the AFC East. Is that a competitive advantage? Does that help? Does that not really mean anything at all?) – “There has to be an advantage because you know certain teams in your division. I’d say the advantage is that I’ve worked with the Jets, I’ve worked here and I’ve played against all three of our division opponents many times, so that experience helps from a knowledge standpoint. But it still comes down to playing the game, executing and doing your job effectively and efficiently and putting yourselves in position to win, which our players have to do a great job of doing that. I do think that we have familiarity on this staff about this division, which is going to be helpful. Hopefully that transcends to winning some games.”
(What did you know coming in? Obviously you’re on the other side other side of the ball, so you didn’t scout the Dolphins offense much, but what did you know about the receiver crew that you’re inheriting right now?) – “I tend to … You’re right, I don’t necessarily study the offenses in this league; but whenever we play a game against anybody in the division, when we’re off the field and I’m standing on the sideline, I look at the opposing offenses and what they are doing and how effective some of the players are. I usually kept a pretty good close track of how the game was going and who was being productive and things like that. I think the familiarity of this group I’ve seen when we’ve been off the field, I thought it was a dynamic group. (There are) some guys that can make plays with the ball in their hands and I think they were scary in a lot of respects, and they had a chance to make those types of plays throughout the season. I know we had a couple of guys that got hurt last year a little over the midway point that I think were really good, productive players that they missed toward the end of the season. But now that I’m here and I have a chance to watch their film from the season individually and study them, it’s a pretty exciting group. So I’m excited to get a chance to help them.”
(Anything stick out about that group?) – “The things that stick out to me is that they can make plays once they make the catch. I think that’s a very strong quality in this league. It’s hard to gain yards in the NFL. You have to beat them on scheme, but as you beat them on scheme, how to you extend that scheme to be a big play? I think there are some dynamic players that can do that. I’m excited. I’m excited to get a chance to work with them once we get them here in April.”
(How does it feel to be back in South Florida?) – “It feels like coming home, to be honest with you. My family, they were younger at the time, in middle school and going into high school. They’re now gone and in their 20s, so we’re kind of empty-nesters coming back. But even though they won’t be with us – it’ll just be my wife and I – they’re excited about their experience and us coming back. They had such fond memories of being here. Maybe I’ll get them to visit us more. (laughter) They weren’t too keen on visiting up in New Jersey as much as they are visiting here in South Florida. To make a long story short, they’re excited. I’m excited. It’s good to have some familiar people that I’ve been around still here. It’s been like homecoming to me.”
(How many of those people are still around?) – “It’s in every area, whether it’s our facility engineers to our scouting to our football operations to the head-coaching and executive assistants. Everybody that was here from 2008-11 is still here. It’s good that they were excited for me to be back. I’m excited because I get a chance to work with them again.”
(Can you talk about how you’ve changed from the first time you were here until now? Are you a more season coache? Is there any advice or anything notable that you bring back that is different.) – “Hopefully those years I’ve had since being here, I’ve gained some knowledge and experience about things that pertain to developing players. I’m a big teacher, that’s first and foremost. My style is being a great teacher of fundamentals and technique. I think that’s big with Brian Flores too. You’re going to teach a tough, hard-nosed team that is fundamentally sound and do all of the things required to be successful. I think those are the things that I’ll continue to bridge and bring forth more information than I had the last time I was here. The second thing was I was young enough back then to demonstrate a few things here and there. (laughter) I don’t demonstrate so much anymore. I have film to back that up. (laughter) But I think it really hasn’t changed. Hopefully those years you’ve gained more experience, you’ve gained more knowledge, to help guys develop faster. That’s the key in the NFL nowadays. Sometimes you’re developing guys that are young players. There are a lot of juniors that are entering into the draft for example, and they’ve only played two or three years of college, but they’re talented and you’ve got to bring that talent forward. How fast can you bring that talent forward to an NFL system? Those transitions I think are really important, and you have to have a plan to doing that so they can be productive early. Those are the tricks of the trade you have to learn a little bit better and a little bit faster.”
(Did you have a prior connection to Brian Flores before?) – “Just a casual acquaintance. We would meet at the Combine and things like that. I’ve always heard great things about him and I’m excited to work with him.”
Jerry Schuplinski – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(Tell us about your experience last year coming from New England to the Dolphins, about the Super Bowl, and those high expectations you had last year with your team and now coming to a new experience here in Miami.) – “It’s exciting. I would say first of all, I’m very thankful for the opportunity with the organization. I’m really honored to work with (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and with ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores), so that’s awesome. My family and I are really excited. (I) had a great experience in New England all six years. I learned from some great people, worked with some great people, learned from some of the best, I think. I’m very appreciative of that and it was just a great opportunity here and a good time to move on and be a part of this.”
(What excites you about this opportunity?) – “I’d say the first thing that excites me is the people that I’m working with to be honest with you. I’m excited to work with them. I’m excited to move down here to the weather. That’s pretty cool. I’d say just the organization itself. It has a lot of good history in it. I’m partial. Don Shula is a John Carroll (University) guy, like myself. I haven’t met him yet, obviously. (This organization’s) got great history. It will be an opportunity to hopefully try to build something.”
(What can you draw from your experiences in New England that might help you with the youthfulness at the position of quarterback coming to Miami?) – “I’d say a big part of what my responsibilities were there was to work with a young quarterback. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to draft some guys and work with some guys and groom them and teach them our system. I feel that’s an area that I feel pretty confident in. However we do it, I think we’re still working out a lot of kinks with our offense and what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. We’re still evaluating a lot of things,; but whoever it is, whether it’s a guy who’s been here or somebody else, we’ve got a lot of quarterbacks that we’ll all work with them and try to get them better.”
(How do you narrow down what you like to do as an offense in terms of different philosophies, different schemes? Do you really have to wait and evaluate your talent on a roster to match your schemes? How do you go about that process?) – “I think that’s a big part of it. I think you have to have at least a base plan to start and then you modify it accordingly based on the talent that you have and that’s available to you. I think you start with your own roster evaluation here, (and then) obviously you have draft guys. There are some pieces that are going to be moving and fluctuating, as they will during the season, too. It’s kind of hard but you have a base plan, a base idea, of how you call things, a terminology, how you identify things and then you grow from there once your team starts to piece together.”
(How have the last couple of weeks been for you?) – “It’s been awesome. It’s been really cool. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I had there (in New England) and very glad to be a part of what we did there recently. But like anything, it’s time to move on and that happened pretty quick after that. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but really fun.”
(What was appealing to you about this job here?) – “I was just saying before, the people I’m working with I think is the most appealing. I don’t know (General Manager) Chris (Grier). I didn’t know him until I really got down here. I’ve heard some really good things about him. Obviously, working with (Head Coach) Brian (Flores) before, he’s a guy I really respect. And then the guys on our staff too, the offense and even the defense, I know some of these guys. There is some familiarity there. I’d say just in terms of the organization, it’s got good history. There is some great stuff they’ve done here in the past and I’m looking forward to whatever our part is going forward here.”
(I asked Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea this a little bit at the Super Bowl and want to get your opinion on it. The qualities in a quarterback that are important to you, what are the top two or three things a quarterback has got to do?) – “I’d say sometimes you’ve got to be careful, because it’s hard to pigeonhole yourself into one thing. I’d say in general as a team and at this position too, we’re looking for tough, smart, can handle a lot of things, dependable. You want a guy who can play under pressure, perform under pressure when we need him the most. That goes for all positions but that’s quarterback, too.”
(QB Tom Brady is a lot of things but mobile isn’t one of them. Is mobility something in the NFL that’s more ‘en vogue’ or do you think that a pocket passer is still the way?) – “I don’t know. I don’t have a feeling one way or the other in terms of you need this, you need mobility or you need a pocket guy. I just think you need a guy who can function well in your system. Guys who are pocket passers, or have the term pocket passers, that can step up and elude rushes and navigate the pocket, they don’t have to be guys that take off down the field, those are fine. If you have a guy that’s mobile and can break the pocket, that’s always a good thing, too. It just kind of varies.”
(I’d imagine you haven’t had a chance to visit too much with the players, because of the non-contact period, but have you had a chance to see much of them on tape yet?) – “We’re kind of working through that right now. I’d be lying if I said I’ve watched every single guy and gone through everything. We’re kind of in the mix of getting our terminology down and getting familiar with each other as a coaching staff. We’re kind of going through that process right now.”
(Do you think Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea is going to want to run things, I don’t want to say similar, but the same philosophy as New England or do you think he’s going to be completely his own guy?) – “I’d say that’s where most of his experience is, so I’m sure that’s probably where he’s going to draw from the most. But I’m sure there are some unique things he’ll want to bring too. A little bit of both I would say.”
