Brian Flores – February 27, 2019
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(For those of us in New England, it’s jarring to see you in aqua and orange.) – “It feels good in aqua. I’m excited to be in Miami. We’ve had a really good start. Obviously, we were behind a little bit with me coming in after the game, but we have a lot of really great people in the organization. I feel like we’ve put together a pretty good coaching staff and those are guys I’ve kind of leaned on, along with Chris (Grier) and our entire organization. We have a lot of great people there. I wouldn’t call it a smooth transition, but it’s been a good transition.”
(Can you talk about how the guys from New England – what they’ve done to help you so far and how having that comfort level helps you?) – “Just kind of putting together the staff, I wanted people that are smart, that are mentally tough. I wanted our staff to kind of reflect what I’d like to see from our team – smart, tough, guys who communicate well. We ask players to communicate offense, defense, special teams, so our staff has to be able to communicate that way also. That was big. That was one of my main objectives as far as putting a staff together. I’m excited with the group we have. It’s a great group from (Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks) Jim Caldwell to (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman to (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) to (Quality Control) Josh Grizzard, all the way across the board. We have a lot of great people and I’ve leaned on those guys. This is a team effort all the way across the board. You’ll hear me say that on a week-to-week basis when we’re in-season. I’m going to say it in the offseason as well. Right now, that team is … our coaching staff, our personnel staff, really the entire organization.”
(You mentioned that you guys are a little bit behind, but how much does it help to have some familiar faces on your staff that you’re comfortable working with?) – “I think that’s very important. I think camaraderie and being able to communicate and be aligned is very important. I think that’s something (General Manager) Chris (Grier), myself, our coaching staff, our personnel staff – I think we’re aligned as far as the type of players we’re looking for, the type of team we want to build. This week is a big part of that process.”
(I’m sure culture is very important with that and taking over a new team. What have you learned from New England to help establish your own type of culture in Miami?) – “Like you said, culture is very important. I would say a lot of the things that I learned in New England were about putting the team first. I think that was another part of something that was important to me was putting together a staff and people around me who don’t have egos, who work well together. I think that’s going to be a big part of what we do in Miami.”
(You defended against this team for years. Whenever you look at them from the other side, who do you see on the offense that you see as explosive playmakers?) – “I definitely spent a lot of time coaching against this group. There’s definitely a good group of players here, really across the board – offense, defense, in the kicking game. A lot of this process has been about evaluating our current roster. That’s where it really starts. When we come to the draft and free agency, that’s all well and good, but if you don’t know what you have, it makes no difference. We feel good about a lot of our players. We’re going to try to add more pieces to the puzzle and try to put the best product out there possible.”
(From winning a Super Bowl to taking over a new head-coaching job, what has this last month been like for you?) – “It’s been a blur, but it’s been fun. I’m fortunate. I can complain about not sleeping, but the opportunity to coach this great organization and work with the people I’m working with, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s been fun. There’s always something to do, there’s always someone to meet with, there’s always a meeting to go to. It feels like there’s not enough time but I’m trying to crunch time right now, because everything’s important.”
(As you go through the roster, what, if anything, has surprised you in these past couple of weeks?) – “I can’t say I’ve been surprised by anything. To me, I’m kind of ready for anything, ready for any and everything. I think we have some good young talent, some veteran players who display leadership and can help build some of the core values that we want in this team. I think this is a good group and I’m excited to move forward with it.”
(When you look at the personnel on defense and the issues that they had last year, what is one thing that needs to get done on the defensive side of the ball?) – “I think that we’re trying to get better in every area. Pass defense, run defense, kickoff coverage, kicking, punting – everything. I wouldn’t say there’s one thing, because everything is important. I always tell people the difference between getting fourth-and-1 and not getting fourth-and-1 … if you focus on one thing, then that might not be the difference. Everything is important.”
(In particular, stopping the run last year was a big issue for this team. What did you see went wrong and what needs to get better?) – “Again, I wasn’t here last year. I can’t speak to what happened last year. My focus is on what we’re trying to accomplish next year. Not even next year – this week. Again, I’ve always tried to stay present and in the moment. I’m not really worried about the past and what’s gone on there, although I can’t sit here and say you don’t learn from things that have happened in the past. But last year was last year. We’re focused on 2019. Really, that process started when I got off the plane and touched down in Fort Lauderdale. We’re moving forward.”
(What are some factors that went into the decision – obviously, to be collaborative – but to have Defensive Coordinator Pat Graham call the defense on game day?) – “I would say Pat is someone I have a lot of respect for. I think he’s an incredible coach. I think he’s the smartest guy in the room, quite honestly. (He’s a) Yale grad. He likes to tell people that. (laughter) A great friend of mine. We spend a lot of time together. I feel good about him as a coach, him as a teacher. I feel great about our entire coaching staff, from Chad (O’Shea), to Pat (Graham) to Danny (Crossman), to Jim (Caldwell), to (Offensive Line Coach) Pat Flaherty, I think we’ve put together a pretty strong staff – (Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville, (Safeties Coach) Tony Oden. Pat (Graham), I’m very confident in his ability as a play-caller. But it’s a collaborative effort. It really is. Having done it for a year, I know that it’s not just one person making the calls. You’re getting thoughts, comments, help –really, that’s the word – from various people, whether it’s the corners coach or the safeties coach or the head coach. It’s definitely a collaborative effort. This is a team game all the way, through and through. From the coaching staff to the personnel staff, and that kind of filters down into the team on Sundays or Mondays or Thursdays. That’s always kind of the hallmark of how I want our team to be built and I want that displayed on a day-to-day basis.”
(Would it be ideal with the new staff to have a rookie quarterback that you can mold?) – “I think we have to be ready for any and all situations. I think if that’s the situation, then that’s the situation. I think we’re always developing players. We’re developing rookies, we’re developing second-year players, we’re developing seventh-year players. I think we’re in a business where we’re all looking to improve as players, as coaches, that’s personnel people, that’s equipment managers, that’s nutritionists. We’re all trying to improve. I know you’re saying developing a rookie, I’m just saying I’m trying to develop everyone.”
(With you and Defensive Coordinator Pat Graham running the defense and Chad O’Shea as the offensive coordinator, do you envision trying to be like the Patriots on both sides of the football, doing what you guys did there?) – “Right now my vision is really focused on this week and the players in this draft and trying to get to know these guys. Again, this part of the process is so vital, so important, as far as getting to know these players, their strengths, their weaknesses, how they fit with our team. Then, we’ll get to that, the play-calling, who’s doing this and who’s doing that, when we get to that. Obviously, that’s something we’re working towards also. But the focus right now is on these players at the Combine.”
(On a personal level, what’s it like for you being here as a head coach?) – “It’s incredible. It’s a dream come true. But at the same time – and I’ve had this conversation with many people – I’m never going to feel like I’ve arrived. This isn’t the finish line; this is the start line for me. I’m excited to be in this position, but at the same time, I know that there’s a lot of work to be done in all areas. We’re always all trying to improve on a day-to-day basis. We want to build a tough team, a smart team, a team that can play under pressure. Players need to know that. The entire organization needs to know that. We’re going to work towards that every day.”
(What was the idea behind bringing Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell on your staff?) – “We’re trying to bring in as many great people in the organization as we can. If you embody some of the qualities that we’re looking for, if you’re mentally tough, if you’re smart, you’re very intelligent, if you communicate well, if you put the team first, if football is very important to you, you probably have a shot at being a part of what we’re trying to accomplish. That’s across the board. It’s not just coaches. It’s from the top down. Chris (Grier) and I are aligned with that mind. Those are the type of people we want in the building.”
(With your evaluations with Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach Jim Caldwell, where does QB Ryan Tannehill fit in the mix for you guys moving forward?) – “Right now, everything is kind of in process. I’ve been here three-and a-half weeks. We’ve gone through the evaluations of the roster. Everything is in process. We still have time. Obviously, we’ve made some evaluations, but we still have time to make those decisions. Having played against Ryan, he’s had some success against me personally. I think of the last game we played. He’s done a really good job, but those things are in process right now. We haven’t made any final decisions. Everything is on the table. Chris (Grier) and I are aligned on that. Again, we talked about the types of guys we want in our program. That part of it, as far as the evaluations and getting everybody on the same page, has been good.”
(What did it mean for you to have that Super Bowl and to go out in your Patriots performance on that stage and that performance? What did it all mean for you?) – “It was great; but again, it happened quickly. It’s almost like it didn’t happen, quite honestly, with all that’s gone on.”
(Did you get the chance to break down the game at all?) – “I watched it briefly. I thought the guys played well. Again, it’s a testament to the players. The credit goes to them. They practiced hard. They played hard. They played with the discipline, the toughness and the team-first attitude that we’ve talked about already this morning. They reaped the benefits of that. But that happened and it was over. I was on a plane and I’ve been in Florida since.”
(So you haven’t enjoyed it at all?) – “I’m enjoying my time right now in (aqua).”
(Obviously, you have some familiar faces on the staff. Is it important to bring in players that you’ve coached as well?) – “I think it’s important to bring in players who want to play our style and do the things … First, I would say bring the culture, bring the leadership and the toughness and the intelligence that we’re looking for. I don’t care where that player comes from. Hopefully, we’ll find a good number of them this week. It’s all part of the process. Again, this week is so important because you get to know these guys. We’re not going to be able to pick every guy we like. I understand that. But we get to know them and maybe down the line, this conversation that was had here, just kind of helps that process two or three years from now – ‘When we talked to so-and-so at the combine, that was a good interview,’ and he’s available. Things like that. This is all important, not just for right now but in the future.”
(Have you had any contact with RB Brandon Bolden and WR Danny Amendola at all since you’ve gone to Miami?) – “I have not. But again, (they are) two guys who were incredible in New England, guys I have a lot of respect for, who embody a lot of the principles (and) core values that I believe are essential to winning.”
(How do you evaluate this rookie QB class and what stands out to you?) – “I’ve watched a good number of them. It’s a good group. Again, the evaluation is still ongoing. We’ll meet a group of them this week and that’s a big part of the evaluation. Again, we won’t be able to pick them all, we know that, but we’ll go through the evaluation process. Right now, we’ve kind of talked about the types of players we’re looking for. You guys have already heard it – we want them smart, we want them tough, mentally and physically. We want them fundamentally sound. We want them to be able to play under pressure. We want to be able to coach them hard. This is a demanding league, so we have to be demanding on our players. They need to understand that.”
(Some defensive coaches, there are quarterbacks they hated to defend. What type of quarterbacks were your worst to defend?) – “You can look at the stats and you can probably figure that out on your own. Look, each quarterback is a little bit different. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Guys who are mobile, that’s a strength. Guys who have great accuracy, that’s definitely a strength. Those are kind of qualities that are standard things you’re looking for – guys who are accurate, guys with leadership, command of the offense. I think that’s definitely a quality you want in your quarterback. Mobility is great but every player’s a little bit different.”
(What are your thoughts on QB Kyler Murray?) – “I think he had a phenomenal year this year. I think he’s a great athlete. I think he’s a very good player.”
(You just said earlier a lot of quotes that many times we heard at Bill Belichick press conferences – ‘Last year is last year,’ ‘We’re focused on 2019.’ Is that intentional or does he just sort of rub off on you and many of the coaches under him?) – “I think last year was last year. Maybe it does rub off. Maybe it’s something … I feel like there’s some good in that. If we focus on last year, then we’re not focused on this year. I would hate to take away from this year’s team focusing on whatever happened a year ago. If I’m copying Bill, then I guess I’m copying Bill in that situation.”
(Have you had any chance to talk much with Bill Belichick at all?) – “No.”
(Has anyone between Bill or Josh McDaniels or Bill O’Brien – many of his Patriots guys have gone on to become head coaches. Has anyone given you good advice or helped you navigate through situations so far?) – “I’ve talked to a few different guys. They said it would be a blur. They said it would be a whirlwind. It happened fast. You’ll have a lot to do. You won’t have enough time. But the big thing they’ve all said is to be yourself, to stick to your core values, to stick to the things that are important to you, which I’ve tried to do, to get good people around you. I’ve tried to do that. And to always be true to who you are.”
(How do you feel about the current climate in the league for African-American head coaches and general managers like you and Chris Grier and is there any disappointment that there isn’t more guys getting opportunities like the one you have?) – “I’m glad you asked that. John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance was incredible to me during my process as far as the head-coaching search and that whole situation. He’s been a dear friend, a mentor. He’s stepping down this year, so I just wanted to kind of publicly thank him and thank the Fritz Pollard Alliance for all they do for minority coaches. He was great to me and I think that that’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I think there’s a lot of very capable coaches in this league and whatever I can do to help those guys get an opportunity, I’m all for it.”
(How lucky are you to have Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach Jim Caldwell on your staff? That’s a guy that’s been a head coach a couple of times. You’d think he would get another chance.) – “I’m excited to have Coach Caldwell. He’s been a great resource. He’s been someone (who’s been) a sounding board along with some other guys on our staff, whether it’s Danny (Crossman) to Pat Graham to Chad (O’Shea), but Jim specifically, he’s definitely been a sounding board and somebody – again, he’s done it. ‘What’d you do in this situation when you were wherever you were?’ It’s something that was important to me to have someone like that on staff. Again, if I’m going to tell my team not to have egos, it has to start with me, so I don’t have an ego from that standpoint. He’s been really great to work with.”
Chris Grier – February 27, 2019
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
General Manager Chris Grier
(You and Head Coach Brian Flores have talked about being aligned and having to work your way up and earning everything that you have. Is it fair to say that you want players in that same acumen?) – “Yeah, I think you always look for players that have had some sort of adversity in their lives. It could be the smallest thing but it also shows a little bit of their character and how they’ve worked to overcome things. There’s little backstories on players at the Combine here that you like hearing. Like I’ve said, those are some of the traits we really liked about Brian (Flores). He’s just earned everything from being an intern running to get coffee every day to being part of one of the greatest defensive performances in the Super Bowl. Now he’s the head coach of our organization.”
(What are some examples of the life experiences that you are looking for? Is it hardship growing up, hardship in school, coming back from injury and things like that?) – “Yeah, because this is a hard league. There’s been examples of players in the past that have never had any adversity. They’ve been … whether it’s the five-star player from a white picket fence (home) and an ideal life and then they come to the league and they struggle and they don’t know how to deal with that. I’m not saying that every player should have that but it does help paint a picture and it gives you an idea of whether the guy has that makeup to overcome the challenges he’s going to deal with in the NFL.”
(There’s been a lot of talk that this roster is going to have a pretty big makeover this offseason and essentially if you are a veteran on a big contract, you might be in trouble. What do you see the roster of 2019 looking like? Is it going to be young guys? Is it going to be cheap guys? What do you see?) – “I would say everything is – to take Brian (Flores’) words – on the table. We’ve made some decisions but we still have a couple of weeks to go. I wouldn’t say anybody is definitely going to be cut or not going to be here, etc. The coaching staff has only been in the building for two and a half weeks. They’ve grinded and worked hard to learn the roster. We’ve had great meetings with the coaches about future plans and we’re very close, but we’re still having a lot of discussions that still need to be had over the next couple of weeks.”
(There’s a lot of attention that’s going to be at quarterback. When do you anticipate making that decision on QB Ryan Tannehill and what’s next for you guys?) – “I think we had a really good talk last weekend, just trying to figure that out. The coaches have done a great job. (Offensive Coordinator Chad) O’Shea has been really good and (Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks) Coach (Jim) Caldwell, and have talked with Brian (Flores) and I. We’re getting there. Once we make the decision, organizational-wise, we’ll move forward.”
(Where do things stand with CB Xavien Howard and are you confident that he’ll be on your roster in 2019?) – “Yes, I’m very confident that he’ll be there. Xavien has been in the building. He’s coming back, working out and getting in shape again after the Pro Bowl. We don’t really call that working out. (laughter) He’s doing good. We’ve been hanging out around him. He wants to be a Miami Dolphin and we want him to be a Dolphin.”
(Have you had any discussions with T Ja’Wuan James’ camp?) – “No, not yet. Ja’Wuan just got married last weekend as some of you guys know. We’ll probably engage him at some point here after the Combine because at this point, he’s getting married and there’s so much going on in his mind, so we just said we’d meet after the Combine.”
(How would you describe the level of interest in possibly having T Ja’Wuan James return?) – “We drafted him here and he’s a good, young player. We’d like to have him here and we’ll see what the market (is) and what he’s looking for, as well.”
(How important would T Ja’Wuan James be as an anchor for the offensive line, especially at that right tackle position?) – “It’s one less box you have to check going out. At the end of the day, the organization will do what’s best for the Dolphins. He’s a good guy, he’s worked hard, he’s been here and is a good teammate, so we’ll see what happens.”
(There has been talk that you guys might not want to win this season. Can you tell me on the record what the intention is? Is it to make the playoffs?) – “(laughter) I think everyone kind of took (Owner) Steve (Ross’) words the first press conference out of context. You’ve been around Steve. He is a volatile, very competitive person. We’re not trying to lose games. We’re going to do what’s best. We’re going to build and, like we talked about, building the right (way) and going through the process to do what’s best for the Dolphins. No, we’re not trying to tank or lose every game; but we’re going to build it right and see how it plays out.”
(Does it irritate you to hear that talk out there or do you just kind of let it go?) – “You have to let it go. I don’t see how you could ask 53 guys to put their body on the line to lose games.”
(The idea is for the top draft pick.) – “Right, but Steve (Ross) kind of clarified that when we introduced Brian (Flores). You’ve talked about the type of players we want: tough guys, competitive guys. It’s kind of hard to say you want that and then say ‘reign it back for a year and just go lay down.’ We’ll see how it goes.”
(What impressed you the most about Brian Flores in the interview process?) – “Just the person. Take away the football part, which, he’s a really coach – but it’s the person. Like I said, our paths never crossed in terms of being at New England at the (same) time because I was gone and he came in after. It was just a lot of the coaches I knew there and personnel staff, all talked and kept saying ‘You have to meet Brian and really talk to him football-wise.’ We knew each other a little bit just in the scouting world, but he hadn’t been in (scouting) in 10-plus years. He came in, was very organized, detailed and personable. He knew facts about everyone there who was on the interview process with us. His level of detail and getting to know him and as you’ve been around him, you can feel his presence, his leadership, how people respond to him and how he treats people. I thought it was just exactly what we needed.”
(He obviously comes from a very successful organization and that’s the only one he’s been in, so do you want him to try to replicate some things that went well in New England? How much do you want to embrace what they did in New England?) – “I think I want Brian to be Brian. Whatever he feels works, we’re all on board for that. It’s bringing in good people from everywhere, like Jim Caldwell bringing some stuff from Indy. For the personnel side, having (Assistant General Manager) Marvin Allen and (Senior Personnel Executive) Reggie McKenzie come in, (they bring) new ideas. For me and for Brian as well, it’s just hiring good people that are really good at their jobs and just taking those ideas, and whatever works best for the organization, we’ll do.”
(I know it’s early in the week, but what can you say about this quarterback class? A lot of people are looking towards next year as a better one, but what do you think about this one?) – “When people start ranking classes now before anyone has sat down and talked to guys, it’s kind of hard to do because everyone knows that the mental part of the game, especially for the quarterbacks, plays a huge part. Until anyone sits down and talks to those players and gets to see how they learn football, how they process information, how they’re going to be in the locker room, what kind of leadership they bring, you can’t really say because the intangibles are what make people great. We see a lot of guys come through the league with big arms and they can make every throw but if they’re not wired right upstairs, they’re not going to make it. I don’t make any judgments on any classes until we really sit down and get to know the players first.”
(Is that that much more important for that position?) – “It is. The way defenses are, you have to process things quicker, make quick decisions, know where to go with the ball, so it is. It’s a huge part. I think that’s the real reason you see a lot of talented players that don’t quite live up to maybe their draft billing in terms of the quarterback position.”
(What’s your interest in bringing DE Cameron Wake back?) – “Right now with the roster and Brian, we’re going through everything. He’s been a Dolphin and he’s been a tremendous player for us, so we’ll see where that is right now and we’ll have conversations with him and his agent probably soon.”
(What is your specific QB philosophy as far as evaluating them and how closely do you follow Bill Parcells’ mentality and his strict guidelines per se?) – “The Bill model in terms of a two-and a-half or three-year starter, that does have a lot (of weight) because you want guys that have had the game reps and game experience; but the way the game is now, a lot of these guys are one-and-done where they sat their freshman year and something happened and they became like a one-year starter or something. I think you have to take it on a case-by-case basis with each player. The big thing right now is the intelligence and the leadership stuff. I think that’s really important because obviously all of these guys can throw. People want to say guys have big arms and whatever, but the guys that ‘don’t have great arms’ become good players in this league. What separates them is the mental makeup.”
