Brian Flores – February 25, 2020
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Regarding Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey, who brought his name up first and what was the reaction in the room when that name was called?) – “I brought his name up first. Having coached against him in years past, he was always somebody who was tough to deal with schematically, good situationally and then I’ve just heard many great things about him as a teacher, him as a – the big thing for me is always teaching. He’s a great teacher. These past couple – the time that he’s been here, I’m seeing more and more of that, so we’re excited to have Chan.”
(Did you have to talk Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey out of retirement or convince him to come back or was he enthusiastic?) – “He’s back. He’s enthusiastic and he’s excited for the opportunity, and we’re excited for him to work with our players.”
(As a coach when you sit down with these quarterbacks in the next week, what is the No. 1 thing you hope to…?) – “It’s hard to say one thing for the quarterback position or really any position. We’re looking for guys who are tough, who are smart, who are competitive, who love to play, put the team first. Obviously we’ve watched all of the film. We’re looking for talented players. There’s a lot of things we’re looking for in each player, but I would say tough, smart.”
(How high is mobility on that list in terms of things that you want a quarterback to have?) – “Mobility, I think at any level you’ve got to have mobility. Pee Wee, college, high school. You’ve got to be able to step up in the pocket or slide in the pocket or if you get a free runner, try to avoid that guy. I think mobility at that position at any level is a good thing. I would say just from a talent standpoint, yeah, that’s something we’re looking at as well.”
(On what he needs to know from QB Tua Tagovailoa’s medical evaluation.) – “There’s a lot to know about a lot of players. Specific to him, it’s all the things we just talked about – his love of the game, his intelligence. But that’s for any player, and medical’s obviously a part of that; but again, we’re very, very early in the process. There’s medical, there’s tests. This is very early. We haven’t even met him yet. I’m looking forward to meeting him and a lot of players. (There are) a lot of talented players here at the Combine.”
(There’s already a lot of talk about the “it” factor in quarterbacks. How do you evaluate that? When do you first evaluate if that quarterback has “it” to lead your team?) – “I think that’s something everyone talks about. Does he have that factor? Do guys rally around him? I think that’s something you see watching the film, but you get to know the player, the people around him, his coaches, his high school coaches or anybody who’s had an effect on (him). You want to get to know him and have those conversations. It’s a feel. You may feel like your guy has it. (Someone) may not. As a group, myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), we spend a lot of time talking about a lot of different things. If we feel like a player has that, that’s something that I think every organization is looking for. It’s an important piece, but it’s different. Everyone’s got a different kind of thought process and opinion on that.”
(Is that a requirement for you to feel like a player has that “it” factor?) – “I mean, the good ones have it, so yeah.”
(Drawing on your experience, what’s the most valuable thing your staff will take away from this week in Indianapolis?) – “It’s a great week to evaluate a lot of talented players at a lot of different positions. I think getting to know them – because there’s a lot of juniors here that we don’t really know very well, so to spend some time with them, getting to know them, getting to find out how smart they are, things that are important to them; I think that’s the most important piece. I want to know about the person. We can re-watch all the film. I have an opinion on how talented the player is, but how do they work? How important is it to them? Are they going to make the sacrifices necessary to become the player they want to be? Those are the kinds of things that I’m looking for.”
(You talked about having a vision for the team moving forward here. For the sake of that vision down the road, do you need to come out of this offseason with a young quarterback for the future?) – “There’s a lot that goes with that question. Obviously we’re looking at all positions. The quarterback is part of that as well. I think we want to create competition to get young, talented players at all positions. So yeah, as far as, I’ll tell you that’s – you’re right there, but it’s not just the quarterback position. It’s o-line, it’s d-line, it’s defensive backs. It’s all positions, so they’re all important.”
(On the competitiveness of the AFC East.) – “I think our division’s very competitive. Obviously the Patriots every year. They’re well-coached and they’re tough to deal with. The Jets – they’ve got a very talented roster. They’re well-coached as well. All those games are tough and obviously Buffalo. They made the playoffs last year. They’ve got a talented team as well, so yeah, I think it’s a very tough division.”
(On if the Patriots are vulnerable.) – “(laughter) No, I don’t see them as ever being vulnerable.”
(On Preston Williams.) – “Preston is working hard every day. I’ve seen him in there. He’s working hard. He’s doing everything he can to get back as quickly as possible. I thought he played okay last year. There’s always room for improvement. I think he’s taking steps to make those improvements.”
(On the team’s draft capital and trades and how aggressive they will be.) – “I think it’s entirely too early to kind of talk about how aggressive – there’s a lot of smokescreens out there from trade this, trade that. Look, I think we’re going to – you’re right. We have some capital; but again, it’s not just one position. Not in this game. There’s 22 guys on the field at a time, so we’re trying to build a talented roster. Depth is important in this league as you know, and there are injuries every week, so we want to build as talented a roster as we can. The quarterback position is part of that like (someone) mentioned earlier, but they’re all important to me. We have our kickers, punters and long snappers; I’m taking a look at all those guys as well. We want to create competition. That’s important to me at every position, so that’s kind of the goal.”
(Your reaction to Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Karl Dorrell leaving to go to Colorado? Will you have an assistant head coach next year?) – “I’m very excited for Karl. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. He and I had some very good conversations about – I think he was happy here with the Dolphins, but there was an opportunity that I was very supportive of. He wanted it. Like I say to all our coaches, if there’s something that they want, then I’m going to be supportive of those guys. As far as assistant head coach, we’re still kind of in the process of looking to replace Karl and potentially replace his dual roles with us, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s too early in the process. When I know, I’ll let you guys know.”
(What do you have on the status of Xavien Howard’s health and potentially the discipline he might face?) – “The league has kind of taken over from that standpoint. We’ve got to let them go through that process and we’ll take it from there.”
(As you prepared to play the Patriots last season. What did you see from QB Tom Brady in September, and then of course again when you saw him in the finale?) – “I see a very talented player. One of the best players to ever play.”
(How strange would it be for QB Tom Brady to leave the Patriots? Is that something you’re sort of hoping for?) – “I don’t want to speculate. That’s what it is right now. A lot of speculation, a lot of smokescreens. I’m worried about our team. That’s where my focus is, where my mind is at all times. How do I help our team get better, how do I help our players and coaches get better? I think the Combine is a part of that.”
(In your personal life, do you find people you know asking about QB Tom Brady, because of your connection with the team?) – “My personal life? I don’t really get that much. (laughter)”
(You mentioned the smokescreens and speculation earlier. How do you decide how to move from that? Do you stay, go, move around?) – “I don’t read much. I don’t have a Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. I kind of stay out of that, so I don’t really get much of it. If it’s Pro Football Talk, maybe I’ll read it. I know what’s going on in our building. I don’t really worry about what’s going on in everybody else’s building. Everything for me is about how do I make the Dolphins better, how do I help the Dolphins get better. That’s kind of where I’m at.”
(On Stephen Ross dismissing the idea of QB Tom Brady coming to Miami.) – “I think ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) did a good job, a really good job last year. His leadership was something that really helped us a year ago. I’m really focused on the guys that are on our team right now. As far as Tom Brady and free agents, that’s coming up and I understand the question. But right now, we’re having conversations and we’re kind of looking at everything – Chris (Grier), myself, our personnel staff, we look at everything. Every avenue, Chris has got a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for everything. That’s a good thing. We kind of bounce ideas off of each other. It’s a really good working relationship. We’ll see what happens as we move forward.”
(On if he’s comfortable with what Stephen Ross said) – “Like I said, I feel that ‘Fitz’ has done a really good job. I agree with Steve as far as why would (Tom Brady) want to come to Miami, I do. I’ll leave it at that. I do agree with Steve.”
(Where does QB Josh Rosen fit in?) – “Josh is expected to come in, learn the offense and develop the way he has developed over the latter part of the season. He’ll get an opportunity to compete and get better every day.”
(You guys have versatility on your roster. As you guys go into free agency, do you know where guys like G/T Jesse Davis, and S Bobby McCain will play next season. Or do you wait and see how free agency and the draft play out?) – “We know where they’ve played in the past and what they can do. Versatility is very important for us. It allows us to – it’s not like quarterback where you play one spot. If you can play multiple positions, that’s a good thing. It’s still very early. I don’t think we’re go into it and say ‘hey, you’re playing this, or you’re playing that.’ I think being versatile and having the ability to move a guy like Bobby from safety to different positions, that’s good.”
(What’s your ideal running back for the running game?) – “Running backs come in all different shapes and sizes. It depends on we’ve got. I think we’re always going to do what’s best for the player. Chan (Gailey), he’s done a really good job of fitting the scheme to the different players he’s had. Yeah he wants somebody who is fast, breaks tackles and can block. He’s got to protect. We’re looking for all of those things.”
(On the organization winning the Paul Tagliabue Award for diversity.) – “I think it’s great. There are a lot of great minority candidate throughout the league. I think we have a few of them on our staff including Karl (Dorrell) – we just lost one. I think that’s a good thing. I’m obviously in full support of that. It’s pretty clear that the Dolphins are in support of minority candidates. I do think that there are a lot of great leaders of men, great coaches, great teachers who, if given an opportunity, will do a great job.”
(What are your thoughts of the changes of the Combine?) – “Adapt or die. You’ve just got to be fluid, you’ve got to be flexible. We meet at night now. I‘ve got to figure out when I’ll get my workout in and go from there.”
(On QB Tua Tagovailoa thinking being left-handed is a strength.) – “I wouldn’t sit here and say I’m a quarterback guru. I think I look at it from a defensive perspective and that is a little bit – not unusual but it’s different. There aren’t a lot of lefties out there. (Tua Tagovailoa) is a good player. He’s done a good job and I think everyone, their talents, strengths and weaknesses are different. He’s good player. (Joe) Burrow is a good player, (Justin) Herbert is a good player. (Jordan) Love is a good player. There are good players here. We will evaluate them all. He should think it’s a strength of his. If he thinks it’s a weakness, that’s probably not a good thing.”
(I want to ask you about your t-shirt.) – “The (Dolphins) Cancer Challenge. Just supporting the function the Dolphins have this weekend. The 5k run or walk, or (you can) bike. I think it’s for a tremendous cause and it raises a lot of money for cancer research. I think the Dolphins have done a great job of supporting the fight against cancer. I’m here to support it in any way I can.”
(Are you going to run, walk or bike?) – ‘I’ll be here.“
Chris Grier – February 25, 2020
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
General Manager Chris Grier
(Year 2 of the rebuild – obviously last year, you guys started with some pieces and tried to get the foundation – what is the goal this offseason?) – “Just continue building. Last year I think was a good year for – I think (Head Coach) Brian (Flores) and the coaching staff did a great job of establishing the culture. The narrative was out there (that) we were tanking, and that clearly was not what we were doing. It’s important to establish that culture of winning, the importance of winning and doing things the right way; so for us, it’s just to keep building upon that and I think we got a good start at the end of the year of how we played the second half of the season, and we’ve just got to keep building from there.”
(What are some of the most important things that you hope to find out here about the quarterbacks?) – “Really it’s just getting to know all of these kids. It’s every position. Like we tell you, every position is crucial, especially when you’re building where we are at this point, and just getting to know the type of person, the leadership, mental toughness, character on and off the field. It’s every position, but especially that one.”
(How important is it to find a young quarterback that you want to build the organization around?) – “I think it’s important. I think every team would tell you that. I’m not going to sit up here and lie and say it’s not. (laughter) It is important. You see that in every team that has one feels really good about it. We want to get to that point. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) did a great job for us last year, and he’ll be a good guy here to help show this person – whoever it is – how to be a pro, a professional and learn from him, so we’re excited about that.”
(A lot of the teams that have gone for their franchise quarterback in the last few years have had to trade up to do it. Have you already started those talks with the teams about the possibility of having to go up to find your guy?) – “No, not yet, because we’re so early. No team has really met many of these guys yet, so I think until everyone goes through their process – like we’ve talked about – and getting to know them, that’s when you start making your determinations of what’s best for your franchise.”
(Do you feel good at five? Do you think you need to move up to make that happen?) – “We feel good where we are right now. Like I said before, we feel we’ve done a lot of things that give us flexibility through the draft and free agency. Right now, we feel very good where we are.”
(Is there any position that you can say, ‘yeah, most likely we’re going to take that position in the first round,’ whether it’s pass rusher, offensive tackle, quarterback, anything else?) – “I don’t think we can rule out anything. (laughter) We have a lot of spots we need to fill. We have some young players that did a good job last year that Brian (Flores) and the staff developed and keep going from there; but for us, I don’t think we can rule out any position no matter – We’ve always said, you can think you’re deep in some place and then an injury happens and changes the picture.”
(Would you rule out any move including to No. 1?) – “I don’t think you can rule out anything right now. I think we’re wide open to everything.”
(How do you feel about – obviously you’ve talked about liking the amount of money and the ammunition that you have as far as draft picks – do you feel like you have enough to make any move you want?) – “Yeah, we do. We feel good, and I think history shows with the things we’ve done and the picks we’ve acquired and the money, that we feel good about our standing and the flexibility to move up and down or stand pat.”
(What’s the sales pitch that you make to prospective agent of a free agent that you’re targeting as an organization?) – “I think last year was a great – at the end of the year, going up to New England, beating New England like that with New England playing for something that was really important, and everyone was telling us, ‘lose for a draft pick.’ It didn’t make any sense, and I think we can have a team that’s going to be competitive, tough, smart, and building it the right way with a coach that’s going to lead us to good things in the future.”
(If you guys don’t get a quarterback what does that all mean?) – “What’s that?”
(If you guys don’t get a quarterback, what do the wins last season, what does the draft position you have now – if you guys don’t get this quarterback to finish this rebuild, what does it, where do you guys stand?) – “No, we’ll just keep building and working and doing everything we can to win here. Like I said, we’ll keep working, doing everything and build it the way we think will be the right way to bring a championship here to Miami. We’ll do everything we can to try and add the right people.”
(There are a lot of veteran quarterbacks on the free agent market – some available via trade. Where does the team stand in terms of their thought process of does it have to be a young guy that you want to invest in, or can you go the veteran route?) – “No, I think right now we’re just still going through all that. Like you said, there are a lot of people who – probably more than usual (laughter) – out in the marketplace, I guess you would say. For us, we’re just going through our process still. Like I said, we feel really good about ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and where we are, but we’re just looking at every option still.”
(How much does draft capital allow you to kind of make a pitch to free agents and possible prospective players you’re going to bring into the building?) – “I think it’s a big piece. I think people want to see that you’re trying to do things to win, and I think what we’ve done and what we’ve acquired, I think for any player – especially a young player – would be excited for the opportunity to know he’s going to come in with a lot of picks, a lot of good, young players and the chance to build and grow with them to create something special hopefully.”
(Over the last few years there’s been a lot of talk about devaluing of the running back position both in free agency and the draft. I’m curious, your thought process on the value of the running back position?) – “(laughter) I think everything goes in cycles in this league. For a while, everyone’s saying running backs weren’t important and then Zeke Elliott and Todd Gurley had big years and running back’s really important. Then the year before, New England did a good job with their backs by committee and won, so I don’t really value or devalue any position. I think each team’s going to make their determination of what’s best for them, and there’s a lot of good players at that position. I would say I don’t really view it as devalue or value, I think you’ve just got to make whatever decision’s best for your team.”
(Yesterday a lot of the quarterbacks or a lot of the players got measured – height, weight and all that – and Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa was 6-foot and 217 pounds. Is he a prototype-size quarterback?) – “No he’s not, but I think you’re getting – the game has changed a little bit. I think you’re getting a lot of players that aren’t the old model like the Drew Bledsoes at 6’5, 230 (pounds). You’re getting a lot of these guys because – Kyler Murray last year is one, Baker Mayfield. I think you’re getting a lot of guys that are good football players now, I think. That’s what teams are just looking for. Are they good football players? Especially at that position if they have all the intangibles.”
(What are your thoughts about QB Tua Tagovailoa as a prospect and what do you hope his medicals maybe show you this week?) – “Tua had a fantastic college career. I haven’t met him yet, so for us, we’re just going through the process of getting to know him; but again, he seems like a great kid and the medical will tell us what it is. We’ll go through our process and get to know him, but (we are) excited to meet him, as well as a bunch of other prospects?”
(Is it fair to say that you’re, like all the top quarterbacks you’re going to meet at the Combine?) – “Yeah, we’ll sit down and talk with them. Yes.”
(Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey question for you – how did his name first come up? Who brought it up, and what was the reaction in the room?) – “Brian (Flores) was just going through his process of doing it and I think with that, you should probably talk to Brian about it. But I worked with Chan previously. Chan was a little bit ahead in the RPO (run/pass option) game early on before it became I guess, ‘in-style’ for the league and stuff. Chan’s a great guy, a good football coach and when we made the hire, I had so many coaches from around the league text and say, ‘hey, fantastic hire,’ just for the guy and a football coach.”
(How much input will Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey have on I guess your future quarterback?) – “Yeah, like I said, we’ll go through it. He’s going to be a big part of it as well as Brian (Flores), myself, the scouts, the coaches. Like I said, it’s going to be an organizational decision on this.”
(What is your viewpoint on the mobility of quarterbacks now in today’s game? Is it necessary or can you have a statuesque quarterback in today’s football?) – “I think the mobility gives you a dimension that defenses have to account for with spreading everything out, so I think it is an advantage (for) the guys that can do it; but also on the other hand, if the guy – like Drew Brees is a great thrower, passer and not known for mobility and I think everyone would take that as well. But it does add a dimension that makes defenses account for them. It seems to be a lot of these guys now add that dimension which is exciting for the future of football.”
(I wanted to ask about edge rushers, guys that affect the passer. What do you feel like are some of the most important attributes in all of your years of research and study that will translate to sacks?) – “I think if you go back and you try and study those guys whether it’s a prototype, whatever the numbers are, whether it’s the measureables; but it’s also going to be the kid, the person as you talk to him. And that’s a big thing because a lot of those guys are driven to be great. Besides the gifted athletic (abilities), it’s really the person, the traits and the characteristics and the desire to dominate. For us, it’s getting to know the person, talk to him, as well as all those things, but any time you can find those, it’s huge for an organization.”
(What are the dynamics like when you decide on whether to trade up for a player versus staying there and believing that he’ll be there when you pick?) – “It’s a conversation. Sometimes it happens before you talk and then sometimes they happen right when you’re on the clock on draft day. Again, it’s weighing – you look at what’s available, how many players at that position are available as you’re looking at your board and stuff and then in terms of when you do it in free agency and stuff, it’s just working with the team and seeing what’s best for your organization. It’s a lot of conversations. It’s nothing that’s ever done quickly and in terms of when it’s veteran parts, you’re looking at the salary cap, money, how it’s going to affect the years and length left on contracts.”
(How often is a team aware that they’re about to get jumped? In other words, it would seem to me that you’re probably not very often blindsided by a jump, right?) – “Not often because most of the calls that come to teams are working all the teams, all the way up through there, so you’ll have an idea. Every once in a while like, ‘Oh wow, they got all the way up there,’ but most times you get those calls from teams just saying, ‘Hey, they’re interested in a move here or there,’ and then kind of work from there as you work down your board and you kind of see who’s available, who’s not and then you decide, is this better for us to move or move down?”
(Do they have to clarify to you who they want before you consider?) – “You always ask, but they never do. (laughter) You’ll be like, ‘oh, is it an offensive player?’ They’re like, ‘oh I can’t tell you.’ (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you one about the offensive line. Last year – well not the offensive line, the trenches. Last year you said that it was a priority to build the trenches. How do you feel like you guys did and what’s the next step?) – “I would say we did okay, and I think the big piece for us is keep building there. I think line play on both sides is critical for being good in this league, so for us, we’re going to keep addressing that and it’s going to be a point of emphasis here over the next couple months.”
