Byron Jones – August 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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(What was it like to see the defense kind of have – I know you didn’t participate in the first game – but the first-team defense to have two consistent efficient first halves?) — “It’s fun because that’s what we work on in practice. We’re a tenacious defense. We play man coverage and you want to break up passes and I thought in the beginning of the Chicago game, you saw about four or five PBUs right off the bat, and we had good start today, too. The challenge is always finishing it.”
(What was your view of the night LB Sam Eguavoen had?) – “Incredible. I’ve been playing football for a long time and I don’t think I’ve seen a guy get that many sacks and have that type of impact on the defensive side. The guy has been working hard. He’s been a special teams guy for a while. He’s been a guy you can count on on defense. To see him have that type of a game, everybody was excited. You saw the sideline. He deserved it.”
(Do you think that the fresh COVID legs, was it helpful?) – “(laughter) Yeah, guys were talking about on the sideline. I think he planned that one. No, like I said, he’s been working his ass off, so he deserves it.”
(How important was it for you to get a couple series in in the preseason?) – “Yeah, every year you’ve got to build up again. It doesn’t matter what you did last year or the years before that. It’s always nice to get a feel of putting the jersey on, doing the game routine and doing the film study and getting out there and performing. It’s all needed.”
(Last year Miami’s defense was as good as anyone on the third down. I know it’s the preseason, but still quite good on third down in the first two games. What do you think is the biggest thing that happened last year that you guys want to try to repeat on third down?) – “I think just understanding what we’re going to get on the defensive side. Teams know what we’re going to run on third-and-long, third-and-short, so understanding how they’re going to attack us and playing to our strengths is something that is important for Josh (Boyer). He teaches us that every single day. Chuck Burks is always working on stacks and bunches and all that good stuff, motions, missing motions. Just understanding how the offense is going to attack you and then putting yourself in position to succeed.”
(That turnover on downs, I think it was S Eric Rowe that broke it up in the end zone. You got really excited about that. What was your perspective on that?) – “Yeah, to stop a team when they’re in the red zone like that, it shows a defensive attitude. It shows just who we want to be really. It exemplifies exactly what type of defense we want to be. Me and E-Rowe (Eric Rowe), we go back to training in EXOS in 2015 coming out for the draft. To see him make a good play, it always feels like I made the good play, too. That’s why I celebrated so hard.”
Brian Flores – August 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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(What were your thoughts on QB Tua Tagovailoa? Nine straight completions to start the game and he finished out the first half pretty well. Even two touchdown drives.) – “I thought offensively we moved the ball effectively. We had a pretty good time of possession there and really throughout the game. Tua (Tagovailoa) obviously was a big part of that. He threw the ball well, had command of the offense, made good decisions. I think overall it was good execution.”
(The operation – your guys coming in and out the field, guys in motion. Just how did you like how your operation looked out there today?) – “I mean, it could always be better. There were couple instances where we could have been a little bit cleaner. We had to take a timeout there at the end of the second quarter that I wish we had; trying to get the ball back defensively, so we’ll talk about that as a team and as a staff and as a team, how important that is. But I would say by and large it was good. But definitely a lot of room for improvement.”
(What was going through your mind – I don’t know what your perspective was, but we saw on television was Jaylen Waddle appearing to be in some pretty bad pain and then not long after that he was back in the game. Can you tell us about that situation?) – “Yeah, he got dinged. He came out of the game. We’ve got a great training staff, so they took a look at him and he went back in. That happens. I’m sure that happened to a few other players, but he’s a tough kid and he went back in there, and I think he caught a couple balls after that. That’s part of playing in the National Football League. Every once in a while you’re going to get dinged and you come out. If you can go back, you go back in there and help the team.”
(On the field, how would you describe his quickness and what impressed you most?) – “I think he’s quick. He’s fast. He’s tough. He did some good things today. I’ll go watch the film. I’m sure I can find something that was not so good and we’ll critique that and correct that. He’s a young player in his second preseason game. I don’t know how many practices it’s been, 15 or 16 practices. Still got a long way to go but definitely making some improvement.”
(How important is the toughness that he has shown throughout all of OTAs and training camp, getting hurt and then going back in? I guess it would have been easy to just say “Okay, sit on the sideline.”) – “It’s important for him to play. I think we’ve got a lot of guys like that. They want to be out there. They want to help their team. They want to help us perform well. There’s a lot of guys like that on this team and I think Jaylen has done a nice job.”
(Your impressions of LB Sam Eguavoen, as well, tonight?) – “Sam (Eguavoen) played really well. He was down for a couple days with COVID, so he’s got fresh legs, and showed it today, showed it tonight.”
(You started RB Myles Gaskin tonight – what you got out of him both running and in the passing game as well.) – “Yeah, we talked about the backs, and they’re all a little bit different. I thought Myles ran the ball really well. I thought he caught it out of the backfield. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but he made a couple catch-and-run plays for us, some good yardage, good ball security. Punched one in from the 1-yard line. I thought he did a lot of good things, but I thought Malcolm (Brown) ran the ball well. I thought Salvon (Ahmed) had a couple good catches. I thought as a group the backs played – I’ll watch the tape, but from my vantage point they did some good things.”
(LB Sam Eguavoen – he’s had an interesting career, comes here from the CFL. Immediate starter. Grows a little bit. His next year he was kind of moved to a pass rushing role. Now he’s back to an inside linebacker role. What has he done that’s kept him around or allowed him to persevere from the situation?) – “Sam is a good player. He’s tough. He’s smart. He can play multiple positions. Does a good job in the kicking game. Has found a niche and role as a pass rusher, can play off the ball, can play on the ball. And he’s a great teammate. I would say that. I mean, his energy is infectious and guys were fired up for him tonight. We like Sam Eguavoen. He’s a good player.”
(There were four running backs who averaged more than four yards a carry. The team allowed only one sack tonight. Without reviewing the film what was your initial impression of the trench play offensively?) – “That’s something that we’ve talked about a lot, both on the offensive line and defensive line. I thought we ran the ball effectively. I thought the protection was overall solid. Again I have to watch the tape. Hopefully – look, these guys have been working hard. They’ve been working hard in practice, joint practices. I think ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) has done a nice job with the offensive line, kind of bringing that group together. But we preach consistency. We’re going to have to go out here and practice, continue to practice the right way, and if we do that we give ourselves a chance to have production in the game.”
(With TE Mike Gesicki it seems like he’s taken another step ever since you’ve joined the franchise. How dependable is he? How reliable is he? Seems like he might be your most reliable on offense right now.) – “He’s a very talented player – big, tall, big catch radius. He’s fast. I don’t normally like to say that, but he’s got some speed. What do you think, Tua? Mike has got some speed, right?”
Tua Tagovailoa: “Yeah, he gets open. (laughter)”
Brian FLores: “But yeah, he’s (Mike Gesicki) done a nice job. He’s become dependable in the pass game. I think his run blocking has gotten better. He loves to play. He’s another guy who’s a great teammate. His teammates really cheer for him and are happy when he makes plays, and he’s happy for them when they make plays.”
(S Jevon Holland was held out tonight. Was he dealing with something?) – “Yeah, he’s dealing with a little something. We just felt like it was better for him to not play in the game tonight and see how – getting treatment and doing rehab and hopefully get him out there as soon as possible.”
(Your first three drives were all 11 plays. Is that amount of sample for your first-team offense, 33 plays in that respect, beneficial when you’re looking at sustained drives, play calling and so forth?) – “Yeah, I mean, any time you can stack good plays together, put good drives together, you kind of have control of the game a little bit. Getting first downs, running the ball, good protection, hitting the open guy. So that’s always good and when you can – I think consistency is a big thing, so I didn’t know it was three drives of that length, but any time you can have that kind of consistency, that’s what we’re looking for, really in all phases – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. Good game to build off of. I’m sure there’s a lot of corrections. Well, I know there’s a lot of corrections that we’ll have to make. We’ll try to make them and continue to go out here and work hard in practice and try to improve and get better. That’s really what this time of year is. We’re still growing as a team. We’re still building as a team. Still a long way to go, if you guys are still keeping count on that.”
(Every coach has to make a decision about what’s best for his team. You’ve made the choice to play QB Tua Tagovailoa in the first two games. How glad are you that you’ve done that, and what do you feel are the benefits that will be sowed?) – “I think the No. 1 benefit is that Tua loves to play football. He wants to be out there, and we want him out there. To me if you want to get better at football, you’ve got to play football. That’s just my opinion. That’s kind of how we’ve handled it.“
Tua Tagovailoa – August 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 21, 2021 (Postgame)
(On how he played tonight.) – “Kind of like last week, you really don’t look at the things you did well; you look at the things you didn’t do well. I think offensively we came out pretty strong. We wanted to start fast and obviously we wanted to sustain drives and be able to convert on third downs and get good drives going and put points on the board. That’s really what we tried to do well.”
(On if the defense played them differently after the first drive.) – “I don’t think the defense played us any different on first and second down. Third down, you know you’re seeing some changes within the structure and that was throughout the whole game. But you know, we took what they gave us. If it was a run, we handed the ball off and if they gave us a throw and they were trying to get guys in the box for the run fit, our rule as quarterbacks is to throw the ball, so that’s what we did.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle got more involved early. What did he show you and the team tonight?) – “Well, I guess he showed everyone kind of who he is as a player, kind of the things that he’s done at Alabama. You just give him the ball in space and you let him work and I think that’s for all our guys. You give them the ball in space and you let the playmakers make plays for you.”
(What were you thinking when you saw WR Jaylen Waddle go down?) – “I was wondering what happened. I was wondering what happened. I wasn’t too sure. And then when he came out the next drive, I was surprised. I was like, what happened? And we had a conversation there.”
(I know when RB Myles Gaskin scored that first touchdown on short yardage, no one was more excited for him than you. Were you excited about finishing a long drive and putting it all together?) – “Yeah, I think when you look at all the practices that we’ve had, you accumulate the team run periods that we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of success I think within the run game. And I think our O-line does a great job opening the holes for Myles; but he’s a team player and when you look at the film, when we’re throwing to other guys and they’re scoring in practice, he’s pretty much the first one to either throw up a touchdown sign or run down and congratulate that guy. He’s first class, and when he scored, that’s kind of the reason as to why I was so excited.”
(Tonight was another game where you didn’t get those reps with a lot of your top receivers. How important is it to get that rapport before the regular season begins?) – “Yeah, I think it’s important at all times to be able to get reps with the guys that you’re going to be going out there with. I think at the same time, you don’t want to speed up their process and try to force them into things they’re not ready for. I think that’s just a decision that ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has to make with the medical staff and yeah.”
(How would you describe the impact that tonight’s game had on your overall confidence?) – “You know, I don’t think it has anything to do with confidence. But it’s just getting everyone that’s out there on the field on the same page. I think our operation was really good out there offensively. The line got to the line of scrimmage, made their points, and we went out there and we ran the play, whether it was a run, a play fake. I think that’s what kind of set up a lot of the plays that we’ve had today. I think the slower the operation, it gives the guys on the other side time to see what we’re doing and how we’re aligned and they can make those adjustments there.”
(What was it like to feel the energy of this type of crowd for the first time? Last year they were loud, but this is a different experience altogether I’m sure for you, right?) – “Yeah, it’s cool. I didn’t realize how close the people were to our sideline, so you can hear every little thing. (laughter) I got to say hi to a couple of kids on the side, so that was cool.”
(With the offensive line, obviously they’ve had an up and down, inconsistent training camp period. What’s it like to see them sort of put it together?) – “Yeah, I think it’s — not just with the O-line but just for all of us, just speaking offensively, it’s a continued work in progress for us. We’re still trying to fine-tune things with our routes, with getting on the same connection as some guys within the receiver corps, and then it’s just communication up front. That’s really all it is. And the faster we can get to the line, the faster those guys are getting set on the D-line on the opposing side, and the easier it is for us to make a Mike point or adjust whatever we need to adjust.”
-DOLPHINS-
Brian Flores – August 21, 2021 (Halftime)
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Saturday, August 21, 2021
Halftime – Atlanta
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How do you like the offensive efficiency? QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Myles Gaskin? How are you making things work for you early on?) – “We did some good things. Moved the ball, get the drives going. Punched it in a couple times. Missed opportunity on the last drive down here but overall we are playing some solid ball. We’ve just have to do a good job in the second half.”
(Saw a little toughness out of your rookie WR Jaylen Waddle coming back in the game.) – “Yeah, he’s a tough kid. Took a hit. That happens in this game. It was good to get him back there. He played a couple plays. He did a good job.”
(They were able move the ball a little bit but you did a really nice job down at the goal line, it’s always good to see that.) – “Yeah, any time you get a stop in the red zone and keep them out of the end zone, that’s a good play for us. Then we were able to turn it around and move the ball down the field. We just have to finish that drive there…”
(Will we see some of the starters in the second half?) – “We are going to sit a couple guys and we’ve already sat a couple guys. We’ll talk about it in the locker room. We definitely want to see some of the other players as well.”
Elandon Roberts – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(How’d it feel to be back out there?) – “It felt good to be back out there with the team.”
(After the knee happened in Las Vegas, everyone was alarmed. Had you known pretty early that you’d be back in time for the start of the season or was it unclear to you if you would be?) – “I just took it one day at a time. The Dolphins have a good staff around me. We just took it one day at a time. To be honest, it was going to be one day at a time.”
(How tough was the rehab process?) – “It was cool.”
(With you back, you’ve got even more depth at inside linebacker with LB Benardrick McKinney having been acquired. That’s an awfully strong front top three of inside linebackers – Duke Riley in there too, with you Jerome Baker, McKinney and Duke Riley. How good could that group be of inside ‘backers?) – “As a group, we don’t look at what could we be. What we look at right now is coming out to practice each day, being able as a unit to get better each day. When you start looking too far ahead then in about a month or two you guys will be saying we need to get rid of the whole linebacker crew. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and our expectation is to get better each day.”
(Are you feeling all the way back health wise, or is there still somethings that may need to gain with the knee over the next couple of weeks?) – “What (do) you think?”
(Well, if they took you off of PUP then you’re probably in pretty good condition. But is it feeling normal running around out there?) – “No. I’m just going to continue to still – with my situation – take it one day at a time.”
(I think we were kind of surprised that the first practice you were out there you were doing everything. The confidence level of what you can do right away…) – “I just think – like I said, the Dolphins have a good medical staff here and whatever they want me to do, I just do and continue to take it one day at a time.”
(Was it like riding a bike right away? Like you’re going against another team. It’s not like you’re going against your own guys. Was it like riding a bike to just jump in there, and have everything going right away?) – “Like I said, it was just on some one day at a time. Like that.”
(Participating in all of the offseason stuff, was that mainly because it was walkthrough and not serous running? Or did you feel like you were going to be healthy enough to start camp?) – “I felt like we had a good plan around it. The offseason, it was a walkthrough so I was able to get those mental reps; but at the end of the day, I had to still take my situation one day at a time. Just another step in the right direction.”
(It’s not every day that a guy who has a major knee injury enters free agency and is re-signed by their team. The fact that you were shows what Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier think about you. Was that flattering? Was it pleasing to know that even though you were a free agent coming off the knee, they liked you, they wanted you back, they wanted to stick with you even though it took some time coming back?) – “I felt like the organization, ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores), Chris (Grier), they had a lot of confidence that I’d do the right thing during my rehab process, and they had confidence in me just allowing them to keep taking it one day at a time and not set too big of an expectation and stuff like that. Now it’s just another stepping stone. But like I said at the end of the day, with me, my situation, I’m still just taking it one day at a time.”
(You appear to be in good condition. I’m just curious are you the same weight that you were the last time you played or have you actually dropped a couple of pounds?) – “Do I look bigger? Or smaller? (laughter)”
(I didn’t see you in person last year because we didn’t have the open locker room, so it’s kind of hard to judge. Don’t take this in a weird way, but you appear fit. Where are you on that?) – “I’ve always been pretty fit.”
(Is your playing weight stay the same?) – “It’s where the Dolphins needed me to be. So wherever they wanted me to be, my expectation was to be exactly where they wanted me to be.”
(A couple of former Patriots here – just because we haven’t had the chance to talk to you. What’s DL Adam Butler going to bring and what is S Jason McCourty going to bring?) – “I think they bring the same thing that like I said, the Dolphins expect all of us to bring. Come in each day, work hard, do your job and keep the team first. One thing I can say about them guys is their mentality is right on with that.”
(On the other side of the ball, your thoughts on how WR Preston Williams went through a similar PUP thing and coming back?) – “I think with Preston, you should ask Preston. Like I said, everybody’s situation is different, so I think you should ask him about his own situation.”
(Do you expect to see any preseason action?) – “I expect to keep taking it one day at a time. That’s it.”
Xavien Howard – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
CB Xavien Howard
(Thoughts on how the D looks? Obviously you’re incorporating LB Jaelan Phillips. LB Andrew Van Ginkel is getting more time. S Jevon Holland is getting more time. What intrigues or excited you about what you’ve seen on this defense?) – “Just being out here with the guys and understanding we’re getting better. I feel like the sky is the limit for us on the defensive side. We’re just working on getting better each day.”
(Joint practices with the Falcons going up against WR Calvin Ridley these days.) – “It’s a nice matchup. I appreciate that we’re doing the joint practices. We’re just focused on getting better. Every week we go up against a top receiver no matter where we’re at, so just getting better and just working on guys, seeing different ways and how you can play different guys in this league.”
(Do you expect to play on Saturday?) – “Yeah.”
(Ten interceptions last year. Is that repeatable?) – “I’m just focused on getting better each year. I’m not focused on that right now. Like you said, that was last year. It’s time to get better. It’s time for new goals and stuff like that.”
(You guys led the NFL in takeaways. What’s kind of the emphasis in practice and how are you guys working to do that…) – “Our main focus on defense is get the ball. We’ve got guys and that’s all our focus is getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, the receiver’s hands. We’re just focused on getting the ball.”
(I saw you had an interception early in practice and you had a tipped ball that went up in the air and S Jevon Holland got one. How did you feel about the way today went for you in terms of being involved around the ball?) – “I feel great. Just getting back to it, I feel like this is probably my Day 3 of practice. I’m getting back to it and really just getting comfortable with the guys, knowing what guys’ strengths are and stuff like that. Like I said, our main focus is just getting around the ball and making plays on the ball.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said earlier today that it really takes game action for a player to get into peak performance. How much does that play a role in your desire to play in some of these preseason games?) – “Yeah, that plays a big role. You’ve got to get back comfortable with it – the game, system, situational football and just knowing what you’ve got to do in a situation. Seeing situations like that and just adapting to it.”
(I know you had the ankle injury. Are you very close to 100 percent?) – “Yeah, I practiced – this is my third practice full go. I’m out there.”
(How excited are you to get this thing going?) – “Like I’m saying, the sky is the limit for us. I see a lot of great things going on out there. I can’t wait to start back with the season and just playing.”
(So their guy WR Calvin Ridley, you obviously covered him in a couple of joint practices and hopefully get a chance to cover him a little bit on Saturday night. What do you think are his strengths?) – “(He’s an) all-around receiver – releases, fast. That’s what you’re looking for in a receiver. He has nice releases. Catching the ball – anywhere the ball is at, he’s going to go get it. That’s what you want from a receiver with everything – all of the techniques and everything.”
(Seeing S Jevon Holland’s ball-hawking, does that excite you, that particular skill of the young kid?) – “Oh, yeah. He finds the ball and the ball finds him. That’s one thing that me and him, we find the ball. Just seeing that from a young guy, a safety, making plays on the ball, I’m just excited to have him.”
(It looks like you have a nickel now with CB Justin Coleman and CB Nik Needham. Is that good to have two guys at least and beyond that can play that role well?) – “Oh, yeah. We’re all just about getting better, no matter who is at the position.”
(By adding in guys like LB Jaelan Phillips and S Jevon Holland and DL Adam Butler, do you think that this group can be even better than last year?) – “That’s our goal is to be better than last year. I feel like that was just shown a little bit. There’s a lot of meat on the bone. I feel like with the guys we added, they can help out a lot in any situation.”
(In general, how are you doing? Are you feeling pretty happy?) – “Yeah, I’m feeling great. I’m just focused on just getting better out here, knocking some rust off and just getting back to the movement.”
Austin Jackson – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(Obviously a better day today. What do you feel like you’re getting out of these joint practices? Obviously a different opponent, but do you feel like it’s helping you take your game to the next level?) – “Yeah. We’re in our third week of the season. We’ve got about five more months of football to go. It’s definitely good to really get a good look at another team and start competing early like this for the time being. You said we got better today. I feel like we get better every day … we work on. There is always stuff that comes but that’s mental toughness.”
(It seems like the Falcons ran a lot of stunts and twists at you guys. What’s the key to communication to make sure you don’t let a free rusher inside?) – “There is a lot of different aspects to that. I can’t hand you our playbook and tell you everything that goes on right now. But there are certain blockers in certain situations – sometimes more, sometimes less. Amongst usually about seven people, there are different responsibilities that vary all the time. Like I said, I can’t tell you every play, but communicating and being on the same page. Sometimes a guy is a free rusher and he’s a free rusher – that’s all we have to block.”
(With this offensive line, obviously you guys are working to try to develop chemistry. You’ve got new left guards every couple of days. How difficult has that been?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. For me, it helps me become a better leader. Whoever is in there, just making sure we’re on the same page, playing fast. It’s a little bit of a challenge, but to say it’s difficult, it’s not too difficult. I think it actually betters me.”
(Regarding leadership, at this point in time, how would you describe the quarterback’s leadership style, and approach of QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “He’s doing a great job. He’s doing a great job leadership-wise. He’s going into his second year. Him also like myself, having a whole year under your belt and then getting an offseason to prepare, you can anticipate more things. That’s really what football comes down to. We all can line up and play but you have to anticipate stuff. I think he’s definitely gotten a lot better with that.”
(G/T Jesse Davis is one of the leaders on the line because of his experience, and communication skills. Is QB Tua Tagovailoa – I don’t want to put words in your mouth – but I want to ask you is Tua the leader of the entire offense?) – “Yes, I would say so. He’s our quarterback. (laughter) I get what you’re saying I think, but being a quarterback is a lot of responsibility at the end of the day. He can’t run our routes, he can’t call all of our protections, so I think that’s kind of where the 11 people working as one thing comes together. He’s definitely a leader of the offense.”
(We’ve gone through years where the quarterback is not a leader, which is weird.) – “Yeah. He’s definitely our leader.”
Brian Flores – August 19, 2021
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Thursday, August 19, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(With the T Greg Little pick-up a couple days ago, was the thinking for you and General Manager Chris Grier that we need more depth on the offensive line, this is a guy who can come in and compete? Or was it the case that maybe this guy can come in here and challenge to be a starter here? I know you have invested in T Austin Jackson.) – “We have some familiarity with him from the draft a couple years ago. (It was an) opportunity to get a young player, come in and compete. Look, it’s a new environment and new locker room. He’s got to learn the playbook. He’s got to learn his teammates. He’s got to figure out the surroundings here in our building and this area. The message to him is let’s take it one day at time, let’s try to improve, get better, learn the system, get to know your coaches, get to know the players on the team, figure out where the bathrooms are, figure out where the meeting rooms are, figure out where 595 is. That’s kind of where we’re at right now. We’ll take it one day at a time and just try to improve and get better. We will coach him up and see where it goes. We’re happy to add him. My conversation with him was very good. He’s excited to be here and excited for the opportunity to compete.”
(When you evaluated T Greg Little in college, what were a couple things he seemed to have going for him?) – “We had a 30-visit with him so we sat down and talked to him. There was some good rapport there. As far as his love for the game and passion about working and getting better. Obviously on film, he’s athletic and has size. He was competitive on film. We are happy to have him but look, this is a process. We will just take it one day at a time and try to improve and get better.”
(Any decision on how you’ll manage snaps for the veterans for the final preseason game? Will it be that dress rehearsal?) – “That meeting is tonight. We are trying to get through – well not get through, but have a good practice today against Atlanta. I expect most guys to play but as far as how much and who exactly, we will talk more in depth about that tonight. We’ve had some, lets call it early conversations, about that. But that’s a meeting for tonight. Right now we are just focused on this practice against Atlanta.”
(Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith said yesterday that he didn’t have a great deal of familiarity with you before going into this offseason. From afar what were your thoughts on him as a coach and why was it appealing to have this with him?) – “We’ve gotten to know each other pretty recently. From afar, (I have) a great deal of respect for him. I think just in meeting with him and having conversations with him over the last few months about these joint practices, I’ve seen he’s a guy who’s tough, who’s smart, who’s competitive, who loves to coach, who is team first, who is humble, down to earth, very bright. I think he’s an excellent teacher watching him out there yesterday. I think he’s an excellent teacher, excellent coach. I understand why he had so much success in Tennessee and why he’s been granted the opportunity to be the head coach of the Falcons. (I have) a lot of respect for him and hopefully we can continue this professional relationship. Yesterday was good and we talked about the practice and the competition in the practice and how we both felt good about the structure and the things we were able to get done and the conversations we were able to have with our teams. (I have) a lot of respect for Arthur and I look forward to working with him and his team today.”
(I wanted to ask you about being a 30-something first-time head coach coming from a coordinator level. What advice can you give him?) – “I’m 40 now, are you trying to get that out there? (laughter) This year they’ve been asking about my weight, my age now. (laughter) Arthur, he’s very bright, very organized. I think he’s just going to continue to do the things he’s done in the past. I think he’s going to be himself and he’s going to be just fine.”
(Through your two-plus years here you have not been afraid about turning some things over on the team. You’ve gone through some coordinators, some players. Do you think that sends a message to the players?) – “I think we try to do what we feel is best for the organization. I don’t know if having a Boston guy in here is that. (laughter) We’re always going to do what we try to feel is best for the organization – for the team, for the organization. That’s always going to be the case. I preach that we need to be team-first. I think when we are making decisions – myself, Chris (Grier), our coaching staff – for anyone who comes into the building, we want to make those decisions with the best of the organization in mind. We are going to continue to do that.”
(QB Matt Ryan said yesterday that he was joking with you about the 2003 Boston College days and not to treat him hard like that. What do you remember most about those days and practicing against him?) – “I remember he was a very good player. I was a senior when he was a freshman, so he was a very good player right off the bat. He was carving us up as a scout team player and we wanted him out of there. That’s the true story. (laughter) I’m sure that’s the one that’s more believable here too. He’s had an incredible career. He’s a good friend. It’s just been a joy to watch him grow, get drafted and have the success he’s had. I’ll tell you this, he’s a better person than he is a player. That’s the one thing about him that I’ve always had a great deal of respect and admiration for him because of that. I think he’s a great ambassador for Boston College, I think he’s a great ambassador for this league as well. Nothing but respect for him but when we step in between those white lines, we’re trying to go after him.
(With your running backs, which one do you think has separated themselves the most from the rest of the room at this point in camp?) – “We like all our backs. They’re all a little bit different. They all have the ability to play multiple downs. We are going to try to use them all. From Malcolm (Brown) to Myles (Gaskin) to Salvon (Ahmed). Patrick Laird has gone in there and done some good things. (Jordan) Scarlett has gone in there, he had a couple good runs last week. (Gerrid) Doaks has gone in there and had some good runs. We try to use them all.”
(What does that do to an opposing defense when you can give them guys with different skillsets and multiple looks? How does that compare when that person is just a …) – “I think every back has got a little different skillset. If you got a big back and he’s more of an inside runner, that’s what you’re ready for defensively. If on the next play you’ve got a fast guy who is going towards the perimeter, then your edge guy has got to set the edge. If you have somebody that is good out of the backfield and they’re going to line him up in empty, then you have to be ready for that too. Offensively, we have the ability to move those chess pieces and each guy has shown themselves to be dependable when they’ve been in there. To me, that’s a big thing. If you’re a dependable player and you’re going to be where you need to be and be productive when called on, you will probably get an opportunity to play here.”
(What is WR Jaylen Waddle giving you compared to what you thought you were getting when you drafted him?) – “Jaylen is a tough, smart kid. Football is important to him. Improvement is important to him. He’s a good teammate. He’s as excited about someone else making a catch or having a good run or a good block as anything he does. There’s a selflessness there. We knew that. It’s been fun working with him. He’s still got a long way to go. He’s a rookie. He’s still getting used to practicing in this league and the competition in this league. These preseason games, these joint practices, are good for him and really all of our rookies. I’ve been very pleased with him.”
(Where have you seen the most improvement in WR Jaylen Waddle over the last three weeks?) – “For all the rookies, I think when you come into this type of environment, all of it is so new. I think creating a routine for yourself and learning how to be a professional and what that is. For all of them – you asked specifically about Jaylen Waddle – but learning or figuring out a routine for yourself that’s going to help you perform at the best of your capabilities. I think that’s something all of our rookies are still trying to figure that out. Do I cold tub after practice? Do I get a massage on my off day? Do I get in the cryo chamber? They’re listening; they’re taking the coaching. We’re coaching them up. I know you talked specifically about Jaylen but Jaylen in particular is just trying to find the best things and asking a lot of questions about the best ways to keep his body healthy and keep his mind healthy so that he can go out there and perform.”
(Having missed some time, how close is CB Xavien Howard to returning to his peak form?) – “It’s hard to get into peak form without games, I would say. Even in Week 1, no one will have played 60-70 snaps. Even if you call a dress rehearsal – let’s say if we did that in the preseason, it’s not going to be four quarters or else everyone would be yelling at me to take the guy out. Peak performance, you can get close but there is no way to mimic a 60-minute football game unless you do it. I think the first time out is different than the sixth, seventh, eighth time out. So if you’re talking midseason form, I think midseason form is midseason.”
(What are you looking forward to about being back at Hard Rock Stadium?) – “I’m excited to get back into our home stadium. I’m excited to see the fans, for sure. I think that was the first thing that came to mind, especially with last year. We had fans but it was capped at maybe 13 or 14,000. I think compared to some other places it felt like it was 113,000. I’m excited to play in front of our fans. I think we have a great fan base, a supportive fan base and we are excited to get in front of them. We love feeling their support and I would say that’s the No. 1 thing.”
(With this being your only preseason game, do you view this as a way to get ready for the regular season in terms of your coaching staff and players getting used to the stadium and the locker room?) – “We’ll walk through. There are a lot of guys who have haven’t been over there. We’ll go over there. Hey, we park here. Locker room is here. Training room is here. Weight room is here. This is our sideline. That’s the play clock. That’s the game clock. We’ll go through that. I think you have to do it. To assume that these guys know exactly where all that stuff, where to go, I think you make assumptions and we know what happens. From that standpoint, we are going to try to do as much as we can to make game day as comfortable and seamless as possible knowing full well that the first time out there is always going to be something with a tablet or a headset or whatever it may be.”
