Mike McDaniel – June 2, 2022
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Thursday, June 2, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(You guys don’t have any dry-fit jackets you can wear?) – “They offer them to me plenty of times during the day.”
(Trying to cut weight or anything?) – “No. Honestly, it’s the best way that I can keep in-tune to what the players are going through because I’m not sprinting around. At least I have an idea of how hot it is otherwise you’ll kind of lose sight of that and then you’ll be doing too many reps, causing soft tissue injuries and all that nonsense.”
(How much do you enjoy walking out on the field? You got a little hop once you …?) – “You talk about a professional dream. One of the things that is a competitive advantage just in life is perspective. I made a lot longer walk to go watch the Denver Broncos training camp and wrote on the inside of helmets. So yeah, it’s enjoyable. The responsibility is real and great. I have to be deliberate in reminding myself that because you can get swallowed up in all the things that you have to do. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a credit to the organization, the coaches, the players. It’s a fun place to go to work.”
(Can you offer us your perspective on the way QB Tua Tagovailoa is practicing? Specifically his downfield passing.) – “I’m really excited about the reps that Tua (Tagovailoa) is getting in this offense. I’m excited about where he’s at. Today was – I talked to the team and I talked to him today specifically about – I’ve just been waiting for those moments where you have a slight obstacle. Tua is very, very critical on his ball placement and he’s a very accurate quarterback as a result. Yesterday, he had some throws that he demands better of himself. Like I told everybody else, today was the first day I got to really evaluate Tua because that is a professional quarterback in the National Football League. You’re going to have things that you don’t execute to perfection. You’re going to have people talking about how you’re not performing and guess what? No one cares. It’s about leading. He had a ton of energy and I was very, very happy with his effort today because it was one of the million reps you need at that position to handle the scrutiny, the pressure and all that stuff. I think his teammates have really noticed a difference in him. He’s opening up. He’s coming into his own in that regard and he’s been unbelievably coachable. He’s let his guard down and we’ve been able to keep his confidence high, which it should be right now for sure, while correcting and getting his game better, which is the ultimate goal for everyone.”
(It’s interesting that you say that QB Tua Tagovailoa let his guard down with his teammates. Is that something that you’ve noticed or something that you were told initially when you got here?) – “Well, it’s projection from – it’s what I’ve been told from a lot of people and then I’ve noticed since he’s been in the building a difference from then and now. Since we first got here, since April 4th started, I’ve noticed that directly and then a lot of people have spoke on it, that we are seeing a different side of him and he’s coming into his own as a young man in terms of his personality. Again, I can’t state it enough, I don’t think people give that position its due for how hard it is. Yeah, there’s a lot of acclaim. You get a lot of free dinners when you go out to eat and things like that but everyone has an opinion and you’re in charge of delivering the responsibility and executing from the snap the football to every player on the offense and doing it with defenses these days are so multiple and they present so many problems. And oh by the way, you’re doing all this and if you are indecisive, you are going to have your helmet hit off your shoulders. There’s a physical part, too. That’s why I’m so pumped. I know he’s gained all the new players on our offense – new to the Miami Dolphins organization that are new to Tua (Tagovailoa) like me – I know he’s gained their respect, that you can feel it. Players know when they’re around good players and it’s been very cool to watch him and the rest of the team really grow together because we’ve gotten a lot closer in these six OTAs, two minicamps and two voluntary minicamps, that it feels like lightyears ago when we first started.”
(Wide Receivers Wes Welker mentioned that there have been sessions early on where you and the offensive staff have gotten together to talk about ways to maximize those weapons you have. How much do you push yourself and how much to you push your offensive assistants as far as creativity in terms of coming up with new stuff? Obviously most plays that are run in the NFL we have seen before. Do you push yourself from a creativity standpoint and have you ever written a play down on a napkin out of curiosity?) – “Because of my specific background and the coaches that I was fortunate enough to be around, being creative and innovative is something that I think is part of the job. It’s natural for my brain to look at things that way to the point that I actually have to be mindful of pulling back that I don’t get bored. It’s something that my previous boss always gave me a hard time with because I’d always be trying to do the next and I haven’t mastered that yet. When you’re trying to install a new system to a group of guys, the bottom line is – you could have the coolest plays that ever existed but if the players don’t execute them, your plays are not cool. Systematically, I’ve been trying to really push forward having a core basis – to make sure all that stuff is, you have a working basis from which you can grow. Outside of that, I’m not really looking to innovate any time until you’re getting through your core portion of the training camp. It doesn’t ever leave. My iPhone note app is my go-to. I’ll write down whatever play I’m referring to and if it’s that abstract and there’s no word for it, I usually just put some symbols. That’s my note taking. Maybe one or two in the morning in bed when my wife is being annoyed that my screen is too bright. (laughter)”
(Symbols? Emojis? What are you using here?) – “I’m talking about underscores. Like old-school symbols. Like front slashes and back slashes. Those types of things. Just create a triangle with a front slash and a back slash. (laughter)”
(As the offensive play caller, how have you enjoyed going against the defensive signal-callers like LB Elandon Roberts or S Jevon Holland or whoever is making the defensive calls? How have you enjoyed the competition between yourself and those guys?) – “There are no player-coaches so they are passing along the play call, but Josh (Boyer) is still calling it. But that’s the fun part of the process. You try to approach it in a way that you can allow your players to play, while challenging them to a degree. It’s impossible not to go through the process of what you’re expecting. It’s always interesting to guess and check with no stakes and be like ‘hmmm, I totally thought this was coming and here is why.’ It can be a very valuable process if you approach it that way. I think Josh and I work very well together and we talk through that stuff. You can see how people view things from the other side of the coin. It’s fun to see how the players respond because every other play you see in practice, when all the players aren’t on the field, guys have the night to prepare. They are sitting there looking at what it is. There, there is no preparation because up until that period, I don’t know what I’m going to call and neither does Josh. That’s a fun process, just like everything else in football. I don’t get that excited when stuff works because I’m like ‘ok, there is going to be a humbling experience coming here soon.’ Which is the nature of our business.”
(I’m sure it is no surprise to you that there are questions about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to go deep. You have two guys who can definitely get behind defenses. Based on what you’ve seen, how confident are you that Tua can deliver it that deep and accurately like we saw today with that one pass to WR Tyreek Hill?) – “So you’re saying that was a good deep ball today?”
(There was.) – “Were you pretty confident they would be completed? There were a couple. (laughter) Here is the thing about quarterbacks that I always think is funny. You can only design plays that the quarterback has time to throw. Generally, within the time of the play, from a historical perspective, you can’t get a receiver down the field past 55 or 60 yards in what we call one-hitch timing. You have to have a prerequisite arm strength to be able to throw it 60, in my opinion; and then, if you’re not going to be able to anticipate, and you have to see something before you do it, you probably need to throw 70 because you have to wait to see it, and then the receiver gets down further and hopefully you have the protection. The way we’ve always operated since 2005 when I got in the league is if the quarterback can see the defense and is accurate, then you see if he can throw it 60 yards. I think he might have had a 55-yarder today. That’s why you hear no cause for concern at all from the players because they know that too. He’s plenty fast and the great thing is that he sees the field. He’s not throwing the ball 85 yards but I don’t see the practical application of a 85-yard thrower unless you have the best offensive line in the history of football and a defense that is too poor to add-on rushers when you’re max protecting.”
Tua Tagovailoa – June 2, 2022
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Thursday, June 2, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(How would you assess your performance the last two days and how you kind of rebounded today?) – “Yesterday’s practice wasn’t up to the standard that I know our offense can compete at and it obviously starts with me. In particular, there were some ball placement deals that I didn’t particularly like yesterday. I think (today) was a lot better. There’s still some things that weren’t up to par, to our standard. But I think it was a lot better from an offensive standpoint.”
(How hard on yourself do you get about ball placement? Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that. How do you work on that?) – “Yeah, I think I’m pretty hard on myself every time whether it’s throwing a ball where it needs to be or pre-snap operation – guys aren’t set, guys aren’t where they’re supposed to be – because in order for the offense to function, we’ve all got to be on the same page and in order for us to execute at a high level, we’ve got to do things at a high level. So I’ve got to be hard on myself. Mike (McDaniel) is a little different. Mike is always trying to encourage you and trying to keep you going so for me it’s a little backwards where I’m used to being hard on myself and the coach getting hard on me, too, whereas I’m getting hard on myself and he’s trying to tell me, ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’re only in May. We’re only in June.’ There’s a lot more time to grow, but…”
(What’s that been like for you?) – “It’s been cool. It’s been different. Like I said I’ve never been around a coach like this who’s just extremely positive. Growing up, my dad’s always been hard on me. My high school coach has been hard on me. Coach (Nick) Saban has been hard on me and all the coaches that I’ve had prior, they’ve all been hard on me. He’s (Mike McDaniel) hard, but he takes another alleyway, if you will, on kind of teaching and helping.”
(There was a quote yesterday in a story that came out that when you said that you think you’ll be able to push the ball downfield more as opposed to last year because last year there just weren’t really plays designed to do that. Can you kind of elaborate on that and maybe what differences you see with this offense?) – “Yeah, if you’ve seen the third to the last play we had – I don’t know if I could throw the ball downfield still, but by my account I think that might have been a touchdown to Tyreek (Hill). If not, then we scored two plays after that to Tyreek. So however you want to write down any of that to social media or whatever outlets you guys are with, you do so.”
(Can you talk about your timing overall with WR Tyreek Hill and is there a play outside of that that stuck out today that you think shows your timing?) – “It’s pretty cool having a guy like Tyreek (Hill), but you have other guys that are extremely talented, very fast as well that kind of help out with Tyreek being open. You have (Jaylen) Waddle, you have (Mike) Gesicki; so everyone has to cover every part of the field and it should be a lot easier to get these guys the ball. Although playing against our defense, it still gets tough.”
(Back to Head Coach Mike McDaniel, it seems like he’s very in-tuned with a lot of things with this team from him wearing hoodies and sweatshirts and sweating out here so he can mimic that and then even the music – he lets you guys pick music by being the player of the day. Just talk about that, just him being an in-tuned guy.) – “Yeah, swaggy. That’s what I got to say about Coach Mike (McDaniel). I call him ‘Mystic Mac.’ Just like Conor McGregor, this dude, he loves to predict stuff. So call him ‘Mystic Mac,’ but the respect that he has in the locker room, it’s tremendous. The guys love him.”
(You mentioned earlier about the narrative about the arm strength. What do you think about that that every time somebody talks about you, it’s that you can’t throw deep?) – “Like I said, all the bad news I hear from (our communications staff). (They) tell me, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you heard about this, but they said…’ I’m like, ‘Why would you want to bring that up to me?’ (laughter) But (the staff) brings it up just so I’m aware with the questions that you guys are going to ask me. For me, it’s just zone that out. We come out to practice; everyone else – Twitter warriors, keyboard warriors, whatever you want to call them – they’re not out here practicing with us working hard. So I don’t know if you guys recorded that last one to Tyreek (Hill).
(We aren’t allowed to shoot it.) – “(laughter) Well, I don’t know about you, but that looked like money. (laughter)”
(You said in that interview that improving your strength to be able to put more on your downfield passing was an emphasis this offseason. How much was, how critical was that for you as a goal this offseason?) – “I wouldn’t say I put the most emphasis on my downfield throws this offseason just because learning the offense was kind of the biggest thing – getting guys set, motions, landmarks with receivers, timing. I think it works out better that way. Whereas if guys are where they’re supposed to be, pushing it down the field, it’s not something we’re forcing, it’s something that’s there.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that you’ve found your voice here. It seems that you – it’s obvious you’ve found your voice. Do you feel that way right now at this point?) – “I would say I’ve shown glimpses of coming out of my shell with Coach (McDaniel), but – I can be myself. That’s all I can say.”
(You said that you get down on yourself, but you have been the practice player of the day and you’ve gotten to wear that orange jersey. Some of the guys said they could appreciate your music and they said you came out here with some Hawaiian. Just talk about the flavor that you brought to the music.) – “Yes, well I tried to bring a mixture of flavors. I brought some Hawaiian music. I brought some Isley Brothers. I brought some, let’s see, I had ‘Return of the Mack’ – who sings that again? If you guys say the name, I promise you I’ll…”
(Mark Morrison.) – “Oh yes, yes. Heck yeah! (laughter) So we’ve got it right there. We also had some KC and The Sunshine Band…”
(Kodak?) – “No, no, sorry. Sorry. Hey Kodak, ‘gleeful.’ (laughter) But we did have some Bee Gees. We had some Shaggy. We had some country. But I would say I love the flavor, the palate of music that I hold.”
(You talked earlier about having people, coaches, in your past, who were hard on you throughout the years. We like to talk about players having buttons to push and certain players respond to different things, do you respond to people being hard on you or encouraging you better, do you think?) – “I think I’ve been playing football for so long to where the standard has been set for me at such a young age with the way my dad has kind of coached me. Then even at the college setting, I was more afraid of what my dad would have to tell me after the game than Coach Saban. And it still is a little like that in the NFL but for me, I have it embedded in my mind that regardless of how another coach feels about the way I practice or I play, I know what I’m capable of doing.”
(What did it mean to you a couple of weeks ago when WR Tyreek Hill posted all of the practice clips of the downfield passes?) – “He posted them? I didn’t know that. I personally didn’t know that. Were they on the money? (laughter)”
(With letting your guard down, when did you notice you maybe needed to do that and you felt comfortable doing that like Coach McDaniel was talking about earlier?) – “I would say that’s just something that Mike (McDaniel) would always try to get me to do is just open up to him. In the hallway or in the meeting room, he would just pop in. When I’m lifting, he’d just want to chat. (laughter) Every opportunity he got. I ended up opening up a little bit to him.”
(Does that bleed into the way you are with your teammates? Even the media? Does any of that go hand-in-hand?) – “I would say the way I am, the way I share things with him a little is sort of similar to the way I share things with the guys in the locker room. The comfortability with him is getting pretty comfortable.”
(Do you consider yourself guarded?) – “Yes, I do.”
(Why?) – “I’ve always been like that, ever since high school. Yeah, I’m just not one to ‘Hey, we’re friends,’ after shaking hands. I’ve got to really get to know you, really get to understand and feel comfortable.”
(Would you say this is the most open you’ve been since you’ve been here?) – “With the media? Yes. (laughter)”
(What’s it been like learning your third offense in as many seasons? Any fun study habits or anything you’ve kind of perfected at this point just to learn the new terminology and those sorts of things?) – “Yeah, I would say the study habits, I’ve got a white board at home that I just write down all of the formations, I write down all of the motions and I have my brother or a family member or someone that’s at my house tell me the formations and tell me the motions. What I also do is I invite the guys over to my house and we walk through plays, we walk through formations and we barbecue.”
(You give them snacks?) – “Food? Yeah. The snacks don’t work with them. (laughter)”
(Earlier you mentioned the defense. You kind of smirked about how tough they could be to go against. How has that been for you going against those guys and how does that help you improve your game?) – “It’s really good. It’s tough because they know what to expect a lot of the times with what we’re running, whether it’s a play (action) pass, a run play, gap scheme run plays or downfield passing. Third down has been tough for us against them just because of the variations of (cover) zero that our defense has and runs. But that’s what you want. You want a challenge.”
(There’s a lot of talk about the downfield passing but on the short and intermediate stuff, especially with how Mike McDaniel likes for the guys to block up front, how does that change your passing lanes, especially when you’re rolling out?) – “It changes a lot of what we do because we have full flow of the defense because we run the ball a lot with outside zone. We have inside zone. And then when you have guys coming back across – it’s hard for (defensive) guys to key their guys when they’re also trying to read run. So the throwing lanes coming backside, it looks good.”
Terron Armstead – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
T Terron Armstead
(What did you see when you were watching out there?) – “A lot of energy. A lot of energy. Highly competitive from both sides which is a great thing – kind of training to be in those real-life situations, circumstances. I think everything’s been going pretty good. It’s still a learning curve, of course. A new offense, new players, but positive.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that’s something he doesn’t do until like Week 3 of training camp so here we are in the first I guess minicamp that you had to be at and he’s doing these things. What does that say about his faith and what he’s throwing out there on the field right now?) – “I think the guys’ performance has built the confidence in him that they can handle it and even that period that you’re speaking about, I think it went well. Offensively we had some bad plays, but we also had some explosive (plays).”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has talked a lot about how hungry the young offensive linemen are on this team and how he wants to kind of build around those guys. What is your perception been working with those guys and kind of how they’ve taken to your teaching so far?) – “It’s been great, man. It’s been great. Just a great room. I’m blessed to be here, blessed to be with those guys. They come, they work extremely hard, open to coaching. They just want to be successful.”
(Do they ask you a lot of questions?) – “Yeah, not too much, though. Not too much. It’s been great.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about the athleticism that that unit has. What have you seen? How do you see that? How do you gauge that?) – “Yeah, you see guys like Rob Hunt, Austin Jackson (and they are) just extremely explosive. Like they jump off the film. So those guys are just tapping into what they are becoming as players, as pros. It’s exciting. It’s exciting. And then the scheme – the offense that we’re running – it allows you to show those abilities and use that athleticism and explosiveness, so it’s exciting.”
(How’s your rehab process going?) – “It’s been good. It’s been really good. Just been getting ready for training camp so we can hit the ground rolling.”
(When you played through the injury last season do you feel like you set your process back or obviously you wanted to continue to play?) – “I’m always in the moment, so I was in New Orleans trying to play. We were competing for a playoff spot, so there was nothing I was thinking about in the future. I don’t think it has anything to do with where I’m at now. I’m just getting fully prepared for when training camp starts, we’re ready to roll.”
(How antsy, if at all, are you to line up with the guys on the field?) – “Oh, I am. I am. (laughter) I’m anxious to get into this offense, this scheme. I think it fits my skillset pretty well, so I’m excited. I’m going to keep saying that word because I truly am. Just ready to get out there and show what I can do in that fit.”
(At the start of training camp, you’ll be good to go?) – “We’re just taking it a day at a time getting all the way right so when we start, it’s up.”
(I asked RB Chase Edmonds if he counts the big runs that he springs in these non-contact practices and he said ‘No, they don’t count. You’ve got to show when the pads come on.’ How do you kind of evaluate offensive line play without full pads on?) – “I disagree because it’s harder to run the ball in this dress and underwear. Defense can shed a lot easier without the pads on, so if you get an explosive run in this dress – it’s not real football, don’t get me wrong – but lanes, like if you are creating lanes, that carries over.”
(Sorry if you’ve been asked before, but how do you take on the teaching role? We’ve seen you on the sideline kind of mentoring some of the young players, but how do you take that on?) – “It’s pretty natural, man. I’m always just looking to help any way I can. I’m at these guys’ service. It’s been that way for the last several years. I’ve been a captain for the last five years in New Orleans, so it’s just a part of who I am as a player. If I get knowledge and information, I’ve just got to share it.”
(You said you’re watching the tape obviously so far. What are you seeing from the defensive side of the football, what they do, to kind of create problems for you guys up front?) – “Dangerous, man. They’re really dangerous. The looks, the speed – there’s a ton of speed throughout the defense. And the pre-snap looks create a lot of challenges – will create a lot of challenges throughout the season. Regardless of who we’re playing, it’s tough. It’s hard to pick up and then just adding players like Melvin (Ingram), the things that he can do, that’s another piece of versatility. I’m excited.”
(Speaking of LB Melvin Ingram III, are you guys going to have a collab in the music any time soon?) – “Yeah, we’re going to do something, for sure. Yeah. (laughter)”
(I was going to ask how the album is coming along.) – “Right now I’m just kind of putting out some singles. I have enough material for an album but I’m kind of slow-rolling right now. I’m putting some singles out there.”
(Got to keep the hype going, right?) – “Yeah, yeah, for sure. I’m trying to have a plan. (laughter) Strategic.”
(You know we’ve always heard that Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is very offensive line-friendly and I know you’ve just kind of been here for a bit now, but have you been seeing that in your transition? Kind of going to the team?) – “It allows the offensive line to be playmakers. It’s a tough job. Offensive line is a tough job. You’re tasked with things that are just difficult to get done, especially against the guys that you’re playing against. But this offense allows you to be directly impactful on a lot of plays and to walk away from a play and feel like, ‘I made a play,’ like ‘I caused that run’ – that’s a friendly feeling.”
Chase Edmonds – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
RB Chase Edmonds
(How’d it feel to get back out there for the first day today?) – “It felt good. Obviously I’ve got to get used to this heat. But just to be out here with the team, be out here with the guys grinding hard, we’re trying to build something special here. Coach (Mike) McDaniel always talks about we want to build something special and it’s going to be a lot of hard work. Having guys bought into the system, having guys bought into the work, taking care of each other, I’m just excited to be out here with the guys now.”
(What makes you confident that this running game will be efficient and effective this season?) – “I’ve played against it for the last four years. It’s something special with how they disguise everything, the window dressing to make everything look the same. It really confuses the defense and holds the defense to be disciplined and have gap integrity. I think that’s something I’m good at, specializing my zone scheme. I’m excited to get into the zone and work my feet, work the rhythm. It’s a different scheme than what I’m used to. I was predominately inside zone, so working my feet, getting used to the outside zone track, getting used to the outside zone feel, how certain lanes feel. Just working to build something special.”
(Before the contact really starts, is it more mental for you in these particular practices?) – “I’ve always felt that OTAs should be only about a mental emphasis. I feel like with the NFL going to 17 games, it’s a pounding enough. I feel like guys got to come out here, get the playbook down so when we have those six weeks off, it can stay fresh in our minds. Then when we come back for camp, you don’t really miss a step.”
(You had a couple of big runs. Do you count those big runs or does it not count because there is no contact?) – “No, it doesn’t count with no pads. (laughter) That’s my opinion. You separate the men from the boys once the pads get on. I think it’s important for us to get the scheme down, get the plays down, and most importantly take care of each other. In the past season, you’ll lose guys in May and there’s no reason for that. So just coming out here, making sure we take care of each other and getting good solid work.”
(When you go back and watch film, how do you assess it?) – “You assess it by your track, you assess it by the lanes that are there, we’re still playing football. I feel like from my personal standpoint as a running back, it’s not real until you get the pads on. You don’t get to feel the lanes, you don’t get to feel the scheme and the tempo really. The tempo changes so much from pads to no pads.”
(Who chirps the most on defense?) – “Raekwon (Davis) and ‘C-Wilk’ (Christian Wilkins). I was just talking to the guys. We’ve got some dawgs on defense. That’s the first thing I took notice about just being out here is really the physicality and we have a really solid defense.”
(Do you get the sentiment that they are pretty far ahead in terms of knowing the system and where they are?) – “We’ve got a lot of new guys on offense. Everybody is coming from different places. We’re all still trying to get the scheme down, get the plays down. Football is very universal in the sense that a lot of the plays are the same, but the language is just different. It’s really just about changing my language that I’ve been used to in Arizona, what Tyreek (Hill) has been used to in Kansas City, and coming here and establishing that in our mindset. The defense, they’ve got all of their starters back I think, so they already have continuity, are pretty used to everything and they are flowing well.”
(What has this running back room been like? It feels like it goes at least four deep?) – “I like it. We’ve already been hanging around a lot. Good fellowship, always staying with each other. It’s funny because Sony (Michel) was actually my Combine roommate. Like I said, God works in mysterious ways. Five years ago, we were roommates, he doesn’t know who I am, I don’t know who he is, and to come here and be teammates and stuff like that, we are already building on that relationship.”
(What was your off-season training program like?) – “For me, I’m all about my body especially because I missed five games with a high-ankle last year. I was dealing with turf toe that I dealt with in January. I just wanted to focus on my rehab, especially in the offseason. I feel like in the NFL, if you don’t start off fresh, you’re never going to get fresh. For me, it was about building on my health so I could come out here and go full-go and not really have to worry about any limitations.”
(Did you have a perception of QB Tua Tagovailoa before you got here? And do you have one now that you’ve been here?) – “No. I never had a perception of Tua. He’s a great guy obviously. Just coming in here and gelling with him, getting ready to work and building something strong, I think it’s important to take a stride every single day. There are going to be good days, there are going to be bad days, but I think that it’s all about building that stride every single day and taking a step forward.”
(This system is very running back friendly. Do you like it so far?) – “Yeah, I like it. The running back here does a lot. It’s primarily why I came here. I believe in (Coach Mike) McDaniel, especially of the backfield because I feel like I can utilize my special abilities coming out the backfield, my route-running and mismatches on ‘backers.”
(What’s going to be the biggest difference for you running the football in this scheme than what you’ve been used to?) – “Outside zone. For me, in college, I was predominantly inside zone. High school, inside zone. The NFL with Arizona, inside zone. But here (it’s) outside zone. Just getting used to the wider tracks and the cuts are going to be at different angles and the lanes are going to be at different angles. The flow of the ‘backers are different because in inside zone, it’s more slow to fast, where I can pitter-patter my steps. Outside zone here, it’s kind of like you’re riding a wave. Once you hit that wave, you’ve got to hit it and go. I’m getting used to that. I’m getting my feet under me. I’m taking pride in that journey, that challenge, of fine-tuning it.”
(Has the transition been easy for you coming from a Kliff Kingsbury offense and now a Mike McDaniel offense?) – “I would actually say it’s probably going to be harder because Kliff was spread and no-huddle. The scheme is always going to be simpler because it’s more about tempo and speed. We would just have one word and then a play. Here, it’s true NFL pro language. That’s what I was doing my rookie year when we had Mike McCoy as my OC. So just getting used to the language, hearing an entire play call, understanding what part of the play call is talking to me, what part of the play call is talking to the wide receiver, variations and stuff like that. Again, I’m excited for that challenge.”
(Why does outside zone appeal to you so much?) – “I think for me, it’s how they run this offense and how they window dress. I was just saying they make a lot of things look the same. But yet there are small kinks and differences that really open lanes up for us. It really holds a defense to be disciplined and always in their gaps. If the miss a gap, that’s when a lane opens up wide open for me. That’s something that I’m looking forward to and experiencing that.”
Cedrick Wilson Jr. – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
(I know you kind of just got here but can you talk about how working with Head Coach Mike McDaniel has been and stuff like that?) – “Definitely with coach, he’s definitely a good guy to work with. His energy provides itself and with the rest of the team, it’s a group of good guys that love to work and when you come to work with guys like that, it’s easy.”
(Coming from the Dallas Cowboys, obviously Kellen Moore was there and you go from one young, offensive-minded coach, to another. Has that sort of transition been good for you?) – “Yeah, it’s good for me in the aspects of I feel like I’m a relatively young player. So young coaches think similar to how I think and go out there and provide good plays for us to run.”
(Obviously when talking about the wide receiver room, you’ve got WR Tyreek Hill, you’ve got WR Jaylen Waddle. What do you think makes you stand out from the wide receiver corps?) – “Besides the two fast guys, I feel like I’m one of the taller ones. I feel like that’s probably the biggest aspect of it.”
(How is it working with QB Tua Tagovailoa and WB Teddy Bridgewater and the relationship that you guys have been growing?) – “It’s definitely good working with both of them. Tua is definitely a little different. I’ve never caught from a lefty but he’s very accurate and the ball is easy to catch. Teddy being the vet that he is, just knowing the game and most of the time teaching us stuff.”
(Can you talk about your NFL career as a whole and where you are right now? Did you ever envision yourself coming here to Miami?) – “My whole NFL career has been pretty much up and down. I didn’t really envision myself anywhere besides playing in the NFL. I didn’t really think about certain teams. I’m happy to be here. I love the facilities and hopefully an opportunity for me awaits.”
(How has Miami treated you? How has the weather been treating you down here?) – “To me, it feels like it’s hot. Everybody says it’s not hot yet. I’ve just got to keep my head up and try to stay out of the sun as much as possible.”
(You’ve been here for the entire offseason. What’s this process about the install been like?) – “I would say it’s been a pretty smooth process. I feel like they help us learn the playbook as much as they can without baby-stepping us through it. They give you the concepts, the teaching concepts, and it’s on you to go home and learn them.”
(Obviously, the defense with all of these starters coming back, the defense is usually ahead of the offense. What has that process been like trying to go against this unit?) – “Different days bring different energies. When we know what we’re doing, obviously it’s a great competition day. On the days that we really don’t know what we’re doing, it’s kind of frustrating for the players and coaches. I feel like we get it figured out later in practice and it’s a good competition.”
(When you don’t know what you’re doing, is that a day that they’re installing new stuff?) – “Usually. Usually when you go out and install, you’re meeting for 30 minutes to an hour and then you’re coming right to practice to run it.”
(When are we going to see an orange jersey in the receiver room?) – “When coach selects who wears it. (laughter)”
(Has that been something you guys have rallied around? Like it’s going to be orange jersey this time around? Is that something you talk about?) – “No, we don’t necessarily talk about it in the receiver room. We mostly talk about making sure we know where to line up and run the plays and execute.”
(With you last year, you got a lot of playing time in the slot. How important is that to continue that development or do you see yourself as an all-around receiver?) – “I feel like I can play both in and outside. I definitely like the slot a little more. I feel like that’s where I strive at and it’s closest to the quarterback so you get the ball easier.”
(Why do you feel that? Just because you’re closer to the ball?) – “Yeah, you’re closer to the ball. There’s more shorter routes. Usually, the quarterback is trying to get the ball out of his hand.”
(Having some time in the offense during the offseason program, what does this system do to help your game out?) – “I feel like it opens up the field with coach being able to call the plays that he knows is going to work. He for sure knows who should get the ball when the coverage shows it and when I know the ball is coming to me, that’s always a good sign.”
(How about being on the field with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle? How does their speed help your game out?) – “The defense is looking at them the whole time so usually I get one-on-one. That’s my job to win.”
Xavien Howard – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
CB Xavien Howard
(Is the peace sign new? I haven’t noticed that before.) – “Yeah, it’s new. Yeah.”
(What’s the story behind that?) – “I’m at peace right now, man. I’m happy where I’m at.”
(Why is that?) – “Are we talking about football? (laughter)”
(In general.) – “Just football, I’m just happy where I’m at right now. I’ll say that.”
(What’s been the benefit to you of having Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison here? How so far has that helped?) – “Man, it’s been great. During the offseason I was talking to Sam (Madison) and Patrick (Surtain); those guys, they’re legendary here so I just want to learn from those guys and just try to pick their brain.”
(How excited are you about this roster? On paper it seems like the best roster in many years.) – “Yeah, I’m excited about it. Right now, you can’t do it based on the roster. We’ve got to go play football at the end of the day. But the roster, it’s up to par. I feel like we can do things with the roster we’ve got.”
(How much did you appreciate getting the contract situation settled this time around?) – “It’s smooth, man. I’m here today. I’m just happy to be here.”
(Guys in your secondary – I was going to ask you about CB Noah Igbinoghene – how he is…) – “Improving? Oh yeah, I’ve been talking to Noah, trying to make him get that big leap and just gain that confidence and like I say, man, just go out there and just play ball at the end of the day.”
(How much do guys try to shine in practice, just that extra bit more just to wear that orange jersey just so they can get that playlist?) – “Oh man, the crazy part – I just ended up hearing about that orange jersey, what it means. Everybody’s been busting their butt trying to get the orange jersey. Hopefully I’m going to be in that jersey soon.”
(Just how did it feel to be back out there today?) – “It felt great to be back out there with the guys. I’m just excited to be around the team, feeling that energy and just happy to be out there ready to learn.”
(What can you tell us about your offseason, what you’ve been up to and where you been working?) – “Spending time with the family more and been working also, so I’m in shape, I’m healthy, everything’s good. I’m just back to playing football now.”
(What’s it like to have WR Tyreek Hill across the way from you now in practice?) – “Man, it’s going to be great. I’m glad I don’t have to go against him on game day, but like I said, we’re going to get each other better. That’s what it’s all about.”
(How important was it to have continuity in the coaching staff after the change at head coach? You have Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer back.) – “Man, it’s great. I’d say having somebody who knows what the defense – that was on the defense last year and just knows what we’ve been doing and trying to keep that and add a little bit more to the plays.”
(I was going to ask you, have you noticed much difference schematically or is it pretty similar?) – “Right now I feel like it’s similar. Some of it’s different, but we’re just learning right now, the new stuff that they’re bringing in.”
(I know QB Tua Tagovailoa’s worked on his body. Just from the throws we’ve seen, seems like he’s throwing well. Any difference you’ve noticed?) – “Oh yeah, he’s bombing it right now. He’s doing his thing. I feel like he’s just getting better. There’s a lot in there for Tua.”
(And WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. Early observations from any time you’ve been out covering him as he comes over from Dallas?) – “I haven’t covered him yet, though, but I’ve seen he did a lot of things at Dallas. I watched him on film make a lot of plays, so I ‘m expecting that from here now.”
Melvin Ingram III – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
LB Melvin Ingram III
(How does it feel to be here?) – “Amazing. Where else would you want to be?”
(How did this come together?) – “The grace of God. My agent and the team made it happen. But God.”
(I think there was interest last year. Is that right?) – “Yes, sir.”
(What is it about this franchise that you like?) – “Everything. From the training staff to the coaches to the people up top, the players, everything. It’s a first-class organization. It’s just something that I wanted to be a part of. It’s been a blessing to be here”
(What do you hope to bring to this team?) – “Me. (laughter)”
(You haven’t decided on a number yet?) – “Not yet. We’re still working on it. We’ll see. It’s the first day of camp, so we’ll see.”
(Negotiations going on?) – “Nah. There aren’t no negotiations. (laughter) I’m going back and forth trying to figure it out, really.”
(How are you at this stage of your career physically?) – “The same way that I’ve been my whole career. I’m still me. I’m 200 percent healthy. I feel amazing. I’m ready to rock and roll.”
(We saw you out here kind of helping with some of the individuals with the guys. Why is it so important for you to be involved with them when you’re not dressed out?) – “It’s just getting out there and getting a feel with the guys, getting into their routine of what they’re doing in individual and how they like to do this. It’s dope to be out there with them.”
(Kansas City Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo once said that you play angry. Is that right? Do you play angry?) – “I feel like everybody plays angry. This is a very violent sport. You have to be angry. That’s what this game comes with. It’s a way to release anger legally. (laughter)”
(What are your impressions of LB Jaelan Phillips?) – “He’s a dawg man. He’s got a chance to be special. He definitely has a chance to be special. And the way that he goes about his work. I like the way that he goes about his work. He comes to work every day and he puts that work in. I definitely admire that.”
(Are you hoping to be able to do anything on the field before the end of the offseason program? Or the start of training camp?) – “The start of training camp, I’ll be there.”
(I read that your dad was a big Miami Dolphins fan. How much have you thought about him in these past few weeks?) – “I thought about him a lot. If he was here to see this, it would be crazy. I know he’s smiling down and he’s happy. I know that.”
(Has this been a dream for you too?) – “Yeah, definitely. Just because growing up I knew he was such a big Miami Dolphins fan. It’s definitely been a dream and through the grace of God, it happened.”
(How did he pick the Dolphins? You were in North Carolina right?) – “I don’t know how he picked the Dolphins but he loved them. So now it’s dope to be here.”
Mike McDaniel – June 1, 2022
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Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Is minicamp just a continuation of OTAs? Is anything really different but the branding of minicamp?) – “From an operational standpoint, we adjusted a little bit to kind of coincide with training camp. They are getting a taste of what the training camp day is like minus the pads obviously, so it’s a little different. This particular minicamp, we’re doing a collection of all the stuff we’ve installed as an offense, defense and special teams, and doing that in the minicamp and just using the meeting time to watch tape as opposed to traditionally in training camp or OTAs, you are installing plays in the morning and at night. It’s a continuation of, but they had their first non-scripted period today. That was different, which was typical of something you work into Week 3 of training camp, or Week 2, and then their schedule will be the same as training camp.”
(When you and General Manager Chris Grier sat down in February to talk about tight ends specifically, what lead to the conclusion that you wanted to keep this group with TE Mike Gesicki and TE Durham Smythe obviously re-signing, franchising them, TE Adam Shaheen, TE Hunter Long? And do you feel like Mike’s blocking is good enough in your system and your offense to be effective?) – “That was a process because you’re hesitant to make foregone conclusions off of statistics or anything like that. It took a lot of tape watching, and there is – we knew fully that we’d be asking these guys to do some different things than they’ve done in the past. After really deep-diving and watching all of the guys, it felt like not only did they put some good stuff on tape, but there was a lot of room to grow. We felt that, and the people first and foremost, were the type of people that we want to represent us as Miami Dolphins. It was both the tape and the people, and it took a little time to un-comb, but once we un-combed it, we felt real good about it. As far as Mike Gesicki, he’s been as impressive as any player on the team in terms of going after a challenge. You guys can probably rattle off the stats, but three-point (stance) wasn’t his primary position and he’s been working diligently in the run and pass game to do things that this offense can feature without taking away the stuff that has made him who he is, and there is a piece of that in the offense. We’re always tailoring what we do to the skillset of our players. He’s really attacked it with full vigor and has done a great job of working on his footwork in the run game. I’m hoping that carries over to pads when that happens in whatever month that is.”
(With TE Mike Gesicki, is there optimism, hope or confidence that something might get done long-term with him?) – “That’s something that, right now, there are always conversations between agents and general managers. The whole building is careful to make sure that I stay in my lane and coach some football. Right now I’m worried about getting everyone better. If there is a situation where it would be prudent for the club to act, or the negotiations go a certain way with any position, we’ll do what’s best served for the Miami Dolphins.”
(We saw LB Melvin Ingram help in some of the positional drills with some of the younger players. That type of impact, obviously you’d like to see him on the field for real, but is that the type of impact that you kind of envisioned when you talked about his veteran leadership?) – ‘Definitely. That’s something that we don’t want to just throw people out there to throw them out there. They have to be in the prerequisite shape and we’ve been working since April 4th with the rest of the guys. Right now, that’s the limit with which we’re comfortable doing with him. That’s exactly why all things equal, he’s added value to the Dolphins. There is an element of professional success and hunger. He’s trying to prove himself as well, just like this team has, and we’re doing that one day at a time.”
(Can you update us on the progress of T Terron Armstead, CB Byron Jones and RB Raheem Mostert? All of them coming off of their situations.) – “The progress is that we are trying to be very deliberate and intentional with how we handle all of those guys. It’s been very good. We haven’t had a setback really across the board. We are being fairly conservative but that’s on an individual basis. You try to handle that the right way, which makes the most sense for all parties involved. When they’re ready, they’ll be out there full swing. I can promise you, they want to be playing right now. But between them and the training staff, we are trying to be very pragmatic and smart in bringing them back.”
(I know it’s hard to just offensive linemen at this stage of the offseason but what have you, Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith and Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum thought about how G/T Austin Jackson has adjusted to right tackle?) – “Been pretty pumped about how all the guys have really gone after the techniques. We’re really focusing on some position versatility right now. When Austin Jackson is playing right tackle, I’ve been very pleased because he’s approaching it the only way he can get better as a player, and that is complete commitment to it. There’s some things that, we’re asking people to do hard things at an elite level, so you try to do it over and over and over, and he’s diligently attacking that. The more live bullets that we get for him at every position that he will play, the better.”
(If multiple people have a great practice, who makes the final say on who will be the DJ for the next day?) – “That’s the whole reason I took the job. (laughter) Owner of the orange jersey. No, I haven’t gotten any pushback yet, so I haven’t had to flex the final say. But collectively as a coaching staff, there’s always been at least one player that’s really separated themselves, so it’s been easy thus far. I’ll keep you abreast if there are any fisticuffs up in the office. (laughter)”
(I know as General Manager Chris Grier would say, ‘You never close the door on anything,’ but I’m curious your sense on this – do you strongly believe that you’re 2022 Miami Dolphins starting center is on the roster or is that not yet really clear? Or is that not yet clear to you?) – “I think you have to be careful to pigeonhole who is doing what and when. I think that isn’t fair to the process. I will say that if no other player is added, that I am going to be very confident in our starting center next year. I’m excited about who we have but you don’t close the door or pigeonhole anything because it’s just not fair to the process. These guys are out here sweating on June 1st. You wouldn’t be doing service to June 1st or 2nd if you made some bold statement. That’s why we practice and that’s why we work as diligently as we do.”
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