De’Von Achane – August 3, 2024
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Saturday, August 3, 2024
RB De’Von Achane
(Nice to get a late game scenario and score a touchdown. How did that feel and being so active in the passing game on that drive?) – “It felt good. Like you said, I need the extra conditioning. It’s good to do something that you’re going to do in a real game before you get into the game, so I feel like that was a great period that we had.”
(Would that have been a touchdown? They signaled touchdown, but there seemed to be some dispute.) – “Most definitely that would’ve been a touchdown. But you know the defense, they’re a great defense. They’re good players, just like we are, so of course they’re going to say it wasn’t a touchdown. But we’re going with the ref. The ref (said), ‘Touchdown,’ touchdown.”
(Plus you got a little stronger this offseason, right? So you can power your way through?) – “Yeah, we’re on the two-yard line. It’s a touchdown for sure.”
(How has your pass catching improved year-over-year, your ability to catch the ball?) – “Improved a lot. That’s something I’ve always been doing, even when I was young. I like catching the football. Even though I am a running back, I also like doing receiver type of stuff. It makes me very different and unique in my own way.”
(On that drive you guys went up-tempo quite a bit, was the feed back positive on how quickly you guys got back to the line of scrimmage and got things going?) – “It was good. Like you said, we’re both competing – No. 1 offense and defense competing. So I feel like we kind of needed it because we’ve got one more practice before we go against somebody else. I feel like that period we did right there, the little two-minute period, its extra conditioning, because you can’t ever be in too much shape.”
(Can you talk a little bit about RB Raheem Mostert and how much he meant to you last year? What is one of the biggest things you picked up from him?) – “Raheem (Mostert) meant a lot last year. Just not him, just basically the whole room because I was a rookie last year so coming in, everything was new to me, so basically just him helping me out, learning the scheme. From this year to last year, I feel like I got a lot better and now we got a rookie coming in, I feel like, ‘OK, now I’m going to help him,’ because I know how I felt when I came in. I was kind of lost, wanting to know but not know how to ask somebody for help. So I just feel like ‘Heem’ (Raheem Mostert), I didn’t have to ask him to help. He’s been in the position that I was, so him just lending me a hand when I didn’t have to ask, I feel like he was a big support.”
(We’ve talked a little bit about getting more involved in the pass game and also in lining up out wide. How natural do you feel doing all that stuff right now?) – “I feel natural because, like I said, it’s not my first time. I’d see if I was new, like ‘OK, this is kind of new to me, me lining up outside.’ But I feel like this is something I’ve been doing for years, so it comes pretty natural. As long as I keep working on it, I feel like it just becomes a habit just like a running back.”
(Earlier today, Head Coach Mike McDaniel explained to us that he used WR Tyreek Hill’s block on a run play as an example of what the team needs to do in 2024. He said that the theme of today’s session was ‘We intend to be different.’ What does that mean to you?) – “Basically, like you said, Tyreek Hill is the No. 1 player in the NFL. So if he can go out there and block, why can’t nobody else? If he can go out there and lay his body on the line for us, why can’t we do the same? Basically just saying like as a team, I feel like we need that. Him being a leader, him going out there and doing that, it just shows us that if he gives his 110%, we can too.”
(Do you think you can get into that Top 100 this year?) – “We’re going to see, man. It’s a goal so we’re going to see how this year goes. If this year goes better than last year, then yes.”
(What are some of your goals for this year?) – “Most definitely stay healthy. I had injuries last year, so that’s something that I don’t want to go through again this year, so that’s a goal, and be better than last season. I had a pretty good season last year, but this time trying to not miss no games and be better. Always do better than you did last year.”
(Do you have a weight goal of where you want to play this year?) – “I wouldn’t say I have a weight goal. I don’t see myself getting too big because I run a lot, so it’s kind of – I wouldn’t say I’ve got a weight goal because I feel like I’m pretty comfortable at any weight right now.”
(Do you plan to play heavier than where you were last year or around the same?) – “I wouldn’t say I’m a – as far as muscle wise, I’m probably a little heavier, but I feel like for me it’s kind of the same. I still can run and do what I do, so I don’t feel too much of a difference.”
(What are your impressions of RB Jaylen Wright?) – “He’s great. I told him he’s doing better than I was last year as far as camp wise, picking up stuff pretty fast. He’s learning and he’s a quick learner. See me last year, it was kind of hard for me during this part of camp. It got easier for me as I got to the season, but I’ve already told him, ‘Man, you’re a quick learner.’ Last year I was struggling, I was stressing coming to practice, just not knowing. So I feel like he knows what he’s doing so he can go in there and he can play and feel like he’s in college still. He can go in there and play fast.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 3, 2024
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Saturday, August 3, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I saw you had Taylor Swift on the playlist. Were you able to attend the Taylor Swift concert? What are your thoughts on Taylor’s skills?) – “I haven’t been able to attend any of Taylor Swift’s concerts or whatever, but I’ve been listening to her music since I was in middle school, maybe? For her to be still going at this level and be an elite in the game is crazy. It’s crazy.”
(How happy were you with the tempo of the offense on that last drive right there at the end when you guys finished in the end zone?) – “I was happy. Anytime we’re able to finish in the end zone against our defense – we want to make it as competitive as possible for those guys, as much as they want to make it competitive for us. It was a good day overall. I think we were able to trade blows. It was a good back and fourth day. The only thing that matters is how you come the next day. So we’ll see how we all regroup as an offense, as a defense collectively and as we come out, we’ll see who has a better day.”
(How do you like RB De’Von Achane out of the back field? You went to him often that drive.) – “I love De’Von (Achane). Last year he showed a lot of capabilities of what he can do for us offensively from the backfield, going out, running routes in the slot, all of that. It wasn’t new to me being able to see what he can do, but it was really cool getting him involved. That’s sort of what the defense gave us, were those throws to him today. I trust him and asked him to make some plays for us today.”
(What’s the main challenge working with a new catcher like TE Jonnu Smith? What’s some things you’ll have to do to try to get in rhythm?) – “Your everyday drills that you have with routes on air, then on the side, just being able to take him to the side, catch for you. A lot of the guys will tell you it doesn’t matter how you throw the ball or whatever, but until they actually see it, they’re like, ‘Dang, all right this is kind of weird.’ (laughter) I’m the only lefty in the NFL that I know of that’s starting, so I would expect it to be different for these guys. A lot of the newer guys, just trying to get more reps with them, having them see the ball and then when they’re able to catch it on the jugs the ball is also able to spin in reverse instead of how it would normally spin.”
(Since the time he’s signed, how much work were you able to get with WR Odell Beckham Jr. and how much will you need with him before the games start?) – “I’ve been able to talk with ‘O’ (Odell Beckham Jr.) a lot off the field. I think the main focus for me and I think for ‘O’ is we communicate about how you got to study the playbook, how I study, how it helped me and whatnot. But the most important thing is he has to take care of himself. He has to do all the things necessary with (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston), with (Director of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer Jon) Boone, with (Associate Head Athletic Trainer) Troy (Mauer), with all those guys to do everything he can do to get back on the field to help us. Then from there, then we can start getting into the feel of how these plays are. The feel of space within this offense. All of that.”
(What was your reaction when the Dolphins signed WR Odell Beckham Jr.?) – “For me – this is what the league is, everything is hearsay until you actually meet the person. ‘O’ (Odell Beckham Jr.) from what I heard was something totally different from getting to know ‘O.’ ‘O’ – A-list celebrity from what’s being talked about in the locker room and what I’m being told and whatnot. So I sort of have this thing in my head where it’s like, all right, is he a dude or is he just one of those guys that’s just like, ‘Alright, I’m to myself. I’m just here because it’s Miami, whoop-de-do,’ whatever that is. No – he’s like a genuinely great dude. I hang out with him a good amount off the field. Great – as good as they come in my opinion. With that being, said I would just say before you start saying things about people or whatever, just make sure you get to know them before all of that.”
(What did you think of WR Tyreek Hill getting the No. 1 spot on the Top 100?) – “Man, that’s my dawg. That’s my dawg. Oh my gosh. He was excited. We all were in a group chat. We all texted him – Jalen Ramsey, Terron Armstead, Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Waddle. We were just congratulating him. There were some funny things that we threw in there just to give him a hard time, but for the most part, that was unbelievable. To have a teammate like that, voted just best in the league, it doesn’t get better than that.”
(Did you get any congratulatory text from any of the other quarterbacks in the 2020 draft class after you signed your contract?) – “Yeah, I got a couple of text messages from a couple of guys around the league I’m close with.”
(Any names you can share?) – “I won’t do that.”
(Are they thanking you for keeping that bar up high?) – “Yeah, a couple of them. (laughter)”
(Is it a perfect timing that you have the Falcons coming in next week? Does it get kind of boring out there, or is it a drive every single day to go up against your teammates?) – “It’s a drive every single day. I think there has been an aha moment that we’ve all had collectively, with the leadership, with our captains, just for what our outlook is for our team. We try to not get bored with any of the things we know we’re going to need, and we try to make it as difficult as possible for each other when we go out there. We talk our talk; we try to get in each other’s heads. We just try to do that to simulate the best possible scenario of what it feels like to be in game, to be under pressure and to be able to come through for your team. We’re looking forward to the challenge of these other teams coming by. But next week, we’re going against each other one more day before we see Atlanta.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said earlier today that the top players on the team have tremendous influence on the locker room and that he’s noticed that they’re dictating the terms for the team. What does that mean to you?) – “This isn’t Mike’s team – this is our team. At the end of the day, that’s what it is. Our coaches, they’re out there to give us the tools that we need to help us go out there and be successful. Sort of our mantra of how we go out there and do things is if I go out there and I throw a pick, it’s not (Quarterbacks/Pass Game Coordinator) Darrell Bevell that threw the pick, it’s not (Head Coach_ Mike McDaniel’s play call that threw the pick, that’s my name on that. That’s our offense’s name on that. So that’s sort of how our outlook is on how we go out there, our style of play, our mentality, our mindset as we go out there. Like I said, we’re trying to make it as hard as possible for each other to go out there. We’re honing in on the little details to be able to go out and compete against each other. We’re trying to beat them. We’re trying to whip their butt.”
(I got a theory that you guys might be the most likable team in the NFL. From the standpoint you have a lot of fun, you score a lot of points, you win. Head Coach Mike McDaniel is very cool. What do you think about that theory?) – “I would like to say for sure. We love to have fun – who doesn’t like to have fun? But we like to have fun doing it the way that – sort of on our terms of how we want to do that. We want to be able to make sure that if we’re having all the fun, we’re doing all of the things necessary to make sure we win this game, to make sure I know what I’m doing, that this guy next to me knows what he’s doing. All around we better make sure we all know what we’re doing, because if something slips up, you best know (that) on this team this year, you’re getting called out.”
(Last year we didn’t get to see CB Jalen Ramsey much during training camp because of the injury. Now he’s been out here every day. How would you describe his impact being on the field for the Dolphins in general?) – “Him. Him. That’s my dawg. That’s my dawg. Him. That’s Jalen Ramsey. He’ll let you know too. He’ll let you know too.”
(With the contract settled, does it feel like a weight lifted off of your shoulder and you can concentrate on football now?) – “100 percent, 100 percent. That’s one less thing I need to think about for the security of my family, and I’m just happy we were able to get it done already.”
(This team is 13-4 at home for the past two seasons. When you think about Hard Rock Stadium being the toughest place to play and the AFC Conference Championship game being 178 days away, do you feel like you’ve all faced enough adversity these past few years to make it to that point?) – “As you look at it, every year there is always something new. Whether there’s guys leaving, new guys coming in, there’s a new team. This is sort of something we’re taking upon ourselves as players to make it extremely hard on each other so as we go out to the game, adversity is nothing new to us. We’ve been here in practice. This is what we’ve practiced, this is not new. This is something that we’ve been working on, we’ve been doing. This is the team that we have this year. Sure, there are some guys that are back that have gone through the adversity we’ve gone through the past couple of years. But this is a new team, a new season and we’re looking forward to making a run at this.”
(You talked about the guys getting used to catching the balls from you. What has that process been like for you? The new guys and learning where they like the ball and how big their catch radius is? How have you attacked that this offseason?) – “Well they are receivers. In my opinion, I’m not thinking where you like to catch the ball. I’m just thinking where I should be placing the ball depending on what the play intends me to do. I would say for the most part, it’s seeing where their catch radius is, what routes they run that they like and what routes that we like that they run, and then also where we can put them and where their matchups are and things like that. So that’s sort of what I look at.”
Mike McDaniel – August 3, 2024
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Saturday, August 3, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I’m sure we’ll get to you guys have the player voted No. 1 in the NFL momentarily, but just a quick housekeeping item on WR Erik Ezukanma. We haven’t seen him this week. Is the absence related at all to what sidelined him last year and is he going to be out a while?) – “No, it’s not related to that from last year and I’m anticipating seeing him; when that is, I’m not going to thwart his process by saying ‘I’m expecting him soon’ or ‘I’m expecting him not soon.’ I’m just expecting him. We’ll see.”
(What’s the plan for today for practice?) – “Today – the only thing that matters, the only thing that exists. It’s a good question. You guys wouldn’t happen to know absolutes on the weather, would you? We didn’t either. We have prepared obviously for indoor practice; however if Mother Nature on the low percentage shifts, we might be outside for a portion, but we are obviously anticipating some rain. Henceforth, we had to cancel our stadium practice which guys were really geeked for. I heard there were like, 30,000 tickets, so we’ll take out our somber tonality on Mother Nature on the line of scrimmage today.”
(Football will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in six days. Would it be safe to say that you’re fired up for this live rep, for the season?) – “Yeah, I think this team is in the midst of on a daily basis developing their own identity and it’s something that builds for a long time. And I think we’re eager to get back in there and it’s a place that we take pride in to have an advantage, give the people what they want. So it will be fun to get back in there. Six days? That’s right.”
(What’d you think of WR Tyreek Hill being named No. 1 player in the NFL Top 100?) – “Appropriate. I may be biased, but I know it’s such an honor to be – to really have all your peers recognize what type of player you are and to have – there’s a lot of really, really good players so it’s a tremendous honor. But I think it’s also interesting that it’s not a surprise. I think part of what makes – there’s so many things that make Tyreek (Hill) unique, one of which is stuff that probably wasn’t talked about. I didn’t see it, but it probably wasn’t talked about in the little segment. We started off today’s team meeting with talking about how we intend to be different and you have Tyreek Hill blocking a one-on-one block on a linebacker on a run play in a team run-emphasis period. I think when you have the ability to make plays for your team and in extreme form like Tyreek does, heavy is the crown with regard to if you want your team to be great, you have to do the little things. Tyreek does that and more. He’s a one of one individual. He (never) ceases to amaze and I think it’s a really cool honor that has been well-earned as he continues to develop his game each and every year and do things that – when Tyreek runs a really cool route, you put it in the memory bank because you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s probably the last guy I’ll see to run that route.’ That’s the type of player he is and I think when your best player or the No. 1 player in the Top 100 poll for players is as team-oriented as he is, your team gravitates to that and that’s a good thing for the Dolphins.”
(Last year at this time you said Christian Wilkins embodies what you expect of this team. Can you talk about that void that you’ve noticed so far and how you’ve gone about replacing that?) – “I think every team is unique to its own and that’s a really special part of what’s going on right now. You can get lost in the idea of there’s no opponent, but you are creating in training camp what each opponent will see. You are creating your team’s identity, and it’s unique to a lot of varied individuals. And in this era, it’s very rare to have over 50 percent of returning players on your 90 (-man) roster when you’re in training camp. So it’s a new team and your eyes are wide open to see what they want to be and how they’re going to be it. And you have different people step up that decide that their voice is going to be a dictating factor in the direction you’re going. So for instance, we have – do you guys know who the orange jersey is today? It’s Jalen Ramsey. He’s a player that’s decided that he wants to dictate the terms. There are guys that have been on the roster that are developing, just as I talked about Tyreek developing, like Zach Sieler and Jevon Holland are making huge (plays). In a different year, the more confidence you get as leaders, the more you develop, the more that the team takes its own identity on with no – really last year is last year. This year is a different team and I think every day at practice, one of the reasons we’re getting such good work is the players are determining what they want their team to be like. And yesterday, it was Jalen Ramsey that was dictating the terms. He has the orange jersey today. Quite honestly, with the competitive team that we have, I have no idea who’s going to be that guy today. But as I’ve learned in the last four or five practices, there’s a lot of guys that want to be the reason that we that we succeed and so I’ll tell you next week what our what our team has decided to become and that is a daily process, that if you’re trying to emphasize finishing, you have to start and finish each day each week and each preseason opponent accordingly.”
(There’s been some talk the past couple of days, players picking up on Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver’s request, demand, whatever you want to call it that this team be “bullies.” What’s your reaction to that?) – “There’s a lot of words thrown out there. From my perspective as the head coach, I think it’s my job to truly paint the picture on how if you want your team to be known as something, you have to do that something every day and the residual, like, don’t get it twisted; whether people say positive or negative things about you from the past, those things are up to your determination whether or not you’re going to prove them right or wrong. So the locker room itself taking it upon themselves to decide on their terms what they will be known for, and then sticking to that; that is ultimately the No. 1 thing that you want any team, any one of your teams to ever do because football is very much like life where to be successful, you have to dictate the terms and there’s no path of least resistance towards that. So I really like where we’re at. We had a really tough practice yesterday and guys leaned into that. So that’s so far, so good. But then you get to see today, do guys let off the gas? Right, wrong or indifferent, success or failure; how’s our standard of play? And whatever they want to call themselves – if they want to call themselves bullies, if they want to call – as a locker room, be what you want to be. And that is never determined with talk.”
(I wanted to ask you back to WR Tyreek Hill for a second. It seems every year he is adding to his game. He’s the only player in NFL history with back-to-back 1,700 yards. He’s doing this late 20s, early 30s. Can a guy like him kind of make people rethink, hey, age 30, that’s no longer when players start declining, that his window might be four, five, six more years?) – “No, I think he’s – like when you’re trying to explain the idea of an outlier, right? Maybe Webster’s – in the definition of ‘outlier,’ you can have a picture of Tyreek (Hill). I think he reinforces the idea that you should never put anything in a box and never hold any individual to the timeline of the norm. I think he’s an example of a unique athlete that I don’t know what your eyes tell you, but my eyes tell me that he’s thriving, right? And I think it reminds you that you don’t ever pigeonhole people in general to any sort of exact science. You let people define themselves and he is a person that there’s some scouting departments in the National Football League at one point – not necessarily currently – but at one time that didn’t draft receivers under 5’10. He’s under 5’10. Whatever department would probably draft him. And I think that goes for all players. It’s a lesson of individuals should be treated as individuals, understanding generally people are slower as they get older; not all people. Some people are just fast all the time like Tyreek.”
(You have three possible/probable Hall of Famers in DT Calais Campbell, CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Tyreek Hill. What’s the value of that on and off the field?) – “Regardless, if people are up for debate, for the Hall of Fame, you don’t just fumble into that. There’s no excessive talent that gets you in that conversation. There is a combination of unique talent and a unique person, and those players forever, they’ll dictate the terms of locker room. They have tremendous influence, more so than any coach could ever on how to do things at a at a very high level, how to take care of your body, how to learn and study the game. The fact of the matter is those conversations aren’t for the freak athletes; they’re for the freak football players. To be a good football player, you have to have immense immersion into the game to play your role with conviction. So instrumental, I would say, to answer your question.”
(Your tight end room feels like a bit of melting pot of individual skillsets on top of a really dynamic football player in FB Alec Ingold. What kind of flexibility can that give you as both a game planner and a play caller this season?) – “That’s what you’re looking for in those positions because inherent in those roles are flexibility. You’re part of the blocking corps. You’re part of the receiving route tree. When I tell you offensively, the most challenging position each and every week to learn the plan of attack is in that F-position, which is both tight ends and fullbacks. And the versatility of that room, turn the page, there’s the versatility of your offense. And I think that role is ever-expanding based upon what the defense presents. I think that room collectively has really attacked the offseason from both a run game and a pass game standpoint, and when you do that, you make everyone better because you add another eligible in the pass game and you add another offensive lineman in the run game all at the same time.”
(Do you think you needed more production out of the tight end as you looked at the team going into this season?) – “I think there’s opportunity to get more production from that room from an emphasis standpoint. What I mean by that is the types of plays we’re running, the types of things we’re asking people to do; you’re always looking at getting better and improving. And I think one way for us offensively is really to add an eligible in the pass game that’s extremely important in the run game, and that’s the tight end position. So you don’t just say that to do that. That takes an offseason of emphasis, of working the craft and techniques and if we’re trying to expand anybody’s role, they themselves have to expand what they’re really good at. I think that the room has done a great job of that and I think that that’s exciting for us because there’s a lot of attention paid to some other players on the field, that any time there’s over-attention one way, that leaves a little vulnerability in the defense in another.”
(Have you asked or heard if the league plans to have any emphasis on the speed-motion rules? I saw according to Pro Football Talk there was a sentence added that seemed to be a point of emphasis on forward motion at the snap. Is this something you’ve inquired to make sure there’s no change or anything?) – “To execute in the game of football, I would say it’s a priority to know the rules. Fortunately, we have NFL officials here at practice. Currently – they were here yesterday, they’ll be here today. And we also have a little a cheat code, if you will, a member of the competition committee resides in an office that shares a wall with me. So very, very proactive in knowing exactly what the rules are and anything that we do, we’re either adjusting or catering to any sort of rule emphasis and we’re going to try to keep it that way.”
(So maybe emphasis but as far you know, no rules changes in that area, as far as you know?) – “I think you read it as it reads. The emphasis is clearly stated. If you interpret that as exclusively timing motions, you better not simulate the snap counter. You’d better not move forward. And our motions will have to be legal for them to work unless we just want to run minus five-yard plays, so I think we’re fine with that. We’ll always cater to the rules and I think to simulate the snap is illegal and we should not do that.”
Raheem Mostert – August 2, 2024
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Friday, August 2, 2024
RB Raheem Mostert
(I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. Last year, the team was fourth-best in sacks allowed and first in the whole league in yards per carry for rushes. Yet, I just saw a poll come out that has the o-line ranked 23rd. Why do you think there’s scrutiny on the offensive line? What do you think?) – ”The statistics are the statistics, but in regards to the o-line, I think that they’re doing their best when they’re required to. For them to come out with a poll that they’re the 23rd-best or whatever, that’s all fine because there’s other o-linemen that may be better, but as far as numbers and what we did last year, I don’t think there’s any o-line that can compete with what we’ve done, especially in this offense – it’s super high-flying and speed is all around. You’ve got nothing but playmakers that can get the job done and it starts up front, and you have a great leader like Terron (Armstead). For him to come in, takeover for the scene, him battling through all different types of adversity and still be able to be a high-caliber type of player, that just shows you the type of resilience the o-line has, because they look up to him and many others, like Kendall Lamm, there’s a whole group of guys. They know what they have to do.”
(I’m doing something on having three potential hall-of-famers on this roster: DT Calais Campbell, CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Tyreek Hill. What does this add to this team on the field and off of the field?) – “Those guys are just amazing, and you see what they do day-in and day-out. Starting with Calais (Campbell), he’s a savvy, savvy vet. Year 17, age 44. (laughter) Going into a great career, he just brings a lot of juice and energy at his stature. The guy is just – he’s built like a tank. And you see him on the field, especially me as a running back, I’m breaking the huddle and I got to line up against this guy, it only makes me get more confidence in the o-line and same thing with the o-linemen. They see him and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, this guy. We got to strap it up,’ especially at the caliber that he is. And then you got Tyreek (Hill) who is just – I mean, ‘10’ is just always going to be a playmaker, no matter what’s going on, no matter what team he’s on. He’s always bringing that juice and that energy. Then you got (Jalen) Ramsey, I’ve been blessed to play against him when we were in the NFC West for so many years and I know that type of guy. I know exactly what he’s going to bring each and every game. He gave a speech a couple days ago and just basically telling everyone it’s OK to trash talk each other in practice, it’s just going to build our character up, build our brotherhood up, and when we face other opponents, you got to have that dawg mentality. He’s been able to bring that mentality day-in and day-out. So to have those three guys, especially at their caliber and what they’ve been able to do, it just brings along potential hall-of-famers within the team and it’s really fun.”
(There’s a lot of talk about the bond, the chemistry, spending time together, hanging out. You’ve been around last year; you’ve been around other teams. What’s the difference and why is it so important?) – “The difference is we got a collective group of guys that are actually bought in and they want to succeed, and if that means hanging out outside the facility, we’re going to go through any extent to make that happen. We’re doing a great job with that stuff. We’re inviting each other to events in the offseason. Terron (Armstead) had his camp and his thing that he was doing, so did Tyreek (Hill) and many others, Alec Ingold, he does a lot. So you try to just get involved with the guys because it means more off the field than it does on the field. But on the field, you do have to have that brotherhood and know that you’re going to go to battle with each other.”
(I think for the first time you made the NFL Top 100 list. Your thoughts on that?) – “I was pretty high. I was a little distraught because I thought I was going to be a little lower, but honestly it just gives me more motivation to work even harder. I did what I did last year, but now its time to move on. It’s year 2024 and I got bigger and better things that I want to get accomplished, and also, I want to help this team as much as I possibly can because it’s going to be nice to have a championship down here in South Florida.”
(Do you think you are still underrated even now?) – “I’m always going to be underrated, no matter what. I’m an underrated, under the radar type of guy, that’s fine with me. When I do the things that I do and compete and show people that I’m worth something, I’m worth a damn, then that’s when all the haters, they’re usually quiet. I like that, I feed off of that type of stuff and I don’t listen to what everybody else has to say. I’m just going to go out here, help this team win and I’m going to do what I have to do.”
(We got the chance to see the first of those kickoff rules obviously in the Hall of Fame Game. What’s your thought on that and obviously from an offensive standpoint?) – “Yeah, I think it’s a great opportunity to bring a new rule like that to coming in and you see the way it’s set up. First off, it’s about player safety, that’s the most important thing, and then we’re going to see a lot more returns, not so many touchbacks nowadays so it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be fun for both sides watching kickoff and kickoff return, and I’m just excited to see how it plays out because it’s a new rule. I’m very old school – I like to get behind that wedge and see daylight and run and blow some stuff up, but it’s fun to see this thing.”
(You were asked about the guys up front, but in this scheme they kind of rely on you too to make them right at times as far as zone and the cuts. What’s that process like for you guys at this time of year? And is there any connection to, last year there were a lot of games where you had guys that started a game and didn’t finish a game up front and how did that impact you guys in the backfield?) – “To your first point, it’s all about patience. We have to gain the trust in the o-linemen and they have to gain the trust in the running backs to make them right. It goes hand in hand. And then in regards to last year, we had a lot of mix up at the o-line. It seemed like we didn’t have the same o-line more than three games, which is totally fine because we still got the job done. We were still No. 1 in offense in pretty much every category. Just getting a group of guys to settle in and them working together and the cohesiveness, it just brings a lot of ability and a lot of comfort in knowing everything’s going to work out.”
(We’re a week out obviously from the first game, a lot of fans are wanting to know is there anything that you guys have as far as a ritual before the game? Is there something you eat? Maybe something like that?) – “Not in particular. I will say we’re excited about the touchdown celebrations, getting those things backed up and ramped up, so we’ll see. I feel like we’ve got a couple of things up our sleeves. We’ve just got to practice it a little bit, but I think that’s going to be in season. But we’re excited. This offense is going to be high-flying, this team’s going to be great. You see what the defense is doing, they’re just lights out. It’s a battle every day with the defense and they’re making us better, and we’re making them better. So we’re just excited to get to, we’re playing here against Atlanta and we’re going to see what the team is made of at that moment.”
(What’s the maintenance plan for you?) – “Honestly, they just call my number, I go out there. I’m feeling great. I’m ready to go, ready to rock. I don’t know, we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes but just know that every time their going to call my number, I’m going to be ready to go.”
Anthony Weaver – August 2, 2024
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Friday, August 2, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(A lot of the guys have talked about wanting to be bullies. They want to emulate what you did, what the Ravens did, the Ravens looked up to them over the years. Is that something that’s innate? Are you teaching that or do you see this on the field?) – “I think with the guys we have on defense it certainly is innate. So it’s our job to make that come to life and you do that through your actions. You do that through your actions daily, just going out there on the practice field and trying to be purposeful and have clear intention of what we’re trying to get done and trying to solve all our problems with our pads. Ultimately we get an opportunity to do that 17 times this year. Hopefully at the end of the day they say we are bullies.”
(Even though he hasn’t practiced yet, what have you learned about LB Jaelan Phillips in your short time here?) – “I’ve learned that he is an absolute freak. He is a specimen of a human being. He is a phenomenal person and he is chomping at the bit to get out there on the field and play with his guys. So super excited. (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) showed a clip today just how fast he was running in his rehab program so let’s just say we got excited seeing those numbers.”
(How fast was he running?) – “Faster than I’ve ever seen a dude that big run. (laughter) Let’s say that.”
(WR Tyreek Hill mentioned yesterday that there’s kind of like a game between the team where he was reminding some of the defense that they had the No. 1 unit last year. Is that a common thread so far in the training camp? Is there a lot of trash talk about that and is there pride from the defense in that sense?) – “Absolutely. I’ve got to be honest – I can’t wait to face another opponent because our offense is so talented, but it’s just iron sharpens iron, right? For us, the opportunity to go against them each and every day, we know that they’re the best. So for us to go out there and compete daily and have this kind of back and forth, just shows that defensively we can also chase those same goals.”
(With DT Calais Campbell, was that someone that you pound a table for or did they just come and ask your input or were you the one who was kind of like “Oh we’ve got to get this guy in here?”) – “I think probably a little bit of both. If you haven’t been around Calais (Campbell), you don’t know the impact he can have off the field. Everybody sees the phenomenal football player that he is, he is one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. He is what I call a force multiplier. So the affect that he has on a team – not just a defense, but a team – is immense. It’s like having another coach in the locker room, on the field because there isn’t a situation he hasn’t been in and hasn’t seen. The one thing we need to do collectively to kind of stamp his career, is get to New Orleans and win a Super Bowl and hopefully we can get that done.”
(How would you describe his leadership style?) – “I think he leads through empathy. Empathy and example, I think is what that is, because on the field at this age in particular, I truthfully don’t know how he does it. It’s like LeBron James in basketball and Calais Campbell in football in my mind, like they’re just human marvels. I don’t know how he gets it done and then in the locker room he doesn’t lead from like a ‘this is me on top of the mountain’ type approach. He is very relationship-minded, relationship-based, tries to get to know each and every one of his teammates and then once that trust and just conversation is there, that’s when he can impart some of the wisdom that he’s acquired throughout all his time here.”
(What is your impression of DT Benito Jones?) – “Oh man, I love my big guys. I love the way Benito (Jones) is playing. Those guys, they’re grinders and they don’t get a lot of headlines. They don’t get a lot of credit, but he’s one of those guys that’s out there each and every single day and he’s the same guy. He’s consistent every day in his actions. So I love who he is, I love what he does, I know our inside backers love him and I think Coach (Austin) Clark and just that whole defensive line collectively, the way they approach practice every single day is awesome.”
(I know you spoke about this, but how do you think it’ll benefit to rotate guys more often on the defensive line?) – “Yeah, I mean you’re out here right now. It’s warm. It would benefit if I could have somebody else come finish this interview right now. (laughter) So for those guys, particularly those bigs, if we want them to play with uncommon effort which is something we preach day-in and day-out, I think it’s important for them to stay fresh in order to get that done.”
(With CB Cam Smith obviously the injuries, unfortunate, but what had you seen from him before he got hurt and how much ground will he have to make up once he’s back?) – “I think Cam (Smith) is such a young player and he certainly has some scars from the previous year which if you didn’t play a lot and you’re wondering why, that’s going to occur with any young player in that situation. So for me and for us and I think in order to get the best version of him, which we just started to see prior to injury, he needs to be confident. He can’t be afraid to go on that practice field and make mistakes and fear repercussion particularly at the corner spot. Take the corner spot out of it – whether it’s a corner spot, defensive end, anybody on that football field – if you don’t step between those lines with confidence, you don’t have a chance. You’re already beat. So all I’m challenging Cam is to go out there and be confident, be who you are, have faith in your skills and challenge your receivers. And good things will happen. And when he gets back on that field, I know he’s going to be just that.”
(Where is CB Kader Kohou at this current point in training camp compared to what you knew about him when you took the job?) – “I felt incredibly confident about Kader (Kohou) coming in. Just as soon as I thought I was in the mix for the job, I went back and watched all the games obviously and I kept saying like, ‘Who is No. 4? Who is No. 4?’ Like multiple times, just wrote down ‘Who is No. 4?’ And we see that each and every day out there. The thing you love about Kader is just his competitiveness. He’s not the biggest guy, but he doesn’t back down from anybody so I love his toughness. He is a tremendous player for us and he’s going make a lot of plays for us.”
(How has it gone from your estimation the times you’ve used CB Jalen Ramsey in untraditional roles or that ultimate chess piece that you’ve said?) – “So far in practice, it’s been exactly what I thought it was going to be. You have a guy like Jalen Ramsey, who yeah, he plays cornerback, he has a cornerback skill set, but he is a football player. Because of his football intelligence and just sheer God-given athleticism and talent, there are multiple places you can use him. Ultimately for us as a staff, our challenge is to make sure that we can put him in spots where he can be most impactful in the game. The last thing you want an offense to do is put him to the field and say he’s your field corner, let’s stay away from him. Let’s put him in places where they can’t predict where he’s going to be.”
(We’ve heard from several offensive players that he still talks trash even when he’s beaten. How does that help the defense with that mentality?) – “You have to have that mentality. Every offense, defense, football team in the National Football League is going to get beat. You’re going to face adversity. Everybody is good. Our job is to win the next play. Win the next play, win the next game, win the division, win the conference, win a Super Bowl. If you don’t have that next play mentality, the emotional ups and downs of this game will crush you. So you have to always be ready for the next play. I love that about him.”
(What’s your early take on LB Chop Robinson?) – “As advertised. He’s still a young player, still trying to learn the finer techniques and fundamentals of the game but you see his athleticism and his skill set. What I love most about the kid is his intent when he comes work. He’s quiet, he’s not one of these rookies that are out talking all of this stuff and they’re not backing it up on the field. You can see him just contemplating every single thing that’s being given to him and try to see what bits and pieces he can take from people to use for his game.”
(How do you get better as an edge setter? That was kind of your primary job in the league. What do you do? Is it hand placement? Is it anchoring down? What do you do to get better as a edge setter?) – “For me, setting the edge to me is a like non-negotiable. In terms of getting better at it, I think because you operate with time and distance and you don’t know where that guy is going to go – but if you run a straight line and somebody is trying to move lateral, if I’m a defensive end and that’s what needs to happen for that guy to get to me, then I should knock him back and set the edge. It’s no different than if you’re going like this and I’m going straight ahead, I’m going to knock you backwards. I tell guys, ‘Listen, roll off the ball. Pick your aiming point, play with good leverage, play with your hands, lock the guy out and get ready for that ball to come back.’ Fortunately for us, I don’t think there is a single outside backer or defensive end who doesn’t understand that responsibility and isn’t able to get that done.”
(How do you see that safety battle shaking out? Obviously, we see a lot of S Jevon Holland on the field this year. Beyond that, it looks like three if not four guys competing for playing time.) – “I have a tremendous amount of confidence in all of those guys. Obviously, we have the veterans who have been here. Jevon Holland has been practicing awesome. Elijah Campbell has had a great training camp so far. Jordan Poyer can’t say enough things about him. Marcus Maye, we have a tremendous amount of competition at every position. Shoot – ‘Pat Mac’ (Patrick McMorris)… All of those guys have had really good camps. They’re grasping the scheme. They’re understanding when they can take their chances and when they can’t. Coach (Ryan) Slowik and Coach (Brian) Duker have done tremendous jobs with those guys. I can’t wait to just play against another team and kind of show you guys all the work that they’ve been putting in.”
(We’ve talked about CB Jalen Ramsey being able to play a versatile role, can you use S Jevon Holland in a similar way?) – “We have a bunch of guys we can use in those ways. For us, the job is to make it simple for our guys and hopefully create some complexity and some indecision for the offense. Fortunately we have a bunch of guys that are kind of Swiss Army knives, where they can play multiple spots and they’re super smart and they can execute those jobs regardless of where they are at positionally.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel is no stranger to going around to different position groups saying, “I want to hear the chirping and the trash talking.” I’m curious how the gamesmanship has been for you and him as playcaller on the other side of the ball this camp?) – “I love Mike (McDaniel). I am not much of a trash talker, particularly to guys that are smaller than me. (laughter) I love him, I love him to death. Any trash talk that we have between each other is sheerly in good fun, because we know ultimately, we’re just trying to get this team as well prepared and as ready to go as we possibly can.”
(DT Calais Campbell, you’ve probably addressed this already, but what does a 17-year veteran who is familiar with your scheme bring to this defense and to his unit?) – “Just hearing ‘17 years’ is wild to me, particularly at the position he plays. But I’ve mentioned this before, when you have a guy that’s had the success he has and still willing to go out there and work as hard as he does, to me that provides leadership enough. What you guys don’t see is how he affects the guys in the locker room and how he’s constantly trying to reach out and give to anybody who is willing to listen the wisdom he’s acquired throughout all of his years. He’s a true force multiplier for us.”
Tyreek Hill – August 1, 2024
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Thursday, August 1, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(When “Jump Around” was playing at the start of practice, you were fired up getting everybody else excited. What was it about today that made you so excited to be out here?) – “You know what’s crazy man? The receivers haven’t had an orange jersey this whole camp, and I just wanted to, simply – I want to come out every day and set the standard. Today was one of those days that I felt real good, so I wanted the guys to follow suit. You see that the offense had a real good day today, it was just one of those days.”
(What was your reaction to finding out that QB Tua Tagovailoa got his big contract?) – “I was excited, man. I was turned up for my boy. We were all sitting in meetings, and when it happened, we all went down to the quarterback room and try to congratulate him, but he wasn’t down there. Yeah, I was real happy but the message was simply we got what we wanted. Our quarterback got paid, so now it’s time to take care of business, and we all know what that is.”
(There was a play today where it looked like you went one way and the ball went the other way and then you and QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of had a conversation about it. I’m just curious what those conversations are like when you guys are on different pages?) – “Man look, I be so fired up, I be so ready to go against (Jalen) Ramsey that sometimes I forget my freaking route, man. On that play, he threw it to a spot, he was right. I went out and it was supposed to be in. I was just so fired up and ready that sometimes when you get so in a mode going against these guys, it’s like you don’t even be thinking sometimes. You hear a word, and you’re like OK. You automatically assume you got that, but it’s just one of those things that I got to be in the right spot at the right time. And he came and told me, ‘Come on, ‘Reek, I need you in the right spot.’ I was in the wrong spot.”
(You guys have gotten CB Jalen Ramsey a couple of times at practice. You did the other day, and WR Jaylen Waddle did today. Do you chirp at him a little bit when that happens? Or is it respect and you move on to the next play?) – “It goes back and forth, man. We got a real good team. We’re very fortunate to have (Jalen) Ramsey on the other side, a very competitive guy. A guy who doesn’t shy away from anything. It’s fun, it’s a part of the game. You win some, you lose some. Fortunate for us, we’ve been on the winning side. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot playing with Ramsey, understanding different leverages, understanding different releases I can use against different guys with longer arms. The process has been fun.”
(I don’t know if you saw there was an NFL Network reporter who visited the Kansas City Chiefs camp. It was on the internet there. He said the Chiefs have to have the fastest team in the NFL. Is that possible, or no?) – “Look man, people can say whatever they want to say. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. At the end of the day, we all know you can’t say that until you really put on the pads and get on the field. Obviously, people have seen what we do down here in Miami, which is fast, explosive, whatever you want to call it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, man. Kansas City got a great group of young guys who can fly, but I’m still going to stand 10 toes down for the guys we got here.”
(It seems like WR Jaylen Waddle is having a great camp. How have you seen him come back from the summer and get even better this year?) – “You know what, obviously when you’ve got the mindset and you take the right approach on wanting to lean on some of the veteran guys that you’ve got in the room, he’s done a tremendous job with that – leaning on myself, leaning on Coach (Wes) Welker. He’s done a great job of being real coachable in that aspect of it. For me, that’s what I told him. I said, ‘When I came into the league, it’s a lot of guys who are real talented, but the guys that are successful in this league are the ones that are real coachable.’ At the end of the day, we’re all trying to get better. Ain’t none of us perfect. I can go for 2,000 yards, there are still way I can get better. For him, he’s come in with a different approach on what routes I need to get better at, how can I be more talkative with the quarterback and what spots I need to be in and stuff like that. So far it has paid off for him. He’s came out here each and every day busting his tail, and we’re still competing. His team versus my team on one-on-ones. You can see at the end of camp the results paid off. He’s busting his tail, he scored a big one at the end.”
(You guys have three potential Hall of Famers on the team. You, CB Jalen Ramsey and DT Calais Campbell. How do you use that to your advantage on and off the field?) – “Well, on the field, obviously just having the presence of guys like that is amazing man, because veteran leadership is everything in this league. Off the field, I feel like we bring another aspect to it, because this is the most I’ve seen this Miami team hangout since I’ve been here. It’s a beautiful thing to see. Also when you add a guy like Odell Beckham (Jr.), the type of personality that he has, building that off-field teammate brotherhood that you need, because at the end of the day we all need it.”
(I can’t believe I’m asking you this, but there’s a YouTube guy who claims that he’s going to race you today. Is this the first you’ve heard of it? Do you think that I’m crazy or?) – “I think you’re crazy still. (laughter) But no, what’s crazy is the funny story is I actually invited him out here to practice. I didn’t say I was going to race him, but I did say I was going to invite him out of practice, and I told Coach to put him in shoulder pads. I want to see how he’d do out here with us the whole day, the group of receivers. So just to mix it up a little bit, change it up, change his lifestyle up and see if he can hang with us in the sun.”
(And what became of that?) – “He didn’t show. He did a no-show. That’s all I can say, but hopefully he’ll come tomorrow. We’ll see.”
(On the receiver draft Year 2 obviously, you had to pay for dinner last year. How is your unit doing? Also I need the explanation why WR River Cracraft is always your first pick? And why do you get the first pick?) – “Right now the score is 4-1. ‘J-Dub’s’ (Jaylen Waddle) team is losing, getting his head cracked in every day. The reason why I pick ‘Riv’ (River Cracraft) is because ‘Riv’ is one of those guys that he understands the offense and he’s always in the right place. Last year when we were doing this, we counted blocks. He’s that one guy who’s going to make a key block for (De’Von) Achane or (Raheem) Mostert to break one to the house every time, and that’s why I always pick ‘Riv’ man. Because he’s smart, he knows where to be at on the field and you can always account for him. He’s one of those guys.”
(Why do you get the first pick?) – ‘I don’t know why ‘J-Dub’ (Jaylen Waddle) gives me the first pick all the time.”
(Does he pick the next two, or how does that work?) – ‘No. He just picks the next one, and he chose (Braxton) Berrios.”
(Now that the team took care of QB Tua Tagovailoa, are you vying to be next? I know you want a restructure or extension.) – ‘You know what man, at this point you see me out here practicing each and every day. At this point, my focus is on helping this team win games. I know it’s going to come whenever it happens. My agent, he’s doing his thing, I just got done having a conversation with him. The conversations are positive right now, so we’re going to keep it positive. But for right now, I’m going to keep practicing every day trying to help this team win games.”
(The NFL added some language to the speed motion rule. I don’t know if you heard that. It’s a clarification that states very clearly that you’re not allowed to have an abrupt false start or forward illegal motion after the speed motion. If in fact the NFL is going to have a point of emphasis on that, how aware will you have to be?) – “That’s my first time hearing about that, but our head coach, he’ll find a way to make a way around that. He does a great job of creating schemes for us to get open – that’s why he’s one of the best offensive minded coaches in the game, because he does a great job of creating these motions. He allows us to tweak it a little bit, but he puts his own little spin on it. I feel like we ain’t going to have a problem with that.”
(Without telling us, last year that was the big adjustment. Do you have something else coming down the line this year that is just going to wow defenses and totally reset?) – ‘You know what man? Every day I got to be prepared man, because there’s like all kinds of motions in this offense, dawg. The wording of it is crazy, so I’m not going to even say that – it’s crazy. But I feel like we’ve got some plays that’s going to wow teams, because teams are already looking for certain motions whenever I line up a certain way or (Jaylen) Waddle lines up a certain way. So we do have a few packages or few motions that’s going to be like, ‘Oh, where did that come from?’ That’s going to kind of like surprise the defense out of nowhere, so it’s going to be fun this year man.”
(How eager are you to get WR Odell Beckham Jr. into practicing with the wide receiver corps and what can it look like once he is?) – “I’m ready man. Our receiver room is real close and I’m looking forward to that. He’s been saying that the first day he comes out, he’s going to moss (Jalen) Ramsey with one hand, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to hold him up to that too. The first day he comes out here in one-on-ones, I’m going to say, ‘You got to do it, bro. You got to do it.’ So I’m looking forward to it man. Odell (Beckham Jr.) obviously, he’s one of those guys who can make plays everywhere on the field. Just having his energy, his presence on the field with me and (Jaylen) Waddle, it’s going to be fun man, and I know Tua (Tagovailoa) is going to do a great job finding him.”
(Right before practice, it looked like Head Coach Mike McDaniel went over to the wideouts and said to talk smack during practice. Is that what happened, and how much smack talk did you guys do?) – “We’ve been on that energy since we woke up this morning. So when we had meetings this morning, we woke up with the mindset of we’re going to win the orange jersey today. I know he’s going to give it to somebody else because he likes to show favorites. (laughter) That’s what Coach do – like we work up with that energy today. When (Jalen) Ramsey said what he said about the offense, how they whooped our (expletive). Offense, we came with a different mindset today like, ‘Hold on, bruh. Y’all must’ve forgot we’re No. 1 for a reason, dawg. We do this for a reason.’ You feel me? We got teams backing up for a reason, like this what we do. So we had to go ahead and show them who we was today and remind them, ‘Hey, y’all still little bro today.”
Frank Smith – August 1, 2024
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Thursday, August 1, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(How do you see this early guard competition playing out? Guys mix-and-matching, and you can’t get OL Isaiah Wynn yet in there, just what’s your overall impression of how that’s played?) – “You know our philosophy in camp, it’s a process all the way till the end of August. So, so far that’s been a good competition, guys getting through, getting opportunities to play. With pads just coming on, I think that the next couple of weeks will really reveal itself. Also this year with the joint practices, so we’ll have a bunch of stuff and really excited for the next couple weeks.”
(How have you seen OL Liam Eichenberg progress over your time with him?) – “Just the growth and knowledge of what we’re trying to do, his growth in his technique and fundamentals, just every year he gets more confident and comfortable with how he wants to play what he needs to do to be successful. So the next couple of weeks with pads coming on more and having those opportunities, excited to see how he grows. Especially with the flexibility he’s been able to have for us being able to play multiple spots has always been extremely valuable.”
(And OL Robert Jones, same question?) – “Yeah, Rob (Jones) is doing a great job, same thing. Growth in the system really helps understanding, second year (of the) same line coach, getting familiar and they’re all working together. I think he’s done a good job so far in camp and really for the next couple of weeks really excited to see where they’ll go.”
(How have you seen growth from WR Jaylen Waddle year over year? Looks like to us, he’s having a pretty good camp.) – “Yeah, it all starts with really being in tune to yourself and knowing what you’re trying to accomplish, how you want to play. He’s done a great job of knowing how he wants to work his techniques inside the system and just getting better his releases, what he’s trying to do at the top of the route. Overall, you couldn’t ask for how hard him and Tyreek (Hill) work at what they’re doing, and Jaylen (Waddle) really every day he’s here, he’s just trying to get better and he’s so competitive. So I’ve been really pleased with him so far and really excited for the rest of camp to see the growth.”
(Without obviously giving away too much competitively, are there things you trust him to do now that maybe two years ago you were still, ‘Hey, we got to see this, this and this,’ but now, boom – full package Jaylen Waddle?) – “I don’t know if it’s necessarily trust in him doing this, I think it’s more, for him and just for everyone, familiarity with what we’re doing. So it’s like, you can start pushing the envelope for everyone just when you start moving to Year 3 of like, ‘Hey, we can do this.’ Or ‘What if we did this motion or alignment or something like that?’ I don’t think it’s necessarily him in Year 3, I think everyone in Year 3 just gets a little more familiar with what’s going on as opposed to your second year you’re kind of like, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.’ Third year you’re like ‘Yep,’ and you can take it to that next level.”
(On the same lines with RB De’Von Achane, he’s in his second season here, how’s he developing compared to this time last year?) – “Your rookie year, you’re trying to take it all in – alignments, formations, everything. You can really see a growth of his understanding of the offense, where he fits in, just overall in the run game, where he’s trying to affect his aiming points, affect the defense, working together with the linemen, how it all fits together and then in the passing game as well. You can tell it’s Year 2 for him. He’s really made substantial growth and I think this camp will really be good these next couple weeks for him to continue to grow upon everything he’s done.”
(Is there anything he’s done, or any running back has done, that might make you change your plan for how you’ll use running backs this year?) – “I don’t think – right now, you can’t really say. It’s easy to go, ‘Hey, today,’ and then what is today to where we try and take in, ‘OK, what’s our objective today?’ It’s to grow, it’s to get better to make sure that we’re improving upon our fundamentals and techniques that are going to play out for the whole season. So it’s not necessarily like you make decisions today for long term as opposed to, ‘OK, how am I going to work the short term for using the guys to give them opportunities to continue building their skills necessary for the long push starting in September?’”
(Following up on that, RB Jaylen Wright has mentioned that he’s watched a lot of RB Raheem Mostert film. How has he picked up the offense through camp?) – “The hardest part – the running game in our system is a process to learn, especially when you’re coming from his offense at Tennessee which was very different. But he works so hard, he is on it. He’s with (Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) all the time, really trying to understand the nuances to everything – why our tracks and aiming points, how they fit where he’s trying to run and what the line is trying to do, and then add in the pass game element. So he’s done a great job – he is always working; I see him all the time. He was here all summer, every day. He is putting in the effort and the next couple of weeks, especially when you’re a rookie (running) back, they’re vital. All of these days of camp, allowing yourself to really understand, see where you fit in the equation, understand the different blocking schemes we use. So it’s been good so far and really excited for him the next couple of weeks, especially when the preseason games start.”
(How much do you need to see WR Odell Beckham Jr. before you can really gauge what you have in this offense with him?) – “I think it’s a little easier sometimes when you have veterans with that much experience. You can kind of have an understanding through watching the tape of them previously kind of knowing what he brings, where he’s at. Whenever we get him in and can start practicing, really what you do is you build the timing in the offense and the passing game, getting used to how he’s seeing things with the quarterbacks, that connectivity. But no, I think overall we understand what he brings to us and we’re excited whenever we can get him to the field.”
(We saw you up there in the media room for the QB Tua Tagovailoa press conference. How much pride personally did you have in the fact that you got yourself $53 million quarterback and you guys helped make that happen, you helped develop him?) – “The most rewarding thing that we get as coaches in this industry is helping guys achieve their goals – whether it’s on the field or financially and personally. So for him be able to have that, it’s unbelievable, it’s awesome. He deserves it, how hard he works, everything and the investment he’s put into the program. So really excited for now, going to work and getting ready for the long push of the season.”
(In the last week, have you kind of noticed – lightness isn’t the right word – but now that that’s cleared off his mind, is it full bore football with him? Or was that always the case?) – “He’s very much focused on what he’s trying to get better at. He’s able to come in and know ‘I need to use this opportunity to get better at what I need to do.’ He’s been very much staying on the mission and being present towards what needs to be accomplished today. But the big thing with him is now, with all that getting done, we can get to work and the next couple of weeks with him are going to be really fun.”
(Anyone can see WR Tyreek Hill’s speed and the impact he has on this offense. What way would you characterize it all and everything he does with it in every aspect of the Dolphins offense?) – “I think the big thing with him is just his work ethic when he goes and how diligent he is to everything that he does. It’s one thing to be a faster and then also play fast, whether it’s practice and the games Sunday. So having guys like him that have that speed element, it really helps us because it allows us to move guys everywhere to affect defenses, because when you have a guy that plays that way, it forces a reaction on the other side. So whenever he goes, he’s always on it. We’re very lucky and really excited for the rest of these couple of weeks to keep pushing the envelope of what we want to try and do this year.”
(Tackle play, we haven’t asked you about the tackles yet. How else do you see – obviously haven’t seen much of T Terron Armstead yet, but how have you seen that group collectively and T Kion Smith in particular, what have you seen from him?) – “There’s been some really positive stuff we’ve seen through understanding fundamentally what they’re trying to do, especially in the run game and the pass protection. All the guys just being more comfortable in Year 2 of the techniques that (Offensive Line Coach) Butch (Barry) and them are really working on trying to set the pocket and understanding where they’re at relative to our different protection schemes and where the quarterback is at. So overall, I think they’re done a really good job of learning and growing, and now, the biggest thing of o-line play is when you get the pads back on. Because if you’re trying to stop a surface without pads that you can slide and whatever, now you’ve got the pads which gives you something to latch onto. So really now is when offensive line, you get used to the surface you’re going to have to block, and that’s where they can really get into the nitty gritty of things they need to do, because if you’re hitting a surface that’s just your chest as opposed to you have pads and stuff that you can grab, that’s where really now, that’s where we’ll really put the work in, if that makes sense. Just a little different thought process, so that’s why the next couple weeks of the pads are really important for us.”
(T Kion Smith in particular, he’s a guy for us that kind of came out of nowhere, but he was already playing last year.) – “Yeah, you can see it in practice and that’s where he shows an ability with his movement, with his set, just stuff that we’ve really enjoyed watching, because it’s like when you come out of a development circle as an undrafted free agent, sometimes it takes a little bit in the process. So when it clicks, it clicks, and that’s why this year for him is going to be so important. But yes, so far it’s been very encouraging. I think the next couple of weeks will really be overall important for the group.”
(With T Patrick Paul, what do you think is the biggest teaching point he needs to still grasp?) – “I don’t know if it’s necessarily one thing. I think the biggest thing is just in how we operate and why we’re doing what we’re doing, and then take here’s why we’re doing it and now how to do it consistently, because it’s like – we have just more scheme variation than you do in college, so I mean he can pass protect and then the run game, you can see he’s come along. I think the biggest thing for him is just trusting the process, because sometimes you get impatient and you want it to come now and knowing that we have a long time before the end of camp. It’s just making sure each day you stay – you don’t get frustrated as you’re maybe learning something new, OK. When you learn something new, the first time you do it is going to be your worst as you get better. SO I think with him it will just be trusting the process, because from now until the end of August, I think that’s where you’re going to get your biggest growth, especially as a rookie.”
(Would you be OK with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle returning kickoffs?) – “Above my pay grade. (laughter) But I remember in the divisional when Tyreek (Hill) was catching punts and stuff, watching looking back and going like, ‘Woah,’ I just worry about the offense. (laughter).”
(The running back room overall – more speed than you had last year, certainly guys that you’ve seen more of than last year – just a better feeling about it this year compared to last year? Or is it the same old every year?) – “I think we have a good group of guys who are really excited about it. I think it’s always just – this time of year, I’m always like we’ve got a lot of growth to do, more times in pads, more times where everyone is getting used to things. So that’s why in my situation I’m sitting there going, ‘We’ve got a long way to go before we really know what we’ve got.’ You have encouraging signs of things, but the one thing this year is that we have veterans who understand how to play, what’s necessary, De’Von (Achane) coming into Year 2 and Jaylen (Wright), it’s really encouraging, but the same thing, we’ve got a long way to go before we really can say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re going to be and how we’re going to be.’ But really encouraging so far.”
Danny Crossman – August 1, 2024
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Thursday, August 1, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(Can you tell us the changes you expect from the new kickoff rule, how much time that you spend on that and what overall you foresee happening in the games?) – “Have spent a ton of time obviously off the field, more time on the field than I’ve ever allocated to kickoff and kickoff return. Really have no idea, and I don’t know if we’re going to get a real good idea until we get maybe a couple weeks into the season to see what’s happening. I think anybody that says they’ve got a great idea of what it’s going to look like they’re probably lying. If I had a great idea, and I had that information on anything else, I’d be somewhere at the track or somewhere I could place bets.”
(Does that not make it fun for you or a little bit anxious?) – “Super excited, super fun. I think it’s going to be great. It’s going to add a good, crazy, fun element to the game. There’s going to be a lot of things going on. I think there’s going to be a lot of good and there’s going to be a lot of bad for everybody. I think the key to this is going to be as the season progresses, learning, developing, so when it gets to the second half of the season and it gets crunch time, you really know exactly how you want to handle things and how you need to be able to react and adjust to how things are happening.”
(When the rule was first instituted, you probably were sort of guessing what it going to look like, but maybe you had some ideas. What, if anything, has surprised you the most on how it’s actually working out on the field?) – “The biggest thing that you thought is how quickly everything was going to happen. Forever that was a distance, time reduction play is how I always looked at it – you got to cover space before anything really happened and now you have to play. Now, everything happens right now. So the spacing, the five-yard spacing with blockers where it used to be able you could read, what we referred to as indicators and try to have an idea and a concept of what’s happening, that reading part of it is now out of the game. Everything is happening right now; it truly is much more like an offensive and defensive play where you and the competitor are in close proximity and things happen fast.”
(When you say everything is happening right now, I’m sort of wondering does that not lead itself toward speed which you guys have a ton of?) – “Well yes and no. The speed where you are able to really portray that speed, would come into effect when you were able to – we’re at the 35 (-yard line) and those blocks weren’t happening until the other 25 (-yard line) where you could close that distance before people were able to get to their drops and get set. Well now, they don’t have to drop and get set. If they’re worried about a speed player, they don’t have to get any depth to control or combat that speed. They can take it away right now with being more aggressive because of that lack of space. It sort of takes a little bit out of it. I think if you look around the league, after here and going through the preseason, I think you’ll see more size players on kickoff and kickoff return than you’ve seen in the last ten years.”
(Has all of this made you rethink at all WR Braxton Berrios as your primary returner? I know you’re open minded about everything going into a camp, but at this point is WR Braxton Berrios your returner barring some unknown development?) – “I think Braxton is very experienced, he’s got a lot of great production in this league and he’s one of those guys were looking at. How that all plays out, we still haven’t gotten to that. We’ve only had one day in pads so there’s still a lot of guys to evaluate and look at, see what the roster portrayal ends up being and then see what else is going on. You see different guys around the league saying that ‘Hey, maybe I’m going to try this,’ or ‘Coach is talking about trying different guys.’ That stuff we fortunately have a month before we make those decisions.”
(We wanted to get your take on Kyle Ulbrich, the former Middle Tennessee State punter who’s been camping out here everyday with signs looking for a shot. I’m curious, your take on what he’s doing and how much you’re familiar with him?) – “Yeah, not familiar at all. I worry about the guys we have in the building. Whoever (General Manager) Chris (Grier) brings us, we’re going to coach the daylights out of them.”
(You haven’t driven by him with the signs?) – “I get here very, very early in the morning. So unless he’s getting here at three o’clock in the morning, I’m not seeing him.”
(So you’re telling us to get him here–) – “I’m not saying anything. (laughter) I’m coaching the guys that we got.”
(Last time I spoke with him he says he gets here at six. 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, so I guess not early enough, right?) – “Maybe not early enough for me. (laughter)”
(We talk about the importance of continuity on offense and defense all the time, what’s the value of having the same battery of LS Blake Ferguson, P Jake Bailey and K Jason Sanders in the kicking game?) – “I think it’s going to be important, and hopefully it plays and works more to our favor this year. (We’ve been) changing punters every year until this year where we’re going back to it – goes back to my first two years when we had Matt (Haack), so it’s hopefully going to portray. Those guys have a great relationship, they work very well together. Hopefully we see the dividends of that on the field.”
(With the new kickoff rules is it, for you as a coach, is it like a work in progress where, ‘Maybe that’ll work, maybe that won’t work’? Or maybe it’s getting in the fire during preseason to see.) – “It’s all those. We’re trying a lot of things in practice, we’re trying a lot of things in walkthrough with the kickers, with the returners, how we’re handling different balls. On the practice field, trying different stuff, but again, I think it’ll be a couple weeks into the regular season where you really start to iron out exactly what it’s going to be. You don’t really know what teams are going to show in the preseason, so it’s going to be a work in progress. I don’t think it’s going to be like offense, defense where you know exactly, ‘Hey, here’s our concepts. Here’s our schemes. Here’s exactly what we’re doing and we’re going to hang our hat on this.’ We’re still working on where we’re going to hang our hat.”
(Have certain players volunteered, like ‘Hey, I want to get back there,’ at this situation or anything like that?) – “Well a lot of times the guys I get volunteering are the guys we don’t want back there. (laughter) So.”
(Namely?) – “No, I don’t put anybody’s name or business in the street. (laughter)”
