Brian Flores – May 10, 2019
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Friday, May 10, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I guess you agreed to terms with CB Xavien Howard on a contract extension. I don’t know how much you can say but why was that important for the franchise?) – “Yeah, we agreed to terms. I think Xavien is obviously a very good player. He’s a leader in the locker room. I think he works hard. He does a lot of the things that are core to what we see moving forward and we’re excited to keep him and have him here for a while.”
(What kind of message do you think this contract sends to the rest of the players in the locker room?) – “I don’t think it really sends a message. I think every kind of situation is case by case. I think Xavien (Howard) is a really good player. I think we’ve got a lot of really good players in our locker room. I think they’re all really working hard and doing all of the things that we ask them to do from a conditioning standpoint, from a learning the playbook standpoint (and) from a fundamentals standpoint. So I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
(We saw a lot of good from CB Xavien Howard last year. Do you think there’s still another level of his play?) – “I think there’s always room for improvement for every player, for every coach, for everyone within the organization. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement from Xavien as well as from the rest of the group – offensively, defensively, in the kicking game and the coaching staff. We’re always on a quest for improvement.”
(When you reviewed all of CB Xavien Howard’s film from last year, what stood out to you as his on-field strengths?) – “He’s got good length. He’s got good strength at the line of scrimmage. He’s got really good ball skills. He tackles well. I think he’s just a good overall player. Again, he doesn’t have all of the answers. He’s not the perfect player. I don’t think there is one. Obviously it’s an imperfect game. But he does a lot of things that we like and he’s a team player. That’s one of the things that as we met and talked, he’s definitely those things. Before I forget, the last time I talked to you guys, I failed to thank the scouts – our area scouts and our scouting department – after the draft. I think those guys did an amazing job. They work hard. Those guys are on the road. It kind of gets lost in the shuffle, kind of the things that they do. I just wanted to show my appreciation for that group and I forgot to do that before, so I’m doing it now.”
(T Jordan Mills, why was his addition to the roster important?) – “We looked at … After the draft, we re-evaluated what else was out there. We saw Jordan and obviously I know him and this organization knows him from playing against him in Buffalo. We just saw an opportunity to add a veteran player who has some experience and thought it was a good move for our team.”
(We’re going to see over the next few months obviously a lot of position battles. Quarterback is the one that’s going to get the most attention, obviously. When you’re evaluating quarterbacks with two guys who have an equal chance of winning the job, what do you look for? What are those important things that one of those guys has to do to win the job.) – “You hit it. There’s going to be competition, really across the board on this team. I don’t think that there’s any way to raise the level of a group than to create competition. We’re going to do that here. As far as the quarterback position, like every other position, there will be competition there. In that position, we’re looking for leadership. We’re looking for obviously accuracy. We’re looking for someone who, for the most part, can lead the team and put together successful drives and put us in good position in the run game, in the pass game and from a protection standpoint. So there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a leadership position. There’s going to be some competition at that position, for sure.”
(If QB Ryan Fitzpatrick wins that competition and then wins it every week until the end of the season. Are you good with that?) – “(If he’s) the best man? Yeah. If he wins the competition, absolutely I’m good with that (if it’s) what’s best for the team and what’s best for the Miami Dolphins. That’s the same for all positions. We’re going to play the players we feel are going to help us win games. That’s just what we’re going to do here. That’s at all positions, quarterback, running back, d-line, all positions.”
(What would that do in terms of evaluating QB Josh Rosen?) – “Thankfully we get to evaluate him every day at practice. You guys probably don’t see that, but we do. I think that’s a good enough evaluation for me, probably not for you guys; but I think that’s football though. We get to evaluate them every day from an individual period, to a group period, to a team period, and all of that counts. I think you have to earn your right to play, just like you have to earn your right to write articles. You’ve got to earn your right to coach. To have it any other way, I don’t think that’s the right way to do things.”
(What’s impressed you about DT Christian Wilkins since he stepped foot in the building?) – “Christian brings a lot of energy into the building. He’s a fun loving guy. For me, someone who is straight-edged, he brings … Let’s call it … He brings energy – good energy in a good way. That’s something that I like; but at the same time, he works extremely hard, or he has worked extremely hard over the last 24 hrs. He’s working, he’s asking questions, he did a good job in the walkthrough. I’m excited to work with him – we as a staff are – and he’s got an opportunity to … Right now he has to earn the respect of his teammates. He has to learn the playbook, he has to understand how we practice (because) all of this is new for all of these guys. We’re not going to throw a bunch of expectations on them, but we’re excited to work with Christian.”
(DT Christian Wilkins reminds me … He’s not as polarizing as TE Rob Gronkowski was, but it seems like his personality has the ability to galvanize his teammates on the team. How do you let Christian be Christian and have his personality shine through?) – “I want each player to be who they are. I don’t want to put that on this kid that early. He has yet to step on the field and practice. To say he’s going to be a leader … Does he have the potential? Yeah, a lot of our guys have that type of potential. I’m not going to put that on this kid. I think he has a great personality. I think he’s shown leadership in the past. Is it there? Yes. Do we expect him to be captain of this team this year? No. That’s not … We’re not going to put that on him right now. Right now he needs to learn the playbook, earn the respect of his teammates, go out here and set foot on the field first and foremost, and we’ll take it from there.”
(What’s your timeframe on installing the offense and defense? Has that already been done? Is it more training camp?) – “We’ve got some of our basic install in right now. I don’t know if I want to give you my timetable as we move forward. I don’t want to give away any tricks of the trade here; but yeah, we’ve started the install. It’s really basic with these guys. These guys are trying to find out where the locker room is, where the training table is. (It’s) a lot of basic, basic information for these guys right now.”
(This rookie camp, how intense do you want it to be and what kind of drills can you do, or do you hope to do?) – “We’re just going to work on basic fundamental techniques. That is the focus of a teaching camp. That’s the focus of this camp. We want to get these guys up to speed on what we do from a fundamental standpoint – offensively, defensively and the kicking game – and from a basic information, basic install standpoint offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. Obviously it’s a noncontact camp. We all know that. We want guys off the ground, no excessive contact. We’ve talked about that already as a group. I do think you can get a lot accomplished. I think to get 11 guys in the huddle, the quarterback/center exchange and get going with the communications and those types of things, really in all facets, you can’t replace that.”
(I know it’s important for all of your offensive linemen to be cross-trained, either left-right or guard-tackle or center-guard. What is the vision for OL Michael Deiter? Is he a guy that’s going to have to learn both sides or is he a guy that’s going to focus primarily on one side?) – “My first response is I think he’s going to have to – versatility is obviously big for us and really big for every team in the league. You want to start a guy in one spot, but I would never say ‘it’s just going to be this.’ We try to teach him the entire concept, and really all five positions. He’s a guy who’s played multiple spots in his career. We’re excited to work with him; but really, at the end of the day we’re going to try to put our best five guys out there. Wherever he fits, if he’s part of that five – a big if (as) he has a long way to go; again, he has to step foot on a field first – but if he’s part of that then we’ll see where the five fit. That’s kind of how I look at it from that standpoint. How do we get the best five guys and what way do those fit as far as how we get the most production out of that group? It could be left guard, right guard, right tackle – I can’t tell you.”
(This organization has done a good job the last number of years of drafting running backs from Lamar Miller, Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage, Mike Gillislee. They even found Damien Williams undrafted. Are there organizations that are just good at finding a particular position?) – “Like I said earlier, we have a really good scouting staff. Those guys do a really good job. They’re on the road for 100 days a year. From evaluations to background information, these guys work really hard. They do a good job and they’re really thorough I would say, really at all positions. Yeah, you’re right. We’ve done a good job at the running back position. Hopefully we continue to do so. We have good backs and we’re excited about the ones we have right now.”
(Is there a reason? Is it identifying them? Is it developing them?) – “I think it’s all of those things. It’s identifying. To me, it’s always about developing guys, for sure. (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) does a great job with the running backs here, and I think that’s a big part of it as well. There’s some continuity as far as that’s concerned and these guys, they’ve grown under him and hopefully they continue to do that.”
(Your understanding of QB Josh Rosen coming in, considering he’s been through so many different systems, has he had a good initial grasp of what you all are trying to do offensively?) – “I would say so. He’s very bright. He’s really studying the information and trying to get it all down as quickly as he can. He, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), Jake (Rudock) – the three of those guys – they’re really working to become leaders on this team, to lead the offense. That’s in all facets. That’s in the huddle, that’s inside the building, that’s in the meeting rooms. I think all of those guys are doing a really good job. Josh, obviously just being here a couple of weeks, he’s done well I would say. I think he’s done well, but there’s a long way to go.”
(You guys have talked a lot about liking a lot of DE Charles Harris’ traits but didn’t necessarily mention him as a defensive end, sort of like a hybrid-type player. Where is your comfort level with this team in the roster at defense end right now?) – “I feel good about our end positon. I think Charles specifically, he’s a young player. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s another guy that’s working extremely hard to learn the different facets of the defense. I think Tank (Carradine) has come in and done a good job. ‘Wood’ (Jonathan Woodard) has come in and done a good job. I think we’ve got a lot of edge players I would say – end of the line players – who are working, who I’m excited to work with, I would say.”
(You and your staff have done a good job in the past of developing UDFAs. Do you use some of those success stories to this current crop and how do you see that process in trying to earn a job?) – “I think across the league you see undrafted free agents make it and I think they do that. Obviously, they all have … I’d like to think they all have a little chip on their shoulder. I’d like to think everyone has a chip on their shoulder. I think those guys specifically do. I think having been around a few myself, I think they’re all tough. They all compete on a day-to-day basis. There’s no complacency with those guys, because there can’t be any. They know their margin for error is slim. I wish everyone felt that way, but that’s not the case for whatever reason. But their margin for error … They feel that way. There’s that big chip and you need a chip on your shoulder to play in this league, really at all positons – to coach in this league as well. I like that mentality. I think that – and I say this to the team – I don’t care what round you were picked in, undrafted, drafted, tryout – if you can help this team win, then you’re going to have a chance to do that. I think there’s a mentality there that from their standpoint, they may feel undervalued.”
(When facing an offense that utilizes a fullback – you guys obviously drafted one – what in your experience can be a challenge that formation poses?) – “I think with the way offenses have trended I would say in the last 10 years, really away from the fullback into more spread, not a lot of teams know how to defend the two-back run game. It all moves in circles, right? I think, for us, I think having the ability to do that may be an advantage, it may not be an advantage. I don’t know. We like Chandler (Cox). What I specifically like about him was his energy, his play on the field, obviously, his toughness, his intelligence. But really his toughness, his grit. To me, that’s … He embodied a lot of things that I love about the game. We’re going to have a fullback one way or another. We’re going to be a tough, physical team.”
(How do you handle players who may want to know the “why” of things versus guys who are comfortable doing what they’re told, so to speak?) – “I want my players to want to know the why. I think in order to get a player to really believe in what he’s doing, he should know why. I think that’s coaching. If players don’t ask why, they should be asking why. I want my players to believe in what they’re doing. Is it through doing what we ask them to do? Yes. Should they ask why they’re doing it so they can believe in a little bit more? I think so. I’ve always kind of challenged my players to ask why. I challenge my coaches to be able to give them an answer as to why. That way, the whole thing works a little bit better, in my opinion.”
