Ryan Fitzpatrick – July 25, 2019
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Thursday, July 25, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(It’s the first day of training camp. How did it go for you?) – “It was hot. It was definitely hot. We’re going to use this to our advantage in terms of coming out here and practicing hard and being competitive. This heat is tough to practice in but it has to be an advantage for us, especially early in the season. I was really happy with the way the guys came back in shape, ready to go. Day 1 was okay. We have a ways to go but it’s nice to see everybody and be back in the swing of things.”
(A lot of people are saying that this team is going to have a fairly low win total this year. Do you think that home-field advantage is an asset for you guys that people aren’t really taking into account?) – “It’s hard to listen to any of that. Going into Year 15, it’s put your head down, do the best you can, work as hard as you can and try to make everyone around me better and just go out and play. I think that’s the focus right now.”
(Are there times when the heat makes you re-consider the beard?) – “No. It’s just part of me so I don’t even remember what it’s like without it. It’s going to be hot no matter what.”
(Have you had a moment where you’re like ‘15th season, that’s a long time?’) – “Yeah, it’s a long time but whenever I’m feeling old, I just look over at (John) Denney. (laughter) He’s 40, so that makes me feel young again.”
(How does Head Coach Brian Flores motivate this team? He has fire in his eyes. What is it like for you guys?) – “I think he has a great demeanor. I think he’s very genuine when he talks. So the message that he’s trying to bring or get across always does get across because you know it’s coming from a good place and you know it’s coming from the right place. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit and his coaching style. Obviously we haven’t played in a real game yet but he has the attention, command and respect of the team right now. That’s really important and a hard thing to do so early as a coach.”
(How are you approaching this competition in training camp between you and QB Josh Rosen?) – “I’m just trying to be the best version of me that I can be. That really is it. There are so many things that I’ve just continued to get better at in my game. Knowing who I am as a player and working on my deficiencies, communication is something I try to pride myself on. Just the communication with the guys and making sure we’re on the same page. We had a couple of lapses today that hopefully will get cleaned up and then you move forward. Especially down in the red area, you only have so many chances. So you have to take advantage of all of them and you have to be on the same page with your guys.”
(You had some fans over there wearing a No. 29 jersey for the other Fitzpatrick. How do you turn those into 14s?) – “Well I also saw some 14s with (Jarvis) Landry on the back. (laughter) One of them had tape on it. No, I’m probably going to buy my kids some 29 jerseys too. I’m a big fan of Minkah and the better he plays, the better it is for all of us.”
(Do you embrace the underdog role this year? How do you go about it or do you not pay attention?) – “I don’t even think about it that way. I think about how am I going to put myself in a position to make this team better. That’s really all it is.”
(Did you have a chance to work with some of these guys over the past few weeks or is this the first time you’re seeing them?) – “No. Since we broke here, I’ve just been in Arizona. (I had) a couple of other small family vacations but just getting that last family time in and then coming out and getting to work.”
(What do you think RB Kalen Ballage brings to the offense when he’s back there for you?) – “I think he was very impressive to me in the offseason, just in terms of work ethic. He’s a smart guy. He wants a big role. He’s very versatile in what he can do. I think versatile backs are very good in this system. He’s got a nice chip on his shoulder just in terms of being able to show everybody what he can do and I’ve had a good time with him so far.”
(When you signed here, you said that the Dolphins starting job was one of the big reasons why you wanted to come here. Obviously that’s probably still the case but could you see yourself playing in a backup role?) – “Again, I’m totally focused on how do I put the best version of myself on the field. I like playing football.”
(Are you embracing a mentor role with QB Josh Rosen a little bit too?) – “We spend so much time together – me, Josh and Jake (Rudock) and (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry (Schuplinski) in that room as well. There’s a lot of stuff that we’ll discuss in that room and some of it is me and my experience and maybe, as a quarterback, you develop scars, bad plays, things that you want to try to avoid. A lot of what I do is just offer information and if people want to take the information and go with it, they can. There’s been a lot of situations that I’ve been in – good ones and bad ones – that I try to share with them and pass on. Again, one of my things with that is to work as hard as I can and focus on me, and then hopefully that rubs off on everybody.”
(What is the potential and the ability of the receiving corps this year with WR Kenny Stills as the veteran, WR DeVante Parker can go it and then you have the two speedy guys in WR Albert Wilson and WR Jakeem Grant.) – “We have a lot of skill. The thing is, on paper, it’s there. We’ve got to put the work in. We have to have those discussions, the communication. We have to get on the same page. We have to get everybody up to speed. Those aren’t easy things. It’s going to be a process throughout training camp and even throughout the season but I’m really excited about the group of guys that we have.”
(You haven’t won the job yet but the opportunities you’ve had with the first team, what does that mean to you?) – “I hate just giving the same answer but I enjoy being out here and playing football, and try to take advantage of every rep I get. I know in this league it’s hard to come by opportunities and you just do the best you can and take advantage of each one that you get.”
(You face this secondary, obviously, all of the time. Are there two or three things that you think that they do especially will?) – “Personnel-wise, there’s a few guys; but the scheme is a lot different. The scheme is a scheme they haven’t done in the past. We’re going at it here. I would say they’ve been good. The biggest thing is they make us better. They’re very competitive back there. I think we’re very competitive as a wide receiver and tight end group and we’re going to make each other better and have some good battles out here.”
(T Laremy Tunsil was telling us that he’s starting to feel like a real veteran going into his fourth season, which probably doesn’t impress you too much. What have been your early impressions of him and the kind of role he can have both on and off the field for this team?) – “I love him. He’s such a steady guy. That’s important to have. I’ve appreciated getting to know him a little bit. We’ll just continue to get to know each other on and off the field. He’s a guy that gives me confidence. When I look in the huddle and I see him, I have a lot of confidence.”
(Does that deep voice give T Laremy Tunsil extra gravitas?) – “(laughter) Sometimes, yeah.”
(How difficult was the loss of Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell?) – “He was a guy that I didn’t really know (before I got here). I knew a lot about him but I didn’t really know him heading into this gig. I gained so much respect for him in the short time that we had spent together, just in terms of as a coach, the knowledge and as a man, the steadiness, the calm demeanor. Just the character every day … There aren’t many people that I respect more than that man. So it was tough to hear that he wasn’t going to be in our room every day but he’s got such a commanding presence and I feel like his presence will still be felt in the building.”
(Moving forward, I guess Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski have split up some duties that Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell will have. How do you guys kind of move forward without Jim?) – “Well, you’ll have to talk to Coach (Flores) about the role that (Caldwell) will still take and all of that but in terms of the day-to-day, it’s a little bit different not having him as a presence in our room every day. But just like when somebody gets injured during the year, it’s almost heartless to say but it’s the next-man-up mentality and you’ve just got to keep moving forward. I know he would do the same with a quarterback injury or whatever it was. We’ve just got to keep moving forward and we’re obviously keeping him in our thoughts as well.”
(It’s often said that quarterbacks and wide receivers build a rapport with each other. Who would you say has been your favorite target so far since you’ve gotten here?) – “My favorite part has been that I’ve got a lot of guys that I like throwing to. It’s going to be nice and the fact that the ball is going to get spread around a lot, we’re trying to take advantage of matchups and we feel like we have the right guys to do it on our side.”
(What is your favorite nickname that you like to go by?) – “I don’t mind the nice ones. (laughter) When I was in Buffalo, the ‘Amish Rifle’ creeped up a bit. That one was funny. I don’t mind it because there is a lot of bad stuff that people call me too. I’ll take anything I can get.”
