Mike Tannenbaum & Chris Grier – April 30, 2016
Download PDF version
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum General Manager Chris Grier
Mike Tannenbaum:
(Opening Statement) – “I want to thank everybody for all their hard work and the organization. (General Manager) Chris (Grier) did a great job and the entire department. Chris, (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) and I feel really good about starting … The three of us going back to January with the eighth pick in the draft and adding guys, LB Kiko Alonso and CB Byron Maxwell, that kind of set the table. And then adding the draft choices over the last three days, we feel like we’ve improved the team, added competition and added depth. (We are) really excited about where we are. We are in the process of finalizing some free agents here and we will try to get that news to you guys as soon as it is all finalized and that will transition into Phase 2 of the offseason program.”
Chris Grier:
(On WR Jakeem Grant’s size) – “I’ll tell you what, Mike (Tannenbaum), to his credit, he was all over this guy. I mean I was busting his chops the whole time going ‘Hey, this guy could fit under the table in the draft room here.’ But seriously, spending time with the kid, we had him in for a 30 visit, and we kept hearing the term that this guy is ultra-competitive. He walks in the room and he thinks he’s the biggest guy on the field. And that’s how he plays, how he runs; again it’s added another … He’s an explosive dynamic player. He has some traits we like. The size isn’t a concern. He’s played in the Big 12 against all these elite players now in the draft. Again, it’s his mindset (and) his toughness. This guy is an alpha.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On if WR Jakeem Grant is a possible impact player at receiver in addition to special teams) – “When you look at the middle part of the draft with (RB Kenyan) Drake, (WR Leronte) Carroo and him, those guys will all add to us in the kicking game. To me, that always sets the floor in how much they play on offense or defense … is what they have to earn. But those are all three explosive players (with) good play speed. Our special teams coaches are certainly happy with those picks.”
Chris Grier:
(On why there were more players picked on offense than defense) – “It was just the opportunity of the players available, plus adding (LB) Kiko (Alonso) and (CB) Byron (Maxwell) … (They) were also added to that mix as well as (DE) Andre Branch and the other guys we’ve added with (DE) Mario Williams, etc. on defense. We’ve done stuff to address the defense, adding (DB) Jordan Lucas as well today – another corner with size, height, weight, speed. (Lucas) has position flexibility. He’s player corner, press corner, he’s played safety as well. So we think that we’ve addressed it. We feel good but we will always keep turning over the roster.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On whether the team is on its way to being built offensively to match Head Coach Adam Gase’s vision) – “I think when you’re sitting in our seats, you feel that way until 9 a.m. tomorrow, and then you’re always looking to add. We’re trying to build the roster for us and our vision in all three phases. We feel like we’re improving. Again, the journey started back in January and making that trade (with Philadelphia). We feel like we added two players (Alonso and Maxwell) that fit what we want to do, and that’s something that we’re constantly talking about. The day that Chris (Grier) became our GM, he talked about prototypes and getting the right guys that fit our scheme. We really tried to stay as close to that as possible knowing that we don’t live in a perfect world, but the conversation always starts with that.”
Chris Grier:
(On the aggressiveness in the number of trades this weekend) – “I just think it’s about the advantage of the opportunities we have to improve our roster. These are players we had targeted. I think all of our trades we made will benefit us in the future. Again, you have to be open and flexible to move up and down the draft. For us, it’s about the opportunity to improve our roster.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On the trade with New England) – “The phone rang and we’re always going to do what’s best for us. Obviously, they thought it was good for them, as well. We traded with a lot of teams, they just happened to be one of them.”
(On whether he spoke with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick to make the trade) – “We had a few conversations.”
(On insight into the trade with New England) – “Like I said, it’s one of those things – I think – it will hopefully work out well for both sides.”
(On WR Jakeem Grant’s 40-yard dash time) – “Every time that Chris (Grier) reminded me how tall (Jakeem Grant) was, we made his speed a little bit faster.” (laughter)
Chris Grier:
“We had a scout that was there at the Pro Day. (Jakeem Grant) ran fast.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
“In all seriousness, that was one of those decisions we made that you really feel like everybody touched on. The area scout liked him and then (the) special teams coaches worked him out. (We) wanted to make sure how he would factor in the return game. Obviously, we had the offensive coaches – because obviously he’s a unique style of player – what would be the vision for him offensively? Everyone signed off on him. That’s what gave us the comfort to draft him where we did.”
Chris Grier:
(On whether WR Jakeem Grant ran a 4.1 or 4.3 40-yard dash) – “He was really fast. He was in the 4.3s for us.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
“Once he signs his contract, we’ll answer that question.” (laughter)
Chris Grier:
“If you ask Mike (Tannenbaum), he’s a little faster than that.”
(On whether they see QB Brandon Doughty competing for the No. 2 quarterback role this season) – “I don’t think we want to set any limits for what he can or can’t do. This is a player who’s obviously local. He’s a Miami Day guy, so we got to spend the day with him. We watched him play over the fall the last couple of years a lot (with him) being a six-year player. We really like the kid. He’s very football smart, very competitive. He has good arm strength and he (had) great production in college. (We) wouldn’t want to say what he can be, but we’re excited to have him.”
(On trading CB Jamar Taylor) – “(It was) just an opportunity to improve our roster and to give him a fresh start somewhere else.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On whether they are comfortable with the level of talent at linebacker) – “We think (LB) Kiko (Alonso) can be a significant upgrade. The more you study those things, a player the second year after an injury, traditionally you see a bigger uptick. We think he has a chance to be a really good player for us. Certainly, there were some linebackers we thought of (in the draft). The board just fell the way it did. We’ll continue to be open minded, but there are some young guys that we like. (LB) Zach Vigil played for us last year. We re-signed (LB) Spencer Paysinger. We’ll always be open-minded, but I think Alonso really has a chance to help us.”
Chris Grier:
(On whether RB Kenyan Drake and WR Jakeem Grant were drafted to be return punts and kicks and keep WR Jarvis Landry from doing so) – “A little bit. Jarvis, still, is … Even though he’s not the fastest guy on time, he plays fast on the field. These guys are explosive guys (and) have a history of doing it. Again, it was an opportunity for us to add an element of speed and explosiveness to the return game.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On whether he is comfortable with the high roster turnover this offseason) – “Look, we don’t just say, ‘Hey, it’s an old player or a new player.’ I think we’re sitting there and saying, ‘We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished collectively. This is our team.’ Every day, the coaches get more comfortable with the players they’ve inherited. At the end of the day, we want to keep the best 53 (players) to give us the best chance to win whether they’ve been inherited, drafted (or) signed. That’s really what it’s about.”
Chris Grier:
(On what the draft was like for him as a general manager) – “To be honest, it was a great weekend working with Mike (Tannenbaum) and Adam (Gase) and our coaches and scouts in there and Mr. (Stephen) Ross in the room. I’ve been in the draft room now for 20-plus years. Again, I think the communication, our discussions we’ve had … We hashed out these big decisions we thought we’d have to make at that point. It was smooth for us. Really, I think the biggest one was, obviously, Laremy (Tunsil) falling to us, which was unexpected. It was a great opportunity for us.”
Chris Grier:
(On how well he has worked with Tannenbaum and the advantages of working well together) – “Well, you see I dressed up today and (Mike Tannenbaum) didn’t. I took it more serious than him today. (laughter) But no, honestly, working with Mike (Tannenbaum) has been great. From Day 1, it’s been our communication (and) our talks about players. Mike loves this game. We spend a lot of time. There’s a lot of times we’re the first ones in the building and the last ones to leave. Again, when you have someone there you can talk to, have open debates, you’re not afraid to be honest about stuff. I think that’s key, when you can really express how you feel. He and I, we’ve had moments where we’ve gone at each other and stuff and I think that’s what makes it work.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
“And I think people don’t always understand the complexities of the decisions. I always say ‘Hey, let’s go watch the tape. Let’s lay it out,’ and usually those decisions resolve themselves. I just feel really good about the preparation and the process and then obviously getting Adam (Gase)’s two cents on things is really important. But like Chris (Grier) said, a lot of the decisions we made were made well ahead of time.”
(On what he feels will be differently about the cornerback position with the recent moves made) – “I think it’s really just the defense that we want to play. Obviously, (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) has had a tremendous influence on that. Again, philosophically I believe we are here to serve the coaches. We got together in January when the staff was on board and we know exactly the type of defense the Miami Dolphins are going to play. Obviously those players we’ve acquired were purposeful and by design. It fits an overall scheme. It’s not just about the corners but it’s how we are going to play. We like the length. We like their athleticism. And we still have a long way to go. We feel good for tonight but if and when there are more players we can add, we are not going to sit here and complacent.”
(On if he feels like they still need to add some more cornerbacks) – “Look, we always want to get the best player available. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around this game a long time and I’ve added starting cornerbacks in June and August. You just never know when the right opportunity comes along, as Chris (Grier) mentioned, we will attack it aggressively.”
(On why scheme is so important to the team now) – “It’s always been important to me. I don’t know it any other way, to be candid. For us to be successful, you have to have a clear understanding of how players fit in all three phases. In talking with Chris (Grier) about the opportunity and putting the team together, we talked about (scheme) from Day 1. Chris had a very clear vision. We married that with the coaches and everybody in this building now knows, from personnel to coaches, what we’re looking for at each position. Are we going to make mistakes? Absolutely. But in my mind, that just narrows the bandwidth of … it should cut down the margin for error.”
Chris Grier:
(On what sort of contribution you hope for and need from this group of players) – “I think when you’re always building a team – especially championship teams – you have to build through the draft. Obviously they have to be your foundation because free agency is used to supplement your roster. You don’t want to have to go out and spend the big money all the time to do that. We’ve done that here over the years that we’ve been here, and other teams have done it as well. I think you struggle to win consistently that way. For us, yeah they are part of the foundation of the Dolphins going forward and help setting the tone for a winning program and organization.”
(On if this is the most talent on the offensive side of the ball he has seen in his time with the organization) – “It’s hard to say right now. It’s really about players gelling, getting on the field, working together and competing. What we’ve built is a very competitive roster now and I think that will push everyone to be better. It has a chance to be good but we’ll see what it ends up being.”
(On if there was a concerted effort to get “alpha” players and if he thinks he’s changed the makeup of the team mentally and physically) – “When you say ‘alpha,’ it’s those guys that love football. They’re mentally and physically tough, they’re not afraid of challenges (and) they love to compete. It was stuff that we talked about a lot through the process and you guys have been around (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase – he definitely has that mentality. We’ve tried to change the roster with the guys we’ve added, especially on the pro side too through free agency. We’ve been aggressively looking for players like that. I think that’s the only way you can win.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On if the team has added an undrafted college free agent kicker) – “We’re certainly heading in that direction. We don’t have anything signed yet or anything. We don’t have anything official. We’re working the free agency process pretty aggressively but until anything is signed, there is really nothing to announce.”
(On if improving team speed was part of the plan going into this draft) – “Yeah. I think explosive playmakers at certain positions that we thought we could add at reasonable prices and parts in the draft is something that we wanted to do. When you look at the middle part of the draft with (WR Leonte) Carroo and (RB Kenyan) Drake and (WR Jakeem) Grant, those are three guys that can help in the kicking game (and) the return game. We think they have a chance over time to be four-down players.”
