Mike Tannenbaum, Chris Grier and Adam Gase – April 29, 2016 (on Laremy Tunsil)
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Friday, April 29, 2016
Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum, General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Adam Gase (on G/T Laremy Tunsil)
Mike Tannenbaum:
(Opening Statement) – “Good afternoon. Thanks everybody for coming. We’re obviously very excited that we’re able to draft Laremy Tunsil last night. We thought it was a great moment for our organization. Again, I want to thank Chris Grier and all the hard work him and the entire personnel department has done. We’re really excited that he was there when he was available at 13. We have a great vision for him moving forward. Unfortunately, Laremy had an allergic reaction this afternoon so right now he’s with our medical staff. And hopefully it’s just a quick, short-term thing. But with that, we’d be happy to answer any questions.”
(On any questions or worries that were raised after a video surfaced of Tunsil last night) – “As Chris mentioned last night, we were very thorough in our process, starting with Matt Winston, our area scout. (We) felt good about his character. Obviously there were some mistakes that were made in his past. We were comfortable with that. All the research we had done; we’re very comfortable with his character. The decision was made by the entire organization, including Steve Ross, our owner. And we’re very comfortable with Laremy, the player and the person.”
(On the team’s current philosophy regarding high-character players) – “We remain committed to that. And I think Adam (Gase), Chris (Grier), myself, Steve Ross – all the decision makers were in the room last night. We feel good about Laremy, again as a player and as a person. Obviously there had been some bumps in the road, but we’re comfortable with that. Moving forward, we’re excited that he’s here and think he has a bright future on the field, as well as off (the field).”
(On how much additional information Tunsil was able to share about the video) – “Again, as Chris alluded to, we looked at the entire body of work, the person going all the way back to high school. We were familiar with all the information. We were comfortable with making the decision that at 13, he was available. We were very excited. We’re comfortable with him and his character, his work ethic. We were obviously familiar with the video, but for us it was still the decision we felt was right for us.”
Adam Gase:
(On how Tunsil fits into the offensive line) – “We’re going to play the best five, so however that works out. We’ve got a long ways to go before we really have to make any kind of decision like that. Right now he looks like he fits in pretty good with that offensive line room.”
(On who would be most likely to play guard) – “We’ll see how it plays out. Like I said, we’ve got a long ways to go. I’m not going to make any predictions on anything and say what we’re going to do and give away what we’re going to do quite yet. We’re going to see how it plays out. We’ve got three more weeks of Phase 2, and then we’re going to have OTAs and a minicamp, and then we’re going to get through training camp. I think our first game is about four-plus months away, so we’ve got some time.”
(On what he sees in Tunsil as a football player) – “I see a guy that’s played at an extremely high level in a very good conference and a guy that’s going to be able to transition to our league very quickly. Obviously this is a guy that we felt like was one of the better players in this draft class, if not the best guy. And for him to fall to us at 13, it was a no brainer.”
(On Tunsil’s current ability as a run blocker) – “He’s going to be good enough as a run blocker. I know in this league, you better be able to pass pro(tect). If people don’t think he’s a good enough run blocker, we’ll figure out a way to coach him up on that one.”
(On if he has potential as a guard) – “We’ll figure out a way to get him on the field, whether it’s (at) guard or tackle. We’re going to play the best five.”
Mike Tannenbaum:
(On whether they anticipate Tunsil to be begin his career in the NFL’s substance abuse program) – “We’re comfortable with his eligibility. We expect him to be ready to go for rookie minicamp. Anything beyond that would be a league matter. Our expectations are (that) he’ll be ready to go.”
Chris Grier:
(On the gap between Tunsil and the next highest rated player on their draft board) – “Not to get into specifics, (but) there was a big gap. This is a player that … It was an opportunity for us to add a good player to our roster that we’re happy to have. This guy is … You’ve seen all the things. There was talk about (how) some people were saying this guy was the best player in the draft. For us, it was an opportunity. We were comfortable. We talked to everyone from his high school coaches, college coaches, and we met with them. We had all the information on this player from February on.”
Adam Gase:
(On whether there was a specific point where they believed drafting Tunsil was a possibility) – “I think it was when Tennessee traded up to (No.) 8 and then they didn’t take him. That’s kind of where a couple of us sat up, got a little interested. (laughter)”
Adam Gase:
(On whether there was any hesitation about the decision) – “None. I’m pretty sure … Was I yelling at you to turn the card in?” (laughter)
Mike Tannenbaum:
“We were comfortable. Again, being in the draft room, all those scenarios are laid out. When he’s there – and it’s our turn – we were ready to go.”
Adam Gase:
(On what Laremy Tunsil had an allergic reaction to) – “We’re trying to find that out right now.”
(On whether Laremy Tunsil is OK following an allergic reaction) – “He’s with our medical people right now.”
Mike Tannebaum:
(On what caused the allergic reaction) – “He had been in the building for a number of hours. He’s with our doctors now. As soon as we have more information, we’ll let everyone know.”
(On whether South Florida can be a distraction to prospects and the potential dangers of social media) – “(To answer) the first part of your question, I think we fall back on an incredible process led by Chris (Grier), (Director of Player Personnel) Joe Schoen, (College Scout) Adam Engroff. Our college guys do such a great job (of) having information on all these prospects going back to high school. We’re very comfortable that when we select a player, that in our environment – on the field and off the field – that they’re going to be here and have a chance to be successful. As it relates to social media and how other teams make their decisions, I can’t speak for them. I can speak for us to say that we were comfortable knowing that, look, there are things out there that I’m sure he’s going to learn from. Obviously, mistakes were made. But again, our decision was based on the player and a big body of work. We fell back on a great process and felt like it was a tremendous opportunity for us. What he does moving forward is what’s really most important.”
Adam Gase:
(On how rare it is to have three first-round draft picks on the offensive line) – “It’s rare, but we’ll figure out a way to make it work. We’re excited as an organization. I’m sure our offensive line coach (Chris Foerster) … He’s going to be okay.”
Chris Grier:
(On whether drafting a cornerback will be a priority going forward) – “Again, we’re not one player away. We’re just going to follow the board again. Whoever the best player is for the Miami Dolphins, we’ll make that selection.”
