A.J. Derby – June 11, 2018
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Monday, June 11, 2018
TE A.J. Derby
(Being a full-time NFL starter, there’s certainly an opportunity for all of the tight ends competing here to seize that job. Would that be significant to you being an NFL starter?) – “Right now, we’re not really focused on that. We’re all just working trying to get better. We’ve got a good group of guys. We’re all working together. We’re all trying to push each other every day to get better.”
(What is it that you did last year that allowed you in two weeks to go from a guy that just got claimed to a guy that was on the field?) – “It was interesting. Last year I wasn’t really expecting to get released or anything like that; but it happened and I came here and worked my butt off. I just studied. My wife didn’t come down here with our daughter. I told her, ‘Stay away. I’m just working.’ So there was no point in her coming down.”
(So it was just study? Because they talk about how fast you learned the playbook. What was it? Was it similar to what you did in Denver or similar to what you did in New England?) – “It was a lot of combination of all of that together. This will be my fourth offense in three years that I had to learn. Playing quarterback, I picked up stuff pretty quickly. I look at things differently than most guys on the team and I was just learning quickly.”
(You mentioned the fourth offense in three years. How do you feel about … To what extent are you settled right now in this offense compared to where you’ve been in the past?) – “I feel really good about where I’m at. I felt really good about every playbook I played with. That’s one of the things you can control is how well you know the offense and that’s something I take pride in. I feel really good about where I am with the offense and I’m just going to keep working to get better.”
(When you tell the wife and child to stay at home, I guess some guys can see that as relaxing. ‘I’m getting away from the game, I can be with the wife and child,’ but was it tunnel vision for you?) – “Yes. At that point when I’m coming to a new team that late in the season, there wasn’t really time to relax. I was trying to get on the field and help this team win. If you’re in the NFL, you’re either playing or you’re not really going to be on a roster, so I was doing what I could to play. My wife and my daughter, they were … My daughter is really young, so it wasn’t going to be easy for her. (I) needed to get as much sleep as I needed.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase, when he would talk about you, he would use the term quarterback-friendly. What does that mean to you, a quarterback-friendly tight end?) – “I think that has to go back to just knowing the position and looking at it from a different way. I try to look at what quarterbacks see and try to be where they want me. I try to be in their position because it’s a hard position to play, quarterback. You’ve just got to do everything you can to help them out and be where they want you.”
(Had QB Ryan Tannehill and you worked together at all before these last four weeks? Did you do anything February or March?) – “Yes. As soon as he started throwing, I was here. I stayed up in Jupiter this offseason, so I drove down any time Ryan wanted to throw, so I was here.”
(Where are you and QB Ryan Tannehill right now in terms of establishing good on-field chemistry?) – “Like I said, everyone’s here working. We’re all trying to get familiar with each other. That’s what this time of year is for is to get that connection, to get going, and then hopefully by the season, everyone will be clicking.”
(How many times would you say you and QB Ryan Tannehill got together to throw?) – “I didn’t count them. Whenever he called, I was there, so I don’t know.”
(Was it five or 20?) – “I can go look at my phone and tell you; but I don’t know. (laughter) It was a lot.”
(How have you enjoyed … What’s it been like competing against the two rookies?) – “Those guys have been great. As rookies, all you can ask out of rookies is that they want to come in and work and learn, and those two guys do. They’re here every day. They’re trying to be the first ones in the building, so that’s awesome. They want to learn, so they’re asking the right questions and they’re doing the right things.”
(What kind of difference does it make being here from the start, from the OTAs, as opposed to last year when you came in late in the season?) – “It’s big. Last year I was learning week by week the plays that were installed. It wasn’t just like … I didn’t get the full style of camp and now I get to learn the ins and the outs of the offense, so that’s awesome.”
(Did you say your family is here now?) – “Yes, we’re here now. They’re here now.”
(What’s that like having everybody?) – “That’s what it normally is. I’m used to it; but it was just midseason (with the trade) was a tough transition, so I just tried to have the least amount of distractions as possible.”
(You’ve been to so many organizations now. What is it that you think hasn’t allowed you to stick in one place?) – “I’m not sure about that. I guess you’d have to ask the GMs of the other teams; but I’m happy to be here right now and I feel good here.”
(Obviously, health was a reason with you not being in Denver last season, not continuing on there. Is there anything though as you’ve looked at your game where you’ve said, “I have to get better at this,’ that you’re willing to share with us?) – “I work on everything in my game. I want to be as complete a tight end as possible. I think (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) said a couple days ago that I need to work on my blocking, so that’s what I’m really doing this offseason, working with (Tight Ends Coach) Shane (Day) and just trying to make that one of my strong points and just keep working on everything else, as well.”
(After being in the league for a little bit, the draft, do you take that personally or is that the business side of the team? How do you take that?) – “I don’t really pay attention to the draft. They have their own reasons for everything they’re doing. I don’t really look at that. You can’t get caught up with a rookie. You shouldn’t be looking behind you; you should just be looking forward. So I’m not worried about that. I’m just looking (forward), trying to be the best I can be.”
(Can you explain a little bit of what you got out of those throwing sessions with QB Ryan Tannehill? What did you figure out about him that can help you guys?) – “He’s very detail-oriented and that’s a great thing in a quarterback. He wants you exactly where he wants you and I was just trying to take exactly what he wanted and implement it to my game. So just certain routes, being in the right spot, looking at the right time, just trying to click on everything.”
(What’s the difference that you notice from the beginning when you started working on those to coming into OTAs? What do you notice that’s a little sharper or better between you and QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “It’s just the timing and just me being ready when he wants me to be ready, and like I said looking at the right time. On a little diagonal route, he likes me to look earlier, so that’s what we work on. It’s stuff like that, just small details and everything.”
(Do you find it at least a coincidence that you and TE MarQueis Gray are former quarterbacks?) – “Yes. It’s pretty crazy actually. He was at Minnesota when I was at Iowa, so it was weird, because I obviously wasn’t playing quarterback, but I was watching him play. Now to be on the same team is pretty cool. You never know. We could throw in some trick plays with me or ‘Q’ (MarQueis Gray). We can figure that one out. (laughter)”
(What do you think it is about you, as former quarterbacks, that make you guys tight end options?) – “I don’t know. It’s different. There are a couple guys that have done it. Blake Bell did it my year of the draft, too. I just think it’s being able to understand what the quarterback wants. Obviously, blocking is going to be the first thing that people think is going to be the hardest thing to go to; but at the end of the day, you’ve just got to learn the technique and just work. I think quarterbacks are always wanting to work.”
(Do you think it helps you guys learn the offense quicker?) – “I definitely think it does.”
(The tight end positon has become so dynamic. A lot of guys are great receivers at tight end. Can this group be dynamic? Do you see dynamic talent at the tight end spot here?) – “Yes, I think we do have a great room. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year. We’re just ready to work. That’s all we can do right now is work. I’m not going to make any goals or any expectations or anything like that, but we’re all working, we’re all trying to get better and we’re excited about this year.”
(How much more athletic do you think that positon has become because of the mismatches?) – “We’re all working. We all try to be athletic and try to be mismatches, so we’re excited.”
(Who can really throw out of the ex-quarterbacks? You, TE MarQuesis Gray, WR Albert Wilson?) – “’Q’ (MarQueis Gray) is pretty good.”
(T Larmey Tunsil can throw, too. I know he’s not an ex-quarterback.) – “’Q’ (MarQueis Gray) can throw pretty good. He’s still hitting goalposts after practice and stuff like that. It’s impressive.”
(So he’s got you?) – “We’ll see. (laughter)”
(Have you tried the garbage can drill?) – “Not since college. No, I haven’t done that in a while.”
(What’s the value for you in terms of being here with Head Coach Adam Gase, a guy who obviously values your skills? Is there extra value for that? You would be happy to be on any team I’m sure.) – “Like you said, I’m happy to be here. Being with Coach Gase, it’s exciting. He’s done a lot of great things with tight ends in his past. That’s why as a room we’re really excited. That’s why we’re working so hard. We want to be there for the offense and make as many plays as we can.”
