Adam Gase – July 27, 2018
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Friday, July 27, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(How much do you feel you know about LB Raekwon McMillan and how much do you still need to find out?) – “Really, we’re just waiting to see the last element that we really haven’t experienced yet, which is a real game. I mean he’s played one snap of a preseason game. Everything else tells us that he’s exactly what we drafted him to be. Now it’s just going to be when we get to Sunday and preseason games, do what he’s been training to do.”
(What were the things you particularly liked last year about LB Raekwon McMillan?) – “I think as a rookie, you saw leadership qualities. You saw how smart he was and how fast he picked everything up. Really, for him, it’s almost … We’re trying to minimize how much he’s thinking about because he processes a lot. Really, when he sees something once, he can recall it and he knows how to adjust our defense very quickly. Really, it’s us trying to be like, ‘This is important. Don’t worry about these other three things.’ He’s heading in the right direction, I know that. It’s good to see him back out there.”
(It’s been a little inconsistent in terms of what we’ve seen out of DT Jordan Phillips over the last few years. Which version of him do you feel like you have now?) – “So far, through two days, he’s done a good job. I know when you’re a bigger guy like he is, the way that we’re running the football, it’s one thing to do it in the spring. Now that the temperature is slightly up, when you’re a big guy like that and you’re running as much as he is, it’s fatiguing; but he’s doing a good job of embracing it because it’s going to help him get in really good shape. Athletically, he does some things that you just don’t see many people be able to do. For a guy that size, the way he moves, the way that … His athleticism is really off the charts.”
(It’s not an ideal situation to have injuries to both QB Ryan Tannehill and LB Raekwon McMillan last year but how beneficial was it for those two working together during rehab?) – “I think they did a good job of pushing each other. They were always competing. You hate to say … It was good that they both had each other to go through that with. It hurt us last year but it was good for those two guys to have that other guy to really make sure you stay focused on what you’re doing. Plus, players in the NFL, they’re competitors. So having somebody to compete with day in and day out, that helped those guys.”
(As a playcaller, what’s the challenges when you go up against a defense that has three safeties on the field as opposed to maybe three corners and two safeties?) – “What are you hinting at? (laughter)”
(I’m just curious.) – “I mean we face a team that does it twice a year. It’s the same defense just a different guy, different body and different strength. They’re better tacklers historically. I think we’re lucky in the case with Bobby (McCain) where he’s a little more aggressive. He’s not afraid to throw his body in there and go make a play, no matter what size the running back is. A lot of teams don’t have that luxury. That’s why having a third safety that can almost play that nickel position is valuable because they can go in there and they can help in the run game.”
(How has S Minkah Fitzpatrick handled what you’ve seen so far?) – “I mean I haven’t had any complaints. He’s done a good job. He’s a guy that picks things up fast and he’s always around. He’s always making sure that he’s not the weak link of the group out there.”
(Regarding DE Charles Harris, he was telling us that he turned to the Lord and did a lot of prayer in the offseason. Have you seen changes in him, whether it’s physical or emotional? Any kind of a different Charles Harris? Or did you need to see a different Charles Harris even?) – “That’s hard to evaluate because he’s quiet. He seems to be, at least in my experience, it’s more of one-on-one conversation. He hasn’t really been someone that’s going to say too much when a bunch of people are around. Last year there was a lot of good he did. I know when you’re a rookie d-end, everybody thinks sacks and hurry up and get those numbers up; but we really focused on how much are you disrupting the passer? How are you doing against the run? We weren’t so much worried about how many sacks he had. I think that was just a constant battle of just keep reminding him of what we’re expecting from (him) and I think that’s always tough for a rookie. I think this year, he understands ‘I’m just going to keep doing what I’m supposed to do as far as my job, being disruptive and those types of numbers will come,’ that he’s looking for. The way that he works, it’s hard to believe that he won’t have success. He’s one of those guys that’s always trying to be on the practice field. Everything he does, it’s full speed.”
(How would you measure success with DE Charles Harris? In Year 2 is it the same? Is it apply pressure or does it need to turn into sacks or more playing time?) – “A lot of times, sacks are great because it’s a negative play; but just the amount of times that you are touching the quarterback or causing him to throw the ball early. We’re doing a great job of setting the edge in the run game. Cam (Wake) is a great example to kind of watch. When you run to his side, and this is three years going against him, he’s a way better run defender than anybody gives him credit for. He does a great job of setting the edge, bringing the ball back inside and giving linebackers an opportunity to make plays. Really, that’s what you want to be, because when you’re a really good pass rusher, some guys just end up doing that and don’t really care about the running game. I feel like Charles is very aware of, ‘I want to be a good player both in the run and pass game.’”
(So by all accounts, you weren’t the least bit disappointed with DE Charles Harris last year but you went out and got a really good defensive end in DE Robert Quinn. So what do you see Harris’ role being this year?) – “We just knew how we were going to play this year, especially with adding (Defensive Line Coach) Kris Kocurek. We knew that it wouldn’t be as many plays for our defensive linemen because we’re not going to have a guy that’s going to play 75-plus snaps or 65 snaps. The way that we’re running to the football, the way that we’re going to pursue every game, it’s going to be less snaps and we’re going to have more of a rotation. I think everybody is going to get their shots. I think it’s going to be a battle to get on that third-down rush unit, which is a good thing because now all of those guys are pushing each other and it’s going to be one of those things where if you’re on that group, that means that you’re doing the right stuff and you’re working well with that group. Really, that’s what we want. We want to create that type of competition where guys are hungry to get out there on that third down.”
(What have you noticed about WR Albert Wilson?) – “I think he’s done a good job of coming in. He took the spring very serious. He did a good job of studying. He did a good job in the meetings. He made some mistakes in the spring but he didn’t make the same mistake again. He brings a professionalism. You can tell he’s been in the league for a minute. I think he has a lot of tools, not only as a receiver but as a ball carrier, that we can take advantage of. He’s the type of guy that you just want to get the ball in his hands and really turn things into a punt return or try to get him to where at least he has a little space to where he can make an explosive play.”
(You’re in the upper pads tomorrow, is that right?) – “Yes.”
(How much can you dial it up when you’re not in full pads?) – “It’s basically the same thing. The only difference is you’re not going to go live to the ground. The majority of my career, that’s what I’ve known. I think it was just starting under (Nick) Saban at an early age. That was a big thing with him was you should be able to keep your feet and not go to the ground. It was a good way to make sure that guys were doing the right thing. Sometimes when you’re in full pads, even when you’re not live, guys have a tendency to take guys to the ground and that’s not really what we’re doing. You can get all of the same work as you would in full pads.”
(With QB David Fales, you’ve been with him for three years. Did you ever think there would be a point where he would be competing for the No. 2 spot?) – “That’s a tough one. I don’t know if I ever thought about it in the previous years. I think last year when he came back and we watched him keep improving … I think when we left training camp we thought he would be our three, but we weren’t keeping three. So when he came back and we kept seeing how he was improving and his arm strength, I noticed the longer we went, the better his arm strength got. It seemed like he really started doing a good job in the weight room where his core got a lot stronger. I think that helped his velocity on some of his throws. He has a very good presence about him, whether it be in the pocket or moving around. He can kind of see things that some quarterbacks can’t see. I think that’s something that’s caught our eye, and then allowing him to play in that last game, I think he earned the right to compete for that No. 2 spot.”
(Is that the biggest difference in QB David Fales now? Not just the pocket presence but the arm strength?) – “I think with his anticipation and the improvement with his arm strength – because I do think it’s better than what it’s been – I think that’s something that’s really caught our eye more than anything.”
(What’s your process for evaluating QB David Fales against QB Brock Osweiler for the No. 2 spot? Do you need to see all four preseason games?) – “I think it’ll probably be a little bit of a feel. As we go through the training camp practices and then when we get into the preseason, it’ll be interesting to see if somebody separates one from the other. That’s why we’re trying to give both of them equal amount of reps with different groups so we can get a clean evaluation. It’s going to be one of those things where does it feel like this guy is really accelerated? Are good things happening when one is in and it’s okay with the other? Sometimes that stuff kind of cleans up for you, especially when you get into the preseason games.”
(Wouldn’t you have thought you’d be there by now somewhat?) – “It changes. When you get into games … Practice is different. Sometimes when you’re doing a third-down period and the defense knows you are just going compared to the flow of a game when you’re in first and second down and then a third down shows up every once in a while. It’s a completely different feel in a game compared to practice.”
(What do you want TE Mike Gesicki to keep in mind throughout this training camp and through the season?) – “I think he just has to keep getting better, keep working on his knowledge of the game because a lot of times we’re running a route, he may have run the same route four different times and he’s seen four different coverages. I think the more that he keeps taking in and learning from, that’s going to be beneficial to him. Yesterday I think he lost his legs a little bit. We were kind of giving him a hard time about that but I think those are good that some of our younger guys are going through that right now and realizing ‘Okay, it’s not going to change.’ It’s about recovery, it’s about getting sleep, it’s about hydrating, all those things to put yourself in position to where when you go out there, you can make plays. Once we really start picking it up with some of the third-down stuff and the red area, I think you’ll see him kind of really start to be more involved.”
(What does QB Ryan Tannehill – it’s pretty well established that you think he’s performing at a high level – what particularly is he doing well that maybe in years past it took a little longer for him to get?) – “That’s tough one to really say exactly what it is. I think we were all trying to learn the offense and I’m trying to learn them, so I mean that was the early stages of the offense. Really, once we hit the spring last year, he was just trying to fine-tune more throws – the accuracy, the pinpoint accuracy – instead of missing throws a little bit. He was trying to put it exactly where he wanted it. This year, I think it’s even the next step. He’s trying to see things and get us out of plays and making sure that everybody’s on the same page. I just think it’s slowed down for him mentally as far as being able to communicate with guys. If a guy has a question, that’s not going to mess him up from what else he has to do. When you first get in an offense, sometimes you can get your mind all jumbled up and the next thing you know, you’re not paying attention to the coverage or you make a mistake and don’t see a guy kind of dropping in there at the safety position. I don’t think that stuff really gets him anymore. I think he’s able to kind of fix something and just keep the focus.”
(You mentioned with the backups that it’s obviously different in a game. We haven’t seen QB Ryan Tannehill in a game since December of 2016. What do you need to see to say ‘Okay, this is legit. What we see in practice is going to translate?’) – “I mean, he’s done the same … At least in my experience, what I’ve seen in practice, usually what I’ve seen is almost a better version (in games) because when you throw in tackling, and his ability … Because sometimes in practice you watch and you’re like, ‘Yes, we wouldn’t have got that throw off.’ Then when we get in a game, he stands in there and takes a good hit, but he doesn’t shy away from stepping into the throw and completes the ball. So some of the things that you think aren’t going to be real end up being real and he ends up making throws that you don’t expect him to make, and at the same time, I do think that his size and his ability to move, that’s beneficial to us because he gets us out of a lot of trouble and he helps the run game as well.
(RB Frank Gore had a nice run today. Do you scratch your head when you turn on the tape, the age of this guy?) – “I’m not paying attention to his age anymore because, I mean, he doesn’t look different. I was with him 10 years ago and he looks the same. He does a phenomenal job. He’s been preparing. All spring all I heard about was ‘Wait until training camp, wait until training camp.’ I’m like ‘I’ve got you. I believe you, trust me.’ He is the last person I will ever doubt. Just seeing what he’s done through his career, starting in college, he’s proven every person wrong that ever doubted him.”
