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Andre Branch – May 30, 2018 Download PDF version

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

DE Andre Branch

(How does the defensive line look without DT Ndamukong Suh in there?) – “It’s good. Our leaders are stepping up and we’ve got a lot of depth. For us, it’s just keep getting better each and every day and just keep pushing each other.”

(How important was it for these young guys, like DT Vincent Taylor and DT Davon Godchaux, to get a lot of playing time coming into this year?) – “I mean it’s important. You see we’re going to count on those guys a lot this year and they’ve been working their tails off to get better. They’ve been striving for greatness.”

(You can tell us the truth now. How injured were you last year?) – “(laughter) I’m not talking about last year. I’m just here to get better.”

(Are you fully healthy now? Are you completely cleared and all of that?) – “I’m getting there. At the end of the day, you just keep getting better and keep on it and just follow the guidelines that the Dolphins want, and just go from there.”

(What are your expectations of yourself this year?) – “Be at one-hundred percent.”

(What are your thoughts about the new defensive line coach, Kris Kocurek?) – “(He’s) great. He pushes us every day. He has great energy and we feed off of it. He’s our leader in our room and he wants us to be great and we want to be great, and he’s not going to settle for anything less than that.”

(Does Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek have you working on any new techniques or anything like that? Just sharpening things up?) – “To just keep pushing each other. That’s our main thing is just keep pushing each other and great things will happen.”

(The defense looked pretty hungry in those 11-on-11s. Are you guys looking at showing this new look is going to be better than ever?) – “It’s good. We’re competing. We know what we have on the offensive side. We’ve got a lot of great talent over there, so for us to compete against those guys on a day-to-day basis is great.”

(This group of defensive ends – pass rushers – you guys have added DE Robert Quinn now. What are the expectations of you DE Cameron Wake, Quinn and DE Charles Harris?) – “We’ll be fresh. (laughter) We know that. We’ll definitely be fresh, especially when it gets down to the nitty gritty and when guys are banged up and you’ve got to fight through it because you’re the only guy; but now, we’re rolling. That’s our expectation.”

(You guys have added some youth to the defense. What’s the key to getting those guys up to speed?) – “Just step in. They know what they have to do. There are a lot of things going through their heads because they’re young; but at the same time, as a veteran leader, you just help bring those guys along and not even act like they’re a rookie.”

(As a defensive line overall, you guys lost DT Ndamukong Suh like we talked about before; but how can you guys expect to be better after you lose a player of that caliber? Is it strength in numbers?) – “For sure, because if you just count on one guy over – what do we have, like eight players – everybody is just focused on that one person. For us now, it’s all about roles and understanding that we want to be fresh and if you get tired then come out, and not having to force reps when you’re dog tired. For us, it’s just always being fresh and playing fast.”

(Is the middle linebacker still a rookie?) – “In the locker room, he’s a rookie. On the field he’s definitely stepped in and he’s ready. We’ll see; but as of right now, he’s been doing great. We know exactly what type of talent he is. He’s a great kid and he’s controlling the huddle.”

(We don’t know much about DE Robert Quinn. We haven’t really had a chance to visit with him yet. Your thoughts on him and tell us about who he is.) – “(He’s a) great teammate. Great energy. I love to have him in the locker room and we push one another each and every day; so it’s great.”

(Did you know DE Robert Quinn at all before?) – “A little bit, but not too much.”

(You and DE Robert Quinn have become friendly, I’m sure.) – “For sure. Everybody in our room is great. For us, it’s just how good do we really want to be?”

(How different does it feel, this time around in OTAs?) – “There’s a sense of urgency now. Last year was kind of complacent but for us, we know what we have. We can’t make excuses now. It’s time to really live up to that and put on.”

(How much of it is having QB Ryan Tannehill back and the way that he looks?) – “He looks amazing. It’s good to have him back in the huddle and controlling things, controlling the team and leading us. We’re going to go as far as he takes us, no matter what. We all have to do our part but he’s a main part in that.”

(The kids over there from Stoneman Douglas HS, what does it mean to have interaction with them?) – “It’s great. Those kids look up to us so we all go over there and talk to them, and you see how excited they are when they talk to us.”

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