Brian Flores – June 17, 2021
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Thursday, June 17, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you feel like QB Tua Tagovailoa pretty much maximized what he could do over these last few months and do you feel or sense that he’s a better player or will only time tell with that?) – “He’s made some improvement over the course of the last two days and definitely over the course of the offseason. I think we talked a lot after the season about a variety of things that we felt like he could get better at from a training standpoint, from a command of the offense standpoint, from a reads and throwing mechanics standpoint. I think he’s really worked on all of them and made some improvements. I think he’s going to not rest on that and try to continue to improve, and he’ll be raring to go for training camp.”
(You’re acutely aware you didn’t have OTAs and minicamp and so forth last year. Do you feel like your team has taken advantage of those exercises this offseason and are you in a better place than you were this time last year as a team?) – “Every year is different. Obviously last year we didn’t have OTAs or really any offseason program like you mentioned. I think we’ve gotten a lot out of these OTAs and minicamp, just from a getting to know each other/camaraderie/team chemistry standpoint. I think on the field working the techniques, working the fundamentals – any time you can get on the field, work with our coaching staff or the players can work with our coaching staff and go through those techniques, fundamentals, get them corrected, go out there, do them again and get better at them; I think repetition is always a good thing. So we were able to get that accomplished. I’m happy with what we did this offseason and hopefully it helps us moving forward into training camp and preseason games and into the season.”
(Obviously we’re looking at some vacation time for some folks in the NFL. What’s your message to the players so that they can be ready come training camp?) – “My message is to go on vacation, to take this time to recharge, get some rest; spend time with their families – friends, families, loved ones. I think you need that balance in your life, so that was my message to these guys this morning; but at the same time, keep themselves in some type of condition, train. Obviously this is what they love to do and if they want to be at the top of their game come training camp, they’re going to have to train. But I think it’s a good time for them to get away and recharge and come back refreshed with a lot of energy and ready to go.”
(For the past two seasons, you’ve basically invested a lot into your rookie or young offensive linemen. Most of the time they’re thrown into the starting lineup right away. What is your mindset and philosophy of throwing the guys into the deep end at that position particularly? I know you say it’s the top five guys, but is there something to young players just gaining that experience at that position?) – “To answer first, we’re always going to play the best five guys and if that happens to be five rookies or five vets or two rookies and three vets; I think we’re always going to do what’s in the best interest of the team for a particular game to try to win that game. Specific to the young offensive linemen who have played, we have had some who have gone in there and played. (Michael) Deiter his rookie year. And Austin Jackson and Solomon (Kindley) played a lot last year and Robert Hunt played a lot last year. Those experiences for those guys, I feel like, can only help them. I think to play in an NFL game, to play against the defensive linemen in this league who – I’ve mentioned this before – are big, fast, strong, physical, mean. To play against guys like that, I think that experience is invaluable for any player, specifically a rookie coming from obviously the college ranks, and I think it only helps them. But at the end of the day, we’re going to play the top five guys. I think we’re excited about the young guys we have and look forward to continue working with them and we’ll continue to try to play the best five.”
(And if I could follow up, how has T Liam Eichenberg looked? I know there are no pads and it’s kind of hard to evaluate, but how has he done from a technique standpoint and a learning standpoint?) – “I think he learns well. I think the concepts he picks up quickly. You mentioned it, it’s hard. You can’t evaluate an offensive lineman in this setting. There’s no bull rushes, there’s no speed rushes, there’s no runs, there’s no contact, so it’s impossible to really get a good idea of what that is; but we can go off of his college film and we feel good about what we saw there. He’s got to – he’ll have plenty of opportunities during training camp to see what he can do physically, or from a physical standpoint, I should say.”
(At the beginning of last season, CB Byron Jones was talking about adjusting to a new scheme and adjusting to some new techniques. I’m wondering in looking back at his first year as a Dolphin how did the improvements go relative from the beginning to the end in those areas?) – “I think he made strides really throughout the season. He got dinged up early and missed a few games and came back and I thought he played well and got more comfortable. Last year was a very different year for a lot of different reasons. He was more comfortable towards the middle-end part of the season with the techniques, with the fundamentals, with the environment. I thought he played well and we’re looking forward to working with him again this year.”
(Was there something that you learned about him that was surprising?) – “No. I think I’ve known a lot about Byron (Jones). I remember watching him when he was in college, doing a lot of work on him coming out and knew he was smart, knew he was tough and knew he was talented and cared about the game and was competitive and was team-first. A lot of those things I had known from kind of the evaluation process when he was in college and obviously spent some time with him during the free agency process. Just spending more time with him, I think it just reinforced a lot of the things that I already kind of knew during the evaluation process, so we’ve been happy with him. Very happy.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle. I know during camp it seemed at times he does have like a noticeable limp kind of going between plays and things like that and then there was the play towards the end of practice yesterday where he catches the ball from QB Tua Tagovailoa and he’s kind of off into the distance, the fastest guy on the field. Where is he at from a health standpoint and how do you think about how he improved during OTAs this month and last month?) – “I think he’s come in, he’s worked hard. He’s gotten to know his teammates. He’s learned the playbook. From a health standpoint – I think you saw him run yesterday – I’m looking at him run and it looks like he’s doing all right from that standpoint. I don’t know if he’s got a limp – I don’t know. Maybe he walks with a limp. It looks like he’s running pretty well to me though. You just said the same thing, so I don’t know. He looks fine to me physically and we’re excited to continue working with him. He’s done a lot of good things so far, but he’s still got a long way to go and a lot to learn. It was only a couple practices and he still has to see different coverages, different ways that he’s going to get played – inside leverage, outside leverage, off coverage, press coverage, double teams. Who knows? But we got a good two practices. You can only get a couple things. We’ll continue to give him different looks and he’ll practice his techniques and fundamentals and hopefully get better.”
(The next time we are gathering, it’s not going to be in Davie. So what are your impressions of the new practice facility and how do you think it will better prepare the team for games next season?) – “I think we’re all excited about the new practice facility. I’ve been down there several times. It is just a credit to Steve Ross and the investment he’s made in the team and really spared no expense to create a state-of-the-art facility for us. I know I’m very appreciative of that as well as everyone else here in the organization, so I’m excited about the place. I think it’s – when you guys see it, you’ll see for yourselves –it’s really a phenomenal building. We’re excited to get in there and get to work. We’re actually going to head down there today as a team and really take a tour of the place, so we’re all excited. I’m excited to see the reaction from the players when they walk in the place, but a credit to Steve (Ross) for sparing no expense for us.”
(First for record-keeping purposes, can you confirm that CB Xavien Howard is absent again today?) – “He’s not here, no.”
(Second thing, you mentioned C/G Michael Deiter earlier. How would you assess his progress over the last year from the time he started practicing at center, and where does he fit into the picture in terms of the starting center position?) – “I think ‘Deets’ (Michael Deiter) has really made a lot of improvements over the last two years. Obviously he played a lot his rookie year and didn’t play as much last year. He moved to center – has played guard, has played center, played some tackle for us his rookie year. He can play really across the offensive line. He’ll be in competition to get playing time this year. He’s excited about that opportunity. Look, he’s a guy who works extremely hard. He’s competitive, tough and has a lot of the qualities that we’re looking for. I’m excited to see what this looks like for him during training camp. I think when you get into Year 2, Year 3, there’s a sense of urgency – which he has, you can see that – to earn a role or a bigger role. He’s definitely working towards that; but he knows there will be competition there and the best man will win.”
(Do you look at it as any one of those three – Michael Deiter, Matt Skura and Cameron Tom – can win the starting center job? That it’s a wide-open job. Or did you sign Skura with the thinking he would be our starting center if he wins the job?) – “We sign players with the idea that they are going to create competition and earn a role. Nobody is going to be given anything. I think really at all positions, at any position, that’s always the plan. It’s to come in, compete, learn the playbook, communicate with your teammates and we’ll play the best people at whatever that position is.”
(Has C Cameron Tom made a case that he’ll be in that mix with C/G Michael Deiter and C Matt Skura come August?) – “Yeah. Cameron has come in and learned the playbook. Again, for offensive line, without the ability to – no run game, no contact, no bull-rushes, no double teams, you can’t really make a true evaluation; but based off the knowledge of the system, the ability to point Mike (linebackers), redirect the protections and know where to be, he’s done a good job.”
(I’ve been meaning to ask you this for three years now – what is the Brian Flores workout plan? You always seem so fit. I think it’s a great example to your team. I’ve always wondered how players look at coaches when they’re on them about their conditioning yet their conditioning is rarely ever good. How do you stay so fit?) – “Feel free to come workout with me. (laughter)”
(I would pay money for that by the way. What time?) – “(laughter) We can get that set up very easily. But I’m a 5 a.m. start guy, so feel free to come on over. (laughter) I think it’s important. Health and wellness is important. I try to stay fit for myself, for my own mental health. I think it’s important to be fit, not necessarily for the players. It’s just personally something that’s always been important to me.”
(Is it a lot of conditioning? Or is it still weightlifting? Because you’re getting up there in age now. I don’t know if you can still throw up the weights like you did in the college days.) – “(laughter) It’s running, it’s biking, it’s lifting, it’s boxing. Anything you can do to get a sweat. Sometime release some stress, hitting a bag, pretend it’s (someone). (laughter) Just try to stay fit.”
