Brian Flores – March 26, 2019
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(On how everyone stays aligned.) – “We stay aligned with communication, which has been obviously a staple of the things we’ve talked about at the core of the things that are important to me and will be important to us as an organization. So we’re aligned on that for sure. From the communication standpoint, talking about players, talking about coaches, talking about philosophies, talking about anything that pertains to the betterment of the Miami Dolphins, I think communication is at the forefront of that. (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I, and really everyone in the building, starting with (Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner) Mr. (Steve) Ross, so that’s important to us as an organization and try to continue that.
(On taking a few steps back to take a step forward.) – “I think that’s a phrase that’s been said by many about a lot of different situations in sports and in life. Sometimes you lose a job, it’s a step back to take a step forward. That’s in any field. So yeah, it’s a phrase that a lot of people use. I believe in it to an extent but I also think there are a lot of ways to take steps forward.”
(On if that applies to this team.) – “I think right now as a team, we’re looking to improve and get better as a coaching staff, as an organization, and everything’s moving in a forward direction right now. We’re excited about the draft process. The players come in on April 1st. I’m not thinking about taking steps back right now. Everything is forward thinking.”
(The trend of hiring offensive-minded coaches around the league, as a defensive coach, do you feel the league is looking for the best man for the job or best offensive-minded man for the job?) – “I think being a head coach in the NFL is about leadership. I don’t think it’s about offense or defense or special teams. I think it’s about leadership. I’ve got to stand in front of 53 – well 90 guys, on the roster, 53 when we get to the season – and then let’s call it 50 to 60 people from equipment to IT to the training staff, strength and conditioning. I have to stand in front of the entire building and get them to follow me. To me, that’s what I think being a head coach in this league is about. There are some great leaders that are offensive guys. There are great leaders that are defensive guys. There are some great leaders who coach in the kicking game as well. Offense, defense, I’m just a coach. I can coach offensive ball, I can coach defensive ball, I can coach special teams. I understand the question; but to me, that’s the crux of being a head coach and being a leader in this league.”
(Do you think the league is looking for that?) – “Leadership?”
(Yes.) – “Absolutely. I imagine that people want leaders in leadership positions. Not that I don’t understand the question. I see where you’re coming from, but I imagine people want people in leadership positions.”
(Why is QB Ryan Fitzpatrick your quarterback?) – “Because he’s a leader first and foremost. I’ve watched Ryan for a long time. I played against him, coached against him. Well, I didn’t play against him, but he was at Harvard when I was at Boston College. I’ve known about him for a long time. The one thing you hear over and over and over again is his ability to connect with players offensively, defensively, and lead. I think he’s a great fit for us. We’re excited to have him. Again, I’m just excited to have him.”
(You were in college at the same time as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in Boston?) – “I’m a little but older than him, a couple years older, but yes. I think he might have been a sophomore when I was a fifth-year senior or something like that.”
(On the coach and quarterback being about the same age.) – “I think we have a lot of the same beliefs as far as working hard, increasing team belief. He’s obviously a very intelligent guy, not just because he went to Harvard, but learning so many different systems, he understands the game and the concepts of the game. I think a lot of the things that are important to me, they line up as far as the things he brings to the table.”
(How important is it for you guys to draft a quarterback in 2019?) – “I think as we go through the draft process – and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I have talked about this over and over and over again – we’re going to select the players that we feel are the best fits for the Miami Dolphins. It could be a quarterback, it could be offensive line, it could be defensive line, it could be running back, it could be any of the positions on the field. Every position is important. Obviously, the quarterback position is of the utmost importance. So if we see somebody we like and we think we can develop and can contribute to this team, and if he’s there and we can get him, then that’s the right fit. That’s not just for the quarterback position, that’s for any position on the field.”
(General Manager Chris Grier said yesterday that we might draft a quarterback this year and next year? What do you think about that? Obviously, there have been times where teams have had convictions of a quarterback enough to take them first overall and that player has not panned out. How do you feel about the idea of maybe taking two shots rather than one?) – “I think any time you can create competition at a positon, you do it. I think that’s how competition breeds … You get the best of yourself when there’s competition around you. I think you want to build that competition on your roster, which we’re going to try to do. That’s part of the philosophy and the things that we’ve talked about. Again, I can’t predict the future. I don’t have a crystal ball. Maybe there’s a better nose tackle than quarterback at the time. Obviously, quarterback is a position (that is) vital. We’re not opposed to … Maybe we do take two – a quarterback this year and a quarterback next year. Maybe we take an offensive tackle this year and next year. Maybe we take a running back this year and next year. We can go back and forth and on and on about positions. But I think we’re going to make the roster moves and the selections that we feel are going to help the team overall. Obviously, the quarterback positon, I understand why we’re talking about it. It’s so important.”
(What is your comfort level with the roster?) – “I think you said it best: we don’t play this week. I think we’ve got time and resources. With the draft coming up and college free agents, I think to predict and make assumptions and try to look into a crystal ball right now without the roster where it will be – let’s call it two months from now – I don’t want to make a prediction on that. We’re going to do everything possible to bring the best players onto the team through the draft and maybe some other avenues. I think we’re going to put the best product on the field that we can.”
(Will your free agency philosophy change?) – “Over the next few weeks? I understand the question. I think we’re going to make the best decisions for the team. If there’s a guy we feel like we can acquire that’ll help us, then we’ll do that. Otherwise, I think we’re looking towards the draft and that process. I think there are a lot of good, young players in this draft. Hopefully we can get some good, young players into the building and we’ll evaluate the roster then.”
(How does patience align with your personality?) – “I think patience, it’s a virtue. It’s one of those things that … We have to be patient with our kids, we have to be patient with the people we work with. We have to be patient … I think it’s a quality that’s important to have. But at the same time, there has to be a balance between patience and urgency. I would say that I have a pretty good balance from that standpoint. I know we have to be patient and develop young players. I think every team in the league has to do that. I think in any corporation or any business, you have to do that, develop the young people in your business. So, there’s some patience with that. At the same time, we try to create an environment of urgency so that we can speed up the process of that development. From a big-picture standpoint, we’re all really patient. The inner workings of the building and how we interact on a day-to-day basis, there’s a lot of urgency as far as how we want to build the program and build the culture and develop players.”
(You’re the only head coach of color hired this cycle. Where do you think the league is at right now? Do you think the league is making progress?) – “I’ve said this many times. I think there is a lot of quality coaches in this league that could be head coaches in this league, that have the temperament and the leadership ability (necessary to do this job). I was fortunate to get an opportunity to interview. I interviewed at four places this year and Arizona a year ago. I was very fortunate that way. I do think there are many, many coaches in this league – minority coaches – who, if given the same opportunity, would excel in the interview process and potentially be in line to become a head coach in this league. I think the Rooney Rule is a great rule. It gives a lot of guys the opportunity to interview and get your name out there and show your leadership ability and show your offensive, defensive and special teams acumen. I think that’s what it mounts too, just opportunity.”
(On helping other minority coaches get opportunities to become head coaches.) – “I think I’m going to work every day like I have been and try to improve and get better and try to put the best product on the field. Do I feel a … To champion the cause? Not necessarily, but I know I’m an example for minority coaches in this league. With that in mind, I’m still going to go out and do my best to lead the Miami Dolphins and try to produce a winning product.”
(What are your thoughts on TE Rob Gronkowski announcing his retirement?) – “Rob is a great friend, somebody that I’ve been around a long time. He’s an incredible player, but he’s a better person. I’m going to miss watching him go out there and have fun, and play the game with the joy and the love for the game that he did. He played the game that way in practice, and obviously in games. I’m going to miss competing against him because that was fun. We lost a lot of those. He made our guys better, he made the team better, he made the defensive players better, he made the overall team better with just his passion for the game. It’s a sad day honestly because he brought so much to the game of football and he played it the way it should be played. I’m really proud of him. I love the guy and I wish him the best.”
(You said TE Rob Gronkowski played the game the way it should have been played. He has a reputation as a party guys, but he was a really good worker, wasn’t he?) – “He worked hard. He worked as hard as anyone. He played hard, he played through nicks and bruises, like everyone else does. He played with a passion and energy, and that’s the way the game should be played. He blocked, he was tough and he was aggressive. That’s the one thing, he did the little things, the things that don’t get you the fame and the status. He did those things. That’s what I mean when I say he played the game the way it should be.”
(Now that you are on this side, you’re probably not too upset not to see TE Rob Gronkowski this fall?) – “Whatever makes the game better, I’m for, so I can’t say that. I like to compete. The opportunity to compete against him, that would’ve been enjoyable for me as a competitor and as somebody who has a love for the game. I wish him the best and he knows that. He knows I love him. He’s a great competitor and I think he’s one of the best to ever play.”
(You mentioned you were looking forward to competing against TE Rob Gronkowski. Is that going to be fun for you to actually play … You’ve gone against WR Julian Edelman and QB Tom Brady for over a decade. Will it be fun to put together an actual game plan and see how it unfolds in an actual game?) – “Yeah, that will be fun. But, they are competitors and I know that, and they know that I’m a competitor and the guys on our staff and our team are competitive as well. Every game is tough. We know that. Yeah, it will be fun to compete against those guys and we’re looking forward to it. I’m sure they feel the same.”
(On his stories about TE Rob Gronkowski.) – “All of my ‘Gronk’ stories end with a spike. There are so many. He was such a great practice player. I think that’s the one thing that people don’t … There is no way to know about that. I keep coming back to the way this guy blocked. That’s kind of a lost art at the tight end position now. It’s a testament to obviously his size and strength, his athletic ability, but also his toughness and ability to wanting to go into the trenches and do those things. To me, that’s the one thing … There is no story but he did a great job in practice on a day-to-day bases.”
(On the head coaches photo yesterday.) – “It was hot out there, that’s what crossed my mind. (laughter) It was a great moment for me to sit down with the other 31 head coaches from around the league. I know I’m part of one of 32 and I’m very fortunate and very lucky to have this opportunity and try to make the best of it.”
(I know you talked about the Patriots’ sense of urgency from a team sense earlier today. Where are you with DE Charles Harris? He’s a first-round pick pass rusher, is there still room for patience for Charles?) – “I’ve watched a lot of tape on all of our players. Charles, he’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got athleticism. He plays hard and does a lot of things we like as a staff. When you talk about patience, I think he’s an interesting player on our team. I’m excited to see him on April 1st when the team reports. We’re going to spend a lot of time with him. We’re going to spend a lot of time with all of our players and try to develop them, work on their fundamentals and techniques and try to help them improve. That’s our goal as a coaching staff. We can talk about Charles Harris and he has a lot of physical attributes, but we’re going to try to develop everybody on this team, help them improve and help put the best product on this field. I’m excited to work with him. Honestly, I am.”
(You say DE Charles Harris is an interesting player. What do you mean by that?) – “He can do a lot of things. He can rush, he can play in space a little bit, tackles fairly well. He does a lot of good things. I’m excited to work with him, just like I’m excited to work with a lot of players on our team.”
(From afar do you have any indication from watching film why it hasn’t come together for DE Charles Harris?) – “I think everyone’s timetable is a little bit different and there are a lot of factors in that. It could be 1,000 factors. I’ve seen it time and time again with just players that I’ve had. We can go over that list but that’s the reality of this league. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right and sometimes when the timing is right, you hit and you hit. We’re going to work with Charles just like we’re going to work with all the players on our team and try to improve their weaknesses and try to accentuate or accelerate their strengths. We’re going to do that on a day-to-day bases.”
(You have three starting linebackers who can all do different things. It doesn’t seem like you can put them all on the field at the same time. Can you do that?) – “I’ve run multiple defenses with three linebackers on the field; so yeah, I do think we can get that done. Like you said, those three – I assume you’re talking about (Jerome) Baker, Raekwon (McMillan), Kiko (Alonso) – are three really good players. I’m excited to play with them. Obviously, (they have) different skillsets. I think defensively, you just have to put those guys in positions to do the things they do well. That’s the goal as a staff. Sometimes that means none of them are on the field. Sometimes it means one of them is on the field. Sometimes it means three or four or five guys are on the field. Only time will tell on that. They come into the building on April 1st. We’ll see how much they can do physically and how much they can handle mentally, how versatile they can be. Can you cover, do you tackle, do you blitz well? There’s a variety of things you can do defensively. We’ll try to put those guys in the best positions to do what they do well, always. That’s at every position. But yeah, as many good players … If you’re one of the best 11, you’re going to be on the field.”
(Do you see LB Kiko Alonso on the roster?) – “I do see Kiko on the roster. I think he’s a veteran player. Again, he’s another guy I played against or watched for a number of years. This guy has been a productive player in this league for a long time. I think his leadership and style of play and the way he goes about it, from a work ethic standpoint, from a day-to-day training standpoint, and all of the things I hear are positive. I think we have two young guys and Kiko is more of a veteran player; but again, we’re going to try to develop everyone every day.”
(You had a unique perspective with Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. You practiced against him every day and I’m just wondering your take away from him stepping away from the game?) – “I just answered this but I think he’s one of the great players at that position. Having practiced against him for nine years, this guy was tough, physical and played with a passion and practiced with passion. Again, I think he’s one of the best players ever to play at that position, but I would say he’s a better person. Obviously, we all know he loves to have a good time and he brought an energy to our team that was different than anyone else that had been there. He was always a spark plug kind of guy for us. He led that way. I was fortunate to be around him and to practice against him for these last nine years and I wish him all the best. He’s a great player.”
(Selfishly are you glad to see TE Rob Gronkowski go since now you don’t have to deal with him?) – “No. When there’s great players in the league, you want to compete against them. You want your players to compete against them because you can only get better by playing against good people, good players and feeling that competition. That’s how you reach your highest level. Selfishly, I just think it’s sad for the game of football, quite honestly. But I wish him the best and he knows I love him, so I wish him the best.”
(On the pass rush.) – “I think, again, it’s still so early. We have the draft, we have other avenues to acquire players, but we have some good players on our roster right now. There’s a lot of ways to rush the passer. Whether it’s scheme, whether it’s just winning a one-on-one matchup, whether it’s blitzing secondary players, whether it’s blitzing linebackers, corners, there’s a few different ways to rush the passer. I don’t want to get caught into it has to be one guy or two guys. I think that’s limiting defensively what you can do. I think there’s some other ways to rush the passer. The big thing is getting the guys in the building, seeing what they can handle, how much they can retain and handle schematically, and we’ll take it from there.”
(On S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s position.) – “Minkah’s a football player. I think his strength is that he can handle a lot of different positions. He’s versatile. Free safety, strong safety, corner, Star, ‘backer – you can do whatever you want with him. He’s a guy we spent a lot of time thinking about how we’re going to use him. I’m not going to give up the goods on how we’re going to do that today.”
(Would you prefer too keep S Minkah Fitzpatrick in just one spot? Is that your preference?) – “I think my preference is to see what he can handle and see what he does that will help the team win. If that’s multiple positions, then that’s multiple positions. If that’s one spot, then that’s one spot. If he can long snap or kick field goals and that helps us win, then that’s what we do. Obviously, I don’t think he can long snap or kick field goals – let’s be clear on that – but maybe he can. (laughter) We try to find out what every player can do and how they can help us win. How can they improve the team? I think versatility is going to be very important, and he’s a very versatile player. He was last year. We’re excited to work with him.”
(S T.J. McDonald – about a year ago at this time, we were thinking ‘Are the Dolphins going to possibly use him at linebacker?’ because T.J. and S Reshad Jones are similar. In your view, is T.J. a safety, a linebacker, all of the above?) – “I think he’s another versatile player. He can play safety, he can play linebacker, he can blitz pretty well. That kind of plays into some of the things that I’ve done defensively as far as moving some pieces into different locations. I think he’s been a productive player in this league. I think he’s big, he’s fast, he can tackle. We’ll find space for guys who are big, fast and can tackle, because those are at the top of my list of things that I’m looking for defensively. I’m excited to work with him as well.”
(On the process of breaking down a roster.) – “The second we got in the building, that was the number one objective, was to find out what we have, the skillsets of each individual, how they are as people – their work habits, their training habits.”
(How do you get to know the guys?) – “You lean on the personnel staff. Chris (Grier), obviously. (Safeties Coach) Tony Oden and (Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville were on the staff a year ago and kind of know those players. You also lean on the draft process of previous years. I sat with Minkah (Fitzpatrick) a year ago. We know a lot of these players from that process. That’s why the Combine is such a vital piece of this, whether you take the guy or not, because you just gather information on specific players. That process is ongoing. You watch it, you make an evaluation, you watch it again, some things get tweaked, you watch it again, some things get tweaked. So, it’s ongoing. I think we have a pretty good feel for all the guys on our roster and we’ll make our decisions based on that and try to make the most educated decisions that we can.”
(On the tight end position and the acquisitions this offseason.) – “There’s so much versatility at that position. You have to catch, you have to block, you’re aligned at multiple positions, you can have multiple tight ends on the field – one, two, three, four tight ends – depending on their skillset, you can stick them in the backfield. I think from that standpoint, having depth in that room is important. It’s important from a practice standpoint because they’re in there blocking. It’s a physical game in the trenches, as you know, so depth at that position is vital from a practice standpoint. We go out there and we have a two tight end set. That’s two, they come out and we have another two in there. From a practice standpoint, you need that many guys. Plus, we felt like in Dwayne (Allen) and Clive (Walford), we have two quality players that we wanted to acquire and felt like they would help the team. It’s a competitive room and I think competition breeds excellence. Hopefully, having that many guys and having that competition will yield the best players.”
(On the tight end room.) – “I wouldn’t say that. I would say the young players in that room, they need, let’s call it … Everyone needs competition. I think everyone needs that. I think they need guys who have … I don’t want to say have been in the league but have been in the league, and we wanted some veteran presence in there. That was part of getting Clive (Walford) and getting Dwayne (Allen).”
(On the rule proposals and the Competition Committee.) – “The first thing I’d like to say is I think (Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach) Mike Tomlin and (New Orleans Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton, those guys do a great job kind of representing the coaches in the Competition Committee. This being my first go-around, I think it’s just incredible the time that they spend on the Competition Committee and going through the proposals and then presenting it to us. I think they do a really good job. From the rules standpoint, the one thing also that I think is just incredible and has been incredible the last couple of days is that you’re sitting in a room with coaches, GMs, the higher-ups and everyone is just trying to make the game better. You’re sitting there, going back and forth, and the goal is to make the game better. I just think that’s … I’m just privileged and fortunate. It’s a humbling experience to be in that room, give your opinions and just try to make the game better. That’s all we’re doing in there. What comes out of it is we’ll vote on the thing. Everybody knows what the proposals are. To me, my take from this week and from these couple of days has been from an ownership, from an executive level, you’ve got 32 clubs just trying to do what’s best for this league and do what’s best for this game. I think with this being the 100th season, I just feel fortunate to be kind of a part of that.”
(On overtime rules.) – “No, not this past year. I’ve been in two (overtime) games but we didn’t play defense. I mean they tweaked the overtime rules a couple of years ago. However we vote on it, I think that’s part of the game. You have to be able to adjust. In this game, you have to adjust offensively and defensively from a rules standpoint. We’ve had to coach tackling; it’s different (now). We’ve got a phrase in our building, ‘adapt or die.’ That’s part of it. It’s coaches, too – coaches, executives. Whatever the rules are – the rule changes are – then we’ve got to go out there and play defense. I don’t have a problem going out there and playing defense. That’s kind of my stance on it.”
(With the caveat that none of us really know anything at this stage, when you look at some of the prognosticators about this team this year … When you see that, does that fuel some fire? What is it when you see people saying this may not be a very good team?) – “You know, I don’t really look at much of that. That’s the first time I’ve heard those odds. My focus is … It’s a daily focus, I’m thinking about this team and how to improve it and how to maneuver the pieces to – I don’t mean just the team, I’m talking just overall as an organization – to put the best product on the field. I don’t read headlines and go into all of that. The goal is to improve every day. The goal is to work hard. The goal is to put the players in the best position to do what they do well. My experience has been that will yield a good performance or some productivity.”
(What would be a successful season?) – “I haven’t thought that far in advance. I’m working on a successful day and getting through this interview process. I don’t think that far ahead because to me, when you think that far ahead – and I’ve said this over and over again – you’re not focused on the present. I have to be focused on the present. If I’m thinking about the end of the season, I’m not locked in on today and I think I’m doing a disservice to our coaching staff, our players, our support staff, the guys who are painting the field. I feel like I’m doing a disservice to those people if I’m thinking about December. That’s not where I’m at.”
(Do you set goals for yourself for the end of the year?) – “Get better every day. That’s my goal. Get better and improve every day. I figure if I do that … That’s been a winning formula for me for my entire life and I’m going to stick to that. Just keep being who I’ve been for 38 years.”
(I want to ask you about the offensive line. For those of us who have followed the team for a number of years, it seems like forever the Dolphins have been trying to build an offensive line and there are a lot of moving pieces and it just hasn’t come together. Now we’ve seen some guys like T Ja’Wuan James leave and you have six months to put together an offensive line. How are you going to do it?) – “Well, I think the draft is going to be … We’re going to obviously have an emphasis on offensive line in the draft. There’s still some potential in free agency and some other avenues to pick up some offensive linemen. The o-line and the run game and protection, that’s near and dear to me as well. I think it’s something we’re definitely going to invest in, in the draft and moving forward. We’re going to build this offensive line because we’ve got to run the ball and we’ve got to protect the quarterback. That was something that Chris (Grier), myself, (Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner) Steve (Ross), we talked about really even during the interview stages. It’s something that we continue to talk about on a day-to-day basis, how we’re going to build the offensive and defensive lines and this entire roster. We’re not there yet. I think it’s pretty clear that everyone knows that. But we’re going to get there. There’s a lot of moving parts to that. We’ve got to build the depth there, really at all positions. We’ve got some good, young players and we’re going to try to develop them and I think those are the steps that we’re going to take to build the offensive line.”
(On G/T Jesse Davis’ position flexibility and if he’ll be a guard or tackle.) – “I think versatility. It’s kind of going to be similar to the Minkah (Fitzpatrick) conversation. I think versatility on the offensive line is critical. His ability to play right tackle and guard is very good. We’re excited about Jesse but I think everybody on the team will understand this: we’re going to put players where we need them and where they help the team the most. So that versatility, I think it’s helpful. He had a great year last year at right guard, but we’re going to move guys around. Players are going to move. They’re going to play different positions. That’s how you build … There’s only 46 that go to the game. You can’t back up every position so somebody has got to be able to move if we have an injury or if somebody needs to step out for a play. Jesse’s ability to play both tackle and guard, that helps us. It only helps us.”
(On the usage of RB Kenyan Drake and if he’s an every-down back.) – “I think Drake is an explosive player. I’ve seen it first-hand, unfortunately. (laughter) I think he’s a talented player. He catches the ball well. He’s a good runner. He runs hard. He does a lot of really good things. But I think, and I’ll say this to all of the players, they’re going to make the most of their … The opportunities they get on the field will be up to them. Period. If they practice well, if they’re smart, they work hard, they’re tough, they block, they catch the ball consistently, they hit the hole correctly, then they’re going to play. That’s all of the backs. That’s (Kalen) Ballage, that’s Drake, that’s period. By committee or workhorse, those are phrases that people throw out there but I think the guys who perform at practice and produce in games, those are the guys that are going to be out there.”
(On giving a running back a certain number of carries.) – “It depends on the back.”
(Do you think RB Kenyan Drake can handle that kind of workload?) – “I think if that’s what’s best for the team, then that’s what we do. That will always be kind of my thought process on it. If that’s what’s best for the Miami Dolphins, then that’s what we’ll do. We’ve got some good backs. (Kalen) Ballage is a good back, as well. We may draft a back. We may not draft a back. We may pick up a back as a college free agent. I don’t know. But the guys who go out and practice well and prepare the right way and block in pass protection, those are the guys who will be out on the field.”
(On the relationships between head coaches, general managers and team presidents and how they work in different places.) – “I think communication first and foremost, that’s the most important piece between ownership, (general) managers, presidents, head coaches. There has to be an alignment of philosophies and a communication on a day-to-day basis that allows for a good work environment, I would say. With that said, there’s always going to be differences of opinion like there are in any field, but you have to be able to work through those. That’s no different from that level than it is as a quarterback to receiver to running back to offensive line, your linebacker to your defensive line. There’s always communication (and) at times differences of opinion that you have to work through. That’s in any field. I’m sure you guys deal with that as well. My short time in Miami, we’ve been aligned – Chris (Grier), myself, Mr. (Steve) Ross, our coaching staff. That was big for me, from a coaching staff standpoint, is to bring in guys who were tough, who were smart, but communicated well and worked well together. We can’t ask the players to communicate (if) we can’t communicate. That doesn’t make any sense. We have to practice what we preach. I think we’ve done a good job of that and we have guys who are willing to do that.”
(On his mentors.) – “I’ve got a lot. I think there’s one sitting over there, Bill (Belichick). I’ll start with him. Scott Pioli, he’s the one who hired me in New England. He’s been a great mentor, a great friend for a long time. My high school coach, Dino Mangiero. (He is) somebody I talk to every couple weeks and he’s always giving me nuggets about leadership, about humility. My college (position) coach, Bill McGovern, who’s a linebackers coach for the Giants. He’s definitely a mentor. Then my parents and my family, for sure – my mom, my dad, my uncle. Those are the people I lean on from that standpoint.”
(On CB Eric Rowe.) – “Eric, obviously, we had him in New England. This guy, he’s tall, long, good speed, tackles well, does a lot of good things. He has been hit with the injury bug a couple times, but when healthy, he’s been a productive player. We’re excited to have him. Obviously, we’ve got a history with him. We know what kind of person he is and his work ethic. I think he’s a good player, good talent.”
(If CB Eric Rowe stays healthy, can he compete for a starting job?) – “Yeah. I think he’ll compete to play. He’ll be competing along with all of the defensive backs on the roster to play. Like I said, he’s been a guy who’s played on the left side, played on the right side, played inside, played some safety in college. He’s another guy who’s versatile and can do a few things. Mentally, he can handle it. We’re excited to have him.”
(Is there anything that may be flying under the radar now whether it be strength and conditioning, sports science, any of those things that we’re not paying attention to that you’ve changed since you’ve arrived that you think might make a big difference come September?) – “We have a great support staff in Miami. From that standpoint, strength and conditioning, analytics, sports science, sports psychology, I’ve met with everyone from every department and asked them to tell me their vision for their specific department and what the system, processes, for those departments are and how they help us win. We’re lucky to have, in my opinion, a really good support staff that way. I’m excited to see them work with the players. It’s hard. It’s like coaching. You don’t really know until they get their hands on the players. Structurally, a lot of things are really good.”
(But are there any major changes you’ve made so far?) – “No, not a lot of major changes. There are some changes in that there are some new coaches in the building. I would say that’s the major change and getting them aligned with my core philosophies and my vision, which I would say a lot of them were already. The support staff, I think they’ve been very willing. They’ve been hard-working. They’re trying to do everything possible to help us win. At the end of the day, that’s all that I can really ask for.”
(On if the team is “tanking.”) – “I think the term tanking, I think it’s disrespectful to the game. I really do. I don’t like that term. I don’t like when people use it. This game has done a lot for me, personally. I’ve said this before, football really leveled the playing field for me as a person. It’s really the one thing that leveled the playing field. To disrespect the game and use that term, it stirs something up inside of me, to put it nicely. Those are my feelings on it. I’ve never … I’m going to go into every game trying to win. That’s always going to be my objective. I’m going to go into anything I do trying to win. I’m going to try to instill that into everybody I come across. No, there’s no tanking. You can write that over and over and over again.”
(On the future of the team.) – “Honestly, I think it’s a good business practice to have your eye on the future. I think every business should do that. Chris (Grier), myself, Steve (Ross), we’ve got our eye on the future. We’ve got our eye on the future of the Miami Dolphins. Part of some of the moves we’ve made are with that in mind; but also with that in mind, the idea here is to win games, to go out and compete and win on a weekly basis. We’re always going to have our eye on the future. Our moves, our acquisitions, our personnel decisions, the future will always be part of that. I think that’s good business practice. Regardless of your record, you should always be trying to do what’s best for the team now and in the future.”
(On the fourth-and-15 proposal to replace an onside kick late in games.) – “That’s something we’ve talked about the last couple days. I think the one thing, and I’ve said this to someone else – I think everyone is in there trying to make the game better. Again, there are pros and cons to the fourth-and-15 play. There are pros and cons to the change to the onside kick (last year), which made it tougher to recover an onside kick.”
(On the fourth-and-15 proposal being similar to the PAT change a few years ago.) – “Potentially. There are some other things in play there. We’ve talked about it in those meetings. I’m going to leave that in the meeting for now. You guys will find out how that works out. I thought it was a good proposal. It’s hard to recover an onside kick. It’s hard to get the ball back. I think now, sometimes there’s no way around it, but (the strategy is to) try to get the onside kick as the rules are set now and if they change, we’ll adjust. That’s what we have to do. We’re always going to adjust to whatever the rule changes are.”
(Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, during this period had always leaned on Patriots Football Research Director Ernie Adams and a lot of other people, I would imagine, for their expertise whether it be clock management or game strategy. Have you found or looked for someone to fill a similar role for you in that?) – “I think we have a few guys on staff that can fill that role. Jim Caldwell, obviously, is assistant head coach. He’s been very helpful from that standpoint. We have a lot of guys on the staff who I have a lot of trust in, from (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach) Josh Boyer to (Defensive Coordinator) Pat Graham to (Offensive Coordinator) Chad O’Shea to (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman. Collectively as a group, we’ll get the clock management, the situations kind of practiced and gone through. I think we have a good plan in place.”
(The fascinating part in the game is you guys have to do it on the move?) – “Yes. There’s definitely some preparation that goes into that. Preparation that’s already been started.”
(On conversations with General Manager Chris Grier that this team may need to lose this year for the long-term benefit of the franchise.) – “No. My conversations with him have been about obviously rebuilding our roster; but at the same time, he knows and everyone knows that I’m always going to go out there and try to win every game we go out there and play. Yes, (the term ‘tanking’) struck a nerve, and I think it will always strike a nerve, because I think it’s disrespectful to the game. I think to even say that – and I’ve heard it multiple times – I do think it’s a disrespect to the game that I love. Quite honestly, I won’t stand for it, to be honest. That’s where I’m at. We’re going to leave it there and we’re going to try to win every game.”
(On his thoughts on Bills QB Josh Allen.) – “Big, fast, strong, athletic. He can really throw the deep ball. He’s definitely a really good young player who has a lot of ability. Obviously, the sky is the limit for that guy. He’s a good young player.”
(On how things have gone since he arrived in Miami.) – “It’s been a blur. I would say the last six weeks, the last 15 months, it’s all been – you lose the Super Bowl, you get a new job. You kind of go through the process of being a defensive coordinator and getting up in front of the room. That was all new. Then, you go through the season, there’s some up’s, there’s some down’s, you win the Super Bowl, take a new job, you have to move your family. There’s a lot going on. Again, the ‘adapt or die’ phrase we talked about earlier, that’s been in play for the last year and a-half, which is good. Again, I’m fortunate to have these opportunities. I relish every moment and every chance I get to lead this team and to lead men. That’s important to me. I got into coaching not for the fame or the status, but it was to impact people – impacting young men, impacting anyone in the building. To whom much is given, much is required. I understand that and I try to make an impact every day and help people succeed.”
(On the ‘adapt or die’ phrase.) – “No, that’s been my mantra for a long time.”
(On how the ‘adapt or die’ phrase has helped in his career.) – “I think there’s situations in a game where you have to be adaptable. Okay, it’s raining. Are we going inside? Yes, we’re going inside. We have to adapt. It’s raining. You have to play through the rain. You have to adapt. There has to be an urgency that comes with it. If you complain about it, what good is that? That’s not literal or anything like that, but we have to be adaptable.”
