Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel – April 28, 2023
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Friday, April 28, 2023
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(With the first pick at No. 51, you guys go with CB Cam Smith, which was maybe a surprise to a lot of outsiders just given the depth and the talent that you have. Was that an example of best player available? What did you see in him there?) – “Cam is a very talented football player. We’re excited to add him and competition we’ll always add at every position, as we’ve talked about here. So it was the opportunity for us to, at that point in the draft, add a really talented football player that fit. In this league and especially in the AFC, with a lot of talented quarterbacks and teams, we can never have enough corners as we experienced last year with the rash of injuries that we dealt with. So excited to add him, he’s excited to come, so we’re looking forward to working with him.”
(Why do you think he fits well in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “He’s a talented athlete. He’s versatile. He’s played a lot outside. He’s played nickel. It’s just the football player and the instincts, so we’re just excited. We thought he was a good fit and where he was in the draft, we just couldn’t pass on the opportunity.”
(How much did your son help you in terms of the character?) – “(laughter) I mean, he does help, but our scouts did a great job. I’ve known Shane Beamer for a long time as well, and then ‘T Rob’ (Travaris Robinson) and Will Muschamp recruited him there, so a lot of good friends that are good sources and talking to about the player. Landon gave his input. We asked. Obviously, he’s in the room with him every day and around him and they have a relationship, but the first time I really met him was at the combine. But it did help. It was just another piece of information for us.”
(Tight end and offensive line could be justified as more positions of need. Was this guy significantly higher on your board than any of the tight ends or offensive linemen available?) – “You know, when we do our board, we go through it, and there were a lot of good players that were picked too ahead of us. We look at every position, we go through it. I think you guys are probably more worried than we are, in terms of the position depth at those spots you talked about. But at the end of the day, we added a good football player. We’re happy. And like we say, it doesn’t end with the draft. There’s still guys we’re talking to in free agency, on the streets. So we’re still working through it, and we’ll keep adding the players we think fit for us.”
Mike McDaniel:
(RB Devon Achane ran a 4.32 40-yard dash. Can you describe the visions you have for that kind of speed in your offense?) – “I mean, speed we generally like around here. But I think it’s more of you feel like there’s a fit in terms of a guy fitting within your existing team. You’re always keeping in mind that you’re adding players to team and really think that that group in particular, the running back room for us is very important. You find a person and player that fits your skill set that you like but also that fits within the room because we have some other good competition in there as well. So we’re real excited to add player to a group. And he is fast. Chris and I share that – we do have affection for that trait.”
(When you look at player acquisition, I’m wondering if you look at it as a continuum? We know last year you added players at the trade deadline. How do you view it? Is it ever too late to add a player to your team?) – “Absolutely. Chris and I are lock and step on that where you’re trying to do the best thing, as your collection of people have decided, that’s available to you at the time. So you always try to position yourself and go into the draft to be able to take the best player, regardless of position. Sometimes you have depth more in other places than not, but we’re not going to take away the opportunity to have good players on our team. It’s more of the players shape what the team looks like. If we have the ability to get a good player, we’ll never turn that down. There was a lot of action. We’ve had a lot of contributors that we added to our team post-draft last year that were very impactful during the regular season, as well as post the first game of the season. So you’re always tinkering. That’s something I’m pretty sure that Chris might be half-vampire, because he’s never sleeping because he’s always evaluating something. (laughter) I think that will always be the case with us.
(Mike, we saw a reaction of you when the RB Devon Achane pick was made. It seemed like you were a bit enthused about it. Was this a player that you…) – “This is just camaraderie between two work associates. Certain people have opinions that he’ll be there, certain people don’t. I was really excited that Chris was right that a player was there. You get excited about all the players. Really, it’s down to the TV producers who decide when they catch you, because apparently, as it’s become aware to me that the first pick, I was texting my wife and had my shoe on the table. We get excited for all our players, and that’s just because of the amount of work that we all put in over an extended period of time to figure out who those players are.”
(A quick follow up, you didn’t think he’d be there at that point?) – “Really, all of the players that I like in general, I’m kind of a pessimist in the draft because you want to be prepared for all specific situations, really. I think Chris has caught on to that. And yeah, I didn’t think he was going to be there. But that happens every draft and really I was very hopeful for both of our selections, but wasn’t totally positive they’d be there. I’m very excited about that opportunity we had.”
Chris Grier:
“If you could have heard what he said, he had the room laughing. But I can’t repeat it. (laughter)”
Mike McDaniel:
“It was a safe place, which you know some things – you’re on a team for a reason. You’ve got to have some secrets. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Chris, I think this is the earliest you’ve taken a running back since 2016 with Kenyan Drake. You usually opt for seventh round guys or late round guys. What is it about RB Devon Achane that made you break your own habits here or is it that 4.32 speed?) – “Well, Kenyan was fast as well too. This is probably about two years we’ve watched him. We talked about him last year a little bit with some of the flashes you saw out of him. Then just watching him this year and getting to know him, we brought him in on a 30-visit and spent some time with him and got to know him as a person. We watched film and probably about two or three weeks ago, Mike was convicted in his love for the player. We all were but he was very effusive.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yes, I was. And I’m very proud of myself for being a good secret keeper. I just talk to myself a lot in my car because I had to tell somebody about it. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Chris, how could you describe the level of activity in trade talks to move up or down between last night or tonight?) – “Last night was a complete bore, snore. We got no calls. It was awful. Tonight, we had a lot of activity, a lot of calls, as you saw with all the trades people were making. Before our pick with Cam (Smith), we had some action – a lot of action. And then with this pick too with Devon (Achane), we had a lot of action. A lot of tempting offers, but we liked the players that were there so we chose to pick them.”
(Do you prefer to draft a player at a position where that player doesn’t have to necessarily step in and have the pressure to play right away? Obviously with CB Cam Smith, he might start, he might not. He might play outside, he might play inside. He might fill in based on injury. He might be so good he needs to start. Is that a luxury? Are the Dolphins in a position of luxury in drafting at this time?) – “I’d say with any player you draft, there is always a transition to the NFL as you all have seen. There have been some players where it’s quicker and right away you see the star, and other guys it takes a year or two. For us, how we look at it, it’s the total player and the person and the fit, as we talk about in the locker room, as well as the ability. We don’t really put limits. Last year we had some guys come in and play, and we had some guys that didn’t. For us, it’s just developing the player and working with him. I think Mike and the coaching staff do a great job of working with the players and developing them. First of all, (we want) guys that love football, and guys that will come in and compete and love football. Then whenever that opportunity arises is when they’ll get that chance.”
(Are you hoping to maybe add a pick tomorrow?) – “I’d love to but 198 and 237 make it kind of hard. (laughter) But we’d love to.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yeah, we’re just hoping people have some flawed charts out there and we can really move up. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Is the 2024 draft capital something you want to make sure you stay away from in any trade talks?) – “Yeah, I think so. Mike hasn’t had a first-round pick selection yet.”
Mike McDaniel:
“But I’ll be ready Year 3. (laughter)”
