James Daniels – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
G James Daniels
(Just wanted to check in on the status of the Achilles, how are you doing? What’s the timetable for return on that?) – “The status of the Achilles, it’s going pretty well. I wasn’t lucky to have the Achilles injury, but I was lucky (when) it happened – I had surgery the first week of October. I’m on schedule, I’m on track, so I was really fortunate about the timing in the year where we won’t have to worry about anything this upcoming season.”
(What attracted you to this Miami Dolphins offense? Why did you want to come play here?) – “It seems like it’s a really good offense to play in, a really fun offense to play in. There’s a lot of playmakers. I’ve always watched – I think two years ago the Dolphins were like top five in the league in rushing. They’ve always been a great rushing team for the past couple of years, so it’s always attracted me. I’m very excited to get the chance to play in the offense and it seems really fun. So the style of play of the offense plays into my strength, so I’m really excited to get a chance to play.”
(What goes into your thought process when you’re in a contract year like you were in Pittsburgh and all of the sudden “pop?” You’re worried about the rehab and now you’re looking at free agency where everybody is getting a gazillion dollars and you have to take what’s out there.) – “(laughter) To be honest, yeah obviously an Achilles injury in a contract year and the quality I was playing last year, honestly, it’s brutal. There’s no sugarcoating it. That’s a tough thing to happen, especially going into a contract year. I’m lucky that I have a supportive wife, my two cats at home. I got to spend way more time in Wisconsin with my wife and my two cats than what I did ever because I was hurt rehabbing. I have a good PT (physical therapist) and I have a good support system around me. So obviously, yes, it’s tough and it’s a hard injury to come back from, but I have good PTs. I’ve been working hard, and like I said to Isaiah, luckily, I have been rehabbing since the first week of October, not rehabbing since like January or February. I’ve had multiple months of rehab. Again it definitely is pretty tough, but I’m lucky I have a good support system around me and that’s happened. And luckily, also, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to my third contract. Some people are going into their second contract. I’m 27 years old going into my eighth season and I’m going to be fully healthy when the season starts, so I can’t complain about that.”
(In terms of your position at right guard, you’ve played most of your career at right guard. Is that the side that you feel the most comfortable with? I know everybody gives the typical answer of “I’ll play anywhere that they need me to,” but is that where you feel at home?) – “(laughter) I feel at home anywhere. Yes, I’ve played right guard the past three seasons, but in Chicago, I played left guard and I played center as well. It really doesn’t, position-wise, left guard or right guard, it really doesn’t matter. Luckily, I’ve been, ever since going back to my Iowa days – I was a center at Iowa, but whenever you do stuff at Iowa, it’s like they always make sure you do snaps at right guard, snaps at left guard, snaps at center. Luckily, even going back to all of my Iowa days, I’ve always been taught to always do right and left stuff. So I’ve been fortunate for that.”
(I’ve got a question about left guard, right guard. There’s a chance that T Patrick Paul could play left tackle. He’s a young player. Would it make more sense for you to be the left guard so that you’re there with Patrick Paul so there wouldn’t be a rookie left guard and a young left tackle? Or would it make more sense to put you at right guard so that you and T Austin Jackson protect QB Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side and you would have strong running side? Does either side make more sense using that logic?) – “No, it really doesn’t matter because the coach is teaching the same technique to the left guard, he’s teaching the same technique to the right tackle, left tackle. The techniques are the same. He’s not coaching people differently. So I mean it really doesn’t matter if it’s a rookie at left guard, me at left guard, rookie right guard, me at right guard. It really doesn’t matter because the coaching points are the same. At the end of the day, in football you’re not graded on a curve. When I was a rookie or when I’m in Year – I mean I’m going to be in Year 8 now, you’re not graded on a curve. So no matter who’s out there, if it’s No. 50, or No. 68, or No. 78, whoever is out there, you’re not graded on a curve and you’re expected to play to the standard of being dominant offensive line, helping the offense be a dominant offense. So it really doesn’t matter who is at – positions really don’t matter.”
(Going back to the Achilles. Did you ever ask, ‘Why me?’ Because if I’m not mistaken you had four seasons where you played 100% of the snaps, I think that’s correct. Did you wonder about the timing and ‘why me?’ Or is that just football and keep it moving?) – “Yeah, that’s just football. The Achilles could have happened in my fourth year. In my third year, I tore my pec. It could have happened in my fourth year, and that would have been a way worse scenario than it happening last year. That’s football. It is what it is. Like I said, yeah, it did suck that I tore my Achilles with how I was playing that year, in my contract year, but like I said, I got to spend more time with my wife. I got to spend more time with my family and that’s time that I’ve never had before during the season. There are pros and cons, but I can’t be upset about it now.”
(It seems like you’re a big cat person. I read that one of your cats even has a social media account. Is that right?) – “Yeah, my wife runs that. Yeah.”
(Your cat doesn’t tweet or do it himself then?) – “No. No. (laughter) It’s two girls. No, they don’t do that. Maybe they created a burner account, I’m not sure.”
(Some offensive linemen don’t mind being anonymous, being out of the spotlight and that sort of thing. Yet with the Dolphins there’s been a lot of attention on the offensive line lately, particularly the guard play. I think a lot of fans are probably looking at you as a really important addition to upgrade not just the offensive line but the team. How does that make you feel? Is all that news to you? Or were you aware that you’re stepping into a pretty important position on this team?) – “No, I understand that. Every free agent signing, especially when it’s a multi-year deal for a total of double digits, you understand that you’re being signed to a team for a reason. Financially when they’re giving you that much money, you’re expected to come in and be a change to the team. I understand the position I’m in, and I understand that the Dolphins believe a lot in me and that the fans are expecting a lot from me. I understand that, obviously, if they’re paying me the money that they’re paying me. So I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m excited to get working.”
(I read you that were a biology major at Iowa and an Academic All-Big Ten. Is biology something that you might use after your playing career is over? Is the medical field something you have an interest in?) – “Actually my sophomore year, I changed majors from biology to health and human physiology. Some of the upper-level biology classes were way too hard for me. Health and physiology was still hard, but it wasn’t as hard as biology. But honestly yeah, I’ve always been interested in medical research, especially me dealing with my Achilles. It would be pretty cool when I’m done playing to do research studies on Achilles, because when I had all the off time this past season, I did a lot of reading on Achilles injuries and on all of the studies on Achilles injuries. There’s not much scientific literature out there about Achilles tears, especially in elite, high-level athletes. I would definitely, when my playing career is over, definitely try to do some type of research. I worked in labs during the summer when I was in college, so it’s something that has always interested me.”
(This outside zone scheme has been really successful and devastating for a number of years thinking back to the Broncos and Terrell Davis, the 49ers with Raheem Mostert, who then came here, and the Dolphins a couple of years ago – last year, not so good. What have your learned or what have you seen or what do you know about what is asked of the guards in the outside zone scheme, especially in run as opposed to the man scheme?) – “The outside zone scheme, that’s what I was playing last year in Pittsburgh and that’s what I did back in Iowa. I mean you’re just expected to play fast and attack. So much of the man scheme is double teams and fitting it and just like driving people; I mean the outside zone scheme you’re expected to attack and play with speed. I’m really excited to play in it. I feel like my best year, last year in the NFL, like my best tape was playing in this type of scheme, so I’m really excited to get a chance to play in it again.”
(Did you have any connections to anybody on the Dolphins prior to now being either teammates or having them as your coach? Any players on the team you’ve played with before, you’re friends with? Anybody on the coaching staff you’ve worked with before?) – “No, no there’s been nobody I’ve worked with before. Well I guess Larry Borom, he just signed. I was with him a year in Chicago. But except for him, no, there’s nobody I’ve worked with.”
(Which reminds me actually, we spoke to OL Larry Borom yesterday and he basically described you as a jokester. How would you analyze that characterization?) – “(laughter) I really don’t see myself as that. I mean I’m pretty – yeah, like when it’s time. Like when I’m serious, I’m serious, but when I don’t have to be serious, I guess I can be – I don’t know, maybe I can crack a few jokes, but I don’t see myself as that.”
(Am I safe to assume you’re not going to be able to do anything during the OTAs and then any concern that you will be ready for the start of training camp?) – “No, there’s no concern I won’t be ready for training camp. No.”
(I know there’s been a lot of left guard, right guard talk. Have the Dolphins told you if they’ve decided where they’re going to put you – which side?) – “No, they’re still figuring things out. They just said during OTAs they’ll have a plan, but they just told me they’re still figuring things out right now.”
(And did they say what it would be based on – that decision ultimately?) – “No, they haven’t. They haven’t told me about that yet. I mean seeing what happens the rest of free agency – I assume seeing what happens in the rest of free agency and during the draft.”
(Even though the last three years obviously you’ve been right guard and you’ve been terrific, you still, as you were mentioning, you still feel the same comfort level at left guard from the previous experience with Chicago as you do at right guard even with three years in a row at right?) – “Yeah, I mean – talking about that earlier question, when you’re taught to do something a long time ago, that’s what OTAs are for. So if I’m left guard, get out there during OTA practices and during my summer and train at left guard, right guard. I mean I haven’t played football since October, like where I’ve actually put on a helmet and hit someone. I’ve been doing drill work and things like that, but that’s different than putting on a helmet and actually hitting someone. So I mean this would be the perfect time to be able to adjust if I need to.”
