Kraig Urbik – June 1, 2017
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Thursday, June 1, 2017
Center/Guard Kraig Urbik
(You guys are getting some rotation in there at center with C Mike Pouncey being hurt. Is it just not for you to prove, even when he’s healthy, what you’re able to do?) – “Yes, for sure. When you’re trying to make the team, you need a guy that can do multiple positions. I think last year I started games at left guard and center. Like you said, there are guys – (Anthony) Steen, me, Jake (Brendel), even Ted (Larsen) – have been getting reps at first-string center. We’re just kind of rotating guys and seeing what guys can do.”
(Who’s looked the best?) – “We’re all working hard.”
(What’s the challenge like of trying to put together a good line with chemistry during this OTA process?) – “Like you said, you need to develop chemistry for sure. You need to have all guys out there healthy; but obviously when you don’t, it’s just guys trying to step up. You want to be one of those guys that they depend on that can step in when someone’s hurt, and you don’t lose that chemistry and there’s not a drop-off, like you have sometimes. You just want to go in and prove yourself every day.”
(How do you view the battle for the starting job at guard?) – “’Bush’ (Jermon Bushrod) obviously started every game last year. Ted (Larsen), myself and (Anthony) Steen and everyone else – we have a lot of guards on the team – everyone has been getting their chances. Everyone is out there working hard. It’s been a good battle so far.”
(Have you ever talked to DE William Hayes about why he doesn’t believe man hasn’t landed on the moon or are you aware of any of his beliefs?) – “I’ve heard a couple of them. It’s kind of funny.”
(Have you ever talked to DE William Hayes about that? Would you be receptive to hearing his points of view?) – “I am receptive to the truth and I think the truth is that it’s not flat. You can say whatever you want about the moon landing, but the earth is not flat.”
(DE William Hayes agrees with you on that, he’s with you on that.) – “He said the (earth is not flat?)”
(Yes, DE William Hayes said that he’s never fallen off the earth. So you guys are on the same page on that one.) – “Okay.”
(But DE William Hayes does believe in mermaids.) – “Well, I mean … You never know.”
(Do you believe in mermaids?) – “No, not at all.”
(DE William Hayes said that DE Cameron Wake and DE Andre Branch told him to shut up. Would you tell him that?) – “No. It’s free speech. He can say whatever he wants.”
(Do you have any controversial theories?) – “No, I’m politically correct across the board. I’m politically correct.”
(What do you think has been C Mike Pouncey’s mindset from your talks with him? Is he encouraged that he’s going to be able to play this season? I know Head Coach Adam Gase has talked about wanting him available for games by limiting him in some practices. Is he in good spirits?) – “Yes, he’s good. I don’t know if I can really comment on injuries but I know he’s feeling great and he wants to get out there. I think it’s just one of those things where you just have to take your time. Again, I’m not a doctor or anything like that; but I know Mike’s eager to get out there and practice. He wants to be out there with the guys. I think he’s eager and he’ll be ready for sure.”
(Do you think the key for the line this year is consistency? Because you had some games last year where you were great and some you weren’t. How do you make it so it’s not that … Those ups and downs?) – “Yes, for sure. Obviously there’s a lot of factors that go into it. We want to be more consistent game-in and game-out. I think we will this year. I think we know the mindset we have to have this year, being more consistent. We can’t have flashes of great games – 200 yards rushing and stuff like that – and then go out and have like 60 yards rushing. We have to protect the quarterback. We have to do a lot better job with that. We can be more consistent for sure.”
(Without knowing assignments and all of that from our standpoint. When it was going well, what were you doing well and when it was not going well, what were you not doing well?) – “I think (there were) a lot of factors. It was … Those games we weren’t doing well, it would be a play here, a play there, a guy off by half a man. If you’re just off a little bit, it will kind of destroy the whole play. I think we need to be more consistent with our landmarks, knowing our assignments and things like that. It takes all 11 guys to run the ball. There were a lot of times where there would be one guy that was off and it would ruin the whole play. That’s kind of one of those things where we want to get past that and be all 11 on, all 11 working together, and that’s when we were really good last year.”
(You’re obviously a reliable option at center should C Mike Pouncey not be able to play. But, have you gotten any work at guard and do you have hope to be able to be in that competition with C/G Ted Larsen, G/T Jermon Bushrod and G Isaac Asiata?) – “Yes. Being able to line up at center and both guard spots so far in OTAs, I’m sure that will continue throughout camp. Whatever opportunity I have, I’m going to go out there and prove myself, day-in and day-out, and whatever happens, happens.”
(Any impressions of G Isaac Asiata? He is older than the traditional rookie. Does he seem more mature?) – “Yes, for sure. He’s more mature. I think both rookies have done a really good job of grasping the offense. We have a pretty complicated offense, but they seem to not have too much difficulty with a lot of the nuances that we’ve learned. The third or fourth day, they were learning a lot of things that were pretty complicated. So they’ve done a really good job with that. I think for them it’s mostly just getting out there and getting reps.”
(Just basic zone-blocking things, if you’re uncovered, a lot of times you combo and work your way up to the second level a lot of times. At what point of the season did you guys feel like you were able to see what everyone had and play on a string and everybody knew what that person next to them was doing and going up to that second level?) – “Each week is different. Throughout the rest of the season – when we played Cincinnati, that was the last team we played that was a four down front. Every other team was multiple different fronts, jam fronts, all of those different things. So when you grasp the offense and know what you’re doing all the time, you know what the guy is doing next to you. I think there were some times last year where guys were a little hesitant sometimes because of a lot of new things; but they have to know in and out what the guy next to them is doing.”
(What kind of a sense have you gotten from QB Ryan Tannehill since his return from injury?) – “He’s leading everyone out there. He feels 100 percent. He’s moving. I think he feels great. There is no hesitation at all.”
(Were you surprised by how well he’s moving? I know you’re often in front of him but when you actually see him moving and doing drills and things?) – “I don’t watch the drills too much. I’m over there doing my own. But he seems to be moving good. Even before the playoff game last year, he was moving pretty decent. I thought he was feeling well then, so it’s been about five or six months (since then). He’s really feeling good and eager to get back out there.”
(Any change you’ve noticed other than the position switch for G/T Laremy Tunsil going from his rookie year until now?) – “Yes, he’s a really fluid left tackle. It’s a natural position. He looks fluid out there. I think it’s just him getting more reps and the better he’ll do. He’s doing a great job so far; but like everyone else, we just need reps right now.”
