Mike Gesicki – July 30, 2022
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Saturday, July 30, 2022
TE Mike Gesicki
(After seeing this offense and being a part of it with all the weapons, how excited are you about what could evolve from this offensive group?) – “It’s still super early, so you don’t want to go out there and say a whole bunch of crazy stuff, but there’s definitely some talent. But I mean, that’s all on paper, so we have to go out and continue to have good practices. We’ll see what it looks like on September 11th when it matters.”
(I thought they said QB Tua Tagovailoa can’t throw the deep ball.) – “You guys said that. I didn’t say that.”
(It looked like 55 yards in the air to me.) – “It looked good to me. I never said anything bad about him.”
(What did you think of the energy out here? Today for the fans, it felt kind of different.) – “It’s awesome. The fans are awesome. It’s great. I said to (General Manager) Chris Grier when I was walking out here, I was like, ‘I want them excited in January.’ So it’s cool to have them out here in July. I think everybody’s fans are excited in July, so we have to keep working and keep putting our head down and get to work, because everybody is excited right now, everybody is optimistic. We have to go out and perform, keep them excited and give them something to cheer about, which it’s been a while since we’ve given them that.”
(What are your thoughts on the totality of this offense right now?) – “Like I said, there’s a lot of talent (and) it definitely looks good on paper. We’re coming out here and putting in the work. We have great coaches and great players and all that kind of stuff, but we have to go out and do it. We have to go out and make plays and continue to build off of good days of training camp. It’s only Day 4, there’s no pads. It’s a whole different world when you play real football.”
(The Dolphins haven’t had a player play a season on a franchise tag in nine years. That player actually had a good season and then signed a long-term contract with the Dolphins. I asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel about if he wants to make sure that you feel loved, even though you sort of have that tag. What does it feel like to be the tagged guy?) – “It’s a business. The team is going to do what’s best for the team, and then you have to go out and perform and do what you do. There’s not really much else to say. I’m not a big’ complain about it, make a big deal about it’ (guy). Although it seems like the guys do get paid a lot of money, so maybe I should have. (laughter) But I’m just going to keep coming to work (and) keep doing what I’m doing.”
(Do you feel like at some point in your career, you will in fact be recognized and paid as a Top 10, Top 7 tight end in the National Football League?) – “If I earn it, I think so, yes. But that’s a long ways down the line. There’s a lot of work that needs to (be) put it, a lot of plays that need to be made and games to be won before that happens. But I think you get what you deserve in this league and you have to go out and earn in.”
(Was there a point this summer you thought it might get done?) – “No.”
(Did that upset you at all?) – “No.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel says that you are really looking forward to showing that you can block and add that dimension to this offense. Can you talk a little bit about that conversation with him?) – “It’s not like we sat down and they were like, ‘Hey, Mike, you want to block?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ I mean it was like, ‘I know what offense we’re getting into and I know who we hired to be our coach and what scheme we’re going to be running, so I have to go out there and in order to make plays in the pass game in this offense, you have to be able to go make plays in the run game as well. So I’m working on it every single day and continue to improve. Like I said, we’re wearing these right now. (pulls up his jersey to show the shell) It doesn’t mean anything. You have to go out and make the plays when you put the pads on and make the plays on Sundays, ultimately is what really counts.”
(What are they key elements to learn in the blocking aspect of playing tight end in this offense?) – “You have to understand the scheme, who you’re working with, where you’re working to and then footwork, hand placement, all that kind of stuff. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, but definitely a much higher emphasis on it for myself this season than honestly any other year that I’ve been here.”
(I know Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree is good, he’ll help you. I was wondering, you went to the Tight End U. Was TE George Kittle there?) – “He was, yes.”
(Did you speak to him about the blocking in this offense?) – “Yes, I was talking with him just about the scheme, about ‘Embo’ (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree) and how he operates and Coach McDaniel and all that kind of stuff. So you try to just pick everybody’s brain out there. Obviously, him being in this system and having success in it – obviously, he is one of, honestly, the best blocking tight ends in the league, and then you see what he gets off of it in the pass game because of it. So that’s the most important part, and I’m going to keep working at it and keep doing it.”
(Is that a pass-oriented camp? Or do you guys actually talk some blocking?) – “Yes, it’s 50-50. He gets up there and gives a presentation on all their outside zone stuff and how he takes his first step, his footwork, his mentality, all that stuff. It’s productive. It’s good.”
(When you have a practice offensively like you guys had today, seeing all the weapons, WR Tyreek Hill went deep, RB Chase Edmonds running hard and all of that. Do you kind of get a vision of maybe this is what we’ll be? Like this is kind of what we’re looking for?) – “I am not a big expectation and all of that. So Lynn (Bowden Jr.) asked me yesterday, ‘How do you like it? This, that and the other thing.’ And I was like, ‘It’s early.’ You have to keep just going at it every single day. You can sit here and say it’s exciting, it’s this (and) that, but nobody is going to care how exciting training camp was once the season is over. It’s going to matter how the season goes. Obviously this is the baseline and this is the foundation that we’re building off of, so it’s definitely productive and it’s positive. There’s a lot of good things going on out there, but I’m realistic and I want us to continue to get better, continue to improve and make those plays on Sundays in September, October, November, December, January, throughout the whole entire season.”
(Has this staff given you any guidance on jumping over dudes? Is that allowed by this staff, the jump?) – “(laughter) That has not been discussed, but I would say that is not one of my better moves. If it comes to it and I have to do it, you know where to find me.”
(How has QB Teddy Bridgewater looked out here?) – “Teddy (Bridgewater) is awesome. Teddy is doing a great job, honestly, in coming out here and being a leader and being a guy that guys can lean on and ask questions to. He has a lot of experience in this league, so I’m super excited to have him. I love having him around. I love talking with him, working with him. He has a lot of great insight and obviously has a great arm and is making plays out there as well. So I’m happy for him and excited to watch him come the season as well.”
(Do you think at the end of the season we’ll notice an increase in TE Mike Gesicki in-line snaps?) – “Yes, I mean I don’t think I took one snap from a receiver stance today. So it’s definitely different, but I mean it is what it is, and I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to another challenge and another opportunity. This is my fifth year, my fifth different offensive coordinator. It could be like six if you count last year’s interesting situation. So I mean you have a bunch of different guys calling plays. This is my third head coach, so it’s been a whole bunch of stuff. I’m just excited to put my head down, work, learn a new system and keep at it and continue to work.”
