Liam Eichenberg – November 16, 2021
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Thursday, November 16, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(From a COVID-19 perspective, what’s the thinking of the offensive line group? Have you all collectively decided to stay in all of the time? Is this something that you guys have talked about amongst yourselves?) – “It’s a situation where we listen to Kyle Johnston, our head (athletic) trainer. Obviously it’s a weird year once again dealing with COVID and everything. We just try to space out, try not to be all together at times, try to take precautions, put on masks when we’re told to. Stuff like that. It’s obviously in the background with everything that is happening.”
(Since you were in college last year, you didn’t experience the NFL season of meeting conducted virtually. Was today your first virtual meeting if they have happened yet? What was that experience like?) – “In college we actually had in-person meetings. The only time I’ve really done the virtual meeting was over the summer during OTAs when it was Zoom. That was about it.”
(Is it strange at all or perfectly normal and easy to absorb information over the computer as opposed to in person?) – “I’d say there are pros and cons. I think on the computer, there is a chance that guys might not be paying as much of attention. In person, I think you can actually show people how to do things better. That’s probably the pro there.”
(I know oftentimes he’s behind you and you’re blocking for him in front of him, but what has been your impression of RB Duke Johnson in practice as he’s the one running back on the active roster right now?) – “Duke is a great player. He’s a guy that’s played for a long time. He’s been around. He understands ball very well. He sees the holes very well. A downhill guy. At the end of the day, he’s a guy that goes hard. That’s all I can ask for is a guy who works hard and is committed. I‘m excited for him to be behind me. He’s done a good job so far this year.”
(Do you as players know the health of the five guys that are on the COVID list? Is there any update provided to you by coaches, or Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston or anyone, or is it only the close friends of those five who check-in with them know how they are actually doing and if they are sick?) – “For me, because some of them are younger guys, you kind of reach out on your own. That’s about it.”
(Of the ones you’ve reached out to, are any sick or experiencing symptoms?) – “I’m not sure. They really didn’t get into too much depth about it. It’s kind of, ‘we’re in the hotel,’ and dealing with that life.”
Isaiah Ford – December 16, 2021
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Thursday, December 16, 2021
WR Isaiah Ford
(I have to ask you the obvious question; your reaction when you heard the news about WR Jaylen Waddle? And I would ask it in consideration with the other running backs who are out as well. When you put all that together, what do you see?) – “First of all, we are praying for Jaylen and hope that he has a speedy recovery. I’m not sure how he’s feeling just with the virus and everything like that. It’s a really big opportunity for a lot of the other guys. We pride ourselves on having that next-man-up approach and it’s going to take all of us to cover Jaylen’s role as well as the running backs, whoever’s in there. It’s going to take a full team approach.”
(I know you’ve done meetings virtually before, obviously last year. What’s that experience like compared to being in person? Does it feel at all weird or not at all because of last year’s experience?) – “I think it’s been the new norm so to speak with us doing it all of last year. I don’t think it’ll be anything different. We know the job that we have to do. It’s lock in for those however many hours that we are doing it and then after that, you can kind of unwind. We’re still on the clock, we still have work to do and we’re preparing to try to beat the Jets.”
(I know Head Coach Brian Flores has not gone as far as to tell guys you can’t go out. I don’t think any NFL coach can or would do that. But is it at the point to where players need to discuss that among themselves and agree collectively basically to stay in their house and at the facility for four more weeks?) – “I think we all know what’s at stake. I don’t think that really has to be overly emphasized or anything like that. We all know that we love this game and we all know that we love each other so we want to keep each other as safe as possible. Not only us, but each other’s families. I think that kind of goes without saying.”
Michael Deiter – December 16, 2021
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Thursday, December 16, 2021
C/G Michael Deiter
(A few of us saw you last Wednesday in something that looked like a boot, so we worried whether you had any sort of setback. Was there a setback? Or were you wearing that merely for protection as a precaution and you’re fine?) – “No setback. Just a precaution. I’m fine.”
(How do you feel like you played in your first game back and do you feel more in a groove? I know it’s hard to re-establish after nine weeks.) – “There was some good, some bad. I think I did ok. I definitely need to improve but that’s how it was before I was out. I just need to make sure I’m still communicating good and making sure everyone is on the same page, and obviously getting back into a groove is already happening. Getting back into the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – all of those days – and what Wednesday means, what Thursday means, what Friday means. That groove is coming back.”
(How would you describe what it’s like trying to prepare for a game when it seems like every day there’s a new player who is going on the COVID-19 list.) – “It’s the same old, same old. It’s the guys who are next up, they need to understand that their number might be called and they need to be ready to help this team win. It’s the same with coaches. It could be the next man up with the coaches too. Everyone involved needs to be ready to be the next guy up, whether you’re p-squad, third on the depth chart – it doesn’t matter because obviously it’s real. COVID is real. Everyone can have an opportunity out of nowhere so people need to prepare that way and be ready to help this team if need be.”
(You’re mostly blocking in front of him but what have been your impressions of RB Duke Johnson this week? What have you seen from him, the way he’s practicing and the way he’s going about things?) – “Duke looks really good. He’s a smart player. He’s obviously had some success. He’s a downhill runner, which you love as an o-lineman. I think he’s got a lot of potential and I think he’s going to run really well. We have a ton of confidence in him. I hope he has a bunch of confidence in us. I’m excited to see him get more work.”
Mike Gesicki – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(How was the bye week?) – “The bye week was great. A nice little mental and physical reset and now we’re back to work but it was good.”
(Do you feel like guys were juiced up, ready to go?) – “Oh yeah. Everybody is in the right frame of mind, everybody is happy to be back and excited for another opportunity.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa says he doesn’t pay attention to social media and I’m sure there are a lot of guys like that. Are you aware of the analysts who praise Tua, those who are critical? If you hear something critical, does it bother you as a loyal teammate or are you completely oblivious about everything being said about him?) – “You obviously hear it. I watch SportsCenter every day. You see it, you hear it but the thing that’s not a big deal, it is what it is – it’s just how sports fans and the people that talk about it are – the thing that’s frustrating – that’s probably the wrong word – are the people that are negative and then positive and then negative and then positive. That’s when, in the past I’ve said uneducated and whatever I said in the past that (Dolphins staff) is getting ready to jump on the stage and tell me to stop talking, (laughter) but that’s what I’m talking about when I say that kind of stuff. It’s the people that are negative and then positive and then, ‘Oh he’s so great,’ and then ‘Oh he’s not.’ Just pick a side and then roll with it.”
(You said you watched SportsCenter every day, who’s your favorite all-time anchor?) – “That’s a great question. I don’t know and now you’re putting me on the spot with names. I kind of just watch it, some highlights here and there, it’s on in the background. I literally don’t watch anything else besides sports so I go home, watch some NBA, Steph Curry last night and all that kind of stuff. That’s pretty much all I watch.”
(Scott Van Pelt is the GOAT by the way in my opinion.) – “Yeah absolutely. I did watch SVP last night for sure. He had Steph on, so it was cool.”
(RB Duke Johnson might be getting an opportunity on Sunday. When you see a guy come from the practice squad, do you have words of encouragement? Of course he’s a veteran, but I’m just wondering if you get to talk to him?) – “Duke is a professional. He handles himself in a really professional way. From the day he got here, he’s got experience on a couple different teams and many, many seasons in this league. He knows how to go about his business and I’m excited for his opportunity.”
(Have things changed for you and the offense, if at all, with all of these running backs potentially out?) – “Yeah, I think Durham (Smythe) has been getting some snaps at running back. He’s already taken snaps at quarterback. I said this in the past, his price tag is going to continue to go up now. Now he’s getting snaps at running back so make sure you get that news out up to New York. (laughter)”
(Pick him up on your fantasy team?) – “Yes. Yes.”
(This will be your eighth game against the Jets in your career. Obviously, staffs and personnel change, but is there one thing you can always expect going into a Jets game?) – “They’re always going to be ready to play. Like you said, staffs change and all that kind of stuff but this team, they’re always going to be ready to play. I think it’s going to be a good matchup and a great challenge for us and something that we are excited about.”
(Do you worry about the COVID cases not only in the NFL but in all sports, the NBA, soccer, etc. Do you worry about that?) – “Yeah. I think it’s definitely something that you have to be aware about and be smart about. There’s only so much that you can control but you can control leaving here, being safe and all that kind of stuff and then following all the protocols that the NFL sets inside of these doors.”
Christian Wilkins – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(What are your thoughts on facing QB Zach Wilson for the first time? You guys didn’t see him the last time.) – “I’m obviously excited to play a game every Sunday and do what we do for a living. The Jets present a good challenge for us. They are a division opponent. It’s always tough. Like you said, we didn’t get to see Zach last time. I’m excited for that challenge and what he brings to the game and seeing something a little different. We’ll take it one day at a time and try to take care of business each and every day so we get a good result on Sunday.”
(Do you still believe in rivalries? You mentioned that the Jets are a division rival, but do you still believe that those games are important because of the history?) – “Yeah, absolutely. They are always tough games and they are always important games and they are always big games just because of the familiarity and you see them twice a year and things like that. It’s always a good challenge and the later it gets in the year, the tougher those games get as well, so we definitely need a good week of preparation and that started today. We’ll need to finish out really well.”
(With COVID spreading like wildfire even for vaccinated people, have you and your teammates talked about even being more cautious? You obviously are because you went three months without a COVID positive, but even more cautious? Is that a discussion you and your teammates have had?) – “Yeah, like you said, you definitely see things ramping up now. We’ve definitely been pretty cautious this whole time and we try to do all we can to make sure everybody is healthy and safe. There is nothing more important than the health and safety of this team. It’s something that we mention, we hear and we see around, so maybe guys are a little more cautious and things like that.”
(Does the chance to get back to .500 mean anything to you after your 1-7 start?) – “I’m not really focused on the number or the record. I’m just focused on getting to 1-0 this week. That starts by good meetings, good workouts, taking it one by one, one at a time.”
(How many times a day does Head Coach Brian Flores instill that message, impart that message to you guys?) – “One day at a time, one game at a time, one meeting at a time.”
(How many times a day do you hear that?) – “That’s what it is. That’s a great way to approach it each and every week, and each and every day. Just one at a time. You can’t move on to the next thing until you finish. You can’t move on to dessert until you finish your vegetables.”
(Did you interact much with UM Athletic Director Dan Radakovich at Clemson?) – “D-Rad. Yeah, me and D-Rad were cool. Me and him were pretty cool. I’m happy for him. I know he’s been down here – well he went to school here or worked here or something before. I’m definitely excited for everything that he’s got going on. I thought he was a great guy. We were able to be around each other some at Clemson.”
(He seems like an approachable, friendly guy, which is needed in that role for fundraising and many other reasons.) – “Absolutely. A very solid guy. They are getting someone good down here. He’s a great guy.”
(You got to see G Alijah Vera-Tucker last time and you get to see him again now. What have you seen from him on tape and the first time you guys played the Jets?) – “He’s a pretty good player, especially for a young guy, especially for a rookie. Very solid, very strong, athletic, can move well and things like that. He’s a good player and I think he’ll have a chance to be pretty good in this league. I try to focus on everything I need to do in order to be the best I can be on Sunday.”
(Do you feel like the guys are coming back after the bye week juiced up and everyone is itching to get back on the field and play some games?) – “Yeah. We still got the same mindset and everything as we did before we left. Just being our best, focusing in, honing in on our craft, our skillset and trying to be the best. Get the gameplan down pat and execute to the best of our abilities. We’ve got a lot of great guys on our team and a lot of guys who have the desire and hunger to be better every day, and a lot of good energy and a lot of good character. It’s always fun coming into work, so nothing has changed from that standpoint.”
(You mentioned vegetables before dessert. What’s your favorite dessert?) – “Dessert? Ooo. I would say my mom’s peach cobbler. She does a good job with that. (laughter)”
Duke Johnson – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
RB Duke Johnson
(How excited are you about this opportunity to potentially carry a heavy workload on Sunday?) – “I’m excited just to be back out there. Last time I played was against the Jets so for me, I’m just excited to be out there, period, after not playing for most of the season. Just happy to be back.”
(Has this been a tough adjustment for you for somebody who’s been in the league for a while, with what’s gone on this year?) – “As far as me not playing?”
(Practice squad and not playing?) – “No. I’ve kind of always been a team guy and for me it’s whatever it takes to win. No matter whether it was high school, college. No matter what kind of sport it was, I do my job and that’s all I can do. Control what I can control.”
(Were you worried this week seeing three running backs land on the COVID list? You’ve made it through but were you worried going through tests? “Could I have been…?”) – “No because if I was positive, there’s nothing I can do either way, so I don’t really worry myself about something I really can’t control. I live by that. So whether I had it or not, there was nothing I can do at that point but stay home and get healthy.”
(I know you’re not living in a glass container. But are you being extra cautious this week knowing you’re almost all the Dolphins have at running back if those three guys aren’t active Sunday?) – “No, I think I’m doing what I’d typically do. Live my day-to-day doing as much as I can to stay clean and stay healthy.”
(So the Jets game was up there. So this would be your first time putting on the Dolphins uniform at Hard Rock Stadium. What do you think it’ll be like?) – “No idea. (laughter) No idea. I think it really won’t hit me until the game. Right now I’m just taking it all in and just enjoying the moment, but I really won’t know until the game so you’ll have to ask me after the game.”
(Have you had – it’s cliché but I am interested – have you had a lot of friends and family hit you up for tickets?) – “No, because the last couple of weeks I wasn’t active, so I really wasn’t playing. As of now, no, not yet. It’s possible. It’s possible, but not at this moment.”
(So how often when you were in high school or at The U did you dream about that moment that maybe like wearing a Dolphins jersey at Hard Rock Stadium?) – “I would say middle school. Middle school was probably the last time I thought about that. I was a big Dolphins fan growing up, but as a kid you always want to play home, stay home. I was fortunate to go to Miami and stay home for my college career so now I’m back.”
(I would imagine the answer is yes to this, but if you have to carry a 20-25 carry workload Sunday, you’re healthy and able to do it I’m sure, right?) – “For me, it’s whatever the team needs. Literally. Running, catching, blocking, special teams. For me, the goal is always to help my win in any capacity.”
(Your position is one in the league where a lot of talented guys – you, Todd Gurley, Lamar Miller – it’s a very, very long list of guys who are highly productive early to mid-20s and then teams look for younger guys and it’s harder to sustain being in the league. Is that difficult to deal with? Is it just something about running back which you think that might happen more than other positions?) – “For me, I really have no idea. For me, I don’t – again – I can’t control anything. I can only put my best foot forward when I’m with the team and do what I can to help the team win and produce and do my job. But as far as why the drop-off or why the dip, I can’t really answer that. I can just only tell you that I’m going to do my job until I can’t.”
(A lot of wear and tear I guess at the position…) – “That’s football. I think that’s football, period. No matter what position you play, there’s wear and tear. It’s a part of the game.”
(What has QB Tua Tagovailoa been like to work with… [inaudible]?) – “He’s been the same guy since I got here from practice squad, active (roster). He’s been the same guy treating me with the utmost respect, helping me get acclimated to the playbook and just being who he is. I think that’s one of the best things I can say, is he was him regardless of whether I was helping him or not.”
(Going back to your playing days in either high school or college, what stands out as far as if I were to ask you about it a day when you really had to carry a workload and maybe were just worn out by the end of the day? Anything like that stand out?) – “Worn out? Probably in high school.”
(How many carries are we talking?) – “Definitely can’t remember the exact carries, but it was probably my last high school game – state game – was probably one of the ones that I was just worn out, exhausted.”
(That’s a good time to get worn out.) – “Yeah, great time. (laughter)”
(How has RB Malcolm Brown looked today I guess? How did Malcolm Brown look?) – “How did he look? Not sure – like I wasn’t here before so it’s hard for me to tell what he looked like. I really can’t compare because I wasn’t here before, but I came out with Malcolm. I know Malcolm. I know him as a person. I really can’t tell you how he looked before injury compared to post-injury.”
(So when you know there’s a chance, like an increased chance that you could end up getting 10, 15 or more carries – I looked it up, last year there were games in November where you had like 14, 16 in back-to-back games. So if that is the case clearly this week, is there anything at all that you’ll do differently relative to film study, massage, acupuncture, rest, anything at all you’ll do different?) – “No, sir. I kind of go by my day-to-day like I’m playing every week so it’s a routine that I have whether I’m on practice squad or not. Just kind of the same routine so when you do get called up, you don’t change nothing. You don’t try anything different that would throw you off so you do everything the same.”
(The practice squad list is so long. It never used to be like this and there’s guys on here who have had success in the league. The practice squad has changed. Have you and any of these other guys on the list ever talked about like, “Hey man, this isn’t like regular practice squad in this COVID era?” You know what I’m saying? What are your thoughts on how the practice squad is different with the COVID era and the way they change the rules up with some veterans and things like that?) – “I think the biggest thing is the veterans. Coming in, showing, giving looks and kind of mentoring in a way and just talking to the guys and helping them see what we see or what we’ve seen throughout the years and just do whatever we can to help them get as prepared as they can be for the game.”
Eric Rowe – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(Obviously S Jevon Holland landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list a couple days ago. There is potential he might not play, which could again put you in a starting role. Have you seen your role change a bit starting for S Brandon Jones the past couple weeks compared to when you were in more of a part-time role? Has your role changed in any way?) – “Are you asking me if my role has changed right now?”
(No I mean the past two games when you started for S Brandon Jones. Has your role been any different than when you were in a part time duty in the weeks prior?) – “No. It’s been the same role even with Brandon going down the past two games. I just stay in the strong safety role and then I still have my role whenever third down comes around. If they want me to man on tight end or play zone, I still have that role. It’s been the same. It’s just people change.”
(The Jets give a lot of targets to their running backs and tight ends. Do you see that as a possible big role for you this week, taking on the tight ends and running backs?) – “Yeah, we know they like to use their backs. They love their backs and their tight ends. I’ve been seeing a little more balls going to them. But essentially, I can’t say we know what they like to do but we have an idea of what they like to do – get the ball out quick. It doesn’t matter who’s back there, whether it’s (Zach) Wilson or (Joe) Flacco. Backs and tight ends each week, you can’t sleep on them because if you let them go off, it’s the NFL and they’ll produce.”
(I saw on social media that you were hosting to host a holiday toy event. Did you have a specific interaction with a kid or kids that was memorable to you?) – “Yeah, I had two families and what I did was just help them to their table of the gifts that they had. I met, it was like five – I had two families, it was like five kids. What was kind of memorable was they would ask for your picture or autograph and I’m pretty sure they didn’t know football like that but their eyes would just light up. They’re like, ‘Oh, wow!’ I don’t know if they thought I personally gave them the gift. They were like, ‘Thank you for the gifts!’ and I was like, I can’t take the credit because I didn’t give the gifts, I didn’t buy them. But just to see how much they appreciated it, it just lights me up.”
(Are you comfortable at both free and strong safety?) – “Yeah. You’ve got to know both. You can’t be one sided and I played free in college back then.”
(How much would you say you split between the two in practice?) – “What, today?”
(Either today or in general?) – “Ah, no. Can’t give that info out there. (laughter)”
(What has changed as the league has been more of a passing league, where you have to know both spots, you can’t just play in the box? Or is that something that has always been the case for safeties, do you think?) – “I personally feel like, I don’t know how other teams do it but I know being here under (Brian Flores) ‘Flo’s’ defense, you’ve got to be versatile. You can’t just be one and done unless you’re All-Pro at it. You’ve got to be able to flip between free, strong, get in the box, go out there and cover on the slot or whoever is out there out wide. You’ve got to be able to do it all.”
(What are your thoughts on QB Zach Wilson? You didn’t get to face him the first time you played Jets and now you’re getting a chance to go against him.) – “We’re excited because he’s a good, young quarterback. He has a rocket arm, he’s accurate and he can run. Those three things are obviously all threats. We’re excited to go against him. We wanted to go against him the first week because a rookie quarterback, high draft pick, good guy. We like the challenges.”
(There have been an awful lot of players testing positive across the league in the past few days. I think it’s up to seven teams in the enhanced protocol. How much thought have you given to any of that? Are you being extra careful now or has it changed anything for you?) – “The numbers are crazy. The numbers are crazy. I’ve been on my own same routine I’ve been doing all year. I wear a mask when I’m out in public or if I’m in a crowded – I know in that one video I didn’t have a mask on, they just wanted me to do a quick shoutout but that whole event I had my mask on, being extra cautious. It’s not just for me. It’s for me, my teammates, my family at home, my wife. I just keep with the same routine though.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores sounded like he was not going to order you guys not to go out for the next month but have you guys as players collectively talked about maybe not going out as much because there are so many positives now in society?) – “Yeah, there’s a lot. We haven’t really had too many discussions as players just going out because obviously, we don’t go out. It’s the season, right? We go to practice, we go home, study and get ready for the next day. There’s been a couple talks of like – we’ve talked about how many positives are going on and how things are really starting to go on the other side. I think guys are more aware of if they go out, just put a mask on at least and just be cautious.”
(Do you worry about high-profile athletes who have suffered from COVID and are now living with the consequences, like Lewis Hamilton has talked today. One of the best strikers in the world in soccer retired because of the effects of when he had COVID. What do you think about that and does that worry you that COVID could affect your game?) – “Yeah, it doesn’t matter if you’re a high-profile athlete or somebody working in an office job, COVID does not discriminate. It does not matter. Whether like, to your question, whether it’s high profile or you’re just the average person working, you should be cautious. Right now with COVID, you can be selfish thinking I have to go out there and play, which we all want to compete but we have to think about the greater good. If I spread it to a teammate and maybe he spreads it to his wife then spreads it to their little child, you don’t know how that child will be affected, right? It’s more than just sports.”
Xavien Howard – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
CB Xavien Howard
(So I know every opponent is supposed to be treated the same. But I’m just curious, do you have good memories of some of your games against the N.Y. Jets? Do you like playing the Jets?) – “Yeah, it’s a big game. I really don’t remember – well, I do remember some stuff but it’s a new team, new players and new receivers so I just can’t think of what I did in the past.”
(What do you think of QB Zach Wilson and getting your first look at him after you didn’t see him the first time?) – “It’s good. It’s always good to have a quarterback – a fresh quarterback – coming in. Just ready to execute, really.”
(Would you be able to play some running back if called upon? Right now, RB Duke Johnson is kind of the only guy you’ve got.) – “He’s enough. We’ve got Duke. He can handle that. (laughter)”
(Do you feel like guys are coming in after the bye week refreshed, ready to go, hungry for these last four games?) – “Yeah, most definitely. A lot of guys are fresh coming back. We’re really just excited to just get back on the field.”
(How does it change things potentially if S Jevon Holland can’t go?) – “Next man up mentality. Due to this COVID, there’s a lot of stuff going on with the COVID. It’s just the next man up mentality.”
(Did you catch any of the games on Sunday? And if so, what moments caught your attention?) – “The Buffalo Tampa game. That was a big game. Just watching football and just learning from mistakes they make on defense.”
(How do you feel about the fact that the team is sort of back in the mix and that these games could play a role in maybe even making the playoffs? Is that exciting to you? Do you appreciate the opportunity? What are your thoughts on that?) – “I treat it like one game at a time. It’s always the next game is important. I’m going to focus on the Jets right now and that’s really all I’m worried about right now. We’ve just got to take care of what’s in front of us right now.”
(How often does Head Coach Brian Flores drill that message into you guys, just worry about the game right now?) – “Every day.”
(How many times a day?) – “(Expletive), I don’t know. A lot. A lot. (laughter)”
