Austin Jackson – July 29, 2022
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Friday, July 29, 2022
OL Austin Jackson
(How has the transition to right tackle gone? Are you comfortable there? Are you optimistic about the possibilities?) – “Oh yeah, I’m very comfortable. I’m very optimistic for every opportunity that I have to lock down a position and contribute for my team and play my best ball yet.”
(Are you happy to back at a tackle position, albeit not the one you were at before?) – “I enjoy playing tackle. It’s definitely something I’ve done a lot of film study on in the past. I did enjoy playing guard. Just playing offensive line in general is really my specialty, as Mike would say.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene let us know that he stopped eating meat and became a vegan. Have you changed anything about your diet before?) – “No, never. Actually, I did once. I was actually vegan for like two games at USC – Southern Cal. I watched this documentary called Game Changers. It’s like – the whole premise is going vegetarian. It didn’t work for me though. I’m a lineman. (laughter)”
(When you sat down with Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum, did he explain to you why he thought right tackle was the best opportunity for you to help this team? What sort of reasons were shared with you as to why that’s the spot they think they can maximize you and you can help?) – “Sitting down with all my coaches, really – I don’t think it was just (Coach) Applebaum when we talked about this. But they definitely wanted to utilize my athleticism at the position in this offense. Learning the scheme – it’s my first time playing in this scheme, so that’s exciting. I’ve made great strides and have great coaches working behind me and getting me better.”
(Is there a right tackle whose film you enjoyed watching, someone who played in the system?) – “I watch a lot of offensive tackles play, not just necessarily based on a name basis. But you know. I watch Tristan Wirfs, of course. I used to watch Ryan Ramczyk a lot over at the Saints. Really just any tackle. It all comes down to fundamentals at the end of the day.”
(With T Terron Armstead, any mentoring of you he’s done, where is it focused? Has it been more off-field stuff? More technique stuff? Technique stuff, where has Terron been the biggest help for you?) – “Definitely technique stuff. Definitely technique – he is a technician. I’m definitely hearing a lot of his teaching points on just having good body leverage and giving me – just having tools to utilize your athleticism with technique. So it’s definitely been very helpful from him. He’s a big vet for us, so there’s definitely a lot of knowledge there.”
(How challenging would you say it’s been to learn this offense?) – “Challenging – I wouldn’t say challenging. It’s actually been very exciting to learn this offense, honestly. I think every install we get to learn a new little page of our scheme, and it excites me. It gets me excited to get on the field and execute.”
(Did it do anything to the morale of the offensive line room, the fact that the new staff comes in, and despite any struggles last year, says, “We still believe in you guys. We still think we can put you in the best position to success?”) – “Oh yeah, for sure. That’s the business, that’s your job. So we definitely want to cooperate and execute. We’re definitely glad they believe in us.”
(A couple of the linemen have talked about how in this particular scheme, it’s like less hesitation and react, more attack, like you determine … Can you explain to me a little bit more about how that works and why that might be helpful?) – “So our biggest advantage on offense is we know the snap count and we know what play we’re running. The defense’s job is to react; it’s our job to attack, even though we kick backwards. (laughter) Most majority of the pass pros, our job is still to attack. That makes a huge difference in our approach to the game. I think it’s very similar to how I was coached at USC as well. So it’s kind of like getting into my fundamentals for me and my mindset.”
(What has Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre’s role been as he goes from o-line coach to the assistant o-line coach under Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum?) – “He’s been great for us. He’s been around since my first year here. I think he had the same two-man position my rookie year and then he had his shot last year. He’s a great coach. He’s a Super Bowl champion, a veteran offensive lineman just into a great offensive line coach. He’s just been able to help us tremendously. Him really knowing his players is huge. He knows what he has in the room and what we need.”
(Is there a greater sense of pride or importance to the right tackle position knowing it protects the blindside of a left-handed quarterback?) – “Oh, of course. I take a lot of pride in whatever position I play, really, at the end of the day, just because that’s the name of the game. That’s the name of the position. Moving back to tackle, I’ve always had pride in playing tackle. I got drafted as a tackle. I’ve always had my own selfish pride about playing tackle. So, that’s my own little personal thing, but overall, glad to play regardless.”
(It was noted on Twitter that you look slim and fit and trim. Is the body fat down a little bit?) – “My body fat is down a lot. I would say probably like eight percent from last year. I had a really good – really great offseason. I won’t say good, I’m going to say great. A really great offseason.”
(Weight-wise, what are you down from?) – “I reported around this time last year at the upper 320s, and I’m now at like a really lean 310 with my lean muscle mass higher as well.”
(You still have a lot of supporters in the building, even with the coaching change, one of them obviously is General Manager Chris Grier, who really believes in you picking you 18th. Has Chris made any comment to you about the faith that they have in you?) – “I haven’t talked to Chris like that in a second.”
Cedrick Wilson Jr. – July 29, 2022
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Friday, July 29, 2022
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
(How does this Florida heat compare to Texas heat?) – “It’s not too bad yet. I hear it’s going to get worse. The humidity is definitely different, though.”
(How has this offense been picking up? I know the spring was a lot of install and a lot of getting used to your calls and scheme as a whole. How do you feel like you guys have developed now in training camp?) – “I feel like the group is definitely coming along. We’re definitely getting to the later installs now that we’re going on practice four. But most of the guys are just getting refreshed and getting out there and actually running at full speed again. I feel like we’re picking up pretty good for the most part.”
(You guys have used different receiver combinations with every different team. I’m curious what the advantage of that is to play with receivers from WR Tyreek Hill all the way down to the undrafted rookies. How does that kind of help you come along?) – “It helps me and my aspect of whether I’ve got to help the next guy out or he has to help me out, it’s going out there and knowing the assignment and either getting the job done with whoever is next to you or pushing the guy next to you to get the job done like you are.”
(This particular offense, do you have to learn two or three spots?) – “Yeah, in this offense, you have to learn all of them pretty much. We move around a lot. There’s a lot of formations. It’s pretty much the same plays, very good plays, but in different formations. I feel like that’s most offenses as well.”
(Is there anything that Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker has sort of taught you or opened your eyes to in your first few months around him?) – “Yeah, definitely get your shoulders past the defender. That’s like the biggest coaching point. You can win most of your routes once you get that done. And get off the ball.”
(What have you picked up about QB Tua Tagovailoa from working with him?) – “He can throw. He can throw that ball. It’s accurate and he’s always on point. He’s going to joke with you but as soon as you get in the huddle, it’s time to go.”
(What’s it like with QB Tua Tagovailoa in the huddle? How is his demeanor?) – “He knows what he’s talking about when he’s saying it. He’s very knowledgeable of the playbook and you can definitely tell the intensity once you’re in the huddle. Once you’re lining up, you know he’s going to get his job done so you better get yours done.”
(What’s it like seeing a different person in the huddle versus out of it?) – “I feel like that’s the balance of football. Football when we’re in the game versus when we’re hanging out in the locker room, I feel like you need that. No one can be just a football player all the time.”
(So much is made about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s accuracy. How does that benefit the wide receivers? Ball placement, capture in stride – how does that help you take your game to the next level?) – “I feel like it’s more so get to the spot because you know he’s going to hit it. If you’re not in that spot, you’re probably not going to catch the ball.”
(You have some punt return experience from your time in Dallas. Is that something that you would enjoy doing here as well?) – “I’ll do whatever’s called upon me.”
(I know WR Michael Gallup went down last season but what were some things that really worked for you in your favor as you played and had a lot of success last year?) – “I feel like definitely him going down was really not in my favor because that’s one of my best friends, so it was hard to see him go down. But he gave me the opportunity to go out there and show what I’ve been practicing. I feel like I stepped in when they needed me. And just like when he came back healthy, he came back out there and he didn’t miss a beat. Then he obviously went down again and I had to step back up for the team while I was there.”
(What stands out about WR Erik Ezukanma?) – “He’s big, physical. Definitely going to be useful once we all get going.”
(Can you talk about these running backs here and what you recognize from them so far?) – “A lot of them are fast. All of them are fast. Sometimes you can barely see the number of who is running but they’re all hitting holes and moving forward.”
(Blocking at the wide receiver position is going to be pretty important in this offense. What have you heard from Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker or anybody else in that aspect?) – “Get in position in the play for the blocking scheme and the blocking will take care of itself.”
(What is learning this playbook like for a wide receiver? We heard WR Tyreek Hill say the other day that it’s kind of tricky that there were times he had to go to Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker and say he didn’t understand something. How challenging is it to pick up from your position?) – “At first, it was pretty tricky because one, you’ve got to break down all of the formations just to know where to line up. Then once you get lined up, now you’ve got to know which play it is, who is getting tagged and who is not. I feel like it’s one of those things that once you get it, it’s kind of hard to forget because it’s just going to be second nature.”
(Do you feel like QB Tua Tagovailoa has enough of a command on this offense that when you get into the huddle, even if you are a little shaky of where you need to line up and what you need to do, do you feel like he’s got it locked in him?) – “Oh, he’s locked in. He’ll tell you what you have if you definitely don’t know what you have.”
(You had a 74 percent catch percentage last year on 45-of-61 targets. When you see the ball and it winds up in your hands more likely than not, what’s the pride that you are taking in having that stat in your favor?) – “I feel like that’s what my job is – catch the ball when it’s thrown to me. If I’m not doing that, I probably wouldn’t have a job. Yeah, I take pride in it because it’s my preparation – catching it. Shoot, that’s how I feed my folks.”
(The other day Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about the value of adding WR Mohamed Sanu, someone that’s been around this offense and seen it. WR River Cracraft has worked in this offense. So have WR Trent Sherfield. How valuable have those guys been to kind of help in the receivers room get the offense down?) – “They’re extremely helpful. Shoot, I sit next to all three of them so I’m always asking them questions on the side when Wes (Welker) is installing or Mike (McDaniel) is installing. They’ve both been in it for a while sitting right next to me. ‘Mo’ (Mohamed Sanu) definitely has vet status so he’s taking it to the next step of just overall helping you with the football game.”
(Have you guys had a competition to see who can throw the football the best? I know you guys are both former quarterbacks.) – “We haven’t yet but the day is coming. (laughter)”
(Since WR Tyreek Hill was acquired, have you thought about how having him and WR Jaylen Waddle is going to affect coverage on you? Because I would imagine if you see a third or fourth cornerback in single coverage, you’re going to have an advantage every time with your skillset. Is that something you’ve thought about?) – “Definitely with the two speed guys on the outside, it’s going to leave me with a little more open room. That’s when I feel like I thrive the most is when someone is covering me one-on-one.”
(What have your first impressions been of CB Noah Igbinoghene at corner?) – “Physical. I like his energy. I like how he’s turning into a pro at a young age. It’s good for a young player like that.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene stopped eating meat. He told us he’s a vegan.) – “Everybody has their methods. I definitely couldn’t stop eating meat.”
(Who has caught your eye among the DBs on this team besides CB Noah Igbinoghene and CB Xavien Howard? CB Trill Williams? S Jevon Holland? Anything on any of those guys that you’ve noticed?) – “Yeah, Trill has definitely had a good two days of camp. A big, physical, young player as well. He definitely has a high ceiling on his game.”
Melvin Ingram – July 28, 2022
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Thursday, July 28, 2022
LB Melvin Ingram
(Earlier today, Head Coach Mike McDaniel was saying you were sort of fighting the coaches tooth and nail to get out there more yesterday. I just wanted to get your perspective on that.) – “It’s just a competitive nature, you know how that goes. You want to get out there in practice and make plays. It’s just a competitive nature. I’m just being smart and listening to the coaches. Whatever they want me to do.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel told us that you basically convinced the coaches to let you do some team drills yesterday. Why was that so important for you?) – “I like playing football, man. It’s all football to me. I’m just trying to get out there and have fun.”
(Even though you’re not actually on the field, I’ve seen you constantly talking to the coaches. That’s part of it, right?) – “Yes, you have to be a student of the game. Football is really like 85 percent mental. If you know what’s going on, you know what’s (going to) happen. If I was (going to) come punch you and you knew it, you would duck. So it’s all about just being a student of the game.”
(Inaudible) – “Oh man, it’s great. It’s great – there’s nothing like being healthy. You know injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, and when you’re definitely healthy, I know who I am and what I’m capable of. So, it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be special.”
(What’s your target weight?) – “I don’t know. It’s probably – I don’t know to be honest. I feel great. Whatever I come in at, I’m going to be me.”
(What are you seeing out there, being able to observe?) – “Oh, I see a lot of special players, a lot of talent, a bright future and a lot of guys just out there working. That’s the biggest part about it. When you have a lot of guys out there working and everybody is competing on a day-in and day-out basis, it can be special.”
(They look like a group that’s been together since basically June.) – “Definitely. They definitely do. They definitely look like they’re clicking on all cylinders. You know we still have a long way to go, we’re just building stepping-stones. So it definitely looks special though.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips mentioned that you’ve been helping him out. What’s something that you know now that you kind of wish you knew in your first year or two in the NFL?) – “Just how much being a student to the game means to it and how much of studying your craft day-in and day-out, working your craft. That’s going to hone-in and make you the best player that you can be and that’s what you control. So it’s all about controlling what you can control.”
(Are you willing to share the spin move with him? Or is that top secret?) – “Yes, of course. (laughter) I’ll share everything. I’m not holding (anything) a secret, man. I’m sharing everything, because the better he is, the better we are.”
(What’s impressed you so far about LB Jaelan Phillips?) – “Man, just everything. Just how he works, his knowledge of – being a young guy and how much knowledge he has to the game and how he goes about his work every day, how he goes out there and works and his work ethic.”
(A new team, new setting for you, but do you feel like you’ve gotten yourself incorporated, entrenched into the squad?) – “A thousand percent. Man, I’m me – I’m (going to) fit in anywhere.”
(Why is that? What is it about you that …?) – “It’s just me, man. I’m different. I’m a special person. So I fit in no matter where I go. I’m going to come in and do whatever they ask me to do, how they want me to do it, when they want me to do it. So I’m going to fit in no matter where I go.”
(It sounds like you’re happy to fit in any role they want you in. You’ve been obviously a long-time starter, a high level performer. It sounds like you’re okay at this point if you have a rotational role and that you don’t … ?) – “I’m (going to) still be me. Let me cut you off – I’m (going to) still be me.”
(So is starting important to you at this stage of your career?) – “No, I’m going to still be me. Once I’m not doing that (anymore), it’s time for me to go home.”
(In that vein, we talked to Head Coach Mike McDaniel earlier today, and he said that your pressures, there was no drop off there. The sacks may have been a little down, but the pressures and your disruptions are the same. Is that where you’re coming from?) – “Of course, I’m still me. I don’t like to talk nobody’s head off. Time will show that I’m still me.”
(Surrounded by so many young players, do you feel like you have more of a leadership role this season than you’ve had in the past?) – “Not really. Not really. I’m going to go out and work, and that’s how you lead. You lead by example. No matter if I’m around young, old or whatever, I’m going to go out and do me. I’m going to be myself, and if people follow, they follow.”
(Was there a Dolphins coach, Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer or Head Coach Mike McDaniel, who called you before you signed here just to tell you their vision for you? Or was it handled strictly by your agent?) – “No, it was handled by my agent. They took care of all that stuff. That’s what I hired him for. You do that, I play football. (laughter)”
(Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, once you obviously had a chance to meet with him, I’m not asking for state secrets, but generally did he describe what he envisioned you doing?) – “Coming in and being myself. ‘Just come be you and everything else will take care of itself.’”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that when he studied the film, he noticed that you have a lot of pressures, even in instances where you didn’t get the sack. How do you value pressures as opposed to sacks?) – “It’s all about affecting the quarterback. (In the) grand scheme of things, you want to affect the quarterback. So, as long as you are affecting the quarterback – sacks, pressures, batted passes – no matter what it is, as long as you’re affecting the quarterback, you’re doing your job.”
(How did you wind up with No. 6?) – “I just put on a jersey, actually. It was just a jersey, and I just put on a jersey. You see I have somebody else’s number, I just threw a jersey on.”
(You didn’t pick No. 6?) – “No, just to come out here and practice.”
(So what are you going to do long-term?) – “Jersey number? I don’t know. I might go ‘Agent Zero.’ I might wear (No.) 0 out there. I don’t know. You never know. We’re figuring it out.”
(Tyreek Hill: “Yeah, because you’re not LeBron [James] – take off [No.] 6, bro.”) “You’re doing something right when they’re hating on you. (laughter)”
Jaylen Waddle – July 28, 2022
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Thursday, July 28, 2022
WR Jaylen Waddle
(It might be hard to know this before being in actual games, but do you have a feel yet of how WR Tyreek Hill’s presence is going to help you? Is your expectation that you’ll get less attention?) – “I think we all work together in unison, not just him ‘Mike G’ (Mike Gesicki) and all the playmakers we have on this team. If we work together as one, we’re going to be pretty good.”
(Are you expecting teams might not pay as much attention to you as they did without WR Tyreek Hill opposite of you?) – “I can’t say this early. I know you’ve got to be prepared for him, you’ve got to game plan for him, just like you have to game plan for the other playmakers we’ve got on our team.”
(You were used pretty much exclusively in the slot last year. How difficult is this camp for you to work in all of the positions and all of the movements?) – “It’s still learning. Luckily we got some practices in OTAs. I’m kind of familiar with how (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) calls plays and things like that. We’re learning and trying to get better each and every day.”
(What’s the next step in the evolution of your game?) – “I think just knowledge. Being in the room with ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill), and ‘Mo’ (Mohamed Sanu Sr.), you think you know everything about the game. But guys who have been playing in the league teach you a lot in the short time they’ve been here.”
(Coach talked about shorter practices and trying to maximize every rep. How do you approach that every day knowing that you will not be out here as long and making sure you’re familiar with everything?) – “Coach really puts emphasis on being deliberate. I just take that in mind of being deliberate each and every rep, knowing you don’t have many. But I try to get every rep as a game rep so none of them are wasted.”
(What’s something you know this year – you say knowledge and learning in the room. What’s something you have learned that sticks out to you?) – “Just the knowledge of the game. For me, ‘Mo’ (Mohamed Sanu Sr.) has been here for two days, and every time he tells me to run to the huddle or little things like that. He’ll be like peep the safeties and stuff like that, I think that’s really helping me out.”
(What goals do you have for yourself this year?) – “For me personally, I’m not too big in goals. I just try to be myself, go out there and be consistent each and every week and try to help the team win.”
(What’s the process of when you find out that you’re getting the orange jersey, what is that like behind the scenes?) – “They tell you pretty early, so me, I was just thinking about my playlist. I had the best playlist so far. I saw some of y’all nodding your heads, you know what I mean? (laughter)”
(What part of this offense do you like most and what part do you think is going to maximize your skills the most?) – “I really like how we got answers for everything. Everything a defense could do, we pretty much have answers for it. That’s what I like. There are a lot of options for each and everybody to make plays and share the ball.”
(Are you wearing tinted contacts?) – “Yes, tinted.”
(What’s the story behind those?) – “Mike thought they would help me play better wearing tinted contacts. You probably are thinking why my eyes are red and stuff like that, but it’s for a reason. It’s not for style.”
(How does it help you?) – “For me, these are prescribed tinted. It looks like I’ve got sunglasses on right now looking at y’all. It kind of helps in the return game, me eyeing on the ball, and really emphasis on the ball and where I put my hands when I catch it.”
(What’s most impressed you about being around WR Tyreek Hill, just in your four months around him?) – “Just his energy. He’s going to be the same guy each and every day on the field and off the field. He’s a high energy guy and he’s a great player. It’s fun to see him out here making plays, and then going into film, he’s going to talk. It’s pretty good.”
(How would you describe the contrast in your relationship with WR Tyreek Hill and your personalities?) – “We’re like big bro, little bro kind of relationship between me and ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill). He’s a real high energy guy – early in the morning, late when he’s tired, he’s going to be the same person. That’s always good.”
(What’s your sense on what kind of approach you think Head Coach Mike McDaniel will take in calling the offense?) – ‘Aggressive. I think he trusts in us to know our jobs and know where we’re supposed to be. When you have trust in your guys, I think you can be aggressive in the play calls.”
Tyreek Hill – July 28, 2022
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Thursday, July 28, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(How exciting is it just the possible combination of you and WR Jaylen Waddle? How special could Jaylen be eventually and what both of you can collectively do?) – “It’s going to be fun. I feel like this season is going to be fast and electric, so it’s going to be definitely fun. I’m excited for it and I can’t wait to get to the season. Well, the season is here, but I can’t wait till we actually play against other teams.”
(Having said that, when you guys line up on the same side even during practice, what do think defenses are…?) – “Oh, they’re scared [expletive]. (laughter) I’m going to tell you what. ‘J. Dub’ (Jaylen Waddle), like he’s faster than I thought. Like when I first got here, I was like, okay he’s a 4.3 because typically when you see 4.3 guys, they don’t run as fast on a football field, but ‘J. Dub’ – like he actually runs a 4.3 on the football field. There’s a difference, right? So like I said, I’m very excited for the season. I can’t wait to see him blossom and continue to move his game forward, which I know he will because he comes out here every single day and he works hard and he wants to get better.”
(He said his playlist was the most bumping so far.) – “I wouldn’t say all that, but it was all right. It got us going as you’ve seen today. The offense was kind of rolling today, so you could say that.”
(On third downs with you and WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Mike Gesicki and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. and either RB Chase Edmonds or RB Raheem Mostert – can teams stop you if you execute as you should?) – “I’m going to say this, dawg. I never say like another man will be able to stop us, you know what I’m saying? It really doesn’t matter who lines up across (from) us. I know that Coach McDaniel and Tua (Tagovailoa), they’ve got all the confidence in every single guy that lines up on offense to win their matchup, so that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle described your relationship as lil bro, big bro. How would you describe it?) – “Same way. I feel like it’s one of those situations that I feel like – like I’ve been in the league for some time now and I know that my time is going to come to an end soon, so I just want to see him continue to grow his game, continue to learn the same way I did because I feel like when he came into the league; he didn’t have like that big bro. It was just him. He just came and he still put up a thousand yards, so I’m going to do anything I can to help him move his game forward, help him succeed in this league.”
(What do you like about the plays that are in this particular playbook?) – “What do you mean? From Kansas City to here?”
(No, no. I mean the 49ers-Mike McDaniel-Shanahan style offense. They give you the playbook, probably on an iPad these days, right? And you’re looking through it. What do you like about it?) – “I’ll tell you what, man – trying to learn that stuff is probably the hardest thing that I’ve ever been a part of in an offense, and I’m a smart guy when it comes to understanding football plays and concepts, but like when I first got here, I’m like, ‘Coach Wes (Welker), I do not understand any of this.’ But once I learned the offense, everything began to click, the concepts and stuff like that. It’s a lot of misdirections, a lot of play-action passes and for a speed guy like me, being able to run across the field freely and catch the ball and just get up field; it’s a match made in heaven, baby.”
(You’ve got your podcast obviously and you were on First Take recently. It feels like you’re even more visible since you’ve been down here than ever before. What has this process been of kind of finding your voice and expanding that brand?) – “I don’t know, man. I just had some talks with my family, dawg. My mom, my girl and they were just like, ‘bro, people just really need to understand who you are as a person, as a player, as a father, also as a teammate.’ I just feel like sometimes football players, we have a helmet on during the whole game so people really don’t know who we are or understand the person. So I was just trying to be another outlet for active athletes, to be different, to have his own YouTube, have his own podcast, be on social media a lot. So it’s definitely nothing that I changed my day job for, but it’s fun.”
(What do you think that LB Melvin Ingram can do here that he couldn’t do in Kansas City?) – “Well hopefully he can make a basketball shot because in Kansas City we had a basketball (hoop) in the locker room and he could not hit a shot. (laughter) So hopefully he can do that. But I think Melvin (Ingram), he brings that veteran leadership, brings a certain mentality to that side of the ball – aggressive, old school, big-body thumper. So I think for him to come to Miami, he’s a great addition to already a great defense.”
(If you and WR Jaylen Waddle were cars, what kind of cars would you guys be on the football field?) – “I’m going to tell you like this. If we were cars – I’m going to give you the joking answer first – if we were cars and we were racing you would compare him to like, a 2003 Honda Civic and then I would be like a Maserati or something. You know what I’m saying? (laughter) But realistically, if me and him are on the same side, same football field, teammates side by side, it’d be like a Lambo and a Ferrari.”
(Have you ever had anybody with speed close to yours lining up with you?) – “I mean, obviously, man. I played with a lot of fast guys. I played with a fast guy last year – Mecole Hardman – who can also play football. A lot of people don’t give him credit for him just being able to come in as a young guy and be able to play in that style of an offense, so he’s another fast guy.”
(Yesterday QB Tua Tagovailoa was saying he appreciated having you as a teammate. What have you made of the national reaction to you basically just being positive about your teammate and having such a polarizing opinion nationally?) – “I just feel like people, man, they just take [expletive] and they just run with it, dawg. You know how people are. They really don’t read the headlines. Obviously I said what I said, Tua was more accurate. But ‘One-Five’ (Patrick Mahomes), he’s always going to be ‘One-Five.’ Speaking of Mahomes, like he’s great. Like he’s arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks I feel like I played with or in this league right now. So national attention? I’ll take it, so that’s good range for me and my podcast. We’ll take it all day. (laughter)”
(Have you always worked this hard in practice…?) – “Always. I’ve always been like this. When I first arrived in Kansas City, I got drafted as a fifth-round draft pick. I feel like I could have went higher, but my mom always told me ‘control what you can control and that’s you energy and that’s your effort.’ So every day I step out here on this field, it doesn’t matter what I did in the past – Super Bowl rings, whatever the case, how many contracts I signed, all that [expletive] goes out the window because when I line up on this football field, I’m out here trying to do the same thing over and over again. Compete and have fun and make my teammates better. That’s my mindset.”
(Have you always had this level of confidence or later in your life you kind of started developing confidence?) – “I’ve always been like this even when I was a kid, too, though. I used to talk back to my dad when I was a kid, so even when playing one-on-one like, ‘you suck.’ Stuff like that. (laughter) I feel like I’ve always had that confidence.”
(On that note of practicing hard with these shorter practices and less reps, can you talk about how deliberate you have to take each one of value and each rep you’re getting out there?) – “I think it’s better. I feel like when you come out here, you’ve got an understanding of how practice is going to be. It’s going to be fast. Like you said, it’s going to be deliberate and you’re going to get the most out of it because like, ‘Okay, I got four reps in this period. I got four reps in this period. I know I’ve got to go full-speed every rep.’ So I mean, I’m a sprinter. All you guys know sprinters get tired fast because we’ve got quick-twitch muscles. So for me being able to go in four reps each period and do my thing and run full speed and then come out and take a break; fast and deliberate is great, man.”
(There’s a lot of talk on what Patrick Mahomes will look like without you, you’ll look like without Patrick. Is there any added motivation now that you’re away from the Chiefs to show that you’re still that same guy?) – “No, I just feel like all I can do is just be me. Be me and just help this team win games. ‘One-Five’ (Patrick Mahomes) – he’s still going to be great. ‘TK’ (Travis Kelce) is still going to be great. That whole team is still going to be great, so I just feel like – like I said – all I can do is just control what I can control. That’s my energy, that’s my effort and that’s my intensity every time I step on this field.”
Mike McDaniel – July 28, 2022
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Thursday, July 28, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(OL Connor Williams told us in June that he expects to be a center here so I was curious what the thinking was with you and General Manager Chris Grier in terms of if you had the option you could have brought in someone who had played center – veteran free agent center to compete with OL Michael Deiter. Why did you decide to move Connor instead of going that other route? Was it just Connor’s skillset you said “this is a guy who can be a good NFL center?”) – “We weren’t signing him to be necessarily a center. We were signing an offensive lineman. We thought his skillset would best be utilized at the center position. With him only having limited reps at it, we wanted to give him a full opportunity to make what we think what we know. But first and foremost, we weren’t going after Connor because it was like, ‘hey, this guy is a center.’ We think he is a good offensive lineman that can play multiple positions. That’s why those types of signings are intriguing because you can try stuff and I know he’s going to do everything to be the best that he can be at that position, but if the team is better off with him at another position, that’s the great thing about Connor, is that he’s learning the offense from the inside-out at the position where you learn everything – the center position.”
(Would you say that would preclude you from looking outside if say it’s late August, early September? There are obviously veteran centers available.) – “You’re just trying to do the best thing that’s available to you with your options. You exhaust everything and then you’re sitting there saying, ‘Okay well, what’s better?’ (Is it) this scenario where you know injuries, you have Connor at center and you’re signing someone else off the street or there’s somebody from your practice squad or within; or you don’t just black-and-white that to me and I know that’s the way Chris (Grier) feels as well having – the biggest thing is that you exhaust all scenarios so that you can attempt to do the best thing for the Miami Dolphins.”
(In terms of the position from your scheme, what are you looking for at center in sort of a wide zone scheme?) – “Everybody at every position wants the biggest, fastest, strongest. And so you want someone that can really move. You don’t always have to move to be an effective center. There’s multiple ways of being a productive player, but in an ideal world, you can do the best job attacking a defense if you have some athleticism at the position and then you have some strength because it’s close-quarters contact a lot of times. You have someone breathing on you as close to the ball as any other player on the line of scrimmage. And then you have to learn more about them. You have to learn – they have to make line calls that four other players plus tight ends are depending on, so that we’re all on the same page. That orchestration especially in modern-day NFL is tough, so you have to know a component of their mental capability as well, which is why Connor (Williams) was so attractive to us because it’s house money – that’s an NFL guard or center, in our opinion.”
(I wanted to ask you about play calling. Will you be speaking directly to QB Tua Tagovailoa, relaying the plays to him?) – “Mhm.”
(And so between now and the first game of the regular season, how do you plan to go about the rehearsal part of that?) – “Well, you’ll be happy to know that we work on it every day. That’s why you’ll see me communicating with the walkie talkie. That’s what’s simulating that, that we communicate as much as possible in that vein, speaker to ear. They get comfortable hearing the way that sounds, as words can sound alike. Xs sound like Fs. You have to get used to how people talk. You have to get reps and mess it up. Every day, that’s why we do it in that fashion, so we’re prepared to communicate to each other on game day come Week 1.”
(How aggressive do you think your mindset will be? I know it can vary from game to game, but overarchingly, going for it on fourth down, attacking the sticks early in the series, how aggressive do you think you’ll be?) – “I think – it’s kind of a boring answer, but I’m just very careful to not make an absolute, because I think it’s important to kind of evaluate the scenario in all the given circumstances. Case and point, by nature, I’m an aggressive guy when it comes to football and like to utilize and make big plays and utilize speed and all that stuff. But there was a transition, an experience, that really stood out in 2019. It was the first time we had ever coached offense and had a Top 10 defense. When you had that, there were certain games that you realize that being aggressive might be an unnecessary risk; if the defense isn’t going to allow a point, why give them an opportunity? So I think it’s important to not pigeonhole yourself. I also think that’s a competitive advantage for the Miami Dolphins, because if you have just a typecast of how you operate, the other team gets paid, too, and defensive coordinators probably know that pattern. So I think that’s the value of approaching each and every situation independently. I know that I’m aggressive, but I have to take into consideration all things. It’s not about offensive stats, it’s about winning the football game. If winning the football game is 3-0, there’s no asterisk on that ‘W’ (win).”
(With LB Melvin Ingram obviously, you got to see him on the field yesterday. A – how did he look after a layoff? And B – what gives you confidence that his level of production will be higher than it was in the last couple of years?) – “You know, it was really cool to see him yesterday, because his plan was – he was practicing for the first time, but he wasn’t scheduled. He wasn’t scheduled – we had planned to not have him in team periods, just so we don’t rush the process and make sure that we don’t put him in harm’s way. He was fighting tooth and nail with the defensive coaches in general. And they thought it was better to – they let the guy in for a couple of plays, which I immediately saw and made sure it was on his agenda, which it was, and that’s what you want as a leader on the team or a veteran player that’s had production. You want to be on the field. You want the younger players to understand it’s a privilege to be on the field. With regard to how I feel about him moving forward, to me, I didn’t really necessarily – I don’t even know how many sacks he totally had, because I don’t look at it that way. My job is to study the player, and what I saw was he had a lot of impact. Specifically, he was a better run defender than I remembered him from the beginning of his career – he’s really grown in that. As a pass rusher, he had a lot of activity in and around the quarterback that, in our opinion, if there was a little more production on those particular plays where he had some really good pass rush moves, he might have – his sack total might be twice or three times whatever it is. So he was already producing a little more than people realized in terms of quarterback pressures, and in the system around the guys that we’re playing with, we’re encouraged to add him to the competition because it’s a group of people. If you want to be a good defense in the National Football League, you have to have depth, because it can’t be conditional that you’re able to really give it your all. Defense can get tiring. You need to be able to have multiple pass rushers from every spot and edge setters and stack linebackers and all that because if you only have one guy, the second that he goes down – we can’t have one player dictate the outcome of an entire defense. So, I’m pumped about his contribution and where he’s at moving forward. I’m excited to see him continue to grow on the defense.”
(You mentioned yesterday that QB Tua Tagovailoa can be super hard on himself. I was curious, is that something you’ve ever personally had to deal with in your career or whatnot with how things work out or whatever? Are there any tips you gave him about how to deal with that?) – “Yes, it’s funny you ask that. I actually did give him a tip. There was a part in my career where I was contributing to the offensive gameplan, and my – I was amongst the team. The team was experiencing a lot of success at the time. My particular – there were some good games we had, specifically in my portion of the gameplan. It was a couple weeks – I was younger in my career, and I started feeling pretty good about myself. Then all of a sudden, we had a poor performance, didn’t produce and I got in the tank and we still won. I felt like I let the team down. I didn’t realize until feeling that how I was totally wrong to begin with, that for me to sit here and think that – for anyone to think that you’re the reason you win or lose, you don’t get the big picture. So for you to sit there and be hard on yourself, what is that doing for your teammates? Is that making you better? I’m cool if it makes you better, which is why it’s cool to be accountable. But you all of a sudden start going off the rails – dude, it doesn’t matter if people are depending on you if you make all the plays you want to or not, you still regardless have the perfect game, you might not win, it’s not about that. It’s about being your best but also relying on your teammates and when you don’t do well, or in my case when I come up with a gameplan that is trash, that isn’t all on me. Players still have to play. It’s nothing individually, it’s all collective. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve been able to tell him.”
(You spoke about this yesterday – the shorter practices – it’s kind of silly to ask you this going into Day 2, but how do you balance that incessant need to get everything done versus the need to keep guys fresh?) – “Very challenging. It ends up – you have to be very forthright with the players so they understand that where you’re making concessions in reps, that that has to be made up in a walkthrough format or whatever. But time has proven that if you want to be elite at something you have to deliberately practice it and practicing it at full speed is the only way to truly adjust your full-speed play. So that – understanding the value and the intent that you have to have and the deliberate nature that you have to approach something on each and every rep, the less reps you do, the more critical it becomes. But we believe and have found that if players are treating practice reps closer to game reps, that it is an overall benefit to them as long as they understand that hey, we need to make these reps up somewhere.”
(The o-line as a whole – there had to be something you liked from OTAs and minicamp to keep alignment consistent first day of camp. What was it about guys at their positions that left you encouraged?) – “That it was the highs and lows, to be honest, because again, we were going against a scheme that was working on building upon what they’d done last year and what they’ve been doing for the last couple years. So in that, Day 1 – and without their techniques, they’re used to doing it. Reps, right? So in that process, you know that they’re at a competitive advantage at the very beginning – the first time you step on the field. And then once that happens for one day, you’re like, ‘yeah, you have the out.’ Then how do you respond, how do you correct stuff? That’s the nature of the business we’re in and not that anything was perfect, it was that individuals were responding to failures and correcting mistakes which is why you’re encouraged moving forward. And each and every player has that opportunity every snap so that’s why even it’s also the biggest deal in the world and unheard of to have guys on the second and third team move up at any position as well. So you’re just trying to keep competition high, get the best out of people and make sure that guys are giving their best effort and getting better each and every day.”
(What were your thoughts on Day 1 and what’s your message heading into Day 2 and where would you evaluate them on the juice level?) – “I had several thoughts. I was very happy with Day 1 because it was a purposeful practice. To me, you can’t – a good practice to me is that the practice was worth something moving forward meaning that both sides of the ball had their best intent so you got an actual physiological rep in the process. And if you weren’t successful, then you can actually – you won’t have to learn that lesson in a game when you’re running full speed. So as long as that’s happening, if we want – all of our guys want to be a very good team. Very good teams are by nature going to have inter-practice adversity because both sides of the ball should be good. They get paid, too, basically. So I was happy from that standpoint and I feel like it put us in a position to get better today, and so then today I’ll be able to validate that hey, yesterday was a real good practice from that standpoint. And the way that I hope the Miami Dolphins practice moving forward is that both sides of the ball – just like any game with two really good teams – both sides of the ball make their plays but also handle adversity and go through it, which is what we’re getting reps in the hot sweat outside every day.”
Raheem Mostert – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(How did it feel to be out there today with everyone?) – “It felt great, honestly. First and foremost, I have to thank the man upstairs for giving me the opportunity to touch the field again. It’s one of those things where coming back from a major knee injury, you have some doubt in your mind as an athlete. But at the same time, it’s also one of those things where you have to go out there and you have to put on not only for yourself, but for your family, for the organization. Just being back out there, man, it just felt great. I was limited to a couple of reps here and there. We’re doing a progression thing. We have a good gameplan – a great gameplan, actually. But it was lovely to be out here with the teammates and stuff. That’s something I wasn’t able to do during OTAs when I first got signed to the team.”
(You’re confident you’ll be ready for Week 1?) – “Oh yeah, I’m going to be ready Week 1.”
(How difficult is it to be patient?) – “It’s difficult, just because I know who I am as an athlete. I like to get and go. I like to – everything is dry cut for me. I like to work. I like to get my reps in, take advantage of the little opportunities that I do have. So just being patient is a little bit of a mind trick, but at the same time, you have to think of the long haul – the end of the picture. So that’s what I look forward to, which is Week 1.
(Presumably, and this is just us guessing, but the way we saw you used in San Francisco, there are going to be some similarities there. Is that fair?) – ‘Yes, a lot of similarities over there that we’re going to be using over here with Mike (McDaniel) and everything and the coaching staff. We’ll see. Hopefully, I’m able to expand my role, just like I’ve always wanted to do. I started doing that and that stuff, but unfortunately with the injury and everything like that, it kind of hindered me … I’m just excited, man – I can’t wait.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about just how impressed he’s been with the training staff and just kind of making sure you guys are patient as you want to get back as quickly as possible. What has your experience been like with those guys since you’ve been here?) – “The training staff, man, they do an unbelievable job. I mean, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) had his surgery a couple years back, and me and him had the same doctor and everything. You’ve seen how he’s performing at a high level, so I’m thankful that I’m even in the building with those guys to be able to go out there. They’re doing their best to try to get me out there on the field and come Sunday, Monday or Thursday, it’s ready to go. I’m truly blessed and thankful that they’re able to have the experience and gameplan in order for me to be out there and be proficient.”
(Being familiar with the wide zone scheme, what’s important to get down early in training camp?) – “To get down early in training camp is, I would say the o-linemen in particular – especially for me. This is a new group of guys that I have to work with and it’s an unbelievable front, but we all have to be on the same page. It’s Day 1, there are going to be mistakes out there. There are going to be things that we have to overcome, but at the end of the day, we have to go out there and we have to mesh together. I know it’s going to click, and when it does, you can tell what’s going to happen. I can’t wait – it’s exciting, man, honestly.”
(So once you’re 100 percent, any shot you and WR Tyreek Hill are going to get that race going?) – “(laughter) We’ll see what that entails. He’s always chirping and talking about he’s the fastest and stuff like that, but there’s a new guy on the block and I have the record to prove it. So when that time comes, we’re definitely going to have a race – me, him, (Jaylen) Waddle and anybody else who wants to.
(T Terron Armstead wants to race too.) – “(laughter) He can jump on in there, we’ll give him like a 30-yarder (head start), you know what I mean? We’ll give him a little something. He might be quick though, because his 40 (-yard dash) time when he was coming out of college was definitely up there, too.”
(T Terron Armstead said he’ll get you in the first 10 yards) – “He’s an o-lineman, I can’t argue with that. They jump out quick. (laughter)”
(How many racks are you guys going to put on this race?) – “(laughter) I don’t know about the money aspect. I can’t really give away details about that stuff – that’s infringement or whatever. No, we’ll see though. It’s going to be a fun time though.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel told us earlier that he’s pretty open about sharing his personal adversity that he’s faced through his career. Can you talk about knowing him from there and here and how that helps you guys relate to him?) – “I was with Mike (McDaniel) for (several) years over there in San Fran. As I would go into his office and talk to him, get the gameplan, get more personal with him because he is the run game coordinator and potentially the offensive coordinator last year. Just getting to know him and getting to know his story, him starting as a GA in multiple places under the Kyle (Shanahan) tree and then working his way up – Washington, being a GA there and then being the wide receivers coach and just starting to evolve, it’s beautiful to see him be able to run a team (and) run it efficiently. I’m excited for him, honestly. I wouldn’t be here without him and likewise, he wouldn’t be here, not including me but in other aspects, too, that he wouldn’t be the head coach as well. We’re always talking. He’s always saying, ‘Hey, Raheem. I wouldn’t be here without you, man.’ I’m saying the same thing to him. That’s just the relationship we have and the relationship that he’s going to build and manifest into other players – it’s going to be awesome to see.”
(QB Trey Lance, you obviously know well, and he’s going to be the starter in San Francisco. Why are you optimistic…) – “I can’t really speak on too much over there just because I’m not there anymore. I think Trey (Lance) is a hell of a quarterback and the situation they have going for him – We’ll see what the big picture is for them. But in regard to speaking on them, all I can say is I truly believe that he is going to be a good quarterback. Like I said, we’ll see what it entails.”
Christian Wilkins – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(So Day 1, new coach, shorter practice. How’s the feeling out there overall as a group?) – “Good. Just a good place to start. Day 1 of training camp. That’s how I feel with a lot of different things, guys shaking the rust off, high energy, everyone’s excited to get back out here. So you know you’re just chomping at the bit and we finally to get be out here and practice so it’s a lot of fun. New beginnings for a lot of guys and stuff, so we’re excited to see what we can do as individuals and as a team.”
(What have you seen from him? Obviously you’ve been under Head Coach Mike McDaniel for a little while now with minicamp and now today. What has surprised you about him or impressed you when it comes to his coaching?) – “Nothing that really necessarily surprised me, but the most impressive thing is he’s the same guy every day. He loves what he does. He brings that same energy every day. Same demeanor, same mindset and it’s infectious and it’s contagious and it’s nice to be around so that’s been the biggest thing I’ve noticed about him.”
(CB Xavien Howard talked about the defense, or him as a whole, sometimes he doesn’t get the respect that he’s supposed to. He says Miami players for some reason don’t get the respect. Not that you have to prove something this year on defense, but do you feel like, ‘Hey, you know what, we need to show the division and the rest of the league that we’re here?’) – “I just definitely feel like if we take care of the things we can take care of – a lot of guys were away training this offseason working their butts off and then just like I said earlier, excited to be back here, get together. So if we just bring it every day and we do the little things right, do the common things in an uncommon way, we’ll command attention of the world. So we just focus on the things that we can do, doing the little things each and every day.”
(What are the advantages to having – you’ve been doing it for a while through OTAs and everything, but the shorter practice? Just a high-intensity shorter practice?) – “Yeah, exactly. That’s exactly it. When we’re out here, we’re working. We’re full-throttle, going and you can’t even get a second to look up, breathe – ‘oh, shoot’ – like no, we’re going. We’re moving, we’re constantly working. So that’s different and it’s a lot of fun and it gets us in good shape in this Miami heat and everything.”
(I take it you prefer it this way, right?) – “It’s good, just short and sweet and it means a lot. So while you’re out here working, your mindset is just different. You’re not just doing busy work or just kind of standing around or looking for things to do. It’s like every minute of practice and every second of practice has a purpose.”
(How do you process this heat day-by-day? You’ve been here for a little bit. How do you because today’s nice…?) – “Yeah, it’s not bad. This is – I ain’t ever had a training camp day like this, it feels like. So this is nice. I’ll take this. I’ll be happy with this. We know as we go on it’ll definitely be hotter, but I have an advantage just being here for a few years, so I know what I need to eat, what I need to drink in order to come out here and be effective. But I think it’s definitely good for us and makes us work harder and we’ve just got no choice but to go through it. That’s part of training camp.”
(If I can have an off-topic question. RB Travis Etienne is coming back after having a layoff last year. Have you talked to him at all about that?) – “I’ve seen him a little bit this offseason. I’m excited for him and the things he’ll do this year. That’s still my brother, one of my college teammates, so I’m always rooting for those guys. Every last one of them. So I’m excited to see what he’ll be able to do.”
(What do you think the league is going to see out of him when he’s fully healthy?) – “Well, really just he’s a guy who – it’s good to see that he’s putting in the work. I feel like a year away from ball kind of just changed his mindset and not saying he didn’t have a good mindset before, but I feel like at least from what I’ve seen and what I’ve talked to him, it just seemed like he’s putting it all together and that’s good. So it’s up to him what the league will see, but I think in years to come he’ll be pretty solid.”
(And how does it feel to specifically talking about you guys being disrespected, the Madden rankings came out a few weeks ago. You got disrespected. CB Xavien Howard got disrespected. How does it feel for you to just have that edge coming into this season? It’s just a game. It’s not the real game, but…) – “Yeah, I mean you always have an edge. If you don’t find ways to motivate you or aren’t self-motivated, you don’t last very long in this league. And every little thing does help. But then again, you can’t pay attention to a lot of those things. Just come out here, work, do what you do, be self-motivated, grind and let everything else take care of itself.”
