Nik Needham – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
CB Nik Needham
(This is our first time talking to you since obviously the tender and everything. How did it feel to get that tender?) – “It was a blessing. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else other than Miami. It was my first team that gave me a shot and kept it honest with me. (They) brought me up from a fat, young dude out of shape, get right, practice squad to starting to playing with these guys. I can’t be more grateful for that opportunity and I’m just ready to keep proving that I can play and compete in this league at a high level and just keep going up from there.”
(How does WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle’s speed compare from tape to the practice field?) – “You’re like, ‘Ah damn, he’s fast on film,’ but then when you really get right in front of him it’s like oh man, those two definitely have a different speed. It’s going to be great this year to just work versus that every day because it’s like, nobody is going to be faster than these two. If we win versus them, we should win a lot.”
(I know Head Coach Mike McDaniel is obviously an offensive-minded guy but what have you seen from him when talking to the defense especially with all the other guys?) – “I think he’s doing a great job of just bringing us all together. A lot of what coach said is, like the schedule dropping like, ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s all about us.’ He does a lot of like, in team meetings he’ll say some jokes or just funny stuff, show stuff on film. Like activities for conditioning, we did a putting contest to run one time. I think all that stuff is building the camaraderie on the team. We all feel the energy in here and it just feels like a different vibe this year for sure. You never know what happens but we just want to keep it going. I love what he’s doing here for sure. He’s a great coach.”
(Now that you’ve got the RFA tender, next up would be getting a long-term contract extension. How much is that on your mind?) – “Like I say every year, just the year that’s in front of me is the most important thing. I’m not really worried about next year, contract or whatever happens. I still have to go out there and perform so I can even get a contract. That’s the only thing on my mind, just win everyday and we’ll see from there.”
(With everybody back on defense. I mean everybody. What are the realistic expectations for this unit?) – “Man, just to go out there and compete and do what we do every week. You don’t ever want to put any predictions because you never know how the game will turn out. Football is a crazy game. I think we all, like I said, camaraderie and we’ve all been together for a long time. I think we have real good chemistry so the sky is the limit for us, that’s what I would say.”
(We spoke to Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer a couple of months ago when we found out he was going to be retained as defensive coordinator. He said the core of what you guys did was going to stay the same but there might be some tweaks because he’s a defensive backs coach at heart. I know you can’t tell us what’s been going on in the meeting rooms but have you noticed anything, any wrinkles?) – “Not as of now. I think he’s trying to keep it real basic because the rookies and stuff are here. I think he’s saving that for training camp so we can get to it and really show it out there. I think as of now, he’s just running his defense and whatever you just said, I haven’t seen that yet. (laughter)”
(I feel like the common misconception is that when you get to the pros, your play sort of stops there. Is there still a part of your game that you still want to improve on?) – “There’s a bunch of parts of my game. There’s no perfect person to me. There’s a bunch of stuff that I can work on and I still work on that stuff. Footwork – you can never be fast enough. You can never jump high enough. All that stuff. I’m trying to work on different parts of my game whether it’s mental or physical.”
(Can you explain the orange practice jersey we saw LB Jaelan Phillips in today?) – “Yeah, so yesterday he won practice player of the day. So they get an orange jersey and they get to choose the music for the whole day.”
(You feeling it?) – “It was cool, yeah it was cool. At the beginning of practice, he kept playing three songs over and over. (laughter) No bueno but then he changed it so it was good.”
(Does it change the competition or get you guys fired up a little more?) – “Nah, I wouldn’t say that. Maybe me because no one plays California music out here so I definitely want to win and play only Cali music. (laughter)”
(Do you have to have a playlist ready?) – “Nah, I think they just tell you after practice and then you get it right the next day.”
(The coaches determine the winner?) – “Yeah, all the coaches.”
(Has there been a guy in the secondary that you’ve seen that has really improved upon last year compared to last?) – “This is only our second practice really so there’s not really a lot to tell. Jevon (Holland) and Brandon (Jones), you can just tell that back there they work together well now. They’ll get on each other, hold each other more accountable because I think they’re comfortable with each other. That’s the big step I see.”
(Did you guys do much this offseason? The defensive side of the ball. Did you guys get together somewhere? Take a trip somewhere?) – “No trips but that’s what Coach (Mike) McDaniel has been preaching too. Just through this OTA phase and offseason we’ve been doing that on the weekends, hanging out and stuff. I think that’s what also helps build good teams, great teams.”
(Obviously we didn’t see CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones out here so you and CB Noah Igbinoghene seemed like you got some good run outside. What have you seen from Noah?) – “Noah has a high motor, super competitive. Every day he’s bringing it, no matter what. If it’s a little drill, like I have to do a little receiver drill, he’s going to go full speed. You have nothing but to respect that. I respect his game and he’s getting more comfortable out there.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene was getting into it with one of the tight ends.) – “Yeah, he does that all the time so that’s him. I know that’s him because he’s super competitive. That’s what we need on the team.”
(Maybe he’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder?) – “Yeah, everybody should have a chip on their shoulder being in the NFL … If you don’t, then you’ll probably get lackadaisical.”
(When people talk about the secondary, people talk about CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones. What do you feel like you bring best to the team? I know some people bring the leadership aspect of the team. What do you feel like is your best trait you bring to the Dolphins?) – “I think for me, I’m just a leader by example. Do everything the right way. Hard worker. Good communicator. Accountable. I’m never going to make a mistake and if I mess up – I’m going to own up to it and try to figure out how to get better and ask my teammates, coaches. That’s the best thing for me that I think I bring is just a lead by example, do the right thing type of guy.”
Sony Michel – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
RB Sony Michel
(How does it feel to be back here?) – “It feels great to be back home, to be with a great team, a team that I’ve watched from a far, a team that I’ve competed against. Knowing guys on the team and knowing what they are about, knowing how hard this team works and seeing how hard this team works, I’m excited.”
(What do you think about that running back room? There are a lot of good players in there right now.) – “Yeah, definitely. A lot of great runners. My whole thing is if you want to be a good runner, you’ve got to compete with great runners. That’s one of the reasons I came here.”
(When you were growing up playing high school ball right down the street, did the thought ever occur to you that you might be in Dolphins colors at some point?) – “It was a dream, an aspiration. I didn’t know how true it would become, but we’re here and I’m excited. Words can’t really describe it.”
(What was your reaction when you got drafted by New England?) – “I was blessed. That’s another opportunity. That’s another dream for every football player to be drafted first of all. To be drafted by a team that has done a great job, for me to go there, build my foundation, learn how to be a professional, it helped me.”
(Does it mean anything to you rocking No. 34 and playing for the Dolphins?) – “Oh yeah, everybody knows this is a great number. Ricky Williams ran the ball hard here and did a lot of numbers. I can’t be rocking it just to rock it. I’ve got to come out here and put in some work.”
(Was there ever a running back posted you had on your wall? You grew up here in South Florida. Was Ricky Williams that guy?) – “Ronnie Brown. I had Ronnie Brown. Reggie Bush, he was here for a little bit. Those are some of the guys.”
(Was there a time where you were close to signing here ever before this month, over the last few years? Was it ever realistic? Were you approached?) – “Not really because I was still on my rookie contract. You can’t really get out of that.”
(How about before the draft? Was there much contact between the Dolphins and your agent, or did this not ever materialize until after the draft?) – “Not until after the draft. Not until free agency.”
(Can you talk about the talks you had with Head Coach Mike McDaniel? He really values the running back room heavily.) – “Yeah. He’s a coach that believes in running the football and I believe in this league to be successful, you have to run the football and stop the run. He’s committed to it, and that’s a reason why I came here also.”
(You said it wasn’t necessarily always a dream for you but at what point in your career growing up down here did you realize something like this could realistic for you, that you could become a pro in the game of football?) – “When I used to play for the Patriots, knowing that we played the Dolphins was kind of cool to me, knowing that I could come home and play in front of my family. They were super close. Now when I was a free agent, getting the opportunity to pick the home team, it kind of helped.”
(What about growing up in high school down here, I know you were a phenom since you were in eighth grade. At what point did reaching these heights become something that you said ‘ok, that may be realistic?’) – “It was a process for me. It was the step of going to college and when I was in the process of college, that became the idea or a potential idea of playing for the Dolphins.”
(Is there a game against Miami that stands out for you?) – “I’d say my first 100-yard game was against Miami in my career.”
(Now that you’ve come back, how many tickets are you going to be responsible for for home games?) – “I’m going to try to limit them since we pay for tickets. (laughter)”
(There are four starting NFL running backs on the roster with you, RB Raheem Mostert, RB Chase Edmonds and RB Myles Gaskin. Is your hope to be the starter opening day? Are you coming in here thinking it’s an open competition and you can seize that?) – “Definitely. Iron sharpens iron. I know these guys’ skillsets. They are all great running backs. They are all great runners. To your point, they are all starters. I think it benefits this team that we all compete our best and eventually we’ll be our best. The opportunities will come. You’ve just got to take advantage of them.”
(With your two Super Bowl experiences, what can you bring this organization from that standpoint?) – “Just keeping my head down and working. I think that’s all I know. I think that’s all I’m going to continue to do. And earn my teammates’ trust.”
River Cracraft – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
WR River Cracraft
(How is that transition from Washington State out here to South Florida?) – “The humidity is crazy, huh? I’ve never really been to the east coast before. It’s definitely an adjustment being form California. But yeah, it’s fun. There’s so much to do down here in South Florida and keep me occupied when football is not going on. It’s a good time.”
(Can you talk a little bit about being in a wide receiver room that has WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle and a lot of good guys? Can you talk about what you’ve learned so far even though you’ve just been here for a little bit?) – “I think all of us bring something different to the table. Those guys bring speed and explosiveness and kind of that one-percent talent that you think of, where I think I myself bring a knowledge and experience with Mike (McDaniel) and we can all help each other out in that aspect. We have a really competitive room. There are so many guys. Everybody can play and it’s going to be a really fun year. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be challenging and it’s a dog-eat-dog world, you know? We’re all helping each other out. We’re all boys and this is one of the closest-knit rooms that I’ve ever been a part of personally.”
(You may have been the first veteran that was signed when Head Coach Mike McDaniel first came before the start of free agency. What drew you? What can you say about Mike that really drew you to join him in Miami?) – “I’ve just always believed in Mike. I was with him for the last two years. My first real experience getting to know Mike, he substituted for our receiver room back in San Francisco. It was my first time one-on-one really getting to know what he knows and I was so blown away with how comfortable and how smart he was. Little did I know back in Cleveland he coached receivers. I kind of put those pieces together after the meeting broke and everything. That was my introduction to Mike and I was just so blown away. So when he got this opportunity and he told me I had an opportunity to get over here, I jumped on it as quick as I couldn’t and I’m just glad it worked out.”
(A lot of us are just meeting Head Coach Mike McDaniel. What would you say, what do you know about him that we maybe don’t know about him as a guy?) – “He’s a super genius. That’s all you need to know. He’s smarter than everybody else, no offense to everyone else. (laughter) The guy knows what he’s doing and he’s going to prove it this year.”
(What is his coaching and leadership style like? Is it just because he is a super genius or why is it that when he speaks, people tend to listen?) – “He’s a players coach. He gets along with players and he acts like he’s one of us in the sense that you can talk to him. He’s never going to big-time you or push you aside because of where your state is at. He’s always going to pull you aside, he’s always going to talk to you. That’s what he did with me in San Francisco. That’s what he’s doing with everybody here and that’s why I love playing for Mike because you know what you’re going to get from him, just his honesty.”
(You said Head Coach Mike McDaniel was a substitute for a while? How long was that? Was that a COVID thing?) – “I think what happened was, you’re referring to last year when he came in the receiver room?”
(Yeah.) – “What happened was the GM over there, John Lynch, went to the Hall of Fame and I think Wes (Welker) went with him so Mike (McDaniel) stepped in for a couple of days in the receiver room.”
(A couple of days and that’s all it took?) – “It took one session for me. It took about the first 10 minutes before I was like, ‘Ah man.’ Not to toot his horn or anything but I was impressed for sure.”
(You’ve obviously been on a team with an elite receiver with WR Deebo Samuel but just being around WR Tyreek Hill, is it just the speed that jumps out at you? What jumps out at you as an NFL receiver looking at someone at that level?) – “Yeah, Tyreek is no doubt the fastest dude I’ve ever seen play. What’s always exciting is that I’ve been on a couple of teams and I’ve been around some very elite players. I pride myself on work ethic. That’s how I’m still here and that’s why I’m still going. To see somebody who is at an elite level who has the same work ethic as I can remember coming in as an undrafted guy, it shows a lot. It shows a lot about who they are and what they’re about. That’s what he brings to the table. He brings hard work and effort on top of elite athleticism. You put those two together, that’s why he’s having success.”
Mike McDaniel – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Opening statement) – “The Miami Dolphins truly appreciate your guys’ support, but I’m going to have to call in to question your priorities. We have two playoff games (in South Florida) today. (laughter)”
(We’ll be there.) – “Okay, just making sure. I mean, OTAs are very important. I’ve been telling the players the same thing, but playoffs? (laughter) You guys got anything? We good?”
(I guess we could ask you about the two recent additions since the draft. With RB Sony Michel, was the thinking just you can’t have enough quality backs obviously with RB Chase Edmonds and RB Raheem Mostert and RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed? And with LB Melvin Ingram was there just a feel that another edge player could help for depth reasons?) – “Well, the latter of the two, I have not seen pen to paper yet. So revert. (laughter) We’ll talk about our Dolphins players, but hopefully we’ll be able to talk about him soon. Sony (Michel) – if you have an opportunity in the offseason to add a player of his caliber, of his pedigree, just him as a human being and a multiple Super Bowl winner, we jumped at the opportunity. His interest fit our interest and competition for the Miami Dolphins is only a good thing. I think one thing that’s unique about that particular room is no one shies away from competition. Everybody in there is excited for the offense, for the opportunities and wants the best man to win and aren’t backing away from that.”
(And with RB Raheem Mostert, are all indications of his recovery suggesting that he should be ready for the start of the season? Do you feel good about that?) – “I know his expectations are to play Week 1 and we are not going to rush it. He’s come too far to have a setback, so he’s just diligently working day-in and day-out. But when he’s ready, he’ll be on the field for sure.”
(What is something you want to instill or establish in your team at this early stage in OTAs?) – “I think we’ve begun that process. There’s three phases in an NFL offseason. Phase I is meeting room-exclusive. We’re currently in Phase III where we’re actually able to practice for the second time. In Phase II, you get to do some drill work and coach them on the field, not in team settings. But all three phases are really cool to me for the specific reason that you get to coach and not prepare for an opponent. So we’re learning a different language on one side of the ball and we’re refining a language on the other side of the ball, but realistically you want guys committed to getting better and you want to really establish how you’re going to go about business. We had a bunch of time to prepare for – we had two voluntary minicamps and now this afternoon, you guys will see our second OTA and what was important to me was you don’t skip steps in this business. So if we want to make strides and progress as an organization and as a football team, we have to position ourselves so that when we come back for training camp, that we’re able to practice and operate at a high-caliber level that fits our goals. There’s no easy way to do that. You just don’t wish things to happen. You take matters into your hands in the game of football. And the guys, I am very proud of the way they’ve approached everything from that standpoint.”
(We haven’t asked you yet, I don’t believe, about a player with sort of an interesting skillset. Your views on WR Lynn Bowden Jr. and what he can offer?) – “Lynn, he does have an interesting skillset. I’ve always been drawn to players that have multiple positions, specifically quarterback, experience, because of the way they see the game. Lynn’s been battling some hamstring stuff. He’s been diligent in the meeting room and we don’t really get ahead of myself when we’re looking at our team, and I don’t think his teammates should either. We’ll know if Lynn’s ready to contribute to the team when he’s on the field and we’re trying to get him there, and he’s making sure – I know he’s making sure – that he’s prepared for his opportunity when he is healthy.”
(I wanted to ask you about the offense in terms of what unit or what group is it the most difficult to sort of implement this offense, teach them what you want to do fundamentally and the core scheme?) – “The most drastic disparity from whatever you’d call ‘traditional’ – you enter it when you’re coaching players. You’re very aware of their past coaching. You make yourself aware of that so that you can best articulate ‘hey, this is like this’ or ‘this is not like this.’ The biggest disparity from a traditional standpoint is the offensive line without a doubt, and it is a full-scale commitment to certain principles and ownership of fundamentals that we ask them to do and to major in. So as far as the offseason program is concerned, it’s almost built for our offensive linemen in terms of how to approach things because you need about two weeks of an hour-and-a-half or an hour-and-45-minute meetings, which is what Phase I allows you, to digest ‘hey, we’re asking you to run off the ball, we’re asking you to have these landmarks, we’re asking you not to hesitate.’ And then in Phase II, you can kind of drill it. I think in terms of Johnny-don’t-know-his-name coming on the team and then all of a sudden being thrown into the mix, I think it’s the hardest position because we are so committed to our fundamentals and technique. And offensive linemen are like officials, I would say, where you’re not talking about them and that’s a good thing; and they have scars from when they are talked about, so to get them to just let go and let all that stuff – let the past be the past and move forward is the most deliberate and intentional thing that as a coaching staff we have to do. One of the reasons that kind of shaped my whole vision for hiring a coaching staff is I wanted to make sure that the guys that were touching those players, we would be able to see the results of the scheme and people that really dive in and invest, understand where they’re coming from, some of the stuff they have in their past and let that go and move forward. And I feel very, very comfortable and confident and happy with starting with Matt Applebaum and ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) has been doing an outstanding job understanding everything that we’re trying to do. Mike Person and then Frank Smith, obviously the offensive coordinator. So that position is probably – I’m not sure if … Do you have any interest in the offensive line position? (laughter) Am I boring you? (laughter) It’s exciting, too, because you get to see guys at that position. I feel like we’re kind of – it’s liberating to a degree because, listen, if I were to tell you that on this team – and this is my seventh team, I’ve been in a lot of different places – but this is as athletic and capable of any group, you might be like, ‘Huh? Are you crazy?’ But they really are and they’re hungry and committed and it’s been really, really rewarding to watch them work, see the benefits and then more than that, what’s going to happen with your first adversity because this just in, offensive linemen have adversity. They live in adversity. And how are they going to respond to a run play where they’re short of their aiming point and Christian (Wilkins) makes you pay in the backfield or (Zach) Sieler or whoever. And that’s the fun part of this part of the year is you get to focus on them and not an opponent.”
(Can you talk a little bit about what you see from the rookies and undrafted free agents so far, besides just their physical traits and what they can do on the field but maybe their character and how they fit within the team?) – “Overall as a group, I feel that all the parties involved in acquiring them – I hold undrafted free agents with high esteem. They aren’t just throw-ins. They are important to me. We’ve had a multitude of success over the years having undrafted free agents really impact your team. What I will say is as a group, it’s a testament to the organization’s scouting department, Chris Grier and the collection of people, because we have the right types of people. This is overwhelming. You have to understand that rookies, people don’t really view it this way but I was just talking to the guys yesterday, is they are coming in trying to make a living at something amongst people that have been doing it professionally for years. You’re doing that in a language that you’re like, ‘What?’ You just got introduced this stuff so you’re triple behind the eight-ball. You get to find out fast if guys are tough-minded enough. I will say, they are made of the right stuff so far having one weekend with them and then this being the second OTA.”
(We saw recently that you have joint practices with the Buccaneers this preseason. What can you get out of that and are there any other joint practices that this team will have?) – “Joint practices are outstanding for everyone involved. There’s only so far you can go when going against each other before things start to hurt more than they help. Having different schemes, coverages, is incredibly impactful. Having different offenses for run fits and all of that stuff is super impactful. We’re going to start out, we’re practicing two days against Tampa and can’t wait to see you guys type really fast but we are going to have joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles as well. Both scenarios I feel very fortunate that things worked out with Coach (Todd) Bowles and Coach (Nick) Sirianni. We’re excited about that and I think our players will be too.”
(When you first arrived here, you talked about this being your dream job and you’ve worked for 20 years towards it. I was just curious, over the course of getting here, teaching, coaching and getting on the grass – how does your experience lived up to the expectation of your dream job?) – “Surpassed it. It’s just really fun to express a lot of the things that you didn’t know if you would ever have the opportunity to do. I am surrounded with so many people that are supporting and help driving the force that it really, truly feels like a team that we’re working together for a common goal. Which that is what football is all about.”
(Two, probably three guys on this team are not only fast but eager to show they are the fastest on this team. Are you going to let them race and most importantly are we going to see it?) – “Hmm. (laughter) Well, with a persuasive argument maybe you can convince – I’m not going to tell them not to race. I love competitors. I’m also not going to force them to race. So if I were you guys and they would do so at one of the five practices that you guys are at, and you guys were able to persuade them to do it at one, the guy pushing for my race the hardest I would put my wagers on amongst your betting selves. I would not bet because there are some very, very fast guys on the team. But I enjoy the fact that they are competitive about that and I would never keep them from doing so. I’m more trying to get them to figure out how to run a route, defend a go-ball or run the ball – did I cover all my bases? I did? – than to have them compete in a race. We do track miles per hour on every practice so they don’t necessarily need to race side by side for me to put that in front of them as a motivating factor.”
(You have to tell us who the fastest now if you know you’re tracking it.) – “I mean, I don’t have to. (laughter) It wouldn’t be fair yet because not all players are able to take part in the race yet. There’s been a good amount of 21 and 22 mile per hour runners out there. I’m not going to be mad if there’s more additionally in the future.”
(If you’re willing to share this in May, anyone beyond RB Raheem Mostert and WR Lynn Bowden Jr. if we don’t see out there today going full or going out there at all that are out for health reasons, injury reasons that you are able to share so we are not guessing when we are out there watching?) – “You don’t technically have to guess. You can just holler at me and I can answer your question. (laughter) As far as that test question, I don’t really know off the top of my head. I know (our communications staff) is probably sitting there like, ‘Yes you do,’ and I’m like ‘No, I don’t.’ The veterans that have earned the right over their career and the science backs it up that it’s not best-served for them to be out there, we’re not going to put them out there. From any given day, that can vary. We try to be very intentional and deliberate in everything we do. There’s no absolute with anything. The best thing for the Dolphins is each and every player is ready for Week 1. However we get there is the way we will handle those things.”
Noah Igbinoghene – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
CB Noah Igbinoghene
(Year three, how are things starting out for you?) – “It’s starting off really good. We’re in OTAs right now. It’s an everyday process, so just keep going every single day and just get better. That’s really my main focus. If I keep working, it’s going to turn out in my favor.”
(How have you felt about the change in coaching with Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain? How has that been for you?) – “I love them, especially I feel like there is definitely a lot of experience in the room. Not saying that there wasn’t last year, but those guys played the position and they played at a high level. Just to be able to learn – they are great teachers as well. I’m blessed to be able to learn from them.”
(Is there anything coming into year three that you feel like you know now that you didn’t previously that could probably help you and get more experience and better production?) – “Not really. Just like I said before, it’s just taking every day. It’s a process. It’s not going to happen so fast. I’ve got to be patient with myself and this team as well. It’s just an everyday process.”
(How big is it to get these elevated reps with CB Xavien Howard not being here? I know it’s not the first time he hasn’t been here. How much getting those reps against WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle do you feel helps you?) – “It’s big time because those are two really good receivers. Just to be able to go against them, there aren’t a lot of guys like that in the league. Just to be able to go against them, a lot of receivers are not as good as them. Their speed and the way they catch the ball and stuff like that, just to be able to go against them is a blessing to have them on my team.”
(When you had that break up, how much confidence does plays like that help you build?) – “It’s a lot of confidence. But like I said, I’ve got to come back and do it again the next play and do it again the next play and do it again. I’m not saying that play doesn’t matter, but I’ve got to be able to move on. That’s what playing corner is. You’ve got to have a strong mental as well as physical.”
(With your first two seasons being kind of rocky, what do you take from it that you can build on?) – “Approaching every day, just to get better every single day. And be present on that day and not worry about the past or future. Like you said, the past two years have been rocky for me. So not to worry about none of that, not to worry about my future. Just take today and worry about today and focus on today and get better today. Take that same plan and routine, take it to tomorrow and do the same thing as well.”
(Do you do anything to help yourself mentally train? I know the physical aspect of football is so big, but you talked about short memory at cornerback. Is there anything you do in the offseason or in season to help get your mind right?) – “I’ve always had a strong mental, especially how I grew up with my parents. They’ve always been really hard on me discipline-wise. That’s not something I really worry about. Like coach said, football will humble you real quick. It’s really learning that. Being in the league is a whole different experience than being in college. You might not get humbled like that (in college). So in the league, you have to be able to wipe off the bad plays and wipe off the good plays because you have to come back again and do it again. It’s really been about consistency. It’s not really about doing it one play. That’s really what my focus is. It’s about being consistent on a day-to-day basis and a play-to-play bases. Just doing that time after time after time. If I do that, something beautiful will happen.”
Liam Eichenberg – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
T Liam Eichenberg
(We were talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel earlier today and he made a big emphasis with the offensive line about – he said OTAs are built for you guys. That was interesting to begin with. But then he said with the offensive line, it’s important to wipe away what happened in the past. How have you been able to do that?) – “I mean it’s a completely different offense, as you guys can probably tell from watching San Fran’s film. It’s just different. New coaches, new style, new scheme. I’m kind of just focusing on now, focusing on the present and trying to improve every day, trying to learn the offense the best that I can.”
(Are you exclusively on one side? Obviously you’re working some tackle and some guard but are you exclusively on one side?) – “It’s more about understanding the offense right now. Guys are moving around. It just depends on the day. I’m just trying to understand everything from the whole scheme standpoint and just understand the playbook as best I can.”
(Your comfort level at left guard, if that happens to be where you end up?) – “I feel good. This offense does well for offensive linemen. My buddy (Mike) McGlinchey on San Fran loves it. I’m just happy with what’s happening here. We’ve got a lot of guys that showed up for OTAs and are working hard.”
(How do you feel your skillset meshes with the new scheme?) – “I think it’s good. I think it’s a lot about technique and I pride myself on that, so I think it’s good for us. A lot of guys are getting the hang of it and improving. Just one day at a time.”
(A quick follow-up on 49ers OL Mike McGlinchey. What kind of things might he have told you after the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel?) – “You’ve just got to run off the ball is what he said. That was his biggest emphasis was running off the ball.”
(How much do you guys, as offensive linemen, like that attacking style?) – “It’s great. It’s not about guessing or hesitating. It’s just kind of run off the ball and then whatever happens, happens. You’ve just got to kind of deal with the outcome and make changes on the go.”
(General Manager Chris Grier said this new coaching staff liked a lot of the offensive linemen on your team coming out of the draft. Has Head Coach Mike McDaniel expressed that to you and G/T Austin Jackson and G/T Robert Hunt and the young guys that he liked you guys coming out of the draft or something like that?) – “All I know is he says he believes in us, and that’s all I can ask for. Him giving us an opportunity to compete and play and believing in us is the most important thing. It’s good having a coach that – he’s a good dude and he obviously believes in us, so it’s nice.”
(How dramatically different is the approach as far as technique that Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum is teaching compared to Lemuel Jeanpierre, who is obviously still here? Is it a major change beyond obviously a zone blocking scheme is different?) – “No, I don’t think it’s a big change in technique. I think it’s more about the scheme is different. Obviously we didn’t do a lot of wide zone last year. It was mainly inside zone. Lem is still there and still coaching hard. I’m happy he’s still here. He’s going to be a big part of this club going forward.”
(You’re so even-keeled. You dealt with switching positions a lot in your first year-plus in the league. Is that still easy for you not knowing necessarily where you’re going to play and getting practice snaps at a lot of different spots?) – “Yeah, I think it’s just about understanding the offense as a whole. It doesn’t matter where you’re at as long as you understand the Mike point, understand the scheme and what’s happening, you should be able to play any position. So wherever they need me.”
(One thing that Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum talked about when we had a chance to talk to him is that he goes back last year and looks at the individual offensive linemen, not the scheme necessarily. When you go back and watch, is there more benefit for you to watch the tape in that way or does it change at all?) – “I think it’s just kind of – I go back now and I watch San Fran because it’s just different. Obviously I know what I need to improve on from last year but as of right now, it’s more about seeing guys – guards, tackles – that have done well in this offense and understand the scheme and understand how to run it. I’m just looking at those guys for experience.”
Jerome Baker – May 17, 2022
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022
LB Jerome Baker
(I was asking Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer last week, ‘How often do you think about whether you come back with pretty much exactly what you did strategically last year, knowing at it’s best it worked over the final 10 games. Or how much do you add new stuff?” And he said he thinks about that every day. Without giving away anything, is your early impression that he wants to add some new things to keep teams off guard? So it’s the same personnel pretty much but it’s not the exact same defense?) – “I think he wants us to lock in on our fundamentals. That’s the simple things like breaks, angles on tackling the football. The little things are what you focus on right now so when you get to the season, everything changes. It’s playbook specific. So right now we’re working on our technique, our hand placement and things you don’t get as much time in the regular season (to work on). For me, the playbook is going to change. It’s going to be game day specific. I think that’s what I see that they’re harping on is let’s focus on little things and game plan specific (stuff) is going to come when it comes.”
(How surprised and happy are you that it’s pretty much the same defense with the addition of a couple of rookies? LB Melvin Ingram hasn’t been announced yet but it’s rare to see the same defense brought back. Are you surprised? Happy?) – “Yeah, I’m definitely happy. Just me personally, I always had different coaches, different linebacker coaches, different coordinators, going back all of the way to college. For me, it’s a good thing. It’s a chance to – you know what you expect. You have a little understanding before you walk into the building. Now it’s just time to build off that.”
(Seeing a Miami Dolphins offense with WR Tyreek Hill on it, your reaction as you witness that, seeing the speed and seeing him here is what?) – “I mean, the guy is fast. He’s a good player. He’s a great guy. I knew him a little bit before he got here, so I kind of knew what to expect. He’s definitely bringing that winning culture, just going hard every play of every practice. It’s definitely working out for us.”
(What are your thoughts on LB Melvin Ingram as a player? What has he shown you over the years?) – “He’s a playmaker. He goes hard every play. He has a high motor. I’m excited. He’s a veteran. He’s going to bring that to the young guys and we’re all going to learn from him.”
(This new-look backfield, what are your impressions from seeing them and going against them?) – “They’re fast. (laughter) Just on offense in general, they’re fast. They’re explosive. It’s definitely going to get us right during training camp and OTAs. It’s going to be exciting for us.”
(How tough is it going to be for teams to defend not only the receivers but also obviously RB Raheem Mostert, when he’s healthy, RB Chase Edmonds, etc.?) – “It just gives defenses more problems. When you give defenses more problems, it’s hard to really lock in on one thing. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun. I’m definitely excited in training camp to go against these guys.”
(I think LB Jaelan Phillips picked the playlist today. How would you grade his?) – “Terrible. (laughter) Nah, I think what happened was they kept skipping some parts, so we didn’t really see his whole playlist. The parts I heard, they were decent. But they were just decent. The first guy to have it, he’s supposed to come out with some fire. I’m going to work on it. (laughter)”
(What have you seen in LB Jaelan Phillips’ growth so far from last year to this year?) – “He’s always been a smart guy. He always went hard. I think now he’s starting to understand where he can make plays, what he can do and what he can’t do. He’s going to make plays for us just like he did last year. He did a great job last year and we’re expecting the same thing this year.”
(So I understand, the previous day’s practice player of the day gets to be the DJ the next day?) – “Correct.”
(What do you think of that as a motivational tool? What will you do once you get to be the DJ?) – “For me, it’s definitely a motivational thing. It just brings fun to practice and into the building. Me, when I get on there, you’re going to hear a lot of Drake. Probably, honestly, the whole playlist is going to be Drake. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do it.”
(Early impression of LB Channing Tindall?) – “The guy, he’s going to be a great player. He’s just got to, just with any rookie, just try to soak in as much information as you can, and just remember you got to this point by playing football. It’s not that hard when you think about it. It’s still football like it was when we were younger. He’s got a lot of things to improve on but he definitely has potential.”
(Is the speed of LB Channing Tindall evident to you so far? I know it’s early) – “Definitely. He’s definitely got some speed, some explosiveness. He’s definitely going to be a great player in this league.”
(Last year in the second half of the season, you got to rotate inside and outside. Does the prospect of continuing to do that excite you?) – “Yeah. I think that’s my favorite part about this defense. I can pretty much line up anywhere and everywhere and I truly enjoy doing that.”
(You guys have an advantage in that you brought everybody back on the defense. On the other side though, offensive coordinators have seen all of you guys together playing on tape and in-person. Which way is there a bigger advantage, do you think?) – “I’m always leaning there’s a bigger advantage with us just because we know what we’re doing, we know how each other plays and how each other works. When you have that chemistry, things like that in this league are hard to build, and we already have a little foundation of it. Now it’s just time to build on that.”
(Plus you can add LB Channing Tindall and you can add LB Melvin Ingram.) – “Exactly.”
Christian Wilkins – May 4, 2022
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Wednesday, May 4, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I was wondering if you could speak to the three years of developing that you’ve had here and the process of that development. Like from your own personal standpoint, working with coaches and trainer, etc. How have those years of work allowed you to become the player you are and one of the more consistent and productive defensive tackles in the game?) – “The biggest thing was just kind of early on, a lot was overwhelming. You come in with a lot of high expectations – first-round pick, new coach, new everything, everything is new, a lot of pressure – so you’re just trying to get your feet under you. You’re like ‘damn’ and you’re trying to figure out life. You’re trying to figure out everything else, not just ball. You’ve got a lot of different responsibilities and things like that, so there’s a lot of things that come with that. You’re trying to figure out the scheme and things like that, but pretty much for me, I just stuck with the process. I just kept working all the way through and I’m continuing to work, continuing to try and get better each and every day, and I just felt like year after year, I’ve gotten better at a lot of things I wanted to get better at coming into each season. So hopefully I just stick with that process and keep getting better and better each year.”
(So you were drafted in 2019 and the next two years, the Dolphins have a whole bunch of draft picks and tons of young players, younger than you. Do you communicate stuff like that with your younger teammates, kind of about trusting the process and how it worked for you and how it can work for them?) – “Absolutely. I feel like just from my experience, I’m able to be there for those guys, especially like you said, all the draft picks, all the guys who were drafted early who might feel like there was some pressure. There’s this, that and trying to figure things out. I always try to be a guy that they can lean on, come and talk to just about anything – about life, about ball, whatever it has to do, just adjusting to life in the NFL. I always try to be that for them. I can’t tell them everything before it happens, but just kind of be a mentor and a big brother as things do come up for them, help them through whatever it is they may be going through both good and bad.”
(Congrats on the team picking up your fifth year. I wanted to get your take on that move by the club.) – “Appreciate it. I think it’s great. It’s awesome. I’m glad I’m going to be able to be here for another year and I’m just blessed overall. Kind of what we talked about earlier with (the other) question, I’m just progressing each year and the team had to make a decision and they picked up my option. That’s great. I’m excited I’m going to be here for at least another year.”
(Do you think there is a chance that you might be able to do a long-term deal with the club?) – “The biggest thing is I’m just trying to focus on ball. Let whoever else, the powers that be handle all that stuff and talk about all that stuff. I just like to focus on ball, being a good teammate and just getting better every day and stay with the process and the rest will take care of itself.”
(This is a question for Christian Wilkins the NFLPA rep. From a business standpoint, with the new CBA deal, do you find it interesting that once you guys guaranteed that fifth-year option – fully, not guarantee it but then we can opt out of it before the new league year starts – is it interesting that so many teams aren’t picking up the fifth-year option?) – “That’s a good question. I just think it’s case-by-case. The biggest thing to understand is that the league is a business and it’s really a case-by-case situation, so it is definitely interesting. Every team has decisions they have to make and they have that control, they have that power.”
(What’s it like to be one of the only defensive linemen in the first round that gets the fifth year picked up? Is it like a feather in your cap, like “hey, I’m one of the best producers?”) – “No, you don’t think about it like that because again, it’s case-by-case. You don’t know what other teams have going on and like I said, I just try to focus on ball and just letting everything happen as it comes. I don’t try to think about it like that because as soon as you start thinking like that – you’ve got to keep a humble spirit and humble mindset – because as soon as you start thinking like that, a lot of other B.S. can get in the way and you’re not focused on the things you need to focus on.”
(I wanted to ask you about the F1 tour you guys did this week and everything going on at the stadium. I was wondering if you could put into words what it’s like to be on the track and kind of witness everything going on.) – “Yeah, that looks all right over there. It’s pretty cool. I ain’t going to lie to you. I was actually thinking about doing some other stuff this weekend before I got to go on the tour and see everything. I’m like ‘nah, I’m definitely going to be there for that.’ It’s the first time it’s here. This is like – I know there will be other years it’ll be going on, but this is like a once-in-a-lifetime, first-in-a-lifetime experience for me. And for someone like me who grew up the way I grew up where I grew up, you don’t get to see things like this or experience things like this, so I’m going to be there in attendance, having a good time enjoying it and have some fun with it all and just happy to be a part of it, happy it’s going to be here.”
(Since you’ve been drafted, the Dolphins have put tennis on the campus, there’s been Rolling Loud, so many different events. What can you say about everything that kind of happens in the stadium and the campus of the team you play for?) – “It’s awesome that as an organization we do those things and that obviously a lot of things go on here in Miami. We’ve got a great stadium, a great location, just a lot of good things – it makes sense why a lot of things want to be here and a lot of things are going on here and I like to try to go to as many things as possible, again, just because I think it’s always pretty cool. The Miami Open was great. I went to that. Just always cool to experience things, meet new people and it’s just cool to be a part of.”
(I was asking S Jevon Holland about who has a fast car. He said CB Byron Jones has got a nice…) – “Yeah… (laughter)”
(What about the front seven guys? If you had to pick someone’s car to put it on the track, the track right out there, who’s car are you putting out there?) – “From the front seven? Nah, I would definitely say Byron (Jones) is up there. Jaelan (Phillips) has got a nice little something-something. I mean, I don’t know. I ain’t going to put out guys’ business like that, but Jaelan do got a nice little something-something. (laughter) Maybe his car.”
(Do you like cars? Are you more of a sports car guy or truck guy?) – “I’m not a big car person like that. But after going to school in the south and living in the south, you’ve got to have you a truck. You know what I’m saying? (laughter) Ride down with the windows down, arm out, you know what I’m saying? (laughter) You know, just enjoy the ride and feeling big in the big body truck.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Jevon Holland. Just as a fellow, somebody who can kind of relate to being a high pick and kind of being thrust into a prominent role early on, what impressed you about Jevon’s rookie season and how have you kind of seen him approach this Year 2?) – “Jevon has a chance to be pretty good in this league. Just how he comes into work each and every day. That was the biggest thing that I learned. He even took a year off of ball before he got drafted and everything and still came in kind of ready to play and was able to do some really good things for us early on and it’s just impressive to watch. He’s athletic, he’s big, and something that surprised me more than anything is just how cerebral he is back there. Like making the calls, doing some of the things you have to do at the safety position in our defense was really impressive. He’s kind of a kid who just loves playing ball, too, so it’s fun to watch. He brings that nice young spirit, too. He’s a good teammate.”
(I just wanted to ask you what your reaction was when you found out that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark were being retained by the new coach and are you sort of eager to see what wrinkles Josh will have just to keep teams off balance this year with largely the same personnel as he had a year ago?) – “Yeah, it’s always nice when you have some – like especially with the whole change, you know what I mean – it’s nice to have some familiarity. It’s nice to have d-coordinator, d-line coach, linebackers coach (return). It’s good to have a lot of the same things coming back – players and everything. There hasn’t been much turnover or anything like that from that standpoint, so I’m just excited that you look around the defense, you look around the locker room and you’ve got a lot of familiar faces and guys who have been in this system. So I’m just looking forward to it and just looking forward to continue to build and achieve connection with each other and do some good things.”
(When you came into the NFL, your reputation as being frugal preceded you. I’m curious whether that stayed the same way or have you allowed yourself to buy yourself some stuff here and there?) – “Hey, nah, (laughter) good question. I mean still – I was going to joke around and say I’m spending money like crazy, but no, I still have the same frugal mindset. That’s in me. You can’t help it sometimes. You do have to spend a little bit more money and it hurts me and it pains me any time I’ve got to spend a little bit of money, but I’m still as frugal as can be. I try to spend as little as possible, but also, here and there, treat myself to little things like that. But I still don’t like spending a lot of money.”
(Quick follow up, if I may. What’s the most flashy you’ve allowed yourself to pick up?) – “More just experiences. Like I’m an experience guy. I love to travel, so in the offseason, if I can enjoy some time, go somewhere, do some things like that, that’s something I love to do. So I love to see the world, I love to get out, love to just experience different things like that. So I like to travel.”
(See now you’ve got me interested. What’s the experience Christian Wilkins had the best time at and what’s the goal from the experience standpoint for this offseason before camp starts?) – “Good question, and you mean from like, just in my life in general?”
(Yeah.) – “Oh man, I don’t know. I’ve been able to do – I’m really blessed and I’m fortunate to be in the position I am in and do a lot of things I do. Like I really can’t pinpoint one specific experience. I don’t know – just from obviously accomplishments in football, winning championships at the college level, being drafted, being part of this brotherhood in the NFL, going to the White House, things like that. Even social circles you’re put in or people you get to meet socially that you’re like, ‘dang, I’m just this little kid from Springfield and I met such-and-such’ or I’m doing this or doing that. It’s all just humbling truly – traveling the world, seeing cool things, things I thought I’d never be able to do…”
(What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen?) – “Shoot, I don’t know. Just even like – let’s just say like even going to London. Stuff that like that. Playing in a foreign place and joking about a guy running onto the field before the game. Like all that stuff was fun. Playing in a different stadium, just taking a second, breathing it all in like, ‘This game is taking me all over the world. I’m here in London playing a game.’ And then I was able to go back this offseason and watch a soccer game in that same stadium and really enjoy that. That’s all just so cool to me and so humbling and it’s awesome to be able to do.”
(So what’s the pre-camp travel plans?) – “I don’t really have anything planned. I might just more so just kick it. Just get my mind right and regroup before I start the heavy training before training camp.”
