Alec Ingold – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
FB Alec Ingold
(What does a fullback do to earn the orange jersey?) – “I think it was just the entire offseason – coming back from the ACL (injury), signing with a new team. There are a lot of early mornings out here. So it kind all added up to getting back on the field, not starting on PUP, being with the guys and all that work to kind of get to this point and start with everybody fresh.”
(I thought you killed it in the conditioning test. I was like, how does a guy get orange jersey Day 1?) – “I think it was the whole offseason. So it was pretty cool to have Coach (McDaniel recognize that. That’s what you work for. This is where I wanted to be on Day 1 eight months ago, so it feels good.”
(How significant was it for you to not start camp on the PUP list?) – “I think it’s massive. I think anytime you join a new organization, a new team, you want to show that you’re going to work hard, you’re going to do the little things right, be detailed and just kind of start with that right foot forward. That’s all you’re trying to do. A lot of things had to happen, man – from the surgery, to the support staff, to this whole transition. I’m very grateful for all of it.”
(Does the knee feel totally back to normal or not completely yet?) – “I mean, I wouldn’t say we’re at 100 percent yet, but I know we can get there. And I think that’s where we have the plan in place with the staff to be able to get there. So, man, it’s just hitting the ground running and getting going.”
(What’s your sense of when you’ll be involved in 11-on-11 drills? Do you think at some point in the next two or three weeks?) – “Yes, I think it’s all part of our plan. So as soon as we progress, we’re kind of measuring it every single week. So as soon as I know how I feel, we’re talking, communicating and then we’ll be able to roll from there.”
(How important is it that this offense has success for the life of a fullback?) – “(laughter) It’s everything, right? You’re a part of that. The fullback’s job is to be on schedule. You want the offense to be on schedule. You want to be on the field. You want to make sure that there are no long down-and-distances where you’re off the field, off-schedule or stressed out as a team. That’s my job, to make sure we can all stay on schedule, pick up all that dirty work and whatever we need to do to just make sure everyone is in rhythm and everyone can get their piece of the pie. Obviously, we have a lot of playmakers on this field.”
(Do you feel like you guys represent a dying breed in football?) – “Yes, you have to be proud of it. Anytime you strap up as a fullback, everyone on the field knows it’s this set of plays. There’s not a whole lot of tricks up anybody’s sleeve, but it changes the dynamic of the football game. The fans know, the people in the press box know, the football players know it’s going to be physical and that’s what you have to be proud of every single time you step on the field.”
(Any question about you being ready for the regular season opener in your mind?) – “No.”
(On these backs, impressions of RB Chase Edmonds, impressions of RB Raheem Mostert and impressions of RB Sony Michel, if you don’t mind going through those three individually?) – “We’re all coming into a brand new room. To be able to collaborate, to work together, to be able to add your own coaching points from across the league and add whatever we need to do as ‘Coach E’ (Eric Studesville) installs our techniques, it’s unbelievable. Raheem (Mostert) obviously being a part of this offense before, he’s like the dad of the room, making sure everyone knows why we’re doing what we’re doing. ‘Coach E’ being able to speak on things proudly and with conviction knowing that we have a guy who’s been there, in the shoes, who’s done it before. You have Chase (Edmonds) who’s coming in, he’s the guy – he’s the bell cow. You just see all that shiftiness out on the field that you get really excited for. And then Sony (Michel) as well – a Super Bowl champ – having that experience, been on the Patriots to the Rams and been in multiple rooms. So all three of those guys coming into a brand new room, myself included, you want to bring that expertise. You want to bring that knowledge. You want to be able to elevate the level of practice every single day.”
(How much were you chomping at the bit as you were watching the offseason program and rehabbing?) – “Man, way too much. It was – it’s what you live for. You’re a football player. You love playing football and that’s where you want to be. You want to be in between the lines, so I’m glad to be there.”
(Was there anything that you and RB Raheem Mostert exchanged in terms of conversations of it’s good to be back, actively involved in practice?) – “No doubt. To see his tweets going, blowing up and all that stuff, you can definitely relate to that feeling of uncertainty, of not knowing. To have all that work for however long it takes, to know inevitably you will be back between the lines, that’s the mindset that guy has and that’s something I carried with me through this injury, too.”
(We heard Head Coach Mike McDaniel say that he was impressed with the energy and the focus that the team had upon return. What did you notice about the team’s mentality after summer break?) – “I think there’s always going to be energy juice, like everybody is going to be hyped. Everyone is excited to be out here, but then it’s the focus, it’s the discipline, it’s being on the keys, it’s showing up in shape. It’s all the little things that transform into a good practice to start off. Now it’s the challenge to bring it into the film room, be able to do a walkthrough and then be able to emulate it again tomorrow. So first day, yes – everyone can feel great. But I think what he’s talking about is the controlled energy (and) controlled aggression to be able to come out here and be able to be assignment sure and be able to do your job. “
Tua Tagovailoa – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(How did it feel to be back?) – “It was good. It was good to be back with the guys. It really started from yesterday. Being able to see the guys, we were able to see some new additions in our locker room with games that are competitive. We’ve got a little ping-pong set in the locker room. We’ve got some darts. We’ve got cornhole. And they also have a half basketball court – shooting only because obviously we don’t want guys getting hurt. But I think it’s really cool as far as the bonding time with one another throughout this training camp.”
(Whose got the best shot on this team?) – “I’m not too sure. They say the receivers are the best shooters on the team, but I don’t know. They haven’t seen the quarterbacks shoot. (laughter)”
(Whose face of these guys goes on the dart board first?) – “(laughter) Well, I haven’t seen too many guys play on the dart board, so that has to say something about our team. I don’t know if we’re a good dart board team. (laughter)”
(Coach said that he wants you to be less hard on yourself sometimes … Can you describe what that means for you? Has that always been a trait of yours?) – “Yeah, I would say being hard on myself has always been a trait. I think for any competitor, that’s the way we’ve grown to become as professional athletes. I think everyone is hard on themselves at a certain extent. For me, I know my capabilities, so when I’m not playing up to it or living up to it, it gets frustrating. I think everyone on the team feels the same way when they don’t do their job the way they are supposed to do it, because overall it either benefits the team or it doesn’t.”
(T Terron Armstead mentioned that they don’t put pressure on you. But do you feel pressure on yourself? Do you put pressure on yourself?) – “I would say I never put pressure on myself, but it comes with the position. Pressure is always there playing this position and playing in the NFL. I think for any professional athlete, everyone can attest that it’s unadded pressure. We put that pressure on ourselves to compete every day to be our best, to do things the right way, and to try to do things the right way consistently.”
(How would you assess your first practice?) – “With what (Head) Coach Mike (McDaniel) said, I’m always hard on myself. (laughter) I will never say I had the best practice or it was a great practice. I think overall, it was a good first day of practice. Obviously there are things that we can work on. But it’s the best when you get to come back, you get to get back out on the field, throw to the guys, see coverage again, get back into the groove of things. I think once you get back into the rhythm, that’s when things start to click on both sides of the ball.”
(We heard Head Coach Mike McDaniel say he was impressed with the attitude and energy of people coming back from summer break. What have you noticed about that mentality coming off of the long break?) – “I think everyone is excited but I think one thing not to be lost in translation is a lot of guys were working throughout the offseason. I’m not one on social media, but coach had a presentation he shared with us yesterday. He took a screenshot of everyone that posted their workouts. He showed all of them and it was dang near half the team. I wasn’t on there because I don’t take pictures enough to post the on my social media. (laughter)”
(You couldn’t lift one from your trainer?) – (laughter)
(Between your trainer and WR Tyreek Hill, you were getting plenty of social media love?) – “I think it’s more Tyreek from what I hear. (laughter)”
(Coach talked about your role as a leader on this team. How would you feel about captaincy this year? How would you feel about being a team captain?) – “I think when it comes down to it, whether I go up to speak on behalf of me wanting to be a captain, or the team just voting and there are just candidates, I think it comes with my position to always be a leader. For me, I’ve always said I’m not the kind of person to get in front of people and scream and lead in that way. But I try to lead with my actions and try to lead in a way that helps our team get better. That’s by building relationships with the guys. It also helps when we’re able to compete in ping pong and cornhole and all of these other games that we have in there.”
(What’s it like getting the public support from WR Tyreek Hill? He has been all over the place blowing you up.) – “It’s cool. Tyreek is someone that has established himself well in this league and to have the support from him means a lot. I’m glad to have him as my teammate.”
(With WR Jaylen Waddle this offseason, have you seen any growth or have things picked up things playing next to him so far?) – “Jaylen playing next to Tyreek?”
(Yes.) – “Well, I think all of the guys picked up on something little form every person that has come through the building with us. Tyreek is not one to think he knows it all. Guys that are way younger than him, he takes advice from them and he asks them questions, and I think that’s cool. He creates that atmosphere for every receiver in the room that you’re never too good to not take coaching from even your guys.”
(On the ball up the sideline to WR Tyreek Hill at practice today, it looked like the ball came out pretty early on that. How much confidence can you get from a guy that can win so early, and how much does it help you anticipate earlier in your progression?) – “I think our throws are always dependent on the coverage. It was man. They tried to spin the coverage running – I think it was some kind of lurk coverage. We spotted it and I knew Tyreek was one-on-one outside and I gave him an opportunity and he made the play.”
(What is it like having the competition with QB Teddy Bridgewater out there? What is it like having him in the quarterback room?) – “I think it’s amazing having Teddy. I’ve been very fortunate to have guys that are older than me, more experienced than me in the room. My first year with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), my second year with Jacoby Brissett, and now my third year I get someone who is relatively close friends with Jacoby in Teddy. I think it’s cool. You can learn anything from everyone at anything. It’s been cool to have Teddy.”
(When you hear WR Tyreek Hill say thing things or word gets back to you, are you like ‘this again?’ Or ‘what did he say now?’ What are you feeling the reaction to when you hear things he says about you positively?) – “I would say that’s just Tyreek’s personality. He’s going to speak how he feels at that very moment. He just believes what he says every time. If he feels he’s the best at this, he’s going to let you know out there on the field. If he feels someone is talking too much and he wants to go against them, he’s going to let them know what he’s going to do to them. That’s just his personality. I think it’s fun to have that kind of personality on the team. For me, again, it’s awesome to have that kind of support from someone like that.”
(We know everyone faces adversity. Head Coach Mike McDaniel said before this that he’s shared some of his experiences with adversity throughout his career with you guys. What do those exchanges mean to you as far as development for you guys?) – “With those kind of conversations, I think it’s best to keep them private. I never want to share anything that I feel coach wouldn’t want out. I think that’s probably for him to share. But I think everyone has their own motive for playing this sport. A lot of us grew up loving this sport, a lot of us grew up playing it since we were little. But a lot of us have families that we’ve got to take care of and we use this sport as an avenue to help us for after football.”
(How new does all of this feel this training camp? The new offense, the new teammates? I know there’s new teammates every year but there’s a lot.) – “I think every year feels like a new year. Football season never feels like it ends. If it’s the offseason, you’re training. Even if you don’t want to train, you’ve got to go do something – paddleboard or play something to keep active. To me, every season feels like a new season.”
(What kind of foundation, as you guys are picking up this new offense, did spring practice do for you guys to start at in training camp?) – “I think it set a really good foundation. It helped that a lot of the guys showed up to our OTAs. We got to really work on things that out here probably wouldn’t look as good if guys didn’t come out to OTAs. A lot of the timing, just figuring out the offense and a lot of the intricacies and details that Mike (McDaniel) wants us to work on and understand. We got to do that throughout this offseason and we’re looking forward to all of that showing throughout this training camp and the season.”
(Expectations have been so high for you at every point in your athletic career. Pee Wee, high school, drafted into the NFL. Now it seems that maybe more than ever there are people in the media, coaches, executives, who are questioning your ceiling, even your ability. How do you process that? How do you feel about that? How much of that is a change for you?) – “I don’t know any of those guys. If that’s what they have to say, then good for them. That’s probably a good thing for them to say to draw people for clickbait or whatever that is. To me, if I can’t hear you, then you’re not that important to me. If you’re in my circle and I can hear you and what you’re saying, then obviously you have to be extremely important to me. If I can’t hear it, then it’s probably not important.”
Terron Armstead – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
T Terron Armstead
(We finally got to see you really getting some more extensive action on the first day of training camp. How did it feel and what was the goal for today?) – “It felt great, man, being back out playing football – the game we love, the game we enjoy. It felt real good just getting in the rhythm, getting the play call, getting up to the ball and then just trying to execute as fast as we can.”
(Did you find yourself kind of pacing yourself, it’s kind of like the first day of school, you don’t want to get too excited but you also want to start off with some good intensity. Just how do you balance that?) – “Definitely excitement all the way up. That excitement level is all the way – probably an all-time high, really. Just getting in this offense, being out there with those guys and team reps, getting that action. So definitely like you said, just trying to stay in the plan and keep working, building up instead of just trying to knock it out of the park the first day.”
(On how much work he needs in training camp to be ready) – “It varies. It varies. I’ve been doing it for a little while now, so this will be my 10th training camp. I always just get to a spot where I feel like I’m ready and that can come a couple weeks, three weeks, whatever. So it just depends on the work, the reps, and then I’m getting used to a new system, new guys next to me, so it might take a little longer.”
(With your experience, how do you plan to help and be a leader to all the other younger guys on this offensive line?) – “Yeah, I just let it come naturally. Let it come organically. I don’t try to force anything on anybody, but anything I see technique-wise or from my knowledge or experience, I’m always open to share and these guys ask a lot of questions. They’re seeking the knowledge and looking for ways to find little techniques and things like that.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that finding juice on Day 1 is easy, juice on Day 2 is easy. What have you picked up about him that has told you that he’s going to be the type of guy that can sort of keep manufacturing it through Day 9 and Day 17 and Day 38 and that stuff?) – “It’s him. It’s just him. It’s his personality, the way he lives his life. Big personality, big energy guy. He’s never faking it. he’s never trying to create that enthusiasm. It’s just naturally him. So I don’t think he’ll ever have a problem bringing the juice.”
(You talked about coaching up some of those young guys on the o-line. What have you seen from them? Has anything impressed you from those younger offensive linemen?) – “Absolutely. Absolutely. Just the will, the intent. We’re coming out here to improve. No level of complacency, no level of comfort. We’ve got to get used to being uncomfortable and thriving in those situations, help us win games. So all those guys, I’ve been impressed with their level of work, the time they’re putting in before and after in the meeting room. Everything. It’s just a really impressive group.”
(The line has struggled here for several years. You’ve been around these guys now for a couple of months. How can you assure Dolphins fans you’re finally going to be able to fix this offensive line?) – “Just watch the game. Just watch the game. It all starts in practice. It all starts with us putting the work in. We will improve. That’s no doubt about it. I have zero doubts about that. We’ll be better in a lot of areas and it’ll never get to a place of perfection, but that’s the goal. We’re always striving to be perfect. But we’re going to have bad plays. We’re going to have mishaps. That’s part of the game. But trying to have that built-in response of try to control and impose our will day-in and day-out.”
(How do you compartmentalize knowing that the balance of the offense is on the five guys up front? You don’t get to run, you don’t get to pass if you guys don’t get to do your job?) – “Yeah, that’s every day. That’s every snap. We control the game. We control the success of the offense, so that’s never changing. That’s all 32 teams. We embrace that role and responsibility.”
(This morning Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about the process of getting you some periods off, some reps off to preserve you for Week 1. I was curious about your reaction. They approached you with that kind of sports science plan and your input on the idea of your training camp regimented schedule?) – “Yeah, I definitely appreciate coming out the gate those guys having a set plan. In the last few years, I’ve kind of had a little bit of a load management situation while I was in New Orleans. This was more detailed, kind of structured, so I know exactly what to expect. I think it’ll be extremely beneficial for me.”
(Do you think that the idea of more work in a shorter practice is also beneficial for you and the rest of the team out here because Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about changing the schedule a bit this year and going harder but for a shorter period of time?) – “Yeah, it’s a difference between running plays and getting work. As long as we’re working, getting actual work, we don’t have to be out here three hours. You can run plays with poor technique, poor execution, you can do that six hours but it’s for no reason. So as long as we’re being effective and efficient with our time, I love it.”
(Obviously it’s a big year for QB Tua Tagovailoa and what he can do in his development. How do you, yourself as a leader and the offensive line as a whole, how do you guys kind of affect Tua positively and kind of make it easier for him to kind of excel this season?) – “It’s a big year for all of us. We’re all looking to improve, get better, extend our careers. And with that, with Tua being our leader and being our nucleus, we can all help him, he can help us. So there’s no added pressure on Tua. The protection has to be better for him and it will. He has more weapons now than he ever has. We’re looking to improve. It’s just Day 1. We’ve got a long way to go to become what we see the potential to be and it takes everybody. It’s not just one person.”
(When you signed you mentioned possibly getting QB Tua Tagovailoa hooked up with Drew Brees considering their similar styles. Did you ever get that done?) – “I’m going to do that right now when I get off the field. Group text, both of them, right now. You’ve got my word. (laughter)”
Mike McDaniel – July 27, 2022
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(With the players coming back and the coaches coming back, can you describe the energy you feel in the building today and this week going into the first day of practice?) – “There’s always energy in the National Football League collectively. Your lifestyle adjusts so much in the break, so there’s always energy. This group in particular, I was very excited about how they came back in terms of the mission-oriented, day-to-day operation and getting better, but a thirst and a competitiveness. They’re fully understanding how much they owe their teammates, the organization, the fans and they’re owning it. I can feel the energy. It should be good today.”
(With CB Byron Jones on PUP and DB Elijah Campbell, we know they won’t be out here. A – do you expect Byron to be ready for the start of the regular season? B – anyone you think will be fairly limited for the first few days of camp, whether it’s T Terron Armstead or WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. or anybody else?) – “Similar to Raheem Mostert, Byron (Jones) is kind of approaching it the same way where he’s fully expecting to get himself ready for Week 1. We have to be very cognizant of competitors and making sure that they don’t do harm to themselves and the team by rushing anything. I’ve been very happy since I’ve been here and in this organization with a lot of things. One of those things being our training staff and how diligent they are, how they personalize things and they try to get players ready at the pace that’s best for themselves, which is the best thing for the Dolphins. So, we shall wait and see.”
(Anyone limited, like T Terron Armstead?) – “As it relates to veterans, I think it’s very important that you just don’t make an abstract, ‘OK, we’re just going to limit this guy,’ or whatever. There’s a handful of guys that will be practicing for a portion of practice. The two you just named (Byron Jones and Elijah Campbell) are the only two who are not practicing. But the veterans that we have different reasons for monitoring will be involved in practice in different portions of the practice that best suits what they need to work on and what they need to protect themselves from. We’re fortunate to have – there was a lot of hard work that went into that, and we’re going to have all of our guys out there. We will adjust every player’s rep count on a case-by-case basis, day-in and day-out.”
(What do you envision your version of a training camp to look like, day-in and day-out, the way things operate?) – ‘Sorry, I didn’t quite digest and now I’ve digested. (laughter) I think it’s something that there’s a common denominator. I’ve talked to the team about it. There’s a common denominator with teams that I’ve been on that have been very successful. It’s not that things don’t get hard. It’s not that there’s not adversity. It’s not that everything goes well. It’s a diligent approach to each and every day and teammates recognizing, invariably, Day 1 – juiced, Day 2 – juiced. They’re evolving. What organically evolves within the team is that peer – I don’t want to say pressure but more like accountability – where there are going to be some guys that don’t have the juice on next Tuesday. The vision that I have for the Dolphins and the team that we’re building through the summer and into the preseason is that teammates take responsibility for the energy. When somebody is down, the standard and the demand to bring them up is very present. So, that – it’s a long process, but the good teams embrace that. It’s pretty masochistic, but it’s fun. It’s what we do, and it wouldn’t be worth as much as it is if it wasn’t very difficult.”
(Can you give us an example of that? Like what you’ve experienced in the past?) – “An example would be I remember our second year in Atlanta, we had high expectations. We started the season 5-0 and ended 8-8. We actually signed Mohamed Sanu (Sr.) in the offseason and we were fired up for the season. We had a great OTAs and then we went into training camp, and I think it was preseason (Game) 3, back when there were four games, and we had, collectively as a team, a disastrous game. We were down. It refocused us to the point that we utilized that adversity, a staple of every successful team and players, you utilize that adversity to your benefit, because you know it’s coming. I’m not sure if we were 4-0, but we started out pretty good after that. But if you just would have sat there and been like, ‘Well, all this hard work and we have this?’ As a matter of fact, it was here in Miami. ‘We have this garbage game that we played and just kind of got embarrassed. What’s all that work for?’ That’s where people are faced with a decision. Do they say, ‘F this. This is too hard. I’m not getting the immediate results?’ Or do they bow up? That’s what really every practice, within every period, that’s what I’m looking for, is not if adversity happens but when it does, how do people respond.”
(What’s your philosophy when it comes to the intensity of training camp and practice length. Are you a guy that wants them out there hitting non-stop?) – “Well, I’m not sure if you guys know this, but reps help in life. The problem is that you can’t – you have to be – your job is to maximize the athlete at his craft. So my personal philosophy, the one that we’re imploring here, is that we have full speed, effort and intensity on all the plays in practice. To do that, we don’t do as many reps as maybe – practice wont be as long as maybe you’ve been around previously. But it’s all because it’s built towards there’s no such thing as just going through the motions. When we practice, we want to practice with an intent and a purpose and a speed and a veracity that separates ourselves from the rest of the league. That is hard to do. There’s a lot of people working (and) there’s a lot of talent. So the one thing that this team, we built a standard in OTAs, and my expectation in training camp is that this team, their standard is to practice hard and they’re trusting me that I don’t overload them. I need to challenge them. They don’t need to be comfortable, but I’m not in the business of making players worse. So, it’s that fine line that you try to decide, and you adjust as you go, doing your best to do the best for them.”
(To go along with adversity, before you were talking about – can you talk about how open you are to share stories about your journey and personal adversity through the coaching ranks with players, especially at this time of year when they may not make the team or they’re fighting for a job?) – “As a head coach, I don’t think you have nearly the access to individuals. It’s funny, you get in the business because of your passion for football and your love for helping individuals. But then you’re kind of spread thin in terms of personal time with each individual, so I think it’s important, for connection purposes, for me to share things so they can get to know me and we can have that experience. There’s some vulnerability in that, that I think players respect. But for them to do what they do and for them to lay it on the line the way they do – you guys are great people, but guess what, if a guy plays bad, you’re going to say some disparaging things. They have to wear that, that pressure. All of that is so much, and I hold it in such high regard that it’s just a little thing, that’s what – rabbit pellets? – just telling my story. But I think that’s something they deserve and I have no problem doing.”
(What’s the message for QB Tua Tagovailoa in regards to how you want him to specifically approach camp practices?) – “I think it’s deliberate intent on each play. The quarterback’s job is exhausting, in terms of you have to know a lot of things. He recognized that in OTAs and put in more time this offseason than I think he has with football in that regard. So what I really want to see from him is that Tua (Tagovailoa) is super hard on himself, which is a good thing, but anything in excess isn’t the best thing either. He’s very – he holds himself at a high standard, so I don’t want that to impede when things don’t go the way he wants. I don’t want that to impede the next play. So I’m looking – I said it about the whole team, but specifically with the quarterback, he has such a natural football presence on the football field that who cares if there’s one read this way or that way. Again, like every quarterback, it’s not if but when. So those short-term memories, that’s what I think you can really work on in the training camp right now and moving forward as the leader of our team.”
(What kind of opportunity is this for CB Noah Igbinoghene with CB Byron Jones and DB Elijah Campbell out?) – “Oh, it’s a tremendous opportunity. That’s what the team needs to be the team that we all want it to be, which is that people recognize each and every rep as an opportunity, and you utilize it to your best advantage. More reps against Tyreek Hill hasn’t hurt anybody unless they have confidence issues. (laughter) Those types of things – you’re on an island as a corner. You have to have a short memory, and it is – you’re not facing the direction that the offense is trying to go. You’re trying to guard an elite athlete. It is difficult, but this opportunity is only going to help him moving forward, so I’m excited for that.”
(Who did you consult with when you were designing your training camp plan? Did you consult with other coaches who have done it before? Maybe some of your mentors or was it mostly Kyle Shanahan?) – “That’s one of those fortunate things about my process and my journey is that I was afforded the opportunity to be in-step with Kyle Shanahan in so many different spots, and we were bouncing around all over the place so this is my, I think, sixth time doing this process. So I was pretty familiar with the process, but I was also pretty convicted in how to approach it from the starting point where the foundation to build that doesn’t constrain you and allows you to grow in whatever way that your team is able to and whatever things that we’re able to do against the defenses that we play against. Having the versatility to become whatever is best to threaten defenses. That’s what’s important to me – a foundation. At practice, you’ll see the foundational stuff that we’re working on and that’s important and you will see that during the season, but there will also be a lot of other stuff that if we do it the right way, we can grow into and evolve to our skillsets.”
(Has anything surprised you about being the guy steering the ship, running the show? Anything surprised you?) – “I think I’ve said it before, but no one ever really gave it – either I was a bad listener or they didn’t give it due justice – how all of a sudden you’re in this position that you’ve worked your whole life for and a lot of times against all odds to a degree; and then you get there and it’s like, ‘all right, now it’s time to depend on everyone else.’ That’s something that I think no head coach is able to have success without an immense amount, an immense amount, of people that you’re depending on that it’s really just a gigantic trust fall in that regard. So I think how many people I depend on and how many people it takes to do the job of winning football games; I don’t think I could do it justice with how meaningful and interesting and – I don’t know, there’s some humility in that, too, where you’re just a part of the people all together trying to do one thing.”
(How and when do you decide on captains and how do you use them as a vehicle to connect with the team?) – “It’s interesting. I’ve been waiting for somebody to ask me about a captain. I don’t decide the captains. I think the point of a captain is to be a leader on the field for the other players. I appreciate democracy in general and I think that the players are the best ones to tell you who they want representing them, and we’ll do that after we decide the 53 (man roster).”
(How do use them as a vehicle to connect with the team?) – “Well, I try not to ‘use’ anybody. (laughter) I think especially on a team when there’s so many young hungry committed players that who they decide – like I’m not really that worried about who they decide, who they vote to be the captain. But I’ll know this – that to get votes on this team, you have to be extremely hard-working. You have to set a standard and demand a standard around you. And in that way, I think that captains are vessels. They’re examples. When you’re dealing with a captain, you can set the tone with how things you want to operate. As a coach, we end up saying a lot of negative things – that can be perceived negative. So a lot of times people don’t want to hear – they want to hear ‘I did awesome.’ So captains specifically are great to utilize where no, our job is to coach. Quite literally we’d be doing you an injustice if we didn’t bring up negativity. Embrace the coaching because generally coaches don’t waste time coaching players that they don’t believe in. So it’s a privilege and by that way and whoever our team votes, I’ll be very, very confident that I can lean on them in that way. Otherwise they wouldn’t have been voted by (their teammates). There’s a lot of possibilities. There’s a lot of guys. I could see it going different ways, so I know the cream will rise to the top in that regard.”
(If T Terron Armstead is going to be out for a certain amount of time, how do you see your left tackle and right tackle positions kind of working out in training camp?) – “Like I said, he’s practicing today. And when he’s not doing a period or two because of our scientific approach to making sure that he’s at his best Week 1, it’s just more opportunities for our plethora of athletic young linemen across the board. And I wouldn’t really even say it’s just who’s the left tackle. Whoever is playing left tackle, that means they’re not playing another position – maybe right tackle, maybe right guard. So it opens – that’s an opportunity for everyone to take advantage of when he’s not holding it down on the left side.”
(With the addition of WR Mohamed Sanu Sr., I guess why now? What is he bringing to the offense and does he maybe face less of a learning curve just given that he’s kind of been with you at two other stops?) – “I think its not about what necessarily we needed as much as it was about an opportunity to add a veteran that I know from this being my third stop. I think it is one of, it’s like almost a coaching sin to get ahead of yourself and think, at least in my opinion, I think you owe it to players and the team to compete. So what does that manifest moving forward? I can’t really say in that regard. What I do know is that we have a very, very young team. I’m not sure if you can stamp this, but I believe I, at one point in the offseason, I read that we were about 60 percent Year 3 or less. So a guy that knows how to do it, that can set the tone, who’s a physical player, who has passion for the game, I think that just adds value to the team regardless of the position.”
(It seems like QB Tua Tagovailoa has his own personal hype man in WR Tyreek Hill. This past week he said he is the most accurate quarterback in the NFL. I’m not going to ask your thoughts on that. I’m just going to ask your broadly your thoughts on Tyreek being so out there, outspoken, about Tua’s ability?) – “Yeah, I think as a coach, you really appreciate when people believe in each other, and you guys will get to know Tyreek more and more as we progress. But one thing that I didn’t know before having the opportunity to work with him is you’re looking at probably if not the No. 1, he’s right up there as one of the most competitive players I’ve ever been around in my life. And part of how Tyreek has become who he is, is because he is brash, extremely convicted and competitive and that’s his driving force. And if Tyreek is saying it, it’s because he believes it. So all that led me – I do have some wherewithal. I understand that that’s an aggressive statement, but I can promise you that Tyreek didn’t get to where he is by thinking that he was an average receiver. It’s because that’s how he thinks and they’re developing a great, great relationship and rapport. So we all know – I know what you guys know – is that Tyreek believes in his quarterback, and that’s a good thing, and they moving forward will continue to work together to make that relationship as good as it could possibly be.”
(In your experience installing wide-zone blocking scheme, how long do you expect for it to take for the o-line in particular to grasp, fully grasp?) – “It’s not as much ‘grasping.’ It’s applying techniques and points of emphasis on every play. So you get flashes of it. Generally our expectation is that we can communicate it in a way where they can understand the vision, how it’s different and the point of emphasis. Now doing that and applying that to all sorts of different structures and players, that’s another thing. So you can have three or four good reps, but to run the ball effectively, you can’t have a weak link and if you have a false step against a good defense like we go against every day, they make you pay if you’re off a hair. So it’s more ingraining, logging all those deliberate reps so that you become really as consistent as possible because that’s the way you, in this league with all the athletic talent and lack of space, the way you run the ball well is that everyone is tied together including the running back and the quarterback to the run game and that people are more consistent than the people defending them.”
Robert Hunt – June 7, 2022
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022
G/T Robert Hunt
(Obviously you haven’t had T Terron Armstead out there for team drills, but do you like where the line is right now with OL Connor Williams telling us that he’s playing center and obviously T Liam Eichenberg at left guard? How does the unit look to you? Are you optimistic that it is going to be a better unit than it was last year?) – “I think we look good. I think we are all out there competing to try to win a spot. Nobody is settled in or penciled in at any spot. We are going out there competing and trying to get better and yeah, to try and have a better year than we did last year, paper-wise. I think we had really good guys in the room last year too; but no, I definitely think everybody is working to improve on themselves and improve to be something that nobody expects us to be.”
(Have you started campaigning Head Coach Mike McDaniel for the ball?) – “Nah, I can’t tell you. You got to wait and see. Honestly, I can’t tell you that. Sorry. (laughter)”
(Things are always said about a player’s coach. Can you talk about Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s unique style of coaching? You have coaches that are screamers, you got guys that are motivators. What is it about Head Coach Mike McDaniel that makes him so unique in his coaching job?) – “With Mike (McDaniel), I think we all just get Mike. Mike, he’s a younger guy. He’s cool. He’s got a swagger to him. He’s just out there trying to win. You can tell he wants to win. You can tell he’s got our back. We are going to trust that and move forward and try to put a great product on the field.”
(Have you ever had a coach like that growing up in your career?) – “I’ve had some good coaches in my life. I can speak to (Billy) Napier and all those guys. Mike (McDaniel) is just young. Mike’s younger and I feel like we can just relate to him. He’s good. He knows his (expletive) and we just got to trust that. We are going to trust that.”
(Although T Terron Armstead hasn’t been out here practicing yet, has there been an impact that you’ve felt with him talking to the guys?) – “Yeah, Terron has helped a lot of our guys out, especially us young guys. He’s out there at practice working with some guys. He’s in the meeting room telling us what we can do, what he’s seen. He’s been doing this for a while so what he says, we definitely take heed and we listen to it because he’s done it. He’s been an All-Pro, he’s been to Pro Bowls, he’s been everything that we want to be in life pretty much. Everything Terron says, we take it in and we listen.”
(What’s the one thing that T Terron Armstead has told you that has changed you?) – “For me, I don’t know. He tells me a lot of stuff. Some little technique stuff that I can work on to really take my game to the next level. That’s just something that I’m looking forward to, to keep working on this summer and also when camp comes. Hopefully in the season, it’ll roll over.”
(What’s the offensive line’s offseason program for when you guys break camp? Y’all going to be pushing trucks or something?) – “Nah. I mean some boys, that might be their routine. My routine ain’t going to be pushing no trucks, though. (laughter) My shoulders ain’t good enough for that. I don’t know man. Boys are going to be in working man, doing what they can do. A lot of guys will be here in the room so we will still be able to see each other, talk to each other, see what we see, come out here and do some work. It’ll be good.”
(The competition in the trenches between o- and d-line – what’s the focus without pads? What do you work on without actually being able to hit?) – “I think everybody is working on – and that’s what I can tell about this team, I think it’s a little different right now. The guys are working without pads on and you can tell, guys are definitely fitting their gaps right, guys are coming off the ball, flying off the ball. We’re doing it in a controlled manner. When pads come on, pads are just on. That’s all it is to it. I think guys are definitely getting good work on the offensive line and defensive line.”
(When people say you can only put so much stock into it until the pads come on – it sounds like no…) – “I think that’s what I kind of believe. Right now, what’s special with this team is I think what you see right now is going to be what you get. Some guys are different, though. I think what you see right now is probably what you’ll get. With the pads, there will be a little more of that, but right it’s steel to steel. Just run off the ball.”
(There has been a lot of talk about QB Tua Tagovailoa coming out of his shell. What have you noticed about him this offseason?) – “I think he’s always been like that. I think it’s probably your first time (seeing him like this). He’s a guy with confidence, man. He’s a guy that believes in himself and we believe in him too. I love it, man. I see it, you know what I mean? I believe it and I trust it. We all do. Good for Tua man, I’m glad he did that.”
(What’s been the biggest part of the transition to that wide outside zone for you guys?) – “I don’t know if there is a transition. We just work from last year from an inside zone to a duo to power. Like everything is going here and then people can get a beam on that. Right now, we are trying to make everybody defend the whole field. Guys are just trusting what the coaches are saying, putting down and we are trying to pick it up and we are just running off the ball. We try to run out and like I said, make them defend the field. We’re running way out here, in here, so we got them guessing and it’s a beautiful thing. It’s the type of offense I ran in college. I respect it a lot. I love it.”
Raekwon Davis – June 7, 2022
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022
DT Raekwon Davis
(Since we didn’t see the practice that earned you the jersey, can you tell us about what you did in that practice, tackles for loss?) – “Oh, no. It wasn’t nothing special. Just effort. Running to the ball. I’m just an effort guy. That’s it.”
(It’s hard to get a lot of tackles for loss when you’re facing as many double teams as you have. That’s not really a way to measure defensive tackles. But that said, is that a goal for you to get more tackles and sacks in pass-rush opportunities you do have?) – “Yeah, that’s definitely a goal to get my stats up. But I’m not too worried about that right now. I’m focused on getting better this offseason and that’s about it.”
(What makes Head Coach Mike McDaniel special in your mind?) – “He’s a funny guy. You enjoy him. He’s just funny. He’s got a lot of character. He’s just hilarious.”
(How has OL Connor Williams looked at center? He was a very good left guard for the Dallas Cowboys. How has he looked at center?) – “He’s been great. We’ve been going back and forth and really competing and challenging each other every day. He’s been pushing me, I’ve been pushing him. It’s kind of like a fair match right now.”
(Based on what you’ve seen so far this summer, in what way do you think the defense is going to give offenses the most trouble this season?) – “We plan on giving every offense trouble. Right now we’re just working on getting better, developing ourselves, developing our game and just keep getting better.”
(How much does the continuity with every starter coming back? How much does that help you guys in taking that next step as a defense?) – “It helps us a lot. Everybody knows each other, we know what to expect, we know the goals. It’s a blessing to have everybody back.”
(With you DE Emmanuel Ogbah, LB Jaelan Phillips, and DT Christian Wilkins in the front another year together, what do you think you four can really accomplish in setting the tone up front?) – “Just getting far. Pushing each other, competing as a unit, sticking together, everybody on one head. That’s it.”
(The second half of the year defensively, you were a different team. How much do you all talk about what was different the second half of the year and bringing that to this group?) – “Just keep pushing each other. Keep trying to dominate every opponent, just getting better as a unit and getting better this offseason.”
(Is there more pressure on this defense because everybody is back?) – “No.”
(Why do you feel that way? Because you were pretty good last year.) – “We know the goals. We know what we’ve got to do.”
(What are the goals?) – “Just competing. That’s it.”
Jevon Holland – June 7, 2022
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022
S Jevon Holland
(Every coach has a certain style, a certain unique thing they do. Can you talk about Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s unique style of coaching? It seems like you guys have embraced that. Every time you talk to a guy, they’re like ‘He’s a player’s coach.’ You guys will run through a wall for him. Can you talk about that intensity he brings but in his own way?) – “He’s just a good person. It’s not hard to be all in for a coach when they’re a good person. I think that’s the baseline, as low as it goes. He’s just a super cool dude, a great family man and you can tell he’s honest. People just buy into what he says and he’s 100 percent on the same page as him mentally. Everybody is one mind.”
(Just talk about Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s age aspect. It seems like he is very in-tune with you guys. A young cat who knows about social media and he’s kind of hip to the game.) – “I feel like that’s a real old-head thing to ask, not because you’re an old head. (laughter) I feel like a lot of people think that you can be out of touch if you get older but really it’s a matter of if you like things going on on social media or not. It happens to be that he’s younger, it doesn’t really matter if he’s younger. He just is who he is so everybody vibes with him. If he was younger and he wasn’t cool, then he wouldn’t be cool. That’s basically how I see it.”
(What was the priority for personal improvement with you and Safeties Coach Steve Gregory? What area that you decided with Gregory and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer that you wanted to work on? Obviously you did a ton well last year but was there one specific area you wanted to work on?) – “I think it was just my overall development as a professional. Things will come in practice and as things start to speed up – tackling, angles to the ball and things like that. But for me, conducting myself as more of a professional was probably most of it. That was really me, honestly. They have supported me and pushed me in that direction regardless of what it is. It’s mostly just me focusing that push into a specific area.”
(Do you think you’ll buy into the notion that year one to year two is the biggest jump for players on the field? Do you feel that happening for you this year?) – “I haven’t really gotten to year two yet, so I can’t really tell you that. But I feel like it’s important, yeah. I feel like every year you have to improve. I don’t know what year it is that I’ll stop getting better every year and I’ll be the best I can be, but right now I’m always on the uphill battle.”
(Will you have to think less this year?) – “For sure, yeah. I’m already a year into the league so things start to slow down, just as it did as I started playing more. Yeah, just reacting more is definitely a lot easier. But that’s how college was, from freshman year to sophomore year. You get in there, you’re comfortable, you have your own swag, your own atmosphere. Things start to slow down as you get into it.”
(You mentioned a minute ago conducting yourself as a professional, which kind of surprised me because last year as a rookie you seemed so mature for your age. Is there something that you didn’t do last year that you are trying to do this year?) – “Not really. I just feel like I’m getting older. I’m 22 now, getting up there in age. (laughter) Nah, I just feel like I’m getting older so I should just conduct myself in a little bit more of a mature manner even though it’s already seeming that way.”
(What does it mean to have the group? You didn’t really change much on defense. You said when you started playing, you were on it pretty quick. How much better can this defense be with one more year together?) – “I feel like it can be a lot better. That’s a great question. I feel like as a collective, as a whole defense, it’s amazing that we are all back in one area. That’s really important and it’s rare, honestly, to have everybody in the group back. I’m excited. It’s comfortable in the room. Everybody knows each other. Now that we are going through all these activities and practice and adversity, you get more and more wound together as a group.”
(You mentioned as you started playing more, you were comfortable from the beginning but you really turned it on. How much more comfortable leadership-wise were you once you started playing more? Now, you said you’re old at 22 but you can lead as a 22-year-old in the secondary.) – “I feel real comfortable. I feel like I tried to earn a lot of my teammates respect through my play first. They know that if something happens and I do say something, it comes from a place of love because I want them to get better and I would want them to push me the same way. It’s not necessarily me just yelling at them. That’s how I see leading. Anybody can be a leader. Anybody can say something. Now that I’m like a year in, it’s the same group and they know what I can do, I feel comfortable being able to correct it if it’s a situation that I know that I can help.”
(In your first offseason entering the league, you’re so focused on performing at the Combine and the draft. What has this offseason been like when you’re already on the team and you can focus on football?) – “In the offseason, for the second year, honestly I was kicking it, I’m not going to lie. I was making sure I had fun and enjoyed myself. It’s a long time but you got to plan it accordingly because I still like to work hard and it’s kind of built into athletes to just not stop working because you’re going to lose it if you take a break. I took some time off, enjoyed myself and enjoyed my family. I made sure that I was still getting that work in.”
(Can you talk about the second half of the year for you guys? Obviously, it looked like a different defense at least in our eyes. How much do you guys talk about being that second half of the year unit versus early in the year?) – “I think the second half of the year team is who we are, really. The first half of the year, we were trying to come together. Once we got it together, as you saw, we started winning games, coming together as a defense and making plays. We just talk about it as who we are now and that we can build on that because that’s not the extent of who we are. We can get better. That’s everybody’s mindset, too.”
Mike McDaniel – June 7, 2022
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On his favorite sushi) – “Spicy tuna roll… it’s really just a medium for wasabi. I don’t eat fish, but I eat sushi. Makes no sense. Yep. That’s called a child that wasn’t forced by his mother to eat food and then in social settings in his early 20s in Houston, it was like, ‘Hey, this is kind of a cool scene. Raw sushi? Let’s try it out.’ That’s all it was. And then it was, ‘Hey, this is spicy. That’s all I eat.’ Red gravy is my favorite condiment, which is all hot sauce. (laughter)”
(I’m going to get to condiments talk in a little bit. Now probably 65 percent of coaches would probably not give a specific player answer to this question, but I’m hoping and guessing you might be part of the 35 percent that will to this question and give maybe a specific player. So General Manager Chris Grier has had a lot of success in this organization finding undrafted rookies to contribute. Of the group so far that you have – the Verone McKinleys, the ZaQuandre Whites, Kellen Diesches, etc. – who’s flashed to you? Have there been a couple that have impressed you that you’re willing to share?) – “What about the 5 percent that – it’s so hard. Just really think about it for a second how difficult – I say it to the rookies all the time – the undertaking they have where they’re transitioning from a different game and these are grown men that have been earning a paycheck and you’re trying to get reps from them and perform at a high level, so certain positions I think are more akin to show fast and furious. Typically running backs, you get a little more opportunity because it’s a little more natural to what you’ve done in the past – hey, don’t get tackled – and I’ve been very impressed with, I call him ‘Dr. White’ (ZaQuandre White). But there’s plenty of guys – I know my NFL experience has afforded me to know this much to not make too early of a judgment. What you’re trying to do is really establish ‘should these guys, should they have a ticket to the party?’ And really our whole undrafted class, there’s not anybody that stands out whether that’s from an athletic perspective or just what it takes to be a professional football player. That’s a credit to Chris (Grier) and his entire staff, where they brought some young men that are hungry and meet the bar from an athletic standpoint so it’ll be an exciting late summer, early fall.”
(What’s the message you want to leave with your players as the offseason program comes to a close and you go a while without having them in the building?) – “This is a cool, cool opportunity that’s unchartered thus far, and I talk to these guys a lot and have put a lot of thought into this. We’ve had an offseason that we’ve been fully committed. We’ve learned a lot. We’ve gotten better. I think that the coaches have done a great job and the players have really attacked this offseason, which I guess I would equate to the first quarter of a game. I’m comfortable to say the way they’ve worked – I feel like we have a lead in the first quarter. What does that mean? Nothing. How many games are you winning in the first quarter that you lose and vice versa. So we’ve positioned ourselves to compete at a standard that we’ve said from the beginning that we want to compete at. The biggest message is the obligation and accountability that they have to have to their teammates while they’re gone because the one thing that has stood the test of time is if you don’t come back in not shape, but training camp shape, at the beginning of training camp, you make yourself very vulnerable to soft tissue injuries, which puts you two, three weeks behind. And more often than not, when it’s all said and done, players never catch up because that’s how tight of a race it is. So you’re spending time with your family, getting away recharging; but also understanding this moment and what your teammates are counting on you to come back and the Miami Dolphins organization is counting on you to come back in full shape, form and desire so that the cream of our team rises to the top and whoever the best person is at every position, they’re giving us the best chance to win.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said he’s never had a coach like you from the positivity standpoint. Can you talk about that a little bit? Was like a pillar for you that you mapped out when you thought about what you wanted to be like as a head coach and also is that a conscious effort you take into your strategy?) – “I’d say I’m just a positive person only because the way I see the world is you’re about the things you can affect moving forward and about being present. I wouldn’t say that I was really approaching it like, ‘hey, I want to be the positive coach’ because I don’t necessarily think that I am. I know that’s how people take it from afar, but really I just want players’ sole focus to be getting better at their craft and being the best player they can be. So I feel as though if you’re able to be yourself, that’s one less thing you’re thinking about that’s not getting better and perfecting your craft. So that opportunity cost is something that’s important to me, so I want players to feel like they can be themselves. I also think that a concerted effort in a group forum – hence team sports, just that collective venture – is fun. The grind is fun, although in the present sometimes it doesn’t feel like it is. But more than any of that, I know and I think the players would attest that the most important thing is that they feel like they have an honest coach because I can’t help them if I can’t give them honest critiques; and don’t get it twisted, there are plenty of times in my own way that I’m very, very direct because that’s what players are depending on. But it’s not really about the positive. It’s more about whatever the elixir is to try to maximize a given player’s ability to perform which is a coach’s job.”
(With that being said, where did you adapt your coaching style from? A lot of the guys last week were saying you’re a player’s coach. Every coach has a style. How would you describe your style overall?) – “My style – I think I’ve learned a great deal from every situation. I think that’s kind of the onus on the learner when you’re in a situation. You’re not necessarily mimicking your behavior towards a person. You notice what happens when A happens or B happens. For me, I just want there to be no question from any player what my intent, objective and where my motivation is coming from. So you don’t really pattern yourself after anyone. You get used to that when you grow up as an only child with a single mom. I didn’t really have an example on like, how to be a dude or whatever that is and that’s kind of manifested itself in my professional life where you take things from each and every walk of life that you have. I would say that’s probably different just because I’ve never really patterned myself after anybody. I just kind of – I’m honest with very deliberate intent and a genuine purpose to help players get better and I think you create a culture, not because this guy acts a certain way, but because you’re really a group of people and the people that you employ and the people that you work with, if allowed, they dictate the terms of what the culture is. And that’s what I think you’re seeing on a day-in, day-out basis. I’m not like, ‘Hey guys, have fun.’ It’s more like, ‘Hey, this is your guys’ team. Understand that now, own it and how far do you want to take it?’ And the results are a collection of young hungry individuals that it’s June, so we haven’t played a game. But for where we’re at right now and the way they’re coming together, I’m very pleased at this part of the process.”
(Kind of following up what you said earlier about encouraging guys to be themselves. A lot of times you hear coaches talk about no one’s bigger than the team and team, team, team. Like have you viewed the concept of maybe individuality different as you kind of see a new era of players?) – “No, I think individuality is more celebrated as a culture in general, and I think people are more receptive to that. But don’t get it twisted. The No. 1 rule that we have on our team is protect the team. There is nothing greater than that, but I think you’re a sum of the whole total parts – what you become is an accumulation of the individual pieces. And those pieces, you’re just trying to maximize what you can contribute to the team and I feel like there’s a certain degree of liberty and investment and for lack of better terms, you’re taking that opportunity cost of thinking about how does someone want me to act and applying it to what is my job. And you have to stay within what’s in the best interest of the team. But people shouldn’t have to – if they have honest intent, if they’re accountable and you can count on them and their purpose and drive is correct and of high esteem – then who am I say you should act one way or the other? If I was policed that way, I don’t think I’d be hanging out here standing at this podium waiting for questions about condiments to resurface. (laughter)”
(You have a pretty healthy team. You answered a couple of weeks ago about RB Raheem Mostert, hoping he’ll be ready for the opener. Does it look good for you for how FB Alec Ingold coming off of the Week 10 ACL injury last year as far as being ready for the opener? Are there any other health issues you need to monitor heading into camp among T Terron Armstrong, etc.?) – “All of the guys – our medical staff does an outstanding job. We’ve been very – I wouldn’t say cautious but we’ve tried not to push the envelope. We all have scars and quite frankly the guys that have been hurt are accountable pros that want to play worse than we all want them to play. I can promise that’s a fact. There is nothing that is concerning us at this time. I feel very fortunate. But that’s to the credit of the players because they’re working very hard, but they’re also working very diligently to protect each other while having fast-paced practices.”
(With QB Tua Tagovailoa, I know a lot has been brought up about his arm strength and stuffs, but what are you thoughts on him inside the red zone, inside 30 to 35 yards? What did you think of him watching film before you started working with him and what’s it been like now since you’ve had him?) – “From a football standpoint, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time emphasizing the first and second down portion of our game for a multitude of reasons, one of them being that there aren’t pads on. I don’t necessarily see – as far as his game, I think his skillset in tighter areas only enhances his ability. He’s an accurate quarterback that really knows how to place the ball where he wants it to be placed. All the red zone is to me is the defense is defending less amount of the field, so they are compressed. And we’re still trying to move the ball forward and get into the end zone, so those windows become tighter, the decisions have to be quicker. The work we have done, I’ve been very pleased with it. I would say the one outlier for red zone quarterback play is one of the extremes in mobility. If you have a super extreme ability to extend the play with your feet, typically those guys are ranked pretty high. Or you have decisive quarterbacks that know where to go with the ball. In both of those situations, you’re just taking advantage of space. You can either create it with your quarterback and buy time, or you can create that space with timing and execution of concepts, which is something that Tua has been very good at his whole career.”
(At what stage in the install of your offense do you feel like you’re at after four weeks? And also, how can you gauge the offense, especially the running game, without pads?) – “This being the sixth different team that I’ve been in the same offense my whole career and we’ve just evolved it – this being the sixth different stop, you gain a little wisdom in that. There are compounding variables that you try to weigh. How good is the existing defense? Is everyone starting from the same starting point? Are they taking calculus courses while we’re learning algebra? This is an extreme case relative to the other stops in my career because the defense was very, very productive and returning a lot of talented players. We also had an inordinate amount of additions, so it was a bunch of people learning to play together. With all of those circumstances that my career has afforded me, I feel extremely happy and confident where we’re at. We have just enough taste of what we’re good at and what we need to work on. We have a lot of deliberate pros that when guys are all in it and are thinking about it over the break and spending their summer getting away and recharging, but at the same time, revisiting all of the stuff that they’ve learned, there is a huge leap in those first couple of days of (training camp). Realistically, if I go play by play, player by player, I’m not looking for touchdowns or how many negative plays. I’m looking at how people are progressing and getting better each day against a defense that’s refining their skills. I’m very happy with where we’re at right now, which means absolutely nothing. There are a couple of plays I wish we would make here or there, but overall as an offense, I’m very comfortable and confident going into summer with what we’ve had an opportunity to do and who we’re going against. It’s a tremendous challenge and on both sides of the ball, I think we’ve gotten better this offseason because guys come to work and challenge each other, are talented, high expectations, competitive and try to win the day.”
