Erik Ezukanma – April 30, 2022
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Saturday, April 30, 2022
WR Erik Ezukanma
(I just first wanted to ask how much conversation did you have with the Dolphins in the pre-draft process and did you get a feeling that you might be picked by them?) – “Throughout the process, Miami did show a lot of interest and I had a formal (interview) with them at the NFL Combine. That’s where I got this hat. They just showed love throughout the process and for them to pick a spot with me, it was big.”
(My question to you is how does it feel coming to Miami with a loaded wide receiver group such as WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, to learn from them for your first year and working with the wide receiver group?) – “It’s going to be a big opportunity. You’ve got a guy like Tyreek Hill who’s done it for a long time. Jaylen Waddle being a rookie last year and putting the numbers he put up, it’s going to be a great opportunity to learn from them and take notes and learn from Wes (Welker) as well. Him being able to coach the guys up and just take a lot in and be a sponge and take a lot of notes and watch a lot of film.”
(I wanted to ask you a little bit more – you just mentioned Wes Welker – how much contact have you had with him? How familiar are you with his background?) – “Oh, you know, he’s a Red Raider. He’s Red Raider blood just like me, so a lot of contact throughout the process and with Wes Welker taking a chance on me and the Miami franchise, I appreciate them so much and I’m grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready just to work.”
(How do you describe your style?) – “Play style?”
(Yes.) – “I’m a versatile guy. I feel like I can fit in right where Jaylen Waddle – the way he can take the ball out of the backfield as well as be a deep threat down the field, but also just a versatile guy with RAC ability and YAC ability – yards after contact and run after the catch. You can put me anywhere on the field and I feel like I can help the team in any situation.”
(I saw that you were a captain as a freshman at Texas Tech. Just wanted to ask you about the importance of kind of the leadership role and being a good locker room guy.) – “Man, the locker room is everything because that’s really where the team collaborates and works together outside of the coaches. And you know, you want to be a player-led program. You want guys in the locker room to uplift each other, not be one of those guys that brings each other down. I’m willing to go in there, learn my role with the team and as I gradually get up in the ranks, earn my respect; I feel like I can hop into that leadership role.”
(Forgive me for not knowing this, but how much special teams, if at all, have you played over your career in college?) – “Yes, sir. I did a lot of front line kickoff return. I was blocking a lot in the front line either in the center or the edge. I did a lot of gunner as well. Also kind of kickoff, the edge guy at No. 9 or 10 coming off the edge, being the fold player.”
(I’ve always wondered what it was like to be a gunner. When you did that, what was your approach?) – “It was kind of just like being a receiver, getting off the line and running as fast as you can down the field before the punt returner catches the ball. If that’s what they need me to do, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it on the roster.”
(I saw you’re 6’2”, a bigger receiver, bigger body. What do you think about your ability to make contested catches? Is that an area that you like about your game?) – “That’s one of my strong suits. I feel like throughout my career I’ve really worked on contested catches, bang-bang plays. I feel like in the beginning of my career at Tech, that was one of the places I struggled at, but I gained more confidence with that and just getting bigger in the weight room, buying into the weight room and being able to make those contested catches even if a defender is on my back or hitting me at the same time. So I feel like that’s one of my high points of my game.”
(One of seven children, single mother supporting you guys as a nurse. I just wanted to ask you about the impact your mom had in your life?) – “She is really the reason why I’m sitting right here today. I really believe that because I’ve watched her grind every day working nights – 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the morning and going right back to it. Growing up I had to grow up fast. Being the older brother and little brother at the same time, I had to get them out of the house and go to school and I also had to go to school myself. It was growing up really fast. I feel like without her, I couldn’t have watched her work ethic and watch her grind. I feel like all of that grinding is instilled in me. I feel like that’s why I’m here right now.”
(Just because of the last name, is there any African heritage in there because I’m Nigerian myself, so I had to ask.) – “Nigerian, yes sir. I’m Nigerian. I’ve never been to Nigeria, so I hope to make that trip out there. I have a lot of siblings, so my mom really hasn’t been able to get us out there. But I definitely want to get out there and get with some relatives.”
(I wanted to ask you about head coach Mike McDaniel. We’re all enjoying getting to know him. I’m wondering what your impressions of this guy was when you talked to him.) – “Man, great guy. I feel like I really haven’t got to know him yet. I want to really get to know him because that’s going to be my head coach and with that, I want to learn from him, ask him a lot of questions, get with the staff and really just have them pour into me and be that guy that they can trust.”
(I found your logo on the interweb – the EE with the lightning bolt. Did you choose the lightning bolt? Was that your design? And if so, why?) – “The lightning bolt is also considered a Z in the logo – EZE. The lightning bolt is to express my speed, how explosive I am, the way I play ball. It’s just a representation of me and the way I play. Just a little cool design that I thought was nice. We put it on some t-shirts and things.”
(I have to ask you about your connection to Patrick Mahomes. I believe you trained with him and maybe received some words of encouragement and advice. What can you tell us about that?) – “It was a cool experience. I went out to the place he works out at and worked out twice actually. The first time I went over there and we worked out, he was very encouraging. He was letting me know the grind doesn’t stop here. Basically you’re going to get drafted and you’re going to be grinding until the next offseason, and with that, you got to stay hungry and be the first one into the film room and have a note or pen whenever you’re learning anything. And just be a sponge throughout the process because they are looking for that and they want to see you be the first in line in every situation.”
(What excites you about getting to know and getting to play with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I watched Tua in the national championship when I was a kid a couple of years ago, just hoping to be in that same situation as him. To watch him grow in the NFL and learn, obviously it’s going to be an experience. I want to come in and get with him as soon as possible and run as many routes as he wants me to run just to get that chemistry going and that friendship going.”
Chris Grier – April 29, 2022
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Friday, April 29, 2022
General Manager Chris Grier
(A couple of weeks, about a month ago we spoke to you at the owners meeting about the decision to re-sign all of the inside linebackers and then you use your first pick on an inside linebacker. Can you walk us through what drew you to LB Channing Tindall and making that selection?) – “Yeah, we decided to sign the inside linebacker groups and bring guys back like Duke (Riley), ‘E-Rob’ (Elandon Roberts), etc. It was because those guys are good players, they know our system, we know what they are on and off the field and how they contribute to this team. We were excited to add them back and then in terms of Channing, he was a player that we had been targeting throughout the process. We met with him in Indianapolis and really enjoyed our time with him. We brought him down here on a 30 visit, spent a lot of time with him here as well. For us, it’s the versatility, the speed is what we like. He can play, he has the ability to play all three downs and play special teams as well. In talking to Kirby Smart the other day again about him, he was just talking about what tremendous speed and toughness and the character of the kid and how Kirby really loved and thinks he’s going to be a really good player in the NFL. We’re really excited to get him. We were kind of holding on hoping he would be there. We tried to move up a couple of times to make a move and those things were – people wanted to make their picks. It was a long wait for us, a long day not picking until 11:20 or whatever it was on day two. It’s been a long couple of days. We haven’t been used to that.”
(You mentioned attempts to potentially move up and I’m wondering as LB Channing Tindall’s Georgia teammate LB Nakobe Dean was falling into the third round, did you also consider moving up to potentially look at him and try to get him?) – “We had discussions about multiple players that we were trying to move up. Teams wanted to make their picks at the spots we had a real chance of moving up to and we were not going to give up any picks from the 2023 draft, the upcoming draft class. For us, those were non-negotiable. We made a couple of calls and stood where we were. We’re glad we ended up with Channing.
(Did any teams call you to try to make any moves to where you might move down for that matter?) – “Yeah like I said, we made a couple of calls about trying to move up but we got no calls about teams wanting to come up with us moving down. It was very quiet. Stephen (Ross) was talking about how it was the first time our phone didn’t ring all year for the first two days of the draft. Other than a couple of calls that we made, it was very quiet.”
(So how did you spend last night for example?) – “Eating a lot of food. Mike (McDaniel) and I just sitting there talking and watching our weight go up. (laughter)”
(I was curious if you could tell us a little bit about – you talked about the 30-visit with LB Channing Tindall and talking to Kirby Smart. I was just wondering if you could tell us what really stood out about Channing, his character and the way he approaches the game that you guys really liked as a staff?) – “I think when you watch the film, it’s a very talented defense and how they use him – they use him as a spy, they use him to blitz, he covers backs. Just a lot of the ways that are kind of similar to how he will probably be used here in different schemes. As you guys were talking, Josh (Boyer) and etc, and we will get going into camp and into the season about his usage. But you can see a lot of things on tape that translate to our league and what we would do in our scheme specifically. We spent a lot of time with him, getting to know him as a person and then talking with Kirby (Smart) and talking about how he’s one of those players that – a lot of kids look to leave school when you’re in a log-jam at places and there’s a lot of talented linebackers there at Georgia and he elected to stay and keep competing. That character too, that part of him really stood out to me like, ‘Hey, this kid loves ball and wanted to be around his teammates and do anything he can to help them win.’ And it paid off. They won a national championship. We really enjoyed getting to know the kid. Specifically, the speed stands out on film on him.”
(I know last week or so, you said you really wanted to keep the first-round picks but for you to now say that all the 2023 picks next year are non-negotiable, can you elaborate on that? Is there something about next year’s draft that you didn’t want to part with any of those picks?) – “Well I’m just talking that it’s more of the first, second round picks that we are talking about. Obviously, if there was someone that was worth us doing, we would talk about it or consider it. Those early picks in next year’s draft, we really wanted to keep. For me, I think those are always valuable picks.”
(You talked about LB Channing Tindall’s speed standing out to you. I was curious how much influence did having to play Bills’ QB Josh Allen two times a year have to wanting to add speed to your linebacker room? Or is it a non-factor?) – “I think the way the NFL is, there’s a lot of speed now in the game and how it’s evolving. It’s a little bit of the college game where you’re spreading people out. We have guys that can run; (Jerome) Baker can run, Duke Riley can run, ‘E-Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) will tell you he can run. (laughter) We have guys that can run and do stuff. It was to keep adding players in that fit the mold of what the game is becoming. I think it’s important and for us to have a guy who can do that and also play on special teams with his speed because it shows up. When you watch him on kickoffs and punts, he’s the first guy down the field and stuff and makes plays. Just adding a guy that can contribute on all four downs is really important.”
(It’s pretty amazing what all you’ve accomplished this offseason that you and Senior Vice President, Football & Business Administration Brandon Shore are still sitting on about 19-20 million dollars in cap space. Are you hoping to hang on to most of that space and carry it over to next year or could you see spending significant money, three-four million, on another veteran player?) – “Like I say, we’ll always keep looking to upgrade the roster and if it makes sense for us – if there’s a player out there that can help us and is a good fit for us, we’ll be aggressive and go after him. Each player, we’ll look at case-by-case but we’ll keep looking. With the draft weekend here, it’s still not over and post-draft, we’ll keep looking and all the way throughout the summer and going into training camp, we’ll keep looking if there’s someone we can add to the roster that would help us.”
(Just in looking at the stats, it seems like LB Channing Tindall took a big step forward in his fourth season. What did you learn, what did you hear about his heart and his development throughout his time at Georgia?) – “That’s a good point because a lot of it in high school, from what was relayed to me, was that he was a blitzer off the edge rushing. Playing inside and doing all this keying and diagnosing inside, he was learning that as he was going the first couple of years there in Georgia while learning that scheme, which is a complicated scheme that Kirby (Smart) runs as you guys know, very similar to Nick Saban with heir history. In talking with Kirby, he was just really saying how the arrow is still going up on Channing (Tindall) and that he has taken a big step because now he’s in the box playing more. Obviously with Nakobe (Dean) and Quay (Walker) there, two really good players in front of him, they were all fighting for playing time but he took a step and ended up playing more because he had grown so much. For us, it’s exciting that we still have a player that’s young but still has upside to develop and that we feel he is on a good progression.”
(It seems like this was kind of a wild draft in some ways. The flurry of trades in the first round. We saw what happened with the quarterbacks. I’m wondering from a league-wide perspective, what are some of the main takeaways you take from this draft that maybe makes it unique and not just in a league-wide standpoint but also if anything stands out in terms of what your AFC East rivals did. Perhaps they maybe countered your acquisition of WR Tyreek Hill.) – “I think it was a unique draft but I think over the last couple of years, you’ve seen more teams willing to trade and move around where in the past, up until probably the last three or four years, you’d see maybe two or three trades in the first round. Now, there’s nine this year and I think a little bit too with the receiver market and other players that are high-market teams that are evaluating the draft picks and having players under control for four or five years at a cost that’s much cheaper than paying a player 20-plus million. I think each team has their own philosophy on how they want to build and do their team. It is an interesting time around the league watching how things have progressed. I think all the teams in the league did a good job in their drafts. I think everyone looks at their division but they’re also being cognizant of what’s going on around the league in terms of competing with everyone and not just the teams in your division. I think those guys have done a nice job in our division. It’s going to be a tough division and we’re looking forward to trying to compete and seeing what we can do.”
(Did you sense that, for example, the Jets were trying to counter your acquisition of WR Tyreek Hill?) – “(laughter) I don’t know. I think they were just trying to fit the best players for them. We were joking for a while that I was going to call Joe Douglas and offer them our third, fourth and two sevenths for their last pick in the first round. (laughter) Those guys have all done a great job and it’s a tough division, very tough division. We made some moves there to compete and other teams as well. I’m looking forward to it and it’ll be an exciting and it’ll be an exciting year for all of us.”
Channing Tindall – April 29, 2022
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Friday, April 29, 2022
LB Channing Tindall
(It was reported that you had a pre-draft visit with the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago. How did that visit go and did you leave with a sense that you might be coming back to Miami?) – “I did go down there, and when I went down there, I just loved the campus and the facility they had there. I just really got in with the linebackers coaches. I talked to the whole staff and I felt like home, honestly, when I was there.”
(What did you learn about this defense that you think will make you fit in so well?) – “The way they use their linebackers is different. They use their linebackers everywhere. They put them on the edge sometimes, they put them on the line, they put them at Mike, Will. They are very versatile and I feel like I fit into it.”
(How much fun was it playing on that defense last year, and on the flip side of that, was there a little bit of concern of getting lost because you guys had so many elite players? You guys had five players taken in the first round from just that one defense.) – “It was so fun playing on that defense. We just came in and all of those people are my brothers. We did these things called skull sessions in the beginning of the year. We were just talking about each other’s why and our backgrounds. I can tell you about each of my teammates and they can tell you about my why. Just that connection we had is something that I’m going to miss.”
(Was there a worry that as a prospect heading into the draft, you could get lost a little bit playing around so many high-profile prospects?) – “No, I didn’t feel that way. I’m a big believer in just God’s plan and what comes is supposed to happen. I just put it all in God’s hands and hope for the best.”
(I wanted to ask if you have any memories about the level of competition on that defense that you guys endured all season. I’m sure you guys competed every single day. And how do you think that prepared you for the next level?) – “Just coming in there – it’s very business-like at Georgia. Just coming in there and seeing the culture that was already built there before I got there, like in fall camp. My first fall camp, I caught a full body cramp and I was looking at the ceiling like ‘wow, this is college.’ With the culture that was already built there and everything that was going on, I just felt like it prepared me.”
(I noticed looking at your statistics that you made a big jump this year – an increase in tackles, an increase in tackles for loss, an increase in sacks. Without having watched all of the games, can you fill me in on what changed?) – “Coach (Glenn) Schumann. who was my position coach at Georgia, I just took extra time and watched film with him. I feel like I knew what I had to do. I was on a mission before the season started. I was just on a mission, like I have to get this done. I would say the biggest thing is probably just my mindset. My mindset was do or die.”
(What were your conversations like with head coach Mike McDaniel and all of the coaches that you met during your visit? What did they like about you? What was their interest in what you bring to the field?) – “They like me for my versatility and I feel like that’s the reason why. That’s the main reason. Just like I was saying earlier, where they put their linebackers at – just Miami as a whole, where they put their linebackers, their linebackers do it all. I feel like I fit into that.”
(That pre-draft visit wasn’t the first time you’d come to Miami. You played at Hard Rock stadium in the Orange Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal win against Michigan. What were your impressions of playing in that stadium? What do you think it would be like playing there as a pro?) – “It was a beautiful stadium. I’m from South Carolina and it’s humid down here, too. But man, during pregame, it was very humid that day before we went out on t the field. From then, as the game continued and everything, you could look up and it’s outside but it’s in a dome. It’s just very beautiful.”
(I’m curious where you are, who you are with and what was your reaction when you got the call tonight?) – “I’m with my close friends and family. My mother, my cousins, my best friends. They are all here right now. Real exclusive. They are all really happy. It’s a very emotional day.”
(A few minutes ago, you mentioned that going into the season, you were on a mission and you had to get this done. What exactly was your goal? Was it to be drafted like you are tonight? Was it to earn a starting job? Or was it something else?) – “I felt like the biggest thing is I wanted to be the best version of me. I knew I wasn’t doing everything I could to be the best version of me. So when it came down to it, I was like this season I can’t just wait. It needs to happen now to be the best version of me and I need to continue on it. Like what am I waiting for or pausing on? We all say we know what we need to do better, or from a standpoint of know what it is you have to do to be better and work on it. This season was my year where I was like from here on out, the sky is the limit and I’m trying to go as high as I can in anything I do, even outside of football.”
(I’m curious rather you had any prior connection to anybody on the Dolphins other than G Solomon Kindley, with whom you played at Georgia.) – “I know Jevon Holland pretty well.”
(Where did you guys first meet?) – “I met Jevon at the Nike Opening event a long time ago. We are all pretty cool.”
(Were you named after anybody?) – “I was named after my father’s best friend that served in the military who died.”
(I saw you ran a 4.47 40-yard dash. I also have read you described as tough. Tell me how you’re able to approach both a speed mindset and a hitting mindset.) – “I feel like they go hand-in-hand, especially being a linebacker. I feel like every good linebacker, and any linebacker honestly in the league, they are running fast and they are hitting. So just coming with speed, you are ready to hit something. You’ve got to be tough to play linebacker. You cannot be a linebacker and not be tough.”
Jaelan Phillips – April 27, 2022
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I wanted to ask you about a couple interesting things you said on a podcast. One, hiring Ben Newman. At what point did that happen? Was it early in training camp and also I couldn’t hear what you said was the thing you wrote on the wristband? JFW?) – “Yeah, so Ben (Newman), I didn’t really hire Ben. It was more brought to me because he’s a good friend of Kaleb Thornhill’s. He did a lot of work with Alabama and some other top teams. And yeah, he’s just like a confidence coach. He has a bunch of books out and stuff about it. But really kind of what he told me and what he ingrained in me was just that positive self-talk because it’s easy to get in your head about things when things aren’t going well and just kind of get trapped in that negative cycle. But really if you just take some perspective and get outside of yourself and really try to talk to yourself positively and just focus on what you have to focus every on day, I think that really helped me a lot.”
(And was that early in training camp?) – “No, that was like midway through the season.”
(I know you talked on the podcast about early in training camp about maybe not being in the best place in terms of not wanting to let teammates and coaches down. You were hurt for a time. Was that a difficult first couple of weeks of training camp for you from that standpoint?) – “Yeah, for sure. And I kind of mentioned on the podcast, too, just how coming out of ‘The U’ (University of Miami) and how everything happened there, I was kind of riding on this high. So when I came into camp and started getting hit with some adversity again, I just had to kind of re-position myself and refocus my energy and my attention. So I ultimately ended up – I’m really grateful for the fact that that happened because in the span of the season I felt myself growing as a person. And then back to – ‘JWM – Just Watch Me.’ And that just basically evokes an emotional response from me. Just kind of having a chip on my shoulder still and just reminding myself that I still have everything to prove to myself and to haters. (laughter)”
(We spoke to you before your rookie season ended. You said that you wanted to take steps to be an every-down player. Sometimes you may have been taken off the field in non-passing situations. I guess what have you done during the offseason or maybe attempted to do to kind of make sure you’re an every-down player in Year 2?) – “I think for me it’s just a mindset thing. I think I’m just kind of taking pride in the fact that it’s almost like that chip on my shoulder, that ‘just watch me’ thing. Like people said I couldn’t play early downs. ‘All right, just watch me.’ So it’s just a mentality, having that dawg mentality, having that fight to where every single snap, it’s me against him and who’s going to win? It’s damn sure not going to be him. (laughter)”
(Do you feel that – how would you classify your rookie season? I was a little surprised to hear you talking about it in the way that you were because I thought it was a decent rookie year, but apparently you felt otherwise?) – “I’m really critical of myself and I have a lot of high aspirations and I want to do everything I can to help the team and so for me, not being able to come in every single down to help the team, that’s something where I took it on myself where I’m going to work on this. So the sacks were nice, but ultimately it’s more than just sacks. It’s more than just production. It’s about how you fit into the defense and what are you doing to contribute to the team as a whole. So yeah, I’m just constantly trying to better myself and improve the things that I need to improve on.”
(Let me ask you. You started excelling when you were in a pass rush-specific role. Do you still feel like you’re a linebacker? Do you want to be a linebacker? Do you want to play that or you want to be a hand-in-the-ground, get-up-field kind of guy?) – “I’m just trying to be the most well-rounded player that I can be, so whatever roles that the coaches see fit for me, I can fit those roles accordingly.”
(So you’re still in the linebacker room I’m assuming?) – “Yes, the outside linebacker room.”
(On the podcast, you talked about the three games means you’re not a rookie anymore, but you’re cutting the rookie tie already. I was curious, as you kind of look back at this time last year, the draft night and everything, how would you say you’ve kind of grown or your approach is different whether it’s mentally or physically, just kind of comparing where you were a year ago to this time?) – “Yeah, I think I’ve definitely toughened up on the mental standpoint of things and just learning about what the league is and how to manage my expectations like I said. But yeah, it’s crazy to think that basically a year ago tomorrow was draft night and just the whirlwind of emotions and just how this year went, it’s pretty crazy. I’m just looking to take everything from last year and just keep building on it.”
(When you look back at a year ago, the whole process leading up to the draft, the question – what were teams questioning you? Because the thought was you were going to go really high if it wasn’t for A, health or B, music and outside interests. What were teams asking you about and your thoughts on everything and how it played out?) – “Yeah, I just think every team was just doing their due diligence. It’s a big investment to draft somebody in the first round – draft somebody at all, but especially in the first round. And so for me, with the story that I had and having left the game and then retired and then come back, I just think they wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth of what went down and just make sure that my passion was still there and everything. And I think I proved that to every single team and especially the Dolphins. Obviously they took a chance on me.”
(What were some of the questions you got? Did anything stand out? Anything any more in particular in the interviews you were given?) – “They obviously asked a lot about football knowledge and everything like that, but just who I was from a character standpoint and my upbringing and my mindset and a lot of things like that. So I mean, I probably did 60 Zoom interviews, so I couldn’t tell you specific questions – it’s all a whirlwind – but that was kind of the main theme, the main idea. Just trying to get a picture of who I was as a person.”
(Were you happy where you were taken? Obviously things work out for a reason, but did you go where you expected to go, looking back on it at all?) – “I don’t know if I expected to get drafted here, but I’m ecstatic that I’m here. I literally wouldn’t have it any other way to be able to come to ‘The U’ and then come to the Dolphins, it’s literally like a storybook. I couldn’t have written it up any better, so I’m just extremely grateful and thankful that the Dolphins took the chance on me to bring me here.”
(What kind of a sense do you get about how similar or different the defense could be with Brian Flores having moved on and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer staying?) – “Ultimately, I think Coach Boyer being the defensive coordinator, it’s his defense and so we’re doing – I don’t want to get into the details of our defense obviously. I don’t want to give anybody competitive advantage this early – but we’re just working on continuity as a defense. We’re working on communication. We’re working on just gelling together so that we’re able to play at the highest level possible.”
(What are your impressions of what it will be like going against T Terron Armstead in practice?) – “Iron sharpens iron. Everybody knows that, so just to be able to pick his brain and get different looks and experience from a guy who has clearly established himself in this league. So it’s really cool to be able to have some competition like that.”
(One thing QB Tua Tagovailoa mentioned is that he and Head Coach Mike McDaniel looked at 150 snaps of his. Have you done anything likewise in terms of some of the plays that you liked in pass rush and against the run, some of the plays you didn’t like? Have you done that on your own? Have you done it with Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile or with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer? And if you have, I was curious without giving anything away competitively is there anything you emerged from thinking with each in terms of I want another pass rush move or I’ve got to do something a little bit differently against the run?) – “I think it’s just like I said, that mentality. And then also just honing in the skills and just having confidence and trust in myself. I think that confidence is a huge thing in this game and any game really, but especially in football. You can’t play scared, you can’t play tentative and you can’t think because then you’re going to slow down. So for me, I’m really trying to be sharp and on point with my preparation and knowing the defense as a whole and not just my own assignment, but conceptually what we’re trying to do a defense so that therefore I can play fast, play confidently and just come into my own.”
(On that same note, going into this offseason was there anything you wanted to do physically whether it’s add weight, cut weight? Anything like that to help you be a better player, be that every-down player?) – “Yeah, just working on body re-composition, just continuously trying to build lean muscle and cut as much fat as possible and so weight-wise I feel really good. I feel like I’m running around well. I feel like I’m strong as well, so just continuously trying to improve my body and finetune some smaller muscles that you might not think about that are really good at stabilization and different lateral movements and different things like that. So just trying to prime my body for the season. No doubt.”
(You look leaner.) – “Yeah.”
(How much leaner?) – “Lean mean machine, man. (laughter) Five pounds. Literally. It’s surprising like body composition can make a huge difference. Because obviously muscle weighs more than fat, so being able to trim fat significantly – although I may look 10, 15 pounds leaner, in reality I’m almost the same weight.”
(Mentally, how much different is this offseason than last? I feel like leaving college you’re so focused on prepping for the draft and then you’re focused on acclimating to your team. This year we’ve seen you on podcast appearances, out in the community you’ve been able to do so much, yet you still have to of course hone your craft. So what has this been like mentally for you?) – “I’ve been trying to take advantage of the offseason to be involved in as many different things as possible. I think having as much time as we have, I have to spend it doing something positive and so I can kind of schedule things out to where I’m still getting my work in with football, but then I’m also able to continue some of the community work that I’ve been trying to do as well. And so the mentality this offseason, I’m feeling confident. I’m feeling a lot more focused than I was last year because like you said, you’re worried about the draft, you have anxiety and all this stuff. And so for me, being comfortable in my position and just really trying to, like I said, hone in my craft and start strong.”
(How do the great ones – you went through this already, but how do the great ones do it from the jump? Do you think about that and now do you have an idea of they do it?) – “Say that again.”
(How do the great ones, they come in rookie year and their first game and they’re rolling. You said yourself it took you a little while to get acclimated. Do you know now how that happens?) – “I think everybody develops at their own pace. I don’t know if that statement is necessarily true, I’m not saying it’s false but there have been great players that come in and don’t have success until their third, fourth year in the league. Everybody develops at their own pace and for me it was understanding that and not trying to compare myself to other people because at the end of the day, my preparation and my journey is what’s most important. For me, just like I said on the podcast, being process oriented and not result oriented because at the end of the day, you have to put in the work, you have to put in the work. So yeah, my season went the way it did but like I said, I’m looking to come into next year ready and starting fast.”
(That’s what I’m talking about, the experience that you went through last year. Something clicked there right? Towards the sixth game, something clicked there for you?) – “Yeah, like I said, I think it’s a confidence thing. It’s just being confidant in myself, being confident in my preparation and just going out on the field and leaving it all out there.”
(Do you see yourself working with a confidence coach again this year and as best as you can describe it, how much of a jump do you think you will have in year two compared to your rookie year?) – “Yeah, I mean I still talk to Ben almost every day. He texts me positive messages every morning and just positive affirmations and things like that. I definitely will continue to work with him and then just in terms of, I’m not setting any expectations for next year. I just know I’m working my ass off and really trying to be a trusted player, trusted teammate and do everything that I can for this organization.”
(This is not as deep as a draft class as last year but are there any of your former Miami teammates coming out this year that you’re looking forward to seeing at the next level?) – “Yeah, I’ve got a handful of my boys. Mike Harley is in the draft. John Ford. Zach McCloud. Charleston (Rambo), I’m pretty sure is in the draft. I didn’t play with him but DeAndre Johnson. There’s a bunch of guys. I was actually luckily able to watch Deandre and Zach perform in the local day. I got to chop it up with them, give them some advice and just congratulate them on everything they’ve done so far. It’s really exciting to see some of my friends. I have friends from other schools as well in this draft. It’s really cool to see people fulfilling their dreams.”
(Speaking of UM, I know you didn’t play with Mitchell Agude or Caleb Johnson. I think you did with Mitchell. Did you talk to both players before they transferred here and have you seen tape to have a sense of what UM is getting with each guy?) – “Yeah. I haven’t talked to Caleb Johnson yet. Mitchell I knew because he was good friends with one of my best friends from UCLA, so I’ve known him for a little while now. When I heard that he was thinking about coming to ‘The U,’ I just – I’m not a salesman. I didn’t have to give him some crazy pitch. I just laid out the blueprint and told him all you got to do is come in, put your head down, work your ass off and good things will happen. I think he made an amazing decision and I can’t wait to see what him and Caleb and the rest of the guys do at ‘The U’ this year.”
(You’ve seen Mitchell Agude on tape, right? A great athlete.) – “Oh yeah, a great athlete. Great motor. Gets after the ball. Gets after it. I’m excited to see him play.”
(You seem to be at a comfort level. Has the transition been smooth for you from the previous regime to this regime? You seem pretty upbeat and comfortable. It seems like it’s been pretty smooth.) – “Yeah. Luckily we have a lot of the same guys in the building teammates-wise and then coaches-wise on the defense, we’ve got a lot of the same staff members. Regardless, whether it’s new guys, old guys, just being able to come together and build a bond outside of football – I think that’s the most important thing because then we are going to be that much more motivated to play for each other and to win for each other. So yeah, I’m loving the new staff, building great relationships with the coaches and the new players and I’m excited for the season.”
Jaylen Waddle – April 27, 2022
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Have you raced WR Tyreek Hill yet?) – “I knew that was going to be the first question. (laughter) We’ll race when all of y’all get out there and race. We’ve got to see who is the fastest out there.”
(Do you get a sense already that you can defeat him?) – “You can’t just race a cheetah straight up. You’ve got to sneak up on him.”
(Has WR Tyreek Hill had any tips or things that have rubbed off on you already here in the first phase of OTAs?) – “I think ‘Cheetah’ is one of those guys where, just him being around – he’s been here for four or five weeks and it’s not just him, but the whole group – it feels like years. He’s one of those guys.”
(Has there been any moments while WR Tyreek Hill is at practice that make you say damn?) – “When he’s moving, that boy’s sliding.”
(How much if at all have you and WR Tyreek Hill watched tape together? That would be interesting to watch. Both of you guys watching tape, him pointing out things to you that he does to be effective.) – “Yeah. We watch tape every day. Honestly, the whole group goes out there and pinpoints what everyone is doing well and how can we learn from each other.”
(Do you watch tape of WR Tyreek Hill with him?) – “Oh yeah, definitely. I watched enough Tyreek tape before he got here. (laughter)”
(Are there things, as you guys are watching together, that he points out to you that he does to a corner or something that’s helpful?) – “Oh, yeah. Most definitely.”
(How did you find out that the team is adding WR Tyreek Hill?) – “Probably the same as you guy. I was at workouts and got the news.”
(When you heard, what was your reaction?) – “I was excited. It’s always exciting to play with great players, especially a good guy. He’s more than just a great player.”
(Have you gotten an idea of how much between you, WR Tyreek Hill and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. that you guys might we working outside versus slot?) – “We’re still in the learning process. We’re trying to get the formations and the basics of the offense down. That’s pretty much where we’ve been.”
(You did both last year, right? What are the differences you have to hone in on to excel at each?) – “It’s just different schemes, a different offense. How we line up, where we line up, spacing is going to be important. Just knowing the ins and outs of the offense is going to be important.”
(A couple of weeks back, you said that one thing you were thinking about with your rookie season was yards after the catch and you’ve got to get more YAC. Obviously WR Tyreek Hill is probably going to help out with that a lot. Did you look back at rookie season film and say maybe I could do this better or put myself in a better spot so that I get more YAC?) – “Yeah. I go back and look at all of the film last year and just try to improve my game – not just in YAC, but in different areas, knowledge of the game, identifying defenses faster, things like that. When you go back and look at it and you self-evaluate, that’s pretty much what I was doing all offseason.”
(What’s involved with getting more yards after catch? What do you have to do technically better in order to make that number go up?) – “I think honestly being yourself, trusting what you see and hitting it.”
(It’s very early. What do you already think you like about the offensive plan that Head Coach Mike McDaniel is putting together?) – “Like I said, it’s still early. We are just learning the basics so I can’t give you a full review of everything. But I like the system, I like the coaches. So it’s going to be great. I’m excited to learn more.”
(I know it was a few weeks ago but you were at your QB Tua Tagovailoa’s luau a few weeks ago. You got to get up on stage. Can you talk about what that was like for you, being able to support Tua then and being able to support him now?) – “It was a fun experience. I’ve never been to a luau before, so when Tua told me to come out, I had no idea I was going to be on stage or anything like that. It kind of surprised me but it was fun.”
(I was thinking that in 2022, you could expand upon the penguin celebration. WR Tyreek Hill has a lot in his bag. Were you thinking that you might expand upon your repertoire?) – “I don’t know yet. I haven’t even really been focused on the celebration. I don’t know. I’ll probably put something together.”
(On DT Christian Wilkins’ celebrations) – “No, Christian does too much. I’m not messing with Christian. I’d be tired doing what Christian is doing. (laughter)”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the assistant coaches when we spoke to them said the offense tries to cater to the talents of the players on the team. I know you guys are just learning the basics of it right now, but so far has it felt that way? Are you seeing that kind of theme over and over again?) – “Yeah. Honestly, I think it’s a different team, a different scheme. Obviously we’re going to work to what we’re good at. I think Coach McDaniel does a good job of putting players in positions to make plays. I trust that he’s going to do that throughout the year.”
(G/T Robert Hunt talked about the snap count – that he never really thought about the snap count before and how important it is to this offense. To a receiver, how important is it to get off quick on the snap count?) – “Most definitely. It’s always important. You always need to run off the ball. We definitely emphasize making everything look the same, so running off the ball is definitely something key. Our eyes are going to be on the ball anyways.”
(Have you seen anything different out of QB Tua Tagovailoa this offseason? Whether it be throwing it or personality-wise or leading the team or anything?) – “Tua’s been Tua. He’s been the same guy coming in, being consistent, being a leader. Being a great leader honestly.”
(I haven’t done all of the research on 40-yard times from pro days and the combine. But it’s possible that you and WR Tyreek Hill are the fastest wider receiver duo in NFL history. How do you think the speed of both of you guys could impact the game on Sundays?) – “Honestly, we all know that ‘Cheetah’ is fast and I’m known to be a speed guy. I think it’s just something that’s going to be helpful to open up different things in the offense. Just knowing they’ve got to respect the vertical threat.”
(Now that it’s draft time, how do you reflect how your life has changed since you participated in last year’s draft?) – “It’s an exciting time. I know a lot of college players, a lot of my former teammates are getting drafted this year, so it’s an exciting time. The year honestly went by fast. I was like, ‘Man, it’s been a year since I’ve been drafted.’ It goes by so fast but it’s an exciting time for all of the college players, really.”
(How will it feel to no longer be the rookie around these parts?) – “It’s going to be pretty regular. I had some good vets last year and this year. It’s going to be pretty normal.”
(Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker – I’m so old that the first time I covered the Dolphins, he was a player.) – “Damn! (laughter)”
(What’s your impression of him and how is his approach?) – “I think his approach is different. Him being a receiver, he really set the standard of being a modern slot receiver. He really gives insight and he can really go into detail and really get into your head and know what it’s like to be out there. Wes has been great working not just with me but just how he coaches up the whole receiver room.”
(When the 49ers were here for the Super Bowl, we interviewed him a couple of days before the game. He told me that he would make WR Deebo Samuel get up early in the morning and they would run together. He hasn’t made you get up at 5am in the morning to run with him or anything right?) – “Nah, not yet. Hopefully that day doesn’t come though. (laughter)”
(Formula 1 is happening here next week. Do you know anything about the sport and are you planning on going to the race next week?) – “No, I don’t. But I will be there. It will be my first time going there. I heard it’s pretty fun. There are a couple of guys on the team that are pretty excited about it, so we’re going to go out there and check it out.”
(Who are the big Formula 1 fans on the team?) – “I know Tua (Tagovailoa) is going to be going. Byron Jones is super excited. Jevon Holland is going to go. That’s all I can think of right now. Everybody is pretty excited. There are going to be a lot of heads out there.”
(Have you exchanged any texts or messages with WR DeVante Parker since he was traded to New England? And what are your early impressions of what WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. can do on the field for you guys?) – “DeVante is the OG, honestly. There is nothing but love between me and him. He really helped me out coming in last year. Cedrick is a great guy coming in. He works hard. He’s just one of them guys. He’s a special player.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said that WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. is bigger than what he thought. He didn’t think he was a 6-2 guy, but he moves pretty well for that size.) – “Yeah, he’s moving. He’s definitely moving.”
(Has Head Coach Mike McDaniel said anything to you or in a group setting that sort of resonated with you that you think was interesting, or that has stuck with you already?) – “He just said that we’re going to be one of those teams that’s coached well. He’s got faith that he can get us to where we want to be.”
(They were asking Head Coach Mike McDaniel back when he first got hired what players he was excited to work with, and he was like ‘Waddle, Waddle, Waddle!’ How did that feel knowing he’s coming in and that he has really grand plans for you?) – “It’s great, honestly. But with this offense, there are going to be so many guys. He’s going to put the right guys in the right positions.”
(With the ultimate respect, you seem to be presenting a humble, humility approach. I’m not saying that’s bad. What role did your rookie season play in that? Why are you presenting yourself with humility?) – “That’s just how I’ve always been growing up. My mom taught me to always stay humble, never get too high and never get too low. That’s just how I was raised.”
(So what went into the decision to cut the hair off?) – “It’s hot, man. Do you see how hot it is out there? (laughter) It’s hot. Yeah, that was ultimately the decision. I just cut it off one day, for real.”
Robert Hunt – April 27, 2022
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
G/T Robert Hunt
(How’s the driving going?) – “Listen, F1 is coming out here and I need to be on the track. That’s how nice I am. (laughter) I’m nice.”
(You’re not going to cause that spill on the first turn where all the cars go crazy?) – “To win, I might. (laughter)”
(Which F1 driver would you be?) – “I’m not even going to lie, I don’t know anything about F1 but I’ll be a Florida F1 driver, if that makes sense. They’re crazy. Every Florida driver, I’ll drive like y’all.”
(No turn signals.) – “Oh my goodness, it’s crazy. We already talked about this man, it’s crazy. It’s the same two years later. (laughter)”
(We know from your first two years that you can be a good NFL tackle. You’re also a good NFL guard. Has Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum told you their vision for you? Do they see you continuing to play guard and believe that’s best for you?) – “No, not exactly. Right now, we are just talking about the concepts and everything. We’re just in working. Wherever they need me at, that’s where I’m playing. If that’s guard, tackle. Wherever they put me at, wherever they best see me, wherever I can help the team out. I’m excited about the scheme and everything we are going to do. I am excited about that.”
(What makes you excited about the scheme?) – “I get to run off the ball. I like that. I like running off the ball. I like being physical. I like playing football and I think this gives us a chance to do that.”
(Is it just more of an attacking style or…?) – “Honestly, I wouldn’t say it’s attacking because attacking, you have to attack any day to play football. For me, my key is that I am trying to run off the ball. I’m trying to be better than I was last year and the year before. I’m just trying to focus on myself and that’s running off the football. I’m excited for that for myself.”
(Do you feel this scheme generally requires an athletic offensive line? Do you feel like you fit the mold?) – “I’m pretty athletic, man. I don’t want to boost myself too much now, but I’m pretty athletic. (laughter) I can do any scheme, man. I can do power, outside zone, inside zone. Whatever you need me to do, I can do it.”
(First impressions of Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum? What kind of teacher he is and his demeanor.) – “I like Matt, man. Matt is a guy that you can tell really cares about the room. He’s willing to see where we’re coming from, we see where he comes from and there haven’t been any problems. You can just tell that’s where he comes from. He’s great so far. He’s been doing really well with us and that’s for all the coaches in the room. Everybody has been having positive things to say and it’s been looking good.”
(Has Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum tried to put in a package with you in the backfield?) – “I’m not giving you my secrets, man. I can’t tell you that. (laughter) Not happening.”
(I know you just mentioned you don’t know a lot about Formula 1 but I just want to get your thoughts. What catches your attention about the sport and are you planning to go to the race next week?) – “Yeah, I was planning on going to the race next week but it’s Mother’s Day and I haven’t seen my mom in a while, so I’ve got to go do that. But the sport catches my attention, yeah. The other day I was sleeping on my couch and when I woke up, it was on, so I kind of watched it a little bit. It seems like a lot of guys are out there with Ferrari shirts on rooting for Ferrari. I don’t know if that’s in F1 but that’s what I saw. It got a good crowd behind it, so it looked exciting. I want to go but I won’t be able to.”
(What do you think the additions of T Terron Armstead and OL Connor Williams might mean to the group?) – “Good things. You can tell both guys are leaders. Both guys have been winners and that’s good. They’re older guys – not older guys but they’ve been in the league. I’m mostly talking about Terron. He’s been in the league, he knows what’s happening and he’s seen a lot of things and can help us out by just being the vet in the room for a young room.”
(Obviously this is draft week and from a player’s perspective, someone who’s already on the team, what’s this week like for y’all? Do you put any stock on the new guys coming in? Do you guys text about it? What’s this process like for you?) – “Are you asking if we bet on who’s getting drafted? (laughter) I’m just playing. I only do that for the guys that I know at my school. I’m excited to see those guys get picked up and let their dreams come true. I am excited for the draft this weekend to answer your question.”
(How would you describe Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s personality?) – “I like Mike, man. Mike’s a good guy. I don’t know how to pinpoint it yet. I like Mike. He’s a good guy, a good coach. He lights up the room, in my opinion.”
(What about Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum or any of the other offensive assistants?) – “Good guys. Really good guys. Matt, Frank (Smith), ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre), (Mike) Person and everybody. All good guys and you can tell they want to teach. That’s the good thing that they come in and they want to teach and they want to educate about the game and the ‘why’ – why we’re doing everything – so it’s a beautiful thing.”
(I know every offensive line wants to be a dominant run-blocking offensive line. We’ve sort of gotten that feel from Head Coach Mike McDaniel when he’s talked to us. I know you’re just in the install stage but has Mike McDaniel conveyed that message to you all clearly that we want this to be a dominant run-blocking line?) – “I wouldn’t say it like that exactly. We all know who Mike McDaniel is. We all know where he comes from – the 49ers deal. We know exactly what we are doing out there with the install stuff. In the back of your head, you know that’s what we need to be or want to be.”
(As a fan, obviously, you have seen some RB Raheem Mostert, before you’ve seen some RB Chase Edmonds have you seen Arizona games. Just your thoughts on what they add.) – “They add a lot, man. I just told Mostert this yesterday, I was like, ‘Damn, you’re probably like one of the fastest guys I’ve ever seen hit a hole.’ I’ve been watching film, just because we watch a lot of 49ers film right now, and he’s just ‘whoosh.’ He gets the ball rolling. It’s good to see. Chase Edmonds is nice too. I watched a little bit of his games last year and a couple of years before. He’s really good.”
(So you want a back to hit the hole fast?) – “I don’t know, man. I mean that’s what (Raheem Mostert) does. That’s what I saw on tape. It was impressive to see.”
(What is an advantage for the offensive line with the zone-run attack in terms of your responsibility? What creates an advantage for you guys?) – “Snap count. The snap count makes a huge advantage. That’s what I’m thinking right now in my head from just doing a couple of days. I think the snap count plays a big factor right now.”
(How does that work? Can you explain it to us?) – “Jump the snap count. You know we’ve got a snap count and then you time it. That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m speaking for myself but it’s time the snap count. We be kind of preaching that right now. The snap count is an advantage that we have. That’s last year, the year before and that’s just football – you’ve got to use it. I never thought about that until this year, though. You’ve got to use the snap count and it definitely helps.”
(What makes you have that realization about the snap count’s importance?) – “Like I said, I never really paid attention to it. I never really thought about it. Now, I’ve thought about it and I see like ‘okay, this does help and if you do it the right way, it can work out for you good.’”
(So the idea is that you and your teammates can get off the ball faster this year?) – “Yeah because we know the snap count. The defense doesn’t know the snap count. They are just sitting there, mouth open, just breathing, just looking. They don’t know what’s going on. We know, so we got to go. We hear it, lock it in and go.”
(How simple or hard is this system to learn? Just watching 49ers tape, how hard or easy has it been to learn?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s easy. Like I said, I think we have really good teachers in the room with Matt (Applebaum), Frank (Smith), ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) and Mike (Person). I think they’re doing a fantastic job putting it on us. I wouldn’t say it’s hard. There’s definitely some hiccups but like I said, we got some really good teachers in our room so it helps.”
(Are there a couple of things this offseason that you wanted to focus on to improve and how did you train to improve those things?) – “Yeah, I wanted to improve on, for myself, attacking the bull rush. That’s something that I tried to work on. I’m a big guy. When I was a tackle, it was kind of hard to bull rush me but inside, I learned there were some big guys in there too. There were some big strong guys in there too, so I had to work on that. Its just something that I worked on. I figured that out later in the year last year. But just coming into this year, I worked on it a little bit and just the regular football stuff – the o-line techniques and all that.”
Tua Tagovailoa – April 20, 2022
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Wednesday, April 20, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(So what’s it like throwing to WR Tyreek Hill?) – “It’s fun. You catch glimpses of his speed and you obviously have played against him and seen him play in other games, seen his highlights as well. He’s explosive. He can turn a negative two-yard swing route into a 20-yard touchdown or a 20-yard gain. It’s pretty cool. It’s exciting.”
(Do you feel a renewed sense of the franchise backing you this offseason after so many trade rumors swirling in the past?) – “I think it’s – I just feel like there are so many things that have happened. There are a lot of changes, and a lot of good changes, I guess, with the people that we’ve picked up and the guys that we’ve acquired as well. The locker room feels different. We’re all excited. This is the first time I’ve seen a lot of guys show up to Phase I of OTAs and a lot of veterans are showing up to it. I think that speaks a lot to Mike (McDaniel) and the relationship he has with a lot of the guys on the team and the amount of respect that he has from the players in the locker room.”
(There’s a school of thought that says that the Dolphins added quality at receiver, on the offensive line and at running back, and now it puts more pressure on you. Not just pressure. We know you had pressure all along. But more pressure on you. How do you respond?) – “I think pressure is going to be there every time. I don’t feel more pressure that we’ve acquired all of these guys. It’s more of an opportunity that I get, that we all get as a team, to show what we can do this year”
(What has been your primary focus in your training this offseason?) – “Well, towards the scheme of this offense, I’ve been kind of switching up my footwork and working on different footwork and drills as well. That’s really been it. Normal lift, conditioning, get in shape. But other than that, the point of emphasis has really been my footwork.”
(What do you like about this offense? I believe you did operate a similar offense with Steve Sarkisian at Alabama. But what do you personally like about this offense?) – “Well, we’ve only had two days of really getting into the offense, so there’s not much installed within the run, the run action and play passes that we have. It’s very similar to what I’ve run at Alabama, which in a sense makes it a little easier as far as verbiage and whatnot. But that’s still a challenge, learning the verbiage, learning where everyone is going, hearing Mike (McDaniel) or Frank (Smith) or whoever it is in the headset trying to give the call and then recalling it to the offense. That’s still something that I’ve got to continue to get better at.”
(What’s your relationship with Head Coach Mike McDaniel been like over the past couple of months?) – “I don’t know if you’ve seen the videos of him at the luau. I think that speaks a lot. That’s kind of how the relationship has been. Very supportive. He wants to hang out. I go up there to his office and tell him I’ve got a couple of the guys coming over to hang out and he feels bad that he didn’t get an invite to come over and hang out. (laughter) It’s been a really cool relationship. It’s been different but it’s been super cool.”
(What does that support mean to you from your coach?) – “I think support for any of us as players means a lot. We understand that the NFL is a tough industry. It’s tough to play because you’re playing against the best every Sunday. But to be able to have support of the head coach, the head guy, that should tell you a lot.”
(How much work do you feel like you’ve put into becoming a better leader and having more of a leadership presence on this team?) – “I think the cool thing about being on this team under Mike is that Mike doesn’t force you to be what you’re not or what you don’t want to be. If this is how you lead, that’s all he wants you to do is lead the way you lead. He doesn’t want anyone to pull that guy to the side and tell him how bad his route was and whatnot and come back to the huddle. It’s more like ‘Hey, go talk to the guy. Tell him what your thoughts are. He’ll tell you what his thoughts are. Meet in the middle,” and that’s what that is. For me, I’m not a guy to go screaming at the defense if they bust a coverage and we’re trying to get some work. After all of that, when our set is done, I’ll go over and kind of talk to them and say ‘Hey, we really need you guys to help us on this because if you guys don’t give us the looks, then we’re not going to be able to execute that right in the game.’ For me, my leadership role on this team hasn’t changed. Just be myself. What more can you ask?”
(In throwing this offseason after you’ve had to come back from multiple injuries in the past, do you feel a refreshed sense of being able to put a little extra on throws? Do you feel that?) – “I don’t feel any of that at all. I think the most important thing is timing with these guys. These guys are going to get there. You just lay it up to a spot for them and have them go get it. That’s what we’ve been working on throughout this voluntary veteran minicamp and I think we’ve done a good job. We had a lot of fun today.”
(Were you surprised by the coaching change?) – “Was I surprised by the coaching change? When they hired Mike (McDaniel)?”
(When they let go of Brian Flores and then hired Mike McDaniel.) – “I would say I have no comment towards any of that just because I don’t come up with those decisions. I don’t make those decisions, so no comment.”
(There was a lot said about your relationship with Brian Flores. What would you consider you and Flo’s relationship?) – “That’s a big question. Well, I’ll tell you this. I’m very thankful that he drafted me to come here to play for the Miami Dolphins. That’s what I’d say.”
(Sometime after the Tennessee game, you said you were going to try to find somewhere cold to throw and practice for those kind of situations. Were you able to do that this offseason?) – “Yeah. I went up to Maryland. I went up to see my brother. I got to throw there for some time and it was actually snowing in Maryland when I went up there. I got to do that.”
(Did you have any crab cakes?) – “No. I didn’t get any crab cakes. (laughter)”
(What was the experience like for you throwing in the snow? I don’t know how often you’ve ever had to…) – “I don’t know. To me, in the snow, it was a lot – I don’t know for some reason it was a lot easier. It might have been a lot better to throw in the snow whereas if it’s just cold and windy, I don’t know the ball just freezes up for some reason. I don’t know what the science behind that is. If you guys can get that, that would be amazing. (laughter) I don’t know what that was.”
(I heard on a Dolphins podcast that you talked about six offensive coordinators and six offenses since Alabama. How has that impacted your development or ability to learn offenses? Obviously six offenses probably have six different languages.) – “Yeah, you really just get used to studying and you get comfortable studying. That’s all it is. You get comfortable with the verbiage, get comfortable with where everyone needs to go. For me, I like to draw it up when I can say it. So I’ll say it, I’ll draw it up, where everyone goes, and then I’ll have my brother or my dad, someone test me and quiz me on it. Then from there, I’ll go outside in the back yard and then I’ll move my dad or my brother or whoever is out there, my mom sometimes. I’ll move them, telling them ‘Hey, you’re at the Z now.’ Or ‘you’re the X,’ or ‘you’re the Y.’ Just so I can picture it better. So when we do come out there, it’s a lot easier when guys do ask, ‘Hey, where do I go? And what do I run?’”
(What’s that like having your family in your backyard and having them line up and run plays?) – “I’ll tell you what, they enjoy it. They really enjoy it. I guess my parents, they really enjoy it. My brother, it’s one of those things where it’s like ‘Hey, how many more do we have?’ (laughter) But my parents, they do everything that they can to help me succeed so they don’t mind at all.”
(On the T Terron Armstead addition and what it means for stabilizing the offensive line and for him specifically.) – “I think with Terron Armstead being here, his leadership, his being a veteran in the league, him knowing so much and playing under a quarterback like Drew Brees prior, and then him being able to help me lead the offense, pull guys to the side and do certain things. Just his leadership, he hasn’t been out to practice yet but just him being around the building, he’s a really nice person. He’s a really good person.”
(You can’t invite the head coach to hang out.) – “You can. This one, you can. (laughter)”
(Mike McDaniel is that cool?) – “He’s that cool. Yeah. (laughter)”
(What’s it been like working with Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell? You haven’t really had a quarterbacks coach whose had so much experience and has worked with so many fantastic amazing quarterbacks.) – “I didn’t know that Coach Bevell coached Brett Favre, coached Aaron Rodgers, coached Russell Wilson. Those aren’t some small-time names. Those are big-time guys. It’s a privilege to have him in our quarterback room, to have Teddy (Bridgewater) in our quarterback room and also Dan (Marino) sitting in our quarterback room as well. (There is) a lot of knowledge there. So being able to pick all of their brains and hearing what they have to say, I think it’s good.”
(What’s your expectation for yourself in Year 3?) – “Help our team win games and as many games as we can.”
(Outside of working on your game this summer, what are your plans between now and the start of training camp? What are you going to do away from football?) – “Golf. Probably golf. That’s it.”
(How is your golf game?) – “It’s all right. The best I shot was an 81. Has anyone in here shot an 81? (laughter) No lessons, though. I never took lessons. All YouTube baby. (laughter)”
(You said you watched tape of WR Cedrick Wilson. Can you talk about the specific skills that you think he’s going to bring?) – “Yeah, with Cedrick, I thought he was a lot smaller for some reason. Maybe the No. 1 made him look extremely slim when he was with the Cowboys. I thought he was a very small, shifty guy but he’s actually really big. He’s tall, he’s lanky and he can move, which surprises me. Normally tall guys can’t move as quick and aren’t as shifty. It’s cool to see him out there running routes. He’s done a good job thus far within our voluntary veteran minicamp, so I’m excited.”
(You mentioned QB Teddy Bridgewater. What have been your early impressions of him as a guy and what kind of working relationship are you looking forward to having with him?) – “Well, I’m looking forward to having a relationship the way that I have with our quarterbacks coach and our head coach, with Teddy. I would say that’s the same relationship I had with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and the same relationship I had with Jacoby (Brissett) last year. A bunch of good guys. You can learn a lot from Teddy. Teddy’s been in the league for quite some time. He doesn’t talk much but when you do decide to talk to Teddy, he’ll open up a little and he’ll share whatever you ask him.”
(Have you watched every throw you made last year? If you haven’t, do you plan to? And when you watch or if you’ve already done it, you emerged with what thought in terms of where specifically you need to be better?) – “I watched not every throw of last year. Well, I have watched every throw of last year if you want to say we watched film last year, yeah. But I sat down with the head coach and we went over about 150 clips of throws. Throws that need to be better, throws that were good, all sorts of throws. The reason as to why he showed me that is it transitions to the way he kind of schemes up the offense. Really, the biggest thing for us is YAC (yards after catch). We want to YAC the heck out of teams.”
(One thing that Head Coach Mike McDaniel pointed out is that while he does have a specific system and scheme, he does want to tailor it to his players’ skillsets. How much input have you had in kind of developing that playbook and maybe what’s that process kind of been like? You talked about going through clips of you throwing and whatnot. What has that process been like?) – “For me, that process has just been me studying the formations and studying what they have as far as install with pass plays. It’s really early on as to trying to fine-tune things right now within the playbook. I’m sure when training camp hits, that’s when everyone will start to have their input within the play calls, the formations, how things should be called, why we don’t want to call it this, why we should call it that. Things like that. All of the fun things.”
Chris Grier – April 20, 2022
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Wednesday, April 20, 2022
General Manager Chris Grier
(Were the reports accurate that Tom Brady was going to join as a high-level organization and would he have been involved in personnel decisions?) – “I appreciate the question but I’m just going to talk about the draft and 2022 here, our preparation and getting ready for our excitement right now and minicamp and stuff. I appreciate the question.”
(Opening statement) – “First I’d like to say congrats to the Heat. A great start. Those guys have been very good to us and we’ve spent some time with those guys, so we’re very excited to see them off to a great start and then looking forward to the Panthers with their run here come – they spent some time here this summer as well and it’s great to see those guys, the work they’ve put in – and obviously my brother is with the Rangers – so I root for them except for against the Rangers. But I wish them a lot of luck, too as well. And the Marlins are off to a great start. Good young team. We’ve watched them a couple times here, so good time for South Florida sports and good luck to Inter Miami. I think they’re (in the) third round versus the B-team or whatever in North American soccer. So it’s a good time to be a South Florida sports fan.”
(So WR Tyreek Hill is sort of your first-round pick. Do you psychologically think of it that way and how do you think his skillset compares to some of the first-round receivers of this year and recent years?) – “Yeah, like we were trying to figure out what we were going to do on draft day and one of the guys said we’ll just watch Tyreek highlights in the draft room to make us feel good. (laughter) But it’s unfair to compare any of those kids to Tyreek’s skillset coming out. He’s such a unique talent and even yesterday on the field he made a play and went down and then popped up like no hands, flipped up right off the ground. And we were just like, ‘look at this guy.’ (laughter) He’s just so explosive and springy and just the way he works out at practice – his work ethic is unbelievable. So again, it’s a talented class of receivers, but obviously we can’t compare them to Tyreek at all and for what he does and what we feel he does in this offense and what a great fit he is.”
(For this specific draft cycle, obviously a couple weeks ago you shipped off a lot of your picks. Since then, have you found yourself kind of changing the process at all in terms of maybe how many guys you’re sending out to pro days and whatnot? And big picture, there’s been a lot of talk about the Rams kind of changing their scouting process and the information that they’re relying on. How have you seen your department – your scouting department’s kind of overall process change over the years?) – “We haven’t changed our process because I think you end up shortchanging the organization if you do that, because at the end of the day, you never know when opportunities arise to do something, whether you make a move or not or if a player falls and you think there’s a chance to go get him. So you have to work through your process and be ready to answer all questions and at the end of the day, you never know, this could a trade a year or two on a player and if you haven’t done your work just because you don’t pick until 102, it could end up hurting you when you don’t have all the information if those opportunities arise. So for us, we had guys who were out at all pro days. Coaches were out. Coaches were doing private workouts. They still have some private workouts going on here over the next week or so. So for us, it’s been full steam ahead. The personnel staff has done a tremendous job and the coaching staff – Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff – these guys enjoyed getting out and getting to meet players, bringing them in so the private workout stuff has been exciting and I think the coaches really enjoy getting to know these players, too, as well.”
(If no center is drafted in the third or fourth round, someone that you feel can legitimately compete with C/G Michael Deiter, would you at that point sign a veteran center? Not to get into any names, but if you could shed some light on the thinking with that – do you want to get through the draft before deciding whether to sign a veteran center as competition or depth?) – “Yeah, I think like we’ve always shown, we’ll always keep looking at players. We’ll keep digging and going through once the draft is over, but I think we also have an opportunity post-draft to add a lot of players through college free agency, too. So there will be some players that always fall through the cracks that don’t get drafted and we’ve spent a lot of time – the coaching staff and the scouts have spent a tremendous amount of time and effort to really study the back end of the draft, as we should. So we’ve spent a lot of time trying to identify players at all positions across there. But at the end of the day, we’ll still – like we always have – we’ve added players every year over the summer and we’ll keep doing that.”
(Conventional wisdom is that this may not be – top-heavy is not the right word, but having the same number of elite players, prospects as in years past? Do you agree with that? Has that kind of shaped your opinion as to why you traded out a lot the picks in this year’s draft?) – “That’s always difficult because everything is a projection. So people always say that and then you look back at some drafts and you’re like, ‘wow’ – you know how that goes. Twelve of those first-round picks are guys that may be Pro Bowlers every year and Hall of Fame guys in the future. So every draft has its strengths and weaknesses by position so I think for us, trading those picks really had nothing to do with how the draft looked. It was the opportunity to acquire Tyreek Hill. Just a special talent for what we were looking for. So at the end of the day, every draft will be judged three years from now. You know how it looks. And every year we go through, some people think it’s not strong or weak and I think you’ve really got to give these kids three years to really develop and see where everything stands.”
(Have you assessed what the strengths and the weaknesses are in this draft?) – “Yeah, I would say the offensive line group, it’s a pretty good offensive line group. I think there’s some talent all the way through from the tackles, the guards, centers, all the way in through the mid rounds. I think you can find some good quality players. Like everything, everyone is always looking for the pass rushers. I think there are some high-level rushers in this draft and then at the end of the day, then it’ll be some projection. Guys that have some upside to work with. So I would say the big – offensive line to me, I think is the one real strong position in this draft.”
(Was it a concerted effort on your end to hang onto those first rounders next year when you were putting together the WR Tyreek Hill trade?) – “Yeah. I’m not going to lie, it was important for us to keep those two picks because we had done so much to acquire those before. So I think for us when you make a move for Tyreek like that, you also want to be prepared to have picks for the future. And having those two picks and then picking up the pick for DeVante (Parker), another third, gives us five picks in the first three rounds with two ones and two threes. So we feel good about that heading into next year, into 2023.”
(With what you guys were able to accomplish in free agency and what you think it looks like in the draft, do you think you’ve given QB Tua Tagovailoa the pieces around him to succeed maybe in a way that wasn’t the case the past couple years?) – “Yeah, I think a lot of that, too, has to do with Coach McDaniel and his coaching staff. Kind of the offense that Mike does and what he’s building here and what his philosophy has been; I think yes, we’ve added some pieces on offense as well, but a lot of fits what Mike is looking for. And yeah, a lot of it does fit what Tua does well and I think we’re all very excited. I know Mike has been raving about Tua here over – him and Coach (Darrell) Bevell – their time working with him and spending time with him in the meeting rooms and watching him on the field here yesterday. So yeah, we’re very excited for him and looking forward to the season and how he keeps progressing.”
(Obviously anything could come up at any point but as we sit and stand here now, does it feel unlikely that the Dolphins would be looking to aggressively move back into the first round of this year’s draft?) – “Yeah, we’ll always listen. If there’s an opportunity, if there’s a guy that we think is a special talent that is falling or something, we’ll look into it. I wouldn’t say never. You know us, we’ll always keep looking and investigating everything.”
(You mentioned WR DeVante Parker a little while ago. How much hesitation was there when trading to a team within the division and also the idea of picking up the pick next year as opposed to this year? Was that preference or?) – “I think you’ve seen over the last couple of years more teams doing intra-divisional trades, which before when I first started in here, you would never do that. I think the last time we did it was with our current receiver coach (Wes Welker), which didn’t turn out well for us then. (laughter) I think when you have the opportunity to do right by the player and the organization, both sides feel good about it. Like I said, this was never anything where we planned to trade DeVante. Once we made the trade for Tyreek (Hill), we received multiple phone calls and I think most teams assumed that we signed Cedrick Wilson, traded for Tyreek and obviously with (Jaylen) Waddle here, that DeVante was the guy that would be available. Multiple teams called. The Patriots were the most aggressive. At the end of the day, we worked with the agent, talked to DeVante and wanted to do right by him too as well. Getting that third-round pick was very important for us and we were fine if it was this year or next year.”
(You talked about the excitement of this process. As a GM, is there anything that stands out to you or is your favorite thing about this process or is it all business?) – “It’s just all business. It’s like everything. When I have a teenage son that follows on Twitter and everything and I’m not on it, but before we made the two moves he’s like, ‘Man, everyone hates you in South Florida. They’re like you’re not doing anything.’ (laughter) Then we get (Terron) Armstead and make the trade and he’s like, ‘Man, everyone loves you now.’ I said, ‘Hey, it’s the nature of the beast.’ As you guys know, I appreciate the job that you guys do and I don’t take anything personal. I don’t read stuff purposely because I enjoy the communication that we all have and I don’t want to walk in here and be mad at you guys and be like, ‘I’m not answering that guy’s question because…’ (laughter) For me, it’s just business as usual and I’ll be excited if we ever win a Super Bowl here. That’ll be my excitement.”
(When you set up a roster the way you have this offseason and you go into a draft, are you more inclined to just go for needs or do you gamble more? Even though you have less picks, can you gamble more with the picks?) – “No. I think when you have as few picks as we do, you have to be right on them. I think you’ve got to be very deliberate and measured of what the roster and what that guy’s role on the roster is going to be and how he fits. Obviously, there will be an occasion where if that special guy is there to take that risk on something, you will. But I think when you’re picking third, fourth round and then two in the seventh, you have to make sure what you’re getting, who it is and how he’s going to fit on the team.”
(Talking about QB Tua Tagovailoa earlier, there was a shift from previously shopping around for a top quarterback to now putting a firm commitment into Tua. What lead to that shift?) – “I think as we finished the season here and going on as we were moving here and moving on to the coaching search, I think at the end of the day, we just decided as we were talking to each candidate – they were just talking about how much they had studied Tua and what they liked about him. All of them felt excited and wanted to work with him. They felt that they could win with him. I think as you go through those processes and those interviews, you kind of know if someone is just saying what you want to hear just because they want a head-coaching job or the level of detail when they talk about things and the history of the research that they’ve done that showed that they truly, really believed in him as we do. It was an exciting time and then once we hired Mike (McDaniel), it was full steam ahead.”
(I don’t know if you saw but after the Super Bowl, Rams General Manager Les Snead had an ‘F— them picks’ shirt after that. There have been some memes with you having that as well. I’m curious of your thoughts on that and maybe the trend of trading picks all in?) – “(laughter) Well, my kids have told me there’s been a lot of memes on me – both good and bad. (laughter) I think Les deserves credit for how they’ve done it. They won a Super Bowl. I’ve known Les for a long time and he has a very unique way of looking at things and it’s paid off. I still believe in building through the draft. I think the draft is an important part of building your team and having young assets to work through. We’ve shown that we will always be aggressive if it comes to acquiring a good player or at least attempting to, and we’ve done that. I would say that for us, the ability to get good players and where we were, for as young as we are on this roster right now, and knowing that we had the two first round picks in 2023, enabled us to be aggressive and make a move like that. We had talked to a number of teams about a number of players. We were being very aggressive across the league trying to find players. Tyreek was not one that I ever thought would happen and a lot of credit to Brett Veach and coach (Andy) Reid – working with them was great and I’m sure they were frustrated with us at times and we were frustrated with them but out ended up working out well.”
