Raheem Mostert – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(There is obvious connection with you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and I feel like you’re better suited than anyone to answer this. Just being and working with him up close, what can you tell us about Mike McDaniel and why he’s so ready to take on this role as the leader and the coach of the Miami Dolphins?) – “Mike McDaniel is one heck of a coach. Me personally, dealing with him for the last several years and getting to know him more so on a personal level, he just wants the best out of his players no matter what transpires throughout the rest of the team. In his role that he had with the 49ers, he definitely exemplified a guy that can go out there and get players pumped up, including myself. We would have these games where I would come in for the gameplan and he would be talking to me and stuff like that to get me ready to go out there and perform at a high level. Mike is definitely one of those coaches that has a lot of tenacity. He brings a lot of (charisma) and stuff like that that is ultimately going to lead players in the right direction. With the opportunity that he has right now, it’s definitely going to be magnified on a much bigger scale because like I said, he’s just an unbelievable coach and a great guy. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to see how this whole thing turns out.”
(How would you describe Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s leadership style? Is he a rah-rah kind of guy? Is he overprepared and lets you know he’s prepared for whatever situation? I don’t want to put words in your mouth but how would you describe his leadership style?) – “His leadership style, he’s definitely a guy that is over-prepared. He wants to get the gameplan in. He wants to understand the scheme. He also wants to be a coach where ‘hey look, we’re going to get the job done.’ I can’t really tell myself he’s a ‘rah-rah’ guy because I’ve only had personal conversations with him. I’ve only been on a personal level with him. I’ve seen when he deals with other guys on the field but it’s just one of those things where you’ve just got to see where it goes. Like I said, he’s prepared. He’s always going to be prepared no matter what the outcome is or what the situation entails. He’s always going to have that readiness to him and I think it’s definitely going to come out this season especially as the head coach.”
(Obviously they signed RB Chase Edmonds a couple of days before agreeing with you. What do you envision your role being here with Chase also on the roster?) – “I envision my role being the same thing how it was with the 49ers. Coming in and competing. We signed Chase and kudos to Chase, he’s a heck of a player. I’ve watched him. Obviously I’ve been watching him just because of the 49er connection and us playing the Cardinals two times a year, so I know all about Chase. It’s funny. When I got to Miami he was also in Miami at the same time and we were both having our physicals and I didn’t really realize who it was sitting in the chair because he had got there literally a couple of hours before I did. As I was walking by to go to use the restroom, he had stopped me and said, ‘Hey Raheem, big fan.’ I couldn’t recognize him because he had his mask on and he was like, ‘I’m Chase!’ and I was like ‘Oh, what’s up man!’ Dapping him up and stuff like that. I told him like, ‘Hey look man, I’ve been in this system already and there’s going to be some minor tweaks and everything like that but just be patient and when the time comes, you’ll see how this thing flourishes out. It’s going to be a fun time and if you have any questions, you’re more than welcome to reach out to me.’ We exchanged numbers and stuff like that. I try to implement my role when I was with the 49ers, the room that was being built and the room that was built, we lean on each other. It’s not so much, ‘Hey look, I’m going to beat this guy out. I’m competitive. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to show everybody that they made the wrong mistake by signing him and not signing me.’ It’s more so like ‘hey look, we’re all brothers, we’re in this together and this is how we are going to operate. I want to see you win and I hope that you want to see me win. One thing that I even talked to the running backs coach when I got in the facility, I basically broke it down to him and the mindset that I have for the running backs group is that I’m going to help you feed your family and you help me feed mine. That’s something I’ve lived with going back to Coach (Bobby) Turner in San Francisco. He instilled that in the room. I’m going to be instilling that in the guys that aren’t too familiar with the scheme and aren’t too familiar with the play calls and everything like that.”
(I want to get into where you are from a rehab standpoint and then also with this wide-zone scheme, I don’t know if that is exactly how you refer to it, but what is the key to the success of establishing that type of running style?) – “I’m way ahead of schedule on my rehab. I’ve been training hard, I’ve been getting back in the rehab phases. I went to go see my doctor a week before I signed that Wednesday, Dr. Cooper out in Dallas. In the six years that he’s done this surgery, I am by far the fastest-healing patient that he’s ever experienced. He’s dealt with several different athletes in the league. That right there tells you how fast-paced my body is and I like to tend to call myself a mini-wolverine just because I heal fast when it comes to injuries. I’m way ahead of schedule and I just can’t wait to start running and get my legs back up under me. It’s going to take me no time to hit that 24 miles per hour. That’s my goal for this year. To answer your second question, with the run scheme, it’s wide zone from a typical run scheme but we do a lot of inside zone. There’s several different ways that we can attack the defense. Like I said, Mike (McDaniel) has been a run game coordinator for years with the 49ers and I know that he’s going to come up with a great gameplan per defense. When it comes to wide zone reads and stuff like that, you really have to just make your mark and that’s putting your foot in the ground and getting up field. If you’re not doing exceptionally well at that, especially understanding the blocking scheme – because you can’t just be a running back in the league you have to also understand the blocking scheme, and if a lot of running backs tell you differently then they’re foolish on their part. With this offense, you definitely have to understand the blocking scheme and what the defensive front is and how the linebackers overplay the run and how do you counterbalance that. A lot goes into it but it’s fairly simple too. You can’t just make it more than what it is.”
(Can you reflect on your first stint with the Dolphins? That first tenure and playing in an NFL game for the first time with Miami – regular season game at least? How are you different and how have you grown since then?) – “When I first got to the Dolphins, it was my first ever opportunity on actually making a play in the NFL that actually counted. You go through preseason – I was with the Eagles undrafted and I tell everybody this story. I talked to Travis on the podcast about the time I was at the Dolphins and all I had on my back was nothing but Eagles gear and I showed up to the facility. It was one of those things for me where I’ve aged a little bit more and I understand the game and the business aspect. You can’t necessarily jut wear the team-issued gear, especially when you’re going to get poached off another team. I’ve changed those ways throughout the years. When I first got here, it was an unbelievable moment for me. Being able to go out there, I was a special teamer at heart. I just had to work my way up the totem pole. At the time, we had Lamar (Miller), we had Jay Ajayi, we had Damien Williams and I’m forgetting another back. I didn’t have the training camp under me to have the coaches know who I was and everything like that. Being able to come in and try to provide a different type of aspect in special teams and go out there and try to produce at a high level was very important to me just like it is still to this day. A lot of it has changed and a lot of carry over. Coaching changes happened during the time. I think Dan Campbell took over as the interim coach and that’s when I actually got released and then got picked up by the Ravens. It’s just crazy how full circle it can be. I always believed in myself and one of the things that I’ve always told myself was don’t ever burn those bridges because those same bridges can lead you to a full circle in a completely different path. I just try to put that in my mind and put that in my toolbox. When it comes to the football aspect, that’s what I also use as well. Like I said, now I’m in this position to where I can be the running back of the Miami Dolphins and go out there and produce at a high level like I’ve always been doing. It takes a lot throughout the years and you just gain that knowledge. It’s definitely worth it.”
(Beyond doing the contract last week, did you have any contact with Head Coach Mike McDaniel in the process? Did he call you and say “I want to get back what we had in San Francisco together?” Any calls from him?) – “We had discussions prior to him even being a Dolphin. It was just one of those things like, ‘Hey man, I don’t know where my coaching journey is going to take me but I would love to have you.’ We’ve built that relationship over time and I know that during the free agency, there’s a tampering period that you’re not allowed to talk to coaches at a personal level and one-on-one but I just know that he was trying to do everything in his possible will power to try and get me. I’m blessed and happy that he’s still taking a chance on me and everything like that because at the end of the day, that’s all you really need is that one person to believe in you. The sky is the limit whether you want to believe that or not. Everybody has a journey in life and that’s one of the things that I’ve always believed in was it just takes one person to believe in me. If I can get that one person to believe in me, then let’s ride. Let’s get this show on the road.”
(Did you ask Dr. Cooper about how this particular injury affects running backs? I’ve heard a lot of things in that it shouldn’t affect your cutting and some of your elite skills. Is that something that you talked to Dr. Cooper about and what did you emerge from those discussions thinking?) – “Yeah, so me and Dr. Cooper had, I want to say a week of conversation specifically on my position and everything like that. He said, ‘I’ve had o-linemen have this same injury and their position is a little more demanding as far as technique-based. That’s where it gets real tricky. I’ve had cornerbacks have this same injury and have this same operation.’ I believe Xavien Howard was the one that got an operation done by Dr. Cooper and look how he turned out. He’s an All-Pro and Pro Bowl caliber player. For him to come back and the mindset that he had, it’s definitely one of those things that I know that I can come in, get this rehab and attack this rehab, get the surgery and be 120 percent rather than 110.”
(You played some games in the Super Bowl in Hard Rock Stadium. You had a pretty impressive postseason that year. Heading to Miami this year, knowing that you and RB Chase Edmonds are joining the team and the Dolphins haven’t had a 1,000-yard running back since 2016 – do you think this is the year that you may be able to break that milestone?) – “One of the things that really impressed me about the history of the Dolphins, like you said, was the fact that they didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher for some time. With this offense, who knows. I wasn’t the starter in the 2019 season. I came in, I want to say like fifth on the depth chart, just playing strictly special teams. The next thing you know, it just led me to the performance that I had in the postseason and then playing in the Super Bowl and leading the team in rushing. This offense is definitely tailored to a one-pony running back to rush for 1,000 yards but in the grand scheme of things, we’re not necessarily – I know in previous years the running backs that I’ve had in San Francisco, we weren’t necessary worried about somebody reaching 1,000 yards because in the grand scheme of things, we were all just worried about each other and how we could bring the best out of each other. Stats will come. Maybe myself, Chase or any other running back that comes in and they do rush for 1,000 yards. Myles (Gaskin), he has the potential to do it. We all have the potential to do it but like I said, I know this offense well and I can tell you that we don’t necessarily have to have everyone think about 1,000 yards. It’s all about how we can we each get each other better.”
Cedrick Wilson Jr. – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
(You’re a coming from a team in Dallas that was statistically one of, if not the best, offense this past season and coming to Miami, this is kind of a rebuilding offense with Head Coach Mike McDaniel. Outside of the opportunity to maybe play more, what really sold you on this opportunity to join this team and this offense?) – “Just obviously the recruiting process that all of us went through. I definitely felt the likeableness there and obviously once I made the decision, it was just one that I knew I could stick with and strive with.”
(What have been your first impressions of Head Coach Mike McDaniel and how you fit in his offense that he’s seeking to bring here?) – “The first thing that is definitely not on paper and not in the news is just how personable he is and just a guy that when you sit down and talk to him, it doesn’t feel like you’re always talking to an NFL head coach. And then just his basic philosophy of greatness, of what he wants to achieve. He definitely has some similar things in mind and just the overall competitive nature that you just get from someone from the first time sitting down with them.”
(You can also throw the ball I’ve seen and get involved in different ways in the offense. Does Head Coach Mike McDaniel excite you as a play caller in that regard?) – “I mean, yes, to the fact of obviously I can throw it so hopefully that gets used. I can’t necessarily say too much about the offense because obviously we haven’t looked over and read about it too much, but obviously knowing what he did in San Francisco and playing them and watching them, they were a heck of an offense and I’m sure he has a lot more tricks up his sleeve than he’s already shown.”
(You’ve been versatile. Obviously you’ve got to be versatile in Dallas, but do you view yourself as a slot receiver? Is that something where you feel like that’s the strength of your game?) – “Yes, I definitely like the slot. There’s a lot more room to work. But I definitely see myself as an overall football player which I can run, throw and catch. So pretty much any position I feel like I’ll be comfortable at, whether it’s inside or outside. But I definitely strive in the slot when I’m in there.”
(You spoke briefly on your recruiting process with the Dolphins. Just out of curiosity, what were your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins training facility compared to the Dallas Cowboys?) – “The new facility they just built is amazing. It’s nice, it’s new and just the overall layout of it is definitely special. We’re sitting right down in Miami Gardens right next to the stadium, so it’s not really a step down. It’s almost just a lateral move from a great facility to a great facility, and it’s just a nice place to work. Usually you just go to work to work and if you can look at a facility like that, it makes work that much more enjoyable.”
(Have you reached out to QB Tua Tagovailoa yet to try to get work on your timing with him? Have you got in contact with him yet at all?) – “Yeah, we’re good. We’re trying to get it set up to see when we can definitely get out there to throw together. I’ve got a lot of stuff to get moving on. I’ve got a family that I’ve got to get situated and what we’re about to do, so as soon as we can get together, we’re going to hit the ground running.”
(Beyond the facility and beyond the fact that Head Coach Mike McDaniel is a really engaging, smart guy, what else impressed you during the recruiting pursuit? Was it how they explained your role in the offense would be? Something General Manager Chris Grier said? A video they sent you? What else stood out in the process?) – “The first thing that I would have to say that stood out in the process would definitely be just I’d say the culture around the facility. Even though I feel like it hasn’t been built yet, with most people being new, if not all, that’s probably stuck out to me that everyone was already hand-in-hand in the facility with just getting there in a short time. And obviously the scheme, people know I can throw the ball so I’m pretty sure Coach McDaniel is definitely hopefully going to use that and if he does, then it’s just my job to go out there and make the play.”
(First of all do you prefer “Ced” or “Cedrick?”) – “Either one is cool. It’s just whatever your preference.”
(You said that Head Coach Mike McDaniel was a really personable guy, that you wouldn’t guess that you’re talking to a football coach, but I was curious what your impression of him was in terms of his knowledge of the receiver position? He played receiver in college, he was a former wide receivers coach. Did you notice that he was any more in-tune with the position than maybe any other coach that you’ve worked with in the past?) – “It’s kind of hard to decide that now, but off the first meeting, I definitely could tell that he’s a guy that’s going to want to be hands-on with everything. You like your coaches like that because you don’t want the coach to disappear and you don’t see him at practice. So I feel like he’ll be very hands-on and I feel like that’ll be good – one, for the offense, and two, for the whole team, just showing that their head coach is out there grinding with them.”
(If you’re able to share this, was your sense from talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel that you would be used primarily in the slot?) – “No, we didn’t really get to that much detail of where. It was basically just a meet-and-greet, not football. That’s the one thing that I really like, that was just going in there to get to know people because all of us can obviously coach and play football. You just want to make sure the guys that you’re working with are in-tuned and have the same goal that you do. I feel like that’s what I got mostly from the meeting. We’ll have plenty of time to talk football.”
(And was the chance for more playing time, obviously Dallas – they’ve thinned the room a little bit with you and WR Amari Cooper gone, but there wasn’t a chance to play a ton. You played a lot but not a ton. Was that a big factor in coming here, the chance to play even more?) – “I wouldn’t say play time. I feel like just in my position in general, I’m going to have to grind and try to go play as much as I want to with any team I’m on. I solely just picked Miami just off of the fact of how I felt with the vibe and also with Wes Welker. Talking to him, and obviously talking to him a couple years ago when I was coming out as a rookie, to know that he’s actually going to be there also was definitely a warm welcome.”
Alec Ingold – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
FB Alec Ingold
(What is it like to be the last of a dying breed? You’re like the dinosaur of your position and it’s approaching extinction.) – “It’s a responsibility. (laughter) No, it’s been fun being a fullback, being in this league, being able to play football. Man, I just – I made that jump when I got recruiting into Wisconsin. They said, here you go, here’s an offer as an athlete. And I was a mid-major guy trying to play quarterback. I had a quarterback offer and my family and I just discussed how much we love football and I said I’ll do whatever it takes to be on a football field and it went from quarterback to linebacker to running back and eventually to fullback. So man, I just love being on a football field. Call me a dinosaur if you want, but I’m going to find my way onto a football field one way or another.”
(Do you have respect for teams that run these similar offenses?) – “Yeah, we all stay in contact. I watched all of the 49ers film from since I’ve been in the league just watching ‘Juice’ (Kyle Juszczyk) do his thing and watching Pat Ricard and C.J. Ham, Derek Watt. The list goes on and on and on. Just being able to follow those guys, follow those offenses, seeing how they do their techniques and how they play football. We take great pride in changing the dynamic of an offense. As soon as 21, 22-personnel comes out, it seems like a little bit different flow of the game. I think we all take pride in that and that’s something I definitely do any time I put a helmet on. It’s exciting to be a fullback in this league, for sure.”
(Kind of like you were mentioning, the fullback position, it isn’t a glorified one. It’s in large part about setting up others for success. What’s your approach, your mindset to playing that role?) – “It’s dominating that role, knowing that role and yeah, it’s just being consistent with it. Being a force on the football field that can change, take advantage of different matchups, whether it’s a linebacker, a safety, corner, d-lineman, whoever that might be on the other side of that football. It’s definitely a match-made, base defense type of position, so those are the looks you’re going to get and those are the ones that you definitely have to take advantage of.”
(I wanted to check how the knee was and if you expect to be full-go for training camp?) – “Yeah, the knee is doing great. I got into town on Thursday, met the trainers and everything, met the whole staff, met the coaches, and Friday was the first day of rehab out here. I’m super excited to get to work with these trainers. We’re on the same page. No setbacks so far – knock on wood there and we’re just going to keep rolling. I like working with the staff out here already. I’ve been in a couple days now and I don’t mind this Miami weather either.”
(And I was going to ask you also did you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel talk at all during the process before you agreed to terms on Wednesday about something that you already knew, that he uses a fullback?) – “No. Coach McDaniel, his reputation precedes himself, so just hearing from – as soon as we got that call from Chris Grier that the situation, that we had a deal in place, it was a done deal. I was excited to work with this coaching staff. Obviously I have a relationship with Frank (Smith) and then getting to meet Mike on Thursday was outstanding. So it was good to sit in the office, hang out, talk ball and just kind of get a vision for this team and just find that role and what we can do here.”
(The Pardon My Take guys, they’re big fullback guys. I don’t know if you got to see, but I asked PFT for a scouting report for Dolphins fans for you and he had a nice little nugget. He said, “Just like an actual Dolphin, he has consistently low pad level but also poses the ability to leap majestically.” I thought it was pretty neat. I just wanted to see if maybe you could either add to that or give the Dolphins fans maybe a scouting report on yourself.) – “No, PFT – he’s pretty spot-on with all that stuff, man. He’s good with all those metaphors. (laughter) Shoot, that’s – physically, yes, I think that’s pretty spot-on, but also mentally, just everything about it. I’m going to be as much of a Dolphin as I can possibly be and whether that’s low pad level or leaping or whatever that is, man, I’m just excited to be here. I know that’s a cliché answer but being a part of this organization is really exciting. I’m just going to throw myself into it. I’m going to be here as much as possible, be where my feet are at right here in Miami and it’s going to be exciting. I can’t give you all much of a scouting report on what’s ahead just because I’m just really looking forward to coming back from this knee injury a little bit better, stronger, mindful, physically, mentally, spiritually, everything. And just being able to put that full play together, that full season together is going to be really exciting to do out here.”
(I had one more thing for you. Just wondering from watching NFL games, just your impressions of two of the backs you’ll be blocking for – Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.) – “Fast. (laughter) Absolutely blazing speed fast. Everyone’s going to be running. Shoot, the entire offense is going to be running and I know there’s going to be a lot of conditioning work when we get going in training camp and OTAs and all that, but those guys start – running backs that I’ve worked with in the past and especially these guys, they kind of set the tone for how an offense is going to run, right? If you’re running fast, if you’re finishing plays through the whistle, you’re getting those explosive plays on offense, those running backs are part of that. They’re the leader of that. Once they can break through the second level and they can take off like that and you can feel that speed, all of a sudden you have the offensive line moving, the wide receivers, everyone is running downfield with those guys. So the amount of speed that they bring to an offense, that’s exciting just to be able to chase those guys downfield after those explosive plays that they’re obviously capable of making.”
Keion Crossen – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
DB Keion Crossen
(It seems like you have a past relationship with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer. What role did he play in you coming to Miami? And early on in that one season in New England, what was the impact he had on your career?) – “Josh Boyer is a great coach. Obviously he drafted me when I was in New England. He actually developed me in my rookie year. He’s a great guy, a really good coach. I know he’s going to put in the effort as a coach towards me as a player in making sure that I have all the tools and essentials to be a great football player. That was my reasoning for choosing Miami, in terms of Josh Boyer. He’s a good coach and gets the best out of his players, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
(Did General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer give you any sense of whether you would get an opportunity to play defensively here?) – “I think that’s always the expectation. Even being a special teams player, you always look for opportunities of where you can fit in to make the team better. Whether that’s me being on special teams, me being at the nickel or the outside corner, I think wherever I can fit in to make the team better, that’s the position I’ll be playing. I think with the assets that I have, they’ll try to find every chance or possibility to give me a role. As we work out those kinks, my main goal here is to make the team better and do what I can do to the best of my ability.”
(You mentioned special teams. There are a lot of good special teamers, but there are only a handful of great special teamers. What do you think is required of a great special teams player?) – “I think the discipline just to understand the craft. Special teams as a position is very different from offense and defense because it’s the only team on the field that has multiple aspects to it. It has offensive players, defensive players and it has guys that specialize in special teams. I think it takes a team effort. It takes a lot of ability to lead and ability to follow – a lot of communication aspects. But at the end of the day, it takes a lot of hard tough-nosed guys to get the ball. I think we have that and I think we can work to create more of that this year and the years following. That’s the thing I think it takes to be a great special teams unit. I don’t think it’s one player that makes the unit the best. I think it takes a team effort, and that’s what I’m here to do. We’ll see how that goes.”
(I heard there is a street named after you in your hometown? How did that come about and what does that mean to you?) – “I was surprised. I want to say about a year and a half ago, I was surprised with it. My hometown of Garysburg (North Carolina) had a revealing. I was actually shocked then. That was a dream come true to have the street that you live on – and one of my parents still stays back in my hometown. My dad visits the street very often. It’s a dream come true. The town is accumulated of less than 1,000 people, I would say. There are still kids there that need to be motivated and need to be inspired. I’m glad that God put me in the position to be an inspiration.”
(What’s the official name of the street?) – “It’s Keion Crossen Street.”
(The last time we chatted, you mentioned your master’s degree. I wanted to get you to follow up on that and talk more about your decision to pursue that master’s degree and what exactly you have it in?) – “My master’s degree is in theology. The decision I made to pursue it was basically – I’m an educated individual and I like to pursue education. I think that knowledge is not only power but it’s also a stream to communication, it’s a stream to meeting others and communicating with others. I like to learn – even with football, outside of football, I like to learn. Most people think theology is all about the bible, the bible, the bible. But actually, it teaches you about different cultures. When I get a chance to go and I’m sitting with a Buddhist, I know the culture. I know what exactly they accept, exactly what they don’t accept. It’s just a way to network and to create different relationships. It’s been a trying educational period for me because oddly Liberty has a strict master’s program. It’s definitely been a disciplined action. I took pride in it and I hope a lot more guys in the league take pride in whether it’s finishing their undergrad or going to get their master’s. Education is important and one day I hope my kids are able to do the same thing. That’s what I wanted to start, just that educational, generational wealth, if you will.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel, I don’t know how much time you’ve gotten to speak with him yet, but do you have a first impression?) – “That is an exciting guy. Obviously he loves speed. I think that’s one thing he mentioned to me for sure. One thing he mentioned for sure is family. This place is like family. You can even tell within the walls of the facility. He’s all about having fun, enjoying the game and he lets his players be who they are. That’s one thing I like about him. When I first met him, we were just chilling on the couch, talking. It wasn’t even about ball. It was about life and that’s all that matters. We know he’s a hell of a coach and he’ll get to prove that when his time comes. At the end of the day, he’s a players coach. I’m looking forward to getting to know him a little bit more and I’m sure he’s looking forward to getting to know me more as well.”
(What brought you to major in theology? What inspired that?) – “As a young guy, I was always into church, but I never could figure out what church was about. Going to a Baptist church, obviously there is a lot of shouting and hooting and hollering, and you don’t know what exactly is going on, but you know something is happening. I just wanted to dig deeper. I had a pastor named Rev. Lee. He’s my hometown pastor. I met with him a few times and he actually encouraged me. He said do you ever want to try to figure out what exactly it is that you’re doing. We met a few times. It was one youth Sunday he let me be the MC. I wasn’t the lead pastor, but I was the MC and I really, really enjoyed it. I always tell people the feeling that I got preaching on that one Easter Sunday when he actually gave me the opportunity about two years ago, it was way better than any feeling I’ve had, even in the Super Bowl that we won with the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. It was way better than that. I know it’s a passion that I have because it not only helps me lead people, but it helps change people’s lives. That’s whether it’s in the church or just evangelizing out here in the world. That comes every day. It’s an everyday thing that I try to pursue and I try to get better at.”
(What would you say after all of your studies is the purpose for life?) – “The purpose for life, honestly there are three things I would say. One thing would be to be a better person. Find your better self and that helps you get the best out of others, because the more you know about yourself, the better you can get things out of others. The next thing is to enjoy life, have a good time and try to be as respectful as possible. I think those three concepts all lead with the integrity factors of respect, honesty, and doing all of the right things. I think that’s a given – being respectful, being honest, that’s a given. Everyone should do that. But that’s not always the case.”
Teddy Bridgewater – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
QB Teddy Bridgewater
(I wanted to ask you what memories stand out from last time you played in Miami, high school ball at the West, playing at Traz Powell and the whole bit?) – “I’m just happy to be back home, man. So many memories. So many special moments in my sports career happened in South Florida and South Florida played a huge role in me developing the mindset that I have as an athlete, as a man in society. Of course, you remember the Friday nights at Traz Powell Stadium competing against Miami Central, Carol City and Booker T and just the pageantry. You realize how passionate how everyone is about sports down here.”
(You started off at wide receiver in high school right? And then converted to quarterback. Also, I heard during your time in high school that you thought you would have to convert back to wide receiver to play in the NFL. Can you take us through both the process of becoming a quarterback initially and then why you felt back in the day that you would have to make that move back in order to play in the league?) – “I always went back and forth from the time I played little league, being a quarterback and wide receiver. I always loved playing wide receiver just growing up watching Randy Moss and Chad Johnson. You know, those guys. I wanted to be like those guys, scoring touchdowns, celebrating. In high school, our quarterback my sophomore year who started the season was Wayne Times. The time he was on the varsity team the year before I got there, he was a spectacular player. We just made a transition where he went to receiver and I went to quarterback and so many great things happened for his career and my career. I really just always went back and forth because I felt like I was always a better receiver. I loved catching the ball. Just trying to be a receiver with a quarterback’s mindset, that’s a huge asset to a wide receiver when you can think like a quarterback and play as a receiver.”
(What went into your decision to come to Miami and what was General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s pitch to you to come here and back up QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “Honestly man, the conversations that I had with the coaches – they were transparent with everything. Being from South Florida, this is home. I get to sleep in my own bed every night. Not have to find somewhere to live. My son is here. My family is here. It was pretty much a smooth and there wasn’t too much to decide on. The football side will always take care of itself. I’m just looking forward to this opportunity that I have.”
(Have you had any conversations with QB Tua Tagovailoa since you signed last week?) – “No, I haven’t. I’m pretty sure we’ll talk here in the near future.”
(I just wanted to touch briefly – you started off at Bunche Park playing with the Cowboys. Did you ever think that one day you would be playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins?) – “When you grow up here, you can’t miss the stadium. From the days when the Marlins played baseball in the stadium, I thought I was either going to be a baseball player for the Marlins or a football player for the Dolphins at some point because that was so much motivation and it’s still motivation for so many young children playing sports in South Florida today. You ride on the Turnpike, you can’t miss the stadium. You can be all the way down south by the airport on 836 and you can see the stadium still. It was always like, ‘Man, one day. One day.’ That day finally came when it became official last week. I’m just taking it one day at a time, looking forward to being the best football player I can be, being the best man that I can be, continue to do some great things in the community and help this team.”
(You spoke on the community a little bit. You’re very big on the community aspect. I know seeing you sometimes, a few years back over by Miami-Northwestern and just participating with the youth. What impact are you trying to have and leave with them this year with you coming back home, being successful, having the accolades and things? What kind of message do you want to instill on the youth this year coming back?) – “The message hasn’t changed. It’s dream big. No dream is too big. I’m happy that I get to be home. I always tell myself that the more that they see you in the flesh, the more it means to them. Oftentimes you see your idol on TV and it’s like, ‘Man, okay that’s my idol.’ To see them in the flesh, to see that you walk the same sidewalks, play street football in the same streets, play in the same parks, went to the same middle schools, high schools, that’s huge for a lot of children and teenagers. Like I said, first and foremost I’m home to be a football player but I get the opportunity to continue to make an impact in the community.”
(Can you share with us what the Dolphins told you specifically about your role coming to the team?) – “Honestly man, that’s a conversation I’d rather keep in-house. It’s a unique opportunity for me, for this organization and I’m happy that I could be a part of it this season. I’m going to be the best version of Teddy that I can be, helping the way that I know how to help, being genuine and still giving my all to this game.”
(Are you coming in with the idea that you will be backing up QB Tua Tagovailoa or do you feel that you might have a shot to earn the starting job?) – “That’s something that the coaches and I, we talked about. I’m confident in that conversation and it’s really something that I would rather not discuss (publicly).”
(In terms of this offense, what about it appeals to you as a quarterback?) – “This offense, it’s quarterback friendly. There are always guys open, running wide open at times. This coaching staff, if you’ve followed them over the past couple of years, you’ve seen their work to get everyone involved form the running backs to the tight ends to the wide receivers. That’s appealing and I’m just excited to continue to grow mentally in this league, learn a new offense and just grow.”
(Do you feel like it suits your skillsets?) – “Yeah, definitely. Of course. I just have to get up to speed, do my part and I know that this coaching staff will do a great job of getting everyone to be the best version of themselves and get guys to play to their strengths. All I’ve got to do is just get a grasp of everything and go from there.”
(I’ve been looking at this for a while, do you feel like you are the best Miami quarterback that the community has ever produced? When you stack it up, you’ve probably had one of the biggest career) – “(Laughter) Yeah, I have the accolades but I tell people all the time my favorite guy is Cato, Rakeem Cato. The things that he was able to do and I was competing against him every year. We were the same year in high school, played against each other in college. He’s the one guy that I just couldn’t beat in basketball, football. I punished him in baseball but he was a guy, he went up to Marshall and did some great things. I think he broke just about all the passing records at Marshall. He’s one of the best to me.”
(What did you learn from your experience in Denver last year and what are your thoughts on them trading for QB Russell Wilson?) – “This business, man, it’s been great to me. It’s opened doors for me. It’s given me opportunity after opportunity. That’s what Denver did for me. They gave me a chance to continue to grow in this league and I’m appreciative that they traded for me from Carolina. Last year was great just to be a part of that organization, have an impact in the ways that I may have had. With the trade, I’m happy for them. I think George (Paton) and I have a great relationship. From him trading Von Miller and Von winning a Super Bowl. I texted George like, ‘Hey man, what you did for Von and his career, I’ve got mad respect for you.’ The trade for Russell, I’m happy for those guys, especially those receivers there. They get to continue to grow in this league and I wish them nothing but the best.”
(What have you learned since entering the NFL to now about what it takes to best position yourself to be a good quarterback in the National Football League? What have you learned about what it takes for a quarterback to succeed in the NFL?) – “It starts with throwing the ball to your guys. That’s how you last. Also man, just having a process and a routine. I learned that – it took me what, four years? It took me until I got to New Orleans with Drew Brees to really understand the value of the process of having a routine. When you have those things, it makes the week have structure. You’re not all over the place because on Sunday, you have to be dialed in and hopefully your routine is in such a way that it has you prepared on Sunday. That’s the biggest thing, having a process, having a routine and sticking to it and trusting it.”
Chris Grier – March 2, 2022
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Wednesday, March 2, 2022
General Manager Chris Grier
(We were talking with Head Coach Mike McDaniel today, and the subject of running backs came up. He used the word paramount. He said “the running back position is paramount in his offense.” Given that, how much are you willing to commit today to prioritizing obtaining a top-level running back?) – “I didn’t know he said that. I’ve been in competition committee meetings all day. I’ll have to talk to him about leaking all of the secrets out. (laughter) At the end of the day, Mike and the coaching staff have done a great job coming in and starting late like they did, and getting everyone hired. Going through the process with them, they’ve watched our roster, they’ve done free agency, college stuff, so these guys are working 24 hours to catch up, and they’ve done a great job. Obviously, Mike is known for the run game. Just talking to people, Gary Kubiak and my father worked together, so I’ve talked to Coach Kubiak about him, and just going through it, obviously Mike has had a lot of success in evaluating and finding running backs too. John Lynch has talked about that, talked about it when we were interviewing him. Kyle Shanahan and all of the guys that have worked with him. The running back position is important to him and to have success in this league, you have to be able to run the ball too, as well. It’s one of the positions we’re studying hard and it’s why we love this time of year with free agency and the draft.”
(Where is the sweet spot of getting a running back? I feel like the community is split where there is no value in getting one in the first round or getting an undrafted guy?) – “I think at the end of the day, if there is that talent that is just so unique, you have to take them. People argue whether Saquon Barkley worked out or not, but he’s an incredibly talented football player. Ezekiel Elliot is the same. You go through those and make your judgements. But at the end of the day, you always have to do what’s best for your team. Mike’s had a lot of success finding good running backs in the mid-to-late rounds in terms of evaluations. We were going through some of his evaluations and talking about it, and the 49ers people all confirmed it. We got (Kenyan) Drake in the third round a few years ago. We’re just trying to get that balance right. At the end of the day, you have to go with your gut. You get all of the information you find out on players and work through it and decide the value of the player whether it’s the first round or seventh round.”
(How would you assess how the offensive line play last year and what did you do right and what did you do wrong about that position?) – “We’ve invested in it with draft picks. Those guys need to play better. They understand that. But I would say that Mike (McDaniel), Frank Smith coming over as the offensive coordinator was the (offensive) line coach with the Chargers, and Coach (Matt) Applebaum, have all talked about they are really excited about the development and ability of these young players. They said they all liked these players coming out of the draft at their previous teams – obviously Matt was in college, but he’d seen a couple of those players through the college lens. They are very excited about the potential and the developmental upside of them. Listening to Mike talk about them, he was like ‘there is talent there.’ We’ve just got to find a way to unlock it and get these guys to play better. The good thing is that all of those guys are good guys. They are competitive, they are tough, they want to be good, so I think they are looking forward to playing in this offense.”
(What is the likelihood that you will use the franchise tag?) – “I think all options are open. I think with the coaching staff coming in and giving them the opportunity to look at the players and evaluate the guys who potentially could be tagged for us. I think we have to leave all options on the table for us. That could be a potential move for us.”
(Do you feel like conversations with DE Emmanuel Ogbah and TE Mike Gesicki are going in a comfortable place with you guys that a deal could get done before that date?) – “I’d say I’ve probably had more discussions with Drew (Rosenhaus) on Ogbah. Those were going on all throughout the course of the season. We talked to him at multiple points in the season. We know what he is, he’s a good guy, good player, good person, and fits all of the criteria we’re looking for and has done a nice job for us for the last two years. And then Mike, Mike knows how I feel about him. I drafted him and I’ve had separate conversations with Mike. We’ve had limited talks with his agents because as we got to the end of the season with free agency, both of those guys, when you get to this point, they want to be able to see what their options are. But they’ve both told us they want to be back in Miami. They both love it here, they want to be back, so we’ll see what happens.”
(Is there a – Head Coach Mike McDaniel runs a wide zone offense where tight ends are a major contributor in the run game. Is there a comfort level that Mike can be able to do that and be able to fit into that?) – “Yeah. We all know that Mike, the thing he needs to really try and improve on is his run blocking. Mike is known as a pass catcher and I think Coach (Jon) Embree – you saw George Kittle gave him a ton of credit for developing him as a blocker. I think the one thing with Mike, as you guys have gotten to know him over the years, is he’s always been very competitive. He took a lot of that stuff personal, what people were saying about him earlier in his career. He knows that the blocking part of it will be emphasized and he’s going to have to buy into that part. I’m not saying that he hasn’t, but he can be better at it. I think he knows that too.”
(Is the organization willing to tweak CB Xavien Howard’s contract again and is there any chance that he would be made available for trade?) – “I’ve had multiple talks with Xavien this offseason, and David (Canter), his agent, and I have had some texts back and forth. Yeah, we’re going to have some conversations and see if we can come to some sort of resolution. My anticipation is that Xavien will be here next year.”
(Is it safe to assume that you will be picking up the fifth-year option on DT Christian Wilkins’ contract?) – “He had a heck of a year last year. I would say most likely, but we’ll make that decision when we get to that.”
(You mentioned CB Xavien Howard earlier. Do you feel like there has to be something done to his deal or do you feel you can run it back with what is currently left on his deal?) – “We made a promise to him after the season that when we made the adjustment that we’d look at it, play through the season, get us into the third year of the deal and then we’d look at it top to bottom. Just to be truthful with him and do it, that’s the right thing to do. If he wants to come back and play on the deal, we would. But we know that’s not the case.”
(You have more cap space than anybody. In the past, you’ve said that you’re not going to sit on cap space. Does that still stand? What is your stance on all of your cap space and what you can do in free agency?) – “I think it provides opportunities for us to do a lot of different things, whether it’s free agency, trades and stuff to do. I think for us, we’re not living year to year. We’re going to try to also have some perspective. For us, the opportunity to add good players, we’ve always pursued and tried to do it. We will be aggressive still and if the right player, and if Mike and I feel he is the right player for us, and to help us get better and keep us going forward, we’ll go after him. That doesn’t mean we’re going to spend every cent or right up to it because I think that leads you to not being able to do moves in-season, or like we had a couple of times in the past where good players became available before the trade deadline and we didn’t have the space and would need to cut to do stuff. I think just doing that allows you flexibility to be able to do things in the future for unforeseen opportunities as well.”
(In 2020, you had a lot of cap space and you did a lot of things and you won 10 games. Last year the Patriots had a lot of space and did a lot of things and they won. Does the idea that you can’t win with free agency, is that out the window in the NFL in your estimation?) – “I think it’s always a balance because history shows that most times you don’t win that way. Like the Redskins back in the day went all in and those teams didn’t win. I think it’s having the right people, the right staff and everything has to kind of fall in place when you do that. I think New England last year did a great job. Free agency like you said, there are probably some players they spent money on that didn’t produce like they wanted and then we had the same thing happen to us. We spent money, but a couple of players weren’t here unfortunately the next year. When you live in that market where you start paying guys a lot of money, they come in and you don’t really know them. You’re relying on what you knew about them from college and then coaches. You can’t really dig down and get information from people because other teams may want to sign them and do it. It’s a little bit of a crapshoot but you try to do your best Sherlock Holmes and find out as much information as you can on them.”
(Can you give us a little insight to the coaching search? How well did you know Head Coach Mike McDaniel before all this? When did you start narrowing down on him being your guy? How did this come about?) – “I didn’t really know Mike (McDaniel). He was a guy that his name was kind of under the radar, popping up for people. Just kind of going through it, we were putting together names for it but he was one that was always in it because everyone was saying that he was the brains behind everything going on. I don’t want to discredit Kyle (Shanahan) because I think Kyle Shanahan is a very good football coach. Obviously we all know what he’s done. But as you guys have gotten to talk to people that know him – the one thing that was always interesting that everyone was talking about was saying how he was like the most swagged out guy and how he looks. You don’t think that he can connect with people like that but he’s just got this way and personality of how he deals with people. As we got to know him and being around him, it was really interesting. He told us from day one in the interview, this was his dream opportunity and he had been waiting for someone to acknowledge him for all the hard work he’s done because he had been with, obviously Sean (McVay) and everyone and all those guys have moved on. (Matt) LaFleur and all them have become successful head coaches, and Kyle as well. It was a really interesting process. He made no bones about he wanted the job because he thought this was a great fit for him and everything. As we got to know him more, we became more excited as we spent more time with him.”
(The first time his name came up, who brought it up? How did that happen?) – “It was really the year before, you kept seeing his name pop up in places. I think the Rams tried to, not the rams – the Chargers – tried to interview him the year before for their offensive coordinator job and it was blocked. You just always kind of appreciate the 49ers. You’re like ‘wow these guys, how do they keep running the ball?’ But they’re doing what they’re doing. And you watch them and the sum of their parts ended up being better than maybe some of the individual players. They have some great individuals. I don’t mean that as a shot to them. But what they were doing there in the run game was very unique in this day and age. Then you go back and you start studying, look at who he worked under and who he had studied under and some of his mentors and philosophies. It was just one where we put him on and we were just like, this would be someone to … we didn’t really know what it was going to be like and everyone kept saying he’s incredibly intelligent, different personality than what you’ll think. But it has been really cool getting to know him.”
(Do you think that because he’s from the same tree or worked with some of these guys that have had success recently that he can also replicate that or have some success of his own?) – “I think he’s his own guy, though. I think if you talk to him, he has his own thoughts and beliefs and I think they are all from that same tree and have some of the same philosophies on stuff but even some of the stuff he’s talked about doing now is so outside the box, it’s been very interesting in just how he approaches. As you talk to people, players and coaches that worked with him and even, I got more calls from other GMs saying, ‘You got my guy. That was the next guy on my radar.’ From guys that have guys, they all though the was a very underrated coach in this league.”
(Did you go into the coaching search seeking specific characteristics or did you go in with an open mind and he just wowed you?) – “With an open mind. We interviewed, like I told you, we talked to some guys that you didn’t even know we talked to, that were very interested in the job. It was fun getting to know them and it’s just, the more work we kept doing on people that knew him and the people that worked with him and just trying to find what makes him tick as a person and as a coach was really interesting. When we met him, met with him and spent some time with him in-person, it was good.”
(You talked about guys that weren’t publicly known about coaching for the job. Was Sean Payton one of them? Did you guys reach out to the Saints to get permission to reach out to Sean Payton?) – “So when Sean decided to step away from football, we just had a conversations. I just said I’ll call and just see. We took our time, as you guys know. We weren’t in a rush to do anything and we were going to make sure that whatever we did, we were going to take our time and get the right guy for us. At the end of the day, I reached out to New Orleans. It was probably a couple of days after. Just to see if he was done with football or does he want to coach? I don’t know what’s going on over there. They just told us they weren’t going to grant permission and that was it. To your point, we’ve always been, since I’ve been here, aggressive looking at options and he’s one of the best coaches in football and we were still in the middle of our interview process. So we reached out to see if he would have interest. I don’t even know if he would have had interest.”
(Jim Harbaugh was another name that was mentioned for you guys. Was he one of the guys that you talked to?) – “No, we never talked to Jim. We never had any conversation with Jim.”
(Going off of the Sean Payton thing, there was a report a week or so ago that you guys were interested in pairing Payton with Tom Brady. Did you ever have any contact with Tom or the Buccaneers?) – “No. We never had any conversations (with) Tom.”
(You talked after the trade deadline last year of the need to do your due diligence. If elite quarterbacks become available, dealing with QB Deshaun Watson, is that still applicable at this point or is that door shut and it’s QB Tua Tagovailoa going forward?) – “I think the door is shut on Deshaun. At the end of the day, Mike and his staff have come through and done a lot of work. They’ve studied a lot of Tua and they feel good about his developmental upside, what he can be and then the fit in the offense. I think we’re good with Tua.”
(So you can make the definitive statement that it is QB Tua Tagovailoa and there is no need for any sort of that kind of talk?) – “Yes.”
(The other side of that is, forgive me for being direct…) – “You’re always direct. My wife doesn’t forgive me but go ahead. (laughter)”
(Actually I figured that was true.) – “You know me. I don’t read any of this stuff so…”
(What do the Miami Dolphins see in QB Tua Tagovailoa that maybe I don’t see and some other people might not see?) – “I will say, Mike (McDaniel) and the offensive staff watched every game and every throw he did and put together this tape that they watched. It was pretty cool. Mike’s vision for how Tua fits into this scheme and what he can do, they’re all very excited about it. I think at the end of the day, obviously Tua is going to have to come in, work with them and do it on the field, but right now there is a very good comfort level in how they feel he fits into what Mike wants to do with our offense. Again, a lot of that too is the run game, the run game part of it.”
(Do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa can be an elite quarterback?) – “Yeah, I mean I can’t say he can’t be. This is a situation now where this will be built around his skillset and what the offense can be and Mike’s vision of how he fits. I wouldn’t say he can’t be. It’s too early. He’s played 20 games, maybe? The first year, he was in and out and missed some games this year. All I know is he’s won games, even with last year. It’s hard to win games in this league and I know people want to say he doesn’t throw the ball downfield but he’s incredibly accurate in what he does and that was the real exciting part for Mike and the coaching staff is his accuracy.”
(When Adam Gase was fired, you were very strong about not wanting anymore dysfunction in this organization and that time was over for us. Why has it been a challenge for you to get this all going in the same direction? What has been your biggest challenge the last few years?) – “Yeah, I think it’s – I don’t think it’s just one thing. Like I said, I have to take blame in that too. I think at the end of the day, we all just try and do our best and get everyone going in the same direction and trying to find ways to win. I think we feel good about where we’re going but at the end of the day, we are excited about Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff. These guys, I think, a lot of the players have been around the building up to see him and they’ve communicated how excited they are to be around him and his energy and how he’s doing so we’ll see. But no, you’re right there has been, but I think we’re excited for 2022 and going forward.”
(Obviously, you have a lot of money right now. Do you plan to jump ahead and get started on extending some guys like LB Andrew Van Ginkel, who is eligible for an extension.) – “Yeah. We’ll talk to a few different players. We’ve talked about that. We’re trying to identify because you’ve got to make sure now that a lot of these guys fit to what Mike (McDaniel) and his coaching staff are looking for. Obviously, a guy like Andrew does things the right way – a good guy and at some point we’ll probably reach out and have some discussions with him as well.”
(We would be remiss not to ask the question … but what was your reaction when Brian Flores made the accusations towards you guys as a team, the tanking and everything he mentioned in the lawsuit?) – “I understand the question but it’s an ongoing investigation right now with the lawsuit, so I can’t comment on this. At some point, maybe once it’s done, maybe in the future. But I can’t comment on it right now.”
(How is this going to be different this year, this time? This now is like my sixth coach. You’ve been here 20 years. What makes this era different than what just happened or what happened the time before?) – “I will say that I don’t view this as a rebuild anymore. I think a lot of those were rebuilds. I think we’re in a place now where we have some young talent and young players and I think there is an opportunity for us to take advantage, like you said, with a lot of the things we do and to be able to win games here. I think that’s the exciting part of it and like I told you guys before, I would say the difference in those, they were rebuilds. I think here we’re just trying to supplement and keep building on adding on to what we have to push us forward.”
Mike McDaniel – March 2, 2022
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Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (as transcribed by the PFWA)
(On what he’s learned from John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan) – “Well, I use it a lot. I think that’s a big part of my career. Working together with John (Lynch) and Kyle (Shanahan) is a great vision for how you want to have a working relationship between head coach and general manager. I’ve used the analogy specifically with Kyle, how do you describe a house without a foundation? Abstractly, it’s hard for me to kind of quantify or qualify exactly how much Kyle has meant to my career because it set my foundation when I was truly learning how to become a coach. So everything that I’ve become each step of the road, it’s hard for me to kind of describe, ‘Alright, yeah, he’s meant X.’ He’s been a part of the equation the entire time and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me and the opportunities John Lynch gave me and what the York family in San Francisco, they all did so I could be a Miami Dolphin and take my talents to South Beach. (laughter)”
(On how different Combine week is being a head coach) – “It’s completely different. It’s more expansive. But just being ready for really bearing witness to a lot of peers that have held this job in their first year being rookie head coaches, I kind of had an idea to expect the unexpected and to have an ever-evolving checklist that you’re never going to finish. Because I was prepared for that, really, then it’s just applying what you’ve done at each stage in your career to a more expansive role. You have a job to do. In this job, I service a lot more people. It’s a lot more expansive. You have to be detailed, you have to be driven and you have to serve a lot more people for them to do their job and they’re depending on you. But, really, I’m approaching it the same way. The weeks have been diligent. I probably get a little more tired at the end of the week, but other than that, it’s been work, it’s been fun and very liberating and exciting.”
(On the importance of tight end blocking and how TE Mike Gesicki fits in) – “I think there’s multiple ways to use players that have skillsets that can help you do things offensively. We’ve had tight ends in our history that have been featured pass receivers and we’ve had featured blockers. On both ends of the system, they are expected and will do both things, majoring or minoring in one or the other, depending on their skillsets. I have no problem, no hesitation or no concern of Mike being able to contribute as a blocker and we’ll use him the way it’s most appropriate for him, as well as we’ll do the same thing for him in the pass game, really.”
(On what he’s looking for in a backup quarterback) – “I can tell you this much. We are looking for another quarterback. I’ve never seen, in the history of the NFL, having two on the roster, and that’s very much important to us. You want a player that can help. When you’re looking for a No. 2 quarterback, there’s two things: you want him to benefit the starting quarterback while the starting quarterback is the starting quarterback, and empower him with how they approach their daily gameplan responsibilities and how they develop when they’re training in the offseason. But you also want a guy that can win games should the starter go down. So, a veteran backup is definitely in our discussions but it’s the best player that we can find in whatever avenue and move forward from there.”
(On the value of the running back position) – “Well, the value of the running back position, what value do you put on anywhere from a third to a half of the plays on a given offensive season? You’ve got to realize running backs, collectively, whether you do it part to whole or one guy, you have about 300-to-400 some touches by that position. So it’s incredibly valuable but there is a more diverse way of finding them. There is, traditionally, from a historical perspective, there are rookies, second-year players, mid-to-late-round draft that have more success at that position than some others. But it’s never been anywhere we’ve been, and for the Miami Dolphins moving forward, it’s of paramount importance. We just have a concrete skillset that we found that can really flourish in a zone-blocking system.”
(On his system) – “I think much of what we’ve done in our careers — on our different branches — we’ve all had the same starting point. And I think from a foundational standpoint, our language will be the same, in terms of how you communicate and how you identify. There’s a little nuance change here and there from a formation, but from a starting point, our foundations are very similar. I think one of the strengths of the Dolphins, with the offensive coaching staff we have here and with my contributions, I think we will adapt in ways that’s impossible for me to even forecast right now. Just like in years previous, I haven’t predicted ever what we’re going to look [like] in October in training camp, so it’s important to establish a foundation to know where our starting points will be and where our convictions and emphasis will be and then you let the players dictate the terms from there. I think that’s the best way to serve players and for players to serve coaches and schemes.”
(On his experience from Mike Shanahan) – “It’s a huge one for me. I think he really influenced how I look at leadership from a head-coaching position. I just got done telling a story a second ago but my first year in the NFL was 2005 and I was an offensive intern and the entire season, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was convinced that we were winning the Super Bowl. His bravado and his conviction and his how he set people’s ambition – we were winning the Super Bowl. We were that good. And we went to the AFC Championship Game and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But about five or six years down the road, as I had a better scope of the National Football League in general, I looked player by player at that roster. I was like ‘wow, we were a much better team than we were individuals.’ And that idea of raising people’s ambition and leading by just a vision – I don’t know, perspective but also just a clean way of handling yourself on a day-to-day basis and empowering people with confidence, that will be ever-lasting for me as a coach and really as I walked the hallways in Miami Gardens these past couple of weeks, it has resonated with me, those days.
(On what he’s learned about Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and the defensive staff) – “That’s been a very cool process too because it was about four to five weeks ago that I didn’t know any of them. So one of the things I majored in when I was first talking through this interview process and thinking about this job is I watched a lot of the defense because I knew I had an idea of the direction that I wanted to go with coaches on offense, but as a head coach, you’re responsible for everything. So I watched a ton of the defensive tape and it reminded me quickly of what I hated in 2020 when the Miami Dolphins beat the team I was coaching on easily. And it was that the scheme was outstanding, there was some really core young players that had been developing and that were passionate. The bottom line is I was like, ‘Yeah, I would rather play with them than against them. I don’t want to play that.’ So in that process, I’ve got to know Josh and we have a very transparent and good working relationship. We like the idea of challenging each other and I’m excited about it because, again, it’s one less issue from an offensive coach’s perspective that I have to go against and I’m excited about the growth that that defensive staff can do this season, moving forward and the players that the defensive staff can coach.
(On how much he called plays in the past with Kyle Shanahan) – “That was the great thing about Kyle is Kyle was very accountable that he knew every play that went in, he was ultimately responsible for. That being said, he was also very committed to giving me responsibility and empowering me and trusting me. So there was always discourse, probably since, I don’t know, 2014 or ’15, and it grew as time went on and I got better at my job. But there was always discourse. Throwing a percentage out, I’m probably not going to do that, but we were talking about plays constantly and I, for years, have been putting myself in that position in terms of mentally how to call a game so that once I got this opportunity, that I wouldn’t be freaked out and lose all my hair and turn gray. I’m excited about it. It’s going to be awesome.”
(On the importance of versatility and how much he’d like to have a player like WR Deebo Samuel) – “Important and yes. Versatility is outstanding. You can create mismatches. It allows a lot of different layers and things an offensive coach and an offense can do to keep a defense off-balance.”
(On if he desires to have another WR Deebo Samuel) – “Yeah. I desire to have a lot of first-team All-Pros. That is paramount to me looking good as a coach is awesome players (laughter) … But you don’t look at it like I need the next Deebo. Deebo wasn’t found by looking for Deebo. You look for good football players that are committed and passionate and maybe that challenge you as a coach to see ‘Hey, what other way can we utilize this skillset?’”
(On how confident he is that DE Emmanuel Ogbah will be back) – “As confident as one can be with multiple variables that you can’t control. I’m excited about the guy. I’m excited about the opportunity. I know we want him. We’re going to do our best to get him. It’s the same thing you have to do every time you have situations such as these. You have to be able to adjust if you’re unable to keep him but our hope is that that is not the case. And if you’re texting him right now, you can tell him as such. (laughter)”
(On the benefits of being at the Combine) – “The benefit is that the coaches, specifically myself, will know all the players a lot better than the coaches that didn’t go that are my friends. It is whatever you put into it. There’s workarounds. You don’t have to be at it. You can do a lot of different things. There’s a lot of different ways to skin a cat, I think. That’s what I’ve heard. I’ve never seen it but I know that’s a saying. As long as you do your due diligence, it’s not a must but I enjoy it. I enjoy seeing people face to face. It’s part of the process that I enjoy and I know Chris (Grier) enjoys, so that’s why we’re here.”
(On if he’s had meaningful conversations with CB Xavien Howard) – “First of all, every conversation I have is meaningful. I’m present. But we’ve had several great conversations on the phone and in person. So I’m excited to coach the guy but let’s not forget, it is what it is. Me personally, I don’t have a crystal ball. But really, the only guys I can talk about are the players that are here today.”
Mike McDaniel Introductory Press Conference – February 10, 2022
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Thursday, February 10, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel Introductory Press Conference
Stephen Ross:
(Opening Statement) – “Good morning. I hope everybody here is doing well and feeling good. For me, this is a very exciting day to introduce Mike McDaniel and his family and welcome them to the Miami Dolphins. We’re excited that Mike is here and we look forward to him working with us and Chris (Grier) in creating a team that will win Super Bowls – first, we got to start winning our conference games and our division games, and hopefully get to the Super Bowl. That’s what we’ve always said that what we want, which is a team that can win consistently.
“When we started our search, we were looking to identify someone with several qualities that will have a real impact on our team. We were looking for those qualities of leadership, intelligence, innovation, and that could really understand what it takes to win in the long run. Mike has all of those qualities. First of all, he’s probably one of the brightest coaches that I’ve spoken to. He is really known for his innovation on the field and many people, talking to them, actually call him a genius. That’s a big word and a lot of pressure on it, but certainly when you talk to people, the first thing they’ll say about Mike is he’s innovative and he’s thinking outside of the box. At the same time, the respect that he’s commanded through his over 18 years as a coach is really remarkable. It went so far as I had coaches in his former division calling me and telling me how great he was and I said, ‘why are you calling?’ And they said, ‘really, to get him out of the division.’ (laughter) it says an awful lot about the person and who he is. One thing that really you’ll find out that stands out about him is his passion for football, his passion for how he approaches the game and how he works with people. That’s what it’s all about. It’s really motivating, working with people with passion and intelligence on a consistent basis, that really will produce a winner. And I don’t think you’ll find anybody, and you’ll learn to see, with anymore passion for this game in winning and winning the right way.
“I’d really like to say that as we work together – I’ve always preached, it’s really about a team, a team in every aspect. It’s the players there but it’s really us as the owner, general manager, the CEO working together to produce a team and a team that is always doing the right thing. Just spending the time with him, I really feel that he’s a person that has all of those attributes, but at the same time really has that football knowledge and the leadership for men that the Miami Dolphins – it will serve us really well in the long run. He will continue reporting to Chris Grier. Chris Grier reports to me and works together with Tom Garfinkel and me in really leading the Miami Dolphins. With that, I look forward to continuing this collaboration and hoping that we are winning our division and going on to much greater glory, let’s put it that way. That’s probably the best word.
“I would like to introduce Chris Grier and thank him for all of the work that he has done in this search.”
Chris Grier:
(Opening Statement) – “First of all, Steve took basically all of my jokes and thunder on this to compliment Mike, so this may be shorter than expected.
“Really, we are tremendously excited to welcome Mike and his family here to South Florida as the leader of the Miami Dolphins. As Steve mentioned – Stephen Ross, Tom Garfinkel, Brandon Shore and myself – we talked to many, many very qualified candidates for this job, in both pro and college football, (and what) resonated with us was how excited everyone was for this job – where our roster was, the talent level. It was clear that there was excitement and even into the last two weeks, you guys would be surprised the people that were calling trying to get into this job. For us, as we worked through the process, we interviewed many people, did our research extensively, Steve was very calculated and made sure that we didn’t rush this process. That’s a credit to Steve because there were times when I was like ‘let’s go, let’s push this forward,’ and Steve was like ‘Hey, let’s make sure we do this as thoroughly and as correct as we can.’ I thank Steve for his patience because I was ready to get going and get us going moving forward. It’s been a good month in trying to find the right man to lead the Miami Dolphins.
“When we got through the process, it was Mike McDaniel. The one thing as we kept talking to everybody was, as Steve talked about, was the football intelligence, the innovativeness that he does. You wouldn’t believe the calls and text, like Steve said, from players that he had connected with over the years, former players at his former team and agents calling us just about the relationships that he’s built over the years and how respectful he was in terms of guiding those players that have dealt with adversity and things like that. It’s always good to hear those stories because when you go through this process, everyone wants to tell you how great everyone is and never wants to tell you their warts because they are trying to sell people. But it was very genuine in everyone’s love and affection for Mike and how he had impacted people’s lives at his previous teams. So for us, when we got down to the decision, it was a clear choice. You guys have all heard everything that’s been about Mike – his intelligence, his passion, his work ethic. The people that have met him in this building here over the last 48 hours have all talked about the energy level and how he is. He spent time – new coaches come in and it’s not easy. They’ll spend five minutes with people. But he’s literally in there still talking like for an hour with people as I’m trying to get his attention on other things and that’s who he is. He wants to genuinely know who people are, connect with them and get to the why’s. That’s what makes him a unique person in terms of getting the best out of people.
“We’re tremendously excited to welcome you and your family here. Richmond (Flowers) did a great job of pushing me too, as we were talking about getting you through stuff and being patient because you guys had a great run in San Francisco. But again, we’re tremendously excited and glad you’re the man to lead us here over the next years.”
Mike McDaniel:
(Opening Statement) – “It’s an honor and a privilege to stand in front of you guys here as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Any man standing at a podium like this would be honored. It is a tremendous accomplishment and you’d feel great about that. But that’s not why you get into coaching – standing at this podium. You get into coaching because you love to coach football, you love to teach and you love to make people better. That’s exactly who I am, who I have been and who I will be as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. I’d like to thank those wonderful words from both Stephen Ross and Chris Grier. I really appreciate the opportunity and the responsibility, really. And it is a big one. I’d like to talk about me coming here to Miami about a week ago. I was coming here to interview for a dream position – a dream of mine. That’s what I thought it was. As I walked though this building, this gorgeous building we stand in, saw the people, looked into their eyes and felt their passion, I quickly realized that this was my dream job and I had to go get it. One of the things that really struck me with the Miami Dolphins organization was their interest in general. It’s a lot easier to go after a guy after five other teams have interviewed him and put him on a list. Traditionally, that’s the way it works, where people want whoever other people are interviewing. This was not the case. They looked at me for me and that really galvanized my interest in this organization and really told me a lot about who was really targeting me. It told me a lot about what they were looking for and that’s why I knew it would be a good fit. Interviewing with Stephen Ross, Chris Grier, Brandon Shore and Tom Garfinkel, it didn’t take me long to realize this was the place that I was meant to be, so I better not screw this interview up. You take a look at the facility that’s built here – which I feel like I’m at an SEC school, it’s incredible – the stadium and everything going on around it, I think it kind of epitomizes Steve’s vision. And that vision is broad, it’s grand and it’s trying to be great. That’s what I’m here to get the football to and that’s what we’ll do. Really, that’s why I feel honor and I feel privileged being up here in front of you guys today.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the immense amount of people that had to do with me even having this opportunity. Starting with Kyle Shanahan, Jed York and his family, John Lynch and the 49ers organization. They’re a first-class organization that really helped facilitate me coming into my own, I feel like. Without the players, who are the people that you really get into this business for, all their support, all their hard work and their commitment, none of this would have been possible and I thank all the 49er players as well.
“To get in a spot like this, it’s almost overwhelming to think about how many people are along the ride with you that if one of them doesn’t decide to invest in you, you may never get this opportunity. It’s one of the great things about coaching and the coaching profession is it takes a village to get just one individual capable of doing a job like this. I can go down the list starting with Mike Shanahan, who gave me my first job. It was unpaid though, so he didn’t pay very well. (laughter) Gary Kubiak, who gave me my first paid job with the Houston Texans. Kyle Shanahan, obviously. I’m not sure what I would be doing if it wasn’t for him. You talk about guys like Sean McVay, Chris, Matt LaFleur, Bobby Turner, Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris, Mike LaFleur the list goes on and on. I don’t want to drain your guys’ eardrums with that but there’s just so many people and I appreciate all of those men that helped me become the man I am today. Each individual that I mentioned and each coach I’ve been really privileged to work alongside; they made me a better man, a better coach, a better teacher and that’s really what my focus is in life. They didn’t make me a better father – I did that on my own. (laughter) I’d like to thank Richmond Flowers. It is surreal man. We came a long way and you know how much I appreciate you. Anne Noland, this is an emotional day for me and you’ve made it somewhat coherent, I hope. Obviously, my family. My wife, Katie McDaniel. We’ve come a long way. We’ve got a long way to go. Don’t do that to me, I’m trying to do a press conference. (laughter) And my daughter Ayla June McDaniel. You are a miracle and I can’t wait to see what you grow into.
“Now back to what we are all here for. So football and the Miami Dolphins and what you can expect from us. Schematically – offense, defense, special teams – you are going to see a unique design of everything that’s tailored to our players. That’s why it will be unique to us because we will tailor everything to our players and that’s first and foremost. But really the picture I’d like to present and what I’m here to do with the assistance of all these wonderful people, is create a brand of football here that is known as Miami football. And what that is, Miami Dolphin football, is all about passion and energy. You should be able to turn on the TV and know who the team is, even if the color is distorted, by the energy that they play with, by how they bond together. Things that you only get with true work and bond together. It’s a team sport and we’re going to play as a team and I promise that we’ll feel that. The whole thing that makes football so magical, the whole reason I have devoted my professional life to it, is you have all these people with different interests focused on one common goal. That one common goal of winning, winning often, winning playoff games and winning Super Bowls. That goal is what drives us but it’s the bond and everything we go through in that process that makes it memorable and makes it worth doing what we do. It’s the essence of sports, really, and it epitomizes what the Miami Dolphins will become.
“I feel unbelievably fortunate and it is so exciting to come into a team of energy, of youth, of talent, but more so of hunger that really matches the city of Miami, the fans and every person that is employed by the Miami Dolphins. I felt it immediately when I walked in the door. It gives me goosebumps right now to be a part of something like that, an organization – this is my seventh and I feel like when you’re hired and fired that many times and bouncing around the NFL, you get a glimpse at a lot of things and you know when something has the ability to be great and that’s all I feel walking in and out of these hallways. And I can’t wait to serve each and every one of you.
“I think collectively, one of the most powerful things within these hallways, within this organization that I think should be focused on is the lack of ego and the drive with a common goal. When I was interviewing in this process, it’s all about one thing and that is a rarity, something special and I am so fortunate to be a part of. But that collectivity and working together with a shared sacrifice is something that can’t be replicated, and I am extremely fortunate to be a part of.
“Now, I think this is always odd because you’re getting all hyped up for a media session and then we just go back and study film, put coaching staffs together and then get ready to practice. Hopefully, we teach the players what the plays are before we do that. (laughter) That whole process, although it is anticlimactic, it is part of it and I can’t express the gratitude to everyone to allow me to be up here and to be a part of it. There is no better time to start this whole process than right now. Thank you, guys.”
(Did any of the issues raised by your predecessor in his legal action raise any red flags in your mind about this organization? If not, why not? And if so, how did you resolve them in your own mind?) – “Red flags? I can honestly say there was absolutely no red flags, and the reason why was because I was stepping into an organization with a boss that – I don’t think people give it its proper due. Stephen Ross – there’s a lot of people in professional sports that are out to make money. And I mean, I can’t lie, I feel like if I spent that much money, I’d want to make a lot of money. But like I said, when I walked in that door, you look at every single detail within this building, you look at the people that are hired, you look at just all the extents that there is nothing – there is no cost too high for winning for him. When you’re in multiple organizations, you realize that’s not always the case. The city of Miami really is lucky to have an owner that right, wrong or indifferent, all he cares about is winning. And as a coach, that’s all you’re literally looking for. That’s all. So red flags? No, there’s no red flags for me.”
(Obviously when you start, the offense starts, everything is going to start with the quarterback. What’s your belief in QB Tua Tagovailoa and him leading you guys into the next season?) – “My belief in Tua is that he’s a football player on this team that’s trying to get better and the biggest message I have for all players really is the message should be about the team. And what I mean by that is it’s really about the team collectively getting better and there’s a responsibility of the quarterback to do so. But I’m not necessarily – I’m not sitting here concerned with how good Tua can be. I’m concerned with as a collective unit, what we can grow together because that’s what wins football games. I haven’t seen a quarterback win a football game by himself ever, really. He has to have somebody to throw to. He better not be getting tackled before he throws, so somebody better block. And the defense had better not allow them to score. But the biggest thing for me with Tua is that I want him to come in and work every day and I’m very confident that he will. I want to provide teachers that can develop him. I’m very confident in the people we’re discussing this week and the plan we have for that. And ultimately, all you want is a guy that’s driven to be great, a guy that’s driven to get better and it gives you a chance. And it’s my job to make sure that he has the best chance to showcase his talents. And that’s everyone’s job really.”
(You alluded to earlier the Dolphins were the one team to talk to you for interviews. How do you know you’re ready for this job? What told you, “Okay, I’m ready to be a head coach in the NFL?”) – “It’s funny that every head coach – there’s a lot of talk about being ready to be a new head coach and I think you guys have had new head coaches. The thing that kind of trips me up is every single head coach in the history of football has never been a head coach until they’re a head coach. And for me, the comfort level within the hallways – really, it’s every year of my experience. especially the last five years that Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. He really relied on me and allowed me to be his right-hand man and opened my eyes to all the things that a head coach does. Not to mention all the other years where I’ve had great teachers. And the key for me is paying attention. It’s right in front of me. So when I do get my opportunity, I’ve been fully aware of whenever that day comes, the responsibility it brings, the responsibility you have to every individual that is employed in the organization, their families, every player. So when they called, I was kind of nervous about an interview because I don’t major in that. I major in connecting with players, teaching them and helping them grow. But after getting the job, no. I know there’s going to be things that are new to me, but it’s more about being prepared for the moment because everybody has to have their first time to do it and I know that I’m prepared for the moment. I know there’s going to be things that are new and challenging, but that doesn’t make me nervous because I’ve been preparing for this my entire career.”
(You talked a lot in the last couple days – I’ve heard clips about coaching is teaching and it’s something that you love to do and the individual players. But when it comes to managing 53 personalities, the emotion from week to week, the drama, the distractions, things that come with a team, how do you think you’ll handle that and what is your plan when you’ve got to handle so many people as one head coach?) – “My plan is to handle it well. (laughter) And how you do that is you take – you know coaching a position group, there’s a transition to coach a position group to being an offensive coordinator. That told me a lot about what I thought it was. And there will be a transition to coaching 53 men, which that’s at the low end – there’s also practice squad and training camp roster, so I’m prepared to coach more of those guys than just that. But yeah, there’s challenges. But every step of the road, every position you hold in football, that’s what your job is. Any time you ascend, you take on new responsibilities, but you’re doing the same thing in terms of ‘Oh, there’s something unforeseen. How do I problem-solve this? What messaging do these guys need to hear? Who do I need to connect with? Who isn’t really coming along the team’s direction?’ They’re all just problems. There’s more of them for sure, but that’s why there’s only one head coach. You work your entire career to do it and that’s why you have so many resources within the building, why I felt so comfortable taking this job, is because I feel completely comfortable with my knowledge. I know I’ve been preparing for this. That would’ve been irresponsible for me to have all these great leaders in front of me and not bear witness. But I also have a lot of people to rely on within the building. And when everyone is working in the same direction, yeah, there’s going to be problems that I don’t foresee. Like I couldn’t forecast today, but how boring would our jobs be if it was just monotony anyway? I embrace the challenge. I know there will be new things, but that’s been the task at hand my entire 17- or 18-year career.”
(Welcome to Miami.) – “That’s my fifth ‘welcome to Miami’ and I’m feeling welcome. (laughter)”
(About to say, just trying to make you feel comfortable.) – “That’s what I mean. I’m just waiting for you to bust out some ‘Welcome to Miami’ and then finish the verse. (laughter)”
(I’m not going to do that right now, but maybe later on.) – “Gotcha. (laughter)”
(Once you get your offensive staff kind of put together, what do you foresee that collaboration process being like? Do you plan on calling plays yourself? Is that something that you’re going to kind of delegate to your offensive coordinator or do you have another unique system in mind?) – “I plan on calling plays myself, but one thing that I’ve noticed in my journey is that successful play-callers don’t isolate themselves. They utilize the people around them. That’s what a head coach should do. I’m not up here doing anything by myself or I won’t be after this press conference ends. I’m not going to be going into a hole and hanging out by myself and thinking about stuff. You’re working with people, so the higher your leadership with regard to a head coach, the more people you have to lead. As an offensive coordinator, you call plays, but if you’re a head coach and calling plays, you better be reliant and feel very good about the people on your offensive staff. So it’s been a meticulous process. I think not as meticulous as this head-coaching search apparently, but it’s been very meticulous because that’s what you’re preparing for. I know exactly what the season is going to bring in terms of there are so many things that go on in the course of the season and there’s stressors and you have to worry about kind of focusing the direction of the team; but that’s why you spend this time in the offseason finding the people that you can rely on that you can trust and work with so they can help you game plan, help you solve problems. We can get the best plan together and then when the players own the plan, you’re just calling plays, but they make them come to life.”
(I wanted to ask you about your upbringing in the NFL. Gary Kubiak, Shanahan – both father and son, your background, West Coast offense, heavy run-based offense. Is that sort of a sample of what you believe is winning football in the NFL and what do you think it takes to win in the NFL from a play-call standpoint and scheme standpoint?) – “I understand what you’re getting at with the question. I really like the question. But connecting it to winning, that’s a team deal. But for offensively, with regard to scheme, I have an interesting story because I started with Mike Shanahan and immediately went to Gary Kubiak, and it’s rare to work 15 years in the NFL across six teams and have the same system. So in that, what you end up doing in the same system, you’re not constantly trying to re-learn how to do things. You’re constantly evolving to the point where you’re at your fourth or fifth year within the offense and then you go to your third team and now you’re re-installing. So you’ve found – it’s your third rep of first introducing the same scheme while also there’s a completely different set of players. So within your scheme, you are tailoring it to whoever they are. What was it, my second year in Washington, collectively we drafted Robert Griffin III and ran a bunch of zone read. Do you know how much zone read experience our staff had? Zero. And we didn’t go to any clinics. We really did it with the old-fashioned hard way grind. And what that afforded all of us, when you’re talking about all the guys that were there in Washington, is in our formative years, our minds are open to adapting to whatever means necessary to whatever player’s skillsets, all the way to the quarterback. So because of that, every single year, people call our scheme so creative but really we’re just adapting. We’re adapting to defenses. We’re adapting to our players. We’re constantly evolving. And I think that’s important and I think that’s a winning formula. I think it puts players in position to succeed and that’s the key drive for the scheme. And that’s why it’s less trying to be creative for creative’s sake. It’s more solving problems in different ways and having different tools and abilities to do so.”
(I found it interesting in Stephen Ross’ comments, he said that you would report to Chris, who reports to obviously Steve and Tom. I’m curious with the aspect of player personnel, how much say do you anticipate having on that and how do you foresee working with Chris on that?) – “Thanks for the tee up. That’s another attractive thing about the Miami Dolphins is Chris Grier himself. I think his reputation speaks for itself. I didn’t know him that well and I worked with his dad previously. But in a short amount of time, if you’re picturing that scenario where you’re reporting to a GM and you want to work with him, I couldn’t create an avatar for my working relationship than Chris Grier. Why? Because he’s of the same vision in that he just wants to win football games. He understands that the players we acquire better suit the scheme. And it’s been obvious in a week and talking to him on the phone, and really all of the due diligence that I did before I got here, that he’s not interested in ego. He’s not interested in agenda. He’s interested in a bond with the head coach that excels and that beats other people’s bonds as GM and head coach. He wants a tied together unit and he wants it to grow together. So how much say? As much as I want to talk, I guess. There has been no pushback and I don’t ever foresee that ever happening. It’s a very comfortable situation for a coach to go into and honestly, it just helps me worry about coaching football, evaluating players with him, having conversations and growing together so we can collectively do the best thing for the Miami Dolphins.”
(What have you learned about the best ways to teach players?) – “That it’s an evolving process. I got into the NFL in 2005. Twitter, Instagram and ADD addictions weren’t really prevalent or existed. That’s just an example of how things change over time. I think the one thing in terms of studying the learning process in general is that people can attach to ideas when they are in a linear story. If you can tell a story, you can go from point A to point B to point C. I’ve been fortunate within the scheme to coach every single position in this offense. Whether you’re dealing with different players or different personalities, that is one true common denominator is you have to have a starting point of understanding that you can bridge to the next point. Beyond that? Tape, video, editing cut ups and organizing them so that you can battle that ADD issue that was aforementioned. Those things are powerful things that will be prominent with our coaches, that we really invest our time and understand how valuable the player’s time is, how short-term attention spans are. You better bring some energy, you better entertain them while getting them to learn whatever it is. But you always have to listen. Ask questions, see if they get it and adjust.”
(You’ve spoken so much about your mentors and colleagues and so many people who have had so much influence on you as a coach. What are some of the leadership qualities that those men and women have impacted and influenced you, and how do you hope to combine those qualities with your unique fun personality?) – “I didn’t know it was fun. That’s fun to hear. (laughter) Early on in coaching, it’s one of the reasons I feel confident up here today, and what really has helped me go through the entire process of adjusting to different positions and growing as a coach, was something that was said to me early. You’re a college kid coming out of Yale, and I know Yale has really sick athletes. (laughter) But when I was 23 and I was in charge of assisting Kyle (Shanahan) with receivers, I needed to coach Andre Johnson in his prime. I remember thinking I think he’s going to listen to me, but we’ll see. Then you find out it’s the simplest formula ever known to man. It’s something you guys can all relate to. It’s something that is why all of this conversation about will people listen, will he lead and stuff – it’s a very simple formula. You establish with them early that you can help them with their dream. If you can establish with them that you have value towards their goal – I mean they have unbelievable pressure on them with a career span that they know is finite. So if anybody can help them towards their ultimate goal of being on an NFL team, which is their identity, staying on an NFL team, making their career last longer, making money for their family, doing things that are bigger than themselves, they’ll listen to anybody with a pulse if you can help them. That fundamental tool I’ve applied across the board with the other little mode of wisdom that I’ve received, which is that people respond to authenticity. I’ve been working out my personality my entire career, which is what you’re seeing right now. That was established with me early, that people can smell when you’re trying to be something that you’re not. People respect when you are who you are. Because that was given to me early, a tool, I was blessed to have that instilled in me. It’s really carried me through every position I’ve had, every team I’ve gone to, so I know for a fact that it stands the test of time.”
(For the fans, this organization hasn’t won a playoff game in 20 years. Why are you the person that will be able to do that?) – “Why not? It’s not about me. It’s about me, my relationship with players, but it’s not an individual ordeal. This is a community of people, a whole group of men, and to me, I see it as an opportunity really. It’s obvious to me how true of football fans the Miami Dolphins fan base is because they haven’t won a playoff game in 20 years. But you can feel the passion, you can feel the interest. And that makes it all the more exciting because how great will that feel when collectively we can get it done? That obstacle is something that can really facilitate the end goal because it’s a bigger prize. You just don’t worry – what does the last 20 years have to do with this year? Unless we can take some of those points from those years and apply them to this year, it’s irrelevant. It’s a group of men trying to do a common goal, and I don’t really look at the past history except that it’s going to be that much more gratifying for everyone, and the players can feel that. I think the players and coaches alike, that will really galvanize them to go after that.”
(I know you were in a different conference and you didn’t play the Dolphins last year, but how much of their game tape did you watch or have watched since you were preparing for this job? Did you feel fortunate to inherit a winning team? Most first-year coaches aren’t in that situation.) – “I’d hope I’d watch a lot of it, which I did. (laughter) I did play against the Dolphins in 2020 and we don’t need to talk about that game at all. I’m the head coach the Dolphins now. We kicked the 49ers something. (laughter) It’s part of the process. You need to know what you’re getting in to. You need to gather information to understand what the team has gone through. All the game tape, all the situations. It’s important to me to understand what to emphasize moving forward. And what I saw was a defense that I didn’t want to go against. What I saw was a collective group of people that I could, from the tape, I knew they loved football and that is such a key component that people undervalue because there’s so many dollars, there’s a lot of fame out there for players, but the teams that win, the people love football and you can feel it and it’s visceral. To win (seven) consecutive games, I think it was, (near the) end the season, you could see players playing hard. You could see a defense that again, I’m glad is our defense. You could see a ton of talent, guys that weren’t listening to the noise, that were trying to win games and there’s a lot of guys that want to get better. Offensively, there’s tools and my job is to help facilitate, with all the other coaches and players, to put together a product that reflects really what the Miami Dolphins are about.”
(Your ethnicity has been a topic of conversation since your hiring. I wanted to ask how has your experience growing up as how you identify, how has that experience been? And do you think getting a job like this sets an example for more people just like you who have the same life experiences?) – “Yeah, it’s been very odd, to tell you the truth. This idea of identifying as something. I think people identify me as something but I identify as a human being. And my dad is Black. So whatever you want to call it. I know there’s a lot of people with a shared experience. It’s weird that it comes up because I’ve just tried to be a good person and I think my background opens my eyes a little bit. I don’t have any real experience with racism. I think you identify me as something close to – I don’t know. But I know my mom experienced it when she married my dad. I know my dad experienced it and that it’s in my family. I guess that makes me a human being that can identify with other people’s problems.”
(I want to take you way back. We all read the stories about you riding your bicycle to Broncos practice. What was it that made you want to do that? What made you go from being a fan to possibly a student of the game to trying to learn from what you were seeing out there? What inspired you to get into this business?) – “I appreciate that question. Side note, the irony is that story, my address was on 27th Avenue in Greeley, Colorado. And here we find ourselves on 27th Avenue. It kind of brings it full circle. It’s interesting being an only child anywhere really. But in Colorado, I grew up in a town of like 70,000 people and I didn’t really have much to do. I guess there was a park with a lake with a lot of goose droppings that I could go play at, but other than that the Broncos were the big deal. That was, and again, when I was younger, it was cool to watch something where there were guys from different ethnicities working together. It was the first picture I had of that, which I noticed when I was at my grandma’s house. That was kind of intriguing. Football in general – I liked football cards and I was just obsessed with the Denver Broncos at the time. All I wanted to do was get autographs and be around them. I was and continue to be pretty obsessive compulsive, so I would ride there about seven o’clock in the morning and get as many autographs as I could and stay there until seven and night and ride back home. But in doing so, I think it built-up the game of football in my eyes. I think I had an appreciation for the amount of work guys did because I’d get there at seven and I’d watch them walk from the cafeteria to – I can’t remember the facility’s name – but to the gym and get dressed for practice. I’d watch them go practice and I’d try to get autographs when they come back in behind the yellow rope and then I’d watch them go to the lunch room and then turn back around and go do the same thing again in two-a-days. I think it built sort of this idea that cool things you have to work for in that process. I wanted to be a pro football player. But I had a good awareness level at a young age. The story is true that I wrote inside my little league helmet that I will be in the NFL some day and I had every sticker of every single team. I didn’t say I’d play in it. (laughter) As you get older, you figure out that if you want to be good at something, you better be passionate about it and my OCD made me passionate about one thing and I chose to go after it.”
