Xavien Howard – August 31, 2021
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Tuesday, August 31, 2021
CB Xavien Howard
(Last time we saw you, you talked about shaking rust. Do you feel like it’s all shook off??) – “Oh no. I’m still cleaning up some stuff, technique-wise. Just focusing on getting better each day.”
(What’s it like watching established veterans like LB Benardrick McKinney get cut as they are trying to put together a roster?) – “It’s the NFL. It’s the business side of it. You just have to focus on the guys that are in the locker room.”
(What can you say about what LB Elandon Roberts has done since he came back?) – “Oh man, Elandon is going through the right path right now coming off an ACL. I feel like he’s grinded his way up to this point right now. He’s just focused on just getting better.”
(Do you relate to LB Elandon Roberts a little bit? Obviously you’ve gone through stuff in your past with your stuff, going through rehab and trying to come back and have a great year.) – “Yeah man, it’s a whole grind, especially with no setbacks. Just focus on that and make sure you have the confidence and the right mindset going into it. Knee surgeries, that’s a big thing. You can’t play with the knees. I feel like he’s got the confidence just coming out there, making an impact. He does a lot of things with our defense. He does a lot of play calling and stuff like that. With a guy like that, we need him out there.”
(I was thinking back to cut day in 2019 when Head Coach Brian Flores had arrived and that was the rebuild year. How do you think that the 53 men plus the practice squad that are going to be around tomorrow compared to that group?) – “It’s a lot of talent. You’ve seen a lot of guys that can be on our team that can go elsewhere and play. Like I said, it’s a business aspect of it. I feel like these guys just can’t get down. Somebody will pick them up. I feel like they will be on a team.”
(Playing with guys, you probably know better maybe than some coaches who the dudes are. Do you guys get any input? ‘Hey man, I like playing with this guy. This guy gives me a little more chance.’ Do you know what I’m saying?) – “Right now, I’m just focused on myself being out there. Anything can happen any day, any player, no matter who you are. I just focus on just being out there and just the guys that I have there. I try to teach them and also try to learn from other veteran guys on the team also.”
(Earlier today the Patriots cut QB Cam Newton and are going with the rookie QB Mac Jones as their starter for the opener. What’s your reaction to not facing Cam and instead facing the rookie?) – “Just watching film from last year, I also thought Cam was going to be the starter coming into it. I was expecting him. I guess I’ve got to watch film on somebody else, on Mac. I’m just preparing for whoever the starting quarterback and the receivers also. Like I said, it’s the business of it.’
(No. 17 on the Top 100. What did that mean to you when you saw that?) – “Just getting respect from peers around the league. Coaches, players, that’s what it’s all about. Right now, I’m just focused on trying to climb up. Trying to be top five. Really just out here grinding and trying to make my team better, myself.”
(Can you talk a little bit about the culture within the Dolphins? It seems like since Head Coach Brian Flores got here, the team has been working to establish a culture. How would you describe the culture within the organization?) – “The culture, just being here six years, I’ve been through a lot of different coaches and seen a lot of different coaches where we haven’t really had just one culture that I feel can help us, provide us and win games. ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) brought that attitude in here. I feel like he’s the guy for the team. Everybody is just sticking to his plan and hopefully we get the job done.”
(I’m sure you’ve probably seen the rumblings in the media about QB Deshaun Watson and all those different questions. How do you all handle that in the locker room when you see that?) – “I’m on the defense side, I play cornerback and that’s all I’m worried about.”
Sam Eguavoen – August 31, 2021
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Tuesday, August 31, 2021
LB Sam Eguavoen
(If they brought you in here, I’m guessing you’re on the team.) – “Shoot, I don’t know man. You know how the NFL is. Crazy things happen. But it would be a blessing to be on this team. You’ve always got to think positive.”
(G/T Robert Hunt just said that he just got his license last year.) – “His license to what?”
(To drive.) – “To drive? Oh, wow.”
(Were you aware? He was 24.) – “No, I didn’t know that. I do always see him in the parking lot always waiting on a ride, so I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t know how to drive. I’m not giving him a ride. I’m not about to get no flat tire. (laughter)”
(What’s it like for guys – you’ve been in this situation on this day where at any point they could just call you upstairs? What is that anxiety like?) – “The way I look at it is – yeah, it’s a lot of anxiety but I know from Day 1 of camp, if I came in and did everything that I had to do and left it all out there and I did everything in my control and I ended up getting cut, I’d be able to take that better at ease than me being lazy on this play or that play. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing what if I went harder on this day? What if I went harder in that game? I might still be here. At least I know I went hard in every game and the team just wanted to go in a different direction. That’s the way I see it. If I’m just going hard every single day and I get cut, so be it. This is what my calling has been.”
(What message does it send to the team when a veteran established former Pro Bowler like LB Benardrick McKinney gets cut?) – “I don’t know. It’s crazy. That’s just the NFL for you. It’s always a revolving door and the GM, the head coach and the owner are always going to do what’s best for the team and things like that. It’s tough for anybody – whether you’re a Pro Bowler or undrafted. Being cut, that’s a tough feeling. That’s a tough pill to swallow.”
(What have you seen from LB Elandon Roberts since he came back?) – “It’s E-Rob. He’s looking good out there, being a leader, taking control and doing things that he always does.”
(I was thinking back to 2019 when I first met you. If the Dolphins hadn’t torn it all down and scoured the earth for anybody who might be able to play football, you might not be here. Have you thought back to that 2019 season and the opportunity that a rebuilding franchise gave you?) – “Yeah, I do always think about it because I was coming from the CFL, so I kind of had a choice to go where I wanted to go. Miami was at the top of the list because I liked the food they provided in the cafeteria. It was top tier compared to everywhere else. (laughter) But I just talked to my family, talked to God, and I’m glad I made that decision. The mindset I had going into the NFL, nobody was going to stand in my way. I worked too hard to get there, so it’s going to be hard to get me out. That was just my mindset.”
(How have you evolved as a linebacker? I think initially when we saw you early on, you were doing some pass rush stuff. How do you feel as more of a complete linebacker at this stage?) – “Every day it’s just learning. I really appreciate the coaching staff we have here. Coach Camp (Anthony Campanile), Robbie Leonard was my linebackers coach my rookie year in 2019 and I still talk to him every day. I’m always learning something new. That’s why I love the linebacker position because we’re learning stuff about the secondary and learning things about the guys up front in the trenches. Every day I’m just learning something new and then adding it to my game. I’m watching ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker) and seeing what he does. I’m taking something from his game. E-Rob, I’m taking something from his game. Even D-linemen, (Emmanuel) Ogbah and everything like that, I’m always trying to take something from their game to always become a better player.”
Durham Smythe – August 31, 2021
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Tuesday, August 31, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(It’s your fourth year. What has this camp been like for you this year?) – “It’s been good. I think it’s something I say every year. Obviously you want to keep improving to be a complete tight end, and improve things that have historically been weaknesses and things like that. I think that’s just stacking another year of that. Obviously with the room we have, it’s deep. We can all bounce ideas off each other and I think that helps everyone improve as well. It’s been good. It’s been a good thing.”
(How do you think this roster compares to the 2019 roster that Head Coach Brian Flores took over?) – “I think ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) over the last three years has really just gotten his type of guys in this building. Guys who love to compete. I think one thing that jumps out between those two rosters is obviously there’s talent on both, but this one’s so deep really across the board. I’m confident that whoever goes down at any position really, this year you have another starter-caliber guy that can jump right in. I think it’s just the type of guys in the building and the culture we’ve built – competitive, honest, things like that, and deep. From a depth perspective, this is a pretty deep team.”
(How are you seeing the offense itself evolve with QB Tua Tagovailoa versus last year with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick?) – “Yeah, obviously to an extent you build offenses around the strengths of your players; and with Tua going into his second year, he knows what those are. He’s been – like I’ve said every time I’ve been asked about that – he’s obviously more comfortable this year. That’s how every player is from Year 1 to Year 2, regardless of position. So you can see that he’s comfortable. This will be something based around his strengths, receiver’s strengths, tight end’s strengths. You’ll see that really across the league in how offenses are developed. But from that perspective, I think he’s a lot more comfortable.”
(With that being said, do you feel like you guys are doing more Alabama stuff because that’s what QB Tua Tagovailoa is familiar with?) – “To be honest, I have no idea what Alabama does, this far out of college. I think it’s more based on just personal strengths. Like I said, I have no idea what Alabama does but as he develops, and kind of like I said earlier, as tight ends, we’re trying to be complete tight ends and work on those weaknesses. He’s done the same things. These little strengths that you see early on start to become more total in terms of what he can do. I think like I said, he is more comfortable and he has more strengths.”
(Have you had conversations about any roster bubble guys? What’s today like for them? What do you tell them?) – “Kind of like I said earlier, the depth on this team is so significant. It’s always the worst day of the year in terms of that because you go through camp, you get close with this team. Like I said, the right guys were in this building from the beginning. We had 90 of the right guys in this building, so this is always a tough day. Specifically, like I said earlier, this team is do deep. There’s a lot of guys that there’ll be tough decisions that are made. From that perspective, it’s tough; but you wish those guys the best and I think there’s a lot of guys on this team that will have a shot, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
(LB Benardrick McKinney was one of those guys that we found out yesterday. What was he like to go up against this camp and if you could also talk about LB Elandon Roberts and going against him?) – “Yeah, he’s a good player. That kind of validates what I’m saying is there’s tough decisions when you have a team that’s pretty talented across the board. He’s a good player, a good guy. Like I said, we wish everyone the best that’s been here with us. E-Rob is a guy who has been on the injury whatever it is, and with him coming back, he made his presence felt like he always does. He’ll be an asset to this team, really across the board from a leadership standpoint and a defensive intensity standpoint.”
(You mentioned just the depth of this roster. How is maybe the additional speed that you guys have added with WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Will Fuller and some of those other guys helped you guys become more complete offensively?) – “Yeah, that definitely adds another dynamic. I think the way this roster has been built, really from the beginning, there’s guys that can really fly, guys that can go make contested catches and guys that do a little bit of both. I think when you have guys that have strengths in different areas, specifically within position groups, you can be more multiple. When you have guys that have the speed that we have this year, it definitely opens things up so that will be fun and obviously difficult for defenses to deal with.”
Brian Flores – August 31, 2021
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Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How much does the move with LB Benardrick McKinney equate to a vote of confidence for LB Elandon Roberts?) – “With Benardrick (McKinney), that was obviously a tough decision on our part. Very good player. I thought he did a lot of nice things in training camp. We like the guys in the linebacker room. You mentioned Elandon (Roberts). Elandon is one of them, but we like the guys in that room. Again, it was a tough decision. It really was and one that kind of we went back and forth on; but at the end of the day like everything else, we want to always do what we feel is best for the team. Tough decisions are part of that and this was one of them for sure, but nothing but good things to say about Benardrick and I have a lot of appreciation for his hard work this past month and really in the spring as well.”
(Is that an example of maybe him and LB Elandon Roberts playing similar roles in the defense and maybe just needing one of them?) – “I think there’s a lot that goes into it. I would say that’s one variable, but there’s so many variables when we’re talking about these types of decisions – position, salary cap, kicking game. There’s a lot of variables there; but at the end of the day, we’re always going to do what we feel is best for the team.”
(Where are you guys I guess with cuts at this point? Have you made all your decisions? Are you going to go through practice?) – “Yeah, we’ll go through practice and then make the rest of the releases then – after practice.”
(You probably heard that the Patriots are going with Mac Jones over Cam Newton. Obviously that’s the guy you face in the opener. Your reaction?) – “I met Mac Jones at the Senior Bowl so I have a great deal of respect for him. Look, if he’s earned the respect of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, then he has my respect. He was a very good college player. He did a lot of great things there. I think one other thing I would say is this is not the Dolphins against Mac Jones. It’s the Dolphins against the Patriots and they’ve got a good team. They’ve got good coaches. They’ve got a lot of good players. But specific to Mac Jones, I think he’s a good young talent and we’ll have our hands full with him and the entire team.”
(Have you guys begun prepping for New England, Mac Jones yet at this point?) – “We’ve started the early stages of preparing for Game 1. Still, I would say, in the very early stages especially since we’re not – we’ll really probably start full on tomorrow, Thursday. But yeah, the early stages, some early conversations, personnel. Very early stages of the preparation.”
(Getting rid of Benardrick McKinney sort of hints that LB Elandon Roberts is all the way back and ready to play. Is that the case? Because you guys didn’t play him in any of the preseason games.) – “Elandon (Roberts) is doing everything he can to get back as quickly as he can. Obviously he came off of PUP – I forget the exact date, but it feels like a couple weeks ago – and practiced last week and is moving in the right direction. So we feel good about where he is. That factored into some decisions; but yeah, we feel good with where he is and he’s moving in the right direction.”
(How do you expect to navigate the receiver room knowing WR Will Fuller won’t be there for Week 1 and maybe having to keep someone temporarily or how do you navigate that?) – “I think – obviously we know Will (Fuller) won’t be there for Week 1. He’ll be serving the one-game suspension. I kind of view it as a roster spot; so it could be defense, it could be kicking game. The next-best player is who we’ll keep and then we’ll make the decision in the next week when we get to that. Basically we kind of go about it as if he’s not there and then we take the 53 guys.”
(S Jevon Holland and T Liam Eichenberg. Are either of those guys good at this time or not yet?) – “Yeah, they’ll both be out there today.”
(You have spent a lot of time and effort into the offensive line over the past few years. I wouldn’t say overhaul is too strong of a word because it seems like that’s exactly what you’ve done. Given all of that, where are you in that process now? How do you assess the progress they’ve made?) – “I think that group is a group of guys who are tough, who are smart, who are competitive, who are team first and try to improve every day. I think we’ve seen that throughout the course of training camp. We’ll continue to work with them, develop them. They are still young players. I think the way they train, the way they practice, they have an opportunity to develop. There is still room to grow with each one of them. We’ll try our best as coaches, as teachers, to educate them and train them, and hopefully they get better.”
(Do you think G Durval Queiroz Neto is ready to compete consistently at the NFL level? And if so, how much credit do you take as a coaching staff?) – “I wouldn’t take any credit. The credit goes to Durval. I think he’s done a great job of training, nutrition, all the things you need to do to give yourself an opportunity or give yourself a chance. He’s gotten some opportunities in these preseason games and done a good job. We’ll see. I think he’s eager to play. He’s as competitive as anyone on this team. He’s eager to learn and we’ll just keep working with him. If we feel like he can help us in regular season games, we’ll make that decision.”
(Aside from WR Will Fuller, are you confident that you’ll have a full slate of receivers – WR DeVante Parker, WR Albert Wilson, WR Preston Williams, who we saw in the last preseason game – for the opener?) – “We’ve obviously had a lot of injuries in that room. All of those guys are working their way back and doing everything they can to get back. We’ve had them out there at practice to a limited degree aside from Albert, who with today being a walkthrough, he’ll participate in that. They are all working. We’ve still got some time – 12 days until we play. Those guys will keep taking it one day at a time with their preparation and with their rehab. If they are healthy, they will play and if they’re not, we’ll play another guy.”
(Can you share with us why it was that G Solomon Kindley played against Cincinnati on Sunday whereas the other offensive line starters did not?) – “We just wanted to get him some more work. When it’s preseason, we need numbers. There was a lot that went into that. They all wanted to play. We just felt like Solomon could get a few more snaps. That was kind of the thought on that.”
(What does the C Matt Skura release say about where you are with C/G Michael Deiter and what you’ve seen from him?) – “Deiter has worked extremely hard this offseason and during training camp. I think he’s done some nice things. He’s shown some leadership and he’s done a good job. I think we’re pleased with where he is. Again, still room for improvement, still room to grow; but he’s done a lot of good things.”
(Do you expect to have OL Greg Mancz at practice today?) – “Yeah, Greg will be there.”
(Did T Larnel Coleman get hurt during the game? Was he feeling something during? And your assessment of him playing the whole game and where his future is.) – “We’re going to put Larnel on IR. He got dinged in the game. I’m not going to get into his situation, but we had to place him on IR. We think he’s a good young talent and it’s unfortunate that that happened. But we’ll work to get him back and get him healthy as quickly as possible so he can start training and getting himself ready for next season.”
(You guys have kept two quarterbacks on the roster every year you’ve been here. Obviously QB Reid Sinnett had a solid camp. What does that mean for him?) – “Reid, as you mentioned, played well Sunday. He’s done a nice job throughout training camp. He’s really made a lot of progress and seen a lot of growth from him from last year to this year. He played well the other day and he’s a guy who with the way he goes about his business on a daily basis, and the way he prepares, I see him trending in the right direction and continuing to improve.”
Brian Flores – August 30, 2021
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Monday, August 30, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Had a couple things I’ll ask you one at a time. Are you and General Manager Chris Grier planning to make your cuts from 80 to 53 today or tomorrow morning or do you think you’ll bring 80 guys to practice tomorrow and then deal with the cuts after?) – “We’ll probably – we were actually just meeting this – make a few today and then make the finals tomorrow. Obviously we have to do that tomorrow by 4 p.m. It’s always a tough day. There’s always tough decisions to make. You start thinking about what you’re going to say to the player; but yeah, probably some today and some tomorrow.”
(And my other thing was LB Jaelan Phillips. You have a very interesting player there. I guess the way we saw you use him yesterday and in camp – sometimes he’s on right side, sometimes left, sometimes standup linebacker, other times hand in the ground. Would you mind explaining just the thinking and deciding to use him that way as opposed to being just a full-time hand-in-the-ground defensive end?) – “The way we structure the defense – it’s not a 4-3 where there’s just full-time defensive ends on the field at all times. We have a little bit more of a hybrid scheme where he could be up, he could be down, it could be four-down, it could be base, it could be in a few different fronts. I think that we feel like Jaelan (Phillips) can do a few different things. I think maybe some different things on early downs and some different things in some obvious passing situations. We wanted to just see him in those roles yesterday. I think that’s the goal for him, is to play a few different positions, but right now we’re just kind of checking to see where he’s comfortable and then as a staff we’ll talk about it and kind of review things and see where we want to use him during the regular season.”
(I’m wondering to what extent do you see cut day as a gauge of your roster strength. For example, when you’re cutting guys you see as promising and with a lot of upside, do you think that’s a reflection that the guys you’re keeping gives you a pretty good feeling?) – “I think we feel good about some positions. I think it’s – yeah, I understand the question. I think I never want to get too far ahead or say, ‘hey, we’ve got this super situation.’ Yeah, at some positions, we’re going to have to make some tough cuts and with guys who we feel like are roster players in the National Football League. When you have to make those decisions, they’re tough. It makes you feel good about the other players at that position, but at the same time it’s hard to let good players go. We feel okay with where we’re at. We know we’re going to have to make some tough cuts. We’ll always try to do what’s best for the team.”
(Curious to know what you think the identity of your team built during the preseason now going into the regular season.) – “I think it’s a group that’s tough. I think they try to play with some discipline. I think it’s a team with versatility offensively, defensively and in the kicking game or potential to have versatility, I should say. I won’t say we’re versatile just yet, but tough and smart and they compete. I think you saw that last night, yesterday, and we’ve just got to continue to improve. I think they work hard. They work hard to improve and hopefully we just continue with that and make improvements throughout the year and take it one day at a time.”
(I know you spoke a little about this yesterday and obviously there’s been a lot said about Deshaun Watson and everything going on with the rumors there. I’m curious how you relate to your locker room, your team, with all this going on with the season coming in a week or two.) – “I think there’s always rumors. There’s always speculation. There’s always some form of distractions and I think as a team we’ve got to block that stuff out and play. I thought they did that yesterday and I think that’s something that all players deal with in the National Football League. There’s always something going on. There’s always something that – some form of speculation or controversy and we just block it out, ignore it and move on.”
(Going back to the roster cuts discussion, I know these next 24 hours are never easy for you and your staff. But I wanted to ask if you could speak to the value of the contributions made during this training camp and offseason by the guys who might not be here for Week 1. In what ways did those guys make this team better for 2021?) – “I think we’ve had a very competitive group at all positions. The players you mentioned, the guys we may have to move on from, I think in a lot of instances, just in our conversations this morning, they have made our team better because they have pushed some of the guys that we are going to keep. (You guys) kind of mentioned this, I think probably some of the things that we are seeing is that there has been a lot of good competition and that has pushed guys and helped some other guys play a little bit better. Like I said, there’s going to be some guys that we feel are roster-players in this league and we have to move on from them. I think they certainly helped our team this training camp.”
(In the three years that you’ve been here, we’ve seen you bring in some players who sort of are in need of a second chance because of things in their past. What is your philosophy towards granting players those second chances? How do you weigh their skill on the football field versus any concerns you may have off the field? Does public opinion count in any way when you make these decisions?) – “I think there are a lot of things that we weigh when we are making decisions – fit on the team, overall talent, salary cap. But I think (General Manager) Chris (Grier), myself, the coaching staff, when we’re talking about a player or players, we’re always trying to do what’s best for the Miami Dolphins and the organization. There are a lot of variables there. We want a group that’s tough, that’s smart, that’s competitive, that loves to play, that’s team-first. I think those are the types of guys we’re looking for. I think that any time we’re looking at any player – again, you’re referencing the cuts that are going on – there are a lot of players that are going to be available via claim, potential trade, and as we talk through those types of players, how do they fit on our team? Yeah, there are a lot of variables; but at the end of the day, we always try to do what’s best for the team.”
(When these guys come in, for lack of a better term, do you say ‘hey, you’re down to your last strike, we want you to stay on the straight and narrow path?’ Do you make that clear?) – “I think with any player on our team or any person in our organization, there is a standard – look, we have high standards for the people we have in the organization. I don’t get into last strikes or anything. We want people with high character throughout the building. That’s what we’re looking for.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa now that he’s through his second training camp, first preseason. What specifically has he done better and where does he still need to improve?) – “I think he’s much more comfortable with his surroundings here in this area. I think he’s taken a step as far as leadership and working with his teammates to get things right, whether it’s the center and his cadence, receivers and routes, ball handling with the backs, I think he’s asking more questions to us as a coaching staff situationally. ‘Hey, would you take a time out here? Should we get it out of bounds here? How much yardage do we need on a two-minute (drill) to get a field goal?’ I think he has made some very good strides. There is still a lot of room for improvement and hopefully we continue to make improvements.”
(How do you prepare yourself for those 27 or however many conversations you’re going to have to have in the next couple of days that aren’t exactly going to be enjoyable? What’s the balance between the inherent dread of those talks versus the excitement that you’re 30 hours away from having your team?) – “I just try to be honest with the guys, and tell them the truth, tell them what we saw, tell them the truth. If I feel like a guy’s got a place in the league and he’s going to play somewhere, I tell him that. I tell him here’s what we thought as to why this didn’t work out, here’s some things you need to improve on. I try to be honest whether it’s mental errors, whether it’s techniques, fundamentals, whether it’s you’re in a room with a deep, deep group. I just try to tell them the truth. I think most players are receptive to that. Obviously it’s a disappointing conversation for a lot of guys. I think practice squad is a part of that conversation as well. If we feel like a guy we want back to be on our practice squad, I talk to them about that situation and other guys who have been practice squad and been moved up and how they’ve gotten their opportunity in this league that way. It’s just a very honest conversation that normally ties in their performance during the spring and training camp, and my thoughts on their future.”
(I know a year or two ago you told us that you started your career as the ‘turk’ or the ‘grim reaper.’ Do you have someone in your organization that plays that role and if so, could you tell us what you’d say to them about how to handle this situation?) – “We’ve got a few guys who handle that. We have conversations. You just have to be respectful and know it’s a tough situation. It’s a disappointing situation for the player so just be respectful. Understand that there may be some emotions that arise. That could be a variety of emotions. Knowing I had that job, I have a few stories of different situations that occurred. I don’t want to get into those right now. As you can imagine for a young guy who hears that news, it’s not something that – there are a lot of emotions there. Just be respectful and it’s a delicate situation and just be respectful. That’s kind of my message to those guys.”
Brian Flores – August 29, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, August 29, 2021
Postgame – Cincinnati
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Opening Statement) – “First I’d like to send thoughts, prayers and condolences to the soldiers who died in Afghanistan. We have a lot of freedoms and liberties in this country and we have those because of their sacrifices and I just want to send thoughts, prayers and condolences to the families and loved ones of those soldiers. It’s a sad day. It’s been a sad few days, I should say.”
(We’ll get to the game of course but yesterday a report named the Dolphins the front-runner in trade talks for QB Deshaun Watson. Your reaction and are you and General Manager Chris Grier still pursuing Watson?) – “Reports (and) speculation are not things we really get into. Look, I understand the question; but as I’ve said in the past, any conversations we have or don’t have with other clubs are going to be internal. I’ve been pretty steadfast about that – with our players, with other clubs – and that will remain the case.”
(Can you address your confidence in QB Tua Tagovailoa and did you have to address it with him? Did you have any talks with him?) – “I’m very confident in Tua. He’s done a lot of good things this spring, this offseason, this training camp. He played well last week. Again, my conversations with the players are going to always remain between me and that player. I talk to a lot of players every day. Obviously I spend a lot of time with the quarterbacks. But yeah, those conversations will remain between myself and that player.”
(You have three preseason games done. You’ve got two more weeks before the season opener. Are you optimistic with where you’re at right now? Do you like where you’re at right now from what you’ve done up until this point?) – “There are a lot of things that I like. I think we’ve got a good group that works hard. They have good camaraderie. They have fun playing together. Hopefully people who watch us can see that. They’ve really worked hard. I think we’re moving in the right direction but there’s still a lot of work to be done. I’ve always felt like preseason, training camp, preseason games, you’re still kind of forming your team; and I would say that’s the case for us right now. What role certain guys are going to play, I think that will be determined over – some of it’s been determined over training camp but more of it we’ll see over these next two weeks of practice and obviously when we get into regular-season games. But I like where we’re at. I like the guys we have. I know they’re tough, they’re smart, they’re competitive and they work. I think when you work and you get a lot of guys going in the right direction, in the same direction, there’s potential for a lot of improvement.”
(Can you talk about this game a little bit? QB Reid Sinnett comes in and plays the whole game and throws for 343 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He looked pretty sharp out there.) – “Yeah, I was excited for Reid. Another young player who was on our practice squad last year. He’s really made a lot of improvements and got an opportunity today and took advantage of that opportunity. I thought he played well, led, made some big throws, took some hits. Every play wasn’t perfect. He had an interception early but battled back. He really led that group. There were a lot of guys who played a lot of football today and really played a full game and had to battle through. Reid was one of them but he was also a guy who was very supportive and bringing guys along throughout the game. He battled until the bitter end and made a play at the end. I was excited for him.”
(You only dressed 45 guys. There are limited roster spots available. Were there some guys out there today who may have earned a job?) – “Certainly. There were certainly some guys out there who – I’ll have to review the film but from what I observed throughout today’s game, there are some guys who are close that played well. There’s some hard decisions we’re going to have to make coming up in these next couple of days. Myself, our staff, Chris (Grier) and his staff, we’ll talk about it. We’ll talk through a myriad of things and reasons to keep guys or to not keep guys. And at the same time, we’re looking at various players who might be available on other teams. There’s a lot that goes on these next couple of days and we’ll certainly be busy.”
(We saw WR Kirk Merritt make plays, WR Khalil McClain and WR Malcolm Perry. Does a game like today kind of encapsulate how difficult it is to make those decisions, especially in the wide receiver room?) – “Yeah, like you said all of those guys went out there today and played well. They got open, caught the ball, made big plays, tough catches in critical situations. Kirk had one at the end of the game to pull us within one score. Malcolm made plays the entire day. Khalil makes a (catch) on a back-shoulder throw, which we’ve been working on that. It was good to see that in a game. So yeah, there are a lot of competitive players in that room and really throughout the team. Yeah, there will be some tough decisions we’ll have to make.”
(There were a couple of nice moments from RB Gerrid Doaks, who of course played his college ball here in Cincinnati. What have you seen from him this preseason?) – “Tough, smart, loves to play, competitive, team-first. Really all of the attributes we’re looking for in a Miami Dolphin. Smart kid. I thought he played well. I thought he ran it well. I thought he did a nice job in protection. I’m pleased with where he is.”
(The team announced yesterday that it acquired OL Greg Mancz in a trade with the Ravens. Obviously he wasn’t able to play today but what do you see and how does he play into the offensive line?) – “We’re excited to get Greg. We’ve watched a lot of tape on him. He has a lot of film from this year and previous years. He has versatility to play center or guard. Tough. Competitive. From what I’ve heard from people I have good connections with, there’s some leadership there with him as well. We’re excited to have him.”
(What does that mean for C Matt Skura? What have you seen from him this camp?) – “I think Matt has played well. Matt’s another guy who is an experienced player and has played a lot. We’re going to have tough decisions to make in that room. I mentioned it earlier but that’s across the board. Matt’s a good player. He’s shown leadership. So yeah, some tough decisions we have to make.”
(Regardless of any talks with other teams, a portion of this fan base would like to hear the team say they are not interested in Deshaun Watson. Would you say that – feel comfortable saying that?) – “I would say that I’m interested in the players that are on our team. That’s what I am interested in. I’m interested in Reid Sinnett, who went out there and played his butt off tonight. I’m interested in Gerrid Doaks, who we talked about a second ago. I’m interested in the guys that didn’t play today that were focused on our recovery and being fresh for next week. That’s what I would say. I’m interested in the players on the Miami Dolphins.”
Reid Sinnett – August 29, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, August 29, 2021
Postgame – Cincinnati
QB Reid Sinnett
(Can you break down that last play and what happened? We saw you move around and kind of get that pass to TE Chris Myarick. Can you just kind of break that down for us?) – “Yeah it was fourth-and-long so you’re trying to make a play. I kind of got flushed out of the pocket initially. That’s normally not something you just throw up but with fourth down and the game on the line, you just try to give somebody a chance. I got knocked down and didn’t even see the ball get caught. I got the wind knocked out of me and I’m sitting there expecting the game to be over and I hear our guys start cheering. It was a fun moment. I’m glad it was Chris (Myarick) that caught it. I’ve gotten to watch him work all summer. We’ve worked together a lot this offseason and it was great to watch all of these guys have success today.”
(I know you were down so you weren’t able to be in the middle of the mob but when you get to the locker room – I know it’s the last preseason game but what are the emotions like when you get to the locker room after a game like that?) – “It was a lot of fun. We always want to win so I think that’s what everybody was so happy about. We went out and figured out a way to win so it was excited coming back in (to the locker room). When you win a game like that, there’s always a little bit of buzz in the locker room.”
(You played the whole game. When did you find out that both QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Jacoby Brissett were going to sit and that you were going to handle everything?) – “I don’t know if there was a certain point but once I got a chance to help game plan, I kind of knew I was going to be out there quite a bit. Going out there and playing the whole game is exactly what I wanted. I’m getting a chance to show that I can operate the game from start to finish, work the situations, find ways to win and I think we did that tonight. (Gerrid) Doaks ran the ball really, really well, the offensive line did a good job protecting, Kirk (Merritt) made some plays down the stretch. It was awesome practicing with those guys and with their limited reps, to see all of those guys have so much success. It was a lot of fun to be out there.”
(Down the road, if you’re ever put into the situation in a regular-season game where guys go down and you have to play, what does this do that you’ve got the confidence now that you’ve done it on an NFL field?) – “I think I can play at this level. I think that’s something that comes with that. It’s taking steps here and there and trying to get better. I think today was a good step in trying to find ways to get better. There were a few mistakes that I made throughout the game that I think would have made it a different situation but it does help your confidence a lot, and it feels good to come away with a victory. It’s fun to be out there with those guys so that’s the best part about getting to play the whole game.”
(Coming into training camp, this was a team that was really, really strong at wide receiver at the top four or five spots; and obviously guys like WR Kirk Merritt, WR Khalil McClain and WR Malcolm Perry were making plays in the final preseason game. What can you say about some of the guys at the end of the depth chart at wide receiver, playing with them and making plays today?) – “Malcolm and Kirk are two of my good buddies and so is Chris (Myarick). Like I said, we worked together all summer so I saw the work that they put in and the sacrifices they made to make improvements. It’s exciting to watch them, like I said, have success. I don’t know how the cards are going to fall but I think they did a really good job out there to prove that this is something they can do.”
(Did someone get a nice souvenir after the touchdown?) – “Yeah, Jacoby (Brissett) grabbed it and ran it over to me. Then earlier in the game, the ball I threw to Kirk (Merritt), he grabbed it and said go throw this to your mom, so that’s pretty cool. I love that Jacoby is looking out for me. He’s coming to the sideline and locked in, trying to help me out with coverages and what we want to do next. I seriously love having him around. We sit next to each other in meetings and I’ll lean over and be like, ‘what do you do here? What’s your thought process here?’ He’s not just shushing me and telling me to buzz off or whatever. He’s awesome and loves to talk about that stuff and it’s been a great resource for me.”
(Do you notice the guys that weren’t playing, how into it they were to watch the backups or even guys that are just trying to make the team?) – “Yeah, and I think this is a tight-knit team. I think there are a lot of guys that spend a lot of time outside the facility together. They’re doing a good job of working together and making sure that they’re ready when their time comes. You can see it in practice that there’s back and forth, ebbs and flows, offense, defense. Guys talk and are competitive and want to win. I think that’s the environment we’ve created through ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and it’s from the top down. It’s great to be a part of.”
(Does it bring you back to being a kid when you bring the game ball to your mom?) – “A little bit. This was kind of a surreal moment getting able to make a play like that. I still haven’t seen (the play). I’ve got the game ball in my bag so it feels pretty good heading back to Miami.”
Preston Williams – August 29, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, August 29, 2021
Postgame – Cincinnati
WR Preston Williams
(How did it feel to get some preseason action and for the first time in a long time, get in a game?) – “It felt good to just get back out there with the guys. I felt like myself again.”
(Where were you on that game-winning touchdown pass to TE Chris Myarick? What was going through your mind as you saw the play?) – “I saw the play and Myarick just jumped out of nowhere and snagged it. I know Myarick is a real baller. I’ve been here with him since my rookie year. It was great for that guy. That was pretty cool.”
(What was the sideline on the celebration like? You’ve got QB Reid Sinnett and…) – “We were all just slapping (high) fives and just so excited because Reid did a scramble drill (just like we do) in practice and laid it up there for one of his guys to make a play.”
(Can you talk about where you feel you are now after it’s been a week that you’ve been back practicing and everything and finally getting into a game?) – “I feel real good now just getting out there and getting game action and game reps. In practice, I was just kind of like wondering what it would feel like to play against some other people and somebody trying to tackle me and all of that. Being back out there definitely made me feel way more comfortable.”
(Hearing the commotion in there, you can’t tell people that these games don’t mean anything. Is that what it’s about, when you see guys like that make plays?) – “Every time we touch the field, we’re trying to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s a scrimmage against another team. We’re always just trying to play Dolphins football.”
(I saw the guys that weren’t dressed were your biggest cheerleaders. What does it mean to have a team like that?) – “Pretty good. Those guys were just encouraging us. We had an away game so definitely they have to be our biggest cheerleaders because there aren’t no fans in the stands, so just having those guys around and cheering everybody on keeps everybody spirits up and it’s good for players to go make game-winning catches like that.”
