Charlie Frye – May 24, 2021
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Monday, May 24, 2021
Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye
(What were your observations of QB Tua Tagovailoa back when you coached him in the Elite 11 camp? Did you see special qualities at that time? And then the second part, what skills does he have now that make him a quality NFL quarterback?) – “I worked at Elite 11 while I was coaching high school and you get to be around a lot of the quarterbacks, especially in that Elite 11 setting, of the premier guys in high school. I thought he had a quick release and he was accurate with the ball. I loved his demeanor. I loved how he interacted with the guys on this team and just how thirsty he was to learn. Then today, I see a lot of the same things – a more mature quarterback that’s been through and had experiences but he still has the same quick release and accuracy and the way he interacts with his teammates. Those things I think all add value to playing this position.”
(Obviously you’ve had some time in the league. I’m curious how your experience may provide context for you in this role and helping QB Tua Tagovailoa as a young quarterback trying to reach that next level.) – “Yeah, I’ve had a journey of playing in Cleveland, where I was a starter, and then being traded to Seattle, where you’re a backup behind Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Holmgren and Jim Zorn. Then I finished my career in Oakland with Tom Cable and Hue Jackson and Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski. I just think you accumulate things you learn along your journey, whether it be playing or learning from guys that play at a high level, that you’re able to take from the grease board or the paper and apply it more to the perspective of playing the position, whether it be a pressure or an indicator of a safety or a way a route is going to come out at the top of the route – stuff in the protection game where you can slide to pressure looks and those things. It’s just perspective that you take along your journey, whether it be playing or coaching. You always have a learning mindset, where you’re able to help guys out that you’re going to run into later on coaching them.”
(I wanted to ask you about your time recently in the college game, most notably with Central Michigan. How do you think that prepared you for the position today with the modern integration of the college game into the pro game?) – “I think everything that you go through on your journey (helps) prepare yourself in the future. Just being in a position where ‘Mac’ (Jim McElwain) let me kind of run the offense and try different things, whether it be in the run/pass game or whatever it is. Just being in that setting, being in the cockpit as I like to say, just gives you perspective on how things are supposed to be run. Now you’re taken out of the cockpit and you’re back in a position role of just helping trying to streamline things so you can be more efficient.”
(With all of the attention on your starting quarterback for obvious reasons, it’s easy to forget that you have a backup who has starting experience in this league. What is QB Jacoby Brissett showing you so far at this early stage and what gives you confidence that he could step in if need be? How is he working with QB Tua Tagovailoa in terms of possibly mentoring him as a veteran?) – “I think the quarterback room is special. There are a lot of things that are talked about and sorted through and ideas bouncing off each other. Those two guys are working really, really, really well together. Jacoby has experience. He has in-game success. He’s been successful as a starter. He’s competitive. He’s willing to learn. He can give Tua those same things we were talking about earlier – the things that happen in the game. ‘Where do I put my eyes versus this blitz?’ Those things that are hard to draw up on the chalkboard, and how fast things are going to happen. All of those things are great to hear and it’s great perspective that he has on the game.”
(Multiple shifts, multiple motions and varied tempos – those are things that I have learned you have a familiarity with based on your previous stops. Can you tell me about how those things in today’s modern offense can keep a defense off-balanced?) – “Yeah, I think any time that you can change the picture for the defense and still run a lot of your core plays offensively, guys already know the plays and you’re just making it harder for the defense. What’s been cool here is there’s been a collaboration of a lot of ideas in our staff meetings. Guys have been around a long time. (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends) George (Godsey) and (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs) Eric (Studesville) have a lot of experience and are really smart guys. They’re just taking some of the things that we’re able to do and let those guys process it, then come to the drawing board as ‘this is what we’re going to do.’ It’s been fun. It’s been a learning experience for me, just how to apply different things and putting them together.”
(You’ve seen a lot of things with offenses in your career as a player, and now as a coach. So what are your thoughts on the offense that your team is going to run this year?) – “I think there’s core principles in every offense. I think it starts with communication – learning a system, putting a system together. It’s about putting everybody on the same page. So the communication between the center and the quarterback, and the quarterback with his communication to his skill guys, the quarterback’s communication in calling the plays and making sure the formation’s right – do you have a shift, do you have a motion? I think the communication is one of the building blocks of every system, and that’s got to be right before you can move onto the next piece. That’s something that we’ve got to witness over the first two walkthroughs is how well they’re doing with the communication. So that’s exciting to see. Then the rest of it is just building on top of that; but just getting everybody on the same page. Everybody is seeing it through the same lens on just streamlining the communication.”
(Were you able to add or suggest some stuff that maybe wasn’t there before?) – “Like I said, it’s been a really awesome process ever since we got in here after the Senior Bowl, of really a collaboration of everybody that’s been in the room. ‘This is how we’ve done it here. Does it apply to how we can use it moving forward?’ There’s been a lot of discussions and a lot of great ideas coming from everybody involved.”
(What influenced you to get into coaching? As a player, did you always know this is what you wanted to do? Did you just feel like this was the next thing for a former quarterback because it so often is? What made you get into coaching?) – “I think my biggest influence was the things I were able to learn during my time in Seattle. Just learning from Mike (Holmgren) and Jim Zorn and Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace. Then processing how you would have done things differently like when I was in Cleveland. It was like you accumulate all of this information and now you want to apply it, so I’m like when I get done, I want to get this information to whoever is next in line. I thought it was going to be doing the Elite 11 and coaching high school ball but it’s just the fire. The fire, I couldn’t put it out. To compete at the ultimate level is how I afforded the great opportunity to come back with ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and the Dolphins. That’s kind of initially how or why was that you accumulate the knowledge and you want to pass it on to the next generation of guys.”
Josh Grizzard – May 24, 2021
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Monday, May 24, 2021
Wide Receivers Coach Josh Grizzard
(My question for you was about the receiver position group last year and they talked a little bit about some more freedom in their route-running – what they were able to do after the snap in terms of getting to where you need to be there, “I don’t care how you get there.” Is that kind of the same mindset this year or has that changed a little bit?) – “There’s pretty good carryover when it comes to that and having the freedom to win the route; but also to your point, having the same timing and tempo and sense of urgency that we know the timing of the play, we’ve got to get open and can’t take too long. It’s just really being on the same page with the quarterbacks and seeing it really through the same lens.”
(I wanted to ask about WR Jaylen Waddle. How encouraged or enthusiastic were you when that name was called a couple weeks ago and what has he looked like in practice?) – “I was excited. Just getting to know him through the process, I know that he’s a guy that we talk about being smart and tough and really loving the game, and we think he really embodies that. So to be able to add someone like that to the team was exciting. Then just in the limited work we’ve had with him, just like everybody else, he’s been locked in, working. I’m really excited for the direction he’s headed.”
(A quick follow-up, if I may. Do you envision WR Jaylen Waddle – I know his role will grow as he proves he can handle the work – but do you envision him as a slot receiver to start out?) – “Really for us, we look at these guys as the versatility for all of them to play anything. We can move them around based on the formation, so you’ll see different guys in the slot and outside. It’s just more the formation of it than actual like ‘he is a slot receiver.’”
(I wanted to ask you about WR William Fuller V. What stands out about his strengths when you look at the tape and, in particular, the speed. How might that impact the entire offense and help QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “Yeah, for sure. You named it. I think the speed is the one thing that sticks out, not that that’s the only thing he can do, but we look at him as a smart guy as well. He’s had some success in this league and especially coming off last season, the speed is real. It should apply pressure to defenses and with his ability to do that, it’s just another weapon for Tua and it’s been fun working with him and getting to know him. (He’s a) smart guy and like a lot of these guys, he kind of embodies what we’re trying to get done in terms of being smart and tough and loving to play.”
(I know at this point, almost every college and NFL locker room has a bunch of fast dudes; but in looking at the 40s it does look like you have a lot of really fast dudes. What’s your thought about the collective speed?) – “I think the play speed – so many times you see these guys, especially coming out, the time speed is something and then you look at it on film and it doesn’t really show up like that. But I think we’ve got some guys in the room that are true game speed, meaning that on the field, they’re actually that time. So again, it should apply pressure to defenses and having those, it definitely helps us and we’re looking forward to getting everybody together.”
(I wanted to ask you about the two guys who opted out last year – WR Allen Hurns and WR Albert Wilson. What are you seeing from them at this early stage? Have you talked to them about what they may have done during that year to stay in shape?) – “Absolutely. And even last year during the time they opted out, we were in contact and staying in contact with those guys and checking in on them, and everything went well for them. It’s good to have them back around. Both of them have a bunch of experience in this league and they’ve also had a good amount of success as well. So having those guys around and being a mentor of sorts for some of the younger guys has been good. And just to be back around them again, not being around them for so long, they’re both guys I enjoy being around and like I said, they have a bunch of experience in the league.”
(So they don’t look rusty to you?) – “No, they’re good.”
(I wanted to ask you what were some things that you liked from WR Lynn Bowden Jr. during his first season and where do you see him kind of fitting in with all the new additions that have been made this offseason?) – “What I liked was the fact that he came in here a little bit later of course than everybody else by nature of being traded, but then just to have that trajectory of not playing much to playing a pivotal role down the stretch and really the mindset that he had. In terms of what he brings, I think it’s similar to what we talked about last year. The guy’s a football player. He’s tough. He adds the flexibility of being able to do some of the things you saw last year of coming out of the backfield. It could be some Wildcat things. And it could be just moving around whether he’s outside or inside, so that’s been good.”
(What are the advantages of having a player like WR Lynn Bowden Jr. and WR Jaylen Waddle play more outside than inside? I know obviously you have your outside receivers, but what are things that those guys of their size and their skillsets and their speed level – what could they offer you on the outside?) – “Really, on the outside, it’s the ability like if you can run well, you can separate. So we look at both of those guys as being able to do that and again formationally, you can have a guy you call a slot receiver, but now he lines up on the outside and that might be for that week to exploit a matchup, a coverage, something that we think that we try to attack every week on how does this guy stack up against the guy he’s going against. And if we like those guys out there, then we have the freedom to move them out there and see if we can take advantage of it.”
(I wondered if you have seen WR Preston Williams over the last couple of weeks and how he looks to you physically coming off the foot procedure?) – “Yeah, I have. Trajectory is great on him as well. He’s in a good place with it and just being able to come back and try to get back on the field and try to get that thing moving in the right direction, but he’s done everything from coming in and working with (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and (Head Strength and Conditioning) Dave (Puloka) and those guys to put himself in a position to really get his part of the new offense and find his role. I’m excited for him as well.”
George Godsey – May 24, 2021
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Monday, May 24, 2021
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey
(How did you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville go about coming together and collaborating on whatever is the current Dolphins playbook?) – “We’ve both been here for the past two years going into now our third year together. We’ve had constant communication. I think that’s part of the role. Both of us are good communicators and both of our positions in the past have had to touch each other’s position, as far as communication with the line or communication with the quarterback. Obviously in the pass, tight ends play a little bit of a receiver role too at times. We do a good job of communicating. That’s the main requirement of the roles. That’s our job is to put the message together and then distribute it to the staff and then to the unit.”
(Did you guys build off of last year’s playbook or did you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville decide to start over from scratch?) – “I think that’s a good question because there are some things that we’ve done well and maybe some things that we need to improve on. That internal discussion as far as what plays we will continue to grow on and build off of, I think we’ll see some of that and then obviously some things that maybe we haven’t seen. It’s been a fun offseason. We’ve been busy.”
(I wanted to ask you from a personal level, what this opportunity means to you?) – “Well, that’s what it is – it’s an opportunity. We know that we’re fortunate to have these opportunities. It’s about winning here. It’s about putting our team in the best position – our athletes in the best position to perform. We take it one day at a time and kind of go from there.”
(What is the single biggest thing you want this offense to be known for?) – “I think our job as an offense is to move the ball and score points. That’s our main goal and there are a lot of other factors that go into that. We have to be physical when we decide to run the ball, when we block and protection. We’ve got to protect the quarterback, we’ve got to protect the ball and then when the ball is thrown to us, we have to catch it and make plays. There are a lot of little factors – we call them little but there are a lot of factors that go into an offense being successful and moving the ball and scoring points.”
(Philosophically, in your mind and in Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville’s mind, what is the Dolphins’ new offense or your offense?) – “We want to be able to play the game in multiple different modes, so if it’s a game where we need to run the ball, then we need to be able to block everybody and we need to block them effectively. Then obviously when it’s time to pass the football, which a lot of times in this game, in this league, it comes down to a two-minute situation where you need to throw the ball, we need to be able to protect the quarterback and throw to the open receiver. A lot of that seems simple but we’re going to have to get open versus different coverages, we’re going to have to identify different coverages from both a route-runner’s position, and also the quarterback. We’re going to have to play the game in multiple different ways to move the football. It’s a longer season too and you can’t just repeat the same thing each week.”
(Does the personnel that you see now on the roster, does that lend itself to a lot of versatility in your mind?) – “That’s what we want. We want to be able to challenge the defense with different groupings and different personnel that have a wide variety of skills. It’s exciting and it’s definitely complicated to make sure that we’re distributing the ball to all of the different positions; but that’s a good thing to have.”
(Regarding the additions of WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Will Fuller and the speed that they add as far as the vertical passing game and what it does to open up the middle passing game and what it does for the running game, can you just talk about what that speed can add to your offense and the ripple effect it has?) – “I think any time you can stretch the field vertically, it puts the defense in a bind. I have some experience with Will and we’re catching Jaylen up to the speed of NFL football, so that’s been the fun part of this, especially with Jaylen from a rookie standpoint. They have a little bit of a different skillset, although they both have very good speed. That’ll help us pushing the ball downfield but they are also good route-runners underneath. Being able to add all of those elements are important to both of those players.”
(What did your experience in Houston as a coordinator teach you? What did you learn from it, that’s going to help you be better in this instance?) – “The Houston experience was a totally different experience. We went through quite a few quarterbacks in really the first season that we took over. We had won two games the year before, so we ended up leaving there and going to the playoffs a couple of times. That’s how I finished out there. We have high expectations for this group. Like I said, it’s a totally different situation. I know our players are getting that message from all of our coaches and they are here working and they want to be coached and they want to succeed. That’s all we can ask for at this point of the offseason. They are working hard both in the weight room and when they are with us, they are digesting all of the information.”
(You spent a lot of time working with QB Tua Tagovailoa last year. Why do you feel that the surrounding talent he has this year is better suited to his ability? And was the entire focus of this offseason getting him wide receivers that matches his ability?) – “It’s Tua’s second year in the NFL, so we’re expecting to see a jump just from being able to retain a lot of the information, whether it’s defensive structure, ID’s, front, coverage. That initially will be a big part of his improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. And then, any time you’re dealing with the passing game, guys that get open are definitely a key for the quarterback. And then guys that have coverage next to them but can adjust to a ball whether it’s high or low and can make those 50/50 balls, it’s on us at the quarterback position to put that ball in that position. That’s really where we are at right now is really identifying defensive information as far as what we can see off the tape, and then trying to apply that to what routes we are putting in.”
(Fans are having a little fun with you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville running the offense, whether it be called Godsville, or Studsey – the combination of you guys running the offense. I want to know how you guys work together and gelling. Obviously it’s a little bit a unique situation having co-OCs. How do you guys see that dynamic?) – “We work well together. We meet every day together too. We spend a lot of time before we meet with the group together, digesting each other’s outlook, and then we put it into a plan. Obviously all of the other assistant coaches too have a big part of it. We see it as a collaborative effort. We have a lot of great minds on offense. There are a lot of bodies there too that can help us. We don’t see it as a two-person job. We see it more as a unit. That’s the way we’ve kind of approached it. We’ve had fun building this playbook and presenting it to the players. It’s a lot on everybody following and staying on track here during this time.”
(I know obviously it’s a collective; but at some point there is going to be maybe one play caller. I know that’s been a little vague with us and I know you guys may know a little more than that in that realm; but how do you view that responsibility? I know you had a little bit of that in Houston – and what that would entail if that’s given to you?) – “I think that’s just a part of it. There are certain times in the game where adjustments are needed and it’s good that we have two voices that are looking for that and not just glued into the specifics of your individual position. We’ve had some talks on that obviously but we’re going to keep it at that right now.”
(I know that you and Eric Studesville as co-coordinators are just that – the label implies and says you’re co-coordinators. But ultimately, I think there is only one voice in QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ear before each play, so whose voice is he going to hear?) – “Like I said, we’re working through the offseason right now and we’ve had our discussions on that. We’re going to keep it at that, but I would say from not calling plays before, there is definitely some feedback that’s given to the coordinator. We have roles for that during the game for each position, so it’s a matter of making those adjustments, and we’ll get there when we kind of get there in the fall.”
Eric Studesville – May 24, 2021
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Monday, May 24, 2021
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville
(I wanted to ask you about a quick two-part question. No. 1, what this opportunity means for you on a personal level and also what’s the single-biggest thing you want this offense to be known for?) – “To answer your first question, individually I feel gratified that Coach (Flores) has put trust in me to take on a little bit more, that hopefully what I do day-in and day-out has been respected and seen as an addition to the staff and the organization and what we’re doing. And really that’s why you get into coaching, to do things like that. The second part of it is I think we want this offense to be known as one that is successful and wins. At the end of the day, that’s what the outcome has to be, so we want to do whatever we can to put our players in position to be successful and score. That’s the general philosophy overview of it, but that’s what it is. Then there’s a lot of other subtopics in there certainly; but as an overview, we want our guys to be in position where we’re a complementary group to the defense, to special teams and we’re giving ourselves a chance to win.”
(If you could take us kind of behind the scenes to the making of the sausage so to speak, how long did it take to get this offense, this playbook, to be what is now the Miami Dolphins offense? How much give-and-take was it and how much did you want in there that you didn’t get in there?) – “(laughter) Well let me start with the last question first, which is everything that’s in there is ours. So there’s not ‘what did you want to get in or what you didn’t get in.’ We all have input. We all have suggestions on things and we all have experiences – every one of us as coaches has brought something from a different place and hopefully we try to use that as a collaborative effort to bring as much as we can into this to be diverse so that all our experiences bring something to the offense. So there’s nothing in there that I’m uncomfortable with or that I don’t like, and the things that aren’t in – it’s not so much about plays. It’s execution. There’s a lot of good plays out there and they’re not very good plays if you don’t execute well. So if we execute well, you can run simple plays and be really, really good at them. I don’t worry about plays that we don’t have in. As far as the playbook and how it’s taken – it’s been a long process. I don’t think the playbook is done. I don’t think it’s ever done. We’re always looking and studying and if we can get something from somewhere else that we think is good for us, then we’re going to continue to add and evolve. Now maybe some things aren’t as highly repped in practice or don’t have as great a frequency, but I don’t ever see a playbook as a done – to me a playbook is a living document. It continues to grow and evolve based on the players you get and what they can do because in there, we want to find out what our players do best and then those are the plays that we want to use.”
(And if I can follow up on that, continuity was a word that Head Coach Brian Flores used about you guys being the co-offensive coordinators, about what’s going to be run. So where does continuity of what has happened in the past land for say QB Tua Tagovailoa, a young offensive lineman, those guys?) – “I think continuity is going to happen. We’re going to develop continuity going forward. Continuity doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to take something that we did last year and bring it forward. We’ve evaluated last year. We’ve looked at it and we’ve said these are things that we feel that our players are good at and maybe schemes that are good that we like, but moving forward we’re going to develop continuity. Continuity is not something you bring with you in a backpack. We have to develop that. Our players have to demonstrate consistency to develop that continuity to make us say ‘this is what we’re going to do.’ There are some things that are built into our offense – some terminology things, some schemes, some pass routes and all those things that we may have run in the past – and so if you call that ‘continuity,’ then that’s continuity. But we’re going to – again – we’re going to go back and we’re going to figure out what our guys do. We have to create continuity, not rest on our laurels kind of on things we did well in the past.”
(Obviously a lot of attention on offense will start at quarterback with QB Tua Tagovailoa going into Year 2. I’m curious, with what you guys have started to put together so far, what may be the biggest difference of what you want to do with him in this offense?) – “I think that’s – and this may not be the answer you want – but it remains to be seen because we don’t know. We’re still teaching in the early stages of this. We haven’t put pads on yet. We don’t even know the playbook really well enough to do some of those things yet. We’re just now getting our hands on our players and we’re going to develop that. It’s not – we can’t paint a picture in the future. What would we like it to look like? I’d love to say we’re going to score 70 points every game, (laughter) but that’s – obviously that would be desirable, but I don’t know that that’s going to happen. So what our goal is, is to get everything taught that we need to get taught – runs, protections, route-wise, the scheme, the mentality of our offense, what we want and then we’ll have to perform at a certain level – high level is going to be our expectations to go forward and win.”
(If I could follow up on another person in that backfield, RB Myles Gaskin had a really good year last year, but it seems like all offseason everybody’s trying to replace him. You bring him back and what is it about Myles that maybe gives you confidence that if he’s the lead guy again, he can have the type of year or even better than he did last year?) – “I think the big thing about Myles (Gaskin) from at least last year and going from Year 1 to Year 2 for him was his growth in football and what he learned and how dependable he became for what we needed done. And I see those same things progressing, that same continuity if you will – the term we were using a moment ago – of his development as to where he is. He’s prideful, he’s professional, he comes in and gives you a day’s work. He works at it. He wants to be a really good player and I think that gives him a chance, and we have to wait until we get out there and compete with everybody else and see who shakes out to be the best guy; but I always believe that Myles is going to put his best foot forward and give you everything he has and that’s what gives him a chance.”
(With the co-offensive coordinator designation, can you just kind of help us understand a little bit about the process that you envision during a game week? Like for anybody who’s concerned, “well who is working on what?” What do you work on? What does Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey work on? How do you develop the best plan for that week and then what happens on game day?) – “I think as far as game week and things like that, we haven’t gotten there. Where we are right now, and I think it’s going to be the same collaborative process, is we’re all involved in this. It’s not exclusive – ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) just does the run game or ‘Grizz’ (Wide Receivers Coach Josh Grizzard) just does the – we all have input in this. All of our players are involved in it. The backs for instance are involved in the run game, protections and the pass game. The receivers are involved in the run game. So we all have input as far as what’s going on and the entire offense is built to be a collaborative effort because all of us have to be able to speak the same language, to have the same desire and the same goal for that outcome, which is a high, effective performance on each individual play. And the only way that happens is if we’re all on the same page and we’re all having the same conversation. So right now, it’s building that way. That’s how we’ve done the playbook. That’s how we started with the players right now. That’s how we’re doing things in the walkthroughs and I don’t see that changing in any way going forward. It’s all collaborative. We’re all going to have input on it and that’s why I think you get a good staff and good football coaches together. That’s the advantage of it.”
(It’s very common for quarterbacks to get new offenses on a year-to-year basis. Unfortunately it’s the nature of the business. The coaches change very frequently, whether it’s in college or the pros and one thing coaches of quarterbacks always say to me is, “This book is like learning Spanish. Last year was French and the year before…” If last year was French, is this year Spanish or is there still a lot of French?) – “I think it’s a great question and it’s interesting that you say that because I tell my players all the time: really, football players should be able to speak multiple foreign languages because our brains are wired to learn language. Our language is just football. That’s our language. It’s not a foreign language. I’m not highly motivated to learn another language either, but I’m highly motivated to learn a different football language, but we’re wired to learn language and they are different languages. But people are in the same places for the most part – assignments, protections, run game concepts, routes. Often coverages are very, very similar from spot to spot, so it’s just translating what that is and how we talk about that and what it is. But it’s communication and it’s a collaborative effort that all of us are saying it and seeing it the same way.”
(Your history is as a running backs coach. You’ve worked your way up the league as a running backs coach. You’ve been a run game coordinator. Last year, you guys were 29th in yards per carry. Obviously that’s something you want to improve on. What will this run game identity be and how will you guys improve on it?) – “It’s an area of focus for us. We’re going to start at the beginning of it. We’re going to have to go back and look at what things we’re doing well, what we didn’t do well and what we need to adjust. And what kinds of plays those are – again, I truly believe the execution of the plays is far more critical than what kind of plays we’re running. So that starts with players. We have to get the right players in the right spots and then we’ve got to execute the techniques that are being taught and we’ve got to tie that into our scheme. It’s a very simple answer, but that is the answer.”
(I wanted to go back to the running back specialty of yours. Obviously there was a lot of speculation that maybe Miami would go big on getting a high-profile running back, getting a true workhorse; but it seems that you guys seem more focused on doing the running back by committee strategy. So I wanted to know what your thoughts are on the challenges of coaching, developing a committee-type running back room instead of having the one guy that is just the every-down back?) – “I think it’s a challenge every day to coach the entire room. I coach every one of these players as though they have to be prepared to go into the game at any given point in time. That’s how every one of them is coached. It’s not one guy that it resides on him and the other four get the week off. That’s not how it is. Everyone is prepared to go in for whatever their role is and they have to be ready for it. I’ve had one guy that we thought was the good back and I’ve had that guy go down, and that second guy better be ready. I’ve played a fullback as a ball carrier before because we had injuries within the game, and he has to be ready. So the running back by committee, we’re looking for guys that are going to establish a role and contribute to us and give us the best chance to win and if that’s three or four guys, then that’s what it is. If that’s one guy, then that’s what it is; but we coach them all the same way and they’re all pushed and they’re all held accountable and responsible as though they’re going to be the starter and they’re going to be the ball carrier that’s going to get the bulk of the work. That’s the only way that I’ve ever done it. It’s the only way I know how to do it.”
(I wanted to ask you – you add WR Jaylen Waddle, WR William Fuller V. You get WR Albert Wilson back this year. A lot of new pieces, new skillsets to the receiver room. I’m wondering how you feel about the receiver position’s ability to create and exploit matchups.) – “I hope they do that because that’s good for everybody on the offense if they’re able to do that. (laughter) We’ve got playmakers in that room. I think we’ve got playmakers in a bunch of different rooms. I think we’ve got playmakers in the tight end room. I’m working to make sure we have playmakers in the running back room; but I think as equally as strong, we’ve got playmakers in the quarterback position and we’ve got them on the offensive line. We’re going to have to create our own destiny and create what we want this to look like and the better athletes, the better football players you have – which we have increased that. I think (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) have done a great job bringing guys in here that they give us a chance every week and that’s what you want.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – May 20, 2021
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(I wanted to ask you a little bit – I saw on social media that you and your wife are expecting a child in July and I wanted to ask you a little bit about that. Is that your first child, what’s your emotions right now and what kind of dad are you going to be?) – “Yeah, it’s going to be my first child. I’m super stoked. It’s just under two months away, so the time’s kind of pressing and I’m super excited for him to finally arrive.”
(I have a 1-year-old – she turns 1 tomorrow. The first three months is pretty rough, but it gets great after that so lots to look forward to for you there.) – “Right, I heard you learn fast. (laughter)”
(You do. My football question for you is this: last year you talked about the goal of getting stronger in the offseason and your coaches talked about that. You talked about it throughout the season. I’m wondering what your goal is this offseason and how you’re working to achieve that goal?) – “It’s kind of the same goal. Keep adding strength and get faster, and then just have a better knowledge of the playbook. This being my third year in it, to be able to be more assertive with my calls and adjustments. I think that’s a huge part that I’m trying to improve on my game.”
(I wanted to ask about T Austin Jackson. You went against him in practice obviously last year. You probably – I don’t know if you have seen his development this offseason. Have you? And what do you expect out of him in Year 2?) – “I think just the way that he comes into work on a daily basis. He’s competitive, he’s tough and he’s going to do exactly what the coaches ask of him, so I expect him to make a big jump in his second year and just to continue to improve and get better. I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses this year.”
(Two months from now – training camp. How are you going to balance the new baby and training camp? That’s my first question and secondly, I’m wondering with more chances – more reps basically this year – do you see an opening for yourself for higher productivity?) – “First off with the baby, it’s going to be tough trying to be a father and then a husband and then just trying to raise a kid. It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to do everything I can to be ready for training camp, so when I go home I can just relax and let all the stresses free. And then about productivity, it’s just doing everything that the coaches ask me to do – be in the right spot, do the right jobs, communicating and helping other guys get aligned and so they can play fast. That ultimately is going to bring us to achieve our goals as a defense and as a team.”
(Going back to the productivity question I saw last year you led the team in special teams snaps. Is that something that you definitely took pride in and do you think that maybe playing some less special teams snaps would allow you to have some more productivity like you’re hoping for on defense?) – “(Head Coach Brian) Flores prides himself and his team on special teams, so obviously hearing that from him and just (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman and how important special teams are, I really took that to heart and just made the most out of my opportunities. I’ll continue to work hard and whatever my role is, I’m going to try to excel at it.”
(My question is what are your early impressions of LB Jaelan Phillips? Obviously he’ll be a guy that’s around you and within the same position group a lot of your days. What’s it been like getting to know him and what are your impressions of Jaelan?) – “It’s awesome. Just seeing him come in and he’s trying to take everything in, soak it up and just be the best version of himself. He’s here to compete and it’s going to be a good training camp just to work with him.”
(I believe I read there’s about 70 guys at camp right now for these offseason workouts. What has the mood been like? Has it been any different from the previous seasons that you have been here coming in?) – “The mood’s been great. Any time you can get around the guys and just catch up and spend quality time with them and build friendships and relationships, it’s a blast. The energy is always up on the first few days and whenever you’re around each other, so it’s been good and just being able to soak everything in as well – just the coaching and trying to get a better understanding of the playbook. It’s been a blast.”
(If I could follow up real quick, has Head Coach Brian Flores been the same coming into these offseason workouts than previously when you came in?) – “Yeah, for sure. He’s hard-nosed and he’s going to make everything competitive and he’s going to push you to be the best you can be and come out there prepared. So yeah, I’d say he’s been the same.”
(I wanted to ask you, you’re one of the guys who made that huge second-year jump. Guys who had ok rookie seasons and I know you were healthy, but what do you attribute to the increased role, the increased productivity that you had last year?) – “I think it’s just keeping my head down and going to work. I’m not a big ‘rah-rah’ guy, but just doing all the little things right, doing everything that coaches ask of me and to not sit here and complain, but to really take it to heart and build off of each and every day.”
(Going back to last season, I know you talked a lot about Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark helping you with different aspects of the game. A little bit of shuffling this year with Clark going to the d-line, Campanile still at linebackers and then Robbie Leonard obviously your outside linebackers coach. My question is how does the collaboration of how all those guys kind of come together to get the best out of you? Like what’s the process for I guess how you’re coached by that trio of coaches?) – “I’d say they all do such a great job in their position groups and on this defense, you’ve got to be versatile because you can play any different role, so just being able to learn different outputs from each coach really helps improve your game and just getting their understanding of the game as well, ultimately is going to make you into a better player – hearing it from three instead of just the same thing from one coach over and over again. So I think just having all of them there has really honestly helped benefit my game and hopefully this year, I can take it to another level.”
(What do you want to improve this offseason? And I know you’re going to want to say everything, but if you could be a little bit specific about what you want to address and make sure that it’s better come the season?) – “I’d say continue to work on my pass rush. Whenever I can get my win percentage or be able to beat a tackle cleaner or whatever the case may be – quicker and faster is the biggest thing. Just being able to explode off the line and be able to bend the edge or get stronger and counter inside. I’d say that’s the biggest part of my game that I would like to improve on.”
(Talking about the second-year jump that you had and the production that you had – obviously what you were doing was working to an extent. What is that feeling like, knowing that you saw some results last season and how excited are you to put in the work to possibly see more?) – “Each year I come in and train as hard as I can to put me in the best position to succeed and I think the coaches will put me in the right spot to help me succeed and help develop me as a player. I’m looking forward to going out there and just use that relentless effort and try to help this team win.”
(I wanted to ask you about the jump that the defense made in general last year. I believe you were No. 6 in scoring. What did Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer do in his first year as coordinator that made things come together as well as they did?) – “I think it’s everybody believing in his coaching and everybody buying in. Everybody was doing their specific job and nobody was trying to do anything extra. If you take care of your business and make sure your grass is green, everything will be fine. You don’t need to be worrying about your neighbor’s grass. Just take care of your grass and everything will take care of itself, and as a defense, you’ll come together and you’ll be a darn good defense for sure.”
Austin Jackson – May 20, 2021
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(As Year 2 kind of gets underway here for you this offseason – I’m sure you’ve been training for awhile now – but looking back at this time a year ago, how would you compare where you are now compared to then, from both the physical and mental standpoint?) – “Well, things are a lot different when you’re not in a pandemic, first and foremost obviously. Being able to just have way more access to resources this year as opposed to last year certainly helps a lot. Getting my feet set for my second year, having more knowledge, knowing a little bit more of what to expect is pretty good. I would say that’s probably the biggest difference from this time last year to this time this year.”
(On kind of the same topic, we had T Liam Eichenberg in for media and he talked about working out with you once upon a time, and witnessing and admiring the Dolphins culture from both you and TE Durham Smythe, who he knew from Notre Dame obviously. I just wanted to get your perspective on that workout and what you’ve seen in Liam’s game.) – “I’ve watched – we did work out recently before all of this kind of unfolded. He’s a great player, honestly. He always has been. When you turn on his Notre Dame tape – I came from USC so I always respected what the o-line was doing over there and what he was doing, especially after guys like Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson left. He stepped in and did a great job. We’re excited to have him with us. I think he definitely fits the culture of what we’re trying to build and I think he adds a good piece for us.”
(The last few months, were you here? Were you in California? Were there instructions from the coaching staff on things to work on this offseason? Were you asked to put on some weight this offseason and did you?) – “Nope. I wasn’t asked to put on weight. Obviously every year – well, that’s not obvious but every year, you want to kind of try to take off bad weight and add more good weight because muscle is heavier. Just working out and making sure my technique is consistent. It’s hard to pick one thing to work on because you’re pretty much working on everything. But I can say that knee bend and getting lower is something I’ve been working on – my flexibility. Strength and conditioning, torque power, turn power and all of that stuff, that’s something we as offensive linemen work on every day.”
(Have you seen strides in those areas?) – “Yeah, most definitely. Most definitely. Especially being able to have a year under my belt. I know what to expect, how it’s going to look in person. You can take that knowledge and put it into your training, which helps a lot.”
(You got a new offensive line coach, Lemuel Jeanpierre. Tell us about how he approaches teaching and how you guys connect.) – “He approaches teaching very well. We had him on staff last year so it’s not like he’s a brand new guy or we’ve never heard him coach before, stuff like that. He’s a great teacher and a great coach. We’re excited to have him. He does a great job with all of us, in general, making sure we’re on the same page. As offensive linemen, the front five have got to work as one. A big part of that is all of us being able to communicate and being on the same page. I think he does a great job with that.”
(It seems like you’re going to get a new partner to work with at the left guard spot. Obviously there’s a lot of mixing and matching going on right now. You talk about chemistry and how important it is. How do you establish that when you’ve got so many guys mixing in there?) – “I think the best thing for me is to make sure that I know both positions and make sure that I’m able to communicate and – I don’t want to say help whoever steps in – so that I can be of assistance if I need to be, so that I can even know what they’re doing. It just makes my game that much better and makes it easier for the left guard as well.”
(To piggyback on something you said earlier about the pandemic. It’s better now, you’ve got more resources, more access, more wisdom. What do you hope as a unit – we can’t call you guys rookies anymore – that you guys learn and took from what you did last season, and it helped you become a better line?) – “Like what could we take from last year to make this a better line? I’d say one thing we can take from last year is just going through adversity. I think when you go through a lot of adversity and come out the other end of it, you kind of learn how to just be consistent in yourself and what you can control. So the things that you can control as a football player is what you do on the field, how you take care of your body, showing up every single day. I think we got a real good glimpse of that last year, which will help carry us over into the future and being able to lock those things down. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. We’re just going to keep it moving with that.”
(There’s been an adage around the NFL for many years that players make their biggest improvement between their first and second season. Does that ring true to you?) – “Yeah, that’s what everyone has been saying. I’ve heard that a lot as well. That’s how I’ve been working, too.”
(So how exciting is that from a personal standpoint? That idea.) – “From a personal standpoint, it’s really exciting. As a competitor and as a teammate, I definitely want to go out there and do everything perfect for myself and for my team. Having that kind of expectation, but also having the knowledge of what needs to be done, is exciting. It excites me a lot and I’m looking forward to it.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa. Does he look a little different to you? Does he seem a little different to you this time around?) – “He’s got a beard. (laughter) Yeah, he’s got a beard and has a little more bass in his voice.”
(What about his biceps?) – “(laughter) I haven’t looked at his biceps. But yeah, he’s doing good. I see him a lot. He’s been working hard, every single day just like all of us. That’s my guy. He’s a great kid. He’s looking good too, and he’s working hard.”
(Last year you guys had three rookies that wound up starting on the line with you, G Solomon Kindley and G/T Robert Hunt. So that having been said and with the expectation of the Year 1 to Year 2 jump, what kind of jump as a whole from the offensive line is fair to expect in 2021?) – “I would expect – the type of jump from the offensive line, first and foremost, we look back to our values and how we want to see ourselves. We have our own kind of culture in the room. We want to be tough, disciplined, detailed and nasty. All of those four words are kind of what we aim for and I think you can see a big improvement in those aspects. We want to do our job well, know we don’t have any errors and we want to do it fast and do it with a sense of urgency.”
(Have you had conversations with G Solomon Kindley and G/T Robert Hunt about you three guys being the foundation for this offensive line for years to come, and all that that entails?) – “It sounds nice to say; but at the end of the day, what it really comes down to is you’ve got to look at what’s in front of you right now. Right now, between all of us, our head is on this next season and what we can do, however it plays out, making sure that each one of us individually is putting the work in to be better and help those around us. For years to come? Yeah, I love it. That sounds great. But keeping the reality of it, we know what we want to do next year. That’s kind of where we’re at for now.”
(Whenever a new player comes into the offensive line room, it’s like adding a new cog to the machine. How long would you estimate it takes to get everything running smoothly the way that you see it?) – “Between?”
(For instance, you add a new person, you have to gain chemistry with that person. You have to get an idea of how that’s going to affect the entire offensive line. How long do you think it takes to really build that chemistry to the point where you say, “I know how you function, let’s make it go?”) – “I would say it’s hard to give an exact timestamp. But I would say maybe even after – I can’t even give you a timestamp. I do know that with us having new people in, everyone in the o-line room, and on our team in general, does a good job of bringing them in, bringing them up to speed, communicating so we all can get on the same page rather quickly. In terms of gelling and being completely in sync, I would say a couple of practices – a couple of practices, a couple of extra walkthrough sessions like we have been doing.”
(You mentioned about the nastiness of the offensive line. Does that really start during these offseason workouts and programs and not really once you hit training camp?) – “Definitely. It’s a mentality. You can’t just show up and be nasty. Everything you train for has to be aggressive and with intent. It definitely starts now with how we train ourselves to go to battle.”
(Compared to a year ago in the midst of COVID-19, it’s opening up a little bit now. There are about 70 guys, I believe, in the offseason workouts at camp. Is it different right now? Is the feeling more upbeat right now that things are changing and you guys can do more and it’s a little bit more open?) – “Definitely. Definitely. Last year was very unusual for I think everybody. I think that everybody in the world had an unusual last year. The NFL was definitely affected. We have all of our drafted guys down here already; but my class, we weren’t able to do that. It’s a big difference. I think we’re all excited to get over this thing.”
(Earlier you mentioned adding good weight, and getting rid of bad weight, so I’ve just got to ask you, does that mean no more Saturday night ice cream?) – “I think you guys asked me that question even before the season started – it was an ice cream question. I think as the season went, I think ice cream Saturdays have been done for a while, when I realized how the season was going to go and how many games we had. So that’s done. (laughter) In terms of good weight being put on, that’s just muscle. That’s just learning what your body digests well and what it doesn’t, maintaining your body for the long season.”
Myles Gaskin – May 17, 2021
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Monday, May 17, 2021
RB Myles Gaskin
(When you look back on last season, what are some things that you’re most proud of and what are some things you wish you could have done better?) – “I’m just proud of how we finished as a team. I was proud of how I handled my recovery of my injury, just missing a couple of games. Just kind of how I finished and just kind of, for myself coming into this next season, just working on staying healthy as much as I can. I know I missed a few games with my knee and COVID. Just missing those games kind of hurt myself, just kind of hurt the team and hurt myself in my own eyes, so I’m just trying to work on staying healthy, trying to take care of my body, trying to work on a lot of things so things don’t come up during the season.”
(I’m pretty sure you’re aware of your production level, but if you hadn’t gotten hurt and hadn’t caught COVID, do you realize you would have been like the fourth-most productive player in the NFL at your present pace? Did you know that or?) – “I had heard things like that but I mean; I guess it’s like a compliment, but I wasn’t so you know what I’m saying? Like at the end of the day, I liked how I was playing, but I did miss those games and that’s not a factual statement. You never know what happens in those games, so I appreciate that just kind of being brought to light. But that’s my point of being healthy. I’ll just do as much as I can. Obviously football is football and things happen, but just trying to do as much as I can to make sure my body is able to go through a 17-plus game season with the playoffs.”
(What are the things that you can do that can help a back be more durable?) – “I work on knee health, ankle health, things like that. Work on stability, just being more like sure – just work on those small muscles. I did a lot of Pilates when I went back home to Seattle, and I think that helped my body just working on those small muscles, working on awkward movements. And moving your body like I said, moving your body awkwardly – just new things I haven’t done in the past, I think that’ll take my game to the next step.”
(It seems like Tracy Ford has meant a lot to you and the people at his gym. Could you just kind of explain what he’s meant to you? Over the past couple of years specifically, this offseason coming off your best year and like you said, the training regimen with your health and just everything he’s meant to you lately.) – “I’ve known Tracy since I was, what, 15 years old? I’ve been training with him every opportunity I’ve had every time I’m in Washington. He’s obviously been a trainer helping me with my football, but he’s been a real big mentor for myself, just kind of being around a lot of guys that have been in the league. He knows a lot guys at the Seahawks, like Bobby (Wagner) and K.J. (Wright), so he’s been around a lot of top-shelf players, two Hall of Famers in my eyes just being from Seattle and watching Bobby and K.J. play. He just kind of coached me up on how I need to work when it’s the offseason, like what you should be doing right after the season, what you should be doing like right before OTAs. Not necessarily, I feel like in my in my younger years, especially in college, I’ll be working out in like February like I was going play a game on Saturday in college. But he’s just kind of teaching me, showing me those ropes on how to treat your body as a professional, how to be a professional and things like that. It definitely helped me last year and going into this year, we talk every day. We talk about what I need to be doing and getting workouts all the time. So yeah, that’s my dog.”
(And if I could just follow up on one quick on that, obviously RB Salvon Ahmed has meant a lot to both you guys and your relationship. What did it mean to have him kind of by your side for this past offseason as you’ve had the years prior at Tracy Ford’s gym?) – “It means everything. Just having a brother with you at all times and having a guy to compete with. Obviously we’re best friends off the field, but definitely when we compete, like we’ll be going back and forth. He’ll win some, I’ll win some. We get mad at each other. Like the other day, we were racing and I didn’t even feel like – I lost – and I didn’t feel like talking to him on the ride back. I was sitting in the car just silent. I was so mad. (laughter) So I mean, just having somebody to compete with, especially having like a real friend to compete with, talk about the playbook with, all that type of stuff. Like we’ll be quizzing each other at dinner and stuff like that. It’s cool.”
(It was important for you to be back for these voluntary workouts. You flew across the country to be a part of it. Why did you think that it was in your best interest to be here this week, as opposed to what the NFLPA was asking the membership to do?) – “I’ll just speak for myself. I just needed to get up out of Seattle, to be honest. Florida is Florida, so everything’s open. And just the weather. I mean, I got an apartment here. I’m not trying to – I’m not paying for an apartment not to stay there. So I have my other reasons for myself and obviously, help me learn the playbook being on-site. I mean, we got everything you need here, but there’s definitely a mix of football and just trying to get up – I was living at my parents’ house, so you know how that goes. It’s cool and all until they want you to clean a bathroom or something. (laughter)”
(And a follow up, if I may, how was the turnout today? How many of you all were there?) – “It was good. It was a good amount of us. I think a lot of guys – it was good to – we’ve been having these Zoom meetings, so it was good for guys. I think guys were excited to get out there to walk through it. It was very slow-paced, but just getting in that huddle, just having somebody call a play is different than just like reading off flash cards or sitting in this type of setting, a Zoom setting. It felt good.”
(You mentioned earlier your competition. I’m curious, the Dolphins had a lot of draft capital heading into this year’s draft. They had a couple first-round picks and second-round picks, and there were some really good backs who were coming out this year. As someone who’s trying to make a name for himself on the Dolphins, was that something that you were mindful of? Did you want them to maybe go out and get a big back or was that something that you just kind of ignored?) – “Above my paygrade. (laughter) To be honest with you, whatever they do upstairs is what they do upstairs. Whoever we bring in, I know it’s going to be the best for the team. I don’t think drafting a back or bringing in a back is going to change anything for me. I’m trying to compete with myself, compete with others obviously; but definitely compete with myself, make sure I’m the best running back I can be come the end of July whenever camp starts, and then leading up into the season. So I don’t think bringing on anybody changes my routine. I’m excited for the guys that did get drafted. A couple years ago, I was in the same spot, so I mean – I watched the draft, which is exciting for people, but whoever we draft, I’m just excited to have them on the team.”
(This is sort of along those same lines, but I am curious if the fact that the Dolphins did not spend a high draft pick on a running back, if you maybe take that as a vote of confidence in what you can do; and at the same time, did you hear any of the talk before the draft that Miami “needs a running back?” Is that maybe another slight toward you, which I know you’re kind of used to your whole career?) – “Not really. You see the stuff on Instagram. You get tagged on things on Instagram. I try my best to stay off of that, but I don’t find my confidence in what anybody else says, whatever it may be. I find my confidence in myself. It is what it is. Whoever is going to be out there, they’ve got to play just as much as anybody else. So it is what it is.”
(You mentioned earlier getting into the playbook and with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey being promoted to co-offensive coordinators, I’m curious how much has changed?) – “I feel like for the running backs that were here – myself, Pat (Laird), Salvon (Ahmed) – just kind of seeing the playbook, it has changed. It’s much different than last year’s but us being around ‘E’ (Eric Studesville), we kind of see his offensive mind sitting in the room with him. You see his offensive mind kind of clicking, kind of moving, so I feel like me, Pat, ‘Salv’ kind of had a good – not that we understood what it was going to be, but what it was going to look like, if that makes sense, coming in and just being able to kind of get the terms and stuff like that down now. Obviously it’s super early. It’s still the first one, so it was just like very basic stuff; but just kind of seeing what ‘E’s’ input has been on it along with George (Godsey) how they came to bring one offense together, I think obviously surprised with some things, excited for some things, but at the same time, I’ve been around ‘E’ for a while so I know what he likes and what he wants things to look like.”
(What do you feel like the point of emphasis is going to be? What are those two guys driving home on all the meetings? What do they say over and over again?) – “It’s still early. Just getting lined up, get set and know where you’re supposed to be. Know the formations. It’s super basic right now. Like I said, it was a walkthrough today, so just knowing where you’re going to be. You can’t run a play if you don’t know where to line up. It’s Day 1, so it’s early.”
(You talked about with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, knowing what he wants and what he likes. Is that just from being in the meeting rooms with him and knowing his style and what he believes? And how much different was it than what you guys ran last year?) – “Definitely, just being in the room with him, so you know what he wants. You know his terminology. I think that’s kind of like the biggest thing from coach to coach. A lot of coaches call the same thing or have the same thing but just call it different wording around it, especially when you’re watching film. But it’s definitely different. It’s a whole new playbook. It’s not the same as last year’s, but it’s not – like I said, it’s still early. We’re still picking it up. I think everybody is very open-minded and just kind of just soaking it all in right now.”
(Kind of continuing that theme here of questions about comfortability and stuff, you saw a big jump last year in terms of playing time and then production as well. I’m wondering at what point for you to kind of the experience of playing the position in the NFL kind of starts to be recognizable for you? Like when did the game kind of start to slow down? And do you kind of see that continuing going into Year 3?) – “Yeah, I definitely think so. When the game started slowing down – I don’t know. Maybe the Buffalo game? The first time we played Buffalo in Miami. But just more reps, just more playing. I mean, obviously, it just keeps on slowing down and you learn new things and just kind of how to play the game. I think that was just my biggest jump each week was just kind of like eye-opening that, hey, I need to do this this week to be successful, or I need to be looking for this. Obviously it slows down, but I think each week is its own new task. So whenever you can master your – I guess for me, it’s always like, put away whatever you played. You’ve got to learn a whole new team.”
(I guess my main purpose of the question is, if you look at where you were Year 1 – your rookie season like going into the year in May that year compared to where you are now. How would you compare those two, those two times of your career?) – “I’m better, I guess. Just more better in the mind, better just physically, just ready to go. I know what I’m looking for. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses and I’m trying to get those all to strengths and even my strengths are even stronger. So I think I just have more of a focus on what – I feel like when I first came in, I was just wide-eyed. ‘I just want to get better.’ But now I’m really focused on what I want to get better at, if that makes sense.”
Elandon Roberts – May 17, 2021
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Monday, May 17, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(I’m asking about your recovery because that’s kind of the most important thing from our standpoint. How do you feel now? What has the rehab process been like for you? What’s the toughest part of this whole process?) – “It’s been cool. I’m just taking it one day at a time and stuff like that.”
(What was it like when the Dolphins offered an opportunity to bring you back, even though you’re not completely healthy? Were you thankful? Did you feel like you wanted to explore what was possible when you could get healthier and do a work out?) – “I think me and the Dolphins, we knew that we definitely wanted to be a part of the family, and we made it happen.”
(Did you need surgery on your injury?) – “Eh. What you may call surgery, I may call a sprained ankle. (laughter)”
(Which was it? Was it surgery or a sprained ankle? Those are two totally different things.) – “Nah, I had surgery.”
(How’s the recovery going?) – “It’s going good.”
(What’s one thing you’ve probably learned about yourself so far during this recovery process? How have you kind of kept upbeat during the whole thing?) – “This is my first time really being hurt. It tests your mental because I’ve never really had an injury. But at the end of the day, just me and how I grew up, it’s really nothing like – I’ve been going through adversity my whole life. It’s just another bump in the road. But it’s really not a bump to me. I just laid the pavement.”
(When you kind of get to that moment where you realize, “okay,” you kind of have your sorrows and then you realize you’ve got to work towards getting better again, what is that feeling of inspiration like to you?) – “I really haven’t even had that moment.”
(My question was about kind of starting out of the gates faster this year. I know that you’ve played with Head Coach Brian Flores before and this is your second year here with him in Miami. Starting 1-3 last year, you guys finished strong. Do you think there’s something to having so many new pieces in the defense in general, that made you guys kind of start slower? And do you think you can make that transition this year to start faster?) – “A lot of things went on last year. You don’t make excuses for anything but you’ve got to be realistic to what every team in the NFL went through last year. You’ve got some teams with a fast start that had a bad ending and you’ve got some teams with a slow start that had a rise in the middle and stuff like that. So you’ve seen it kind of across the NFL. I think with it kind of going back to some kind of normal (from) COVID and stuff like that, that teams will be able to not start slow like they did last year. I’m not just speaking for us; I’m speaking for the whole NFL.”
(Just personally for yourself, do you feel like your second year here in Miami, with this staff and with this team, might make it a little bit easier in the offseason to get ready for the season ahead?) – “Yeah. I have (already done) that meeting everybody, shaking everybody’s hands and trying to learn this person and that person, and stuff like that. It should be smooth. I’m comfortable with it. I think as a vet, you just adapt and do your thing.”
(By my count, there are currently 13 players on the Dolphins and Patriots who used to wear the other uniform. So given that you open against the Patriots this year, what’s that going to be like?) – “Another day on the job. (laughter) I don’t like hold grudges or anything like that. I left there on a good note. When I return, at the end of the day, y’all have heard it: when I go against my opponent, I don’t really think about it like, ‘oh, that’s my partner, like I want to kick it with him after.’ You guys have heard it. I’m trying to handle it.”
(What’s your confidence level that you’ll be fully back healthy at the start of training camp, at the start of the regular season?) – “Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. When it’s time for me to y’all up, I’m going to wake you up. But right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. (laughter)”
(What do you know about your new linebacker partner Benardrick McKinney?) – “I’m from Houston. My family lives in Houston. So I always knew of him, just from being in the Houston area and stuff like that. I feel like McKinney is a great guy. I can’t wait to – man, I lost my train of thought. I’m sorry.”
(I think you’re the one remaining defensive captain with the team having moved on from LB Kyle Van Noy and S Bobby McCain. What was your reaction to the other two defensive captains being let go?) – “Real great guys. I loved playing with those guys and stuff like that; but at the end of the day, a business is a business. I don’t know about those guys’ situations but I do know they were great teammates, great people on and off the field and I wish them nothing but the best on their new teams.”
(What’s it like having DB Jason McCourty as a teammate again?) – “’J-Mac,’ that’s my guy. He’s funny. That’s my guy. A great leader, a great guy. A great person to learn from off the field. He’s the type of guy that gives great advice on and off the field. ‘J-Mac,’ that’s my guy.”
(With the exodus of leaders – the only guys that are left are you and G/T Jesse Davis from last year’s leadership group. How do you instill that culture? How do you pick up where you guys left off last year from a leadership standpoint?) – “I think you just get all of the guys and as everybody gets in here, you just build that camaraderie. Like I said, this year will be so much different than last year because guys will be able to do that and stuff like that. That’s what you do. Last year was kind of – you had to build it through the year so quickly with training camp and stuff like that. It’s nothing anyone else wouldn’t have to go through in a regular NFL season. This league changes every day and stuff like that. It’s about adapting. It’s like week to week we play against different offenses. We might be going against a true pro style and then next week, we’re going up against a West Coast (scheme). You’re going to adapt. We’re just going to adapt to everyone new in our facility and from a team perspective, we’re just going to come together as a team, learn each other and put all of the marbles and ducks in a row.”
(I wanted to ask you, the feeling from what you’re saying about the camaraderie and things like that, is there a different energy in the building that you feel from players like yourself and the coaches, of what the season coming up could be?) – “I feel like the energy around the building since I’ve been here is always good. You’ve got players and coaches that love football. They love the grind and stuff like that. If it’s a problem, we’re trying to fix it; and we don’t really care how long we take. That’s the good thing about the building is there’s no complacency and stuff like that. You’ve just got to understand that all we’re going to do is try to get better and better.”
(Obviously the team spent a high draft pick trying to help the defense this year. I’m wondering if you’ve met LB Jaelan Phillips yet and what your impressions of him are, whether you’ve seen him on film or just in the building.) – “Jaelan, he’s a great kid. I’m definitely excited about having him, just like I’m excited about having all of the rookies. I feel like all of the rookies, to this point, are doing a phenomenal job. They’re doing what the coaches need them to do. I feel like him and this rookie class, they’re going to do what they came here to do. And hopefully all of them have a great year.”
