Liam Eichenberg – April 30, 2021
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Friday, April 30, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(Could you just express, I guess, what you’re feeling right now and also it was kind of a unique way of how the Dolphins moved around in the round to be able to get you, so that probably said something that they really wanted you there with that pick. How are you feeling?) – “I’m doing well. I’m very excited to be here with my family, my grandparents, family and friends. I’m very excited to be part of the Miami Dolphins. It’s a great organization, great coaching staff and I’ve been able to meet a couple of their players and they carry themselves well, so I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to it.”
(I’m curious, did the Dolphins give any kind of hint as to where you’ll play in 2021?) – “I’m not sure right now. I’ll play anywhere they need me. For me, it’s about helping the team win, so I look forward to getting down there. They could put me at center. They could me wherever. It’s kind of wherever they want me. I’m just very fortunate to be part of the team.”
(Do you have experience playing center?) – “No, I don’t. No.”
(You follow a pretty long line of impressive offensive linemen, that pedigree at Notre Dame there. What does it mean to you to be the next one in line there, and how do you think that position at that program prepared you for professional football?) – “It’s an honor and I’m very thankful for the Dolphins organization for picking me. The guys who have come before me, they set the standard. I’ve tried to carry that on. Moving forward, it’s not about where you get drafted, it’s about how long you play for and if you play well. So from here on out – and it was my mindset this whole process – I want to help my team win. I want to be consistent. So from here on out, I’m just going to learn the playbook best I can, get everything down and help my team win.”
(And if I could follow up on that, 38 consecutive starts there at Notre Dame – didn’t miss one. I read that you played through a game last year with a swollen-shut eyeball. What was that like?) – “Yeah, that was a little tough. (laughter) There was a lot of ice on it when I came off the field; but yeah, it was swollen shut. I had to help my team win. I had to be out there.”
(I know you played a lot of left tackle at Notre Dame. I heard one offensive lineman compare switching to the right side to wiping your butt with your other hand. How much comfort would you have if you were needed to switch over to that side and play on the right side?) – “It’s kind of what I talked about before. Wherever the team needs me, I’m willing to do it and I’m going to give it my all. So yes, I have played left tackle in the past; but wherever the team needs me, I’ll figure it out. I have the work ethic, I have the attitude, the technique for it. So I’m looking forward to it wherever they need me.”
(If I had to wipe my butt with my left hand, I’d give it my all as well. I wanted to ask you, I saw on your Notre Dame profile you had 33 straight games without a sack. I guess what happened the game before that, but really, how does one go that long without giving up a sack? What goes into that?) – “I think I had a quarterback that could move, (laughter) but I think it goes back to your technique and fundamentals. I think I’ve had a great opportunity at a Notre Dame to be coached well by both coaches – Coach (Harry) Hiestand and Coach (Jeff) Quinn. I’m looking forward to being coached by ‘Coach Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre). He worked with me a little bit at Pro Day, and I was extremely excited. I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”
(You’ve got WR Will Fuller here, you’ve got TE Durham Smythe, T Sam Young was here. He was a little bit before your time. Have you spoken to any of those former Irishman – Fuller or Smythe?) – “No, not yet; but I’m sure I will.”
(Because we didn’t have a Combine and I didn’t get to interview you at the Combine, just in general, how would you describe your strengths?) – “I think I’m very efficient with my footwork in the run game and then in pass pro, I think I have violent hands and I’m also very good at vertical setting. I think I bring a lot to this organization, so I’m very excited for it.”
(You mentioned at the top of the call that you’ve known a couple of Dolphins before. Who were those guys and how does that help kind of having a couple of guys you already know?) – “I was talking about Durham Smythe, and then I met Austin Jackson when I was out in Phoenix training. It was just kind of that idea that this team has a great culture, they are very disciplined and everybody has that same mindset that they want to help the team win. I love it. I think it’s about the team, the team’s first. I’m excited for it.”
(You spoke about your connection with Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre at your Pro Day. What was it like working with him? What did you glean from that first interaction and do you think it’s a result of you being drafted here?) – “I think from everybody that I’ve spoken to, I think it’s a great organization, they carry themselves well; but definitely the offensive line, he’s going to be my coach. I think I made a good impression and he made a great impression on me. He’s a guy who is down to earth, he cares about his players and he loves ball. I’m just fortunate that I’m going to be coached by him.”
(Every offensive lineman has to know his quarterback well. What do you know about QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I know he’s a lefty. I know he played at ‘Bama and he’s a great player. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
(In addition to the last question, you played with Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Tua’s cousin, there at Notre Dame. Did he ever share Hawaiian food with you or anything? Because Tua has been known to get packages for his offensive lineman during his rookie season.) – “No, unfortunately I didn’t. I never really saw Myron outside of the facility that much. I think it was just because we tried to keep the offensive line tight. We hung out with the defensive line but we ran in different groups. But Myron is a great guy. He comes from a great family, so if Tua is very similar to Myron, I think he’ll be a great guy.”
Jevon Holland – April 30, 2021
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Friday, April 30, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(What is your reaction and did you have any inkling that it might be the Miami Dolphins?) – “I’m overjoyed. No, I didn’t have any idea. I’m just really blessed to be here and excited to be a Miami Dolphin.”
(I think you’re the highest-ever born Canadian drafted player. I’m curious what that means to you?) – “It means a lot. I love to be able to represent the Canadian people and for me to be blessed to be in this position and represent that many people and be the highest taken, I’m just honored to be here. I’m overjoyed.”
(Tell us a little bit about what you plan to offer the Dolphins.) – “I plan on just coming in and being a resource for the coaches. Whatever they want me to do, I plan on doing that and trying to help the team win.”
(I’m wondering how did you sleep last night and how the process to this point was for you?) – “The process was great, honestly. And last night, I was a little tossing and turning. I had a good night’s sleep, woke up this morning, went and worked out, and then sat down and was ready to get my name called. I’m blessed that the Miami Dolphins, and (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores called my name. I’m honored to be here.”
(Do you see yourself as a safety in the NFL, or do you think there is any potential you might play some cornerback, too?) – “Honestly, whatever the coaches want me to play, I’m expecting to fill that job for them. I say it a lot, but I’m here to help the team win in any way, shapre or form.”
(Tell us about your relationship with Napoleon Kaufman. Are you still in touch with him?) – “Yeah, we talk sometimes. Coach ‘Nap’ is a great guy. He’s a pastor. He coached with some of his kids. He’s a great dude.”
(Going back to your childhood, I came across a story where you talked about some of the sacrifices you made when you were younger, the 100 pushups every day. I wanted to ask you about how those training regimens as a kid prepared you for professional football.) – “That’s a great question. I think that having those training regimens as a kid just puts me in a better place of organizing my own time and making sure that I’m holding myself accountable when no one else is trying to check me. I feel like that is a part of being a professional is holding yourself accountable and making sure you’re getting your job done.”
(Is there a player in the league that you model your game after that you see yourself in?) – “I grew up watching Tyrann Mathieu, so I try to model my game as much after Tyrann Mathieu as possible. He’s a phenomenal player and an even better man; so I’m trying to replicate his play.”
(How popular is football in British Columbia? What other options did you have for sports growing up? How did you gravitate towards football, and I guess now that choice turned out to be the right one?) – “Football is super popular in Canada – across all of Canada. I played box lacrosse and I played soccer and I played baseball and field lacrosse in America; but my dad and my brother both played football. My dad is an ex-NFL pro, so it’s really just me trying to follow in their footsteps and then that love just kind of adapted into that passion for myself, and then I ended up falling even more in love with the game at that point. I think like you said, it turned out to be a pretty good choice. (laughter)”
(I came on a little late, so you might have been asked a little bit, but how much did you have to answer about the opt-out question in the pre-draft process with the Dolphins and teams and kind of how did you approach that?) – “A good amount. Everybody wanted to know and so I was honest about it, and that’s the only thing I could be. And we just went from there.”
(I saw a quote from Mario Cristobal where he said that you were a better receiver than defensive back, but they were going to keep you at DB over there at Oregon. I’m curious if you can kind of expand on that and also does that kind of contribute to the fact that you had nine picks in just two seasons?) – “Yeah, so I played receiver in high school a lot and that’s where I developed a lot of my ball skills. I feel like I have a good sense of how the ball trajectory is going to be in the sky and things like that and I definitely think that added to my ball skills and ball-hawking ability.”
(I know you did some punt returning at Oregon. The Dolphins drafted WR Jaylen Waddle in the first round. Who’s going to get those punt return reps? How are you guys going to divvy that out?) – “(laughter) Man, look, whatever the coaches want to do, they can do. Jaylen (Waddle) – that’s my homeboy. He’s a hell of a player. I’m excited to be a Dolphin with him, so I’m just looking to be on the field with him and all my other teammates and whatnot. So whatever the coaches want, I’m down to do.”
Chris Grier and Brian Flores – April 29, 2021
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Brian Flores
Chris Grier:
(Just with WR Jaylen Waddle, I just want to know what particular skillset he had that separated him from other receivers in this draft?) – “I think with Jaylen – we’ve watched him over the years. He’s been a dynamic, explosive player even from his freshman year there. He just flashed and you saw stuff, and I think this season demonstrated that type of player and even last season. He’s contributed there every year. We love his athletic ability, his run-after-catch, obviously the speed; but it’s also his toughness. He’s a very competitive kid. He loves ball. It’s important to him. I think you guys see how he plays. He plays with passion and energy, and so as Brian (Flores) and I and the coaches and scouts were going through it, this guy has been someone that’s caught our eye and it’s not just this year. This is someone that we’ve had our eye on for the last couple years just watching him.”
Brian Flores:
“I would echo those sentiments. Obviously we watched a lot of Tua (Tagovailoa) last year. In doing that, we saw really all the players at Alabama and (Jaylen) Waddle was somebody who definitely stood out as a receiver, as a returner, just a really good player. And then getting to know him was – that kind of, I would say, confirmed a lot of the things we had heard. We just think he’s a very, very good player, a good person and somebody who would fit our locker room.”
Chris Grier:
(I want to follow up with that – actually that point right there – for a kid like that, who was projected to go in the first round anyway, obviously he didn’t have to go and play in the national title game. But it kind of showed that passion and wanting to be out there with his teammates. Is that something that maybe when you’re watching the title game, that pops out on the screen to you anymore so than another player out there?) – “Yeah, it just again shows the character and how important football is to him. Like you said, a lot of players would have opted not to play and risk injury, but he wanted to be with his teammates and he worked hard to rehab and get back and be out there and contribute. So for us, as we got to know him as Brian (Flores) said, it just kind of completed the picture before we even really knew him, just to say this is the type of kid that loves ball and would fit our culture.”
(Along those same lines, DE Jaelan Phillips admitted that maybe somewhere along the lines, his passion for football wasn’t as strong throughout his journey. What convinced you guys that he was in fact a fit for this culture and can bring the passion and energy that you guys would want here with the Dolphins?) – “Brian (Flores), myself, the coaches, the scouts – we spent a lot of time through the pre-draft process getting to know him. And I think the one thing when you watch him play, you would never question his passion and effort and stuff because he plays 100 miles per hour and he’s got a tremendous motor and effort, and you can tell football is very important to him. I think like any person, when you’re that young going into college and doing stuff and maybe hit a little bit of adversity there, I think it’s just maturing and growing. I think watching him over his career, he was one of the top players in the country in high school and just watching his growth over the last few years as we got to know him, we felt very comfortable with it. On film, there’s no doubt that this guy loves football, so we’re very excited to have him.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said something last season to the effect of the team having only one really, really fast receiver in WR Jakeem Grant. How much did that statement have on you guys going out and getting WR William Fuller V and WR Jaylen Waddle tonight?) – “I don’t think we react to any player statements. At the end of the day, Brian (Flores), myself, working with the coaches and scouts, we evaluate everything and we’ll do what’s best for the Dolphins. I think at the end of the day, we’ll always do what’s best for the organization. I don’t put a lot of stock in those statements. We have conversations with players all the time, but we don’t let that drive our decision-making.”
Brian Flores:
“I’ve got nothing to add to that.”
Chris Grier:
(Last week when you spoke to us and I’m just going to read off your quote. You said in terms of pass rush, “we feel good about it.” After feeling good and satisfied about where you guys were with LB Andrew Van Ginkel and DE Emmanuel Ogbah last year, adding DE Jaelan Phillips to that group, what do you think he brings in terms of fitting into the scheme and what he’ll be able to do for Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer?) – “Like you said, we’re very excited and we’re always looking to keep improving the roster. Brian (Flores), myself, coaches – we all talk about that all the time and the opportunity that Jaelan – we were tremendously excited for. We think he’s a very talented player. He fits what we’re looking for in terms of everything – toughness, effort, competitiveness and the production on the field. So any time we can add to a position, whether it’s a position of strength as people view it or not, we’re going to keep working to upgrade the roster, so for us this was a big get for us.”
Brian Flores:
“You can never have enough pass rushers. You know that. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Obviously TE Kyle Pitts and WR Ja’Marr Chase are two skilled receiving talents who might also have added to the team. How did you feel seeing them go two picks in front of your spot knowing that you had traded down from No. 3?) – “No, I’ve told you we’re very comfortable where we were. We had a number of players – like we said – about four players we felt really good about taking at six and we’d be tremendously happy to have, so we had – again, don’t look back – but at the end of the day, we’re tremendously excited and this was a player we’ve been looking at for a couple years. So for what we want to do for our team and our roster, we’re very happy to have Jaylen (Waddle) and no regrets and say that with all honesty to you.”
(So everything you said about WR Jaylen Waddle – I’m sure you saw WR Devonta Smith – he’s on the same team and did a lot of things for Alabama. Why Waddle over Smith?) – “At the end of the day, they’re both really good players and really good kids and very competitive. Just as we went through it, it’s the explosiveness that Waddle gives you as well as the return game, as Brian (Flores) mentioned; and for us, just that dynamic trait and you can only imagine the texts Brian and I got from people talking about what a great pick and explosive and how this guy is – you guys saw all the comparisons – but for us, it was getting to know the kid and we were really, really happy and knowing how competitive and tough (he is). They’re both really good players. Devonta (Smith) is going to be a really good player in this league. For us, it was the explosive playmaking ability and the return ability for us that we really liked.”
(I wanted to ask you about the decision with DE Jaelan Phillips. Obviously having the opportunity to pick the first pass-rusher of the draft or edge player in the draft is a great situation; but what went into your decision in terms of evaluating other positions of need and your board? I’m sure you picked best player available because that’s your way, but did you expect and project the run at running back that you saw in the first round?) – “Yeah, Brian (Flores), I and the coaches and scouts, we do a lot of work pre-draft, a lot of calls, information, mock drafts, going through our own stuff and looking at it. Yeah, we thought that could happen; but for us, Jaelan was the best player on our board at that point. As Brian said, you can never have enough pass rushing. We all felt that way. So for us, we were tremendously excited that Jaelan was there. We didn’t think he would be there and we were happy to get him.”
(Did you have conversations with the Cowboys about them moving up to six? And if so, how serious were they?) – “We had a number of conversations with a couple of teams, but I would say nothing was very serious. I’m not going to go into what teams and who just out of respect for them. But we had a couple of teams that called and were interested; but at the end of the day, (Jaylen) Waddle was the guy we wanted. Brian (Flores) and I talked it over and at the end of the day, we made the pick with the player that we wanted to be here and was the best fit for the Dolphins.”
Brian Flores:
(I’d imagine you had some conversations with QB Tua Tagovailoa regarding WR Jaylen Waddle. What can you share with us as far as anything Tagovailoa might have said about Waddle, and how quickly do you think they might develop chemistry given that they have that much experience together already?) – “Tua was very supportive of really all of his teammates at ‘Bama. So Waddle, ‘Smitty’ (Devonta Smith), (Najee) Harris, (Alex) Leatherwood – he was very complimentary of all of those guys. I think he was excited that we chose Waddle. But to answer your question, he was complimentary of all of the players at ‘Bama.”
(What is your vision for WR Jaylen Waddle? I know he played a lot in the slot at Alabama and did some returning. Where do you seem him kind of starting off, helping your offense?) – “His role is going to be what he makes it. Based off of all the film we’ve seen, we think he’ll fit inside or outside. We think he’ll add a speed element. Obviously he has some value in the return game. I think his versatility is a big part of this. His ability to play inside, play in the slot, play on the perimeter, play in the return game. Again, we’re very, very excited to have him – really both Jaylen/Jaelans, to be honest with you. We’re excited.”
(I don’t know how much, if at all, you studied the two quarterbacks that have been added to the AFC East tonight in Jets QB Zach Wilson and Patriots QB Mac Jones. How do you feel about the caliber of young quarterbacks within your division now?) – “They’re two very good players. They’re two talented guys. Smart. I think the Jets and New England got two very good players. I’m sure they’re excited about adding those pieces, the same way we’re excited about adding the guys that we added tonight. Now it’s about getting them in, getting them acclimated and getting them adjusted to the National Football League and learning the playbook, and kind of fitting into the locker room and fitting into the culture of our team with our guys and their team with them. They’re very talented players and I’m sure they’re excited.”
(We were on the call with WR Jaylen Waddle when he found out that WR Devonta Smith. He just got really excited and got emotional talking about CB Patrick Surtain II and all of his teammates at Alabama getting picked and seeing their dreams come true. Is that the kind of stuff you guys found out about him, just sort of the camaraderie and the supportive nature that he brings to the table? And how much of a factor is that sort of thing outside of the talents he has on the field?) – “I would say the talent is the first thing that we’re looking at, and that stood out. But for sure, his – he talked about being a teammate and how important that was. He talked about the camaraderie that – he and Jaelan Phillips, they both talked about the camaraderie and how important that is. Obviously that’s important to us, but as players, that’s what stood out first.”
Chris Grier:
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it is. He’s a great kid and everything and loves football; but he loves his teammates as well. Like Brian (Flores) said, that really stood out in the interview process. He’s very quick to talk about his teammates and gives them a lot of credit for helping him improve and be a better player, and the coaching staff. He’s a very humble kid, as well, too. But very driven and competitive.”
Jaelan Phillips – April 29, 2021
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(Just want to know what you’re feeling right now. How cool is it to be drafted by a city that’s already welcomed you once with open arms?) – “Words can’t even describe how I feel right now. It’s literally like an out-of-body experience, but I’m just so grateful for Miami as a city. They embraced me when I came into the ‘U,’ and they’ve supported me for the last two years of my journey, so there’s no place I’d rather be. Back to the 305. (laughter) It’s just crazy. I’m so excited.”
(What’s this process been like for you? A couple years ago, your football career was over and it looked bleak for you and now you’re a first-round pick.) – “All I can say about that is perseverance. There was good days, there was bad days; but at the end of the day, I kept my faith, I stayed humble and I worked hard and I had great people around me to support me and carry me through this process. It’s been surreal. These last three years of my life, so much has changed and I’m just so blessed to be in this position that I am right now and so thankful for everybody who’s helped me along the way.”
(Just curious what your relationship was like with Head Coach Brian Flores, your interactions, your impressions of him as you kind of got to know him a little bit during this process?) – “He seems like an extremely genuine guy. I’m so excited to be able to come in and do everything I can to help out this team. I had great interactions with the Dolphins and like I said, I’m just so excited to be back in Miami, back in the 305. It’s funny because I just moved all my stuff out of Coral Gables back home to L.A., (laughter) and now I’m going back to Miami, so another road trip coming up for me. (laughter)”
(Obviously a lot of people viewed you as maybe the top edge rusher in this class, but the question was the concussions. I guess can you take us through maybe what you’ve dealt with since UCLA with those and where you are and if you had to make teams comfortable with your medical?) – “I had two concussions while I was at UCLA. I play football; it’s a physical sport, so ask anybody in the NFL and I guarantee they’ve had some concussions in their time, so it’s nothing to be worried about. Obviously the team was comfortable with my medical history and just addressing it– I looked at it like I had nothing to hide. I just was forthcoming with everything and I just really let them get to know me as a person so that they could be extremely comfortable with the situation.”
(You talked about having to move all your stuff back. What’s the familiarity like? You get to stay in the same building, share the same home field. Did you ever make it out to any Dolphins games, but more importantly, what’s the sense of comfort that you have in this area?) – “I never made it out to a Dolphins game, but I’ve said it before in a Tweet: ‘Los Angeles made me, but Miami saved me.’ And so I really, I owe a lot to this city and I’m so excited to be able to come back and be able to play here for as long as I can. It’s amazing. It’s an amazing feeling.”
(What are you going to do for the Dolphins? What are you going to offer them?) – “My tenacity and my hard work. That’s something I can really hang my hat on. I’m going to come in Day 1 and just do the most that I can for the team. Just come in, be a humble servant, really just come in just ready to soak up everything, be a sponge and just put my head down and work. I want to earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches, first and foremost, so I’m just excited for this opportunity. It’s crazy. (laughter) I keep saying that, but I can’t even believe it. This is insane.”
(I got two questions for you. I guess the first one is what pass rusher or defensive player did you look up to growing up early in your career and the other one is you’re very into music – do you have any plans of making a song or a beat that you made it to the league?) – “Growing up, I used to watch Shawne Merriman. I watched some tape of Lawrence Taylor. Those are some older guys and then just more recently guys like the Bosa brothers, the Watt brothers, Chandler Jones are guys I really kind of model my game after. But music, man, I don’t plan on making any songs or anything like that. (laughter) I’m all in. I’m coming in to play football and I’m excited to get into the facilities and work my – work my butt off – I don’t want to say any expletives. (laughter) I’m going to work hard.”
(Obviously you come into a scheme in Miami that they’re really versatile. They play stand-up with the edge guys and hand-down. Where do you feel most comfortable and kind of where would you grade your versatility as far as an edge rusher?) – “I feel comfortable really doing anything. I played in a 3-4 outside linebacker system, I’ve played in a 4-3 hand-in-the-dirt system. So I really feel like I can do it all and really whatever is required of me and whatever Coach wants me to do, I’ll be able to do. So I’m just excited to learn the system and come in and really just take my game to that next level.”
(Just curious as a football fan, your impressions of WR Jaylen Waddle – your other newest teammate here – and your excitement about his game.) – “He’s a dog. I’ve been watching him for a little while now, and he’s just electric. That’s one way I can describe him. He’s a playmaker through and through, so I’m super excited to get to know him. I know he’s going to contribute to this team greatly. Absolutely, he’s a stud.”
(I wanted to ask you about what’s it like to be the first edge rusher – the first pass rusher selected in this draft?) – “It’s a blessing. There’s a bunch of other great guys, namely Greg (Rousseau), obviously. Me and Greg are really tight, and so I’m super excited to see where he ends up, but I just feel blessed to be the first one taken and most importantly, blessed to be able to get taken by the Dolphins. This is an amazing opportunity. I feel so blessed.”
(I’d love to go back to your Pro Day. Obviously that had a big impact for you. You had a really good day out there. How did you feel after that performance and did you start to sense that Miami might be the team based on any feedback they gave you from your Pro Day performance?) – “It was definitely a relief. I could take a deep breath after that performance. I spent three months day-in and day-out preparing for that, so it was really fun to be able to do as well as I did in that and then honestly, I had no idea. You know how this draft works; you really have no idea where you’re going to end up. So when I got that call and it said ‘Miami Dolphins,’ it was like a dream come true. It’s unbelievable. Back to the 305. It’s like full circle. This is all God’s plan. It’s incredible.”
(You said you had to move all your stuff out of your Coral Gables apartment and now you’re going to be moving it all back. Just wondering how familiar you became with maybe real estate in Miami, where you plan on living now if you have any plans like that or what you want to do with your first paycheck?) – “I definitely want to be close to the facility. The Hard Rock facility is going to be open pretty soon, so anywhere I can be close up in North Miami, Weston, Davie, even Fort Lauderdale maybe. I know my way around there a little bit. I spent some time up north. I was down in Coral Gables for the most part, but I definitely spent some time up north, so wherever the team recommends I should stay and really just kind of being close to the facility, being able to get that vibe and really kind of acclimate.”
Jaylen Waddle – April 29, 2021
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Obviously you get an opportunity here to reunite with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Has he talked to you yet and how exciting is that opportunity to present itself to reunite with Tua?) – “I haven’t talked to Tua yet, but I can tell you I’m excited just to get back with him, get everything down, get our timing down and things like that. Luckily for me, we spent time together at Alabama, so we’ve just got to keep going.”
(What was the draft process like for you and what were some of your early conversations like with Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier?) – “The process was great, and our conversations were – I wouldn’t say confidential, but just private and stay between just us.”
(We hear so much from Head Coach Brian Flores about players with high character. Just wondering, did you trying to play in the national championship game, showing you wanted to be out there with your teammates – do you think that went a long way with coaches and more specifically, maybe even the Dolphins? Is that something that came up as a positive in your pre-draft meetings?) – “Honestly, I just played because I love to play the game, so I wasn’t really thinking on how I came off to anyone or anything like that. They never really spoke about it or anything like that or anything. I’m just trying to be me. I play because I want to play, not to come off any type of way … or anything like that.”
(I wanted to ask you more about your partnership with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Normally when rookies come into the NFL, there’s a little bit of time that you have to get used to your quarterback. How do you feel your chemistry is going to go right off the bat since you’ve played with him before?) – “It’s there, for sure. It definitely needs to improve. It’s something that we’re going to try to improve on, so it’s good to be familiar with him; but I’m coming to work and I know he is, too. So just getting it down and just going and having at it, day by day, just trying to build it and build it more.”
(We’ve heard all the talk about your speed and WR Tyreek Hill comparisons pre-draft. How would you describe your game and what you think your impact can be on this league?) – “Yeah, I get a lot of comparisons to Tyreek (Hill), just because of my small size and being able to be a runner; but I want to be my own player and try to play the game that I play and try to do my own style and not try to emulate someone else’s style. So I think I’m going to try to be the player that I always have and try to make plays for the team, and just try to put the team in position to win.”
(How can you make QB Tua Tagovailoa better?) – “Make him better? I don’t know if that’s a thing or anything. I feel like it goes both ways. He’s going to make me better. I’m going to make him better and we’re just going to push each other and try to get better each and every day.”
(Just curious how you see yourself kind of fitting into this particular offense, what you might know about it and how you can impact this particular team?) – “I’m just going to do my best to do what the team asks of me and try to be the best player and do the things that the team asks of me at the highest level and the level that I know I can play at. I’m going to try to do whatever my coaches want of me.”
(I’d like to ask you a little bit more about your speed. Where do you think you rank right now in the NFL among the fastest players?) – “Who’s telling? I don’t know. That’s not something that runs by my mind or anything like that.”
(Just overall what does this moment and being drafted in the NFL, what does it all mean to you?) – “It’s special. Just getting that call, it’s something special. Honestly, I’ve never had that mixed-emotions feel ever in my life, so it was a lot of hard work that got put into making this moment happen, so just seeing it all come into action is something special.”
(Can you talk about what playing at Episcopal High School has meant to you to get you where you are today and the fact that two of your teammates are going to join you in the NFL Draft here at some point?) – “Yeah, EHS (Episcopal High School) is special. It’s always a special place in my heart. I’ve always loved the game, but I really truly fell in love with the game being there, being around the guys, and like you said, we’ve got two more players – actually three with Jhamon Ausbon from (Texas) A&M that’s going to be drafted and going to be in the NFL. It’s just great. I played alongside great players and we all went our separate ways, but we can meet up all on the big stage.”
(You kind of went a little viral after you got picked leaving all your family behind in the draft room. What was that moment like for you? Can you kind of talk us through that moment?) – “It was special, just walking out there, having that moment. It’s just special just to share it with your loved ones, for sure. It’s something that you can’t even describe.”
(I know you were coming off that ankle injury in college. Where are you health-wise?) – “I’m good. I’m ready to go.”
(WR Devonta Smith just got drafted at No. 10. What did it mean for both of you guys to get selected…?) – “Where did he end up going?”
(Philly.) – “He went to Philly? Y’all said y’all were going to remind me. (laughter)”
(But what does it mean for both you and WR Devonta Smith to go in the top 10 and obviously you passed by him on the way to the stage?) – “It’s just a moment you get to share with your brother. ‘Smitty’ is like my brother, man, so it’s just tremendous. It’s a lot of emotion. I almost saw him like, tear up, and ‘Smitty’ is not like, a real emotional guy. So it’s just a special moment. You just share it with your brother – Pat (Surtain Jr.), ‘Smitty,’ Mac (Jones), (Christian) Barmore. It’s something special. It just makes the moment even more special and even more emotional.”
(I wanted to bring up a point that QB Tua Tagovailoa has now played with four quarterbacks taken in the first round and possibly a running back that’s going to be taken in the first round. Were you guys the best offense, in your opinion – weaponry – in college football history?) – “Yeah, I’m not really big on trying to compare and stack up teams on teams – teams from other decades and other things like that. I can tell you that we were really good. (There was) a lot of talent in that room and on the team, especially on that side of the ball. But I don’t really want to get into the best or anything like that. But I can tell you that we were really good.”
(Tell us about your experiences in South Florida. How much time did you spend here and what are your impressions of the area?) – “I got to spend time there for bowl games, and like I said, my good friend Pat (Surtain Jr.) is from the South Florida area, so I’ll go out there and hang with him from time to time; but I’ve never really spent a good amount of time there. I’m excited to get around the culture, get around the people there and get around my teammates, try to build bonds and just get ready and try to do well for the organization.”
Chris Grier – April 21, 2021
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Wednesday, April 21, 2021
General Manager Chris Grier
(Opening Statement) – “I appreciate everyone coming on this morning, but I thought there was something we really need to talk about before we get started, obviously with the George Floyd verdict last night. You guys know me and I’m not a prepared statement type of person and doing stuff, but I just think it’s important for me to organize my thoughts, and I wanted to put them down after the last few hours and like everyone kind of dealing with what transpired yesterday. Yesterday’s verdict was a very emotional day for me. For me as an African American, there was a sense of relief and sadness. George Floyd was senselessly taken from family and friends. His story was one of many that have taken place in our communities over the years. It’s 2021 and yet, people of color are still asking for equality and justice. The jury in Minnesota served notice that police brutality is unacceptable, and people will be held accountable for their actions. We as a people should all be touched by the raw emotions of joy and relief by the verdict. The justice system worked for people of color yesterday; however, we cannot forget that a life was lost. I am proud of the work our organization has done in the South Florida community over the years led by Steve Ross, Tom Garfinkel and Brian Flores. Our players are actively out in the community trying to make a real difference. There’s a lot of work to still be done in terms of reform and equality. We will continue to do more and ask others to do so as well, across the NFL. We have the opportunity to make things better for everyone in our country. There are a lot of good people that want to make a difference. It’s encouraging to hear and see the number of white people and big companies willing to be uncomfortable and speak out against systematic racism. There are a lot of good law enforcement officials who want change for the better. These are good men, women, who uphold their oaths. We need to support them as well. We have made tremendous advancements in our way of life, except for dealing with race. It’s not just (Black) people being affected. Look at what’s happening with all the hate being directed towards the Asian community right now. I am hopeful, but not naïve to think that this verdict will change things. Politics and rhetoric have created a great divide in our country. We as an organization believe in bringing people together and valuing all human life, and I hope our country can move towards that, too.”
(Before I ask you a football-related question I have, if I could follow up with your comments, I’m wondering how surprised, if at all, you were by the verdict? Is that what you expected at the start of this trial?) – “You know me, I don’t dive into politics and stuff much on-camera. I think a lot of people were very hopeful that the verdict would come down the way it did; but just being honest, that always hasn’t happened. When things look like clearly something was wrong and happened in this country, and particularly with people of color, it hasn’t turned out that way. So I think that was the relief, I think some of the joy; but again, it’s also saddening that it takes people dying for people to realize and want change. But I was hopeful, and then when it happened, I was happy.”
(Moving to my football question if I could, obviously you made a couple of moves up and down in your first-round draft position, and there’s talk that you might well have opportunities to make a further move out of six. How likely is it or how much more open would you be toward listening to offers for that No. 6 pick after the No. 5 pick is made and you have an idea of what kind of draft board you’re looking at at No. 6?) – “I think you said it right there. I think we’ll always listen to everything. We’ve shown that. I think you owe it to your team and your organization to always listen to any offers that may or may not come. At the end of the day, as the draft falls and gets towards our pick, if someone wants to call and they make an aggressive pitch to us, we’ll evaluate it, look at the board and look at our options and we’ll make the decision that’s best for the Miami Dolphins at that point.”
(If there’s a player that’s taken in the top 10 that you may feel like you missed out on, would you guys have any regrets on trading out of three?) – “No. I think when we made our move, we had targeted a number of players that we liked that we’re comfortable with getting. So I think with us, when you make a move like we did and doing what we did to get back up, we’re very comfortable where we are; but again as I said, we’ll always evaluate it and drafts change as you know. People fall for some reasons unknown or people select players for their roster based on their needs. We’re comfortable where we are. We feel very good where we are and we won’t have any regrets.”
(The second question I had for you is kind of just the opt-outs and how you view them. I look at QB Tua Tagovailoa, T Austin Jackson, CB Noah Igbinoghene all having kind of something particular to them with being your first-round picks last year. Do you look at the opt-outs as something being bigger than what they are or do you look at it like a player has missed time due to injury or missed some experience along the way?) – “I think 2020 was such a unique year with the pandemic. All players have reasons for opting out and I don’t think it’s right for us to hold it against any player whether it’s family or – we don’t know all the circumstances until you get to this point and you talk to players. But a lot of players opted out. You also have schools that – some schools played four games, some played 10. So however you look at it, it wasn’t going to be an apples-to-apples comparison around. But for us to sit here and judge players on opt-outs for their reasons why, it’s unfair and I think it’s unrealistic.”
(I’m wondering just your thoughts, your thinking, for making the move, the trade – coming down and then going back up – that you did. Just your mindset for doing that.) – “We’ve had a number of teams call us. They were talking about coming up to three. We were comfortable being where we were and once we evaluated it, obviously San Francisco was very aggressive. (General Manager) John (Lynch) was great to deal with. He was very open and honest, transparent. As we worked through it, we thought with the offers that we talked through, once they gave us the offer that we were comfortable with taking, we decided it was important for us also to get back into that top 10. Once it looked like San Francisco could happen, we kind of reached out to a few teams just gauging whether they would move or not. Philadelphia was a very good partner to work with. (Executive Vice President/General Manager) Howie (Roseman) did a good job with us in terms of what we were looking for and what we were looking to do, and I give them a lot of credit. There were a lot of teams that wanted to wait. They wanted to wait and see. It takes guts to make a move like that so I give San Francisco and Philadelphia both credit for doing it.”
(The second part of that, does it bother you at all that you didn’t get back more for this year? That the stuff that is coming is out in the future. This year, you are weakened by those trades.) – “I don’t think we view it like that, we still have four picks in the first two rounds. I just view it completely different. We just have a difference in opinion. We feel very good about it and we also added a lot of stuff for the future, including two picks in 2023 – two first round picks in 2023. At some point – I’m sure someone will ask the question – we picked three guys in the first round last year. We’re going to keep adding young players and talent and growing. We feel good. We feel really good about how things transpired for us.”
(I know Bill Parcells was a mentor of yours and he had a saying about height, weight, speed exceptions. What’s your philosophy? There are a couple of smaller players in this draft whether it’s WR Devonta Smith or WR Jaylen Waddle. How does your philosophy impact evaluating those guys?) – “It’s all a part of the evaluation but every player tells their own stories as a different player. I think the league has changed as well. There are more rules. It’s more of an offensive league. I think that what’s been evident is that there is a lot of smaller players that have become really good players in this league, as well. You always evaluate it. You always talk about it. But again, each player is their own case. Those guys have shown that they’ve been good players at a high level of play in the SEC. That goes for a lot of players around the country. I just think the game has changed a little bit, and I think these smaller players are given more room and freedom to showcase their talents.”
(We’ve talked to you about playmakers and you’ve talked about wanting to get more playmakers. How much do you grade what QB Tua Tagovailoa’s skillset is and what maybe fits best for him versus what you guys view as the best prospect overall?) – “Yeah, I think especially when you’re picking where we are picking, you’re always looking at your team and Tua is a big part of that. So as we build around and what we’re doing, yeah, you’re always looking at what your quarterback does best. But you’re also looking at weighing that versus the best player that is available for your team because at the end of the day, it’s always about the team. It’s not about one player, one pick, one person. You’ve heard Brian (Flores) talk about team-first players that fit right. For us, it is – it’s just looking for the right player, the right person, the right fit for our team as well as the mesh with the quarterback.”
(My question is about QB Tua Tagovailoa. At the end of the season, you said that you were very happy with his development. I wanted to ask you for an update in regards to what’s the team’s communication been like with him this offseason. We’ve seen him posting on social media with him training with some of the Dolphins’ receivers. What type of benefit do you think that has with this full healthy offseason for Tua heading into next season and just what the communication been like with him?) – “The communication has been great. He’s been around. He’s been working hard. I know he’s been working with the receivers. He’s a very competitive kid as you know. I think coming off the injury last year with no OTAs, no minicamp and just being thrown in right away, that is a hard transition, especially with the rehab part he was doing. He’s healthy now. I’ve seen a couple of videos – I’m not on social media very much. He’s been working very hard. Our guys have been around and popped in and out here. He’s been great with the players and the receivers have been working. Like I said, he’s got to take the next steps. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been and I’m really excited for him to have an offseason under his belt. I think that will be really important for him.”
(Regarding the pandemic protocols, how are you organizing your room and how does it compare with normal? How close are we to getting back to normal?) – “We talk about that constantly between Brian (Flores), Brandon (Shore), Tom (Garfinkel), Steve (Ross), Kyle Johnston. The big thing is trying to get back some sense of normalcy. We’ll be in the draft room this year back for the draft; but it will be a much smaller group following NFL protocols. Things are still different at the end of the day. We’ll adjust according to the league rules, but it is different still. The good thing is that we’ve all gone through it before, so we’re finding ways where things could maybe work better and working with the league to see which rules work best for teams going forward.”
(How many people will you have in the room down here compared to normal and how many people will you have at the draft?) – “At the draft, just like every team there will only be one person that goes. We’ll have – 10 people max is the guideline for our room here so we will have 10 people in the draft room.”
(I wanted to ask a little bit about free agency. I wanted to get your thoughts on moving on from LB Kyle Van Noy. You didn’t sign a big name pass rusher in free agency. That seems to be the one position you didn’t address with a big name. I’m curious your thinking on moving on from Kyle, not spending big money on an edge rusher and where do you see the position going from here?) – “Kyle did a good job for us last year and provided a lot of things. He helped us win 10 games like a lot of our players on this roster that are no longer here. I wish him the best. But for us, we had some young players we were developing that we felt good about and those guys need to get on the field. At the end of the day, it was a decision we made as an organization going into it. We talked about the roster at the end of the season between Brian (Flores), myself, the coaches and the scouts. At the end of the day, it was a move we made. In terms of the pass rush, we feel good about it. Like everything, we’re always looking to keep upgrading. It’s just such a unique year with the pandemic and so many teams releasing players, players taking one-year deals on cheaper – or below market value I should say – because of the lower salary cap. For us at the end of the day, we’ll continue looking at turning over the roster. We’ll go through the draft here and keep looking at free agents that are on the streets as well.”
(A number of the best defensive players in the draft opted out last year. Miami had one and obviously Penn State had one. How do you, as a personnel department, evaluate players that opted out in 2020? Are you less likely to take risks on guys that you don’t have 2020 film on? What’s your thinking, particularly on the defensive side of the ball?) – “Like I said earlier, I don’t think we can hold that against these players. Even some of the guys that played this year only played four or five games because of pandemic rules at their schools. You go back, you watch the 2019 season. I think our scouts and coaches have all done a great job of working through that process and spending time here getting to know these players. It’s a challenging year. Every team is dealing with the same level playing field. At the end of the day, you just get as much information as you can and rely on the relationships that scouts and coaches have with the schools to really get to know these players – from coaches. At the end of the day, you really can’t punish these kids because again, every team and every college is so different this year in terms of games played, etc.”
(How do you feel about the group of sort of upper-echelon running backs in this year’s class, as you evaluate it with the group from last year?) – “Every year is always different. This year’s class, there’s good players at that position throughout the draft, just like last year. Last year I know there were no backs I think taken in the first round, I believe. And there was a big run in the second and third rounds. People talk about valuing and devaluing positions. At the end of the day, I think teams are always looking at their rosters and evaluating, and good players get picked where teams feel that value is for their roster. It’s a good group of backs. At the end of the day, where they all fall, they’re all good players and they’ll be good players in this league.”
(You had mentioned briefly about the right players. You have four picks in the top 50. The players that you’re targeting, considering if you stay where you’re at, are those players you feel maybe not starters immediately but could contribute immediately?) – “I think it all depends on where they fall. At the end of the day, some of these players, yeah, they will be starters and impact players; but again, you’ve heard Brian (Flores) say this and I love this statement, that when they’re coming in, no one is a starter in April. Guys have to – and these rookies have to come in and there’s such a transition for them to learn. I think that’s why you always see guys take those huge second-year jumps, like (Andrew) Van Ginkel for us last year. I think ‘Mike G’ (Gesicki) did a few years ago, made a jump after his rookie year when people were unsure of him. I think with all of these guys, you preach patience for them a little bit; but I know because guys are first-round or second-round picks, you’d like them to be impact players right away. And they may be, but it may be subtle to where the coaching staff and the personnel staff, we all feel good about it and you’re just waiting for the public to see it. At the end of the day, they could be starters; but again, the players make their own way and create their own jobs on the team here. Brian (Flores) has created a great environment here of competitiveness and that’s what I love about our guys here. I think that’s why we won 10 games last year is guys here generally know it’s about competition and taking care of each other, and that’s an important thing.”
(I’m curious if you have any more clarity on who is going to call plays for you this year offensively, and the follow up to that would be how that collaborative effort has maybe influenced your evaluation of players and whether Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey or Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and their input, how that affects the kind of players that you guys are going to want next year?) – “Coaching staff stuff, I’m not dodging the question, but I’ll leave that up to Brian (Flores). It’s not fair for me to come out here and talk about coaching staff stuff. But at the end of the day, yeah we are familiar with George and Eric and our communication has been great. Getting everyone on the same page, working through it has been good. I don’t think there’s any issues for us and we’re all on the same page on what we’re looking for and what we want to add to the team.”
(I was curious, how much does Head Coach Brian Flores and his coaching staff’s ability to develop talent, like you mentioned with LB Andrew Van Ginkel and TE Mike Gesicki, how much does that kind of weigh into the decision to acquire as much draft capital as you guys have accumulated the last couple of years?) – “That’s part of it. We’re not afraid to make picks. At the end of the day, we’ll make the picks, but we have great confidence that this coaching staff has shown that they can develop players and get the best out of them. That’s the exciting part of it. Listening to them, the thought process in watching those guys coach every day and the details that Brian (Flores) and his staff are on is what makes it fun here. The players know that and they appreciate it. Finding those right types of guys that love to work and do everything is very important because we know those players can get even better. So that’s the exciting part of working with Brian and his staff.”
William Fuller V – March 23, 2021
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Tuesday, March 23, 2021
WR William Fuller V
(First, I’ve got to ask you, you got hit with the escalator in the grocery store? They don’t have that in Houston?) – “That was my first time seeing that. (laughter) They might have that in Houston, I got some Houston fans that were contacting me saying, ‘we’ve got that in Houston too.’ But I didn’t see it in Houston. That was my first time seeing it in Florida.”
(I have a football question for you. It’s a nice one-year deal for you. How did free agency with the cap room being a little bit smaller this year affect you weighing a one year versus a multi-year deal? And how happy are you to be on your one-year deal here in Miami?) – “I’m super excited to be here in Miami. I feel like I wanted to take a one-year (deal) just to prove my worth in the league. I’ve had my fair share of injuries and I’ve been working really hard. I just want to prove to the NFL, and to the Dolphins for taking a chance on me, that I’m a player that they would love to have long term.”
(The Dolphins were looking for somebody who could stretch the field. Tell me in what ways you think you can do that for them.) – “I think my tape speaks for itself. I’m a vertical threat. I can also do more things underneath. I think I bring an element to the Dolphins offense that can help other guys out and help this team continue to get better and help them to win. Whatever I can do to help this team win, whatever they ask of me, I’m going to do. So I’m excited to be here.”
(The PED suspension, did you have to assure the Dolphins at all that it was just a one-time thing? What’s your view on that situation going into this year?) – “Yeah. I’ve talked to the coaching staff about that. That’s something personal between me and them that we’ve talked about. I definitely had to shore some things up with them. For me, it was a one-time thing (that was) completely accidental and that’s never going to happen again. I’m excited to put that in my past and just come to Miami and put my head down and work.”
(What do you know about QB Tua Tagovailoa skillset and how do you plan to make sure that you guys develop the best connection?) – “I’m out here in Houston finishing up my offseason program and doing my workout stuff here. I’m almost done, so I’m looking forward to getting off to Miami as soon as possible and contact with him. I’ve already spoken with him on the phone and texted with him. We’re setting things up to go over there in Miami and throw, so I’m excited about that as well in the near future coming up soon.”
(Despite your arrival there is still speculation with the Dolphins holding two first-round picks that they might even go after a wide receiver – WR Ja’Marr Chase, WR Devonta Smith, for example. Would you welcome that just to spread the wealth?) – “Oh yeah, of course. The more talent we’ve got, the easier it will be for all of us. Whatever they are going to do in the draft, I have no idea. That’s above my head. I’m just here to do my job; but I’d love another receiver in the room. Just keep bringing talent and we’ll keep making plays.”
(They’ve taken all of my football Dolphins questions so I wanted to ask you about what Houston QB Deshaun Watson is going through. Have you talked to him? Where do you think his mind is and what’s next for him?) – “Yeah, I fully support Deshaun. I don’t know any of the specifics about what’s going on with him, but I fully support him. I’ve been talking to him. To me, it seems like his head is on completely straight. I’m just looking forward to seeing where everything goes. Hopefully he’s okay.”
(Why Miami? Why this program right now with this quarterback?) – “I signed a one-year deal looking to help this team win. I’m just excited to be here. I’m excited for a fresh start. Miami took a chance on me and I’m just excited to be here and excited to put my head down and work. Tua (Tagovailoa), he’s an electric player. I watched him all through college. I didn’t get much time to watch him in the NFL because I was with Houston, but I’m super excited to play with Tua and can’t wait to work with him.”
(With your experience in Houston, what was that like last year in 2020? It seems like it was a whirlwind and stuff happening from Bill O’Brien coming in and getting fired, and then towards the end of the year after the offseason, QB Deshaun Watson making clear he wanted out. What sort of was it like being on that team with everything going on?) – “It was a little different season for me, but I don’t even want to talk about Houston. I played there five years and I’m happy they drafted me. I had a great time there but I’m just looking forward to the next chapter of my career and starting fresh with Miami. Like I keep saying, I’m just super excited to get to work and finally meet the guys and go to training camp and put in that work.”
(You talked about how you consider yourself more of a complete receiver as opposed to just a one-trick pony, a guy who just gets the deep ball. But fans kind of have this fascination, this romanticism, with the deep ball, the deep catch, the deep touchdown. Why do you think that is? Why do you think people love that 70-yard touchdown pass play?) – “Who doesn’t love those long touchdown plays. That’s a simple question. It’s a quick-scoring, exciting play. Who doesn’t like those fast, quick touchdowns that put points on the board fast? I feel like, like I said, I have the underneath skillset too; but that’s what makes things a lot easier for me is just having the ability to score on any given play. That opens up a lot of things underneath for me, so I use that to my advantage.”
(What are some of the things that you’re doing now to maybe keep yourself healthy and hopefully play 16 games this year?) – “I’m wearing this shirt and this guy is helping me a lot – Benjamin Fairchild. Just specific training for my body and not doing what everyone else is doing as far as linemen and quarterbacks. Just doing something specific for my body because everyone is different. I started working out with him last year and I just took it to a new level this year, adding some things here and there. This is probably the best I’ve felt in my career, so I’m excited to play 16 games this season.”
(I’ll end it light with you. What’s it like for a Philly kid coming down to Miami and playing in this heat? What do you think it’ll be like?) – “Luckily I’ve played in Houston before I came to Miami because it gets pretty hot in Houston. But I’m preparing for it. I’m out here running a lot and I’m conditioning. I think I’ll handle the heat well. That’s been something I’ve never had a problem with is my conditioning. I think I’ll do pretty well over there. I’m excited for that, as well.”
Duke Riley – March 22, 2021
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Monday, March 22, 2021
LB Duke Riley
(What was something that intrigued you about joining the Dolphins and what are you most excited about here?) – “I’m just excited about everything. It’s a fresh start for me. I’m excited about the coaching staff, playing with the guys, guys getting to know me and the great weather, the great city, the great organization. I’m just excited to be here just in general. I’m just excited for a new opportunity, just excited for an opportunity to have a job again. It’s a blessing, regardless.”
(What would you say is the biggest thing you will bring to this Dolphins team?) – “Just positive energy. That’s the only thing I can say. I’m going to bring energy and just be consistent. Other than that, I could sit here and say I’m going to do this and I’m going to do that, but the film and the eye in the sky will never lie.”
(How well did you know Head Coach Brian Flores before this week and what do you know about the work he does with linebackers?) – “I know he’s going to put us in the best position to make plays and be instinctual and play fast. I met with him during the recruiting process back in 2017 coming out in the draft, so we’ve sat and talked before. I’m just excited to play for a guy like him. He’s going to bring the best out of everyone and we’re going to be competing like no other, so I’m just excited for that.”
(What kind of player are you? What are the Dolphins and Dolphins fans going to see when you hit the field?) – “Energy. That’s all I can say. Just energy and being the same guy and just a guy who’s going to bring his teammates along, a guy who’s going to lead by example, a guy who’s going to – I’m not going to be perfect. No one in this league is. It’s hard to be perfect in anything you do; but that’s the main thing, just energy and consistent.”
(I wanted to ask you, what did it take do you think for your defensive snaps to go up dramatically from Atlanta to Philly? I know your first year in Philly, not a lot of defensive snaps. Last year, it went up a lot. What do you think you showed that warranted those snaps? Where did you improve that you became more of a defensive factor?) – “It really became from my special teams play. I knew that I would have to make an impact on special teams to be noticed. I wanted to play defense and a lot of people I guess, sometimes they get in moods when they’re not on defense and they think special teams is not part of – I don’t know how people look at it, but I look at it like it’s everything. I look at any time I’m on the field that any opportunity I’ve got is everything. So that’s why I was able to get on defense because I was able to make plays on special teams and be noticed, and I guess they figured if I could do it there and make plays in space on (special) teams, then they would put me on defense. It seemed to worked out. I helped myself a lot by just staying committed and staying dedicated and believing in myself, even though I wasn’t getting that many snaps at first. I never let it get to me. I kind of just stayed down and stayed digging like I always am. I’m still digging right now. (laughter)”
(How many different ways did the Eagles use you on defense? I apologize I haven’t been able to watch your tape yet.) – “In many different ways. Third-down situations, first-down situations; I’m an every-down guy. I pretty much can play in any situation, but there were a lot of situations that the Eagles used me and then I became an every-down guy for them. At first, I was just a third-down and situational guy, and then I started making plays in those situations and they wanted to see more and then I became an every-down guy.”
(I wanted to ask you if you think you can play both inside and outside in a 3-4. Would you be as comfortable in as out in that scheme?) – “I’ll just be comfortable – to be honest with you – wherever the coaches really want to put me at. I think they’re going to put me in the best position for the team and for me to be successful, and that’s what it’s all about. They’re going to put me in a position for the team to be successful, so that’s all I want them to do and that’s what I’m ready for.”
(What do you think this defense and this team could aspire to be next season?) – “I don’t want to make any predictions. We’re in the offseason right now. I just want to get with the guys and meet them, show them what I’m capable of and what I can bring to the table and where we can grow from there. We don’t even know what this team is going to look like, so it’s kind of hard to make any predictions on what’s going to happen, so I just want to be where my feet are right now. I’m thankful that I signed with Dolphins today and I’m excited to be with my new teammates. Then we can work together towards futures and future goals, but we’ve got to start day-by-day. That’s the only way you can do it. You can’t ever look ahead in life. That’s how you miss what’s right in front of you.”
(Duke Riley is a great name for a football player. Is that a family name, Duke?) – “No, I’m the only Duke Riley. My dad’s name is Duke. I got my name from my dad and I have my mom’s maiden name, Riley. So I’m one of one. (laughter)”
