Austin Clark – August 27, 2020
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark
(I just wanted to ask you, if you’re willing to share, the first name that comes to mind as far as who has jumped out to you at your position so far? Who has been most impressive to you, if you’re willing to share that?) – “To be honest with you, all of the guys have been really impressive. I couldn’t pinpoint one in particular. They’re all working their butts off. It’s been a great two weeks or however long it’s been here so far.”
(I know you’ll probably have to hold back LB Kyle Van Noy from himself a little bit here in training camp with that hand injury. How are you guys trying to progress without him and how do you kind of keep him at bay because he obviously wants to be out there?) – “I think it’s like anywhere else – if someone is down, its next man up. If he’s out there, he’s out there. I think he’s a phenomenal player that has a lot of versatility. He’s very smart and instinctive. I’m excited about him and all of the other guys.”
(When it comes to rushing from different gaps, a player like LB Kyle Van Noy certainly comes to mind. Is there a stark contrast in the way you teach technique for a guy to rush off the edge compared to let’s say the A-gap, for instance? And what does Kyle’s experience playing in that role do to sort of provide an example to the rest of the room when it comes to rushing multiple gaps?) – “I think there’s a couple of things that go into it. One, schematically, depending on what the scheme calls for – if it’s a true one-on-one matchup that we’re dictating there, then that’s different too. I think Kyle has a skillset that he can win on the edge, he can win inside, and his versatility within this scheme that we play, as well as what he’s done on Sunday making big-time plays in big-time games, is something that’s going to prove to be huge for us.”
(Earlier this week, we saw that LB Andrew Van Ginkel had two tipped passes, including an interception during I believe Tuesday’s practice. How has he kind of taken on this camp and how has he improved so far?) – “I think the biggest thing ‘Gink’ has done for himself is he got a lot stronger at the point of attack. I think he would tell you that. I think he understands the scheme extremely well and he knows how to use his length and athleticism, and has found some niches in his game and some go-to stuff for him. It’s paid dividends. He’s also a very smart player that understands the scheme and I’m really excited working with him.”
Anthony Campanile – August 27, 2020
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(Could you please – one-by-one on the two guys, rather than lumping them together – talk about the skillsets of LB Elandon Roberts and the skillsets of LB Kamu Grugier-Hill? What do they do well?) – “I think both of those guys have added a bunch to our team. They both have great leadership qualities. Kamu is really a great athlete, a physical guy, and gives you an opportunity to do a lot of things with his physical ability. Elandon is the same thing. (He’s) a tremendous leader and (brings) great physicality in the run game. He’s a lot of fun in the meeting rooms too – both guys are. We’ve enjoyed having them here. They both bring a lot of great leadership qualities and they’ve developed as a unit by bringing all of those things into our room. I’ve enjoyed coaching them and they bring a lot to this football team.”
(I had a question also about LB Elandon Roberts. You talk about the leadership he brings – we see him communicating all of the time on the practice field. We also watch him down there and to be perfectly honest, he looks the part of a very mean dude on the field to me. That’s what I see from the press box up there. What can you say about his energy and temperament that he brings to the practice field?) – “It’s a physical game – I don’t think that will ever change – and he’s a physical player. I could see that it maybe seems like that but I’ll tell you this: as a person, he’s one of the greatest guys you could ever meet. He’s a jovial guy off the field and to be honest with you, I think that’s where he loves being is inside the white lines and making physical contact. Just in drill work and in team periods, he’s an awesome guy to be around; but has a great demeanor like you’ve already alluded to, certainly in the meeting rooms, off the field and within the lines of the football field.”
(I know the linebacker coaching situation – outside linebackers and inside – how do you guys work without LB Kyle Van Noy with this point right now?) – “I think in football, things roll on. Kyle has been doing a great job for us right now with everything that he’s doing. That’s just kind of status quo. We just keep rolling and working our tail off out in the field and continue to develop. We’re right here in the midst of camp so every day is important, every meeting is important. I think guys have done a great job. I’ve been so impressed with our players – the linebacker unit – from the standpoint of the effort they’re giving to every little thing, whether it’s a walkthrough, meetings, individual work. Every little drill that we’re doing, there’s been a laser focus. They all just kind of rally around each other and push each other to get the best out of each other every day, and have created a really good standard in that room. Every guy has held true to that, which is great.”
(I wanted to ask you about coaching the linebacker position, especially as the NFL sort of evolves to more of this nickel – how does your view of that position and what you seek for it change?) – “I just think at that position in this league, you’ve got to be able to run and hit, and you’ve really got to be a smart guy because as the game has evolved at every level, linebackers are being asked to do more things. There’s a lot more asked of linebackers in coverage than certainly there was 15-20 years ago when I was playing. It’s always evolving, but you’re always looking for that out of your players. You want guys that can run and hit and are great communicators, and obviously that takes a really good football IQ to do that at this level. I think that our room has done a great job with all of those things and we’ve got a room full of guys that can do that.”
(I’d like to ask you about LB Raekwon McMillan. Where is he in his development and what does he have to do to see significant playing time?) – “I think he’s done a great job. (He’s) a guy that you love to coach about all of the right things. (He’s a) physical guy that I think has continued to develop all through camp, like all of the other players. Really, Raekwon has consistently gotten better every day and guys are getting reps with everybody, just kind of in and out with different groupings of people. I think he’s done a great job with all of the reps he’s had in camp. He’s another guy with great leadership qualities and takes every little inch of coaching he can get. It’s all so important to him. He loves football. He’s been a joy to coach and I think he’s gotten better every day that I’ve been here. I really, really believe that.”
(My intention is not to stereotype you here but I have a feeling that Sunday dinner may be really great at your house.) – “(laughter) Forget it. It’s like they start at two o’clock and end at 10 o’clock. Forget it. Absolutely. (laughter) I’ve had a couple of those since I’ve been in Florida, which is nice. The food is really good in this area. I feel like I’m back home so it’s nice. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores is a Brooklyn guy and (Assistant to the Head Coach) Lance Bennett is a Brooklyn guy too, so those guys know how to eat.”
(What’s on the menu?) – “We could go any which way right here right now. It’s a good thing I’m not home, because this could be like an eight hour dinner. There’s always something with red sauce on Sundays. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Andrew Van Ginkel. How well do you think he’s played? We saw him have two bat-downs a couple of days ago. Who else at the edge position has stood out to you so far?) – “I think everybody at that position has done a tremendous job and that’s really – first of all, it’s a credit to the guys playing the position, because I see development from last year or earlier on this summer until now in all of those players. I think that’s a really cool position to play obviously because it takes a certain skillset to do that and just like every other linebacker position, you’re asked to do some things that require some multiplicity to your game to be good at that spot. I think all of our coaches have done a great job with that in pass rush, in pass coverage and helping to develop those guys. ‘Gink’ is a guy that like you said, he just shows up every day and seems to get better and better. Vince Biegel, when he was going, he was getting better and better. Every one of those guys at that position, I feel, has developed. I’m really impressed with – being here, I’m impressed with all of our coaches here and what they’ve done in terms of developing those guys – (Outside Linebackers) Coach (Austin) Clark), Coach Boyer (Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer), (Defensive Line) Coach (Marion) Hobby and ‘GA’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) and (Coaching Assistant Charles) ‘Chuck’ Burks. I like to sit in there and watch team (drills) every day because I feel like guys are developing. It’s been a lot of fun being here. It’s a great group of guys.”
Kavon Frazier – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
S Kavon Frazier
(Obviously you signed during a time where workouts weren’t allowed. Did you talk to General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Brian Flores or Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander before you signed, before David Canter did a deal for you, and if so, what did they tell you?) – “No, I didn’t speak to anybody before that came. Yeah, there was a time we couldn’t do any workouts obviously. Last year I was hurt, coming off of a pec injury. It was just an unfortunate time for me, because I needed to be seen by teams in order to have them trust that I was 100 percent healthy. Even though that was Week 4 of the season last year, teams wanted to see to see how I was feeling, to see if I was 100 percent. I was just fortunate to have them actually believe that what we were saying, and believe my agent, that I was 100 percent; and ultimately believe in me, and believe in my talent and what I could do on the field.”
(I wanted to ask you because you’re pretty much a strong safety. What’s the biggest key to mastering those run fits when you have to help out in the run?) – “Yeah, run fits to me is one of my strong suits. It just kind of comes natural to me. In Dallas, I don’t want to speak too much about this – about my time in Dallas – but during my time in Dallas, I was doing the same thing. I was down in the box a lot, filling in holes, filling in gaps, so this defense is just coming natural to me.”
(You played a lot of special teams in Dallas and now you’re here to compete with work in the defensive backfield. How important is it to you to earn reps on defense, and what’s your impression so far on the defensive back room through the first couple of weeks during training camp?) – “It’s definitely important. Like I said, I really don’t want to go too much at my time in Dallas because I’m at a new chapter now and I’m just grateful to be here, but I didn’t really get the opportunity that I wanted there. So here, it’s definitely important for me to try to get on the field on defense; but with that being said, I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do. I realize I’m in my fifth year and we have a lot of other people also, so there’s a lot of competition going on. Shoot, I’m just doing whatever they want me to do. If they want me to play strictly punt and just coverage units, I’m cool with that. If they need me in on defense, I’m going to be ready for my opportunity when it comes.”
(I know you’ve been kind of active in the protest movement throughout the offseason. I just wanted to get your view on where we currently are and what you feel your role is in bringing attention to social justice?) – “Yeah, this is a tough topic for me because I had an incident when I was younger and I was racially profiled when I was 10 years old. The police thought I had a gun on me, but I was just a 10-year-old innocent kid who went to Christian school all my life, who was doing all the right things. At that moment there, I knew anybody could be targeted just by the color of their skin. That’s why I’m so active in the community. I’m so active in trying to educate other people about what’s going on, about how America really is for us. But where we are right now, I’m really lost. I’m lost for words, I’m lost for hope. I really don’t understand how after people watch what happened to George Floyd and after they watch that eight or nine minute clip, how this last incident could’ve happened. I just don’t understand how somebody could – somebody who is unarmed, family in the car, how he could be a threat. I just don’t understand. We’re lost. We’re scared. I’m scared. I drive a pretty nice car and I’m scared if I get pulled over, that could happen to me. I have two daughters at home. Obviously this happens a lot with males, but my daughters still look like me. They still have some darkness to their skin. I’m just scared. Me as a male in America right now, I’m really, really scared. I just don’t understand. I don’t know. Because that could be me with my daughter in the car and they just unload seven shots on me. I’m just lost man. I’m lost.”
(In Dallas, you guys didn’t necessarily have the freedom to kneel or protest. Have you given some thought as to what you’ll be doing here?) – “I don’t really want to speak on my time in Dallas. This is a new chapter. As far as the protest, we’re just going to take that as it comes, and just talk with the team about it. As it comes up, then we’re going to attack it. Right now, there are other problems going on in this world. Obviously the NBA has been taking knees, they’ve been wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and the same stuff is still going on. Obviously people don’t get the message. There are people out there that still don’t understand what us as black males in America really go through. We’ve been telling them this for a long time now and they just think we’re lying. They victimize us and they think that we are the problem. Just because some of us may act a certain way or came up from certain neighborhood, that we’re always – that everybody is angry or everybody is upset at the world. Really, it’s the other way around. We’re lost for hope right now. We’re scared.”
Nik Needham – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
CB Nik Needham
(I wanted to get your thoughts on how different this year has been for the secondary than last year. It seemed last year every week there would be a new DB who was signed and they would potentially even play that Sunday. Here you have a lot more depth and competition. What’s the difference been for you?) – “The difference is just I think for me coming into my second year, just the game is kind of slowing down a little bit for me and just in training camp, we’ve had the same guys out here – all competitive, all willing to work, all trying to give it their hardest – so it’s just been a real competitive camp this year, for sure.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores talked a little bit last year about recognizing some talent in you pretty early on during camp. He mentioned some things you hard to work on to get off the practice squad. Then you get called up and have that immediate impact right away. I’m curious what are some of those things that you worked on and is there anything in particular this offseason you worked on the same way?) – “This offseason, last offseason, it’s the same things – just getting in shape. Last year I came into camp at 205 and I wasn’t able to run at my full potential and finish a whole practice through that heat. Definitely this offseason that just came up right now, I was more focused on that and didn’t want to let that happen again, so I came in and had one of my best overall body compositions; so I was a good body weight and body fat. That’s what I was focused on – just eating right and really taking it more professionally.”
(We heard a little bit about I guess the emphasis on turnovers and getting hands on the ball, and they told us a little bit about the point system. Can you kind of take us behind the scenes on the point system and how things are going in that realm for the DBs?) – “We get points for scoops – it doesn’t matter if it’s an incomplete pass or not. He wants everybody focused on getting to the ball, get to the ball, get to the ball. So any ball on the ground he wants us to scoop and interceptions – obviously that’s the biggest key to change the game – so we do like a little pushup contest and then at the end of the year, we’ve got another contest. It’s the ‘hood’ versus the ‘burbs’ – those are the names of the teams. It’s all about getting to the ball though. It’s all mainly focused on getting to the ball, stripping out the ball, trying to force as many turnovers as we can and that’ll help us win a lot of games.”
(We talked to CB Noah Igbinoghene the other day and he mentioned you by name and a couple other guys. What’s it been like working with him and just being in the same secondary with him?) – “It’s been cool. It’s crazy that he’s only 20 years old. The dude’s physically gifted, for sure – 205, runs a 4.3 – so I’m in awe of him as well. I’m like, ‘damn, that’s crazy.’ But no, he’s a great player – physical, always willing to learn and a great teammate to have, for sure.”
(Before I get to my question I want to ask what your weight is now. You said you slimmed down. What is it now?) – “193.”
(It seems that Head Coach Brian Flores is pretty good at pushing buttons. Do you remember an instance last year where he may have kind of played some games with you and helped you become a better player?) – “No, I just didn’t – I failed my first conditioning test, which was very embarrassing for me because I was one of the only ones and that was just being out of shape; so it was like a little team joke. Everybody was calling me like fat and stuff, so in my mind I was like, I can never have that again. So I was just always pushing my hardest to never be that guy again. Like I can’t be the only one like that. I was talking about how I got a gut at DB and stuff, (laughter) so we used to make little jokes like that so I was like, never again. I can’t have that happen, so I set my mind to it. Spinach. (laughter)”
(I want to ask you about CB Byron Jones but before I do that since we’re getting all these statistics, I know CB Noah Igbinoghene probably has like the most ridiculous body mass index. You mentioned BMI. What are the numbers for you?) – “I think I was 193 and 7.3 percent body fat; but like that’s what I’m saying, that was my ideal and best one I could be at because last year I was like, 205, 10 or 11 percent body fat. It’s just maintaining that and keeping that. I’ve felt it on the field as well. It’s definitely paid off.”
(The CB Byron Jones question. Obviously he’s got a lot of years of experience. What, if anything, has he said or what have you observed that’s kind of helped you?) – “Just how he approaches everything – practice, meetings – anything he does, he treats it just like the same thing and he just attacks it. He’s very focused. He’s very, very focused and he’s very intellectual; so he gives me a bunch of tips, smart tips that I can use on the field and just from his experience in being out there. He’s played like, 59 games – that’s a lot of experience out there – so anything on film he sees, he’ll give little tips on how he’d play something in the game or something of that nature. So I just use that all in my tool box.”
(Last year you started a good amount of games. What did you learn from that and did it humble you a little bit to begin this camp as a backup?) – “We’re all just working out there, but I just always came in and just worked – worked my hardest – and whatever Coach (Brian Flores) tells me to do, I’m going to do that. So I just try to do it to the best of my ability. I’m not really worried about positions or anything like that. Wherever they need me, I’m willing to go and give it my all.”
(Regarding the change in weight that you were talking about earlier, did that include a major change in diet? Is there something you gave up that you really miss?) – “Like I said last year, just not as much fast food and really locking in. I didn’t think that eating a bunch of nonsense really affected me like that, and I would watch guys like Chad Ochocinco – said he eats McDonald’s before every practice – so I’m like, ‘oh see, it doesn’t even matter;’ but to me, it definitely matters. I’ve heard there’s only a couple people like that in the NFL that can do that; so I definitely learned it didn’t work for me, so I had to figure that out the hard way.”
(Just kind of following up with what we were talking about with the point system if I ask a two-parter on that. One, what’s sort of the delineation for what you get point-wise for interception versus hand on the ball versus PBU and all that stuff?) – “Picks are the most. I think it’s five points for picks. For a scoop – if you get a scoop of a fumble – it’s like three points; and then PBUs is one point. We’re trying to get to pick, but – and also if you drop a pick, that’s missed opportunity. I think that’s minus-five as well, so we’ll holding everybody accountable. If the ball touches your hands, you need to make a play on it.”
(Okay and then I guess you said the teams – the “Hood” versus the “Burbs” – how did that come about and which team are you on?) – “That was ‘Coach G.A.’ (Gerald Alexander). He brought that here. He just had two team captains. It was Byron (Jones) and Bobby (McCain). Byron’s captain of the Burbs and then Bobby is team captain of the Hood, so Bobby had drafted me I think in like the fifth round or something (laughter) to the team. But yeah, that’s how it went down.”
(I’m curious to ask you about the competition you’ve seen – not just in the NFL in general but this year in training camp – coming out of UTEP, obviously you’re not going to find DeVante Parkers and Preston Williams down there. What have you learned from those guys but also your experience last year going up against some of the league’s best as you played so many snaps at cornerback last season?) – “I’ve definitely learned – definitely from DeVante (Parker) and Preston (Williams) that you can be draped all over them; the quarterback is still going to trust them to make a play on the ball. He’s going to throw it up there to only where they can reach it, so you’ve got to be good at playing the hands and sometimes you may not even be able to look back because you don’t know exactly where that ball is going to be placed because they have such a long reach and extension. And that’s also what I learned in the NFL. Just because you’re all over a guy doesn’t necessarily mean he’s all the way covered. They’re still NFL receivers, too, so they can make plays on the ball no matter what.”
Durham Smythe – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
TE Durham Smythe
(We talked to Tight Ends Coach George Godsey last week, and he talked about you sort of playing that unheralded position – the in-line position – where you might not get 50 or 100 catches in a year. How have you sort of maybe embraced that role that doesn’t necessarily get the acclaim from everyone?) – “Well, that’s something that I’ve kind of – a role I’ve fulfilled for a while in my football career, dating back to college and obviously through the last two years. I think it’s an important part of the game. There’s a lot of guys on a lot of other teams that do the same thing. They come in, kind of fulfill multiple roles, benefit the running game and things like that. You kind of throw yourself in the same boat in terms of not getting the recognition, just with the o-line, because those guys always say you only get the recognition when something bad happens. You kind of throw yourself in the same boat as that and just kind of appreciate what you bring to the table.”
(I just wanted to ask about TE Adam Shaheen. We haven’t heard much about him and obviously you’re in a room where you’re constantly around each other. What’s he like as a teammate and what has he brought to the table?) – “Yeah, Adam is a great guy. He fits well in our room. He’s smart. He’s caught the offense – from a mental standpoint – very quickly. He’s one of the guys. Like I said, he kind of came in and just fit right in for us. He’s taking the offense mentally very well and now he’s just kind of one of us. It’s been a very smooth transition, I think, for him.”
(Even though you’re an excellent blocking tight end, I’ve noticed that you’ve made some catches out here during this training camp. How have you improved yourself as a pass-catching threat?) – “I think I’ve kind of benefit from being in a room the last few years with guys who have natural talent in different ways. I think with me and Mike (Gesicki) going into our third year here, we kind of took a step back after last year, and thought ‘How can we benefit this offense by something more than just what we’re good at personally?’ I think we worked this offseason a lot on trying to become more versatile – more multiple – which I think will eventually kind of eradicate some of our tendency-based things within our offense. Obviously I spend a lot of time talking to Mike talking about how he releases, routes, stuff like that. I’ve spent some time with him about the nitty-gritty in the run game. I think hopefully if we can both benefit in those areas, we’ll be a lot less tendency-based in this offense.”
(Your first impressions catching passes from QB Tua Tagovailoa, what thoughts came to mind about how he throws the ball? And also, what’s the locker room experience been like this year where obviously you’re not close and bunched together, you have those devices that could go off if you’re close to other people. Has it been a strange existence in the locker room?) – “First of all with Tua, he’s got a great arm. That’s evident to everyone immediately. He’s also a great teammate. I’ll throw that in even though that wasn’t really a part of it. He’s one of the guys already. He fits in great, (is a) smart guy and can make all of the throws. I guess that answers the question: what jumps out at you immediately is he can put the ball anywhere he wants. Obviously he’s a rookie quarterback and in your first couple of weeks, there’s things you want to shake out and everything; but he’s a guy that obviously can make all of the throws. To answer your second question, yeah it’s odd. Especially being a guy that really loves that locker room culture. It’s weird not being able to just kind of come into the locker room, throw off your pads and go jump into a locker next to somebody else and start talking face-to-face right there. It’s definitely odd. You can still do that to an extent behind some glass, behind a mask and things of that nature; but for now, it’s what we have to deal with, so we’ll continue to do it and I think we’ll try to build a culture around it.”
(You played in a lot of 12 personnel with TE Mike Gesicki last year. As you mentioned, part of that unheralded role – you guys two play two different roles, as you mentioned – so how do you think you guys balance each other in that package?) – “Like I said, I think we have natural talents in different areas. I think mainly because of what we have physically – whether it’s size, speed, maybe a history with the run game or a history with running routes. I think that’s where a lot of the narrative comes out is that I’m the guy that’s going to come in and be the in-line blocker and he’s going to come in and catch all of the passes. Which, to this point, it has been. Like I said, I think this offseason, going into Year 3, I think we understand the game enough to where we kind of took a step back and thought about how we can both become more versatile to benefit this offense as a whole. I think that’s something that hopefully through this training camp and through this season, we can bring about.”
Brian Flores – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask you about having practice officials out there yesterday and kind of the benefits of those guys out there for you and for especially the rookies with no preseason, just kind of getting them used to the NFL game.) – “Yeah, I thought it was great to have the officials out there and get more of a live, real look at what the game atmosphere would be like. As you would imagine in a training camp setting, there’s a lot of chatter about ‘that would have been a foul,’ or ‘this would have been holding,’ or ‘this would have been pass interference.’ It was good to get them out there. I tried to talk to the players about not worrying about the officials and moving onto the next play, so it was nice to let them call it, let them handle it and whether you agree or disagree, we just have to move on. There’s also just some things that we could have done better. We had a couple of delay of games yesterday. There was a potentially close 12-men in the huddle (situation). Those are penalties that we can take care of ourselves as long as we’re paying attention to detail and we’re, as a coaching staff and as players, on top of things. It’s always great to have the officials and to have a game-like atmosphere. It really felt like football.”
(I just wanted to get your thoughts on what your philosophy would be in the organization about draft picks. You could have obviously held onto DE Curtis Weaver for another year with another administrative decision. How do you view draft picks? And some teams might hold onto them longer than others. In your view, if you have a feeling on a player right away, is that enough to move on?) – “There’s a lot that goes into that question. Obviously draft picks are very valuable but every situation is a little bit different. I liked Weaver. I thought he was a good player. I thought he had some potential. But his situation – like I said yesterday, when we make these decisions, there’s a lot of things that go into them that, quite frankly, you guys don’t know much about – whether it’s the injury itself, salary cap implications, depth at the position, next year’s draft. There’s 10 different things there. We make the decision that we feel is best for the organization. Obviously there’s a lot of – when we make a selection, we feel good about it then and the transactions that happen after that, we live with them and we move on.”
(On that DE Curtis Weaver situation, like you said there’s stuff that maybe we don’t know or aren’t as informed on as you. I wanted to ask, can you kind of educate us on the rule on maybe why you decided to go injured/waived rather than putting him on IR directly?) – “I understand the question; but look, we waived/injured Curtis Weaver. He was claimed. I wish him all the best. He’s a good kid. He had a great time here; but I’m more focused on the team today and trying to improve and trying to get better. We’ll basically leave it at that.”
(I’m curious about your evaluation of the running game and the running backs, in particular. How do you evaluate running backs in a situation where maybe the tackling isn’t necessarily live, and how would you evaluate your running back room so far through seven days of camp?) – “I think there’s a lot of competition in that room with Jordan (Howard), with (Matt) Breida, (Myles) Gaskin, (Kalen) Ballage, (Patrick) Laird and Chandler Cox. I think there’s a lot of competition in that room and guys each have their own unique skillset. It’s been a physical camp. Obviously we’re not taking them to the ground but there is contact defensively on our offensive and defensive lines, so you get a pretty good feel for who is getting yards, who would break what tackle. But at the running back position, are they making the right cut? I think each guy has had some good moments, has had some not-so-good moments. We’re all kind of getting better after each rep. The blocking, from a protection standpoint, has been good for the most part, at least as far as knowing who to block and where to go. In the pass game, I think they’re doing a good job in the pass game as well. It’s a good group, a lot of competition. We just still have seven training camp – I don’t know what day it is – seven or eight training camp padded days left, and they’ll keep competing.”
(What was your reaction to the Detroit Lions protest yesterday and how much discussion was there with your team about staging some type of protest in response to the shooting in Wisconsin?) – “Well, I know (Lions Head Coach) Matt (Patricia) very well – and (Lions General Manager) Bob Quinn over there in Detroit. They’re great friends. (I have) a lot of respect for them and that organization. A lot of history with that organization. I know a lot of the players there. Their protest, I have a lot of respect for what they did there; but our focus is on us and what we’re doing here and practice. Yeah, we had some conversations about that. We’ve had conversations about the many injustices that have gone on, in our locker room, with this team. We’ll continue to do so. As far as what they’re doing in Detroit, we respect it. We respect their organization.”
(CB Byron Jones was a pretty big acquisition this offseason. What have you thought of his camp so far in terms of how he’s getting acclimated to new surroundings, new teammates and obviously the personnel?) – “I think he’s done a good job; but as you put it, he’s getting acclimated. I think the heat down here for a lot of players is something you’ve got to get acclimated to. I know when I showed up here, it was something I had to get acclimated to as well. I think he’s doing a good job. I think practices have been competitive between he, DeVante (Parker), Preston (Williams), Jakeem (Grant) – really that receiver/DB competition that’s gone on there has been good. Byron’s a good player. I think he’s improving every day. He’ll continue to improve. He puts the work in. He’s very diligent. Obviously it’s a new system. He’s still learning some of the nuances within the system, but I think he’s progressing well.”
(Without live action, it’s hard to judge or assess or maybe I’m wrong, the run game and what’s happening in the trenches. Do you feel like you need a live period and maybe a scrimmage? And if you do plan to have a scrimmage, when do you think is the right time for that and how many can you handle before the season?) – “You really want to see some live tackling. (laughter)”
(Oh, I do. I do, absolutely.) – “It’s very evident. (laughter) That’s something we talk about on a daily basis. Look, the health of the team is the most important thing. Maybe at some point we’ll get some live tackling. I think, at least I can evaluate the run game without live tackling and get a sense of whether or not we’re getting yardage or not getting yardage. But again, I think it’s something that as a staff, we’ll talk about. As far as the live tackling in the scrimmage, we’re actually going to go to the stadium and practice on Saturday. We may have live tackling there; we may not. We’ll see then.”
(Obviously you guys lost some reps at that slot receiver position with WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns opting out. I wanted to see what your comfort level is with that particular position and if you see WR Jakeem Grant as an option to maybe get some of those reps inside.) – “I think there’s a lot of competition at the receiver position. As far as a slot, we’ve had a few guys working in there. We’ve had some of the outside receivers working there, as well. DeVante (Parker) has been in there a little bit. Preston (Williams) has been in there a little bit. Jakeem, like you mentioned – Isaiah Ford, I think he’s done a good job in there, Jakeem as well. I think there’s a lot of competition at that position. We’re going to bring – let’s call it the five, six or seven best guys, that we feel are going to help us win and will be productive and block and do things in the kicking game and do things in the slot. I think that whole group has done well. Jakeem is part of that. You mentioned him specifically and he’s part of that, as well. I think they’re all working and all competing.”
Jakeem Grant – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
WR Jakeem Grant
(How do you feel like your training camp has gone. I know obviously you missed today, but overall?) – “I feel like it’s going pretty smooth. It’s going really good. I’m going to continue to go out there and get better every day at everything that I do, continue to gain the coaches trust and be consistent every day.”
(Obviously WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns opted out earlier this offseason and you guys lose them; but that means that somebody has to pick up their reps and I know you’ve always been looking for that bigger role. What does their absence mean for maybe what potentially you can do in this offense?) – “It means a lot. I hated that those guys opted out, but I know that they have family issues or anything that they have going on, and I definitely support those guys on that record. I’m ready to take on whatever role that coach has for me. Whether that’s picking up the slack with those guys opting out and catching those targets, I’ve been waiting for it, and I’m ready for it. I’ve been pushing that message that I’m a receiver before a returner for the longest now. This year will be the biggest year to show it.”
(I warn you that I’m going to stir it up a little bit here. Who’s the fastest guy on this team?) – “Me. You don’t even have to say it. Me, of course. I’m going to say it every single time. I don’t care about – I told Matt (Breida), I don’t care about him running a 22.3 (miles per hour). I don’t have to run full speed to beat guys to the end zone. I don’t have to do all that. I’m going to continue to say that. If he wants to race, it’s nothing. I’ll continue to tell him, ‘you’re not going to beat me bro. I’m just telling you.’”
(To piggyback off of what I asked before, those guys talked about playing a lot of slot. You’ve been playing more outside as of last year, but you have played slot before. Where is your comfort playing slot if they need you to?) – “My comfort is at an all-time high playing the slot. Like you said, I played the slot probably throughout my whole career until I got to the NFL. When I got here as a rookie, I was playing in the slot. I got to learn behind Jarvis (Landry) and they moved me to the outside; but I’ve been playing the slot my whole life. It’s nothing to play it, just more communication with the quarterback, identifying coverages and just knowing where to be at all times. I feel comfortable playing that without a doubt.”
(I’m wondering about the left-handed quterback thing. Obviously you guys have a lefty now. Is there some adjustment? Is it any different?) – “I would say not really. As a receiver, if the ball comes your way, you’ve got to catch it. It’s as simple as it gets. I feel like there is nothing different, besides the spin rotation of the ball. It’s nothing different. Like I said, if you’re a receiver, catch the ball when it comes your way.”
(We saw you telling WR DeVante Parker that you’re 200 pounds these days. I wanted to ask you if there is any truth to that and how did you get all of that weight on?) – “I’m not 200 but I always like to tell him I’m 200. (laughter) I’m close there, I’m close to 200 though. I’m getting there. I just tell him that because I like to mess with him because he likes to weigh in with his backpack on, with his shoes on, with everything on. He’s always like ‘Yeah, I’m 225 (pounds).’ And I’m like ‘No, you’re not. You’re like 215 after you take all of that stuff off.’ That’s why I kept saying that I’m 200 because if I weigh in with my backpack and all of my clothes on, I’d be 200 too. That’s where that all started.”
(On that WR DeVante Parker tip, we saw that he had that cartoon out this week or like last month. He had the annoying nephew, and a lot of us couldn’t help but ask, are you the inspiration for that nephew? Do you know?) – “I think that I am. We’re trying to do a little feature on that with him being ‘Unc’ and I’m ‘Neph’. That’s probably what it is because as you can see with the mic’d up (segment), I’m always messing with DeVante. Whether anybody has film on me or the cameras are on me, I’m always messing with DeVante. I’m just trying to tell him that I’m bigger than him, I’m better than him, just the typical ‘Unc’ and ‘Neph,’ just to continue to get that rolling. Everybody loves it. It’s just something that we did just playing around. I guess it just blew up.”
(You’ve got Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier who are the only black GM/head coach duo in the league. I wanted to know from a player perspective what is it like to kind of see your leaders kind of look like you?) – “It goes a long way just to see that those guys – that you’ve got a GM and a head coach that are black. That speaks volumes for the black community, as well. For me, I wouldn’t say it’s different if I had a white GM or a white head coach. It doesn’t mean anything to me. But I would say it does speak volumes. It’s something that a lot of people look to in the black community and to show that black people can reach that level of success too. With me, it’s the same as anything. If it was white or black, it doesn’t matter to me; but it’s great to see black men take that type of empowerment.”
Josh Rosen – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
QB Josh Rosen
(We haven’t talked to you in a bit, but obviously this has been an eventful offseason for the team and for that room. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the team obviously drafting QB Tua Tagovailoa and what that means for you.) – “It is what it is, and I’ve just got to come out and try as hard as I can and compete as hard as I can every day and hopefully get the nod at some point in the future. Right now, I’m just focusing on improving every day. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is an awesome guy to learn from and I’m sort of trying to continue that progress I had near the end of last year. I think I’m doing a pretty good job of it and we’ll see what the future holds; but I’m just focusing on my development at this point and I think it’s been going pretty well.”
(That development that you’re focusing on – what are the specifics of that? What is it that you’re trying to improve on?) – “Defenses. Not just watching film, but being able to apply information from the film room onto the field and what that means for my particular play. So I think I’ve been able to – more so than I ever have in my career – been able to eliminate guys pre-snap and start to zero in a little bit quicker on who I want to throw (to); and that’s helping me get the ball out quicker than I ever have and make fast decisions and not make my offensive line look bad by holding onto the ball. (laughter)”
(We’ve asked QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Tua Tagovailoa and Quarterbacks Coach Robby Brown about the atmosphere in that quarterback room and I’m curious to hear your perspective on what it’s like working in that room every day and some of the things that you glean from the collective brain trust there?) – “’The collective brain trust?’ That’s a good one. (laughter) There’s sort of previous relationships everywhere in the room. I’ve known Tua (Tagovailoa) since I played him in high school and then he almost came to UCLA so I knew him at that point. And then ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and Chan (Gailey) and Robby (Brown) all have their history; so we all have some sort of familiar connections and it’s pretty hard not to goof around with ‘Fitz’ and Chan in your room, so it’s a really awesome atmosphere. I’ve learned a ton. I think we all have really good attitudes and we’re trying to make each other. And I think it’s been working. I think we’re all getting pushed in a very positive direction. I think it’s good for the Dolphins.”
(For the last three days, you’ve been getting limited work in 11-on-11s. I don’t know if that’s injury-related or just how the rotation is working. How do you take that?) – “Definitely not injury-related. I’m all healthy out here. But I don’t know, that’s not really up to me. I’m just trying to control what I can control. I think I’ve played pretty well. Definitely a couple mistakes that I’m trying to fix here and there, but I’m just trying to put the best product of Josh Rosen on the field that I can. It doesn’t really do well to focus on much else.”
(I guess just listening to you for the last few minutes, you seem positive and comfortable with where you are. I know a lot of people wondered if you were going to ask for a trade or ask out given your situation. Why is that not the route that you chose to take?) – “Because I like competing, but I think a lot of it is there is just a lot to learn and I think you kind of have to treasure the moments that you’re with a 16-, 17-maybe-year vet with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and a coordinator like Chan (Gailey) who’s been around the game for a long time. So I don’t really know when or where. Hopefully this year, here, I’ll get a shot to play; but I’m just trying to focus on preparing for that shot as best as I can. That’s within my control and I’m actually pretty satisfied with how I’ve come out and played this training camp. Obviously some holes here and there that I definitely need to improve on, but I really think I’m sort of trending in the right direction. I’m enjoying it more than I ever have actually.”
(Your positivity is just so radiant right and at a point where it seems kind of – you have an awkward place in this quarterback competition with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick being the expected starter and QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of being the heir to it. Just how do you find this positivity because I don’t think your career is probably gone the way you probably wanted it to go or maybe envisioned it going, versus how it’s gone so far?) – “I feel positive because I’ve noticed I’m a lot more comfortable behind center this year than I was last year. And I’m walking up to the line of scrimmage with a plan, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve put a lot of work in this offseason, and after I got benched – got benched the first time – but the final time, the last time before (against the Washington Football Team), I sort of did kind like a big mirror reality check and just wanted to completely turn inwards and see what I could do better. I kind of flicked myself in the head, like, ‘you’re literally in the room with one of the best minds to ever do it, and that’s ‘Fitz.’’ So I basically just sat there and tried to swallow up as much as I could from him and I took that sort of process into the offseason, and I’m pretty happy with how I feel behind center at this point. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I think I’ve only scratched the surface with what I can do. I guess the reason that I’m sort of positive outside of this situation is because really all I can control is my development, and I think that’s going in a good direction and I’m pretty – I don’t know the kind of word to pick here – but I’m doing well.”
(We were looking back dating back to your college days and we think it’s been five or six straight years where you’re going to have a different offensive coordinator. You just mentioned Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and I was just wondering, how do you kind of overcome the challenge and does it ever become overwhelming at some point just going through so much change?) – “It’s overwhelming every single year and then there’s always kind of a moment – usually it’s like spring ball in college or like OTAs, where you feel like you’re drinking from a firehose and there’s always kind of a moment where it clicks and you’re like, ‘okay, I’m starting to feel this is my language.’ Each year it’s just kind of a rough road to get there, but once you get there, you’re pretty comfortable. They’re just different styles and this offense that Chan (Gailey) runs is very player-oriented, so it’s just put your guys in position, let them make plays. He wants us to play fast, make quick decisions and let our playmakers make plays, and we’ve got a lot of them. This a pretty stark contrast to what we had last year. It was a very different style and I’m not saying one is better than the other, but I’m just enjoying my time in this one right now and learning some of the nuances that – Chan and ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) have worked together and it’s really cool, actually, to go back and watch old Chan-Jets film with ‘Fitz’ at quarterback, so we can see those specific plays and we can see and ask and talk about the thought process of that play call and what ‘Fitz’ was thinking and why he threw it somewhere, and reliving some of the heartbreaks and celebrations on some of the plays. (laughter)”
(I found it interesting where you were talking about that soul-searching that you were doing. Given how you were drafted as high as you were and had whatever amount of expectations you may have had on yourself or your career, how difficult was it to reach this point where you’re as positive as you are in where you are and would there a point you could see yourself saying, “okay, I tried to win a job here in Miami, maybe it’s time to try and win a job elsewhere?”) –
I’m not really focused – maybe my mindset will change at some point in the future – but I’m not really focused as much on winning a job as I am just getting better, because I feel like I’ve bounced around a little bit at this point in my career; and when you focus on this, you kind of forget about this. I’m not saying I forgot about one or the other, but my peace right now is in my development as a quarterback, and I feel like that’s been going in a positive direction and that’s why I feel good about where I am right now. I was drafted in the first round and I think around the league, people still think I can play to a certain extent; and just whenever that opportunity comes wherever it comes, I just want to be prepared for it because they’re few and far between, and I didn’t do great with the two that I already had. Not many people get third chances, so I’m definitely going to seize the opportunity when it comes.”
