Ereck Flowers – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
G Ereck Flowers
(I wanted to ask you what the experience was like with COVID and how you got through that.) – “The first couple of days were rough. Then it’s like, you slowly just get over it. Then you have to work your way back with conditioning and your breathing and all of that stuff. I think they did a pretty good job of helping me work back before just throwing me onto the field. I think it went pretty smooth.”
(I pretty much watched you grow ever since you were in high school, seeing you working out at the L.A. Fitness gym back in the day. How has it been for you now coming full circle, playing high school ball here, college ball here and now coming back to your hometown to do what you’ve pretty much grown to want to do?) – “Yeah, it’s crazy because down here growing up, I’d go to the Dolphins camps, to their practices at the stadium, to their games. Then growing up in optimist, we had little – the stadium provided certain people – teams, like their optimist clubs and high schools – to work at the stadium to get fundraisers and all of that stuff. So I’ve grown up around it this whole time, from UM football to the Dolphins. It’s pretty crazy being able to play at all three levels at where you’re from; but I wouldn’t trade it for nothing, really. I’m extremely happy.”
(You stepped up and have sort of been the leader of a lot of these rookies, having them out here after practice. How important is that for you to step up and serve as a leader, considering you’re one of the most experienced offensive linemen on the team?) – “It’s very important. I didn’t learn the importance of that – practicing the right things and taking that extra time – it took me about four or five years. Coming into the league is all about what type of room you’re coming into. Every room isn’t the same. Everybody doesn’t come into rooms with a veteran or a coach that really teaches you the right way of how to become an NFL linemen. The past year I got to play with Bill Callahan, who by far has been the best teacher – not just in football – I’ve been around since I’ve been playing football. He’s taught me so much and being able to play next to a Pro Bowl right guard, Brandon Scherff. (Callahan) showed me some of the stuff he did with the Dallas o-line and just his resume, the proof is in the pudding. Going into my fifth year in the league, I kind of just forgot everything I knew and just tried to learn his way and the right way, and be around guys that do it the right way. That’s just how they do. Good players go before practice and stay after practice, and they put in countless reps to get any type of production.”
(I just wanted to ask you about the rookies in your room. You guys have maybe two or three rookies that may start or play for you guys at some point. What is it like to play with young guys now, as the veteran in the room?) – “It’s kind of crazy because this has been – it’s crazy to think that because this has been the fastest, kind of slow but fastest – like I’m in my sixth year. It’s kind of crazy looking at these young guys and they’re actually looking at me. I’m like, ‘Damn, just yesterday I was the young guy trying to find somebody to teach me how to do something this way.’ It’s been cool, man. All of them are open-minded. All of them are trying to learn. They’re all trying to get better. Me personally, I’m just trying to give them everything I know and take what I know and go on with their own experiences. I’m just doing what I can. They know if they have questions, they can ask me. Anything I see, I just try to tell them and I ask them to tell me what they see on my end. We just work together.”
(You talked about your practice habits and your career began at tackle and then you kicked inside to guard, and you have your best year last year in Washington. What do you think it is about playing inside that really suits your skillset so well?) – “I think I have decent length and arms, as far as getting on guys faster. I think that kind of plays a little bit more into my strengths as opposed to having shorter arms, as far as trying to get on guys. I’m taller, so I think that kind of helps. Also, I’m kind of a bigger dude, so I think it’s easier like right now, as opposed to trying to time it. I think I could play tackle but I wasn’t equipped with the right – what I know now, going back to it, it probably would’ve been different. But as far as guard, I like it because it’s right now and I’m more of a right now type of person.”
(You already mentioned that you’re in a teaching role now. Do you find yourself teaching G Danny Isidora a little bit more considering you both are from South Florida, both went to The U. Although you guys are around the same age, do you find yourself teaching him a little bit more since you have a little bit more of experience than him?) – “Yeah. I came into the league with Brandon Scherff and he taught me more than all of the older dudes I was with. I’m just relaying the info that was relayed to him and how it’s supposed to go. Me and Danny actually worked out together in the offseason. I brought my equipment and we tried to work, because COVID kind of messed a lot of things up. I think Danny is having a great camp. I think his hand placement has been really good and he’s doing really good out there; and it’s not me teaching him, I’m just relaying info that I got from somebody else to him.”
(With the size that you guys have, this whole line, you’re one of the bigger guys but you guys have a lot of girth. Do you think that will play well for you this season, especially in this heat?) – “I hope so. I really hope so. But it’s one of those leagues where any game – you just never know. You just try to go in there the most prepared as you can. I kind of hate that we don’t have any preseason games. We didn’t have OTAs. We didn’t have time to really gel. I think we’re going along fine but we’re going to have to wait and see. We’re going to have to get better every week – week after week after week – and really just continue to get better. I think that has to be the mindset to get to where we want to be. Wherever we start, just get better. It’s kind of unfortunate how it is right now.”
(I was wondering about Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall. I haven’t gotten to know him too well just yet. Is there something that he says all of the time?) – “Yeah. ‘Marsh’ has been great. I think he’s doing a great job with rookies like learning their assignments, and really trying to get them together. It’s really just going to take everybody. It’s going to take everybody because of how it is and how we just jumped into camp and guys are finally getting together and meeting each other, it’s kind of hard for him to go to every single player. But he’s trying to get to every single dude and get as much as he can get done. I think he’s doing a great job. Like I’ve said, we just have to keep getting better.”
Brian Flores – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to get your update on a couple of things. First of all, the decision to put DE Curtis Weaver, waive him with an injury designation. Are you expecting him to be back? And two, how is LB Kyle Van Noy?) – “Weaver – I’ll start there – a lot goes into these decisions: the injury itself, player performance, salary cap, depth at the position, next year’s draft. There’s a lot that goes into it. Those conversations happen with myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), the coaching staff. He’s waived. He could get claimed. It’s a small percentage of players who do get claimed in this situation. We’ll see if we get him back. We’ll know this evening. As far as Kyle, he got banged up a little bit yesterday. He’s getting treatment. He’s feeling a little bit better. We’re just going to take this thing day to day and we’re hopeful he’ll be out there – I know he’ll try to get out there – as soon as he can.”
(What kind of camp is QB Josh Rosen having?) – “Like all of the quarterbacks, he’s had some good moments, some bad moments. All in all, I think he’s competing. I think he’s made some – of all the quarterbacks, he’s probably got the biggest arm. He’s made some incredible throws. Consistency – I would say we need to always be more consistent at every position, specifically the quarterback. There’s a lot of competition there from ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to Tua (Tagovailoa) to Josh. But he’s a talented player. He’s been competing. Consistency, really at that position, you need it – situationally, from a leadership standpoint. I do think he’s making a lot of progress and hopefully we’ll continue with that progress.”
(I know you’ve talked about it in different situations before but there was another black man that was shot in a public manner by police with Jacob Blake. I wanted to see if you wanted to say anything about how that impacts you and your team going forward, and if that’s something that you’ve discussed with them.) – “There’s a lot that goes into this. I think for me, when a situation like this comes up again, it just reminds me that there’s a lot of fear in this world, there’s a lot of anger in this world. There’s racism, there’s classism, there’s sexism. There’s a lot of division. And what we need is unity. That’s what we need. Unfortunately, situations like this create more division and I think it’s sad. I haven’t watched it because I’m not ready to watch it emotionally. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to see; but there’s just a lot of division. We need more unity. I haven’t talked to the team about it yet, but we’ve had conversations about race and injustices. I think they know where I stand on this. I think individually, we all need to be better. We all need to be more empathetic. We all need to take more ownership of how we treat people. Again, there’s a lot of fear, there’s a lot of anger on all sides. It’s unfortunate. There’s a lot of division. Hopefully, I just try to do my best to improve the situation anyway I can. I think our team tries to do that and use our platform to create more harmony and camaraderie in the world. Hopefully we take the situation and try to make something good out of it; but when it continually happens, it’s frustrating. We’ve got to do our best to try to make a kinder, more empathetic, more unified world.”
(We’ve talked about G Ereck Flowers before but in speaking with the three rookies yesterday or two days ago, all three of them were very complimentary of what Ereck has done for them in kind of a mentorship role. Is there a way to describe just how valuable that can be, especially when there’s so many newcomers and rookies on the line?) – “I think it’s very valuable. Ereck has had a lot of experiences in this league. He was a high draft pick, has played for a few different teams, has had a lot of ups (and) downs over the course of his career. He’s learned a lot. I think he’s really kind of taken those young players under his wing to a degree. To me, what better of a guy to do that than someone who has had as many experiences as he’s had. He’s been in different places, been in different systems and had some success also – success and failures. When he talks to a young guy – a young offensive lineman – he’s talking to him with a lot of knowledge. I think if they just do a quick Google search, they’ll read about it and know that he’s been through a lot; and he’s gone through it and he practices hard every day and it’s important to him. He goes about his business the right way. I think he’s learned a lot over the course of his career. That’s been nice to see. It’s Ereck but it’s also Ted Karras, it’s Jesse Davis. I think Julién Davenport, (Adam) Pankey. They all work well together. Danny Isidora. They all kind of work together and helping those young guys get acclimated to the National Football League. Obviously there’s no preseason games, so they don’t get to go out there and bang with another team, but I know there’s a lot of conversations about what it’s like to play a game in this league. Those conversations are happening and guys like Ereck, Ted and Danny, they’re leading those conversations.”
(This is kind of a two-part question. I wanted to ask you about your thought process on rookies because last year, especially with G Michael Deiter, you put him in there and threw him in the deep end to see how he played. It seems like you’re doing the same with a lot of these rookies from CB Noah Igbinoghene to the offensive linemen. Is that just your coaching philosophy? I also wanted to ask you about CB Nik Needham, because he’s gotten a call up to the first team because of Noah’s injury. How has he done so far in training camp in your opinion?) – “I’ll start that with Nik. I think Nik has made a lot of improvement over the course of the year. How Nik came into training camp, he’s learned a lot. I think he’s matured a lot. I think he’s taken a lot more of a professional approach from his rookie year. He’s made some strides. I tell these guys, when you get your opportunity, you have to take advantage of it. It’s like basketball. When you get your opportunity, that’s like getting to the free throw line. You either make it or you don’t. That’s kind of some of the things we talk about. So when Nik goes in because somebody else goes down and plays well, that’s what we’re talking about as far as taking advantage of your opportunities. And that’s not just football, that’s life in general. Nik’s done a good job. As far as rookies in general and throwing them into the fire versus not throwing them into the fire, look we play the guys we feel give us the best chance to win. That was the case with – I know you mentioned Dieter. Last year he played a lot of football – a year ago – and we felt like he gave us the best chance to win. But at the same time, there’s a little bit of forecasting and predicting that we need to do as coaches, as an organization and as a personnel department, where a guy may not be better than somebody else Week 1; but the prediction and the forecast is that he may be better in Week 12. Those are decisions we have to make. Every team is making those decisions in some form or fashion. I’m not saying that’s necessarily the case. We might feel like he is better right now – not Deiter, I’m not talking specifically about one specific player; but in general, we may feel like ‘Player X’ is better than the veteran. But we may also feel like ‘Player X’ is going to be better. That’s a lot of what goes into the decisions here. You guys will never really know what I’m thinking at the end of the day. (laughter)”
(We were asking about G Ereck Flowers. Obviously he spent some time on the COVID list. CB Xavien Howard has been out for a while. Common sense says if they’re on for more than a few days, they’ve got something going on. For those guys have had long absences because of COVID, have you noticed just the normal conditioning they lose from a week of not practicing, that the illness might have some effect on them or that it takes another week or two to get that breath back?) – “I think every case is different. They are. Everyone responds to an infection, that infection, sickness, injury – everyone responds a little differently. Obviously if you’re out for an extended period of time, your conditioning – whether it’s a world-class athlete or you or I – is not going to be as good as it was the 10 days or two weeks prior. That’s always going to be an issue, it doesn’t matter who it is. We just take it case by case and try to work the guys back and work them back into shape, and get them out there as quickly as we can. Everyone needs to practice. Everyone needs to prepare. We’re closing in on cuts and the first week of the season, so we need the guys out there. But yeah, to answer your question, everyone is a little bit different.”
(There were some reports this summer about some teams reaching out about QB Josh Rosen’s availability. Obviously I know you won’t divulge much into that but it seems that whether QB Ryan Fitzpatrick holds up or he doesn’t, or you may not be ready to unleash QB Tua Tagovailoa, that Josh has a role to play here. Can you expand a little bit on where Josh kind of fits in with that quarterback competition?) – “Josh is competing. He’s competing like everyone else. I think we’re – let’s call it halfway through training camp. We’re not anointing anyone the starter. This is still a competition. I think he’s going to fit in and his role is going to be what he makes it, just like we say with every player at every position. Unless you’ve seen our depth chart and you know what I’m thinking – to me, we’re still going here. We’ve got a practice here. Guys will be competing and trying to get better. We’re going to work first, second and third down, and red area and two-minute. We’re going to work some two-point plays today. We’ll just compete and see how this thing shakes out.”
(On LB Raekwon McMillan, where is he in his development?) – “Raekwon has obviously started a lot of games in this league. (He’s a) good tackler, good communicator, smart player, plays in the kicking game. He’s still ascending. I think he’s doing well. He’s playing well this training camp. There’s a lot of competition at the linebacker position between Raekwon and Elandon Roberts and Calvin Munson and (Jerome) Baker and Kamu (Grugier-Hill). We’ll see where the chips fall. Yeah, everyone is still competing. This is practice seven of 14 of training camp, so we’re right at the halfway point. No decisions have been made but we’re closing in. We’re definitely making our evaluations and some people are ahead of others. You’re not going to get that out of me today. (laughter) We’re just trying to – we’re going to try to field the best team we can and try to compete for an entire season. Raekwon is playing well and I think he’s a very good player in this league.”
Preston Williams – August 24, 2020
Monday, August 24, 2020
WR Preston Williams
(We haven’t had a chance to talk since I think October, so I wanted to ask you about the injury, the rehab, what your mindset was like and how you feel now?) – “Getting injured – it’s not my first rodeo with the ACL, the knee injury. I just knew I needed to work as hard as I could to get back in time for camp. I just came here every day, stayed here the whole summer, all offseason, worked my ass off. Now I’m getting my reps at practice, so I’m just happy to be out there with the guys.”
(When did you have a knee injury before? At what level – was it college, was it high school? How did that experience teach you about what you needed to do to get back now?) – “I had it in high school my senior year on my senior night. I left high school early to go to college and start rehab. Jumping on it quick helps a lot and being really dedicated. It’s all about how you work. I knew when I got this one, I just needed to work very hard to get back.”
(We got a taste to see what you could do on the field last year. You kind of balled out a bit. What can you take out of that rookie year going into year two, and obviously want to do better than that?) – “Last year, I was just getting my feet wet. Just improve as a player from last year. A lot of the balls I could’ve caught, I’ve got to catch those and make those plays. Overall, just be a better player. The game slowed down a little bit to me, so I think I’ll have a better year this year.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was just talking about how you, and WR DeVante Parker is a nice duo to have because you guys have a lot of similarities. I’m curious, do you and him have any kind of competition going at all between you in terms of who is going to have more catches, who is going to have more yards, touchdowns, all of that?) – “Nah, we just feed off of each other. If DeVante makes a play, I want to make a play. If I make a play, DeVante wants to make a play. We do whatever we need to do to help the team.”
(How are you adapting to the new system and the new terminology here under Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and how this offense benefits your skillset?) – “I’m adapting pretty well, learning more positions. It’s more simple, I can say that. I feel like I fit in this offense pretty well, just by looking at the past people he had, with Brandon Marshall and all of them. Just the same body frame and stuff. I think this offense is real unique and I like it.”
(Do you have any statistical goals for yourself this year?) – “Stay healthy.”
(With this offense, we hear a lot about how you can make your own route adjustments as a receiver. Can you go through that for us, like what is the freedom that it gives you and how you think that benefits you?) – “Coach Chan (Gailey) always says get open. That’s our No. 1 job. They give you a lot of freedom, and you know you have time. He says you have a lot of time to work the DB and get open. Getting open that’s all we know, that’s all we try to do.”
(Just wondering your thoughts on the stadium allowing a limited number of fans. Is 13,000 fans better than none? I’m also curious what’s it going to be like going to one stadium where there are going to be some fans and maybe an empty stadium the next week? What’s that kind of going to be like?) – “I guess we’ll just treat it like practice. There is nobody here right now, so I guess we’ll treat it the same. I don’t know exactly what the number is. I haven’t heard anything about the fans being in the stadium. We’ll see when we get there.”
(What’s it like having another 6-3-plus guy on the other side of you in WR DeVante Parker? Do you all have any good nicknames yet for your duo?) – “Not yet. Hopefully we can find one or the fans give us a nickname or something. Hopefully we’ll get one.”
(I’ve been real impressed with how you look. I didn’t really expect you to look so up to speed. I’m thinking you’re about 90 percent. Can you tell me if that’s good or if it’s actually higher? But also, I’m wondering what’s the moment where you said, ‘I’m back, I’m good, my knee is good?’ When was that moment?) – “Probably in the summer. Just being here with the training staff and in the weight room, just getting that work in. We were just working on all the little things. Percentage-wise, I don’t know how I feel. It’s up and down. The first day we stepped on the field, it felt back to normal to me.”
(Did you have that moment when you said, ‘Ok, it’s good?’ You said during practice in the summer; but did you have that moment when you said ‘Ok, I’m past this?’) – “I had that moment where I knew I could go back and compete. Just from my last injury, I knew my timeframe and what I did to be back at a certain time. I just did the same thing I did last time.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – August 24, 2020
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Monday, August 24, 2020
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(I don’t know whether you heard the Dolphins are having a news conference right now about plans to have up to 13,000 people in the stadium for the first game. What’s your reaction to the idea at this moment in our world of having spectators and how much of a difference do you think 13,000 people can make?) – “I played a lot of games in college with less fans than that, (laughter) so I might be a good one to ask about that. I just heard that walking over here; so I’m excited. I think just from everything that I’ve seen within this organization – the day to day – I know that they made that decision with everybody’s health and safety as the No. 1 priority, so I think I’m very comfortable with that and knowing that they’re doing it for the right reasons and they’re going to do it the right way. It’s huge for us as players to have some noise, to have some crowd reaction. It’s a big thing. It’ll be interesting as that plays out all year long – which stadiums do, which don’t – but as players, we’re excited to get fans out there cheering for us.”
(I wanted to ask you about the growth you’ve seen so far from WR Preston Williams in Year 2 here coming into the early stages of the second season. He produced a lot last year before his injury obviously, but what do you see here in the first week or two of practice that tells you that he can get right back to that level and beyond?) – “Preston has a great guy to watch, first of all, in DeVante Parker and the way that he works and goes about his business. Preston is very unique, just in terms of his physical qualities – the height, the weight, the speed, how nimble he is, all that stuff, his ability to track the ball – and having to sit out, you always kind of look for the silver lining or maybe the positives in a situation that isn’t so positive; so him getting hurt last year, he was also just able to take a step back and watch a little bit and learn the game a little bit more and I know he worked his butt off all offseason and that was really apparent as we came back, just in seeing him and all the work that he put in, and he’s done a great job. I think his confidence is high right now and that’s important for those guys, and rightfully so because he’s playing really well. We’re excited to him out there healthy and going and he’s doing a good job.”
(Between WR Preston Williams and WR DeVante Parker, does it kind of remind you of what you had in 2018 in Tampa Bay, being able to throw the football to a couple big receivers then?) – “Everywhere is a little bit different, but having two big guys on the outside with those qualities – they can go up and get the ball, they’re good route-runners, they’re smart players – I think that makes it difficult for a defense not just being able to key in on one guy. The way that we’re working right now, the way that those guys are showing up every day, it’s given our offense and I think our team a lot of confidence going forward.”
(Obviously you’ve done a lot of these, I guess, quarterback competitions, so to speak. It seems like you guys are in another one even though you’re the clear frontrunner. How do you kind of navigate that element of it as you get close to the start of the season?) – “You just go out and every single day try to do your best. The meeting rooms are the same thing, but when you’re getting reps – whether it’s ones, twos or threes or whether we’re throwing one-on-ones with different receivers – every time, you know there’s going to come a point in time where if the guy is on the roster, then you’re going to be throwing to him throughout the year whether somebody goes down in a game or is out for a few weeks. So I always make sure whoever I’m getting the rep with, that we’re on the same page, that we’re speaking the same language. We’ve got a great group of guys here right now that are working really hard and I just try to take advantage of every rep that I get; not just in the team periods, but some of those one-on-one throws as well, just making sure we have good communication.”
(I wanted to ask you from the time this coronavirus thing popped up in March, did you at any time think about opting out?) – “That’s a good question. I think everybody took a step back just to evaluate, do the risk-reward, and it wasn’t really heavy on my mind. I think us as players, we all put a ton of faith in this organization that they were going to do things the right way and that was easy for me in seeing how this organization is run and how it operated last year. It was easy for me to know that they were going to put the players first and that our health and safety – not just for us, but if our families need anything – that they’re going to do it the right way, so that part of it for me wasn’t that difficult of a decision. That being said, everybody has a different personal opinion. Everybody has a different perspective. Everybody has different things that they’re going home to, so there was no pressure put on anybody to go one way or the other, and we certainly respect Albert (Wilson) and Allen (Hurns) and the decisions that they made. There had to be a date that they put on it to cut off whether you’re going to be in or out, so we’re not looking back on that anymore.”
(Just to piggy-back off that, if you had opted out per se, it probably would have maybe been the end of your career? I don’t know if maybe taking a year off and returning next year would be something that you would want to do. Is that something that kind of played a factor into it, this being so late a stage in your career that you didn’t want to opt out? You wanted to just play?) – “No, not really.”
(You got obviously a taste of WR DeVante Parker and WR Preston Williams together last year for I guess a few games. What’s sort of the potential for you guys as an offense with those two out there together?) – “There’s a lot of things we’re still working at. With no preseason games, not going up against any other teams, we’re going to have to try to figure out early on in the season what our identity is going to be and the strengths and weaknesses of the football team and what we can lean on. But we know that we’ve got two good guys on the outside. We’ve got a great competition going on – guys on the inside right now fighting for playing time right now – and our backs our doing a great job as well, so as the season goes on, we’re going to figure out who we are and play to our strengths and I think that’s something that’ll be constantly evolving early on, just as we figure out where we’re at as a team.”
(I wanted to ask you your thoughts on how QB Tua Tagovailoa has hung in there the first couple weeks. He seems to have shown some real improvement the last couple days.) – “Yeah, he’s doing a great job and I know it’s your guys’ job to look at and evaluate every single day and every throw; but it’s something for us as quarterbacks and for me, I just like to see progress and sometimes it’s not necessarily a completion, but it’s the thought process and making sure the ball is going to the right spot at the right time. Sometimes there’s not going to be – some things are not going to look pretty, but it’s the right decision and that’s, for me, a step in the right direction. Sometimes you’re going to see a long touchdown or something and it wasn’t necessarily the right play, so you guys are going to laud it, but maybe it wasn’t what we’re trying to get done. There’s a lot of different parts of the evaluation process and for me, I just like to see first of all, confidence; and if you make a mistake, get out there, put it behind you and go play the next play. I like that a lot about him and then secondly, just the progression of is he going to the right place? Is he going on time? We’re making a lot of progress in that area, too. I think that’s the offense in general, and everybody getting a better grasp of it as we’re moving forward. Receivers are doing a good job getting in the right spot and quarterbacks are doing a decent job in finding them as well.”
(I wanted your opinion on the Dolphins are going to attempt to host 13 fans in the stands. Your thought process on fans actually being out there?) – “Okay, hold up. Thirteen or 13,000? (laughter)”
(13,000.) – “Oh, 13,000. Okay, because I was going to say, I was going to try to get my family out there, so then that would have only left – let’s see – like, five more fans? (laughter) Hey, I’m excited about it. I commented on this – I think you might have missed the first question – but basically, what I said was I’m excited about having fans in the stands. I know that the Dolphins organization, they’re going to do it the right way in terms of the safety guidelines and everything that’s recommended; but as players, we want fans out there, so if we could do it in a safe way, then the more the merrier. And that was music to our ears today when we heard that coming off the field”
Andrew Van Ginkel – August 24, 2020
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Monday, August 24, 2020
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(I think one of the coaches – someone mentioned that you’ve gotten physically stronger since this time last year. Can you kind of fill me in on how much stronger? Did you add weight? Are you better at some particular exercise now?) – “I just spent most of this offseason with some strength coaches and really just worked on honing my craft and getting stronger in all areas. That’s something that I knew I needed to work on and focus on. I went into the offseason dedicated and determined to get stronger, so I think it’s just in all areas.”
(What does that added strength for a player at your position do for your game? What avenues can it really help you on the field, just to get stronger in?) – “Obviously I’m taking on big o-linemen and tight ends. They’ve got a lot of weight on me, so I have to be able to put up with that and hold them. Especially at the point of attack, I need to be able to set the edge and take on tackles and tight ends, or whatever the case may be.”
(From your rookie season to now, where do you feel like you’ve made the most gains – outside of strength – in terms of understanding improvement? Has play speed slowed down for you?) – “Yeah, for sure. I think just where I’m at with the playbook, I don’t have to think about that or go out and study before practice. I can more so work on my technique and not really have to focus on what I need to do and where I need to be. It’s more how can I get better? How can I beat tackles? Or just work on my technique. I think that’s been the biggest gain of mine in my second year right now.”
(Obviously you and LB Vince Biegel both went to Wisconsin. You both have a history of effective pass rushing. He had so many quarterback pressures and quarterback hits last year. With him unfortunately getting hurt, talk about him and what he did last year, that you would like to kind of emulate in some way?) – “I think it’s just his ability to do everything. He’s such a hard worker and he really works to perfect his craft. He’s always out there early and doing everything right in all phases – special teams, defense. Whenever he got his chance to shine, he did a great job of it. He was a good guy to be behind last year, just being able to learn from him and watching him go about his business was a big thing. He has the ability to affect the game in all phases. I think that’s something that I can take from him and develop into my game.”
(With both you and LB Vince Biegel coming from UW-Madison, I wanted to ask you what was the biggest thing you learned under Bobby April III?) – “There was a lot of things. Just his – I would say just how he came in and how he perfected his defense, and how he would always put us in the right spot to succeed. No matter what the call was, if they overload one side, he knew how to bring us to that side. Just the way they scheme things there. I think just his technique and his scheme, for sure.”
(There’s definitely a lot more competition at your position now, although LB Vince Biegel went down. LB Kyle Van Noy and a couple of the other new edge rushers are here. What are some of the things that you’re learning from some of the guys that have just joined the team? How are they kind of helping you come along here at the start of your second season?) – “I think it’s big, especially how they pass rush and get after the quarterback – the different moves that I’ve learned. Like you said, we’ve brought in a lot of experience with Kyle Van Noy, Shaq (Lawson) and a bunch of those edge guys. Being able to get after the quarterback, the different moves and how they like to play – its chess not checkers. So just being able to manipulate o-linemen and get them to think one thing and then do another.”
(We have heard from some of the DBs about the point system and trying to get turnovers and get your hands on the ball and that sort of thing. Are the linebackers involved in that and how often do you try to get your name on that list?) – “Our biggest thing is just getting batted balls up and being able to knock balls down. They’ve got their own little point system but ours is just taking pride in being able to get to the quarterback and then getting hands on balls to tip them up in the air, which leads to picks and ultimately fourth downs.”
Brian Flores – August 24, 2020
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Monday, August 24, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(On Saturday, there was a play where WR Preston Williams caught a touchdown pass down the sideline. It looked like the cornerback sat down in a zone and the safety didn’t get over. What’s supposed to happen on that play?) – “I’m not going to get into specifics on what’s supposed to happen on a given offense, defense or special teams play. There’s a lot that goes into a specific play. Was it a blown coverage? Was it not a blown coverage? Was it a mental error? What you guys see may be a little deceiving at times. We’ll just leave it at that. There was a lot of pressure on the play, would the ball have gotten off? What did you think about that part? (laughter) So that’s kind of – there’s situations that come up like that in practice. In a game setting, what does that look like? But yeah, we’ve got to do a better job of defending the deep part of the field. The offense executed and made a good throw and good catch.”
(I’m sure you’re aware, there were a lot of testing irregularities I guess stemming from New Jersey. I’m not necessarily certain if they impact you, but how concerned are you that the testing is keeping the environment safe for you and your team? Also, with schools opening back up, I don’t know about your kids in particular, but are you concerned that there could be another wave of COVID-19 outbreaks?) – “I’m really concerned with us, our team and the decisions that we’re making in the building and outside the building. I think if we take the appropriate distancing measures, wear masks and make responsible choices, that’s again – like I’ve said since Day 1 – the best that we can do. So it’s up to us individually to make those smart decisions. As far as irregularities, over the weekend, the league – look, this is a moving target. We’ve talked about that since Day 1. I think the league has protocols in place to – they’ve got protocols in place and basically what we do, is we just follow the protocols. I think that’s what every team does and I think if you do that, from a testing standpoint, you may lose a player for a day; but for the safety of the entire team and organization, that’s a small sacrifice to make sure that everyone is safe and healthy. I think from a protocol standpoint, the league has done a good job. It can be frustrating on a day-to-day basis when a guy is out and it could be an unconfirmed positive; but I think we’ll proceed with caution, as we should. I think we know how quickly this can spread, so I think we should use caution and the league has protocols in place so that’s the way it’s done. We’re just following the protocols as a team and as an organization.”
(I’m sure that you didn’t get as much of a look at LB Andrew Van Ginkel last season as you would have liked, but in the time that he was on the field, what did he show you that tells you that he might be able to contribute heavily this season on your defense?) – “Well, Andrew is a tough kid. He’s got length, he’s got some speed. I thought he did a solid job for us in the kicking game a year ago, over the last six games of the season. He’s a smart kid. It’s very important to him and he’s improving and getting better. He’ll hopefully get some opportunities – well, he’ll get some opportunities definitely throughout training camp. We’ll see what happens when we get to the regular season. He’s improving. He’s getting better and I’m happy with where he is.”
(We all saw last year how WR Preston Williams got hurt. I’ve noticed in the first couple of practices, he was taking punt return reps, and then he wasn’t I guess in the days after. Where are you guys on him as a punt returner? Is he still doing that or is he done doing that?) – “Well, anyone who can return punts, we’re going to work them back there. Preston, obviously with the injury a year ago, he’s somebody who we’re just trying to be – I don’t want to say cautious, that’s probably the wrong word; but we want to watch his reps and watch the amount of reps we’re putting on him. He’s working hard. He wants to be out there and he wants to return every punt and wants to go out there for really every snap. If we didn’t manage him, he’d be out there every play. Coming off the knee (injury), we’ve got to manage him, which we’ve done. The punt return is part of that management.”
(I wanted to ask how the team’s time was at the stadium on Sunday. What was the process there with having your walkthrough in the stadium? How did you feel like your players responded to being in the stadium for the first time?) – “It was good. I think we need to – a lot of guys, we have a lot of new players that have never been there. They’ve never seen our locker room. They don’t know where the training room is or where the equipment room is or where the showers are, how we walk out to the tunnel. I think it’s good to get out there. It’s our home stadium, so where is the game clock? Where is the 40-second clock? I think those things – as a coaching staff, to check the headsets and do a dry run from that standpoint, I thought it was good. It’s always good to go to the stadium and get on the grass there and get a feel for where we’re actually going to play the games that we’re preparing so much for. We’re putting all of this hard work and energy into these practices and it’s good to get out there, even in a walkthrough setting, to kind of feel the atmosphere of being at the stadium. I think we got a lot out of it.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Nate Holley. There were a few teams that were in on him. Did you make a sales pitch? Were you part of the recruiting? And what position is he going to play?) – “He obviously had a good year in the CFL a year ago. He’s fast, he’s tough. As far as positions, right now we’re just going to get him out there probably more in the safety role – safety/special teams. But he’s played some linebacker. Look, his role is going to be what he makes it, like we tell all of the players on the team. I don’t consider myself – I’m not a really good recruiter. That’s not – that wasn’t my role in this; but he came in, he worked out, he did a good job on the workout. I think an opportunity to play on any NFL team is a privilege, so he took the opportunity and we’re happy to have him.”
(How often does QB Ryan Fitzpatrick do something that forgets that he’s 37 years old?) – “Probably every day. I’m 39 and it’s hard to think that I could go out there and get in the huddle and run around with these guys as much as he does. (laughter) Look, it’s a testament to the way he works in the offseason and his work ethic and his talent and ability. He’s a good player. He’s a competitive guy. He’s smart. He just has a good feel for the quarterback position. He’s got good leadership, so probably every day.”
(We saw CB Xavien Howard working on the side the other day. I was wondering how he came out of that and how he’s doing.) – “Obviously, we just got him back into the building. He’s just working his way back. It’s early so just from a conditioning standpoint and getting your legs back, it’s very early. We’ve just got to keep trying to progress this one day at a time and when we feel like he’s ready, we’ll make a transaction. But that conversation is between myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), the coaching staff, the training staff, the strength and conditioning staff, just to kind of see where he’s at from a conditioning standpoint, from a health standpoint. Hopefully we’ll get him back as soon as possible.”
(You kind of got a feel last week for what practice looks like when QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is on the field versus what practice looks like when he’s not on the field. What do you notice about the rest of the guys and the players when he’s not out there compared to when he is?) – “I don’t want to dive too deep into the one day that ‘Fitz’ wasn’t here and what it looks like with or without a guy. I think there’s 11 guys on the field – that’s something we talk about is you need 11 guys taking care of their responsibilities, communicating, trying to execute at a high level, not dropping the football, making sure we get our quarterback/center exchange. Regardless of who the quarterback is, whether it’s ‘Fitz,’ whether it’s Josh (Rosen), whether it’s Tua (Tagovailoa), there’s 10 other guys on the field who have to handle their responsibility. I don’t want to dive too deep into what it looks like with ‘Fitz’ versus someone else. This isn’t a one man show. It’s the responsibility of the players to kind of pick up the slack if somebody is out. Look, it’s a pandemic so guys could be out. If we’re going to say – and this is for any team – that one guy being out means that we’re going to fall apart, then it’s going to be a long season; and not just for us but for a lot of teams. I don’t think anybody is taking that approach and we’re not taking that approach with our team either, to include myself – coaches, players. We’ve got to be ready for the next guy to step up and perform because we’re going to need everybody in 2020.”
Austin Jackson – August 22, 2020
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Saturday, August 22, 2020
T Austin Jackson
(I’m just curious, how did the week begin for you and how did it end? Did you see great progress within yourself?) – “Yeah, I’m definitely just coming out here every day and trying to get a little bit better. That’s the goal every day and that’s what I saw this week.”
(I wanted to talk about kind of the last two offseasons put together here for you. They’ve been unique both for you and this time around you were able to train more regularly in the offseason. Do you feel a big difference in your strength and mobility and just your overall ability at this time compared to this time last year?) – “Definitely. I’m a year older than I was last year. I’ve had a year more of training. I’m working with a great organization right now. I think that it’s getting better.”
(I was looking at the Dolphins’ schedule and I noticed that there were guys like 49ers DE Nick Bosa, Chargers DE Joey Bosa and Broncos LB Von Miller early in the season. How do you feel about the prospects of facing guys like that?) – “I’m excited to go out and compete every day. That’s kind of the moral of this team. We look forward to those challenges. I definitely do myself and when they come, they’ll come; but I’m excited about it. I’m glad I get to work every day for it.”
(I saw you celebrated your 21st birthday recently. I wanted to ask what was the turn-up like at the team hotel or really honestly how did you get to enjoy your birthday as a 21-year-old?) – “The turn-up was in the ice tub after practice. (laughter) So I guess not much of one. My birthday has always fallen during camp, so I’ll celebrate the right way after the season is over.”
(I saw a sequence I guess in practice where you ripped DT Raekwon Davis’ jersey off and it kind of showed me the physicality that you guys were getting into in practice. What has that been like when you guys have started to ratchet it up the last few days?) – “It’s been fun. Just coming out every day and competing. We’ve got great guys on both sides of the line. I like to get after it. We all like to get after it and it’s a lot of fun.”
(Did you say anything to DT Raekwon Davis after you got his jersey?) – “I don’t think so.”
(I know when we talked to you before the draft, you talked about gaining strength. That was a goal of yours. Were you able to have maybe a goal for weight and strength and how did you sort of achieve that maybe in this different offseason?) – “My goal really was just to get as strong as I can in my core over time. I didn’t really have any weight goals because I didn’t really know what it looked like yet, so I’ve just been putting on weight the right way and working.”
(I was thinking about college versus the NFL. What’s something that you’ve learned that is just different?) – “There’s a lot of things different. For one, you’re not leaving to go to school in the middle of the day. You have time to fully develop yourself and devote yourself to football and a lot of free time to just make yourself a better player and enjoy ball.”
(I wanted to ask you about the competition you’re seeing on the other side of the ball. Have you been able to learn anything or take anything away from going up against guys like DE Shaq Lawson and DE Emmanuel Ogbah and LB Kyle Van Noy and all those pass rushers on the other side?) – “Yeah, definitely. They’re all great rushers. They force me to bring out the best in me and I’ve been getting better; but yeah, they’re all great rushers.”
(I wanted to ask you about the kinship that you may have developed with G Solomon Kindley and T Robert Hunt – three guys who were drafted together and now you potentially have a chance to grow together in the NFL. What is that like and what’s it like when you guys compare notes on your progress?) – “We’re just coming to work with our suitcase every day, just ready to work. Not really much complaining about it. We talk about certain things, just making sure we’re caught up in the playbook. We’re all learning new stuff and we’re just all coming and working day in and day out.”
(With the two fellow rookie draft picks – the offensive linemen – what’s that friendship been like? Have you all been able to build a bond, a connection between you guys?) – “Yeah, definitely. Offensive line is definitely a group that is very close-knit, so I think we’ve had the opportunity to bond – our whole offensive line class – and also just with the guys that have been here, too. I think it’s been great for all of us working together day in and day out.”
(I wanted to ask, G Ereck Flowers seems to be a player that’s helping a lot of younger guys after practice. Is he somebody that’s kind of helped you or are there any other veterans that have taken you under their wing so far?) – “Ereck definitely – he’s definitely been one to help us out; but pretty much all the guys across the board in our room have been willing to help us no matter what, even your second-year guys like Michael (Deiter) and Keaton (Sutherland). I think all across the board, we all work to make sure we’re all up to speed and play at the highest level.”
Solomon Kindley – August 22, 2020
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Saturday, August 22, 2020
G Solomon Kindley
(I wanted to ask you what’s it been like working with guys like G Ereck Flowers, G/T Jesse Davis – guys with experience under their belt – and how they’ve been able to help out the rookie group?) – “Those guys are vets. They’ve been teaching the ropes of the game. Me coming in as a rookie (and my) first year being in the NFL, they’re just teaching me the ropes of how to play football and do the stuff on and off the field.”
(I wanted to ask you about your progress. You came in maybe slightly under the radar because two offensive linemen were drafted ahead of you and yet people are noticing you, you’re getting reps. I’m sure you’re obligated to say that there are things you can improve on. Every player says that; but in general, how do you feel about your progress and has your confidence grown in this past week?) – “I’m just blessed to be here. I appreciate the Miami Dolphins for picking me up. Like I said, I’m blessed to be here and like you said, every offensive linemen – every player – has got something to improve on every day, so I’m just working at that. I’m trying to get better and I’m trying to prove myself that I belong where I’m at right now.”
(What are some things that you’re learning from the guys beside you on offensive line whether it’s C Ted Karras or G/T Jesse Davis or even G Ereck Flowers? What are some things you’re learning from the vets that are helping you rep by rep, day by day that are helping you kind of take the next time as you go on here in training camp?) – “They’re just teaching me how to be a pro. They’re just teaching me how to be a pro – eating right, studying the film, writing down all the notes that need to be done when the coach is talking to me in a meeting, making sure I’m 30, 45 minutes to meetings early or I’ve got to lift, getting up early, getting my day started; and then not only that – teaching me a game of football, like stuff that most people won’t see that I’ve got to see. Me and Ereck (Flowers) stay after practice every day, just working hard and getting better on every aspect of the game.”
(I wanted to ask kind of what’s the relationship like between the other two drafted rookies. You guys have a rare room of three guys coming in the same class. Can you tell me what that’s been like?) – “It’s crazy because I think Austin (Jackson) said the other day, ‘could you all imagine all three of us would have been at the Miami Dolphins at the Combine?’ Because at the Combine, they split us up into groups and I was like No. 28, Austin was like No. 30 and Rob (Hunt) was like No. 25; and we were all with each other the whole Combine. Look, God blessed us to be in this position that we’re in. Like I said, those are my guys. Those are my boys. I’m glad to be with them.”
(So I’m watching you move around out there and you move really well for a guy listed at 339 pounds. It’s really impressive to watch and I want to go back to your first job as a lifeguard. You’ve also got an impressive hoops resume. I guess what I want to ask you is, do you attribute that agility to the other sports and how do you train nowadays to maintain that movement ability?) – “Like you said, being a lifeguard, getting in that water and doing a lot of laps and doing that type of stuff in the offseason, it really helps a lot; but a lot of people don’t believe that I was a lifeguard. So just using that and just taking the lifeguard and playing basketball – because basketball you’ve got to move your feet, you’ve got to run up and down the court; that’s a lot of conditioning. All of these attributes – every game, it comes down to playing football. It all comes down to playing this sport that you want to play, so I just buy in and just use all that together.”
(You seem like you have a really great energy about yourself. Why do you take such pride in being so positive and having this attitude that you have that you’re sharing with us here today?) – “We could be here today; we could be gone tomorrow. I’m just – like I said – I’m blessed for the opportunity and that’s how my family and my mom and my dad raised me, so I just keep a positive attitude because you never know what could happen tomorrow.”
(Going back to the lifeguard question, you said some people don’t believe you. Have you had some interactions with your teammates about the lifeguard thing?) – “Oh, yeah. I got in the pool with a few of them before camp even started and when we were doing the Zoom calls throughout the offseason, they were all like, ‘Solomon, you can’t swim, you can’t do this,’ so we finally got in the pool. I promise you, I smoked everybody. I smoked everybody. It wasn’t a challenge between nothing against anybody. I promise. You can ask anybody on the team, I smoked (them). I promise. (laught)”
(Tell us the truth. Are you 339 pounds because you look like a big man?) – “(laughter) I’m 335. I weighed in at 335.”
(A few minutes ago you talked about things that you’re learning, especially from the veterans out there. What’s one thing that maybe you’ve learned in the past several days where you kind of told yourself “man, I never really thought about that?” You never thought about this being part of the NFL. What comes to mind?) – “Small technique stuff like stepping this way when this block’s coming, putting your hand up on this type of pass pro, making sure your eyes are right on the outside (line)backer. Those are the things in college where it wasn’t too big; but now in the NFL, your opponent, they’re studying what you’re doing every time. They’re studying what you’re doing every time, so those little things can get you beat, and also if you do all those things, that’s going to make you great.”
(One more time about the lifeguard situation. It’s real interesting so I’ve got one more question for you. So a two-parter: how big were you when you were a lifeguard like size-wise?) – “I had to be a few more pounds bigger, but I just had a little bit more baby fat – fresh out of high school – I hadn’t got into college yet. I had a little bit more baby fat, but I wasn’t too much more.”
(So you were 300-plus?) – “Yeah, I was 300-plus, definitely. (laughter) I’ve always been 300-plus.”
(So do you still have a lifeguard certification? Can you still be a lifeguard at this point?) – “Every year when you become a lifeguard – my brothers did. All my family is lifeguards. You’ve got to go do a certification test, so all I’ve got to do is take that test and fill out a few questions, put my name on it and I definitely can be a lifeguard again.”
(I wanted to ask you in regards to football, how important is it for you to start and be a player who gets some prominent time on the field here especially as a rookie?) – “I’m just blessed. I’m just blessed for the opportunity. Whatever the coach needs me – to win – wherever he puts me at to help my team produce and do the right thing, that’s what I’m going to do.”
(You’ve been going up against DT Raekwon Davis a little bit in practice. You went up against him as well at Alabama in college. What’s that battle been like and how are you guys kind of learning and helping each other out as pros?) – “He’s a stud. He’s a stud. Like you said, I’ve been going against him for three years straight in the SEC. Raekwon is Raekwon. Raekwon is a very good player. He helps me out on certain stuff on the field and I help him out with certain stuff on the field and that’s just that.”
