Mike Gesicki – August 18, 2020
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Tuesday, August 18, 2020
TE Mike Gesicki
(This will be your third offensive system in as many years in Miami. How have your first two years prepared you to take this latest scheme change in stride and continue building on what you finished with last year?) – “I think that that’s just kind of the mindset. It’s just something new again this year; but at the end of the day, it’s just football, so you’ve just got to come out, know your role, know your assignment and go out and execute to the best of your ability. That’s really all that you can do no matter who’s calling the plays or what the plays are called or all of that kind of stuff.”
(Congratulations on your engagement. I was wondering if you could kind of talk about your fiancée and how she has…) – “Hey, thanks. She’ll love this. (laughter) Yeah, absolutely. I just got engaged this past summer. Her name’s Halle and I met her at Penn State. She’s from New Jersey, actually has like a summer house where I’m from in New Jersey down by the beach, so it all worked out really well. She’s the best. We’ve really grown together and all of that kind of stuff and are excited now for our future together, so it’s cool stuff.”
(Transitioning a bit more towards football – I know that you played a lot in the slot last year and Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense tends to use a lot more receivers and tight ends, I guess, in the pass. What do you look at, I guess, the slot role and how it fits your game playing out of that?) – “I think that this offense is kind of built for people to make plays, so no matter what position you’re in, whether you’re a running back, tight end, receiver, quarterback; it doesn’t really matter. I think that if you’re going to get open, if you’re going to know your role, know your assignment and go out and execute to the best of your ability, then you’re going to be put in a position to be successful and help our offense make some plays. In terms of just playing that slot that you’re talking about, I think that’s just the same mindset as well. If you’re in the slot and no matter who’s covering you and no matter what the coverage is, whatever it is – your role – go out, get open and just let everything else take care of itself.”
(I wanted to ask, the other day Tight Ends Coach George Godsey mentioned how you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick were working together, how you were I think trying to get an idea of how plays develop from a quarterback’s perspective. I’m wondering how that process went and how that can help you from a tight end perspective.) – “I think playing ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) helps everybody, no matter your position. With his experience and his knowledge of the game, you’d be stupid not to ask him questions and try to see it through his eyes and get his perspective, so this way you kind of get some of his experience as well. So I try to talk to him no matter what the situation just to kind of ask him how he sees it, how he sees me getting open, getting some of my releases – that kind of stuff. Then it’s just kind of understanding where you fall in the progression of the play. So I think that all those things are super important because if you’re not the first read and you’re on the back side or you know you have more time to get open, you can run your route a little bit differently, so I think understanding those minor details of the route rather than just, ‘hey, I know I have this backside in-cut at 14 – like, understanding the full concept of the play just like the quarterback does.”
(Kind of a similar question in regards to what you just finished up on that last question, with the personal groupings, when you guys have you WR DeVante Parker and WR Preston Williams on the field, and all that height and leaping ability the three of you guys offer, how does having those guys on the field help create mismatches for you or maybe change the way you approach to how you execute your route?) – “I think after the seasons that those guys had last year, obviously Preston before he went down, was making a ton of plays for us, and DeVante, it seemed like every time you put the ball up to him, he was making a huge play. To have those guys on the outside, I think it’s hard to send more attention to a tight end or to a slot or anything inside just because of the threats that they are in their individual positions. Having those guys out there definitely helps. When you get your man to man or when you get your single coverage, you have to be able to win and dominate your matchups, this way there is more trust in you to go out and make plays. Then also maybe you can draw a little more attention to those guys who are getting their opportunities, as well.”
(I saw some statistics from Week 12 to the end of the season, you had a big increase in the number of end zone targets and red zone targets. I’m wondering what you’ve come to learn about the best way you can create a possibility of a touchdown in those situations as your career has progressed?) – “I think down in the red zone, I think it’s an area of the field obviously where you’ve got to get the ball in the end zone no matter what the play is. For me specifically, running routes and getting open and trying to make plays down there, I think you have to understand that you don’t have to rush the route, stay patient and you have more time than you would anticipate down in the red zone. Also, the majority of the time it’s going to be a tight window throw, it’s going to be a contested catch, so be prepared for – have strong hands, be ready to take a hit. Then do whatever you’ve got to do, whether it’s a high ball and just keeping it away from the defender or whether it’s across the middle and you’re got to take a hit – whatever it is. Understanding that and just finding – I think it’s more of finding open spaces down there, just because it’s a more condensed space.”
(Obviously you got to know QB Ryan Fitzpatrick well last year. I wanted to see what’s your relationship been with QB Tua Tagovailoa in the early process and how well you have gotten to know him as a person and as a quarterback?) – “Tua has been great – great around the building, great on the field. He’s really just a kid at 22 years old. He could’ve still been in college, which is crazy when you think about that stuff. For him to come in here and really grasp the playbook, grasp the feel of the locker room and then go out there and make plays and put the ball where it needs to be, I’m super excited about his future and all of that kind of stuff. It’s been good to have him in the building and it’s been good to be around him. He’s a really good dude.”
DeVante Parker – August 18, 2020
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Tuesday, August 18, 2020
WR DeVante Parker
(I wanted to talk about your breakout season last year and picking up where you left off the last couple of days in practice on these deep balls and jump balls. Head Coach Brian Flores talked this morning about your work habits and your workout regimen in the offseason. I was curious coming into this year, what are some things you feel that you can work on and how did you attack those in the offseason?) – “For me, I just feel like I have work to do on the comeback routes and things like that, and just getting this offense down pat so I can be ready to go.”
(In a year where you broke out last year, where there is more film available for defenders, how can you better prepare knowing that they have more film and study on you from last year?) – “I would say that coach – it’s almost rare to know. He moves guys around, so it’s hard for the defense to stick on you at one spot. I think that can be a big advantage for us.”
(You’re no longer a young player. You’re one of the oldest players in your room. With the loss of WR Albert Wilson and WR Allen Hurns, how important do you feel it is for you to step up and be a leader in that room?) – “I would say just teach the guys the things that I experienced as a rookie. Just tell them what they need to do and what they are doing right. Just be there for them whenever they need it.”
(I know last year, 1,000 yards was the big number for you and staying healthy for 16 games. What’s sort of your goal for this upcoming year?) – “Staying healthy (and) playing 16 games, that’s it.”
(How much time have you gotten to spend with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Have you been able to work with him one on one and how does he throw the football?) – “I’ve spent a little time with him and he has pretty good spin on the ball. He’s got a lot to learn but I can’t wait to see how he comes along in the next couple of years.”
(Based on your early impressions of Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s playbook, what are some of the different parts of your game you feel like you may be able to showcase more this year than last year now that you’re in a different system?) – “I’d say we have a little bit more freedom to do different things this year in this offense. I would say that.”
(A minute ago you talked about giving the young receivers advice. If you gave advice to yourself as a rookie today, what would that advice be?) – “Stay in the playbook, get your rest, just try to stay healthy, get whatever you need – massages and everything like that – just so that you’re prepared.”
(I wanted to ask you about film work. I think one of the things you’ve done as your career has progressed is watch more film. Are you watching more film than ever this year and how has the way you watch film changed?) – “I watch film this year, and the way I watch it now, it’s changed a lot. You have to see who you are going up against that week, especially if they are one of the top corners. You just have to be prepared to come out. The defensive back might switch up their technique or something and you have to know that, things like that.”
(We got to see you and WR Preston Williams work together for about seven or eight games last year before he got hurt. How do you guys build off each other in that duo and what do you look forward to this season working with him again?) – “Preston is one of our big guys. We both have big-play ability down the field, and we feed off of one another. I see him make a big catch and I’m going to come out and make a big catch also. That’s just how we do it.”
(How does going up against CB Byron Jones on a regular basis make both of you better? You had a nice catch early in practice today against him.) – “Byron is a good player. We just feed off of each other and we’re here to get each other better, that’s the biggest thing. He plays a different technique and sometimes you have to adjust to that, because I never have gone against him like that. We’re going to be making each other better.”
Eric Rowe – August 18, 2020
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Tuesday, August 18, 2020
S Eric Rowe
(It went so well obviously at safety for you last year. What did you go into the offseason thinking were areas you needed to improve on and did your play exceed even your expectations once you moved there?) – “There’s always stuff to work on, no matter what position or how long you’ve played. For me personally, I always work on man-to-man technique, press technique; but another thing I needed to work on was actually run game and run fits. As a corner, that’s not something you see a lot of and at safety obviously it’s a lot more prevalent, so I know that’s a thing I need to work on. Well, it was tough to work on in the offseason because there wasn’t anybody around; but for this training camp, work on my run fits and kind of seeing the run quicker than I did last year. As far as exceeding my expectations of last year, kind of – when they moved me there, I just worked on it game-by-game and I found it easier obviously to cover tight ends – they’re not as quick as receivers in the league. Some of them are pretty fast, but not all of them. Whichever one I covered, it was just my goal out there just to dominate them.”
(Earlier today, Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned that it was actually Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer’s idea to move you to safety last year. I’m wondering if he was the one who broke the news to you and if I were to give you a truth serum, what were you honestly thinking the moment they said safety?) – “(laughter) Shoot, the moment? I remember it because it was after the bye week and it was kind of like a transition. We were playing the (Washington Football Team) – not coming off the bye week, but that was the fourth game, and I remember the transition of one, because we had injuries at safety and then two, I guess when I was back there, he saw I was a good – I have a really good knowledge of the defense and I was making communication calls way from the corner spot, way out there making safety calls way on an island. It was kind of a mix of injuries and him seeing that and then I guess once I started covering tight ends, it was just already a done deal. So the minute I heard it, I was not thrown back, but I was like, ‘okay, we’ve got to help the team.’ We were super low at safety. Right now we had some pretty good (cornerbacks) – ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and Nik Needham was kind of coming on the rise. We had some good corners, so I moved back there to help the team out, however it goes down.”
(Obviously this is the second year for a lot of you guys in that secondary. It looked like you all had a good day today at practice. What’s realistic to expect from you guys as a secondary this upcoming year?) – “What do you mean ‘realistic?’”
(As far as you guys as a unit. Like what you guys want to achieve. Obviously building off last year is the first step, but like do you guys have goals as a unit of what you all want to achieve whether it’s pass defense, whether it’s interceptions – whatever you guys quantify as success?) – “Oh, yeah. First, our goal is to gel together because every year it’s a new team. So we’ve got new players in the secondary. We’ve got Noah (Igbinoghene) and Brandon (Jones) and Byron (Jones) and even whenever ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) comes back, so our first thing is we’ve got to gel together and then our second goal is to get the ball. This year we’re putting a huge emphasis on getting the ball – like getting an interception, getting the pick, batting the balls, tipping the balls to get a pick – however we’ve got to get it, that’s our huge emphasis for this year and it starts right now in training camp. We’ve even got a point board. Like whoever can get the ball out, everybody’s got like a little point list. That’s how far we’re emphasizing it.”
(We saw CB Noah Igbinoghene get some points today, I guess from that list you were talking about there. What are some things that you’ve seen from him whether it’s working with him over at Bonmarito’s and even here during training camp now? How much potential does that kid have?) – “He has a lot of potential. He’s explosive, strong, quick, and obviously he works hard as hell. He doesn’t care that he’s first round or whatever round he went; I can tell, you can see in his eye that he wants to great from the start. So what I’ve seen from him in camp … he still makes rookie mistakes like everybody does; but I can tell his learning progression, he’s going to be a good guy in the league.”
(I wanted to ask you what is the toughest aspect of this transition? You played safety in college. Is it the film study, the run fits? What is the most difficult part of making that switch from cornerback to safety?) – “Even though I did play it in college, I was mainly a free safety so I was in the post a lot. I didn’t really have to deal with run fits and all that, so when I made that transition, that was probably the most difficult thing, was knowing that I actually have a gap that I need to fit and it’s not like a corner has like the D-gap or the most outside gap. That’s easy. Like there’s some plays I actually have to read o-linemen, watch the pull – that happens fast – and at the same time, focus on my tight end in case it’s a pass play. So that’s probably the most difficult thing for me, was trying to pick up on the run game, try to understand fronts because now I’ve got to understand what front is our d-end in or the d-line in. At corner, you’re kind of like, ‘eh, I don’t really need to know that because I’m on an island;’ but now at safety, I have to know which front we’re in, which gap I have, if the o-line pulls and my guy flashes I have to get to this gap or there’s going to be a gaping hole. All that, so that’s probably the most difficult thing when I had to transition.”
(This is the second year you’re playing defense on this team along with a teammate of yours LB Vince Biegel. What are some things that Vince brings to the table as far as a teammate and a defender on the field?) – “He brings energy. Every day, consistent. Even last year when we traded for him, he brings energy every day. He can be gassed out, but he’ll still go 110 percent on the field and that’s what we need. Everybody sees it and we all know how hard he works and it kind of is a trickle-down effect, so him in (his) second year on the team, it’s the same as last year. He’s consistent, bringing the energy all day.”
(You’ve talked a little bit about today working closer to the line of scrimmage this season knowing that was going to be on your plate. Did your offseason training have a little bit of a different focus this year, coming in knowing and understanding that that was going to be a more prevalent part of your usage?) – “No, because it’s tough to train run fits in the offseason. I can’t ask like, four and five guys, ‘hey, you pull, you block down, you do this, you do that.’ So my offseason training was working on my man technique, press – because I know that’s like 90 percent of our defense playing man. I just kept with the same offseason training, just working on my feet, working on my hands, working on my route technique and then I know it’s usually supposed to be OTAs, but now this year it’s training camp, working on a lot of run fits, kind of seeing the run quicker, working with all that.”
Elandon Roberts – August 18, 2020
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Tuesday, August 18, 2020
LB Elandon Roberts
(What strikes you as most similar to the way New England does business from your first few months here? And also, how scary was it to see LB Vince Biegel go down today?) – “Being over here, we just take it one day at a time. (We’re) practicing hard and just trying to get better each day and whatnot.”
(I noticed yesterday that you jumped into the backfield during 11-on-11s and you were very, very vocal, kind of letting everyone on the offense know who you were and letting everybody feel your presence. What is it about you that gives you pride in doing so and just being so vocal in that sense on defense?) – “Every day I walk into the building, I just try to be the best teammate I can be – the best coachable player I can be, the best leader I can be. That’s all. And have fun out there. We’re all out there playing a game that we’ve been wanting to play since we were all little kids. It was just more so being competitive, being a great teammate, being a great leader on the field also.”
(I just kind of wanted to go back to that first question and have you expand on that. Two days in now, I just want to get your opinion on the physicality of practice and how intense it has been out there under Head Coach Brian Flores.) – “Well, you know Coach Flores comes from a background of scouting. He started off in scouting. He did a little special teams; he did a little offense. His pride and joy is defense. You know the physicality of practice is going to be up because that’s a part of the game and stuff like that. Like I said, we’re out there being physical; but at the same time, we’re taking care of one another, having fun and within that fun, doing our job.”
(I know you were used as a two-way player in New England. Have you gotten a little bit of chance to play some fullback and use your versatility in that way yet?) – “Right now, I’m just doing whatever the coaches need me to do. That’s all. Whatever the Miami Dolphins want me to do, that’s what I’ll do.”
(We saw a sight today that I’m sure no player wants to see with LB Vince Biegel getting carted off. How difficult is that to see a guy in your room get injured like that?) – “In practice today, I was so focused on what I had to do. I didn’t even notice it. But at the same time, when you get the opportunity, you’ll just have to ask Biegel.”
(Obviously you’re down here with LB Kyle Van Noy. What does he bring to the table in terms of a teammate, you guys both coming down from New England?) – “Kyle is a great guy on and off the field and whatnot. He’s the same as me. Whatever the coaching staff, whatever (Defensive Coordinator) Josh Boyer, (Brian) Flores – whatever these guys ask us to do, we’re going to do it. That’s throughout the whole team. Every guy kind of has the same mindset on the team: do my job, be physical doing my job, have fun and be a great teammate.”
(When you are able to – during training camp – operate with the first team, what kind of an opportunity do you feel that is for you, because I know everyone gets their chance at some point?) – “Whatever opportunity I get – just like every other player out here, all 80 players – whatever opportunity that we get as a team, you’re going to take advantage of it. Whether it’s the ones, the twos, whether I’m on special teams, whatever – I’m going to take advantage of my opportunity. I think that’s the same mindset with all of the other 80 players.”
(You touched on LB Kyle Van Noy in terms of what he brings to the team. What is he like in the meeting rooms? He’s the second oldest player on this team. Can you talk about the leadership he brings?) – “You know me and Kyle have been together for four years. It’s fun in the meeting rooms. (He is a) real smart guy. Great teammate. Great family guy. Our kids are like two or three weeks apart. Me and Kyle have a great relationship and stuff like that. Him being in that room and stuff like that, the environment, just seeing him is great. At the same time, it’s kind of the culture around the organization so every day we walk in, we’ve got a job to do. But you know that you’re going to get better, you’re going to have coaches to push you, players pushing you and stuff like that, because of the expectations.”
Brian Flores – August 18, 2020
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Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What type of growth do you hope to see from WR DeVante Parker this year and what are the areas where he can improve his game and contributions to the team?) – “Obviously DeVante had a solid year last year. What I liked about him over the course of the offseason, virtual meetings, it just seemed like he was – I know he was working extremely hard from a conditioning standpoint, catching balls, route-running. I’m hoping to see improvements in all of those areas – catching the football, route-running, obviously it’s a new offense so understanding his position and a few different positions offensively. I think he’s done a good job. I think we’re still in the early stages here. I think he’s feeling more comfortable within the offense and he just needs to keep stringing good days together. I’m very pleased with DeVante thus far.”
(I know you want competition everywhere on the roster. I’m wondering where you see the most interesting competitions in the roster and does that involve rookies?) – “I would say it certainly involves the rookies. I think there are – we brought in some free agents, we brought in some rookies, we have some holdovers from last year, so I think there’s a lot of competition on the team – o-line, d-line, secondary, receivers, quarterback, running back. We tried to create a situation where there was competition everywhere, like you said. I’m anxious to see who rises to the top at all positions. It will be a good two weeks here in pads – three weeks – so 14 padded days (and) we have 13 left. I thought yesterday was a good day of fundamentals and technique, running the football, getting in and out of the huddle, communication. I thought the guys did a good job from that standpoint. Hopefully we’ll build on that. From a competition standpoint, we want it at every position. We feel like we kind of created a situation where there would be a lot of competition. The guys we feel best about are the guys who are going to play; but we have a long way to go until we get there. Well, not a long ways. It’s right around the corner.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe and the decision last year to move him to safety. How was it received from his end and how do you look back on it now? Is that one of the best moves you can recall making as a coach?) – “Well, Eric is a team guy. That wasn’t my decision. That was actually (Defensive Coordinator) Josh Boyer’s idea. It was something that he thought would be a good fit for Eric. He’s coached Eric. He’s spent a lot of time with him and obviously Josh felt like – we had a conversation about him. It wasn’t a thought I had. He had been playing corner really his entire career and I thought it was an interesting move, so we made it. There were some bumps early on but Eric worked at it, he watched a lot of film (and) he improved over the course of last season. He’s still early at the position. He’s still pretty new at that position but you could see some growth there even in these early stages of training camp. From a communication standpoint, playing corner and safety is very different. There’s still some things that he can improve on from that standpoint, but he does a lot of good things. Hopefully we can build on some of the things we did a year ago and continue to improve the fundamentals and techniques, the tackling, the communication at the safety position. We’re pleased with Eric, as well.”
(Whether it’s a long way to go or right around the corner, Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer definitely have their roles to play in helping you lead this team. What can you say from their work that they’ve done so far to let you know that they were the right moves to make for your coaching staff this offseason?) – “It’s Chan, Josh, (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman, it’s the entire coaching staff. There’s no one person on a team that is the reason behind good, bad or ugly. It’s a team effort. We try to talk to the players about that. With there being 11 guys on the field, it’s the same as the coaching staff. Obviously Chan, Josh, Danny – they’re the leaders of offense, defense and special teams. I think they all do a really good job – and have done that thus far – of trying to implement a scheme under the current circumstances and teach the fundamentals, teach the techniques, teach the basic terminology – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. The virtual period was good but now getting them out on the field for walkthroughs and practice and seeing it live and seeing who can learn and who learns better in the classroom – does it translate to the field? Some have been better from in the classroom – they weren’t as good in the classroom and they’re better on the field; and some guys, it was better in the classroom and it doesn’t look as good on the field. We’ve just got to work through it. Every player is a little bit different. I think Chan, Josh and Danny have a good grasp of trying to figure out the best way that each individual player learns, and trying to find the best 11 guys or combination of players. I think they work at it. They work extremely hard at it. Obviously I’m part of those conversations; but yeah, I’m pleased with those guys.”
(With the pandemic, one of the challenges for players has just been to stay in shape, and now you’ve got the limited scheduling in training camp – the limited practice scheduling. How satisfied and how comfortable are you with your team’s conditioning given all of this?) – “There’s always room for improvement but I would say by and large, most of these guys came in in fairly good condition. Obviously there’s some guys who need some extra conditioning and need to work at it. I’ve been – I don’t know if you want to call it surprised, but I think for the most part, I think these guys are working. I think they were working in their garages, wherever they could during the quarantine. But we still have a long way to go. We do. A lot of that is – for us as coaches, let’s make sure we’re hydrating. Let’s make sure we’re (using the) cold tubs and hot tubs and doing all of the things off the field correctly, so that we can get out there and practice and work the fundamentals and techniques and get better. There’s a lot this year. Let’s do a good job off the field from a protocol standpoint as far as wearing a mask and distancing and trying to quarantine as much as you can; but it’s also from a football standpoint, let’s hydrate, let’s stretch, let’s do some extra conditioning on your own. I think they all understand that there was no offseason program. We didn’t have OTAs or minicamp. Specifically for the young guys, this will be the least amount of practice or OTAs probably in NFL history for these rookies – for any rookie class. Just knowing that and understanding that and putting some extra work in, I think our guys have done that. It’s one thing to do it for two or three days. It’s another thing to string together two to three weeks, months, etc. That’s the goal for us and we’ll continue to hit that as a coaching staff. Hopefully our players will do those things.”
(With CB Xavien Howard still on PUP with the knee injury, given how close the season is, do you have to prepare as if he won’t be ready for you guys Week 1?) – “There’s a lot of competition at that position with Byron (Jones) to Noah (Igbinoghene) to Nik Needham to Jamal Perry to Tae Hayes to Ken Webster. There’s a lot of competition. We’re kind of focused on the guys who are here. Obviously Xavien is one of our top players so we’re hoping to get him back as soon as we can. He’s on COVID/IR right now and we’re just working through the protocols from that standpoint. To answer your question, as of right now, we’re working without him. As far as answering that specific question, yes, we have to. It’s really our only option. But as far as the season goes, we’re really just taking this one day at a time. Yeah, we’re working without ‘X’ right now. When he comes back, that might be a different conversation. I hope that answers your question.”
(RB Malcolm Perry is an intriguing guy to me because of his versatility and his college production. What part of his skillset do you think might translate well to the receiver position?) – “He’s got good quickness. He’s got good hands. He’s an instinctive player. He’s just got good feel for the game. But look, he’s a college quarterback. The receiver position, the running back position, they’re all different. We’re asking him to do a few different things. The techniques, the fundamentals, playing at this level for a rookie against a higher level of competition, getting used to that, getting used to the speed of the game – all of those things, that’s kind of what he’s going through and really all of the rookies are going through right now. I think so far he’s done a good job, but we really have a long way to go in a short amount of time. He’s doing a good job but he loves to play. He loves to compete. There’s a lot of things we like about him. We’ll see how this shakes. Obviously there’s a lot of competition in the wide receiver room as well.”
(You’re really good at challenging guys and getting the most out of them by pushing buttons. What do you have to do with WR DeVante Parker this year to make sure it’s not just a one-year wonder with him?) – “With DeVante, I don’t really have to push many buttons. He’s a self-starter. He’s self-motivated. He’s a competitive guy. I think he pushes himself and occasionally I’ll find the right buttons to push. For him, there really aren’t many. That’s been my experience over the last 18 months. I like where he’s at. If I feel like he needs a nudge, I’ll give it to him. I don’t have a problem doing that. He’s a motivated young man. I don’t – there are other players who may need a nudge. He’s one who competes every day.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Kavon Frazier. He was a late addition to the team. We saw him out there yesterday working with a prominent group. What is your vision for him and what does he add to the defense?) – “Well, Kavon we got as a free agent. He played in Dallas. He’s tough, he’s fast, he’s had a lot of production in the kicking game. I liked him coming out of college. (He’s) smart. He’s done a good job thus far. He’s a physical player. Right now, we’re working a lot of guys in a lot of different groups, just trying to find the right combination of players. He’s shown up positively so far in the OTAs and the walkthroughs and now one padded practice. I’m happy with where he’s at and hopefully we can continue to grow and improve over the course of training camp. He has some experience in this league, provides some leaderships – or has the potential to provide some leadership. We’re pleased with him as well.”
Jerome Baker – August 17, 2020
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Monday, August 17, 2020
LB Jerome Baker
(How was the first day of practice?) – “It was good. Everybody was excited. It was hot, like always; but I was definitely excited.”
(We’ve seen the Dolphins post some videos of you – your normal energetic self. Have you taken pride in being that role – the Energizer bunny, so to speak – for guys in this difficult time coming back to football?) – “Oh yeah, definitely. Before everything that happened – I like being that energy. I like being just my fun self. It’s still football. It’s still a game we all love and it’s definitely something we all just have fun doing, so I try to be that and show pretty much anybody that it’s still a fun game.”
(There’s another year for you to be a team leader and a team captain, especially on this defense. How do you take this role into the second season that you’re going to be in it?) – “For me, I kind of just take it day by day in the sense of I just try to be myself. I try to get better every day, help this team in every way, and that’s my approach every day – just doing anything and everything I can. It’s all to help us win, so that’s just how I take it.
(How did the virus make today different?) – “There’s a lot of safety protocols, but when you’re on the field, it’s still football. You go hard. You don’t really think about anything like that; so for me, once we touch the field it’s still football. It’s still just go hard in everything you do and off the field, our medical team, they do a great job of taking care of us. That is my approach. When you’re on the field, just play football.”
(What is your vision for this Dolphins defense in 2020 and how do you feel you guys have grown and improved from last year?) – “Honestly, we’ve just got to build off of what we did last year and that’s just kind of our approach to – today was our first day in pads, we’re going to watch this film and tomorrow we’re just going to get better every day. Honestly, if we really do that, we’ll definitely be a good defense. So that’s just going to be our approach for now, just take every day as the days come and honestly we’ll be all right.”
(I’m sure you want to do as much overall improvement in your game as possible; but if I could pin you down into one thing that you’re focusing on that you hope is a better version of Baker this year than last year, what is that main focus you have?) – “One thing I’m definitely working on is my pad level. This offseason, that’s what I’ve been working on every practice. I really am just conscious of my pad level. Yeah, that’s just like the one thing I’ve been focusing on; but every day I try to work on something new. I just try to ultimately get my game better as best as I can, so this offseason I would definitely say my pad level.”
(You spent some time on the COVID-19 list. How was that experience? Was it shocking when you were put on it? How did you manage it and how are you feeling now?) – “It is what it was, but (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and those guys – our medical staff – they did a great job of just taking care of me, making sure I had everything I needed and honestly it was just, I really just wanted to make sure our team was safe, so I stayed home and pretty much just watched our Zoom meetings and did that. It was definitely unique, but I got through it.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Kyle Van Noy’s experience doing some of the same things you do. He just told us he was a bit of a dying breed in terms of a guy that can do a little bit of everything and being one of those guys yourself, how much does his knowledge and experience in this defense help you in that regard?) – “It helps me every day. Kyle, since the day he walked in, he’s kind of just been in my ear about anything and everything – if it’s on the field, if it’s off the field, whatever it was – he’s definitely been a great mentor, just an older vet, so I definitely appreciate that. I always make fun of him because I think he’s like the second-oldest player on the team. He’s definitely unique, but he’s a great person and also a great player.”
(I’m wondering if there’s anything that you learned about this team today, the first time you’ve been in pads?) – “I don’t know yet. We still didn’t watch the film yet, but guys just went hard. I think that was the big thing. We just went hard. We did everything we did as hard as we possibly can and it might not be perfect, but we definitely got better today.”
(Just the value of having linebackers who are skilled in coverage – obviously you do that well. LB Kyle Van Noy, he can do a ton of things. He has good metrics in pass coverage. LB Kamu Grugier-Hill did in Philadelphia. What’s the value of that?) – “It’s a great thing. He can definitely mix it up as far as our defense; but also it just adds to our overall depth in our linebacker room and it definitely helps us. It’s kind of cool that we all just kind of pick each other’s game and help each other get better. It’s definitely a fun aspect.”
(I know a lot of times defenders have competitions when there’s a new quarterback, especially a rookie quarterback, on who gets the first interception off of him. Do you guys have anything of that sort?) – “(laughter) No, we don’t have anything like that, but I definitely – not just the rookie quarterbacks, but pretty much any quarterback – I talk a little stuff here and there. That’s just what I do. That’s just how I play the game. We don’t have anything yet, but if we do, hopefully I’m the first one. (laughter)”
Kyle Van Noy – August 17, 2020
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Monday, August 17, 2020
LB Kyle Van Noy
(Last week you talked about how hot it is down here. How are you adjusting and do you have a full grab of just the conditions and surroundings?) – “It’s hot as (explicit). (laughter) But we’re working through it, I’m working through it, getting used to it. A lot of you guys that have been here are already used to it. It’s a learning curve for me, and I’m just taking it one day at a time right now.”
(How has it been, the first day out there, to hit somebody? I know you guys have been ramped up for a while and just doing OTA-type practices. What was it like to hit somebody for the first time?) – “It felt good, it felt good to get back at it. I haven’t been able to hit somebody until December, January or whatever it was. To be out there, competing with the guys, is always good. There’s a different type of feel in the building all day, the ramp up to get out there and hit. Guys were flying around, guys were enjoying it, having a good time. It was a good practice, I think. It’s something to build on. We want to be physical and fast and play at a high level. What a great way to start, to put on them pads and get it cracking.”
(Someone that rushes from so many gaps like you do, how helpful is it to have the size of guys like DE Emmanuel Ogbah and DE Shaq Lawson off the edge to help create better rush lanes for you?) – “I’d say as a whole – I wouldn’t just say those two guys because collectively it takes the whole 11 – guys covering, to have the secondary like we have, to have the linebackers that can cover like we have, it takes all 11 of us to be on the same page, covering and rushing. I think if we just get it going on the same page, at a consistently high standard, I think we’ll be alright. Those two guys are big dudes and I think they’re going to get after the passer pretty good this year.”
(I’m wondering if you’ve learned anything about this team today that you didn’t know before you put the pads on?) – “That’s such a hard question. (laughter) It’s only Day 1. I can’t answer that. It’s a secret. (laughter) I don’t know we’ll see. I learned that I’ve got to get better, how about that.”
(When we talked to Head Coach Brian Flores before practice, I asked him if he felt like you guys were ready to put on pads with the shortened offseason. Did you guys feel like it was time to start hitting before or did you feel that maybe there could’ve been more things to perfect before putting on pads today?) – “That’s a good question. I think we were ready. I think guys were scratching. I think some guys are obviously ready on day one, and some guys it might take them a little while. But I think collectively, we are ready as a group. We’re hungry. We want to get better. We want to get up to speed with all of the new guys, including myself. Older guys want to get back up to playing at a high level. It’s just coming together as a team. During this training camp, this grind period, you get to see who people are all about. You get to see what type of team you have. Obviously, that team is going to continue to grow during the season; but this is the time to lay that foundation. To do it with this young group of guys, it’s fun. I’m excited, rejuvenated, let’s go.”
(I wanted to ask you about the COVID angle. Did you at all think about it when you were out there on the field, hitting these guys…? Is that something that crossed your mind?) – “The first time I thought about it was you bringing it up right now. You don’t really think about it. Obviously when you get done off the field, you want to do the necessary things to stay healthy, sanitize, all of those good things.”
(How did the realities of the virus make today different, if it did in anyway?) – “You think about your job. You put that to rest until you have to deal with it again. Yeah, as simple as that is, you get to not think about it for a little bit and focus on your job and having fun. We had a lot of fun today. Guys were flying around, like I said earlier. It was a good time. I’m sure you guys can’t – you guys weren’t allowed to tweet about it or anything. I bet you guys are dying right now, right? (laughter)”
(What is it like for you to be reunited with Head Coach Brian Flores and how much do you think your understanding of this defense and this scheme – this hybrid scheme – will help this defense grow?) – “I want to be a leader on this team. I’m not a ‘rah, rah,’ type of guy. I just hope to lead by example with the way I work every day as a professional. I just want to be the best teammate I can be. Yes, I have familiarities with the defense. Yes it’s different; but at the same time, I know how ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) wants things done, and I know how (Defensive Coordinator Josh) Boyer wants things done and I’ll try to do my best to help out everybody, and they’re going to help me out, as well.”
(I always want to get it from a defensive player. How was it facing QB Tua Tagovailoa for the first time? Did you see anything from your perspective?) – “Oh, here we go. I knew it was coming. (laughter) I’m not going to answer that one.” (Laughter)
(You’re not going to answer it?) – “Nope. You only get to ask me Kyle Van Noy questions or defensive questions. (laughter)”
(How was it going against the offense as a defender?) – “(laughter) It was good.”
(I wanted to ask you about G Solomon Kindley, the rookie offensive lineman. He looked like he was getting some pretty good pressure against some of your defensive linemen. What did you see from him today applying pressure?) – “I was just trying to do my job. So if it was him, I couldn’t tell you.”
(I wanted to ask you about your versatility. What do you enjoy about it? Do you think at times, offenses when they line up at the line of scrimmage are having to look for you and wonder where you are?) – “Yeah, for sure. I feel like I’m the last of a dying breed. I don’t think you can find players that can do all three skillsets. Usually they’re either in coverage or run, one of those situations. Very rarely do you get all three. I’m just trying to bring that energy to the team, trying to be a problem, a mismatch, and take advantage of that mismatch wherever I line up.”
(I want to ask a little bit about the conversations that you have had with your rookie teammates. This is a different year for them. I don’t know if they have asked you something?) – “That’s a good question. I like that one. That’s a good ending right there. I’ll answer this one. I think the advice that I’ve passed onto them is it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You want to inhale as much information as you can, you want to work on your craft each and every day, you want to get better each and every day, don’t make the same mistakes, and I think you’ll be alright. That’s the message I pass to them.”
Ted Karras – August 17, 2020
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Monday, August 17, 2020
C Ted Karras
(I know there are going to be moving parts on the offensive line but with G Solomon Kindley at guard, what’s it like when you are a center and you have to work with young players that haven’t really cut their teeth in the NFL yet?) – “I’ve been very impressed with all of the rookies that we’ve brought in this year and pretty much everyone on the o-line is really working hard and everyone is kind of finding their fit and earning their role. Those young guys have really been fun to work with so far. I’m really excited for not only this year but their careers moving forward.”
(What’s it going to take to get this offensive line in fighting shape in four weeks?) – “Days like today – go out there in pads in the South Florida heat and work at our craft. I think today was a good start. I’m going to watch the film right after I talk to you guys. Obviously there’s going to be some things to clean up. I thought we were competing out there and everyone is fighting hard to get ready to go.”
(I noticed at the beginning of practice, you kind of hovered over towards QB Tua Tagovailoa. I didn’t know if you had any advice for him today or going into practice being a young guy, and kind of how he handled himself emotionally in his first real practice?) – “I think he always handles himself well. He’s a very impressive young man. I don’t have too many nuggets for him but I’ll help him out when he needs it, which is not often. It’s fun to work with all of the guys so far in this offense. It’s coming together and obviously we have a long way to go, but we’re getting there one day at a time.”
(I’m wondering how the dynamics of the entire team – getting to know each other – have changed because of the virus and the fact that you haven’t spent near as much time together this year. Are you still putting faces with names or where are you in that process collectively?) – “I was a little frustrated with myself early on in camp that I didn’t know enough names. I kind of looked up the roster myself but now that we’re in the building more and coming together – everyone is at practice – I pretty much got everyone on the team’s names. Obviously any time in training camp, there’s transactions and you’re going to have to meet new people every day. It’s going along well. I’ve built many great relationships already on this team and I’m really excited about it.”
(I know that quarterback and center relationship is so important. How are you individually building relationships with each of the guys – QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Josh Rosen – as you kind of navigate this offseason?) – “Well, one of my favorite things is to go watch film with them after practice. I like to see what they’re seeing and it’s kind of a low pressure situation. Getting to know these guys, I’ve gotten to see some pictures of Fitz’s family. I’ve been hanging out with Tua just here at the (facility) and watching film and kind of seeing – I like to know what they’re seeing as well so that we can speak the same language and be really crisp communication-wise. Off the field stuff, there’s not much – we can’t really do anything. I’m not taking any chances with anything outside of the building. We’re pretty much here and that’s fun – a little training camp on the Nova campus.”
(Coming into your fifth year now, you’ve been a part of several training camps, obviously. Head Coach Brian Flores talked this morning a little bit about the physicality of practices and kind of letting you guys go. What’s your overall take on how the physicality of today’s practice was?) – “I think it was great. I think we have a really big team and big, physical players all along the line of scrimmage – even off the ball. It’s a pleasure to go in there and cut my teeth with them and get better. This will be a fun camp and a good opportunity to get better as we go into this long season, which we’re going to play a lot of physical teams early. It’s going to serve us well.”
(For a while it seemed half of the defensive and offensive lines were on the COVID-19 list. You were lucky enough to avoid that. What was that like when it seemed like six guys in one day went down and you were around a lot of them?) – “Well, I slept in the guest bed at home. I didn’t want to bring any of that home. Obviously this is a scary situation for everyone. We’re still working through it. I feel very confident and well taken care of. Our entire organizational staff is fantastic and I feel very comfortable coming to work every day. Being able to focus on football only, which is important with these next – 27 days? – until kickoff.”
(With the shortened offseason and kind of limited conditioning you guys had coming into today, did you feel like it was time to put the pads on or did you feel like there were maybe some more things to work on before you were able to get out there and be in pads?) – “It’s definitely time to get the pads on. Especially with just 27 days until we’re kicking off, we need the work. We need to get our timing right and our fits right. O-line is a repetition position and you really can’t get a true, true rep without having full gear on. It was a good start today. I’m excited that we did (put pads on). It really is camp now and that’s exciting. It was nice to see some people in the stands today, at least. It was getting a little lonely out there. We’re just going to keep working every day.”
(G Solomon Kindley looks like he’s a mauler out there, the way he can get into the backfield. There were also some times where he was getting some pressure applied on him as well. What are some things that you’re seeing from him so far, from the rookie draft pick?) – “Well, it’s been very fun to play next to him. He works really hard and he’s always trying to do the right thing. He’s a great guy to have in the room. He’s a cool dude. He really is working hard. We’re going to need him to work hard. He’s a very good football player and I’m excited every time I get to go into battle with him. Obviously this is Day 1 and this is learning how to play in the NFL. I have to work on my fundamentals just as hard, if not harder. Everyone is working hard and I think we’re on the right track.”
(From the outside looking in, it would seem that trying to put together an offensive line with so many young guys, no OTAs and no preseason games, it seems like a pretty daunting challenge. From your point of view, where does this challenge rank among other challenges you’ve had to face in football?) – “Just right there with any training camp is a challenge. This is a very unique year, like you said. We have a lot of talented young players that came in, as well as – everyone on our o-line is very talented and we’re pushing each other and working very hard. I think as these next four weeks go, the best five players are going to play and obviously that’s a coaching decision. I have nothing to do with that except working my hardest to make sure that I’m one of the five. But I think that we have really good guys. I think we have excellent coaches that are getting us in the right place and putting us in positions to succeed. Then the onus is on us to go out there and execute when the time comes.”
(This is your first new offensive system since you came into the league in 2016. What has been a more challenging dynamic of the install this summer – relearning of ways this staff might want certain blocks or techniques done versus how you’ve done it in the past or adjusting to new terminology in the playbook?) – “I love the new terminology. I think it’s fascinating to just learn another language in football. I’ve relished that opportunity and feel pretty comfortable with it now. As far as technique-wise and nuances, I’m going to do what our coach asks us to do. There are a couple of differences but they’re putting us in positions to succeed. There’s a couple of ways to work and I’m excited to get to work every day with (Offensive Line) Coach (Steve) Marshall and ‘Coach Lem’ (Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre), and these guys in the o-line room.”
(What do you hope to see from this team in 2020 in terms of what you guys look like on the field?) – “Well, I want to be tough, smart, competitive and play well under pressure. That would be the best combination. That puts us in a chance to win every week and I hope we can prepare well and come together. Today was a good building block for that.”
