Chris Grier – January 22, 2020
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Wednesday, January 22, 2020
General Manager Chris Grier
(I wanted to ask you about evaluating the quarterback position and I’m sure you’ve been asked this version or a similar version but I wrote it down. How do you personally weigh arm strength, mobility and things like that versus intangibles like presence and leadership skills?) – “I think when you’re talking about the quarterback position, a lot of the intangibles are what separates a lot of guys because you hear stories now even when they talk about – like they said Tom Brady coming out didn’t have great arm strength or Drew Brees. But those guys are some of the all-time best to ever play the game. You look at everything, everyone’s skillset at the end of the day. Do they win games? Are they leaders? Are they football smart? The intangibles, the character and stuff plays a big part at that position but also at any position. There’s a lot of guys that get overlooked – Zach Thomas is a perfect (example) … ‘Zach’s too small, too slow’ and stuff; but yet, he’s one of the best linebackers to play in the history for the Dolphins and being considered for the Hall of Fame, which is great for him.”
(This is the first time we’ve been able to ask you officially about Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa since he’s declared. To the best of your knowledge, where is he at physically and what does he need to show you guys to be considered in the first round?) – “We’re still so early in this process. We haven’t met him, haven’t sat down with him, talked to him. Our doctors haven’t seen him, so we know as much as you do right now. We see the media reports and things of that nature; but at the end of the day, we’ve got to get to know the guys and get in front of them just like any player. We’re very, very early in the stage with the fact that we haven’t even met the guy yet.”
(You got to see QB Tua Tagovailoa in person at least once. We know you were at the LSU game. What were your thoughts on him from purely a football standpoint, not taking into account the health, but the way he throws the football and runs an offense?) – “Yeah, I mean it’s – the way people are talking, he’s been a winner. I think the fact that he won the Elite 11 then goes to Alabama, has kind of storybook (story) coming off the bench and winning the national championship. Everyone always talks about his accuracy and they talk about the person as well – the intangibles that we talked about, so yeah, I’m looking forward to getting to meet him, just like a lot of players. There are a lot of good players in this draft and even some other quarterbacks he’s competing with, so I’m looking forward to the next couple months.”
(How important is the ability to get to evaluate these guys at the Senior Bowl, to see the Justin Herberts, the Jordan Loves and to get to meet them? And what are you looking for during this week from them?) – “For us, it’s always the first step. This is the first meeting you can actually sit down and talk to them and kind of begin to figure out who they are and what makes them tick. In terms of practice, it’s the competition. I love the fact that Herbert and Love and those guys have come down here to compete, just like in the past when Baker (Mayfield) and Josh Allen and those guys all came down. That’s the thing, you get to see them in a competitive situation. They’re all on equal footing. They’re all learning a new playbook and everything, so that’s the thing you like about the Senior Bowl and you appreciate those guys coming down here to compete.”
(When you’re doing a deep dive on a particular player and maybe a top-10 quarterback, like a really important player that you want to turn over every stone – I’m just curious, how many people that know that know that player might you and your colleagues touch before the draft?) – “I couldn’t give you a number, but it goes back well into their past. Their coaches – their college coaches, high school coaches – and people that know that player through family members. You’ll get people reaching out to you, too – especially the high-profile players. It’s a very interesting case study. Some day, I’m sure somebody will write a book on it and talk about their background, how they found some player and the work they did. (laughter) But we’ll have many, many people that will have or have had contact with those players over the years.”
(Where do things stand with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick?) – “I fully expect Ryan to be back and playing. He did a great job – the things he did with the young players, too, in the locker room, his leadership and just his enthusiasm. (laughter) I mean, you guys saw him, how he is and carries himself. He did a great job for us.”
(I wanted to ask you about the coaching staff and the changes to the coaching staff. Obviously you guys built a team that caters to the talent that Head Coach Brian Flores and this coaching staff wants to coach. How difficult will that be when you have a completely new staff – well not completely new, but new coordinators?) – “It’s a lot of communication. That’s always the important part. I think Brian and the staffs even previously have done a good job of when they all get here, we’ll get together, we’ll get in a room, we’ll talk about the traits and characteristics they want at each position, and we’ll go through it just like we always do. Again, you always have to make sure you’re on the same page of what everyone’s looking for and then that communication piece will be important. We have a couple months here, too, which is good. We’ll sit and we’ll go here and we’ll talk about the players here at the Senior Bowl and the other all-star games and then we’ll work through once we get to the combine, and we’ll do that again. So we’ll spend a lot of time talking and it’s communication like ‘does this player fit what you like? Is this profile the type of player?’ You’re right. The communication part of it is going to be huge.”
(So you have a profile for every position for what Head Coach Brian Flores wants?) – “Yes.”
(How different is that based on – You’ve been here 20 years. I’ve covered six coaches by the way. How different is that when you have to piece it together based on what you know and what everybody wants?) – “It can be a little challenging at times, but it’s also – You just have to learn to be able to adjust on the fly. When changes come and if you switch from whether it’s a 3-4 to a 4-3 or you want a zone scheme to a gap scheme. The good thing is we have a lot of veteran scouts that have been around and are good personnel evaluators. It’s just a matter of getting everyone on the same page as quick as possible. With all of the new coaches in, we’re meeting together as soon as we can with all of us in the room in early February and we’ll start preparing for the Combine and going through the types of players that they’re looking for.”
(How much do you and your staff have to communicate with other staffs around the league to identify and figure out what other teams want to do to try to get possibly ahead of you in the top five? Is that so important that you guys have to be aware of?) – “Yeah, I think every team is always monitoring what’s going on around the league. I think it works both ways. At some point, there’s a lot of misinformation going out. Teams are always trying to probe what you’re looking for. There’s a balance to it. But at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone’s tipping their cards right now until probably right up until draft day with what’s going on. But yeah, teams are always talking. Agents talk to people and stuff too, which is information again; but you don’t know who’s telling the truth all the time.”
(Is it impossible to forecast how much it would take to trade up, how much it would take to trade down?) – “Yeah, because every trade has been different. We look over the years at the value of what people do. You can always say you have an idea on place your value on it and then that other team may have a completely different view. And we’ve had that with other trades we’ve done in the past.”
(Do you feel like you have enough ammunition to move up if you needed to?) – “Yeah. I think we have more than enough.”
(How would you evaluate the QB Josh Rosen trade and what he’s done for you guys this past year? Is he part of your future plans?) – “Yeah, Josh is here. I think the trade, for us – we were always trying to upgrade that position. He’s a young player that had some talent and I think for us, the value knowing that we were going to have picks and a lot of picks going forward in the future and money available, it made sense for us to try and make that trade. We’re happy we made it. Josh has made huge strides like Brian (Flores) has talked about. It’s been fun watching him grow through the year. I know no one got to see it and everyone wanted to see him play, but he did a tremendous job growing. People always forget, like I said before, he’s had four straight different offensive coordinators and schemes. That’s hard for a young kid to keep with no stability. That’s hard. We were proud of him.”
(C Daniel Kilgore seems an interesting case. He’s a guy who loves Head Coach Brian Flores and Flores seems to love him. He’s a team captain, but he’s getting up there in age. I believe he’s 31. He was out all year. What are your thoughts on him and how he fits in next season?) – “Daniel is a tremendous locker room presence (and brings) leadership like you said. A veteran presence is what our team needed last year. I think he did a tremendous job along with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) of steadying the ship early on when things were rocky. Like I said, we have tremendous respect for him. I love the guy and his energy in the building. For us, we expect him to be here, but we’ll see. We love him and he was great for our team.”
(Obviously, you have a very young team. You’ve got a lot of draft picks. That’s going to make the team even younger. How do you get leadership or how do you add leadership. I know QB Ryan Fitzpatrick contributes to that, but do you feel like you need more?) – “I think that’s a very important piece. Brian (Flores) and ourselves and the scouts and coaches have talked about that. It’s even with the young guys we bring in, we’ve got to make sure that a lot of those guys are leaders and understand – not necessarily captains at their schools, because we all know sometimes captains are appointed; but at the end of the day, (we) value leadership – leadership through all avenues whether it’s guys on the street, free agency or the draft – and just bringing in the right types of guys to help. Because you’re right, it’s going to be a young team. The good thing is that Brian and the coaching staff are tremendous teachers. I know when you were talking about a lot of the coaches and the guys we’ve had, and that’s the big thing. They’re teachers and motivators. You guys saw how the team played; but it is very important to have guys that have good leadership traits.”
(How badly do you sense that Stephen Ross wants to see an elite franchise quarterback added?) – “I think that’s from all of us. We’d like to find the right guy to be the quarterback. You see how important it is around the league. I wouldn’t just say it’s Steve. I would say it is Brian (Flores), myself, everyone – the coaching staff, scouts. We think it is important that we find the right guy to be the leader and the quarterback here for a long time.”
(What do you think about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s agent – Leigh Steinberg – honoring Stephen Ross with a philanthropy award before the Super Bowl?) – “That’s the first time I’ve heard it. (laughter) All last week we were in meetings all day and then we went right down here. Good for him. Steve deserves it and I’m happy (for him). But no, that’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”
(The trend seems to be the league is going towards more athletic quarterbacks, more guys who can move, more guys who can move the pocket. Is that just because that’s what college is delivering or is it just because that’s where the game is going? Or do you disagree that that’s the trend?) – “I think it’s probably a combination of both of those because nowadays, everything in high school – youth is 7-on-7. It’s get the ball out quick, it’s RPOs (run-pass options) and stuff. So the college game is producing a lot of it but the big thing is those guys are having success doing it. If guys were doing it and they weren’t successful, people wouldn’t be copying it. I think the game is evolving into that and I think quarterbacks that can run just add another dimension that’s hard for defenses to account for. It’s kind of an exciting trend to see the game moving that way and giving more guys that in the past you probably – not ignored but probably said ‘oh, he’ll be okay.’ Yeah, it’s an exciting thing for football and football fans.”
(Are you a fan of a quarterback running 150 or 200 times a year?) – “(laughter) I’m not sure how to answer that because I don’t want to – it’s been really effective for some players but it’s such a violent game, you always worry about injuries, especially if it’s your franchise guy. There’s some dynamic players that that skillset, for that team and those teams that use it, it’s what is spring-boarding them to winning, as well. You just have to understand what it is.”
(Since Adam Gase was fired and you were appointed as GM, QB Tua Tagovailoa has been linked to the Dolphins since that point. Do you think that’s kind of unfair that over the past two years that it’s been the case like that? Do you feel pressure to maybe evaluate him and draft him come April?) – “We’ll evaluate him just like every player. When people were talking about all of the stuff, we said we were never tanking. We were trying to win and build. To say one player was attached to us, you can’t control what fans and people in the media say. No, there’s no pressure for us (to draft Tagovailoa). The pressure for us is to find the right guy to be the quarterback for the Dolphins, whether it’s him or someone else. That’s the pressure of finding the right guy to lead the organization.”
(Some of the players that you drafted and have been a part of the process in drafting in recent years have found success elsewhere, such as S Minkah Fitzpatrick, T Laremy Tunsil, RB Kenyan Drake and QB Ryan Tannehill. I haven’t had a chance to ask you this but what is it like for you and how do you process that as a positive or negative? I’m just not sure how you process it.) – “At the end of the day, we did what was best for the Miami Dolphins. We always wish those guys success when they go on, but I’ve been so focused on trying to get here to build a winner here for us that – I’m happy for them; but at the end of the day, I don’t spend a lot of time worrying because there’s a lot of work to be done here.”
(I’m doing a story on Super Bowl memories, non-game related. What comes to mind with any of yours, whether it was a breakfast with the family or meeting with a different player? Anything along those lines?) – “Well the last Super Bowl I was in, we lost to Green Bay when I was in New England. I would say probably leading up to the Super Bowl, I think we had beaten the Raiders – no, that was the one before that. Memory-wise, I would say for me it was meeting Jerry Burns because my dad played at Iowa, so he knew Jerry Burns and meeting him and the Hilgenbergs, all of them before the game and talking about Iowa. It was kind of cool hearing them tell stories about my dad playing and stuff. Then the game Super Bowl memory was the Bears kicked our ass – excuse my language – in the game and I was sitting there and I had my Patriots jacket on and my head down, and then I got hit by a hamburger. Somebody threw a hamburger out of the stands and it hit my shoulder. (laughter) And I’m like, ‘Great, my dad is going to be mad, we’re getting killed and I just got hit by a hamburger because somebody was mad at my Patriots jacket.’ (laughter) That was my last Super Bowl memory.”
Chris Grier and Brian Flores – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Brian Flores
Chris Grier:
(You guys won five games and got the No. 5 pick in the draft. Was this season a success to you?) – “Yes, absolutely. I think from Day 1, we talked about Brian (Flores) coming in and creating the culture and setting the expectations for the organization and for us, I think we’re very excited about the future. I think yesterday was a culmination of the guys’ work throughout the season. They improved each week, got better and better, and so I’m excited for the future.”
(A year ago at this time, Stephen Ross ordered a rebuild. How would you describe the progress you made in 12 months?) – “Very good. I talked about laying the groundwork and the foundation of trying to build something that would win for sustained success; and for us, it was very important to do that. I think Brian (Flores) and the coaching staff have done a great job of laying that foundation.”
(You have a lot of money and a lot of draft picks to work with this offseason. Do you expect to spend the free agent money this year big or are you going to invest it in the future and build with draft picks or both?) – “Brian (Flores) and I have had conversations with (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore) and (Vice Chairman, President & CEO) Tom (Garfinkel) and the big thing for us is we’re going to be smart about it. We’re going to build it the way we feel right and yeah, we have money and cap space, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. We’re going to try to bring in a lot of players here – good players here – and keep building the roster. We’ll be very smart in how we do it.”
(I know quarterback is going to be the topic that everybody wants to talk about. When you guys look at that from the draft and free agency standpoint, how do you look at what you need to do in 2020? Do you have to get a new one or do you look at it a different way) – “No. We’re going to talk about the roster. The season just ended yesterday, so we’re going to go through it with the coaching staff and scouts. We’ll talk about it and we’ll look at everything. Like we talked about all fall, every position is important. Quarterback, we understand that’s the focus for everybody but we’re going to go through the process and make smart decisions and work through it and do what’s best for the organization.”
(Is finding a franchise quarterback the priority?) – “Like I said, it’s finding pieces everywhere. Again, I’m not trivializing the quarterback position. We’re going to investigate that hard just like every position in the draft and free agency.”
(Do you anticipate QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and QB Josh Rosen coming back next season or being on your training camp roster at least?) – “Yeah, right now. Both of those guys – ‘Fitz’ did a great job for us. Josh has worked hard, just like Brian (Flores) has been saying. We see improvement every day in practice and his growth; so yeah, we’re excited about both of them.”
(How high on the list is upgrading both lines? Do you feel like you need multiple new offensive line starters?) – “Again, we’ll go through the process here. I think we want to get better everywhere. It’s not just o-line, d-line. It’s all positions.”
(How do you view the QB Josh Rosen trade at this point? Can you consider that a success?) – “I don’t know what you consider a success or a failure. For us, we’re excited. We took an opportunity on a young player that has dealt with a lot of change throughout his college and pro career. For us, watching him grow and improve every day has been good for us. We’ll always take chances if we think it makes sense for us to try and improve the roster.”
Brian Flores:
(In general, do you have an opinion on high-priced veteran free agents? We know that a lot of those guys can contribute and help get you better faster. Do you have a general opinion on that?) – “I think anyone who can help this team get better and win, we’ll take a look at. But like Chris (Grier) said, we’ve had many conversations regarding – look, everyone thinks we’ve got all of this money to spend and blow. We’re going to be judicious and responsible with our salary cap. We’re going to make smart decisions. We’ve got a process that we go through. People see a number and they don’t really understand that there’s draft picks that are part of that. You’ve got to save some for injuries. It’s not ‘we’ve got 100 million dollars and we’re going to spend all of it.’ That’s just not how it works. So we’re going to be judicious and responsible. Chris (Grier) and Brandon (Shore), they do a great job of trying to forecast and predict the different ways we can do that. I think we’re going to make the best decisions – or try to make the best decisions – for this organization.”
Chris Grier:
(I know at one point you had said you have the tools to do whatever you want moving forward. You have the capital to do whatever you want. Are you comfortable at No. 5 or how likely are you to look to moving up or down?) – “We’re very comfortable with where we are. For us – again, we’ve made a lot of moves and again we can do a lot of stuff in free agency and in the draft. We’re excited here to get going through the offseason process and upgrading the roster.”
(Can you talk about how you worked this fall? We kept hearing there were two Dolphins scouts at this game and at that game. That’s something we haven’t heard before; I hadn’t heard before. Can you talk about – did you scout more with 14 picks or did you change plans any?) – “No. I scouted the same still. I think with that – Brian (Flores) and I had talked about it – you have 14 picks, but you still never know what’s going to happen. For us, it was for the scouts to get our eyes on as many good players as we could around the country and have multiple looks. Our scouts do a great job of going out on the road in the fall and finding guys and looking at guys. For myself and (Assistant General Manager) Marvin Allen, just getting out and seeing some of the top players throughout the fall was a pretty normal protocol.”
(What are your thoughts on potentially drafting a player who may have suffered an injury recently or may be injury-prone. Would you be reluctant to draft a player like that or would you like to get him in the program and see how he can develop when healthy?) – “That’s always a tricky one, just because we are so far away from having all of the information. I don’t want to speculate on that because you have to go through all of the doctors and (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston), (Dr. John) Uribe, (Dr. Michael) Swartzon and (Dr. Gautam) Yagnik, they all do a great job of providing us information, the medical stuff. For us, we’ll investigate everything and if it gets to that point where we have to make a decision, we’ll be well-versed in what we need to do.”
Brian Flores:
(Do you expect to retain all of your assistants? Do you have any update on Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell? Do you expect him back?) – “We’re evaluating everything – players, coaches. I’m evaluating myself – I probably should’ve thrown a couple more red flags over the course of the season. Everything is being evaluated. I think that’s the right approach you need to take after a season, just to reflect and make sure you’re doing things the right way and in the best interest of the Dolphins.”
(As you build this team, is there a specific point where it needs to start from here – whether it is offensive line, defensive line or quarterback? Or is it just the best available talent and you do it like that?) – “Chris (Grier) and I, we’ve had a lot of conversations centered around exactly what you mentioned. I think it starts with the culture and bringing the right kind of guys in. Character means a lot. As far as o-line, d-line – Chris mentioned it: we’re going to try to bring in good players at all positions and try to build this thing the right way with good players who put the team first and love to compete.”
(What can you tell us about your message to the team after the season wrapped up?) – “I told them I was proud of them. It’s very similar as to what I talked about in my media session yesterday. I was proud of the way they dealt with adversity throughout the course of the season. I love the way they worked in practice, in meetings, in walk-throughs, and how towards the end, they really started trusting the process. I thought they really worked hard and they saw some of the fruits of their labor, not only yesterday, but the latter stages of the season. This team knows how to deal with adversity or they learned how to deal with adversity this season. I also mentioned that every season is a little bit different. This team is going to be different than the team we’ll have next year. That’s the business of the National Football League. I think we laid the right foundation and need to try to build on that moving forward.”
Chris Grier:
(Where do you expect to be a year from now?) – “Just keep getting better and improving each game. Trying to win every game. Again, it’s a process for us, and Brian (Flores) has laid out a great plan and vision for it, so just excited for the future.”
(Is there any expectation of being a playoff contender next year? I know you’d probably say yes, but in terms of just rebuild, Stephen Ross has spoken of multiple years. Is Year 2 of a rebuild realistic to expect to be in playoff contention?) – “We’re just going to – like Brian said – we’re just going to keep trying to bring as many good players here as possible and whatever happens, happens.”
Brian Flores:
“I would say we’re just going to take this thing one day at a time. No one’s thinking about anything – we’re just trying to improve and get better on a day-to-day basis and just try to improve and get better.”
Chris Grier:
(What can you tell us about Head Coach Brian Flores’ involvement in the 53-man roster during the season, and then as you go ahead in free agency and the draft, will it be more than head coaches that you’ve worked with previously – as much or a little bit less? How would you characterize that?) – “No, Brian (Flores) will be heavily involved. Again, I think Brian does a great job of talking about the types of players he wants. Again, even the players that we brought in throughout the season, Brian has been very open to working through the roster and waiver wires and claims we’ve been doing. Like I told you guys from Day 1, I don’t think it works without having a collaboration of working together. He’ll be very involved, as he has been through everything we’ve done.”
Brian Flores:
(I’m writing a story on the American Football league back in Honduras, and I wanted to ask you – they think you’re a role model – what do you think about that and do you think of possibly maybe you going down there and doing a clinic or something like that?) – “Well, I didn’t know they played football in Honduras. (laughter)”
(They’ve got a league.) – “They’ve got a league? All right. Well as far as being a role model, I think it’s an honor to be called that. I’ve been to Honduras many times. I love that country. It’s obviously where my parents were born, and I do plan on going back pretty soon, hopefully this offseason. So maybe we can work something out where – I love to coach, so I’ve got no problem (with that). We might have a little language barrier. My Spanish isn’t that good. (laughter) That might be something we can do.”
(What pleased you the most from what you saw this season?) – “I’ve been asked that question a few times, and I always – and I kind of mentioned it a little bit yesterday. We dealt with a lot of adversity. I really think when you deal with defeat, when you deal with disappointment; again, it either breaks you or makes you stronger, and I think this team got stronger. And I think when early in the season, when a lot of people thought we were broken, we were actually building and strengthening as a team. That’s really what, to me, the one thing that I was very, very pleased with. And I don’t think a lot of people knew that was happening. I think only the people in the building knew that, which is why I speak so much about us as a team, just blocking out anything from the outside and just really spending time just locking in on the things that are happening in the building.”
(What do you consider the turning point of the season?) – “Probably when we put ‘Fitz’ in the game (against) Washington – the fourth quarter of the Washington game. I think he really gave us a spark, drove us down the field for two touchdowns, gave us an opportunity to win at the end. We didn’t finish that game off, but I would say if there was one moment, it’s probably that one.”
(I know it’s super early in the process but I’ve got to ask about CB Xavien Howard’s arrest this morning. How does that impact you guys to start the offseason, having that happen?) – “I think we’re still gathering information on that. We take situations like that very, very seriously. We’re gathering information. It’s unfortunate. How does it impact us? It does impact us. Again, we take these things very seriously. We’ll gather all of the information and do what we feel is best for the organization.”
(Do you still anticipate CB Xavien Howard being on the team next year?) – “Look, we’re gathering (information). Again, like I said, it’s too early to tell. I haven’t even talked to him. We have a process here. We’ll go through that process. Chris (Grier), myself, Brandon (Shore), Tom (Garfinkel), we’ll talk through this. We’ll have a conversation with ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and make a decision once we get all of the information.”
Albert Wilson – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
WR Albert Wilson
(To end the season on that high of a positive note beating the defending champs in New England, what does that do for you guys as a team as a whole heading into 2020?) – “It’s always good to get a win – to end the season with a win. A lot of teams don’t do that. So to end it on a good note – I feel like the last six to eight weeks, I feel like we’ve been going on the right path. To continue to go on the right path, to end the season like that, I feel like it leaves this team in a good spot.”
(For you guys as a unit of receivers, obviously you really picked up the game the last half of the season. With DeVante Parker, to you to Isaiah Ford, what is the potential of this unit going forward?) – “It’s exciting. We’ve got a lot of good guys in this room – a lot of guys that can do a lot of things. We can stretch the field vertically, the deep ball. It will be exciting to get the guys with a whole year under our belt, and to get back in and get to work, and just see how things work out. I think the team can have a really good offense.”
(What about what did QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did for this offense as a whole? I know yesterday TE Mike Gesicki said he was starting a one more year chant for him to come back. What did he mean to this team and to this offense?) – “He means a lot. Like you said, we were a team with no identity, and he came and brought his leadership in, and it’s something we needed form the jump. He was carrying us when it was tough, so we stuck behind him and it turned out to be a good thing. We’ve got a lot of good football with him, and we appreciate the guy. He’s a baller.”
(Will there be any lobbying on your behalf to help make his decision whether he’s going to come forward or play for another season?) – “That really doesn’t have anything to do with us. We love the guy. He’s a baller. I’d love the guy to be back, but that isn’t my decision.”
(As a fellow wide receiver, what was it like to watch WR DeVante Parker do his thing against Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore yesterday?) – “It was exciting. The kid’s a baller. He had a really good offseason and just stayed consistent all through the season, and it showed up. I can’t be more proud of him. It’s just starting for him. It’s just starting for a lot of guys on this team. That’s what makes it more exciting about this receiving corps.”
(Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores and how it progressed throughout the year?) – “Like with everybody else, a lot of guys didn’t have much of a relationship with him. But him coming in and him taking the lead role and just demanding – just to follow his leadership. I feel like everybody felt that he had a strong plan and it is working and we’re with him 100 percent.”
(Can you summarize this season and what it’s mean to you and the team? How would you summarize that up?) – “That’s a good question. We’ve been making huge strides to get to where we want to go. We’ve been doing it week after week. We’ve got a young team, and the future has a lot for us and we’re all excited for it.”
(What has the team told you or what have you discussed with them about your future?) – “My exit meeting is at 10:30 a.m. It’s only 10:15 a.m. (now), so I don’t know.”
(Would you like to continue your contract and remain here next year?) – “No question. I came down here for a reason.”
Christian Wilkins – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(We were talking about ending this season with an exclamation point, especially after how you guys started. What was that like?) – “It’s definitely the way you want to finish, being able to go on the road into a tough environment against the champs and get a win. We talked about it all week – that’s what we were going up there to do and I’m glad we were able to do that. It’s encouraging definitely for years to come. That’s definitely the beginning of what we want to do here.”
(How have guys bought into what Head Coach Brian Flores has been giving you guys this year?) – “I feel like guys definitely started believing in him and his vision. We got a good bunch of guys in this locker room who are good, tough hard workers who want to be the best for themselves and for this team and for this organization.”
(How would you describe what the win yesterday did for you guys in terms of sending you into the offseason on a good note?) – “You always want – The way the season has gone, we know we’re not going to make the playoffs, but you want to finish strong and we were able to do that. Against the Patriots, that definitely feels good and it’s encouraging for our future for sure.”
(Your assessment of your rookie season – are you please with what you’ve put on tape?) – “I’m never pleased. Even if I had the greatest rookie season of rookie seasons, I’m never going to be satisfied. But I’m definitely encouraged by a lot of things I’ve done this year. I feel like I belong in this league and I could play at a high level in this league, so I’m definitely looking forward to Year 2 and hopefully years after that.”
(Here’s a key question: has the trash talking between you and DT Davon Godchaux started yet about the LSU-Clemson College Football Playoff National Championship game?) – “No, not yet. I think he knows better. (laughter) I’m just kidding. It’s going to definitely come. He likes to run his mouth. He loves him some LSU and I love me some Clemson, so the trash talk is definitely going to be there.”
(Any expectations for next year?) – “Not really. Not yet. I definitely want to – it’s just the beginning of the end of the year, so I definitely want to take some time to get away. Then I’ll get time to reflect and make some goals and things like that for myself and for the team.”
(Has you relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores changed from the start of the year until now?) – “I feel like me and him have a better understanding of each other like any relationship when you’re around each other a lot. You get to learn and know things about each other. You get to learn some things about each other and just grow. That’s kind of where our relationship is. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I feel like he has a lot of respect for me. We have a good, strong working relationship.”
(Are you planning on attending the game, the national title game?) – “Absolutely. I can’t wait to go see my guys down in New Orleans. I’m really excited and looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a good game.”
DeVante Parker – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
WR DeVante Parker
(To have a performance like you had yesterday against that defense, against that cornerback – what does that do for your confidence as a whole and for this team to be able to pull that off?) – “My confidence has always been high. It wasn’t about that. The team, we’re just looking forward to next season.”
(I know you talked all season about the rapport you’ve been developing with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and how he’s gotten you to elevate your play and his play – what did he mean to this team as a leader in the huddle and just as a quarterback?) – “He means a lot. (He is) the leader of the team. Everyone listens to whatever he has to say and that’s what we needed from a guy like him.”
(You turned a corner this year for your career. What was it you think that was different this year for you and what was it that really let you break out like that?) – “Playing all 16 games. That’s what it was.”
(How satisfying was yesterday for you putting up the numbers you did against Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore who many people talk about him as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and you kind of had your way with him a little bit – how satisfying was that?) – “It was pretty good.”
(Did Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore have any words for you? Did you have any words for him during the game as the game was progressing? I know when you’re out on an island like that, both players try to get into each other’s heads.) – “No. I was just playing.”
(Do you have any expectations for next year going forward?) – “No. We’ll just see what happens.”
Mike Gesicki – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
TE Mike Gesicki
(Obviously you don’t have any more games to play, but what does a win like you guys had yesterday do in terms of – I don’t know if it’ll raise the eagerness of getting back to work and starting next season?) – “I think obviously it ends on a high note and it gives everybody that feeling to finish the season in a positive note, but ultimately I think it kind of gives us a building block moving forward. It’s a big win against a good team, and I think it shows the talent and the capabilities that we have in this locker room moving forward.”
(Can you talk about what this team was able to do in the second half of the season and then to end it with that exclamation point?) – “I think that ultimately, we started – all of us, the whole team, the whole locker room – just kind of blocked out outside noise and just kind of went to work. We all bought in with what ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) was coaching and preaching every single day, and I think you were able to see a positive out on the field on Sundays. I think it was cool to finish the season like that, so ultimately you’ve got to attack the offseason and get ready to get back to work next year.”
(How about for you individually, the way you finished the season the last few weeks and to come up with that big play yesterday?) – “It was fun. It was exciting. It’s been cool to progress and have the opportunities to make plays on Sundays; but the thing I’ve been harping on all year long is just you’ve got to be ready when your opportunity comes. Yesterday and for most of the season, there’s been some opportunities, and I had to go out and make some plays and I appreciate the opportunities that come my way.”
(And the rapport that you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had as it grew throughout the season, I know yesterday you were promoting one more year?) – “Yeah, yeah. (laughter) I’ll take a couple more years, but we’ll settle for one right now. He’s been great to play with. I think his leadership, his experience, how cool, calm, collected, how relaxed he is on the field; you can tell he’s having fun. So it’s easy to play with him. You want to go out and make plays for him, and I was happy yesterday to get that win for him. It was fun.”
(Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores and what you learned from him this year?) – “’Coach Flo’ has done a great job collectively with our locker room – getting everybody to buy in and stay focused and stay motivated throughout the season. As much as he puts on that front that he’s mad all the time (laughter) and you guys kind of probably see that all the time, he does have fun. He enjoys this process and so for us to finish the year the way that we did and end on a high note, I was happy for ‘Coach Flo’ and honestly the whole staff because they work really hard. They deserve stuff like that.”
Vince Biegel – December 30, 2019
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Monday, December 30, 2019
LB Vince Biegel
(Let’s talk about ending the season on such a high note yesterday. How did that feel for the locker room here?) – “I think it was a huge win for the team, especially with it being the last game, to be able to kind of carry that momentum and that energy into the offseason is going to be huge for us. I think this season has been full of ups and downs, but the way this team has really been able to battle through all of the adversity, all of the injuries and all of the talk outside of this locker room and really kind of come together and finish strong with these last two games has been awesome to see. I’m fired up for the offseason and getting some time away from the game; but I’m excited to get back here and get ready to work for the 2020 season.”
(What is it about Head Coach Brian Flores that has gotten guys to really buy in, even after the start that you guys had?) – “I think ‘Coach Flo’ has just been consistent. I got here September 1st, so it was Week 1 – and I think for me, just the time that I’ve spent with him, the 17 weeks, is his consistency. It’s been the same message, it’s been the same ‘Coach Flo’ on Day 1 as it is today. The message has remained the same, and that’s getting better every single day. It’s a credit to these young guys in this locker room, who have had that mindset of getting better every single day, and I think it really showed yesterday when we beat the Patriots.”
(What does a win like yesterday do – to end the season – heading into and looking ahead to 2020 with this team?) – “I think it also too speaks to ‘Coach Flo’s’ message. The guys are bought in. ‘Coach Flo’ has really laid down his foundation and if we buy into what he’s doing, the results are going to take care of itself like you saw on Sunday. If guys continue to buy in and have a great offseason, I think there are going to be some fun things to come in 2020.”
Christian Wilkins – December 29, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 29, 2019
Postgame – New England
DT Christian Wilkins (transcribed by New England Patriots)
(On what next year has in store…) – “We’re just trying to enjoy this one. Coming in here, this was a heck of a way to finish. Respect to the way all these guys fought all year long. My rookie year has been a lot of fun. Obviously didn’t go the way you would hope or want. You’ve just got to take the good with the bad and just enjoy the wins. As the year went on we got a lot better so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
(On how it felt to run off the field after a game like that…) – “It was great. It was a great feeling, especially for me personally. Like I was telling them earlier, I grew up a Patriots fan and always dreamed about playing at this stadium. Being here now, playing and looking up and taking it in for a second. To come here and play was an awesome feeling.”
(On how far the Dolphins have come since their first meeting with the Patriots this year…) – “We’ve come a long way clearly. The first time, it was a joke. They just manhandled us and destroyed us. So it’s good to come into their place after they came into ours and destroyed us. It’s good to come in here and get a win. This was a fun game. We didn’t do anything special. We just did our job and played all 60 minutes.”
