Josh Boyer – August 15, 2020
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Saturday, August 15, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(I wanted to ask you about the defense in terms of the changes that you guys made this offseason adding DE Emmanuel Ogbah and DE Shaq Lawson. What was the intent and what do both of them bring to the equation?) – “I think in the offseason, I think our goal was to add as many good players to the defense as we possibly could. I think with all defenses, each year you start over and you try to – whether it’s a coach’s influence or whether it’s a player influence, the defense will kind of evolve. I think you’re always trying to build as much competition as you possibly can and I think obviously (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) did a good job of acquiring as many good players as we possibly could.”
(You’ve mentioned coach’s influence. I’m pretty sure that you have a different view of the world than anybody else, so how is your influence going to change or affect what the defense looks like?) – “Obviously I would say Coach Flores and I have worked together for a long time. We have had many conversations over the years. I would say it’s not really a ‘Flores Defense.’ It’s not a ‘Boyer Defense.’ It would be kind of a ‘Miami 2020 Defense,’ and again, Coach Flores will have influence on it, I’ll have influence on it, our assistant coaches will have influence on it and importantly, our players will have influence on it. Again, I think there’s core fundamentals that we believe in that we’ll implement, but the defense itself will evolve over time.”
(Do you think your pass rush will be better than it was last season and if so, why?) – “I think whether its pass rush, run defense, pass coverage; I think all of those things, we’re going to try to improve on a daily basis. Look, we get 16 shots at this over the course of a season. Our main goal has always been the same. We’re going to try to be better today than what we were yesterday and we’re going to try to be better tomorrow than what we were today. As coaches, as players – we believe in that and we strive for constant improvement. We’ll see on Sundays. We get 16 shots at it. We’ll see what it is and we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and get better. That’s kind of the way we approach it.”
(No preseason. I’m wondering as a play-caller do you know these two things – are you an upstairs guy or a downstairs guy? And I know in college with no preseason, sometimes guys who are going to start calling plays actually go out to the stadium and simulate. Maybe you’ll get a scrimmage or two to make sure anything you plan to do?) – “I think again, it’s very similar to the players. The closest thing that we can get to game simulation is practice, so as a play-caller and as a coaching staff, we try to put ourselves in game situations as much as possible. I think over the course of the years that things have come up, you just try to practice and then once you get to a game, you feel pretty comfortable of what your thought process is. I think the players need to feel comfortable with what the thought process is. We work very hard on our players, one, understanding the situation, because every play in and of itself is a situation. Is it a drive-start play? Is it a second-and-long? Is it second-and-short? Third-and-short? Third-and-medium? Are we in two-minute? Is it in the red area? Is it in the fringe? Every play in itself is a situation and what we try to strive to do for our players is they understand what’s getting called. Again, once they have an understanding of what the offense is in, what we’re in, it eliminates variables which decreases – call it anxiety – and allows them to play at a little bit faster pace. That’s the ultimate goal and I think in practice we kind of work towards that way so that the coaches and the players, we’re all on kind of the same page and know and understand what’s coming. There’s not a lot of surprises. It’s not like, ‘oh damn, he called this’ or ‘are we going to be in this defense on this?’ There shouldn’t be a lot of surprises. That’s the goal.”
(I wanted to ask you a quick two-part question – No. 1, on a personal level what does this new opportunity mean for you to become the defensive coordinator and also what’s your overriding philosophy when it comes to playing defense?) – “It’s kind of interesting. I guess they say timing is everything. I really enjoyed being a position coach and that was something that – I would say being a coordinator was not like, I didn’t have huge ambition for that. I enjoyed having a room. I enjoyed coaching a position; but I’ve really enjoyed the new role. It’s been good. It’s been good with the interaction with the coaches. It’s a different interaction with the players. One thing that I was really excited about and in fact it just so happened that Bill Arnsparger was awarded the Dr. Z Award (for lifetime achievement) this year, which I think he’s more than deserving. I read his book years ago and reading his book and then being in the NFL for as long as I have, and to see some of the terminology that’s in his book that still carries over to today, it’s a pretty amazing thing. And you’ve got to understand, I grew up 20 minutes southeast of Columbus, Ohio, so for Arnsparger who really – he got his start in coaching at Miami of Ohio and you guys might have to check my dates on this, but I believe it was in 1950. (In) 1951, he went with Woody Hayes to Ohio State and in ’52, he was on the same staff with Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes. So growing up as a kid in Southeast Ohio, Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes were as big as it gets; and then you look at the things that Bill was able to do in his career. One, the guy fought in World War II. He was in the Marines. And then I would say in 1964, Bill was probably on the greatest defensive staff that may be ever assembled in the NFL. Charley Winner was the defensive coordinator, and again, there’s another World War II veteran – he was actually in a German prison camp – and Bill Arnsparger was the defensive line coach … and the (head) coach was Don Shula. Then you go all the way – Arnsparger, his career, it’s pretty amazing – and I’m going to get to my point here in a second. You guys are probably like, ‘what the hell is he talking about?’ But in 1986, Bill was the head coach at LSU. They ended up winning an SEC championship. I was able to spend some time this summer with a guy that was on that staff with him. We had some conversations about him and then obviously some general conversations with football. So I would say being the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins – and there’s a rich alumni history here and knowing that the standard’s pretty high with Bill Arnsparger – I consider it an honor and a privilege. It might not personally have been something that I was looking to do, but I’m very honored to do it. I take my job very seriously. As far as being a defense – again – we look at fundamentals. We need to be able to tackle. We need to be able to play with good effort, but I would say it goes back to a lot of things you hear Coach Flores say, which is we need to be a smart team. We need to be mentally and physically tough. And I think him and Chris (Grier) did a great job trying to put the team together with guys that are fiercely competitive. Again, we get 16 shots at it and we’ll see where we lie when it’s all said and done; but being a coordinator, I’m honored for that position, kind of knowing where it’s been here at the Miami Dolphins. I’m pretty excited about that, so hopefully that answers your question. Obviously I think it’s awesome for the Arnsparger family that he was honored and I think it’s awesome for the Miami Dolphins, and I’m really privileged just to talk about having the same position that that guy had. It’s a pretty big deal to me.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Byron Jones in terms of what do you hope that he can contribute to the secondary, particularly when put on the opposite side of CB Xavien Howard?) – “Again, I think for Byron – like everybody else – we’re looking for consistent play. Obviously to be able to cover, to be able to tackle, to be able to get in and out of the calls. Byron is a diligent worker. He’s done a good job for us. We’ve got a long way to go. Obviously as you guys well know, we haven’t even been in pads yet. We’ve had one OTA day, but he’s working hard. We’re pleased with it and we’re going to strive to continue to improve. Those are the things we’re going to ask him to do. We’re going to ask him to tackle, we’re going to ask him to cover – man and zone – and he’s working hard at that, and hopefully we continue to get better.”
(I wanted to ask you about having three specific assistants on defense with Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander, Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark and Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile coming from the college game. First, what are the challenges with that that you might foresee and then also to that end, do you think it’s a benefit in your regard that they are a little bit younger and that they can relate a little bit more with the players?) – “I think for everybody, it’s a little bit different (based on) where you come from. I think the one thing that’s consistent with all those guys is they’re good teachers, they’re good communicators and they work hard. I would say the other thing that’s important in coaching is they don’t have egos. It’s amazing what you can get accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit. I think our head coach, Coach Flores, he exemplifies that. He’s a very humble individual, a very hard worker and I think you’ve got guys that are young, hungry, intelligent, hard-working, that give very little to who gets credit for what. They just want to work hard and be successful as a team and an organization, which is what we’re all trying to do.”
(When you look at your bio, one line that jumps off the page is “South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.” Tell us about that school and your experience there.) – “I had a brief stint there. Basically the head coach at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, he was a wide receivers coach when I was coaching at Kent State, and he got the job I would say – I got there in late August actually. I took the opportunity. It was kind of a rebuild. We knew it was going to be a rebuild. I was looking forward to that. Very good kids. It’s an engineering school – very smart and intelligent kids. You could do a lot with them defensively. We just didn’t have a lot of guys in the program at the time. I would say one of our corners was a running back. The other one was really an outside linebacker, so we were kind of moving guys all around there, but great kids. Some of them still text me from time to time. A lot of them are very productive and successful in the world today and then really after New England got beat by Denver in the 2005 playoffs, basically I got a call from Dean Pees when they landed, and then I had an opportunity to go to New England so my stint at South Dakota (School of Mines and Technology) was cut a little shirt. I just thought it was a good opportunity to go to New England; but it’d have been interesting to see what happened if I was able to stay there and try to build the program a little bit, as the head coach was trying to do as well. That’s kind of what that experience was. It was a good experience – great kids. They worked hard. Like I said, a lot of them are very productive in society today. I still keep in contact with a handful of them.”
(I’ll ask you about studying history. I find that interesting that you were talking about your interest in football dating back to like the 1950s. What are some of the things that you look at – because I know you like to study film but also in studying the history of coaching and coaches and old school football – what do you enjoy about that and what do you get away from your research and studying?) – “I think first of all, I’ve been around football since I could walk. My father’s a high school coach and he’s still coaching, so I guess when I was a little kid and they had the film projector on, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world when the players went backwards. That kind of sparked my interest there. I think no matter what your vocation is in life, I think you always are seeking knowledge. There’s so many coaches that have done it for so many years and there’s always good things you can take from everybody, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. I think as much as you kind of open yourself up to ‘what was this guy doing here, what was this guy…?’ I mean, there’s a lot of good books out there and some of them – Bill Arnsparger’s book is one of those – if you have a pretty good knowledge, you’d think it’s a pretty good book. If you’re a little bit novice in it, it could be a tough read. There’s other books that I like to read as well, too. Some of them are tough reads for me, too, but I would say the history of the game – and you always hear like, ‘oh, this guy’s innovative,’ ‘this guy’s innovative.’ The Wildcat was really the single-wing offense that people were running before they had facemasks. I think it’s always interesting. I think there’s things that you can pull from everything. I do enjoy anytime that any of the old games are going on – I mentioned Charley Winner earlier and I believe he might be the only living coach from The Greatest Game Ever Played – what they titled ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played.’ It’s interesting to have conversations – I feel very fortunate to be a part of the NFL and I would say my paths have crossed with a lot of guys and there’s a rich history here in Miami, and there’s a lot of guys and a lot of alumni that come around and there’s always things that relate to today’s game. It’s not a completely different game. At the end of the day, there’s still 11 guys out there and a lot of their experiences, and they’ve been great, so I’m excited. I’m excited with our past and I’m excited for our future. We’re going to work hard, and like I said, we get 16 shots at it and we’ll see what we are. I appreciate everybody’s time today. Thank you.”
Austin Clark – August 15, 2020
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Saturday, August 15, 2020
Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark
(I wanted to ask how did you first get in touch with Head Coach Brian Flores? How did you guys first meet and coming down to South Florida and joining the Dolphins, how did that come about?) – “I got a call from Coach Flores. I didn’t know him previously. We talked a little bit and finished the call. Right after the season, I came down here, met with him and Coach (Josh) Boyer and those guys, and it went great. I’m fired up to be here.”
(A new position for us in terms of an outside linebackers coach. Who all is in your group and what specifically are the roles for that position?) – “I’d say it’s a collaborative effort. We’ve got ‘Coach Cam’ (Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile), (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer), ‘Coach Hobbs’ (Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby), myself. We all coach defense together so I wouldn’t say it’s specifically certain people or anything like that. I’m really excited about where the season is going.”
(I’m curious if it’s a challenge for you to find reps for all of the guys that have a lot of snaps and production on their resume? Does the multiple nature of the defense kind of help you carve out roles for everybody?) – “I think here with ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and Josh (Boyer), they have a saying that your role is what you make it. I think that applies to all of the guys. We’ve only had a couple of days so far – we haven’t even had a padded practice – so that’s a little tough for me to say right now; but I think everybody is doing a hell of a job so far.”
(What kind of first impression does Head Coach Brian Flores make? And what were the things about him that made you say, ‘Hey, this guy can win?’) – “I would say first off, he’s a hardworking guy. When I came down here to meet with him, I looked him up and researched him and saw his path through coaching. That immediately to me was like, ‘Hey, this is someone I want to work under and learn from.’ Just how he came up and the grind and where he’s come from, his story, all of the obstacles he’s gone through. Then on a first impression basis, I would just say he’s a teacher. To me, coaching is teaching. There’s an element of how he interacts with players and coaches. He’s got a mission. He’s a tough guy and we want tough people that are smart and love to play and are physical. That’s what impressed me about him and I’m really, really excited to work for him.”
(On Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, how would you describe kind of his personality and his approach?) – “I would say tactical. I think Josh has a philosophy of what he believes in that I think aligns directly with our head coach. Those guys have been working together for so long. I would say that he knows what he wants and he’s going to demand that out of his players and us, as coaches, to do it. That’s the environment that I want to live around. It’s been great so far and I’m really, really excited.”
(I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the pass rush was lacking on the team last year. How do you intend to solve that with the guys in your room? Who are you looking to improve the pass rush on this team?) – “First off, I would say it’s a new season. As far as looking at last year, I really don’t think any of that matters. I think it’s about what we’re doing right now. I would say I think we have some great players across the board. I would say the pass rush is a collaborative deal in terms of the different guys and combinations and who they’re going against and what they do best. I think as a defensive staff, we’re doing a great job of finding out what those guys are and what they do well. Again, it’s only been three days, but it’s been great so far with (Shaq) Lawson, (Emmanuel) Ogbah, (Kyle) Van Noy. There are so many different guys that can do it. We’ll see where we’re at here in three or four weeks.”
(I asked Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander the same thing right before you came on here but throughout your career, who have been some coaches or mentors that you’ve been able to rely on and kind of look up to and idolize in a way?) – “I would say I’ve been extremely lucky with the people that I’ve been around. I would say Pete Jenkins is probably the most influential person in my career by far, in terms of technique, fundamentals, how to approach the game. Ironically, he coached – he’s worked with some of our guys before. Coach Jenkins, by far, has been the most influential in my career. I would say with that, I’ve been lucky to work for a man in Lovie Smith that is second to none. From a character standpoint, he taught me a lot as a young coach and things to do, not to do, how to approach the game. In terms of coming into this role in the NFL, he’s been great for me. He’s a guy that really cared about my career and has influenced me. Then I would say everybody really from my time at Cal under Tosh Lupoi and Jeff Tedford, Sonny Dykes, all of those guys. Then getting to USC with Clay Helton and Clancy Pendergast, who’s been in the league. Clancy has been to a Super Bowl before. All of those guys have been phenomenal to me. I keep in contact with them. It’s good for me to lean on and I’m really excited to work for a guy in ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and Josh (Boyer) right now.”
(I wanted to come back to how you and Head Coach Brian Flores connected and everything happened for you to get this job. Was there anybody in common that maybe put you guys in touch together? Did you send a resume into the Dolphins? Is there like a Tinder for coaches where maybe you swipe right together and just match? How did this all really come together for him to just cold-call you up for it?) – “I would say there are a few mutual people that we both know, in terms of Pete Jenkins, Brendan Daly, all of those kind of guys that have worked with Josh (Boyer) and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) throughout the years. I would say that we had some mutual people we knew like them and kind of put us in contact, and we met and I was able to come down to Miami and talk with them. I’m from Florida. Shoot, my mom’s house is three hours away from here so this was an easy deal for me.”
(I’d like to ask you about the coaching staff in general. It’s not every year that a team has a coaching staff where half the guys are new. How are you guys coming along in terms of getting to know one another? Is that still happening now? Was there something special that you were able to do over the summer where you guys were able to all get together and know that you were all on the same page?) – “I would say a few of us, like I knew Gerald Alexander prior to this. He was coaching at my alma mater. We were able, through the month of January when I got here to February, to kind of be around everybody. We did keep in very close contact. I think the camaraderie is great. I think we have some really, really good coaches and we’ve worked really well together so far. I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to work with them.”
Danny Crossman – August 15, 2020
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Saturday, August 15, 2020
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I wanted to talk about something that Head Coach Brian Flores talks about and that’s the importance of the kicking game. This offseason had several acquisitions of guys that both have return ability and core special teams experience with other clubs. My question to you is what do you personally look for when trying to reveal which guys can be core special teamers?) – “I think it all starts first and foremost with getting our kind of guys – smart, tough, team-first. Then (it’s) having the athleticism to be a multi-faceted player. Everybody talks about the core teams and the four phases, but the more guys that we have that can play multiple spots on those four phases are the guys that really end up being your core guys. Now you like to isolate them, but the more they can do, the better off you’re going to be.”
(No S Walt Aikens on this team. How do you expect to build a unit from a leadership standpoint and also add that core special teams guy that you rely on every snap on every unit?) – “I think when you look at some of the guys that we added – Kavon Frazier, Clayton (Fejedelem), Kamu (Grugier-Hill) – we’ve added some guys that when you look at their history and their experience and what they’ve put on tape in the National Football League, not to compare them to what Walt did but (they are) similar guys. (They) have veteran leadership, have made plays, have made big plays in several different phases. Like always in this league, to get some, you’re going to lose some. That’s just how it’s always going to work. We feel good about the guys that we’ve added and how it’s building from a leadership standpoint.”
(What did you learn about Head Coach Brian Flores from the way he dealt with last season?) – “I’ve known ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) for a while. When he was an assistant special teams coach (in New England), we had a little rapport. But to watch how he handled the good, the bad, the ugly throughout the season, he was the same guy. I think as a player and as a coach, when you know what you’re getting on a daily basis and where that person is coming from and their values and what they’re teaching, I think it’s invaluable because no matter what happens, when you walk in the building, you know what you’re going to get from a leadership standpoint. For me personally and I think for the rest of the team, to know where ‘Flo’ stands on what he’s going to demand, what he’s going to need and if you’re not on board with that, it’s going to be a long day. But if you are on board with that, it’s going to be a fun rebuild for where we’re trying to get to.”
(I’m putting a lot of pressure on you to top Mountaineer Shot. I wanted to ask how much time have you spent looking up plays and trying to draw up something really special for when those situations do occur this season?) – “We’re always working on stuff. The thing with those plays is a lot of time it’s the situation presenting itself. As you guys all know, that was a particular play that we had worked on for a while; but the situation (has) to come up where it’s going to be useful to help us win the game, because that’s the bottom line. We’re not going to do anything just to do it. We’re going to do stuff to win the football game. Like always, and I’m sure every coach that you’ve ever had on these Zoom meetings or sat in person (has said), we’re always trying to come up to find a way to turn a game in our favor, if we need it.”
(I feel like every year, about two guys make the initial roster based on things they do to open eyes in preseason games. That’s my over/under is two guys. So are you going to plead/beg for some extra live special teams reps or is that just something that is not going to happen for you because it’s the NFL and we don’t do that?) – “I don’t think it’s that. I think more times than not, a lot of times what happens is that a lot of those things you see that guys do in a preseason game, a lot of those traits and a lot of those things you may see – in that game or in that particular play or in those several plays – you see a lot of the build-up in that practice. So as a coach, a lot of those things, they don’t surprise you when that guy does that in the preseason game because you’ve seen evidence of it in drills, in group work, in team work on the field. We’ll work. We have a great plan for how we’re going to work and how we’re going to get things done. I think to your point of making sure you have the situations and certain drills that put guys in positions that maybe you’re not going to get in a preseason game. You’ve got to make sure that you get that work done. We feel very confident in being able to find out the traits of our guys through practice because the analogy that I always use is I may have a guy that I’m planning to use on punt and we go into a preseason game and the offense has a great day and we don’t punt the football. Or we punt two times but it’s not his time to go. So you better do a good job of your evaluations in practice.”
(So who is going to be challenging WR Jakeem Grant for those return specialist roles out there?) – “We’ve got a couple of guys that have both done it in the professional ranks, we have guys that have done it in the college ranks and then we’ve got some guys that we’re trying to train – it’s amazing how many guys want to show you their high school highlight tape and show you how good they were. They all think they can do it. But we’ve got a good group working. Like always, it will play its way out and then how those roles develop (will be) based on what else is happening offensively and defensively.”
(Sort of following up on that last question, with the return game, there are some guys on the team skill-wise who are coming off injury. I’m wondering if that factors into whether you’re willing to put them back there and also whether WR Chester Rogers figures into it given his experience with the return game?) – “The first part, if they’re healthy and they’re able to be out on the field, they’re out on the field. It’s an equal playing field. Whatever they’re able to do, if they’re green-lit to be able to go, they’re green-lit to do everything. As far as Chester goes, yeah he has a good history. Again, he’s one of those guys where we’re excited to have a guy that’s got a good history and has some success in this league. We’ve got a good group.”
(Do you want to see CB Noah Igbinoghene as a returner? He obviously had success at Auburn doing that.) – “Yeah, he’s another guy that we’re looking at. Again, anybody that’s had any history, they’re out there before practice, they’re out there during practice. We’ll put eyes on all of them.”
Davon Godchaux – August 13, 2020
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Thursday, August 13, 2020
DT Davon Godchaux
(I know that you’re looking forward to a big year and an improved year. Talk about universally the defense – how much better can this unit be than last year?) – “I think we’re just taking it one day at a time. Starting slow. Got on the ground yesterday and started fast with it. Just taking it one day at a time. We’re just – like I said – we can do a lot of things, but we have to come in and work hard, keep communicating as a team, as a defense; and like I said, we can do whatever we want as long as we do those things.”
(I heard this summer that you were the guy that coordinated the players-only workouts.) – “Man, who told you that? (laughter)”
(After getting in your feelings about seeing the Jets and the Bills come in your community and do their players-only workout, what was that process like coordinating it and what was the motivation?) – “It was kind of tough because you’ve got a lot of guys in the offseason – we would’ve been at OTAs, but the coronavirus – but you’ve got a lot of guys wanting to have their free time to themselves. A lot of guys got wives, a lot of guys got kids, so having to get it coordinated – we had to get a group message started specifically with the defensive line and get those guys, ‘hey, you’re going to be here at this time.’ And of course, you’ve got other teams doing that; I, of course, want to get my guys rolling and get my guys a head start on things like having rookies coming in and trying to get ahead, trying to get the playbook and things like that. So of course when I had the opportunity to do that, of course I took advantage of it.”
(Since you’re in charge of organizing things. I have an idea. What about a team private viewing of “Tua” the movie?) – “’Tua’ the movie? I mean, hey, if he’s got a movie – he’s got a movie coming out or something?”
(Yeah, it’s going to be on Fox.) – “Hey, I’m excited to see that. I hope they have the last game when LSU beat them (laughter), but hey, I’m just … That’s my guy though. He’s a great guy. He’s a great guy.”
(I wanted to ask you about some of the offseason additions made up front this year on the Dolphins defensive line. How do those additions help you guys be more multiple up front?) – “We have guys – Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah – both of those guys can rush the passer. Both of those guys can set the edge, so I think when you look at those two guys, they’re very big, very strong, very physical guys; so with me and Christian (Wilkins) inside and to add some other guys to it, I think we’re just going to start off being a physical defensive line. We want to rush the passer. We want to stop the run first, but I think when you add those two guys, you’re looking at two guys that can really set the edge and really can play on third down, too.”
(I know you probably are keeping a very close eye on what is happening with college football. I wanted to get your views on what you think – what you’d like to see happen – and also there’s some talk about even spring ball and I can’t help but wonder, if you go to spring, is anyone who’s an NFL prospect going to play that kind of ball?) – “Probably not because you’re kind of throwing it off schedule with the guys are usually playing in the fall. Then the spring they’re usually getting ready for draft time, Combine time and things like that; but I don’t know. I’m very interested. I hope teams – if the ACC doesn’t play, I hope teams like Clemson can join the SEC and play a couple of those teams. Teams like Ohio State – the Big Ten – can come down and play the SEC, ACC. It’s very interesting. I see the Big 12 is going to still go. I think the SEC is going to go. I think the ACC is still going to go, but the other two – the Pac 12 and the Big Ten – hopefully some of those teams can come down and play SEC and ACC and Big 12 teams.”
(You were obviously on the COVID-19 list for a quick couple days there, but I just wanted to ask what was that process like and what do you think of the process of players jumping on the COVID list, being quarantined from one another – do you think it helps the teams keep their goal of keeping guys COVID-free and able to continue in practice and things like that?) – “Absolutely. Once you first jump on the COVID list – I mean, me, I jumped on it, but I knew it was like a false positive because I didn’t think I had it because the antibodies said I already had it back in June sometime. So I didn’t think – when I first saw it, I’m like, ‘hey, this can’t be right,’ but I got a second test, got a third test and both of those were negative. I’m just glad the NFL, I think they fixed it or something like that. Like once you test positive, you can test the next day where you can get it like, cleared, so I’m glad they fixed that because I think a lot of guys are going to be screwed in the season if you test positive on a Friday and you had to test two negatives, you’re going to miss that Sunday’s game. So I’m glad they fixed that, but at the end of the day I think it’s a good thing, a good protocol we’ve got to do. If you test positive, you’ve got to leave the building. You can’t be in the building. You can’t come in the building because right now you have 79 other guys on the roster. You can’t mess with those guys. You can’t screw those guys. So when you test positive, I think it’s absolutely a red flag (and you need) to leave the building.”
(I wanted to ask you, everybody always looks at sacks where there are teams or individuals to kind of grade things and I know Head Coach Brian Flores talks about scheme and pressure – what do you think about the concept of scheme and pressure and how effective that can be for a defense maybe in lieu of the exact numbers?) – “It works well. You have ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) was with New England and they had the scheme – scheme pressures – and you just have to have everybody do their jobs. If the nose tackle’s got to penetrate, he’s got to penetrate and the Buck probably has to do a stunt or he’s got to do something; so you’ve just got to have everybody on the same page. I think once you do that as a defense, you’re going to get sacks, you’re going to get the numbers you want. You’re going to get the TFLs. You’re going to do all of that, but you have to do it as a team. It’s 11 guys on the field as a defense. I think once you do that, you can do pretty much anything you want – like I said the first time – but you can’t have guys out there being selfish. ‘Oh, I’m going to jump this gap when I should be in this gap,’ to try to make a play. It’s not going to work like that. You’re going to have teams getting gassed in the run game and in the pass game opening up big lanes for the quarterback.”
(I do want to ask you a question about how important it is for you to step up your role as a leader. I know you were a leader last year, but you did say something that kind of confused me and lit up a red flag about false positive tests and being on the positive list and the NFL changing some of the rules. Can you clarify that so – this is the first time I’m hearing about it?) – “I think the rule – I was talking to (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) the trainer – usually when you get a false positive test, you have to be out for two days. You have to take two negatives in order for you to get back in the building. Now they have a thing where if you test false positive, they can get you immediately to the cardiologist – correct me (if I’m wrong). They can get you to take some tests that same following day or the next day, and you can get those results like in 10-15 minutes. And you do that and then you see whether you were negative or you were really positive and you come back and be back in the building or you’re at home.”
Byron Jones – August 13, 2020
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Thursday, August 13, 2020
CB Byron Jones
(I’m wondering from what you now know of the Dolphins defense, what kind of defense are you all going to have in 2020 and how personally does that change from what you’re used to in the past?) – “In terms of our defensive style, it seems like we’re more man, which is fun. We have the corners for it. We have the secondary for it. I’m used to it. I’m used to being out there guarding receivers, running around with tight ends, slot receivers and X’s and Z’s; so it’s nothing different, per se. It’s just a different roster, a different system. It’s exciting but definitely new.”
(I thought of you when I saw UConn Football wound up being one of the first schools to say they were not going to play football this year. That was a sad deal and obviously a lot of dominos after that. You can comment on that if you want, but my football question is if CB Xavien Howard is not able to return quickly, how do you feel about your confidence level, your comfort level, in opposing and covering the opposing top receiver?) – “I feel great. This is a big reason why I was brought here. It was to build on the already-good secondary. We have really good young players. We have good players who have been here in the past, so it’s really just, I’m just another piece to the puzzle in terms of a really good and just really excellent Dolphins secondary. Hopefully we’ll have ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) back. As soon as he gets back, we want to make sure he’s fully healthy first. We’re not going to rush him at all, but we’re good. We’re a good team up and down the roster, I’d say.”
(I wanted to go back to when you first signed here with the Dolphins. You mentioned that you had heard great things from around the league about Head Coach Brian Flores and the program that he’s putting together down here and your opportunity at being a leader. I just wanted to get your up-to-date take on how that’s going now that you’ve experienced the atmosphere here firsthand and taking on that leadership role with such a young team.) – “It’s been very exciting to actually be here in person and get to know the coaches, get to know my teammates. This is a young roster. There’s no going around that, but that’s exciting. These guys are hungry. They’re hungry to build a name for themselves. They’re hungry to build a special team here and you see it every day, and ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) has been great with his communication – definitely during these times where things are very different. Meetings are different. The way we practice is very different. His intensity when he speaks to us, it’s apparent right away. It’s very exciting to see that in person instead of just on a Zoom meeting, so it’s something that I’m looking forward to trying to build on this and going in the right direction.”
(You and CB Xavien Howard are two of the top-paid cornerbacks in the league. Do you feel like you can be the top duo in this league and why so, if that?) – “We’re certainly working towards that. There’s no doubt about that. We both excel at playing man coverage. I think he excels at attacking the ball better than me, so that’s something I’m learning from him, but it all – what we need to understand is nothing really matters what you did last year or the year before that. What matters is what you build today and now and going into the 2020 season, so our focus is really on building our skillset now and not really relying on what we’ve done in the last. So it really starts all over again in 2020.”
(I know a lot of corners like to look at each other and compete and rank each other, who’s the best corner in the league. How do you choose to motivate yourself? Do you view yourself as one of the top corners and how do you kind of do that sort of ranking system?) – “For me truthfully, I pay very little attention to outside noise because we’re all different. We all play in different schemes. We all play different systems. Some guys follow the best, some guys don’t. It’s really hard to compare. It’s a fun game for fans – no question – but for me, I focus on myself. I focus on making sure my craft is the best it can possibly be – my footwork, my eyes, my hands, my feet, my tackling. I just choose to focus my intention on myself and that’s how I’ve been since I was young and I just want to keep that same mentality.”
(You talked a little bit about Head Coach Brian Flores and what he’s like. Can you talk about Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander and just what it’s like interacting with Gerald? Does he offer that unique perspective just because he is younger and maybe a little bit more relatable?) – “I’ll tell you this. He is a really good teacher. Him and ‘Coach Chuck’ (Coaching Assistant Charles Burks) together as the secondary coaches, they do a really good job at making sure the DBs understand what defense we’re in and where our help is and understanding what our leverage is, how the entire defense works together in our favor; so those guys have been on it in terms of leverage, in terms of where your help is, where the rush is coming from, looking at quarterback tendences. Both coaches – ‘Coach Chuck’ and ‘Coach G.A.’ – they’re both very good teachers and they’re really implementing these important lessons and foundational lessons on us very early, and I think it’s going to pay dividends in the season.”
(I guess you’ve had now two practices. I assume you guys practiced already this morning. Have you had a chance to defend a pass thrown by QB Tua Tagovailoa and if so what has gone on in those matchups?) – “I have not. No, we haven’t gone against the offense, per se. It’s been more of a walkthrough pace, so we haven’t had a chance to really go one-on-one yet; but that’s coming in about a couple weeks, so hang tight.”
(Just to piggyback off of something you said, how do you tangibly prove attacking the ball better? How do you work on that?) – “It’s a skillset, so like any skillset you work on it on a daily basis. When there’s a special teams period, I go with ‘Chuck’ (Charles Burks). We go off to the side and we work seeing the ball in all the way, and then we work on high-pointing the ball as the ball is in the air, looking back, looking over the opposite shoulder. We make the drills uncomfortable so that when it happens in the game, it’s natural at that point, so it’s just a skillset. It’s a skillset like anything else – eyes, hands, feet. This is what we work on daily basis, so it’s a skillset that I’m working on and every day we’re doing something to improve in that category.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 13, 2020
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Thursday, August 13, 2020
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(How have things been? How have you felt physically and what’s it been like out there practicing?) – “It’s been good. It’s definitely a different learning curve than what I’m used to at Alabama. There’s not as much time that we get on the field whereas we spend a lot more of our time watching film than really anything else – not to say we don’t get a lot of work out there, but it’s more in your meeting rooms watching film.”
(What has been your impression of Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense and I guess what’s the timetable do you think it is for a young player like yourself to learn it?) – “I think to answer that question, no matter what offense you’re stepping into, it’s always going to be a process of learning and I think that’s where I’m at. I’m still in the process of getting to understand Chan’s (Gailey) offense. Now from a perspective of personality with who Chan is and whatnot, I mean Chan is phenomenal. Really great guy, down-to-earth. When it’s time to work he’s out there, we go to work. It’s a very friendly environment with him and the other quarterbacks as well.”
(I wanted to ask you about Dan Marino. Anything you can share about the time that you may have worked with Dan? Some of the advice maybe he’s given you and if there was any kind of awe factor at first or whether it was just two quarterbacks talking football?) – “The first time I met Dan (Marino), I think Dan reached out to me after I got drafted, which was super awesome. That was cool, but the first day I got into the building, Dan was in our meeting and I got to talk to Dan. He’s also a really down-to-earth guy – someone that you can just chat with. For someone who pretty much is the talk of the town with Dan, he’s super humble. He doesn’t hold his head high or walk around here like he’s the man – which he is, but he’s super humble.”
(I know you just mentioned Dan Marino and obviously Miami is a high-profile city. He’s been the man here for a while. A lot of people are expecting you to be the next man here. How do you sort of look at that pressure and are you ready for maybe all the expectations people are going to put on you?) – “I think for me, my focus right now is just trying to get into the playbook – literally trying to understand what we’re doing offensively – and really just trying to build relationships with the guys on the team. I definitely believe that ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores), (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey), (Quarterbacks Coach) Robby (Brown) – all those guys that are going to be making the decisions – they’re going to put the team in the best position they think is possible; so if that means supporting someone or not, that’s what it’s going to be.”
(I wanted to ask you, a lot of know about your faith and your toughness and how battle-tested you are; but in regards to your culture and where you come from being Samoan and obviously coming from Hawaii, how do you think that’s helped shaped you in who you are? There are some proud former Samoans, Hawaiians who played in the NFL, for you to maybe join that line?) – “I think football definitely intertwines with the Samoan culture that I come from with my background because in our culture, respect is the biggest thing and in football, respect is almost demanded from the head coach, from your OC (offensive coordinator); so it’s one of those things where you grow up not knowing how to talk back to an elder when they talk to you about doing something. You learn how to take advice. You learn how to – when you get chewed out, you learn how to eat it, is what I’m trying to say. So I definitely think it’s helped shape me to the person that I am as well in that regard with being respectful and whatnot. That’s what I can say.”
(Obviously you’re wearing a QB Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey. We spoke to him about a week ago and he talked about the growing relationship between the two of you and how he’s trying to mentor you and bring you and the other quarterbacks along, so I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about your relationship. It seems like things are going well if you’re already sporting his jersey.) – “Yeah, 100 percent. I thought I could break ice making you guys laugh wearing a ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) jersey because you know ‘Fitz’, (laughter) he’s very personable as well. But kind of to start it off with ‘Fitz’ – (he is a) very, very down-to-earth person. Very humble. I got to meet his family about two days ago and it was pretty funny because everyone while we were on FaceTime, everyone’s just scattered around the house. So he introduces me to his kids and then he introduces me to his wife and he’s like, ‘This is it. This is everyone and this is my family,’ and then (laughter), lo and behold he forgets two of them. It’s like, this man really has a family. He’s really been in the league for so long. To be behind a professional like that, to me it’s kind of mind-boggling how down-to-earth he is. It’s one of those things where it’s, this guy gets it. I don’t know what it is, but he gets it and that saying goes true. It says ‘if you want to get somewhere fast, you go alone, but if you want to do it with purpose, then you bring people with you,’ and I think ‘Fitz’ has done a tremendous job in trying to help shape and mold me and Josh (Rosen) as well. So it’s been really cool to go through that process with him.”
(I’ve got a two-parter for you about your transition down to Miami. First question – real simple – do you wear a mask when you’re out in public these days?) – “Yeah, that’s a great question. I’m not out ever. I just stay home or go to the team hotel; but in those instances where I do have to be out in public going to the hotel and whatnot, I do wear a mask so I have my mask right here.”
(Obviously we don’t know yet when your NFL debut will happen, but are you hoping to be tackled before that game or whenever it is, and are you feeling any or are you totally over the pain and discomfort deal with the hip?) – “I think to answer that question, honestly, you just never know until it actually happens. I won’t know the feeling until I actually do get tackled, so it’s almost like that trial and error kind of thing. You’ve got to go out and do it in order to know if does hurt or it doesn’t. That’s pretty much what I can say, but as far as how I feel right now, everything’s going well.”
(What’s your approach going into the season? We don’t know how many games are going to be that will actually be played. How would you feel if you were ultimately unable to play this season whether it’s COVID-related or Head Coach Brian Flores wants to go with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick or QB Josh Rosen?) – “Like I said, I think our coaches – I think they’re going to put the best 11 out there. Whether I’m in that lineup or not, I think they’ve done enough evaluation throughout the week, throughout the month and leadup to that game; so in that regard, I know they’re going to put the best out there. But to say if we didn’t have a season, I don’t think it would just be me that would be bummed, I think our whole team would be bummed and other teams as well that we don’t get an opportunity to play. This is something a lot of people work for. It’s our job for sure, but it’s also been a dream for a lot of us to get an opportunity like this and for a lot of the undrafted guys to get an opportunity. That’s going to mean something to them as well.”
(You were asked earlier a little bit about pressure and that’s something you dealt with obviously in college being in the spotlight and things. How do you deal with the spotlight now? You know every Dolphin fan will watch this and say, “hey, we can’t wait to see Tua on the field playing in that Dolphins uniform,” so how do you handle that pressure – the expectations that you’re the guy for the future?) – “I think the best way to handle it is really not pay attention to it, if that makes sense. Not being someone who just says, ‘oh I don’t like it, I don’t care about it.’ I understand that it’s there, but I just feel like the focus – the main focus – is just being able to get into my playbook, being able to – like I said – build relationships with the guys on the team and just focus on what we’ve got to do inside of the building. Just like almost every athlete has said, fans are good and fans can … so when we’re doing good, we’re all we’ve got as a team. The fans are going to say whatever. That’s all that outside noise, and really, we’ve just got to pay attention to what we’re trying to do and accomplish as a team here in the Dolphins organization.”
(I’m kind of curious if you’ve really been able to grasp how different the NFL is from college football without having a preseason, without having a full training camp. Is there kind of anyone that’s kind of designated to teaching you the rules or figuring out, “hey, here’s how we manage the clock here,” or “hey, here’s how we do certain things” to kind of get you adapted without seeing a real game yet?) – “That’s a great question. It’s definitely going to be different not having a preseason game. Not to say we had one in college, but college is a lot different. We have school involved. There’s just a lot of other things involved with that; but with the NFL not having a preseason and understanding game management in a real live scenario – what to do end of game, end of half and whatnot – how we do that here is ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) gives us kind of game-situational awareness football during our team meetings, so we probably go over about three or four things as a team and how we want to go about running the clock out in this situation, how we want to do things in situation, and that’s really how we go about doing that. Then we would walk through it on the field and do things like that. That’s how we’re going about that.”
Brian Flores – August 10, 2020
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Monday, August 10, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(This organization had a lot of momentum at the end of last season with the turnaround you had in the second half of the year and particularly the way the last game went. I’m wondering how much of that momentum do you feel carries over into what’s going on right now – particularly given the interruption and disruption you’ve had in the last six or seven months?) – “I don’t think any, to be honest with you. I think 2019 is in the past and every year is a little bit different. This year is no different from that standpoint. The things that happened a year ago – good or bad – we’re just kind of focused on getting better each and every day. Last year is last year. (We’re) just trying to improve and get better, build some team chemistry and learn and grow as a team right now. I’m not really worried about anything that happened a year ago.”
(I wanted to ask you, I know this is probably far down the list of things that are important to you, but where do you think fans are in the component of how important it is to have them in the stands this season? Is it necessary? I know they haven’t really made a decision yet, but do you think it’s worth the risk?) – “We’d love to have fans in the stands. I’d love to have them – home, away. Obviously the fans are a big part of the game and we’re not out there without their support, so from that standpoint, it is important to me. But look, there’s a pandemic. We need to obviously use caution which we’re doing here in our building; and as a country, I think we’re all trying to proceed with caution in all of our daily activities. If we can have fans and have them at the games in a safe way, then I’m all for it. If the people who make those decisions don’t think that’s the right thing to do, then we’ll play without fans.”
(I wanted to ask you, some teams have discussed possibly quarantining quarterbacks throughout the season to make sure you can line up on Sundays if something happens in your room. Have you given any thought to that and if so what would be the deciding factor of who to put in that quarantine?) – “We’ve looked into really every possible scenario – that being one of them. A lot of our meetings are on Zoom right now so everyone, from that standpoint, is in a quarantine. So in a lot of ways it takes care of itself; but yeah, we’ve thought about that. We’ve talked through that scenario as well as a plethora of other scenarios. I think we’ve got a plan in place that we feel good about.”
(This year is obviously unique but just generally speaking, do your training camp scripts differ year-to-year based on things like coaching and personnel changes?) – “Yeah, I think every year, it’s different. To set a script in one year and think that you’re just going to copy and paste it into the next year, that’s – because of different players, different coaches, just different things that you’re doing as a team. I think on a daily basis, you’ve got to be able to change, adapt and be flexible the same way you’re going to want your team to be able to adapt and be flexible within the game; so yeah, they change. The scripts change. The daily practice schedules change and obviously this year, everything is a little bit different, so anyone who’s setting a specific training camp schedule or practice, this year is definitely different, so we’re all going to have to adapt.”
(I’m not sure you’ve seen what’s been going on with college football, but I wanted to ask what your confidence level is that the NFL can finish a regular season and playoffs?) – “I think we take things day by day by day. We try to use caution and the testing that we’re doing – continue the testing – distance, wear masks and we just kind of string those days together. If we do that as an entire league, then we’re going to put ourselves in the best position to play as many games as we can play, and that’s really all we can do. To make predictions on whether or not we can do this or that, I don’t want to get into all that. All I’ll say is we’re going to try to wear our masks, wear our contact tracers, distance and do the best we can. Obviously we all know that it’s an airborne virus and people can get infected quickly, so all we can do is do our best to prevent that from happening. I think if we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to play a full season which is all – that’s all we can do.”
(I’m wondering if you could share your thinking in the hiring of Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall. I know that putting together an offensive line is difficult. What are the challenges of doing it in 14 padded practices?) – “Steve, obviously when we went with (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey), I thought that it was important to go with someone who was familiar with that style of play. That played a role in hiring Steve. He’s a good coach. He’s a very good teacher of o-line play. He and I – I had a good feeling and a good vibe when we had our interview process. He works well with Chan, he works well with the offensive staff, he’s a good coach, he’s a tough coach, he asks a lot of his players. So far it’s been good. Obviously we haven’t – it’s been all walkthrough. We can only evaluate what we’ve done so far, so I’ve been pleased with that. As far as the padded practices, this is going to be the least amount of work across the league for all teams – the least amount of practices, no preseason games – in the history of the NFL. I think everyone knows and understands that. Is it enough? It’s going to have to be enough this year. We’re going to do our best to try to build camaraderie on the offensive line, on the defensive line, the quarterback room, the DB room, as coaching staff, and not make excuses about only being this or only being that. We’ll just do our best with the time we have. Again, every rep is going to be that much more important. Every meeting is going to be that much more important. That’s the messaging we convey to the players.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Byron Jones. He joined the organization a while ago, but I don’t think we’ve ever actually asked you to tell us what you think he does well. In having watched all of the film of him from Dallas, what are some of his strengths, how does he fit into what you want him to do?) – “He’s a smart player. He’s a tough player. I think he can tackle, he’s got good cover skills, he’s got length, he’s got some leadership qualities. He’s a talented player and we’re happy to have him. Obviously there are some improvements he can make to his game like all players and like all coaches. Like everyone, we can all improve and get better. We’re pleased with him so far. I joke around with him a little bit that he wears some nice shoes. I was on him a little bit today. He’s good. He’s been fun to spend some time with. It’s nice to see guys get to know each other – guys from different teams – and just try to pull this whole thing together. I’m very pleased with that addition; but we’re still in a very early stage. We don’t have pads on, we haven’t put a helmet on. We’ve got a long way to go. He’s got to make some improvements. We all have to make some improvements. I know he’ll work towards that.”
(With everything that’s going on with college football, if there is not a college football season, how would that impact what you guys do organizationally in terms of scouting? Is that something you guys are monitoring?) – “Yeah, we’re monitoring that. Obviously from a scouting standpoint, this is the time where a lot of guys will be out on the road and looking at the prospects for next season. Yeah, if there is not a college season, that’s something we’ve talked about. (General Manager) Chris (Grier), myself, (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), (Assistant General Manager) Marvin Allen, we have a plan in place for how we’re going to go about this scouting season if there is no season. Yeah, obviously those conversations will be ongoing and those conversations obviously are going to stay between us. Yeah, that will be – I think everyone loves college football and wants to see it; but if we don’t feel like it’s going to be a safe environment for those young men and that’s the decision we make, we all have to live with that. From our standpoint, looking down the road, which we’re always doing that as well, if we have to make some adjustments then we will. With all of that said, my focus is on this team right now today. I’m monitoring that from afar but Chris handles more of that, really all of that I should say. When he gets on, you guys can ask him about it.”
(I wanted to ask you about Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer. You made a change at defensive coordinator. Why is Josh the right man for the job?) – “Obviously I’ve worked with Josh for a long time. He is a very good teacher defensively. He’s tough, he’s smart, he works extremely hard, and I think he has good rapport with the players. I’m very excited to see him lead the defense. I think he’s going to do a good job; but at the same time, we’ve got a long way to go and a lot of work to do. These guys are not even hitting the field yet or in pads or a helmet. But yeah, I’m excited for Josh and I think he’s going to do a good job with this opportunity.”
George Godsey – August 8, 2020
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Saturday, August 8, 2020
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(I wanted to ask you, you guys made a lot of changes on the coaching staff as a whole – I guess Head Coach Brian Flores did – and you’re one of the people who came back. How have you guys started to try to gel as a staff despite having to have all that separation because of COVID-19?) – “It’s something that every year we have to deal with, but it’s definitely a good observation. The players go through their chemistry. We as coaches go through our chemistry, too, so putting everybody on the same page as far as what day-to-day operations are but also the communication; for example at the tight end position, there’s communication with the line coach. Obviously with the coordinator, how he sees things through his lens. So we’ve had our share of meetings and it’s been good. We can’t high five each other, but we’ve gotten enough information. We’ve taken a lot of notes and we’ve had a lot of good feedback back and forth, so yeah, it’s an obstacle – not being there to maybe go to have a two-minute meeting in the hallway, but we’ve definitely put some time invested throughout the day to get on that same page.”
(I wanted to ask you about TE Adam Shaheen in terms of what was it that you saw from him when he was added to your unit and how do you view him as a potential help for this offense?) – “Adam, we try to evaluate all the tight ends – or at least I have just throughout my career. I was in Detroit for a little bit, so I was able to see him, but also he’s got great range from a length standpoint and size. He’s had his issues trying to stay on the field. I think that’s part of the NFL, so he’s a young prospect that is ascending. He’s very motivated in these meetings. We’ve had some extra time, too, to make sure that he’s getting caught up. Ideally with a new player, we’d go through the spring portion and then now we’re into the fall portion and it’s kind of just maybe the second or third time he’s heard things, so he’s got some work cut out for him mentally, but he’s up for the challenge. The guy’s been productive in the pass game and like I said, his length against NFL defensive ends or outside ‘backers that are on the line of scrimmage, that’s a valuable piece to have; so we can’t coach that part, but we can definitely catch him up to speed and then it’s up to him to get open in the passing game.”
(What has it been like having Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey coming out of retirement, being away from football? What kind of sense do you get from him about how he’s feeling about being back around football?) – “Football is for all of us – it’s pretty much in our blood. It is what we do. Chan has a lot of experience at all different type of levels – head coach, coordinating, college, pro – so he has an excellent perspective on what everybody’s going through from each position. He’s answered a lot of those questions that maybe come up in our meetings. He’s had a million of those discussions with a bunch of different staffs that he’s been a part of, so it’s a good perspective. I look at it as a huge opportunity for me to kind of get that knowledge to keep growing as a coach. He’s very open to providing his perspective and he wants to know about how we see the players, so that stuff’s been great and I really enjoy the day to day.”
(I wanted to follow up on the question about TE Adam Shaheen. How is he working on the line and do feel comfortable with what you have in the tight end unit in terms of guys who can work on the line in Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense?) – “I think there’s going to be a lot of versatility with these guys, not only as a – I call it a ‘point-of-attack tight end’ when you’re actually on the line – but as a move guy. You used to end up being the spot but off the line where now you have multiple things that you can do. (We are) looking for versatility in that and we have a lot of guys in this group, guys returning from Durham (Smythe) to Chris (Myarick) who was on the practice squad last year, and Adam (Shaheen) provides the same thing, so we’re looking to kind of diversify as much as we can and maybe not be one-dimensional with one particular guy; but we’re going to always put the guys that are – what they emphasize as far as positives in their skillset and put them on the field. Now’s the time to really see that. You’d like to have a little bit of a spring background like I said before, but it is what it is and those guys are going to have to perform in maybe one or two reps as opposed to five or six reps that if you kind of add it through the two different phases of the practice formats.”
(I wanted to ask you about TE Mike Gesicki real quick. When you look at his first half of last year on tape versus the way he dominated in the latter portion of the season, what was the change?) – “I know we spoke about this to a degree – a small degree – last year. He put an emphasis on his practice habits. We say practice execution is more game reality, so if you can get out there and practice at a high level and go against high-level competition so going against that first-team defense, maybe taking a show team rep – I would say ‘dropping the shield,’ so to say as a pro, like get out there and be a show team guy and go against good competition. And he put time into that, got some extra time with ‘Fitzy’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) as far as seeing, running routes so that he could see it the same way as a quarterback. That’s a hard thing to do, too, especially where he is in his career. Every quarterback sees things differently and so making sure you’re on the same page with them, it’s not necessarily the same thing as just running a route, ‘hey, I caught it.’ That may still not be the correct way that he’s looking at it or the actual detailed way. He became more of a communicator with the quarterbacks and I think that was part of his production increase – how to look at it that way from a passing game standpoint.”
(Just wanted to ask you about two of the young guys – with TE Chris Myarick what skills did you see last year that intrigued you and what about TE Bryce Sterk was it that made you want to make him your defensive end to tight end project?) – “First with Chris – Chris is a very good pro. He comes in to work and is prepared. He’s a physical player. He’s worked to maintain a higher weight to be more productive as a point-of-attack tight end, but he also has some of those off-the-line characteristics to be able to do some two-back stuff whether it’s slicing back on a defensive end or insert for a ‘backer or even pass protection. He runs through his mistakes, but he corrects them and moves on so we like how Chris practiced last year and he practiced with good effort and those are the things that we look for. Then on Bryce – from Bryce’s standpoint, this is a physical guy. He’s a strong, heavy-handed guy that obviously there’s some technique things that we’re working on and we’re trying to have the attitude of improve every day. We know that no spring for a rookie that’s transitioning is a very difficult position to be in, but he’s open to learning. Being an offensive player that played defense, there’s a good perspective there just like from a coaching standpoint if you coached defense, coaching on offense. Those things can help him with his blocks – knowing exactly ‘hey, this defensive end is not going to rip inside. He’s going to be a contain player.’ So those are subtle things that can help him and like I said, he’s a bigger tight end that we’re going to have the size technique especially starting with the blocking first.”
