Ryan Fitzpatrick – August 1, 2020
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Saturday, August 1, 2020
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(I wanted to ask you – you said something last time we talked to you about pretty much not throwing in the offseason. That just wasn’t part of your routine. When did that start and what was the thought process behind it and what do you think you get out of it?) – “It started probably eight or nine years ago. A lot of it – it’s physically, mentally and emotionally just kind of getting away for a little bit, and I think you pour so much into every season that I do like to just take a step back. But the throwing part of it for me (is) just preservation and longevity. I probably have ramped it up here for the last two and a half or three weeks and trying to get ready. I think I wish we would’ve had OTAs and been able to do all the offseason stuff, but the silver lining for me is not having to make all those throws and coming in with a real fresh arm for the season.”
(I wanted to ask you, we haven’t talked to Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey before. I know you’re familiar with him. Can you kind of give us an idea of what he’s like maybe as a man and as a coach?) – “Yeah, (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) and I have worked together for five years in two different places in Buffalo and New York. First off, as a man, amazing guy. Very humble. Loves football, loves family and so there’s a lot of characteristics in that regard that we share. Guys love playing for him because one of the biggest things with him is he wants you to be yourself. I’ll never forget, Stevie Johnson in Buffalo was a guy that didn’t really play a whole lot and as soon as he got with Chan and Chan gave him the freedom to be creative on some of his routes and do some things that were a little unorthodox, it really catapulted his career; so players love playing for him because he gives them freedom – a certain amount of freedom, not a whole lot – and he’s a guy that does care about the details but he really cares about the end result, not necessarily how you got there. So everywhere that I’ve been with him with all of the different receivers and personnel, they’ve really enjoyed his offense and the freedom that comes with it.”
(I know you talked about this to some degree last year because it applied but this year more so; could you share your mindset of competing for the job and being the guy while at the same time helping younger players, helping as they basically are trying to take your job and compete with you? How do you balance that?) – “It’s not all that difficult for me. I mean I’m going to go out there and compete every single day as I know the younger guys are; but in the meeting rooms, I’m not going to keep anything to myself either. I’m going to make someone tell me to shut up because I’m going to talk as much I can and share as much as I can with the intimate knowledge I have of this offense being in it for five years and really just experience since I’ve been in the league. I know that – I don’t know how much time it’ll be before Tua (Tagovailoa) is in the lineup. I know that I am the placeholder and we’ve already had that conversation. I told him I’m going to do the best I can to lead this team and to win football games when I’m out there and whenever it is that Tua gets his chance, whether it’s early or late or whenever it is, I’m going to be his biggest cheerleader and that’s what I said earlier; but I think I have a unique perspective just from the career that I’ve had and I was excited that they drafted him and since meeting him in person finally the other day, I’m really excited. I think we’ve really hit it off and even though I’m an old geezer to him, we’ve meshed personality-wise and I’m excited to work with him.”
(I wanted to ask – there’s a six-week or a four-week sprint essentially before the season starts. You guys are having minicamp. How much do you think you guys can mesh together and mend before the season to get things rolling Week 1?) – “It’ll be difficult. I think you may see some sloppy play early on. When they decided no preseason games – and understandably with health in consideration – not just the physical play and the hitting and getting to go against a different defense, but the little things like getting a play from the play-caller and changing personnel in and out; it’s stuff that you could simulate in practice a little bit, but until you get into that game environment and the bullets are flying and everybody’s got to figure things out – there’s a play clock that all of a sudden gets a lot quicker – that stuff is going to be a tough adjustment that we’re just going to have to figure out and do as best we can with practice. I think the other thing is just every day, we have to feel the sense of urgency. We’ve had a couple of walkthroughs with the rookie guys and just having them understand that making a mistake is okay, but there’s an urgency to studying to not make that same mistake the next day, and the fact that every single rep that we take now is magnified in its importance, that’s something that we’ll stress to all of the guys as we get together.”
(What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for these rookies in regards to they haven’t been at an NFL practice yet and now there’s no preseason – how much do you think this year’s COVID-19 season is going to set this rookie class back?) – “It’s tough. I mean it’s such a tough adjustment to make the jump from college to the NFL, as we’ve all seen every single year with these guys; but to not have the offseason work and the OTAs, physically being in the building, to have a shortened preseason really with no games, it really puts these guys behind. It’s a little – I don’t know if ‘unfair’ is the right word – but it’s the cards that we’ve been dealt and the things that they have to be able to deal with and overcome. There’s going to be a lot of learning on-the-fly. There’s going to be probably some more mistakes with guys that have to get in there and play; they are going to make them in the game rather than mistakes that would’ve happened at OTAs that they could learn from, but the thing is that everybody’s dealing with the same thing. Every rookie on every different team has the same set of challenges and obstacles and so in that regard, it’s a level playing field.”
(Now that you guys are actually in the building, can you give us a sense of how different things are, how they feel and how comfortable are you with the safety precautions that have been put in place?) – “I think the league and the PA (NFL Players Association) did a great job in coming together with the different protocols and things; but speaking specifically with the Dolphins organization, the amount of work that went in from everybody in this building for us to walk in and to be able to feel safe. Between right now testing every single day and the different protocols – the way the locker room is structured, limited groups when we’re working out – there’s a lot of different things that are in place that I can walk in here and feel safe in this environment and the responsibility that everybody’s taking to have a mask on at all times when you’re breathing hard and working out, it’s not always necessarily going to be like that, but there’s a lot of people that have put a lot of work into this and I think the players as they trickle in will really – they’ll see a difference – but they’ll really appreciate everything this organization has done to make us feel comfortable in this building.”
(I wanted to ask you about working new Quarterbacks Coach Robby Brown. He’s got a really wide variety of job titles on his resume. I was kind of curious to get your take on how that diversity benefits the room and just how that relationship has been between he and each of the quarterbacks in that QB room.) – “I got a chance when I was in New York to work with (Quarterbacks Coach) Robby (Brown) a little bit, so we knew each other from there. I hadn’t really worked as closely as we will probably this year, but he brings a wealth of knowledge and it’s nice because he’s versed in (Offensive Coordinator) Chan’s (Gailey) offense and knows it really well, but he’s got some experience – especially on the college end – different things that he has seen, so Robby’s always a good guy, a good voice in the room to bounce things off and he can’t really coach me the same way that he’s going to coach Tua (Tagovailoa) or the same way that he’s going to coach Josh (Rosen). There’s a difference there and he’s got a good feel and understanding for that. It’s an interesting room with two young guys and one really old guy, but he’s done a great job so far of being able to reach us all in different ways.”
(I know you are pretty in touch with what’s going on around the world of just not the NFL but sports as well. I wanted to get your thoughts on the trouble Major League Baseball is having staying healthy – another outbreak in the Cardinals organization – why do you think things are going to be better for the NFL than it’s been for baseball so far?) – “I think that’s been eye-opening for everybody. I don’t know that that was unexpected. I think this is not going to be perfect and there are going to be things that pop up. On the million calls that we were on this offseason, ‘mitigating risk’ was always one of the big buzz words. It’s going to be difficult. It’s not – because somebody comes into the building or tests and then they are positive for COVID, that doesn’t mean that they were irresponsible or doesn’t mean that they were out in a bar. Maybe it means that you’ve got five kids in public school and you’re going home and they’re asymptomatic and you bring it in. I think the protocols and everything in place, we’re going to do our best to catch that and to not let it spread; but I think it’s a good example for everybody in the NFL that’s trying to get this going of just how easily it’s passed – especially in environments where you’re sweating and working out together. We have to do our best, but I don’t know if anybody’s going to be able to predict the future on that one.”
(Seeing where the run game was at last year and just knowing the additions the team made during the offseason, how can a potent or effective run game affect both how you perform your job and also just how the offense continues how to flow throughout the game?) – “A running game is definitely a quarterback’s best friend. It makes our job a lot easier. There aren’t a whole lot of things that we can be certain of this year, but I would put a lot of money on me not being the leading rusher. (laughter) I think that just with the personnel that was brought in with just being in Chan (Gailey)’s offense and how effective he has been in being able to run the ball; it’s something that he really prides himself on as a coordinator. I’m really excited to see – and I’ve met Jordan (Howard). I haven’t Matt (Breida) yet, but I think we brought in some dynamic talent and guys that are hungry and ready to come in. Obviously it looked like we wanted to bring in some beef up front and even just looking at some of these young guys – they’re very impressive. We’ll see physically where they are and mentally how they can grasp it, but there’s already a little bit of a different vibe in the building just in terms of that and I think it’ll bode well for the running game.”
(I wanted to ask you about your own experience with the virus. You’ve got a big crew there to be concerned about. Is everybody okay? How concerned are you about your own health and did you consider opting out?) – “We spent a majority of the offseason – especially from late March-on – in Arizona and I’ve got my place, my brother is next door and he has five kids, so my kids didn’t know any different. They were able to run around and play and we pretty much quarantined in those two houses; but it was 12 kids every day in the swimming pool and running around having fun. For them, we tried to keep it as normal as possible and other than going to Costco and the grocery store, there wasn’t a whole lot going on in terms of leaving the house. So we felt very comfortable with the way that we approached it and we were fortunate with the living situation that we had and the kids to be able to play with each other; but it’s something that we will continue to just be extremely careful with and again for the NFL and teams, there’s kind of a negative stigma I think that may be attached to getting coronavirus, but as we’ve seen it can kind of happen to anybody at any point in time. We all just have to try to do our best to take care of not only ourselves but each other.”
(Let me double-back for a second. You talked about meshing with QB Tua Tagovailoa and personalities meshing. What is it about his personality? What is it about your personality that has kind of helped you guys sync up, do you think?) – “I don’t know. I mean he’s a really interesting guy. He’s got a lot of energy to him and you can just tell that guys are going to gravitate to him. There’s something about him that is just very likable and I can already tell that he’s going to be one of those guys that gets along with everybody, that guys are going to want to follow. He just has that kind of aura about him and part of it is probably the way that he played in college and just kind of the name and the reputation that he’s built for himself; but there’s not a whole lot of ego involved and he’s very likable. So I don’t know, just the general conversations whether about football or life, it’s been really fun so far.”
Brian Flores – July 29, 2020
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Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I just want you to address what these challenges are that you are facing in the NFL with COVID-19, and what is the biggest hurdle, and what is the message you send to your players?) – “It’s good to see all of you guys, first and foremost. To answer your question, there is obviously a lot with COVID. I think we try to create an environment that is as safe as possible. That’s something we have talked to our players about. I think our medical staff – headed by Kyle Johnston, our head trainer – I think they’ve done a really good job of changing the locker room, changing the protocols in the locker room, the training room, the weight room and making this place as safe as possible. I think they’ve done a great job from that standpoint. My message to the players has been about really making good decisions, being responsible. I think they’re going to have to make some sacrifices outside of the building and inside of the building. I think if we can do that, we’ve done everything we can possibly do to try to limit the spread of this virus. There are some challenges, but I think we’re trying to meet them head on and do the best we can with them.”
(A question about what you saw unfold this past weekend with the Miami Marlins. Obviously you share a market with them. It’s unclear exactly how that spread happened, but it seems like everyone is taking that as a precautionary tale. What was your reaction when you saw what happened with the Marlins, and what have you learned from what’s going on there?) – “I think it’s unfortunate and our thoughts are with those who are affected with coronavirus. I think it speaks to how quickly the virus can spread, and if you’re not wearing a mask and distancing and taking the precautions, it could spread quickly. I think that was evident with the Marlins and I think that’s just an opportunity for us all to learn and see it actually happen. We have to learn from that situation and take the mask-wearing seriously and distancing seriously, and if you have symptoms, you need to report them. I think it’s an example of how quick it could spread and how important taking the precautions are.”
(When people talk about the need for more diverse hiring practices you and General Manager Chris Grier are often the face of that. I wanted to ask you how important you think that is for maybe other organizations to follow given the current state of America in regards to social justice?) – “I’ve said this time and time again, I think there are very capable minority coaches throughout the league and on our staff. And if given the opportunity, I think they’ll perform and do well. That’s kind of my thought on that. Hopefully we take the steps where minorities get those opportunities, and I think they’ll be able to take advantage.”
(Regarding the quarterback situation, is training camp an open competition or is QB Ryan Fitzpatrick first team unless or until he is beaten out?) – “I think you always want competition. We’re in training camp, so every position is an open competition. Obviously some players are further ahead than others. I think we all kind of know and understand that. But yes, we want competition and there are no jobs that will just be handed out.”
(I’ve got a question in regards to the Marlins situation. We’ve seen one case turn into four, then 12, then 17, I believe, in a matter of days. How many negative tests would it take for you guys to decide, ‘hey, we might be at a competitive disadvantage but we’re sending everybody for X-amount of days, going virtual,’ in hopes of stopping a potential spread at a low number versus staying in the building, continuing operations with the potential that a case here or there could turn into more?) – “Our message has been more along the lines of let’s try to do everything possible so that that situation doesn’t happen. Let’s wear the mask. Let’s distance. Let’s test – we’re testing on a daily basis. That’s kind of where our thought process has been. Yes, have we had those conversations about what it would take or what if a catastrophe happened? Yes, we’ve had those and there’s an action plan for that. I’m not going to get into that; but most of our energy has been towards doing the things necessary to prevent that situation. And that’s the message I’ve tried to give to the team and really everyone in the organization – players, coaches, equipment, training staff – and I think the leadership within the organization – myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle Johnston, (Head Strength and Conditioning) Dave Puloka, the rest of the coaching staff – they’re all sending that exact same message.”
(What are the biggest changes in the facility as far as what you’re doing where because of the virus situation?) – “There’s been a lot of changes at the facility. We’ve created a new locker room. We’ve got plexiglass between every locker. Obviously (wearing) masks and distancing and hand sanitizers everywhere. It’s a lot of what you’ve heard. Obviously there’s guidelines and protocols and the emergency response plan we had to put in place; but I would say to me, it’s the locker room that’s the biggest adjustment – having to move guys into a different space – but we’re going to do what we have to do. We made changes to the weight room as well and had to basically create a new weight room. There are adjustments we’ve had to make. We’ve made them. So far we haven’t had any issues. Hopefully we get to continue on the road we’re going.”
(I did want to clarify – QB Tua Tagovailoa did not begin the year on the PUP, so is he fully ready to go and able to practice without limitations?) – “Yeah, he is not on PUP. Obviously as you guys know, there’s an acclimation period here for the next, let’s just call it two weeks. There’s strength and conditioning and some walkthroughs, so there won’t be much strenuous activity. I shouldn’t say ‘there won’t be strenuous activity.’ There will be from a strength and conditioning standpoint, but from a football practice, drills – that standpoint – there won’t be much; but yeah, he’s through the physical and when we do get to practice, you’ll see him out there.”
(I’m wondering, what is your biggest challenge? Is it keeping your team healthy amid the virus? Keeping them sort of ‘bubbled’ even though you don’t have a bubble? Or is it making your team good in 2020?) – “I think it’s a combination of both. I think you always want your team to be healthy whether it’s – right now COVID is what everyone’s talking about; but when we get into practice, it’ll be soft tissue injuries or shoulders or knees or things of that nature. There’s nothing more important than the health of the team. That’s going to be at the forefront this year especially; but at the same time, yeah, we’re working towards trying to improve on the field as well. So that’s fundamentals, that’s technique, that’s conditioning. There’s a lot to try to improve upon. So yeah, we need to keep them healthy so that we can go out on the field and improve. They kind of go hand-in-hand in a lot of ways. These are very, very – let’s call it unprecedented circumstances; but I think we need to make the best of the situation and that’s been the message to the team. There’s no real point in dwelling on the lack of games or practice. We just have to make the most of every opportunity we get to go out there. The healthy guys will practice and the guys who aren’t, won’t. And those practice reps are going to be very important this season.”
(Two things I’d like to ask you real quick here. One is an update on CB Xavien Howard. Obviously he’s just gone on the PUP list. I’m wondering what your level of optimism might be that we’ll see him on the field either in training camp or for the regular season opener. The second thing I wanted to ask you is if any of your players have opted out.) – “Well, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is on PUP. He’s been rehabbing really the entire summer. He’s making a lot of progress. He’ll be back as soon as he can. I can’t put a timetable on it. I don’t know – I know he’s working. I know he’s making some progress; but I’m not going to put a timetable on when he’ll be back. We’ll try to get him out there as soon as we can. As of 10 minutes ago when I walked into this meeting, nobody has opted out. I know we’ve had guys opt out throughout the league. Those are tough decisions to make. Fortunately we haven’t had anyone opt out thus far. There’s still obviously some time for that.”
(Does that apply to coaches as well, as far as opting out? Is the whole staff going to…) – “We haven’t had any coaches opt out.”
(Without having a normal spring and summer – you have a big rookie class, you’ve got a lot of free agents – how can you accelerate the learning in training camp, if at all, where it can make up for that?) – “I think every rep is going to be important. Every walkthrough rep, every practice rep. We won’t have preseason games. That’s all we’ve got. I don’t think there’s any point in – like I said earlier, there’s no point in dwelling on or being upset about the circumstances. We’ve just got to make the most of the opportunities that we’re going to be given here. Yeah, every rep is going to be important. Every rep in individual is – those evaluations, those are the evaluations. The improvements those guys make – the players make – in practice, in walkthroughs, they’re going to be – it either keeps them on the team or doesn’t keep them on the team.”
(I know you mentioned QB Tua Tagovailoa is going to be out there once you guys start kicking things up. How much can you realistically ask from him given this unusual offseason, from Day 1, Week 1 or even Game 1?) – “We’re going to ask him to do the same as we’re going to ask every other player: to come in every day, having gone through the install from the night before, mentally prepared to go out there and practice, physically prepared to go out there and practice and try to improve every day. That’s all I can ask from the players. Try to take it one day at a time and take the meetings to the walkthrough, the walkthrough into the individual periods, the individual periods into the group periods, the group periods into the team periods and just take things one step at a time. I know there’s a lot of people that want to talk about Tua and I understand it; but at the same time, he’s a young player, this is his first NFL training camp. I think he’s got to take it one day at a time and not think about what’s realistic for the season. I think we just need to take a one day at a time approach. That’s been my message to him and it’s not just him, it’s really every player on this team. This is a different year. This is a different type of training camp. No one has gone through a training camp like this where a lot of meetings are virtual and there was no spring, there are no preseason games. No one has done this. Instead of looking into the future, I’d rather just take the one day at a time approach and that’s the message that I’m going to give to the team, as well.”
(Have there been any considerations to – I know a bubble isn’t happening in the NFL – but perhaps seeing if players could stay in one central location throughout the season like the team hotel? It seems like the NBA and MLS has had some success by sequestering their players. Has that been a consideration?) – “Look, there are some things put in place where players – I’m not going to get into this or that. I think for each player individually, they’re going to have a responsibility to themselves and to this team to make some sacrifices in the building and outside of the building. If we don’t make the right decisions, if we’re in bars and we’re in crowded restaurants and we’re at concerts, the likelihood of us bringing the virus into the building is very high. If we don’t do those things and we distance and we quarantine in our homes and the hotel and wherever, then the likelihood goes down significantly. I think that’s pretty simple and that’s been the message that we’ve given to the players. I understand the bubble; but at the end of the day, it’s the same. It’s making the right choices, being responsible, making smart decisions. And it’s not just the players. It’s player, it’s coaches, it’s support staff, it’s all of us. One person can bring in the virus and it can spread like wildfire. I think we all understand that. So each one of us has a responsibility. If you enter the facility, you have a responsibility to the 150, 180 or 200 other people in the facility. We need to be smart and make good decisions. I think our guys understand that. Look, you can be smart and make all good decisions and it still might not work out, because that’s just kind of how this is. But I think we’d all have peace of mind knowing that we’ve done everything possible that we can do individually. If we do that, then what else can we ask for from the people in this organization?”
Christian Wilkins – June 11, 2020
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
DT Christian Wilkins
(I have a question for you for versatility and it’s certainly a buzz word we talk about down here, and you’ve moved around as much as anybody among that defensive line last year. How do those multiple fronts and multiple roles for you really help maximize your game?) – “For me really, I just take a lot of pride in being able to do my job and a lot of other jobs along the defensive line. The saying in the NFL is, the more you can do the better, so I always try to add a lot to my game, and that comes from film study, working out hard, just really honing in on my craft at every position on the defensive line. That versatility is huge and I’m glad I’m able to do that for this team, because anything that can help this team I’m all for. We’ve got a really versatile defense. We do a lot of different fronts, a lot of different things upfront. I’m glad I’m able to do those things as a big part of our defense.”
(You’re still the ‘PA’ [NFLPA] rep, correct?) – “Yes.”
(What kind of communication have you had with the union about protocols about getting us back to football? Do you anticipate four or five weeks from now being back and ready to go at training camp? What information can you share with us?) – “The ‘PA’ (NFLPA) has done a good job of trying to figure things out. We’re really just trying to figure out the best way, and the safest way to carry out with the season this year or starting up on time and things like that. There’s a lot that goes into it, but really everyone is working hard on their end to try to figure something out. That’s really all that I can share, is that we are trying to figure everything out and do it in the safest way possible where it’s the best for everybody involved.”
(I wanted ask you about Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. I know he’s been getting a lot of flack in the media with everything going on recently and a lot of players spoke out for him and advocated for him. I guess I wanted to ask, you know Dabo closer than a lot of us do. Who is he as a coach and what do you think about some of the things being said about him in the media in recent days?) – “About everything going on with Coach Swinney in the media, I just really feel like people are really trying to paint a negative picture on Coach Swinney in a lot of ways, and that’s not who he is at all. That’s not the guy I’ve known since I was a sophomore or junior in high school. He’s a man of faith, he loves his players, I know his character, I know his heart. I see a lot of different things being said about him that I don’t necessarily agree with. I know him personally, I know his intentions, I know his heart and I know he’s a great coach. He’s passionate about developing young men on and off the field. Granted, he might not have said all of the right things. He might have done some things that people disagree with and that maybe I disagree with. But that just shows where someone like me could really be a help to Coach Swinney too, just as someone who is close to him, and someone who loves him. To continue to help him and educate him, and continue to have those conversations with him about things going on with him and the media as well. I’m not going to let anyone create a negative image of Coach Swinney because my experience with him has been great and a lot of other players feel that way as well.”
(More than probably a lot of players in professional football, you have some sort of motivation behind what’s going on in the nation right now and the political protest regarding police brutality. With that being said, can you answer and address why you never thought about or did kneel, or did you think about doing some sort of protest when you were in college, when Colin Kaepernick started in 2016, and have you given it any thought to it now?) – “Like you said, pretty much for me, what’s going on in the country right now is extremely personal to me because I experienced it with my family. Whether it was my brothers or close family and friends – a lot of people know the story about what happened to my grandfather, so it’s extremely personal to me. I just feel like it’s my job to use my platform to shed a positive light and be a spark of hope really through all of this. As far as kneeling or anything like that, that’s something I’m sure I’ll figure out as we get closer to the season, and we’ll talk about it as a team and figure things out. That’s something I’ll think about as we get closer to the season.”
(Along those lines, you had a lengthy Instagram post about your grandfather with all of the emotions that were stirred up. I’m just curious – it’s obviously been a very raw time for a lot of people in this country. I’m curious to where your emotions are now and do you feel what we’re seeing these last couple of weeks has been positive in the sense that it has seemed to have sparked some change?) – “Like you said, it’s hard not to get emotional and (I) have strong feelings about what’s happening right now because it hurts to see what’s happening to a lot of people that look like me. It’s something that has been going on forever. It’s stuff we’ve always had to deal with but now I feel like the rest of the world is really starting to see what we go through as the black community and the challenges we face day in and day out. I think now is a good positive time for some change to really happen. It’s great that I see a lot of my counterparts, a lot of my brothers speaking up about this whether it’s guys in the NFL, NBA, MLB, wherever. A lot of people are speaking up and using their voice which is great because change needs to happen. Stuff has been happening like this for far too long. We’re all one and everybody has a part in it, whether you’re black or white, it doesn’t matter. Everybody has a part to making this change and making the world a better place.”
(I know you were asked about Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney earlier, but there was another storyline in the Clemson database last week about an assistant allegedly calling a player a slur. I wanted to ask you about your experiences at Clemson and whether you felt any sort of racism that other players may have alleged happened with that assistant or otherwise.) – “In terms of with that assistant, I obviously know of that situation. I was one of the guys who was first informed about that – I heard about that and everything – and obviously I wasn’t happy that he used that language at practice and in front of everybody. I was not happy with that. But for the most part, it’s not like it was a (common) thing or he said it a bunch. Personally for me and my experience at Clemson, in terms of racism, it might have been a lot different than the everyday black student in the Clemson community, because their life is different than mine where all of my interactions and everything are positive because I was an athlete, because I was a community leader, a person on campus that everybody could relate to and see, and they know it’s me and they showed me a lot of love. So my experience at Clemson was a lot different than the everyday black student, so in terms of that, obviously me coming from the North to the South, I experienced a little bit of a culture shock; but in terms of me personally dealing with specific examples and instances of racism, there were fewer of those, if that makes sense.”
(What do you feel like you need to see, what will make you comfortable returning to practice in late July. From the union standpoint and you personally what needs to be done for you to be ready for football?) – “Really, I just want to know if we can do everything in the safest manner possible and that there is a clear plan for everyone involved and that things can be done in an orderly fashion and in the safest way possible, because that’s all we care about. We always talk about player safety and it’s bigger than just the players on the field because things like that could affect our family, our loved ones and stuff like that too. I just want to know that there is a set plan that that in order to get on the field and get out there, and if someone does contract the virus or whatever, that there is a plan for that, and everything can be handled orderly and cleanly really.”
(What was your reaction to the Commissioner’s statement encouraging players to peacefully protest? Do you support that idea and will you support your teammates who express support for the social justice movements when the games start, the kneeling and such, or whatever they decide to do?) – “The biggest thing I’m in support of is that people using their voice and this means a lot to a lot of people. That’s what I’m behind, and I’m behind people who are against social injustices because that’s something that is important to me, that’s something that affects me personally. I’m in support of guys who are courageous enough to step out of their comfort zone and be a leader and stand up for something that isn’t right because that’s what I’m all about. I’m behind guys who are willing to be that courageous and do what they feel is necessary to allow their voice to be heard and using their platform.”
Ted Karras – June 11, 2020
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
C Ted Karras
(What do you feel your role is from a leadership standpoint playing that center position and what’s it like now? I know these are Zoom meetings, but what’s it like trying to develop chemistry for an offensive line with you guys usually the most tight-knit unit?) – “The center’s always had a leadership role. I take that very seriously and really enjoy the opportunity. The Zoom meetings, though, it’s basically just trying to speak the same language, everyone getting on the same page, making calls and kind of trying to see the game through one set of eyes; so it’s been very beneficial. We’re all getting on the same page, speaking the same terms and we’ve gotten a lot of good work in this spring already.”
(I wanted to ask you about what the team’s response has been to obviously the death of George Floyd and the unrest that has followed since. Has Head Coach Brian Flores had listening sessions? Have you had big group talks about it? What’s going on?) – “We have talked and I have been around some guys down here, and obviously there’s some good talk going on. I don’t really know what my role is going to be going forward, but I’m listening and learning and doing my best to empathize and understand and do what I can to be an advocate for progress and stand in solidarity with my teammates.”
(I know that you guys probably haven’t met – you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – but where do you see his value and how familiar are you with his game and what he may bring to your offense this year?) – “Well, I’ve been a fan for a long time. I love the way he plays. We definitely communicated a lot this spring. I’m really excited to start getting in-person, start getting some reps together; but I love the way he plays. He’s been a great leader and very welcoming to me so far, so I’m really excited to get to work with him and play some ball.”
(Back to the protest movement, you talked about striving for solidarity. Fifty-three people aren’t going to agree on anything, but to what extent do you think kneeling during the national anthem is a potentially divisive locker room issue going forward?) – “I can only speak for myself and I know there’s a lot of valid protests going on and there’s definitely some winds of change, and I’m going to do my best to keep learning and listening and try to fit in wherever I can. But I’m with my teammates; and whatever we decide, I’m going to go with what we’re doing in unison. I want to be unified and do whatever I can to be an advocate for progress.”
(What do you think makes you an ideal center because that’s a position that you only got accustomed to – I know you probably practiced with it for some time – but you only got playing experience last year. Why is center the right fit for you?) – “I’m (a) good leader, making calls, I’m a pretty decent size for a center. I like being in the mix. I like the fact that we’re kind of in there fighting in the A gaps. I’m just working hard every day. I learned center my rookie year in New England and then played it for four (seasons) and now get a chance to get another season under my belt. I’m very excited. I love anything on the o-line. Any opportunity and job in this league is precious and I’m very excited to continue to work with the guys and be the best player I can be so we can win as many ball games as we can.”
(I have a question about some of your teammates that were added along the offensive line this year. Five additions among the draft and free agency, including yourself, and several of those guys are 325, 330 or even bigger than that. How much does that sheer density alongside you help you do your job better?) – “I’m excited to get in with them. There’s some big dudes coming in, yeah. We’re going to have a pretty big o-line and that’s exciting, and everyone’s been working hard. I’m really excited just to get together whenever that may be, but I think it’s going to be a really good competitive camp. Everything is going to be competition and we’re going to have the five best guys out there Week 1 and start putting it together.”
(I’m just curious what you’ve been doing as one of the new guys to kind of establish yourself and stand out as one of the new guys and also as the veteran, and how difficult has that been virtually with the nature of what’s going on? How can you make a name for yourself virtually with the coaches and your teammates?) – “I think just being prepared every day, coming to work every day ready to work. I think that maybe sometimes – especially Zoom – I’m really not usually this serious all the time, like I come off pretty serious in meetings. Football time is serious time, and I think one thing that kind of stinks about this spring not being in the building is that now sometimes your teammates only see the serious side. You don’t get that hour in the locker room after to connect, but as guys are trickling down here, we’ve started to lift together a little bit, run together and just whoever can make it and it’s been nice to meet people and start developing a personal relationship because that’s one of my favorite parts of the game.”
(I understand you got a second Master’s degree this offseason. I saw somewhere else your goal is to go for six and I wanted to ask you about the challenge of doing that and when you get those, how does that rank in terms of accomplishments for you compared to what you do on the football field?) – “It’s definitely second to anything I do in my (football) career. It’s just a perk that I’ve taken advantage of. I encourage a lot of guys to do it as well. It can be any accredited school. You can go get your degree paid for by the NFL. It’s very important to me. I graduated from Indiana this May with an MBA and going to see what I do next. I don’t do anything ever during the season, so it’s always about February to June, but it’s really exciting. I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I’ve got a couple options. I’ve applied some places, but we’ll see.”
(I know there’s probably some tentative clarity on the training camp starting in late July. I wanted to ask about your thoughts on a shortened preseason, if they were to cut it down from four games to two. How does it affect players like yourself getting chemistry? How does it affect players at the end of the roster? How do you guys think a shortened preseason would pan out?) – “Every game is really important, but having two games instead of four to stand out as a guy – especially in any type of competition – definitely kind of raises the stakes; but our job is to play football and whenever we can get the opportunity, you’ve got to go out there and play your best and do your best. It’s definitely going to be more limited reps and definitely ramp the competition up because less reps for guys. That’s how you make the team, so it’s going to be an interesting training camp just like everything this year is very unique. We’re just going to have to adapt as players to perform our best.”
(You mentioned you’re down here, is that right?) – “I am.”
(Have you got a chance to work with any of your teammates?) – “Yeah, I’ve met a few guys. I’ve got a gym in my garage that a couple guys have come over and lifted at. (I am) lucky, too. I know a lot of guys on this team already, which has been great. A lot of guys are trickling down as it kind of ramps up toward the season and I think it’s going to be a really, really productive summer.”
(So you guys were working out in your gym? Is that what you’re doing?) – “I’ve had a few guys come over, yeah. Yeah.”
(Offensive linemen? Paint the picture for me. What do you guys do? Pushing trucks, too?) – “Oh, I haven’t pushed any trucks, no. (laughter) I’ve got a rack and a bench. Just when all the corona(virus) stuff happened, I kind of was left in the – I didn’t have anywhere to work out and so we kind of put together a weight room and got it going, brought it down here and yeah, it’s been good. Really good, and I just like to start relationships. Obviously we’ve been working together for nine weeks now, so we’re trying to just cram in and kind of still follow the rules as much you’re supposed to with the distancing stuff.”
Brian Flores – June 4, 2020
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Thursday, June 4, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Opening statement) – “Let me start by saying this: we had a couple players scheduled (to speak) today. I just felt like it was important, with all that’s going on right now, that you guys hear from me first on some of these issues, so I just kind of wanted to lead the way on some of these discussions. I appreciate your guys’ time.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on the events of the last week and a half. Certainly the tragedy in Minnesota but also the response nationally with the protests involved.) – “I think – like you said – what happened was, in a lot of ways, a tragedy. For me right now, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of anger, a lot of emotion – a lot of emotions – but for me, I just want to make sure that the spotlight is on George Floyd and the horrible murder that occurred. We focus on George Floyd, his family and justice for the Floyd family.”
(When you created the statement that you released earlier, you mentioned the Rooney Rule and different instances that you’ve seen and experienced during your NFL career as a coach. What prompted you to intertwine those two?) – “I think race is a tough subject for a lot of people. I think it’s something that I think a lot of people are seeing that it’s something that we need to kind of confront head-on and communicate and have discussions, and I think there was an opportunity to speak on that. Obviously there’s been a lot of talk about the Rooney Rule and the adjustments that were made over the last week. With the events that are going on now, I just felt like it was an opportunity to speak and talk about those and have those conversations because they’re important, and if we’re going to try to bring people to together, I think communication is vital.”
(Clearly your players have a tremendous platform on which to express themselves on the subject. How might you encourage them to take advantage of that and will that include potentially kneeling again during the national anthem this coming season?) – “I understand that question. I appreciate it. But like I said earlier, I think to me, the conversation, the focus, the spotlight needs to be on George Floyd, justice for George Floyd. Obviously, condolences for his family. I think we’re in a situation here where – I’ve had this conversation numerous times over the last couple days – we’re in agreement. It’s not often that everyone is in agreement on a topic. I think everything, what happened to George Floyd was a tragedy. It was disturbing. I think as a country, we’re in agreement. As a world, I think we’re all in agreement that what happened to him wasn’t right. It doesn’t matter race or religion; I think everyone was just disturbed by what they saw. I think to me, the focus needs to stay on that. The focus needs to stay on justice for George Floyd and his family, and really making the necessary changes so that that doesn’t happen again. So that’s all I want to talk about, to be quite honest.”
(I’m wondering what the conversations have been like this season with your children regarding both Covid-19 and George Floyd.) – “My conversations with my family, I try to keep them private. I’ll continue to do that, but there have been conversations that have been had about both the pandemic as well as these (events) over the last week; but those are private. Those are private conversations. I think those are necessary conversations also, but any conversation with my family or the players or anyone internally within the club, I’m always going to keep those private.”
(We saw S Kavon Frazier march a couple days ago and I’m sure he’s not alone among the players. What guidance have you given them to obviously be a participant in a very important part of American history but also understanding the surroundings in some of these protests that have been out of hand? What conversations have you had with him about that?) – “My number one thing for guys is they have a right to protest and I support their right to protest, but even more than that, it’s about being careful. I want my players to be careful. I actually had a friend who was murdered in Indianapolis. His name was Chris Beaty – a good friend. He actually played football with (Assistant to the Head Coach) Lance Bennett, who is on our staff. He was full of life. He was a great human being and he was protesting in Indianapolis and he was murdered last weekend. I guess to me, that was the first thing that kind of came to mind when Kavon was protesting. I’ve had a lot of conversations with players over the last few days and I support these guys. I understand the emotions that they’re going through; but at the same time, I want them to be smart. I care about each one of these guys. I had a situation hit home pretty closely for me, so there’s some fear on my end, to be honest with you, but I might as well take this time to send condolences to Beaty’s family, his friends in Indianapolis. I mean, this guy was just an incredible human being and it’s sad. It’s just another tragedy that we’re dealing with. Hopefully we can learn from it and again, make the necessary changes so that these things don’t happen again.”
(I know that you don’t want to talk to us about what you speak about with your players, but have you kind of handled maybe your emotions around George Floyd’s murder and maybe the emotions of your players as you go about this offseason period?) – “I think it’s the only thing that we’re watching. We’re dealing with a pandemic. We’re dealing with a lot of – people are hungry, people are out of jobs, there’s a pandemic and then people are angry as well. I think guys need time to be angry, have a platform and show their emotions. They have that with me and they have that with our coaching staff and we’ve had conversations, just like everyone else has; but at the same time, these guys, they’ve been working also. They’ve been working. They’ve been working on their football and that’s been kind of the place to get away for a little bit, but our hearts and minds are with the Floyd family and the (Ahmaud) Arbery family and Breonna Taylor and there’s many, many instances like this that we have to share our condolences. These guys, they have my support. I know it’s an emotional time. I hope that answers your question.”
(As a person of color, can you share with the world when the first time was you realized your race was a factor in your existence?) – “I’ve always known since I was a little boy that race was a factor. I would say that the – I mean I’ve always known. Again, I can go into personal stories and say this or that, but I’m going to go back to my original point: this isn’t really about me. It’s about what’s happening in this country and again, I think we have a situation here where we can actually make some change. It’s not often that there is 100 percent agreement across the board that changes need to occur. Rather than talking about me and my personal situation, let’s put the focus on that and hopefully we’ll make some progress.”
(I want to get your thoughts about the league letting coaches back in to work and what your offseason has been like with the players, and do you feel like you’ll be able to get your hands on them and see them before the start of training camp?) – “Yeah, I got the memo probably around the same time you guys did. Apparently we’re allowed to go back tomorrow. I think it’s tomorrow – yes, tomorrow. We’ll meet on that as a staff later on today, to be honest with you. It’s been less than an hour, so we’ll talk about that later today, make sure guys are all set up. We’ve got meetings with the players tomorrow (and) everyone is set up at their homes. I imagine it would be hard to – we would hate to have a glitch with the players because we want to go back into the office. Those are the things we’ll talk about as a staff with our video department, with our IT department, with the coaches. They all do a great job. If you didn’t have respect or admiration for your IT or video departments during this whole situation, then you do now. Our guys have done a great job. But we’ll talk about that this afternoon as a staff. As far as how this has gone with the players, I think the Zoom meetings have been good. We’re making the best of the situation. I’ve tried to tell them, we’re not going to make excuses or point fingers or say this is why something didn’t happen. We’re going to make the best of the situation and try to improve, try to get better, try to improve. I don’t have different words to say that. We’ll just try to improve and get better and we’ll try to do that on a day-to-day basis. We’ll string good days together and a lot of the onus is on them, individually, to train and work out. I wish we had our hands on them, but that’s out of our hands, as well. I don’t know. You guys found about when we will be coming in probably five minutes after I did, so I’m sure you guys will find out when we get the players five minutes after I do. Once that happens, we’ll plan accordingly and do what we feel best for the Dolphins.”
(We talked in this meeting about where everybody wants to go, where these millions of people matching want to go, as we move forward. If you were to outline a roadmap for where we are to where we want to go, where people are all looked upon as equal, what would that roadmap look like?) – “As you guys have heard me, I’m a baby steps guy. To look far down – I think at the end of the day, you mentioned it four or five minutes ago – but I think there is a lot of dialogue that has to happen, first and foremost. I’ll tell you, it’s a long road. I think it’s about each individual’s heart and where is that? And making sure people’s hearts are in the right places and there is a respect and – I won’t say admiration but just an overall respect for your fellow man or woman. I think we have a long way to go and hopefully we use this tragedy as a starting point to get to the place where you’re talking about.”
(I want to know how the development of QB Tua Tagovailoa has gone remotely, how his health is and just a status update on him?) – “The rookies in general, I think they’ve all, based on what we can do, they’ve all done a good job. They’re all in meetings, they’re all learning, they’re all doing everything they can possibly do to pick up the information, to train. Quite honestly, it’s hard not to have your hands on them. Specific to Tua, he’s working hard, he’s picking up the information; but you want to get your hands on them, quite honestly. I think they are all doing a good job. I think they all have a long way to go. Again, specific to the injury, I haven’t seen him. Our doctors haven’t seen him. To give you any information on that or try to, I shouldn’t do that. I hope that answers your question.”
(I want to go back to the way you facilitate the discussion in your own locker room and your own building. How do you do that, going about facilitating the platform to encourage discussion amongst your guys as a team, as a staff?) – “I think a lot of it is individual. Some guys – I’ve taken many calls already – from players, coaches, a lot of different people. I think the number one thing is to listen. I think that’s – we have two ears for a reason. Everyone has kind of heard that. I think listening and helping everyone understand each of their individual stories. We each have a different story. Some are different than others; but if we listen and try to understand and step in someone else’s shoes – white, black, regardless of religion, football player, non-football player – we’re all a little bit different. I think there’s got to be more kindness, there’s got to be more acceptance. Those are kind of some of the things I try to spotlight in our conversations, is that when you are having these conversations, try to listen more than you speak in a lot of instances. That doesn’t mean don’t speak, that’s not what I’m saying. But listen as much as you speak.”
Bobby McCain – May 28, 2020
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Thursday, May 28, 2020
S Bobby McCain
(How are you handling all of this? How has it been to be quarantined and how has it been to get on the same page as some coaches you may have never met before, because they are new to the staff?) – ”We do a fair job with the Zoom meetings. It’s tough that we can’t be in the building right now with everybody; but we do a real fair job with the Zoom meetings and understanding that it is what it is and we’ve got to make it work and we’ve got to make it happen. So meeting the guys virtually and through text messages, through Instagram, talking to them, it’s all been fairly simple.”
(I want to take it back to last year. I think you played in nine games last year, but basically through your first few years, you played in about every game. How tough was it for you sitting out that much time being injured?) – “It sucks. No one wants to be hurt. Everyone want to play, everyone wants to get on the field and help their team win. Everyone feels like they take the necessary steps to be ready for the season and sitting out that long, I’m itching to get back. I just can’t wait for the season to start myself. I try not to dwell on the past and just look forward to what’s coming.”
(You always say the right thing when it comes to doing what the team asks you to do; but tell me why you think going to safety or staying at safety is the right call for you as opposed to playing nickel or cornerback?) – “I’m a guy that can play any place in the backfield. With practice and with time, everyone gets better. It’s not my decision to make decisions. My job is to just play football. I love playing football and I love doing what I do, and I’m able to do it all.”
(Last season, mentality was so much of what made this team successful, buying into what Head Coach Brian Flores preached. I’m wondering, how do you pass that on to the newcomers now when for the most part, all you have are Zoom meetings? You don’t have those team meetings. You’re not in the weight room. You’re not on the field. How do you pass along kind of the Flores way right now?) – “It’s tough being that we are not around each other, but we know that we’ll come back hopefully sooner than later. You’re just going to have to be ready, and you’ve got to hold yourself accountable to being a pro. You’ve got to be a pro and if you’re not, you won’t last.”
(There’s been some reports that practice could resume as soon as a couple of weeks. Would you feel comfortable coming back to the facility and practicing in a couple of weeks?) – “Yeah. I feel comfortable. I know they’re going to take the necessary precautions to keep us safe. I’m no doctor, so I can’t tell you too much about the coronavirus, but I do know it’s dangerous. I know they will take the proper steps to make sure that when we come back, we don’t contract the virus, and we don’t come back and we’re sick. I’m definitely excited for that. Or I’ll be excited for that.”
(I know you had a year of it, but I know from the draft, it was visible for a lot of people seeing Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier – two black guys – at the front of your organization. What is it like from a player’s perspective to have two leaders that kind of look like you heading your organization?) – “For me, it’s not so much black and white. I’ve had black coaches, I’ve had white coaches, I’ve had mixed coaches. There’s no such thing as black and white; it’s just people trying to win football games. Chris Grier and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) are black, and I guess for the culture, that is dope; but I don’t see black and white because you have to be able to adjust and you have to be able to adapt in this league, regardless if they are black, white, Asian. No matter what they are, you have to be able to do what you’re told.”
(I noticed that ESPN had some computer rankings that came out and said that their expectations for the Dolphins would be six wins and a 13.8 percent chance to make the playoffs. I know we haven’t even gotten back to practice yet but with all of the free agent additions and all of the draft picks, how does that align with what you think is possible?) – “I think we’ve made some good picks. I think we had some good picks in free agents as well. I’m not too big on looking at ESPN and what they are talking about in March, April and May. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and try to get better as a team, and hopefully by the time January and February rolls around, they’ll be able to put their foot in their mouth.”
(You’ve been here before with Head Coach Brian Flores. You’ve been in the mix with the team last season during the first year of the rebuild. With the new additions, the excitement around the team and the new players, what do you think the rest of the franchise’s efforts have in store for now, next season and in the future?) – “This is an exciting time of year for every team. For all 32 teams in the league, this is an exciting time. It’s a new start or a restart. No matter if you’ve got a new coach, you’ve got new players, you’ve got a new scheme, you’ve got a new playbook. No matter what it is, it’s a new start. Whatever you did in 2019 doesn’t matter. With ‘Coach Flo’ coming in and implementing the things that he wants, as a team we’ve got to understand that if you want to win, they want it done this way. To end the season how we did last year, hopefully like I said, last year doesn’t matter. People talk about the momentum we had and how we were doing so well, but it’s going to be one game. When that ball kicks off, no one is going to be thinking about the last game we played in 2019 that we got momentum from. We’re going to think about that game and be in that moment.”
(You suffered two separate shoulder injuries last season. Obviously injuries are a part of the game of football; but do you think that contributed to the fact that you were playing safety or that wasn’t a factor? Do you think that playing a more physical position, playing safety, was a factor in the shoulder injury that you suffered?) – “No.”
(Why so?) – “It’s football. You can get hurt doing anything – making a tackle, a simple tackle. Sometimes the most – sometimes the easiest plays to make are the ones that hurt the most. It’s just football. Things happen. I went down to make the tackle and ended up hurting myself. That’s just football, and I’m not too stressed about it.”
(I think you were out in the community yesterday. Can you share with us what you did?) – “Yes, I was putting on an event with Farm Share. We did a drive-through food pick up. The cars came through with their trunks open. There will be enough food for a week. Fruit, rice, chicken, orange juice, chips – it was enough food for a week. That was a really special event. There were a couple of people sitting there from midnight on. It started at 8 a.m. It just shows you the people that are in need at this time. It was really heartwarming and I was thankful to be able to do it. I was with (Miami-Dade) Commissioner (Jose) Diaz and the mayor of Hialeah (Gardens, Yioset De La Cruz), and we were there for an hour and a half, maybe two hours, until we filled up all of the cars and got rid of all the food. It’s just something that I wanted to do. I wanted to give back and find a way to do something throughout this time.”
(How are you going through this offseason period? Being on the field and doing your own work is not the same as being at OTAs. Are you worried about what shape people will be in or what people can do on their own versus having the typical team OTAs?) – “It’s definitely going to be a little different being that we are not in the building and guys are training at home, guys are training with their trainers – and even those weight rooms and trainers maybe closed now for a little while. It’s definitely going to be different; but like I said, you are a pro no matter if it’s your first year, your sixth year or your 10th year. You have to be a pro and hold yourself accountable, because when it comes and training camps hit, the sun isn’t going to hold back.”
(How do you feel about not having to play against QB Tom Brady twice a year?) – “Oh, man. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. No one is going to take that from him. Him moving out of the division, everyone knows it’s a big deal; but they’re still going to play football. They’re still going to be New England, they’re still going to be Miami, they’re still going to be Buffalo, they’re still going to be New York. You’re going to have to beat teams – good football teams. They unfortunately lost one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game; but we know it doesn’t matter who the quarterback, who the running back (is). It doesn’t matter. It depends on what we’re doing and how we’re going to be focused going into every game.”
(I wanted to make sure that I remembered this correctly. I think that you had shoulder surgery since the last time we saw you. Is that right?) – “Yeah.”
(So where are you in your recovery from that? Are you completely back? What have you been able to do in terms of workouts and football training?) – “Just about everything. It’s been about – I had surgery in November so you’re looking at about six months – five or six months now. I’m coming along very well. We’re doing the right things with the rehab and taking the precautions for the season to make sure that I’m ready.”
(As a player, how do you strike a balance between QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, knowing that Tua is the exciting, new player and perhaps the future, but Fitzpatrick did so many good things for you last season. How do you strike that balance?) – “I wouldn’t say to strike that balance. It is a good balance because ‘Fitz’ is a good player and is also a good leader. He helps everyone. He’s a guy that’s been around a long time. He’s seen a lot of football. He’s going to do nothing but elevate that room and elevate the quarterback room. Being that we drafted Tua, he’s a good player, as well. He’s going to come in, there’s going to be a learning curve – it’s the league – and hopefully he learns fast. Regardless, I feel like ‘Fitz’ and Tua – that whole entire room is a good room with Josh (Rosen) and everybody. It’s going to elevate everybody’s game.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on the additions of CB Byron Jones and CB Noah Igbinoghene to the secondary. What do you know about Byron and how good can the secondary be with the guys you now have in place?) – “I know they’re two good players. I’ve seen Byron for years. He’s my class – my draft class – so I have seen him over the years play really good football. Even with the rookie coming in, he’s going to have a lot to learn and it’s going to be tough because there are no OTAs (off-season training activities) and everything, but he’ll get it done. He’s a smart kid. I’m not going to make any accusations or any predictions on how good our secondary is going to be. We’re just going to take each and every day and try to collect them, gain chemistry with each other and try to be the best version of the Miami Dolphins. That’s all. We don’t want to just sit back and say how great we’re going to be. We’re just going to try to get better each and every day, and we’ll just let it fall into place.”
Mike Gesicki – May 28, 2020
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Thursday, May 28, 2020
TE Mike Gesicki
(Obviously you had a promising second season. What was that journey like for you in terms of one, learning a new offense and two, getting to the point where you could contribute in the passing game?) – “I think it’s just part of how you kind of grow and develop in this league. I think that I was able to learn a lot throughout my first season in the NFL and then kind of learn from those experiences to kind of know what I had to improve on in my game, and then make the most of my opportunities moving on to my second year; so when those opportunities were able to present themselves and I was able to kind of show what I was capable of doing, I think I was able to make the most of my opportunities and help our team win a few games and kind of build towards the second half of last year.”
(You had such a good relationship with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick last season. Obviously you guys drafted QB Tua Tagovailoa. How do you view that quarterback battle? Because it seems like Ryan would really benefit you like he did last season. How do you view the quarterback battle?) – “I think obviously there’s a lot of talent in the entire quarterback room. I think that it’s going to be exciting for those guys to go out and compete and make each other better day in and day out. Honestly, there’s a couple guys in that room that – like I said, there’s a ton of talent in there – so I’m super excited about the future of that room and I’m excited go out there and work with everybody in that quarterback room and help those guys make some plays and just go out there and honestly just do my role and make the most of my opportunities.”
(Tell me about the video where you were throwing the football over the house. Was it real? Tell me about it.) – “Yeah, it was real. I was honestly just super bored and I was at my girlfriend’s beach house – pretty close to where I live – and we were just kind of hanging out and I think we saw something similar to that on the Internet and we were like, ‘hey, I might try that,’ and ended up taking a couple tries, a couple of turns at it; but ended up doing it and obviously it kind of blew up a little bit. A lot of people were able to see it and just kind of entertain some people. Honestly, I was just kind of bored and just kind of put it together and we ended up going out and doing it. It was fun.”
(I know a lot of times this time of year people make a lot of their predictions about what individual players or teams can do. What do you think is a realistic expectation for the 2020 Dolphins and 2020 Mike Gesicki?) – “Honestly, I think that for me personally and for our team, I think that we kind of just take this day-by-day approach. I think that the season is a long time away. I think that right now is the time to kind of just be kind of selfish in terms of focusing on how you can improve and develop your game to help the team and then collectively as a team, how we can – whenever all this quarantine and coronavirus and all that kind of stuff kind of settles down and we kind of get the okay to get back and work together – if you guys know anything about ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and how he runs our team, we’re never looking too far ahead and kind of just focus on the task at hand; and right now, this is just kind of focusing on ourselves and getting better, kind of creating that camaraderie in the locker room and just go out there and try to make the most of our opportunities when they present themselves.”
(What’s been the biggest challenge of learning a new offense when you’re not in the same room as the offensive coordinator?) – “That’s just kind of the times right now, honestly across the league. Everybody’s kind of doing these Zoom meetings, and everybody doesn’t have a new offense to learn; but we are installing a new offense and just kind of learning the ins and the outs. It’s been super productive to be on those Zoom meetings and be able to talk to our new offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey, and kind of be able to talk with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), being that he’s played in this kind of system before, and then being in our meetings with George Godsey, our tight ends coach. He’s done a great job talking us through the run game, the pass game, our role in pass protections and run game – all the phases that come with playing tight end. Honestly, it’s been really productive and I think that a lot of guys have been able to grasp the information that’s thrown at them so far.”
(I know you paid a lot of attention to college football throughout your years here. What were your impressions of QB Tua Tagovailoa in college, I guess the lead-up to the NFL draft and if you’ve had any contact with him, what’s he like so far?) – “Obviously, I think his performance in college speaks for itself. I think he had a super successful career at Alabama and made a ton of plays and obviously did everything in his power to put himself in a position to be successful and get to where he is right now, so I’m really happy for him and the opportunity that he now has with us. Obviously once you get drafted, your phone starts blowing up and you’ve got everybody congratulating you, so I kind of let that cool down for a little bit and I was able to just kind of reach out and tell him that we’re excited to have him and obviously just talked to him real shortly. But I think that what you guys see from him – just kind of being super positive and a great kid and excited to be out there working – I think that’s kind of the same thing that I’m able to grasp from him as well.”
(What’s this training on your own process been like for you? What have you been doing and how often and what’s it look like?) – “It’s been unique just because from the time that I was at Penn State and then my two years in Miami, you always kind of have that structure and a coach kind of telling you what time your workouts are and everything like that. So right now it’s been a lot of accountability on yourself, but I think it’s been cool. It’s been something different and probably something that we’ll never have to experience again hopefully, so I’ve just kind of been taking advantage of this time to focus on myself and getting in great shape to come out there this summer or whenever training camp rolls around, and be able to compete. Honestly, I think I’ve made the most of these circumstances. I think a lot of guys have around the league. You see guys just kind doing what they can and working out in very unique ways back home or wherever they are, so it’s been cool. It’s been unique, like I said, but whenever this kind of stuff ends, I am excited to get back and get around the guys and get working out and kind of have that structure of coaching and schedule – all of that kind of stuff – back.”
(From your conversations with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick that you mentioned, and what you’ve seen of Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense, what do you think that will present for you as far as opportunities? Maybe more? Are you excited about it? Where are you at with that?) – “I’m excited just for another opportunity to go out and do what I love to do and I’m sure every guy … Whatever scheme you’re in, whatever system you’re in, I think that you earn the opportunities that you’re presented with; so regardless of what the X’s and O’s are and the play calls and that kind of stuff, I think that what you do in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and what you do in training camp or what you do before the game starts on Sunday, I think that those are the opportunities that you earn for yourself. I’m excited for whenever practice rolls around to just kind of go out there and kind of prove myself to a new offensive coordinator and a new guy calling the plays, because it’s exciting. As a competitor, it’s something I look forward to.”
(I noticed that some of the fantasy football experts – and I don’t play fantasy football – but the experts, they’ve started to list you as a top 10 fantasy tight end, which I guess is kind of cool. How do you feel like the perception of Mike Gesicki is different right now compared to a year ago?) – “That’s kind of something that – not the fantasy aspect of it, but the outside perception – that’s something that I kind of try to ignore just because the opinions and the perceptions of everybody outside of our locker room, our building, it doesn’t really mean a ton. I could go out there and have a good game and everybody’s happy and then the next week not produce as much and people that had the same opinion about me the week before, had kind of changed. So it’s not something that I really pay a ton of attention to. I do appreciate those that do believe in me and do give me that trust and support me and our team and our organization, because those are people that I appreciate; but for the most part, I’m just trying to – like I said earlier – just kind of take this thing day-by-day, focus right now on myself because that’s kind of the situation that we’re in, to get better and improve and make sure that I’m ready and compete whenever training camp rolls around. I am excited for this upcoming season and we’ll just continue to work and get back there whenever we can.”
(How comfortable would you feel from a health/coronavirus standpoint returning to the facility and I wanted to ask how do you think it would be received if a teammate may not have felt as comfortable returning?) – “I think everybody, for sure, is entitled to their own opinion. These are very interesting circumstances, something that nobody could prepare for or kind of expect going into this offseason, so it’s definitely going to be different and unique, whenever we are allowed back in; but I have trust in the NFL and our health officials and everybody that is way higher up than myself and all of those guys, that are making these decisions, to allow us to come back in the building, whenever that time may be. Whenever that is checked off (and) it is okay for us to go back, I won’t really be too scared or nervous about anything, just because I feel like the league wouldn’t really put us in harm’s way. I think they’re going to make sure that everything’s very safe and 100 percent ready for us to get back in there when they allow that.”
(I wanted to ask you how many times you’ve seen the replay of your game-winning touchdown in New England since it happened and what it meant to you, beyond just the fact that it was the game-winner of an awesome ending?) – “Obviously that’s a clip that has kind of surfaced throughout this offseason and is something that kind of excited our fans and gives them a little bit of something to hold onto; but for me and what it kind of meant to me, it was a cool moment. It was great for our team to finish the season on that note and everything like that, but it’s something that, at this point, is just another play in the past, and (we) are just kind of more focused on hopefully helping this team win more games in the future just because that’s kind of where I’m at right now, just kind of focusing on this offseason and moving forward to whenever training camp rolls around and to be ready to go in there and compete. I’m excited for this next opportunity.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – May 21, 2020
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Thursday, May 21, 2020
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(How long has the beard been going?) – ”Ever since they shut down barbershops. There is really only two people in the country that I trust to touch this thing. One is in Tampa, one is in New Jersey. It’s been going ever since everything got shutdown. But, the neck hair is out of control right now. I’m glad you can’t see it. (laughter)”
(Tell us what’s it been like locked in the house with all of those kids running around?) – “It’s been a little bit crazy, but we’re out in Arizona and my brother lives next door and he has five kids, so that’s 12 running around every day. We have a bit of space here, so that part of it, the kids haven’t even noticed other than having to go to school online and doing some of their school work right away. It’s actually been a good time just to get away from everything else and reconnect with everybody and just be with family and enjoy each other. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. We haven’t left the house a whole lot, other than to go get groceries or the golf course every now and then. It’s been good for us in the sense that we’ve gotten to spend a lot of quality time together.”
(I’m sure you had expected the Dolphins to take a quarterback. Obviously they did so. What’s you thought process on that and your role in QB Tua Tagovailoa’s development?) – “I think just like everybody else, it was expected that if there was a guy that they liked in one of those selections, they were going to pick somebody. Tua happened to be the guy in that spot and obviously they really liked him. So for me, I’ve been in this situation before a little bit. I just try to go in every day and be myself. Even in the Zoom meetings right now, I just be myself. I’m an open book and try to make sure that they know and are comfortable with coming to me with questions. I’m also going to express my opinions and thoughts on plays that we are watching and 2-minute drives. We’ve been going over some of that stuff, and my mind and the process and how I think through it, right or wrong, just to provide some perspective. I’m excited for him to be here. I loved watching him play in college. I think he’s going to be an awesome addition to the team for a long time.”
(You had one of your best statistical seasons of your career playing for Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey. How similar to what you did then are you learning now and why did you have so much success under Chan back in New York?) – “I think being in his system for five years and a couple of different teams with a bunch of personnel, Chan was really the first guy to truly believe in me and gave me my shot as a starter. I’ve just always wanted to prove him right and to play well for him. He’s the guy that allows players to play to their strengths, he’s got an offense that is not very complicated to learn, but very complicated for defenses in the way it is presented to them. He does a great job utilizing different guy’s talents and putting them in position to succeed. Not necessarily telling them there is a certain way to do it, but allowing them some freedom and some creativity within certain constraints, to do the best job that they can. I think guys have enjoyed playing for him for that reason. I’ve got a ton of confidence and trust in him, and I know he feels that same way about me.”
(You obviously have seen what the team has done this offseason. What are your thoughts about the 2020 Dolphins as they look on paper?) – “It’s difficult not being there because we are very young. There is going to be a lot of new faces with guys they brought in through free agency or guys the brought in through the draft. There are a lot of new faces, a lot of youth, so with that, you want to get on the field, you want to start practicing, you want to start learning the system and learning each other. I think they’ve evaluated this team. They got to watch 16 games last year and figure out what they liked and what they didn’t like. For us as players, we just sit back and hope we can be a part of it. We trust that they are doing the right thing and bringing in the right guys. The holdovers, or the guys that are still here, are the guys they obviously liked last year and have some of the right attributes and some of the right things they are looking for. Having the fifth pick in the draft, obviously it wasn’t a successful year last year; but I think there is some stuff that happened that we can really build on. With these new guys coming in, bringing them up to speed and making sure their mentality fits what we are trying to get done, that will be important for us. It’s been tough on those Zoom meetings, but we are doing the best we can with what we have.”
(You’ve been in the league for a while, you’ve had a lot of teammates from teams over the years, players that you’ve been in contact with now. What’s the general gist that you get from players around the league and including yourself about returning to the facilities, playing football with this coronavirus thing going on, and how safe you would feel getting back to the field and back into the building?) – “There is so much uncertainty right now, so I think a lot of it for us as players, and kind of the approach or mentality that we have to take, is we’re going to trust the experts. Whatever they say, the guidelines that they set forth, we’ve got to trust them because we know they are going to error on the side of caution. This thing, it changes every day. There is new information, there’s different information, there’s shifts every single day, so it’s hard for us. I think the approach that we are taking is focus every day on what we can control, and that’s our Zoom meetings and trying to do the best we can to learn this offense and communicate, and getting the workouts in on our own – trying to get ourselves in shape so that whenever this thing starts back up, that we are ready to go. It’s been difficult. The lockout year, the 2011 deal, was nothing like this because even finding fields or going to throw with guys, or guys getting on airplanes, that’s just not happening right now. There are a lot of things that are even different from the offseason that we experienced that year. I think the biggest thing is trust the experts and we will see where it goes.”
(What was it like to hear – I don’t know if you did hear but in the offseason, Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier sang praises of you and what you did last season. They basically said this is your team. What’s that like and do you remember at a point, maybe the Bills, where someone said this is your team as a quarterback?) – “My career has definitely been a progression – finally becoming a starter and then trying to hang onto that job, trying to hang onto that job, wavering in confidence a little bit. Right now where I’m at in my career, it’s nice to hear those things; but those are things that you see and feel every day with your teammates, that I was able to see and feel every day at the end of last year. The way we kind of had things going and the confidence we had in the building. So that stuff is nice to hear but you can kind of feel it throughout the building as well. For me, the position of quarterback is such a leadership position, and I think it’s important to have somebody the guys look up to and respect, the way that you work, the way that you go about your business. It’s humbling for me to hear those things but also knowing the way my teammates feel about me.”
(I know you said that you haven’t been able to get out and through or anything like that. But are there people there in Arizona that you can at least have run routes for you? Do the 12 kids go out there and catch balls for you or anything like that. Are you getting any of that type of work in?) – “I really don’t – the past eight or nine years, I don’t throw a whole lot during the offseason. I just like to let my arm rest a little bit, then as OTAs start to ramp up – we’ll see what happens here in the next few weeks. I don’t like to take more throws in the offseason than I need to. I’m doing a little bit right now but nothing crazy.”
(I know you had talked to your buddy Eric Wood on your podcast this week. You mentioned that you will be Tua Tagovailoa’s biggest cheerleader. How do you balance that – him being the future – with you knowing that you’re obviously a competitor that wants to be that 2020 present?) – “I’m as competitive as they come, so I want to go out there and start. I know there are a lot of forces that go into it from all kinds of different sides. Whether that happens or not, who knows. I know that in order for our team to be successful, whoever is playing from that quarterback room has to be successful. Whether that’s me out there, doing everything I can to put the team in position to win, or whether that’s somebody else – be it Tua that is out there doing it – I’m going to do the best I can to help him to make sure our position is doing the things that are going to make our team win. That’s my mentality, that’s how I think about it. You know me very well I think from last year, and you know I want to be out there competing on Sundays.”
(I’m really interested in those two hour Zoom calls you guys have been doing. Can you kind of help me explain how Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and others sort of install an offense virtually? Is it a dry erase board, is it a chalkboard? Do they put plays on the screen digitally?) – “I think every team is probably doing it a little differently; but some of it you have to rely on guys to do some studying away from those calls at home. I think one of the things that we have found – this is new for everybody so it’s still a work in progress for us – but the one thing we’ve found is instead of having humongous meetings where it’s the whole offense, or the whole team, being able to break it down to individual groups and have a couple of groups in a Zoom at the same time where there can be open and fluid conversations and questions, that’s been the most effective for us. Really breaking it down into small groups and having an open forum and having guys ask questions. I think because of the setting we’re in, guys will be a little bit more free to ask questions and maybe not as shy to chime in or to raise their hand virtually – the different things you can do. I think they have been pretty productive. I don’t think it’s been perfect by any means and I’d much rather do it in person; but we’re doing the best we can and I think they have been productive.”
