Nik Needham – October 25, 2023
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
CB Nik Needham
(How difficult was the last year for you? How much did it test you psychologically, physically and how are you feeling now?) – “Definitely last year to now, probably the hardest year of my life mentally and physically. Just overcoming this injury, it’s one of the hardest injuries in football, definitely for this position too. But I’m just blessed and grateful to be back, able to play football and be out here with my guys. So it’s all I could ask for.”
(Do you feel back to normal?) – “Yes sir. Good as can be, yes sir.”
(Having said that, what have these last couple weeks been like when you started getting back into it?) – “It’s been great, because just rehabbing for what, nine to 10 months, watching them guys grind and die out there, running hard and all of that, I’ve just been on the sideline watching. To be able to in that process and get back to playing football is the best thing for me. This is the happiest I’ve been in eight to 10 months. This feels good to be back out there, for sure.”
(Do you feel rusty?) – “I mean there’s a little rust. I haven’t played football in a year, so there’s going to be a little rust, but I can knock it off quick. It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life, so like I said, I’m ready to get back out there and show what I can do.”
(I don’t know if you know, this team had good fortune with Brent Grimes and Cam Wake both coming back from Achilles injury. Tell me about your hopes and how optimistic you’ve been and why you’ve been optimistic during rehab.) – “I did not know those two guys tore their Achilles, but they both have great careers, so that’s just extra inspiration for me. I’ve just been keeping my family close and trusting these guys in the process and just listening to whatever they have me doing. Like I said, right now I feel great and I feel ready to go. I’m just ready to get back out there.”
(Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio told us last week he sees you as a nickel and dime corner and a safety. First time anyone has mentioned safety with regard to you. Are you getting working at safety in practice?) – “I mean it’s not the first time I played safety. I played safety two years ago, filled in for Jevon (Holland) when he was hurt, filled in for when Brandon (Jones) was hurt. It’s nothing new to me. I feel like I’m a versatile DB and as the years have been going on, I’ve just been doing whatever I’ve been asked to do. Whatever it is – safety, nickel, corner, linebacker, I can do whatever you need me to do.”
(It could be really cool that you, CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard all come back together potentially, possibly. How did CB Jalen Ramsey look?) – “Jalen (Ramsey) looks great. Man, that’s a freak athlete right there. That’s one of a kind. He ran like 22 miles per hour fresh off the injury. You don’t really see that normally out here. It’s just crazy to see him out there. I just try to admire him, watch his work and take after him.”
(So hold on, he ran a 22?) – “I think something like that.”
(In practice?) – “No, no. Just when he was coming back. Just when he was out there running sprints and stuff. That’s a freak athlete right there.”
(What was the hardest part about this journey coming back?) – “Probably the first three months, just sitting on the couch watching football. I’ve never really missed a season of football ever off a big injury. Just having to be in the boot for three months straight, showering with the boot, sleeping with the boot, it was definitely a mental headcase. Just getting out of that and getting back to running around and playing football probably helped me out the most. But definitely the first three months just sitting on the couch. I think I didn’t leave my house for like two weeks, I was just in the house.”
(So who took care of you? Somebody had to take care of you?) – “Oh yeah, my brother, Tyriq Wilson, shoutout to him. He was living with me. He was my chef, my personal driver, all of that. So I thank him very much, because without him, I don’t know really how I would’ve got that done.”
(You were a free agent for a time. Was there thought to any other options other than Miami?) – “I really wasn’t worried about that too much, I was just worried about getting myself right for whoever wanted to trust in me and believe in me. I appreciate the Dolphins wholeheartedly, because I love it here and I can’t wait to get to work for them and showing that I can do what I do, for sure. I was just focused on my rehab and the process.”
(Did you think that you had a chance to go on the Physically Unable to Perform at the start of the year?) – “Like training camp? Like could I play? No, I don’t think I was ready for that. Like they said, this is like a 10-to-12-month recovery type of thing. So I was trying to take my time with this, because I had already put all that rehab time in, I didn’t want to go out there and rush it and have something else pop up, because I’ve heard of that stuff happening too. I just wanted to be 100 percent healthy.”
(How do you think the vic Fangio scheme – obviously, you’ve been in a lot of the meetings, right? So you are mentally prepared for the scheme. How do you think it works to the advantage of defensive backs?) – “I think it works great. We’ve been primarily a man defense over the past years, and now we all get to show our abilities in zone, having our eyes on the quarterback. I think we’re all big playmakers in the secondary, and I think this will just help us excel in our careers, for sure.”
(When you go back to a new scheme, the mental reps you could right now, right…) – “Yeah, it’s a little easier seeing it mentally and looking at stuff on paper. As of recently, I’ve been getting live action bullets, so like I said, trying to knock the rust off with that type of stuff. I think once I get comfortable with it fully, I’ll be able to go out and be ready to perform at my best ability.”
(If you do get to play on Sunday, it’ll be in the special throwback jerseys.) – “Oh yeah, those are my favorite too.”
(I’m trying to campaign to get them to be the regular jersey and helmet. What do you think about them?) – “Yeah, that’s not in my tax bracket. (laughter) I just do what I’m supposed to do, wear what I’m supposed to wear. I don’t have a lot of say in that. I wish we could though, I do love those.”
(You have black cleats?) – “Oh yeah, they’re right here. All I wear are black cleats. Black cleats, black gloves.”
(How did you keep yourself mentally strong to come back, especially in those three months that you mentioned?) – “Like I said, having my brother live with me helped a lot. Just the support of all the teammates and coaches, they all called me after the injury and told me everything is going to be fine, so that helped. I have a couple of friends that have also had big injuries as well. One of my big bros, Jason Verrett, he’s battled a lot of injuries as well like that, and I think he had an Achilles as well. He just said, ‘You’ll be able to shake back,’ and I watched him come back from it as well. It was just inspiration just keeping the family close – that was the biggest thing for me.”
Jaylen Waddle – October 25, 2023
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
WR Jaylen Waddle
(The surprise this week was the team is going to be on Hard Knocks. Do you view it as an annoyance? Do you like it?) – “It’s going to be something we have to adapt to, having the cameras around. But I feel like it’s something everybody watches, so you kind of know what to expect watching episodes and seasons. So you kind of have an idea of what it’s going to be.”
(So you don’t like all these cameras on?) – “I mean, it’s cool. You just have to get used to it.”
(If it was up to you, would the team be doing it or not?) – “That’s above my pay grade.”
(We did not see WR Tyreek Hill today. Do you think he’s playing Sunday?) – “That’s above my pay grade too.” (laughter)
(What did you guys learn from that Eagles game about this offense and this team?) – “How important the small details and kind of how one thing can overflow into the next thing. When you’re playing a good team, that stuff just stacks up. You get a limited amount of opportunities and a limited amount of mess ups. In an important game, on the road, against a good team, they’re going to make you pay.”
(What do you think of the throwback jersey and helmet?) – “I love the throwback. Now if that was up to me, I’d definitely have that as our every week jersey, the throwback. I like it. It brings the swag out.”
(Why does everybody like the throwback so much?) – “I don’t know. That old school logo is crazy with the all-white. It’s going to be live.”
(What did it feel like, it looked like you took a shot in the back, and you were trying to work through it through the game? What does it feel like then and now?) – “I feel solid. I had a little pain during the game. The training staff got me back right and I was able to come back and finish the game. Shout out to the training staff.”
(Do you think it’s something that will linger and bother you at all?) – “Hopefully not. Hopefully not. I’m hopefully always going to be available. Nothing that’s lingering. I expect always to play.”
(It should be better in the heat, right?) – “Definitely.”
(Is there a worry that Hard Knocks could disrupt the vibe in the locker room or just have people thinking twice about what they say, what they do, and disrupt overall?) – “Nah, I don’t think so. It’s just something we have to adapt to on the field, off the field. I don’t think it’s going to be as big as people are trying to make it. I think it will be a sudden change, but something that we just have to get used to. It’s going to be here for however long weeks. Just something we have to deal with.”
(How did CB Jalen Ramsey look out there?) – “He looked good. Excited to see what happens this week, but he looked good.”
Tua Tagovailoa – October 25, 2023
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I know when we talked to you this summer about the idea of the “Quarterback” series, you talked about your privacy. Now you’ll have “Hard Knocks” coming in the building in a couple weeks. What was your reaction when you heard that?) – “That was probably my reaction. I have no control over that. That was probably not necessarily the best body language I’ve had in a team meeting as it was being introduced to us that we were going to be on ‘Hard Knocks.’”
(Do you have concerns about the competitive aspect and how it could interfere with your ability to prepare?) – “For me I’m not going to let any of that affect how I prepare, how I talk in our meetings, with how we want to get things done and what we want to do. I’m going to be myself and I think the guys are going to do their best to be themselves as well, although it is different when there is a camera there while you’re trying to do something that’s very private. I’m sure that our PR team will do their best to help keep a lot of us out of trouble.”
(For you, is it more this is just another obligation I’m going to have or is it you just don’t like being on camera that much?) – “I’m just not a big attention guy. I understand it comes with the territory and I am able to use my platform for bigger things. But as far as me doing something silly purposefully outside of football, it’s just different for me. I like to keep things private in how I do things, but this isn’t just about me. This isn’t something that’s for me; this is something for the entire team and the entire team has to figure out how they go about that as well. So I know having conversations with some guys in the locker room that for them, it’s going to be tough as well. So we’re all going to work through this together.”
(I know you played this team about a month and a half ago, the Patriots, what can you download from that game to maybe take? I know they a lot of three-safety to take WR Tyreek Hill out. As you game plan this week, a different corner out there, how much do you copy that game plan because of how close the games are together?) – “I think as you look at the first game, the way they played against our offense, to me they change some of what they do defensively but then they also got back into what they ran normally. So we’re expecting some of that. I think the most important thing for our offense is we’re really going to have to hammer down the formations, hammer down the things that we have to know and then as we go out there, we’re going to have to nail it. We’re going to have to execute the plays and the plan that Mike (McDaniel) has set out for us. I think the guys are excited when we’re able to go out there and see things that we’re not normally accustomed to seeing because that’s not what we practiced against. It’s more so reverting back to your training and for me, if the read doesn’t tell you to throw it there, don’t throw it there. Continue through your progression.”
(We heard that CB Jalen Ramsey was scout team player of the week. From your perspective, what was it like going against him during apparently a prolific week of practice?) – “He had a really good week. Very impressive how he runs with our fast guys, how he transitions in and out of breaks with them. Some of them it was almost mirrored while our guys were running full speed. And for him to break down on a dime the way that they break down is very impressive. So we’re hopefully getting that guy wrenched up to go into the game or hopefully we get him back sometime soon.”
(We were talking in the media room that we couldn’t remember the last time WR Tyreek Hill didn’t practice with you. Just what was it like today not having Tyreek Hill out there in practice?) – “Yeah, it was a weird not having someone like Tyreek (Hill) out there. His leadership, his aura, but it calls for other guys to step up in his room. Jaylen (Waddle), I think Jaylen had a really good practice today. ‘Ced’ (Cedrick Wilson Jr.), ‘Ced’ had a really good practice. A lot of guys had good practices today, especially being a Wednesday. So yeah, not having someone like Tyreek is hard, but that calls for other guys to step up.”
(Just a quick follow up, if I may, can you put into words the impact he has on the field on Sundays? How could you possibly, if he was at any point unable to play, make up for the loss of him?) – “Yeah, I don’t think anyone can emulate what Tyreek does on the field – his speed, his cuts in and out of breaks, I don’t think there’s anyone that can emulate him. He’s in his own league. He’s one of a kind. But needless to say, I think people forget about the things that Jaylen Waddle can do, the things that he already has done for our team since his rookie year and there’s a lot of other guys I think that you can’t sleep on. If we couldn’t have Tyreek, that would be tough, but the show goes on. You’ve got to continue to play. And somewhere down the line, we’re going to get Tyreek back and it has to be one of those things where you never let your foot off the gas and you don’t lose that rhythm as a team or as a unit.”
(This team has lost only two out of the past 17 home games, so you’ve done really well obviously protecting the home turf. Why do you think that is and how important is that to get you where you want to be?) – “Well, I think for one, it’s the fans that we have. The fans definitely make the atmosphere one to remember as far as third downs, they’re really loud. And it’s when the guys go out there and we’re all warming up. The guys see the crowd, the guys are playing catch with the fans, we get to see our families. It’s just an atmosphere that we feel comfortable in, so it’s always important for us to get a dub every time we play here. But it’s important for us to win any time, whether it’s home, away, it doesn’t matter. We want to get a win anytime we can.”
(You’ve obviously had great success against Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and the Pats, I think 5-0. What do you attribute that to? He’s obviously a challenging head coach to be that consistently successful against. What do you attribute that to? Is there any commonality there at all that you’re reaching back for?) – “I attest that to our team. It’s a team win every time. That’s basically all it is. It’s not me, myself and the offense. The defense has got to get stops to allow those guys not to have points on the board and we’ve got to go down and we’ve got to go score. So it’s a team win. It’s a team loss for everything and this is no different and the respect I have for Coach Belichick and his team is high regards. High regards.”
(Patriots CB J.C. Jackson they picked up a couple weeks ago. What have you seen from him now that he’s been reintegrated and probably going to see a lot of him on Sunday?) – “They’ve got a lot of personnel groupings now that they’ve got J.C. (Jackson) back and they’ve got some other guys back as well. It’ll be kind of unique to see how they match up against us with their personnel groupings. There’s a lot of different things where it could look as if it were base, but it’s nickel, it’s a different way that they’re running nickel. And they just have nuances in that where people can play multiple positions and be called a different position within their defense so it’ll be unique to see what they have, but never get lost within our training. We’ve just got to come out and revert to that.”
Mike McDaniel – October 25, 2023
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(For the first time all season you have more guys on IR than the rules allow you to bring back, so I was going to ask this in a careful way. I’m not asking you which of these players you’re going to designate to return, just asking from a health standpoint, do you anticipate OL Isaiah Wynn, WR River Cracraft, WR Erik Ezukanma – those three or any of those three – being physically able to play this season if you all decide to bring them back? Wynn, Ezukanma, Cracraft.) – “That was very well-put. Isaiah (Wynn) has a long journey ahead of him. I’m not going to rule it out, but that’s why I don’t adhere to timelines because I would’ve been totally incorrect on the Jalen Ramsey window opening. He’s got a long journey, but I’m not going to say zero chance. River Cracraft’s window will be opening today, so I would say he’s on the positive side of that question considering he’s practicing today for the first time. And we’re still allowing the process to go with Erik. I can’t firmly say either way, not as far out at this point as Isaiah, but you really just have to handle things as they come. So he’s diligently going. It’s going well, but it’s hard to have a finite date on that one.”
(Is S Jevon Holland still in concussion protocol and if so, is he progressing in the protocol?) – “Yeah, he is progressing in the protocol. It’s been positive at each stage, so we’re just hoping for his health and we’ll assess the football when that’s complete.”
(And CB Jalen Ramsey, will he be out there this Sunday, do you anticipate? Do you know?) – “That’s several days ahead of us. Did you guys know what today is?”
(Wednesday) – “Which is?”
(The most important day?) – “There it is. (laughter) It’s the most important day of our lives because it’s the only one that actually exists. So it would be getting ahead of ourselves to predict. He’ll have an uptick in his participation. He’ll be getting some reps, not just on scout team today, and we’ll see how that manifests itself. It’s been all positive so far but you don’t want to get ahead of yourself in that. And that’s the way from a coaching staff perspective we’re handling it, as we’re prepared for either way and we’ll just see how each day progresses for him.”
(With the injuries that you guys have had, does that change your thinking as far as moves before the trade deadline?) – “I think to the credit of, first and foremost, the actual players that we have on the roster, and then to our personnel department led by Chris Grier, I’m very, very comfortable with everybody on the roster. So we were talking about this back in August about how much depth we have and we’ve continued to progress as a football team so we’re fortunate that we have high-quality players across the board in terms of depth at positions. So I’m not really looking for anything at all. And who knows what Chris (Grier) is doing, but he hasn’t come knocking on my door or in my office about anything. He’ll always be doing his job, but I’m very happy with the roster that we have, even with the slight adversity that we’ve been facing.”
(What do you think of the Miami Dolphins throwback kit?) – “’Kit?’”
(It’s a soccer phrase.) – “Oh, got it. Topical for Miami. (laughter) I’m really a huge fan of our uniforms that we have. I’m a huge fan of the throwbacks. I think we’re fortunate to have an iconic logo and that historical – the whole idea of throwback uniforms I think is tailored to us specifically just because we do have – that’s my whole childhood is what I picture. It’s cool when we have those on deck and it’s always fun to plan, but I love our uniforms, too, so it’s a win-win for sure.”
(You’ve been adjusting to multiple offensive linemen being out really the entire year. I was curious as the play caller, how much does not having your five core guys impact maybe the run plays you can call, the blocking, the pass plays with regards to blocking schemes? How much does that change what you envision doing?) – “It’s definitely not absolute. It speaks to the group of guys we have here and speaks to Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith and (Offensive Line Coach) Butch Barry that – and really the whole personnel staff – in lining these guys up. But this particular year, with these particular players, doesn’t really affect me at all. There’s certain strengths that you play to in game planning and certainly you try to feature strengths of individuals at every turn across every position. That’s kind of the job of coaches assembling a game plan. But with regard to – we’re very fortunate here. That hasn’t always been the case in terms of my career and how you have to kind of adjust, but here it doesn’t really affect it that much at all, just because of the quality, technique and refinement that we are pretty steadfast in. So everybody has their strengths and weaknesses and you try to fit the plan to that, but fortunately for us, we have more than five guys who are playing at once. We have more than capable NFL football players, so we get the opportunity of playing our style of game with the guys we have, for sure.”
(When CB Jalen Ramsey does return whether this week or the weeks ahead, do you anticipate him having a snap count, easing him back in? Or is he going to be full go to start?) – “That changes on a case-by-case basis depending on who the player is, their experience level and their exact injury. I think that would be – I’m more curious to acquire more information from Jalen (Ramsey) specifically that only comes from post-exertion and to see where he’s at. What’s fortunate for us is that although he’s new to this team, the crossover in scheme is huge for him. He’s actually the most experienced player in this defense that we really have from his years from L.A. with Coach (Brandon) Staley and Raheem Morris running the same system that Staley obviously worked with Vic (Fangio) in Chicago. So for him, it’s kind of a different formula. It’s kind of adhering to where he’s at when he’s ready to play and if there’s any sort of sustain issues that he’ll encounter, which this guy has been amazing his teammates left and right. It’s rare in professional sports that you have someone earning – like, who is this guy? How does he do this? And the only way you do that is have a special human being and special support staff around him so that he diligently prepares for the moment that he does go on the field. So we’ll cater to where his body is at, but that’s more stuff that we’re prepared to make decisions on once we get to that point, which we still have the most important day of our lives in front of us.”
(Did the league communicate information to the Miami Dolphins in general, no specifics, about the officiating from the previous game?) – “There’s a due process that every team has that you submit to get clarification on for each individual either penalty or maybe non-penalty – something that wasn’t called that maybe you’re trying to get more information on. Every week we submit a report and they bring us back their ‘upon further review, X, Y or Z.’”
(Were you pleased with the “upon further review?”) – “I never attach any emotion to it because it already happened. Like, ‘hey man, our bad’ or ‘yeah, we were right.’ Like, okay. You’re just trying to be as well-versed as possible in the rules of engagement and I have a hard time even factoring officiating into any sort of emotion that I have because you control what you can control. So I might as well get mad at thunder. (laughter)”
(How long do you allow yourself to even feel any sort of emotion after the game if there’s a blown call, if there is a penalty discrepancy, if there is something that is humanly frustrating? How long do you give yourself to feel that?) – “I think the only way that you have a chance to maximize your daily output is you allow that to live ‘rent-free’ – is that the saying? It’s frustrating at the moment that there’s any discrepancy in personal opinion versus what happens. And I try to minimize how long that is to the nth degree, just because emotions factor into decisions, and I feel like personally, that’s irresponsible of me as a decision-maker to have all these people, including you guys, be affected by decisions that I make. ‘Well, it’s because I was mad,’ like what? So I try to minimize that. I’m sure there would be a scenario that other coaches have experienced where maybe the work of an entirety of a season, something falls short, and it’s in the moment of truth when the game’s on the line, something doesn’t go your way; I’ll leave room for that scenario, but that hasn’t happened to me, really. And I’ll try as hard as humanly possible for that never to be – I try to avoid outs and say, well, it’s not fair. If you operate in life trying to keep score of what’s fair, you’ve already lost.”
(Just wanted to ask about Patriots. How have they evolved since Week 2?) – “It’s so funny, I feel like everyone invests so much emotion and attention. It’s all so important to everybody, NFL football in general, fan bases, coaches, players. But it almost makes me feel like the human population is senile, because it’s like every single year, every single year – it’s one of the things that I’d be so proud if I was a part of the organization and what we’re trying to do here that you earn every day – but every single year, they get better during the course of the season. I can’t remember how many times since Coach Belichick has been there since I think he got his start when I was going to prom, right? And like how many of the scenarios have been like what’s happening here with the team after four weeks or whatever, and it’s like a created adversity. And sure enough, they get better as the season progresses. I think that is the formula. I think that’s the end-all for NFL football and I see a better version of themselves as I would expect – because my eyes and ears are wide open – as I would expect from historical, just my observations since I’ve been an adult. They focus on fundamentals. They do a good job tuning out the noise. I see a team that just last week was an example. I’m sure there were some people that lost money but not anybody within the team. (laughter) I’ve learned not to be surprised at their team development and growth during the course of the season.”
(I wanted to ask you about the three-safety defense to defend your speed. Are you surprised that teams haven’t tried or adapted? Because usually when Bill Belichick shows something, everybody is like, ‘ok, that’s the way.’ Nobody has tried to replicate that.) – “I think it will make most people nervous. I think they don’t feel comfortable doing that because their front and how they are as good at defeating blocks as there is. I think you have to be very confident and comfortable because you’re giving up space, and generally people worry about the run game. It’s not just that they deploy that, but it’s also a lifetime of calling plays and you don’t know when it’s coming. You’re kind of left at a spot where you have to prepare for it but it’s not something that he’s going to do every play. I think they do a wonderful job teaching, which is very difficult, so that it fits within the realm of what they already do. The way I see it from my vantage point, I’m not there, but I see it as just a different deployment of defenses that they already have. That comes with a huge amount of diligent, deliberate practice and experience so that your system in training camp is built to functionally evolve or have answers for different problems. It wasn’t something that completely surprised me when they deployed it because I figured, just like this game, we try to do similar things and have different tools in our toolbox to handle whatever is coming. But I think it’s because how they do everything, they are able to be a little more varied. There are just a lot of people cross-training over there, and a lot of different positions doing the same thing, which gives you the chance to do something unique like that.”
(Sunday marks 42 days since you played the Patriots, and the defense you were just talking about, I think they held WR Tyreek Hill to I think his lowest mark of the season. I’m curious your thought process of trying to figure out a way to get him more active instead of just taking what the defense gives you?) – “That’s the fun part of football. You’re trying to cost analysis. If they are taking away one thing, you’re giving up another thing. If people are going to overplay one thing, you have to be able to execute another. I think if you really commit, you can put 11 players on one guy. But that leaves other players available, and the structure of the defense a little vulnerable. We’ll always have a feature player in our scheme. We’ll always have him involved in some way, shape or form. But when people overcommit to something, other guys have to make plays, and other parts of your offense has to go. That’s the cool balancing act of NFL gameday, which is one of the reasons why it’s so fun.”
Mike McDaniel – October 23, 2023
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Monday, October 23, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I want to ask you about LB David Long Jr., is he in concussion protocol after the hit? Does OL Isaiah Wynn’s quad look like a multi-week potential IR type of thing?) – “David Long (Jr.) was cleared last night. Just the timing of which didn’t – he came back out to the sidelines at the end of the game, but once he came back out from the locker room, he would have had to go through an entire warmup process. In the timing of the game, it didn’t make much sense. He came in today and cleared again and reported no symptoms so he should be good to go. And you asked about?”
(OL Isaiah Wynn, is it a multi-week quad potentially?) – “We are getting more information, but it does look like it will be weeks, as it wasn’t a bump or a bruise. We’ll gather more for specificity, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing him for weeks.”
(Any worries about WR Jaylen Waddle and the back injury lingering?) – “It’s something that we’ll be on the front end of trying to treat it. He seems like – from the information that I have today, I would expect him to be practicing. It looks like he’ll be alright. They found a solution and got it loose, which is why he was able to come back in the game.”
(We understand that the Miami Dolphins are going to be on Hard Knocks In Season.) – “Yeah? You guys heard that?”
(Yeah, we heard that.) – “I heard that too.”
(What’s your reaction?) – “I wouldn’t call it a team decision. But at the same time, you guys know me well enough that I steer clear of worrying about things that we can’t control. It’s something that I conveyed to the team for the first time today, and I see some positives with this particular team, just knowing that there’s a lot of things in terms of when we do have success on the field, that people kind of are curious as to how that happens. I think they’ll see exactly where that comes from. I don’t think it’s a bad thing for people to see our day-in, day-out hard work. I know there’s a lot of guys on this team that will garner interest, really. I think that a platform for them to showcase who they are and really the fanbase to get to know the players and coaches better, I can understand the value to the National Football League, to HBO, to NFL Films, and I can understand the value for the Miami Dolphins. It’s something that I think that this particular team is equipped to handle, just because the focus of really how they go about their day-in day-out jobs. I’m also very proud of this organization, having been in multiple. I know that this is, from the top down, a very healthy, all moving in one direction organization that I think it’s not bad for the organization to be seen as that, because it’s a cool place to work. We will take it for exactly what it is and make sure that we use it only to our advantage. It’s not a bad thing to – in the National Football League, the bottom line is if you’re getting done what your whole mission statement is, it’s going to be done under a spotlight. So getting used to having a weekly spotlight for this young team isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.”
(Have the cameras started rolling? Or when will they start rolling?) – “Well, I mean, you tell me? Are they rolling? (laughter) There’s not a ton of information that has come our way as of yet. I know it will start sometime after we take our trip to Germany. Then, as I understand it, it will be through the finality of the season. It will be part of our DNA really after the Germany game at some point.”
(I know after you played in Buffalo, WR Tyreek Hill mentioned on his podcast that the crowd noise was a factor. I know you guys had a couple of pre-snap delays and false starts. Did you feel like the crowd, on the road, that environment, had any impact on maybe the flow of the offense?) – “I mean, most certainly that’s something that you’re working through. There are additional variables that have to do with changes in lineup that compound that. But that’s something that I think you have to be very accountable. You can’t just point fingers, and you have to look at what you’re doing. As a group, the same way that you attack pre-snap penalties in the offseason is the same way that you attack those type of things with regard to hostile environments. It’s not going anywhere. If you’re playing in big time games, that will always be the case. So it’s valuable reps that we definitely fell short of doing our standard. That’s part of the evolution as you go through a season that you’re trying to be your best at the end of the season. You’ve got to progress to that. So it’s one of the many things that we have to work on.”
(Day after, the run game, what is your assessment of it? Should you have run more, could you have run more? I saw last night you said you were behind the chains a little bit and that Philly did a good job. Your day after assessment?) – “Probably the biggest opportunities that we kind of squandered just so happened to be in the run game. We had some details that were just a hair off that were negative plays that through our lens, we see as explosive opportunities. That’s a vast difference that greatly affects your overall production, so for the most part, we’ve been pretty locked into our opportunities and have taken advantage of them in the run game, and last night we didn’t. So you have to assess why, and you can’t do that without giving credit to the Philadelphia Eagles that were playing a version of themselves that is aggressive, that’s a talented front. They weren’t hesitating at all, so when you play a talented front that is aggressive by nature, you have to be on your p’s and q’s, and when you’re not, it takes opportunities away. It takes the amount of run calls away. The complexion of the game changes, so there’s a lot of things to take away from it. I didn’t see a situation where it was like, ‘OK, we can’t block people at all.’ But we were getting some negatives that we’d gotten used to this season as being substantial gains that definitely affected our overall production for sure.”
(I wanted to address the OL Isaiah Wynn situation. Obviously having all backups on the left side of your line is not an ideal situation. How did OL Lester Cotton perform? Is OL Robert Jones ready to be contributing to a game?) – “I think Lester (Cotton) is a very accountable person and has come as far as really anybody that we’ve had on the roster since he joined the team last year. I think it’s a tough spot to be in – to go out there and perform against a front like that. There’s some stuff that I know he can do better that he would do better if he had the whole practice week as the starter. So first and foremost, I believe in the player and lost zero confidence in him, but he’ll be the first one to say that there’s some stuff that he would expect to be better at. And Rob (Jones) has been working his tail off to get in the position that he’s in right now to be able to actively play, so like I said from the beginning, we are fortunate to have depth and I look forward to Lester getting a lot more reps at the position during the week. Because the whole operation, the success that we’ve had up front has all come down to the most minute details that relate to the exact specific techniques and fundamentals of the defensive front. So when you are locked in on that, not only are you cerebrally locked in, but you’ve bought some well-intentioned, deliberate, physical reps to kind of get that down. It’s a game of inches. That cliché is real because that’s where our production comes from. Lester is well-prepared for the situation, so is Rob. They’ll be their best selves starting the whole week off with first-team reps as opposed to getting them mid-second quarter or whatever it was.”
(ESPN reported that CB Jalen Ramsey might play this week. What do you need to see out of him?) – “I mean, if ESPN reported it… (laughter) I just always find it interesting when I get that. There’s no judgment there. I think Jalen (Ramsey) had a great practice week, henceforth he got scout team player of the week on defense and was in a camo jersey on Friday. So not in the business of crystal balls, specifically with guys returning from injury, so we’ll take that a day at a time to make sure we don’t get ahead of ourselves. When he’s ready to go – he can’t help himself, he will let me know.”
(There’s nothing physically at this point then? It’s just him getting back into football shape? Getting confidence in the knee, is that correct?) – “Yeah, there hasn’t been any sort of setbacks or any – there’s no concern. It’s really just you have a process that you go through, and you don’t try to get ahead of yourself so we don’t rush the process. He’s done such an unbelievable job getting to this point that you don’t want to nonsensically just force an issue just because you want him on the field as fast as possible. You’ve got to do right by the team and the player, but you’re right. There’s been nothing that’s been cause of concern or hesitation so far.”
(With the scout team last week, is it possible that he can be with the base defense this week?) – “Yeah, I would see that as a natural progression to start garnering reps and that will be part of the process. It was the first week, so we tried to keep him away from that. This week, the plan as of today which is Monday – which is very different than Wednesday – but as of today, Monday, we’d start working him into defensive team reps to see how he responds to that and dust off the old cobwebs.”
(If I could maybe get into your head a little bit, you talked about CB Jalen Ramsey and him wanting to be out there on the field. Can you maybe take me into what that looks like for you process-wise on when you’re ready to put him out there given he’s beating recovery time, he’s obviously urgent but you need him for the rest of the way?) – “That’s why you have to – that gets overwhelming to try to predict the future in terms of what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s a little out of my expertise and that’s why you literally have to take it day to day. You have to. So you can say, ‘Alright, well, today we know we can assess x-amount of reps.’ You get those reps and then you get the feedback so that you don’t – you don’t want to create a scenario where a player is saying, ‘OK, well I’m going to go play in this game,’ and then all of a sudden something maybe they can feel that we can’t test, now all of a sudden maybe, because of obligation to what they said they were going to do, they start making decisions for the wrong reasons. So you fight tooth and nail not to pinpoint OK, this game, so that you can protect people from themselves, as well as make it about something that it shouldn’t be. We’re not getting him back to play a certain game. We are getting him back to play football the way he knows how to play football, to do right by him as a player and by the team and make sure that’s a long-term solution and not a short-term. It’s kind of why inherently – I mean, I get annoyed when I have to speak in grayness more than you guys get annoyed listening to it – but it’s very pragmatic and intentional, because you don’t want to be chasing the wrong things. We’re trying to get him back so that we can have Jalen Ramsey and not some other version that he’s forcing his hand on.”
(You talked last week about measuring stick type of games. You’ve had a couple this year that you’ve fallen short on, and I know there’s many more to come. As a team, what do you see as a common theme of why you haven’t been able to, at least this season, get over the hump against the couple of real quality, I guess elite-type teams that you’ve faced this year? What can you take from that moving forward?) – “I think it’s more like winning and losing games – this just in, I think you guys might know the only team to do it, win every game. For the record, it was the Dolphins in 1972. I told the team this before on Saturday night. I said, ‘OK, after the game, one of two things will occur. If we win the game, we are going to have to deal with a whole ton of hype, and will be crowned as, it wouldn’t surprise me to be, the best team football and that would be the carrying narrative. If we lose the game, we can’t beat good teams. That is just quite literally the nature of just going into the game and we’re playing a 5-1 opponent, and just knowing how things progress. There’s a whole week in between games, and there’s a lot to talk about and a lot of interest. So the narrative is going to be one or the other. Understand that literally either narrative matters nothing. Because we’re going to play this game – if we win it, I don’t want false sense of security. And if we lose it, I don’t want us to make more of it than it is. Bottom line is, listen, that team was in the NFC Championship game, won it, was in the Super Bowl and had their chance to win the Super Bowl last year. That is a heartbreak, and they’re on the heels of their first loss and it’s a tough environment. You have to earn those wins. Ultimately, as a football team, we’re trying to progress to the point that doesn’t matter where we play or who we play, that you’re able to win those games. So we have to learn stuff from the game regardless of the outcome. So I know the narrative is going to be there, and it’s going to be there until we beat a team with a really good record. The Eagles would have been dealing with the same thing if they would have lost that game, because that was the first five-win team they beat, or four-win team they beat was us. So that’s kind of the nature of the reality that is, listen, you are your results, and until you prove otherwise, you’ve got to be willing to hear the consequences of the results. I hear that and I know that we’ll continue to hear that until we change it. The most important thing to me is that we come out of that game with learning lessons to give us more confidence moving forward. I sensed a football team that knew exactly why they lost. Felt like it didn’t surprise them that they lost, because you didn’t do the little things that you have to do to win the football game against a really good team. And that just builds up hunger. We’ll see how we apply that this week against the New England Patriots, which is literally the only thing, amongst all the things, the only thing that matters to us.”
(I did want to ask a follow up about Hard Knocks. You said it wasn’t a team decision. What are the concerns about opening yourself up to the world?) – “I think it’s more of as a football coach, there’s enough distractions that you have to overcome, just in general, and in the natural – just the world that we live in and trying to get an entire team moving one direction. So I think that’s the immediate resistance. And then also some of the stuff that you don’t know until the decision is kind of made for you, that you’re worried about the some of the football competitive advantages leaving the building and being more accessible. I think in our short talks with the league and HBO, we’ve had that concern suppressed knowing that we’ll be able to protect our team and anything that’s a competitive disadvantage that may come up, we’ll be able to keep that from hitting the final copy. But outside of that, that’s why I kind of think that this particular team, I’m very, very proud, happy with just how we go to work every day. So this particular team, it’s not the worst thing in the world, because that’s what I think will be conveyed. You’re also just used to your routine, and that’s different. So you want to make sure that everything that you’ve been building stays true, and I think it will with our guys.”
(How is S Jevon Holland doing?) – “Jevon (Holland), he was cleared in the game, which is why he went back, by the UNC into the game. And then the standard procedure for that is the following day, you have a follow up. In that, he did report symptoms, so he will be in the concussion protocol which is something that we’ll work through and just worry about him getting healthy.”
(Going back to the keeping secrets in house part of this whole thing with Hard Knocks, what is the process if there’s something that’s maybe borderline issue, does a team get with HBO and you’ll work it out amicably together? Or does the team say no, this doesn’t go to on the air?) – or as a team, say no this doesn’t go on air?) – “I think the former is the way I understand it, that this is – also keep in mind, and this is something I had to be reminded of, but NFL Films is heavily involved and invested in this process. That’s one thing I can attest to just watching from when I was five years old, how their first and foremost objective is to document and document history and how good of a job they do with that. So this will be a working relationship, so it should be very amicable as I understand it.”
Jeff Wilson Jr. – October 23, 2023
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Monday, October 23, 2023
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(Good to have you back on the field. How were you feeling physically last night, and did they give you any sense that they were going to ease you back last night in terms of, you had a pass thrown to you but didn’t have any carries?) – “Body feels great. Glad to be back with the team, with the guys. That’s always a blessing. Every opportunity you get is something you have to cherish because everybody doesn’t get those. As far as that, I really don’t know. All I know is stay ready and be prepared. I’m not a coach so I can’t control any of that. All I know is just lock in on what I have to do and be ready.”
(Can you tell us about the process of coming back? Because I know when it first happened, it seemed like you were close to even playing in that last preseason game and then it ended up keeping you out for a while.) – “It was stressful because that’s a part of the journey that you don’t want to miss, especially when you have the camaraderie with the guys, getting familiar and getting used to your o-line, your quarterback. So missing all that time, that definitely hurt me that way. But it’s football and this is something that I’ve been playing since I was five years old in pads. It’s like riding a bike almost. You just get on there and do it. Getting back at practice and getting back with those guys and feeling the lanes and feeling the cuts and the blocks again, it’s all been great. Like I said, it’s just a matter of time.”
(What’s your overall perspective on where this team can go as it starts to get a lot of guys back now? You just came back and then obviously RB De’Von Achane is on IR, and you’ve got T Terron Armstead and CB Jalen Ramsey going to be returning soon, and a few other guys.) – “The sky is the limit. Like I said, it’s all in-house. It’s all us. We’ve just got to keep on getting better and keep on striving for our goals, blocking out the outside noise and take it one week at a time.”
Bradley Chubb – October 23, 2023
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Monday, October 23, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(Can you detail kind of just what you and the whole pass rush have gotten going in recent weeks?) – “Just learning each other I feel like over time. We’ve got a lot of great rushers in the room that I feel like any time you do anything individually, it’s not going to work out in your favor, especially in a team sport. I’m not saying that’s what we were doing, but I’m just saying we weren’t all locked in together and I feel like over these past couple of weeks, we kind of just learned each other, learned how each other likes to push the quarterback off the spot and just playing off each other. We kind of saw on the sack that me and ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) had, I came inside, Zach (Sieler) wrapped right around and just kept him contained in that pocket and stuff like that. So it’s just like I said – learning each other and growing as a unit and I feel like we just keep taking strides each and every week.”
(I’m going to follow up on exactly that. What was it like having LB Jaelan Phillips get some more snaps, now second game back under his belt, and beating Lane Johnson for a sack. That’s big. He hadn’t allowed one since 2020, if you were aware of that stat.) – “We talked about that one for sure. I encouraged him and just let him know – because when you’ve got things going on and stuff popping up and all that like he has been in his first couple weeks, you get a little frustrated and you get a little down on yourself and I just made sure I kept reminding him every chance I got just like, ‘hey man, be that dude.’ Like Lane Johnson hasn’t – like you said – given up a sack since 2020 and guess who he just gave up one to. And he called his shot right before we went into the two-minute drive, too, so it’s just dope to see him back out there playing like himself, feeling like himself and I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to get him to that level and I know when he’s at that level, I’m going to be at that level and everyone else around us is going to be at that level. So it was dope to see.”
(I wanted to ask you what the general message has been from Head Coach Mike McDaniel, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and the coaches you’ve spoken to or have spoken to the team in the last 12 hours after the game?) – “The vibes are still high. We still believe that we’re a team that has everything right in front of us. We gave up a big game but at the end of the day, these are the reps we need in terms of those atmospheres. That’s a Super Bowl team and they’re going to have a lot of success this season and we’re going to have a lot of success this season, but unfortunately it just didn’t pan out for us. So just getting those reps of being in that playoff atmosphere and responding – we score, they score – just getting to that ebb and flow of the game and understanding that we’re right there and everything we want is still right there ahead of us. We’ve just got to lock it in and let these losses turn into lessons. You hear that all the time, like the cliché saying of let it be a lesson, but that’s really what it is in terms of this team and understanding that when we get to these big games, we’re going to have to show up all around. I know and I got it in my heart that once we get to these big moments when it really counts, we’re going to be exactly where we need to be.”
(I don’t think that the score was really reflective of the competitive nature of the game. Do you feel like you have the athletes to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league?) – “No doubt, man. I feel like we matched up really well with this past team and it’s unfortunate like you said that the score was what it was, because even on the sideline we were thinking ‘yeah, they’re a good team; but were they a 31-point team to beat us like that and stuff like that?’ But at the end of the day, you’ve got to give your hats off to them. They executed their game plan to the highest degree and we’ve still got some holes to fill and at the end of the day, it’s a possibility long down the road that we could see that team again. We’re just going to have to be ready. My main thing is just getting the Miami Dolphins better and not having those types of games again.”
(The blitz this year has generally been effective. Knowing Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio as well as you do, do you think when both CB Jalen Ramsey is back and CB Xavien Howard is back, we might see more blitzing? Any sense of that?) – “He’s the mastermind. I don’t really know what’s going on through his head, but I know that once those pieces get back, I know he’s going to have something drawn up or whatever it may be and we’re going to be ready for it. I know those guys are licking their chops to get back on the field and I know he’s going to put us in the best positions to make plays and when you have a lot of playmakers on the field like that, something’s going to have to pop. Something’s going to have to happen so I’m just looking forward to having those guys back and I know they’re looking forward to being back on the field as well.”
(And one quick follow up on those guys. Once you have CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard both playing together, what impact does that have on a front seven?) – “It all goes hand in hand. They need us like we need them and as we affect the quarterback, get him off his spot, we know those guys can stay sticking and do everything they need and cause the quarterback to do one more pump or whatever it may be or we might get in the quarterback’s face, tip the ball up and they’re coming up with the glory. So at the end of the day, rush and coverage – you hear it all the time – it works hand in hand so I like I said, when we get those playmakers back, when we get our playmakers all on the same page, it’s going to be good.”
Mike McDaniel – October 22, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Postgame – Philadelphia
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Transcribed by Philadelphia)
On the playoff-like atmosphere:
“You can learn everything. It was a very important thing. I kind of knew that going into the game that it was going to be that type of atmosphere and I think that’s very important for our team being on the younger side to experience. Those are critical. You have to feel what it’s like to play such a good team on the road. Your margin for error is so small, and it’s an important building block along your progression for the season, you know. If you’re going to lose games, you want it to be against a really good team, and you want it to hurt. The collection of coaches and players in the locker room right now are hurting because they feel like they left some plays on the field for sure. You know, losses, if approached the right way, if you’re not pointing fingers and you’re looking internally, can be a good thing too. So that’s what we’ll be determined to make this moving forward, starting with tomorrow.”
On the penalties:
“Well, without a doubt, you can’t be minus 10 in penalties. So, you look at the – what’s the commonalities for it. Is there a pattern, and you have to look at it case-by-case and look at it hard. You can’t just point a finger and say that it’s not fair. That doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s more about looking at ourselves, the stuff that we can control, and what things we can clean up in our game. You know, generally, penalties occur when you’re out of position in any phase. So, we have to start with that and make sure that guys understand and learn from stuff because if you’re going to go through anything that’s as frustrating as this loss, you might as well — you better make it worth it. That will be our focus for sure.”
On Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s interception:
“No, that one in particular, there was a couple double moves that are kind of built for man coverage, so it kind of disperses that way where they’re kind of close together. That’s something that we’ve been working on for a while. You know, those are the things you have to learn from in terms of that particular play with Tua because playing quarterback in this league is tough enough, but getting used to adjusting when you don’t have protection versus when you do. On that particular play, I thought we do have solid protection there, and so when Tua watches the film, I’m sure he’ll be critical of himself as the leader he is and where he’s at in his career. He’s pretty overly accountable for throws and he kind of let that one fly on his back foot. So, I was hoping [RB] Raheem [Mostert] could step back and make a play. He had an issue doing so with apparently what was legal contact down the field. That’s definitely not why we lost the game. For sure, that play, I thought Tua had a very, very good game all things considered and made a ton of plays under some duress.”
On coming in with the number one rushing attack and how much that affected his play-calling:
“We were behind the chains more than we were used to. We had some small nuance details of some plays that, hats off to the Philadelphia Eagles because they made us pay everytime we – maybe our track was a little too tight, or too wide or an offensive lineman was a hair off. We rely on the running game to have a successful offense. We got it going a little too late in the game, so that is something that we take pride in and will be sure to get better from moving forward.”
On having to win road games and what can a coaching staff do to make sure they are ready:
“Well, I mean, from my perspective, there is a good amount that falls on my shoulders because you are working through what your team is and what you can do and can’t do on the road. Sometimes coaches can get a little too aggressive with some of the things that they decide to do. I felt that it started it with me, if that was the case. There were a couple instances where it was correctable, but there was one where we had to use one timeout because I adjusted the play-call late, so that is not on the players. Then we weren’t as crisp as usual coming out of the huddle, which always leads to stuff, and we will take a hard look at that in terms of what we are doing and how we are doing it, and make sure that we get better because it definitely wasn’t good enough to win and to beat a football team like that. It was a shame because I thought our defense gave us a definite chance to win with the way they played and made some serious physical plays that were kind of wasted.”
On the condition of Dolphins LB David Long Jr. and S Jevon Holland after collision:
“So, [Dolphins S] Jevon Holland was evaluated by the specialist on-site and cleared so he went back into the game. [Dolphins LB] David Long [Jr.] came into the locker room and, you know, never came out of it. I’ll get a better update on that, haven’t had a chance to talk to [Dolphins Head Athletic Trainer] Kyle [Johnston] and his staff, so, I’ll give you the information tomorrow for sure.”
On how close Dolphins WR Chase Claypool is to contributing:
“[Dolphins WR] Chase [Claypool] had a package of plays that – circumstances, the game, kind of ran us out of. So, we’re expecting him to play a little bit more, but once you start having – with [Dolphins WR Jaylen] Waddle leaving the game it’s more difficult to get a newer player involved just that way unless it’s in his package of plays, like, which I said, we kind of digressed through what we were planning on getting done. He’s doing a great job, he’s carved out a little role with us already. So, I’m hoping that expands as he gets the opportunities to play within our offense.
On how injuries impacted the game:
“You know, good players – the more good players you have, it definitely makes you better, however it would be tough for me to really look at, you know – I kind of look at what we do have and was very confident going into the game – of the players that were scheduled to play a good amount of snaps, and I think it would be awesome to have players return to our team, but going without X, Y, or Z, whomever it is, wasn’t the reason that we lost. We were still capable of winning that football game if we’re playing our brand of football at its highest.”
On Dolphins CB Xavien Howard not playing tonight:
“Yeah, I know, that’s something that I talk to you guys a lot about is trying to protect players from themselves and sometimes competitors can be shortsighted in their scope, so, it just didn’t seem – with that position, with that injury – it didn’t seem prudent, to kind of, press the envelope at this stage knowing how important [Dolphins CB Xavien Howard] is for the entirety of the season. He had a good week and he’ll be chomping at my ear this next week, probably every day, because he definitely didn’t like watching this game in street clothes, for sure.”
On the team starting to come back after being down two scores:
“I think they felt very capable of doing that. The one thing I will say is that there’s some definite positives that came from this game. I felt like the team is at a place where they can compete in these types of atmospheres against a stubborn opponent. There’s still some growth that needs to be had and that’s part of the journey for sure. I was encouraged by our locker room temperament at halftime. I was encouraged by the way we came out to the field, and we were expecting to bridge that gap for sure. When it happened, I felt our guys were validated for sure, too short lived unfortunately.”
On how struggles from the offensive line affect the offense and play-calling:
“Yeah, it’s definitely part of the job. It’s not the first nor will it be the last, it can add a layer to your decision-making for sure. That is something I see as 100% my job. That’s something that’s not going to go away, and it can’t ever be an excuse. We have to be prepared if there’s any shifting and shoveling and it just wasn’t good enough tonight.”
On Dolphins CB Cam Smith not having any defensive snaps:
“It’s just the natural growth. There’s many different journeys that players take and he’s got a room of very capable players and I think you have to do right by the team and right by the player to make sure they’re appropriately versed, and the main thing with him is that by all testaments he’s getting better and better and closer and closer to doing that. You don’t just have guys learn on the fly with a position like that in my opinion because it’s like a quarterback where you don’t want to hurt their progression by having them see the field too soon. There can be scar tissue with that. I really like the way Cam goes about his business and he’ll see his time on the field at some point but tonight was not that night.”
